The Kennel Club opened a training facility to members and the public with the hope that it will become a hub for the Central Alberta dog community.

“It’s a home—finally we have a home to come to!” said Carol Allinson, life-member of the Red Deer and District Kennel Club and trainer.

Allinson has been in the show world for about 25 years. She actively competes mainly in agility, and she is an obedience judge and looks forward to having the space to teach classes.

She said she looks forward to teaching classes in the new venue.

Allinson specializes in teaching competition obedience. She plans to run classes in household obedience; she also plans to teach classes for puppy, puppy agility, and agility as well as some competition novice.

“We can do all kinds of things in here – it doesn’t just have to be one sport,” Allinson said. “It’s going to be a gathering place; it’s going to be great—we can all learn from each other.”

Right now, in Red Deer there is not a, “Real designated training facility for people to hold classes” of any different type for dogs, said Ivan Busenius, spokesperson for the Red Deer and District Kennel Club.

“So, we decided that we would open this facility and make it available to all the different trainers in Red Deer to hold classes. Basically what we do is we put this facility together and we sublease this out to the trainers,” he said.

“What we are is just a facilitating body for all the trainers in Red Deer,” Busenius said.

Trainers will be able to rent the facilities to run their classes and the Club will help promote them through their easy-to-use web site. There will be a calendar listed of all the classes and seminars being hosted at the event and interested dog-owners can contact trainers directly from there.

Funding for the purchases and venue were drawn from the revenue of the club’s two annual dog shows.

But to keep the lights on it will need to be in regular use. Busenius joked that this is one dog they do not want to roll over.