Trick Dog Trainers Association
Membership Application
ASSOCIATION OF TRICK DOG TRAINERS
VISION
Trick Training incorporates primarily positive methods
using praise and food. Dogs will be trained through humane methods to do tricks.
Their owners will be encouraged to participate in activities with dogs that strengthen
the human/canine bond and thus insure lifelong relationships with their owners.
Mission
The purpose of the association is to promote activities
through trick training that strengthen the human/canine bond, thus promoting
the ultimate welfare of the dog within the human family, provide a forum for
education and collaboration of trainers, to confer trick dog titles, certify
trick trainers, and to advance trick training as a fun activity to be enjoyed
by both dog and owner.
Goals
1. Encourage pet owners to spend
time with their dogs by teaching tricks.
2. Encourage pet owners to bond with their dogs through
trick training.
3. Promote having fun with dogs through trick training.
4. Lay a life long foundation of learning and training
for dog owner and through trick training.
5. Provide a forum for trick trainers to share and collaborate.
6. Confer Trick Dog titles to dogs and handlers who meet
the criteria established by the Association.
7. Establish criteria for certification of Trick Dog
Trainers.
8. Organize seminars for the promotion, education and
collaboration of trick trainers.
9. Establish a network of Trick Trainers for referral
to owners who want to train their dogs.
10. Establish an e-newsletter for Trick Trainers.
11. Establish a code of professional conduct.
Membership
Founding Members:
Kyra Sundance- Read Kyra's bio
Laura Mitobe- Laura has been training dogs and helping others train since 1984.
She has worked with Companion Dogs by Sue Myles. Laura has enjoyed teaching dogs
tricks since childhood. She has participated in a variety of dog activities,
but trick training remains her favorite activity with her dogs.
Membership
Membership is open to anyone interested in promoting,
teaching or training trick dogs providing their application has been accepted,
annual dues are paid and that they abide by the Association’s Code of Conduct.
Benefits of membership:
- Opportunity to collaborate with other trick trainers.
- Referral listing for Trick Trainers
- Opportunity to help establish Trick Training as a canine
sport
- Certificate of Membership
- Acquire certification as a Trick Dog Trainer by meeting
the prescribed criteria.
Dues
$20.00
Trainer certification: $75
Criteria for Trick Dog Trainer Certification—to
be posted soon
Bylaws of the Association of Trick
Dog Trainers
Article 1 Name, purpose and goals
Section 1 – Name
The name of the association is: Association of Trick Dog Trainers
Section 2 – Mission Statement
The purpose of the association is to promote activities through trick training
that strengthen the human/canine bond, thus promoting the ultimate welfare of
the dog within the human family.
Section 3 - Goals
1. Encourage pet owners to spend time with their dogs
by teaching tricks.
2. Encourage pet owners to bond with their dogs through
trick training.
3. Promote having fun with dogs through trick training.
4. Lay a life long foundation of learning and training
for dog owner and through trick training.
5. Provide a forum for trick trainers to share and collaborate.
6. Confer Trick Dog titles to dogs and handlers who meet
the criteria established by the Association.
7. Establish criteria for certification of Trick Dog
Trainers.
8. Organize seminars for the promotion, education and
collaboration of trick trainers.
9. Establish a network of Trick Trainers for referral
to owners who want to train their dogs.
10. Establish an e-newsletter for Trick Trainers.
11. Establish a code of professional conduct.
Article – 2 Membership, Dues and Affiliation
- Section – 1 Membership
- Membership is open to anyone interested in promoting,
teaching or training trick dogs providing their application has been accepted,
annual dues are paid and they abide by the Association’s Code of Conduct.
- Section – 2 Dues and Privileges
- Dues shall be set by the Board of Directors. Any member
who resigns or is expelled is not entitled to a refund for any portion of their
dues.
- Section – 3 Application for membership
- Each applicant for membership shall apply on a form
approved by the Association which shall provide that the applicant agrees to
abide by the by-laws and code of ethics of the Association.
An applicant for membership whose application has been received and reviewed
by the Association shall be submitted to the board for approval. Upon approval
of the board the applicant shall be accepted into membership and their name published
in the next newsletter and/or on the membership list on the website. The applicant
shall be promptly notified of the action. If the applicant is denied membership,
in the spirit of disclosure and education the reasons shall be included in the
notification.
- Section-4 Termination of membership
- a. By Resignation- Any member
may resign by giving written notice.
- b. By failure to pay dues
c. By expulsion- A member may be expelled if convicted
of animal cruelty charges, using training techniques that do not promote the
positive training philosophy of the Association, primarily food and praise training.
Article 3 Meetings
Meetings shall be scheduled as needed and may be conducted
through the internet, phone or in person. Meeting scheduling will be reviewed
as the
Association grows. Written notification will be made for general meetings electronically,
or through the mail.
Article 4 – Board of Directors
- Section – 1 Composition
- The Board shall be composed of a President, Vice-President,
Secretary and Treasurer. A Board member may hold more than one office until such
time the Association grows and offices are filled.
- Section -2 Powers and duties
- The board of directors shall be entrusted with the
general management of the Association’s affairs exercising those powers
and duties specified in the bylaws and transacting the general business of the
Association not otherwise provided for in these bylaws. Each member of the board
shall have an unqualified right of access to the books, records and files of
the Association.
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In the routine operation of the business of the Association, the board may vote
by mail, by conference call, or by electronic mail. Otherwise, the vote will
be taken only at a regular or special meeting and only those persons present
in person shall be entitled to vote.
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Vacancies. Any vacancy occurring on the board or among the officers, except a
vacancy in the office of president, shall be filled for the unexpired term by
an eligible member nominated by the president and approved by a majority vote
of the board.
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President shall preside at all meetings of the membership and of the board and
shall perform all the duties and have all the powers normally associated with
the office of president, including those duties imposed and powers granted by
these bylaws.
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Vice president shall perform the duties and exercise the powers of the
president in case of the president’s absence, incapacity or death. Vice-President
shall assist the President in all duties as needed.
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Secretary shall conduct the correspondence of the Association, maintain a record
of the membership of the Association and once a year furnish members with a list
of the membership, notify newly elected applicants of their membership and furnish
them with a copy of the Associations Bylaws and Code of Ethics, and membership
list, issue notices of all meetings, mail lists and ballots to all members as
required by these bylaws and receive such ballots back from the members, hold
as custodian books, records and correspondence which he is required to keep or
which come into his possession by virtue of his office and perform such other
duties as his office may require.
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Treasurer shall
(i) collect and receive all moneys due to or belonging to the Association
and deposit the same in bank(s) approved by the board;
(ii) maintain books and keep complete records open to inspection by the board
at all times
(iii) prepare complete six months, and annual financial statements and
report to the board at every meeting the current condition of the Association’s
finances;
(iv) at each membership meeting present the latest financial statement;
(v) Notify members when dues are owed.
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The board of directors shall
(i) manage the business affairs of the Association
(ii) plan and promote measures for the Association’s growth
(iii) hold hearings for disciplinary actions
(iv) report to the members the business transacted by the board of directors
(v) supervise and approve expenditures from the Associations general
fund.
(vi) carry out any other duties and obligations as set forth in these bylaws.
ARTICLE 5 Discipline
Suspension. Any member who is suspended from
the privileges of a national
kennel Association automatically shall be suspended from the privileges of this
Association for a like period.
Charges. Any member may prefer charges against
a member for alleged
misconduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Association. Written charges
with specifications must be filed in duplicate with the corresponding secretary
together with a deposit (the amount determined by the board of directors on a
biennial basis) which shall be forfeited if such charges are not sustained by
the board or committee following the hearing. The secretary shall promptly send
a copy of the charges to each member of the board or present them at a board
meeting. The board shall first consider whether the actions alleged in the charges
if proven might constitute conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the Association.
If the board concludes that the charges do not allege conduct which would be
prejudicial to the best interest of the Association, it may refuse to entertain
jurisdiction. If the board entertains jurisdiction of the charges, it shall fix
a date for a hearing by the board or a committee of not less than two members
of the board. The time of the hearing shall be not less than three nor more than
six weeks thereafter. The secretary shall promptly send one copy of the charges
to the accused member by certified mail together with a notice of the hearing
and an assurance that the accused member may personally appear in his own defense
and bring witnesses if he wishes.
Expulsion.
Expulsion of a member from the Association may be accomplished only at a regular
or special membership meeting of the Association board.
ARTICLE 6 Amendments
Amendments to the bylaws and the code of ethics
may be proposed by the
board of directors or by written petition addressed to the secretary and signed
by
ten members. Amendments proposed by such petition shall be promptly considered
by the board of directors and must be submitted to the members with recommendations
of the board by the secretary for vote within three months of the date when the
petition was received by the corresponding secretary. These proposed amendments
may be submitted by publication in the regular newsletter of the Association.
These bylaws and code of ethics may be amended at any time provided a copy
of the proposed amendment has been mailed by the corresponding secretary to each
member and accompanied by a ballot on which he may indicate his choice for or
against the action to be taken. The notice shall specify a date not less than
thirty days after the date of mailing by which date the ballots must be returned
to the corresponding secretary to be counted. A favorable vote of two thirds
of the members in good standing whose ballots are returned within the time set
shall be required to effect any such amendment.
Unless otherwise stated in the proposal, any proposed amendment becomes effective
immediately upon approval by the membership.
TRICK DOG TRAINER ASSOCIATION CODE
OF ETHICS
As a guide to members, the Trick Dog Trainer Association
sets forth below certain standards of conduct to be followed by its members.
Membership in the Association assumes acceptance of and adherence to this code.
We are dedicated to Training Dogs to do Tricks for the
enjoyment of dog, owner and audience.
1) We will at all times act in the interest of the dog.
2) We will keep our dogs in an environment and under a regime
that as far as is possible ensures the well being of the dog.
3) No member will knowingly sell a dog of any age to any pet
shop, catalogue house, laboratory, or any wholesale dealer in dogs, or to any
person who sells to pet shops, catalogue houses, laboratories, or wholesale dealers
(a dealer being a person who regularly buys stock for sale at profit). No member
will in any way knowingly aid or abet the sale of any dog through a pet shop
or catalogue house. Members will not knowingly offer stud service to wholesale
dealers or to any person involved with pet shops, catalogue houses, or laboratories.
4) Advertising by members will be as factual as possible. Misleading
exaggerations or unfounded implications of superiority will not be used.
5) Members will refrain from knowingly making unfair or untrue
statements about the dogs or practices of others.
6) We believe that it is our responsibility to educate the
general public, puppy buyers, trainers and ourselves on responsible dog ownership.
7) We are dedicated to having a Association which operates
in a democratic and open manner for the good of the dog and not for the sake
of any individual or group of people.
8) All members are encouraged to partake in general discussions,
either in writing, by electronic mail or in person at meetings.
9) Our philosophy of training is that of the use of humane,
motivational, non-violent methods.
10) We are dedicated to continually educate ourselves in all aspects of training
dogs.
11) It is not our goal to compete with any other organized dog organization
nor to duplicate the efforts of other organizations.
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