HomeClub Policies and Practices

This is a DRAFT that is currently under construction and review
by the Board of Directors.
Do not rely on this information as yet.

Introduction to Club Policies

Purpose

The purpose of these policies and procedures is to further explain and augment the policies stated in the Bylaws of the Oriole Dog Training Club (ODTC).

In cases where a policy statement conflicts with the Bylaws, the Bylaws take precedence.

Amendments

This is a living document and changes are expected to accommodate the ever-changing nature and business of ODTC. Amendments to these club policies and procedures many be made by a majority vote of the Board of Directors (BOD) at any time.

All substantive/functional amendments shall be published in the Board of Directors (BOD) Meeting Minutes.

All amendments shall be annotated with the date on which the policy takes effect.

Administration

Administration of Club affairs shall be vested in the BOD duly elected by the general membership.

Minutes from BOD meetings shall be published in the Dumbbell club newsletter upon approval by the BOD and available in the ClubExpress Documents library in the Meeting Minutes and Agendas folder.

Meetings

The board establishes the dates of the BOD meetings and General Membership (GM) meetings as needed except as specifically provided for otherwise in the Bylaws. Meetings are communicated to the membership through the email list and are additionally published on the Meetings page on the public website.

Attendance at meetings may be strictly physical, strictly virtual, or hybrid (a physical meeting with virtual attendance allowed). ODTC uses the Zoom platform for providing virtual attendance. Like physical attendees, virtual attendees are provided the opportunity to be recognized and to vote.

Meeting minutes may be found in the Meeting Agendas and Minutes folder in the ClubExpress Documents section available to logged in members.

Board of Directors (BOD) Meetings

Board meetings are held at least every other month (currently January, March, May, July, September, and November) in order to conduct and manage routine club business. Board meetings are open to all club members in good standing with the club except when the board moves to meet temporarily in ‘Executive Session’. Club members may request to address the board on specific issues, but may not freely participate in general board discussions. Club members may not vote on issues before the BOD. A quorum of the BOD must be present for votes to be valid.

The board also 'meets' occasionally on an online Forum to discuss subjects that must be expeditiously addressed or which require more thoughtful deliberation than the time constraints of the regularly scheduled board meeting permit. Although it not common, votes may be decided on the Forum and a quorum of the BOD must participate in this discussion. When issues on voted on in this manner, minutes from this single item are published on the same Meetings page on the public website used to publish meeting times and dates.

General Membership (GM) Meetings

GM meetings are held quarterly (currently January, May, July, and November). The election of officers is held at the January meeting. Members may contact the Secretary to suggest agenda items for each general meeting. Passing votes shall be determined by the majority of the members present either in person or via active attendance in the adjacent online meeting.

When a general membership meeting is scheduled, all classes during that time period are cancelled.

Club Functions

Club Events

The dates on which events are to be held shall be pre-approved by the Club Event Coordinator (currently assigned to the office of the club Vice-President).

Events appearing in Table 1 Club Events are expected functions of the club and do not require any special approval from the appropriate training director or Board in order to file paperwork with the sanctioning organizations. New events not already present in the table require approval by the Board.

The Club Event Coordinator (CEC) approves event dates according to the following guidelines:

Precedence: Events held on corresponding dates receive precedence over new events being requested.
Conflicts Requiring Use of the Building: When there are conflicting corresponding dates (due to different calendar arrangements of the sanctioning organization or other reasons), the CEC shall work with the Training Director(s) to arrive at a solution.
Conflicts With Simultaneous Events at Different Locations: If an event being requested conflicts with another Oriole event that is already on the same date but that does not use the same (location) resources, then the Coordinator shall ask the Board to vote on whether both events may occur simultaneously for the current and/or future years.
Default Date Assignments: If the sanctioning organization does not enforce corresponding dates, then what would be the corresponding date is tentatively pre-allocated. The CEC shall work with the Training Director(s) to either confirm the pre-allocated date or arrive at a solution for a different assigned date that year.
New Events: Any new events not already listed in Table 1 must be approved by the Board before being added as an expected function of the club. Once approved, the appropriate Training Director works with the CEC to locate a date for the new event.
Conflict Stalemate: If no unused date is readily apparent for a new or conflicting event such that that only option is to replace a scheduled event with the new or conflicting event, then Board approval is required to remove one of the events to solve the stalemate.

Many of the club functions listed in Table 1 Club Events traditionally either encourage or require participation from club members in order for these events to proceed. In those cases where participation is required, the Training Director overseeing that activity in the club has the ability to restrict class registration to those members who meet the participation requirements. Changes to participation requirements over those listed in this table must be approved by the board.

Table 1 Club Events

Function	Organization(s) Supported	Club Member Obligations
Agility Trials	AKC (January, June & December) CPE (March & June) NADAC (February, June and November) USDAA (Multiple) Corresponding dates are automatically set by the CEC as required by the sanctioning organization	All ODTC members entered in a club trial must volunteer to help work the trial which shall additionally include either help setting up or taking down the equipment. Students in club introductory level agility classes must work at least one agility event for each semester during which they are enrolled in a class
Obedience/Rally	AKC (April, May & August) CDSP (March & August) Corresponding dates are automatically set by the CEC as required by the sanctioning organization	Students enrolled in core obedience classes at ODTC must volunteer in one obedience-related (trial or Show-N-Go) event per year.
Flyball	NAFA (multiple months) Note: these trials are hosted by one or both of the two teams belonging to the club (No Speed Limit and Scallywags). Automatic corresponding dates do not apply (not required by the sanctioning organization). The default is to schedule as if there were.	Team members are required to work at the tournament if their team is the host and members of the other team should be prepared to assist/support. Other club members are encouraged to volunteer to help.
Tracking	AKC (November or December). Automatic corresponding dates SHOULD apply per the AKC, but the tracking events are so far and few now that the tracking committee has some freedom to play with these dates.	All tracking students are required to work at tracking tests.
Companion	AKC CGC AKC FETCH (June) Automatic corresponding dates are not required by AKC for these events.	Member obligations have not yet established for these events.
Scentwork/ Nosework	AKC (April) NACSW (multiple dates) Automatic corresponding dates are automatically set by the CEC per AKC policy but do not apply to NACSW events.	Member obligations have not yet established for these events.
Barn Hunt	BHA (multiple dates) Automatic corresponding dates do not apply (not required by the sanctioning organization).	Member obligations have not yet established for these events.
Fast/CAT	AKC (March and September) Corresponding dates are automatically set by the CEC per AKC policy	Member obligations have not yet established for these events.

The CEC establishes Trial Information Pages on the public website for each of the events in Table 1. Each Trial Information Page attempts to present a 3-5 year look-ahead in order to assist with future Events scheduling. Trial committees work with the webmaster and Communications Director to see that entry information is published on those pages and announced on Social Media.

Seminars

From time to time, the club conducts standalone seminars which utilize one or more independent contractors to instruct on topics supportive to the mission of the club such as specialized training in a dog sport, instructor education, or canine/human health.

Scheduling for these ad-hoc events is achieved through coordination between the Club Event Coordinator (CEC) and the dedicated Seminar Committee. Since the number of participants is typically very small, the normal event conflict rules do not apply.

<<NEED A BUTTON HERE FOR THE SEMINAR COMMITTEE DETAILED POLICY>>

Event Committees

Each trial/test/tournament event in Table 1 must have a designated Trial Chair who must be a club member and a Trial Committee, the majority of which must be club members. Trial chairs are given a budget to adhere to in order to receive club funding for trial expenses and awards. In addition, donations towards trial expenses may be accepted from sponsors approved by the BOD. The club's insurance agent must be notified of all official club events so that these activities are properly covered.

<<NEED A BUTTON HERE FOR THE TRIAL CHAIR DETAILED POLICY>>

Each event must also have a designated Trial Secretary who may be a club member or a secretarial business engaged by the club according to a contract approved by the BOD. The Trial Secretary is responsible for accepting and documenting all payments and discounts, and well as providing for and documenting refunds.
<<NEED A BUTTON HERE FOR THE TRIAL SECRETARY DETAILED POLICY>>

Membership

ODTC is a volunteer organization. All club members are expected to volunteer to work at club activities annually.

ODTC has the following categories of members:

Lifetime members are considered members in good standing without the need for payment of dues. Lifetime members do not pay registration fees for enrolling in classes. Lifetime membership is considered by the Board of Directors and recommended to the general membership where it may be awarded by vote of the general membership. Lifetime membership is restricted to members who have donated many years of distinguished service to the club.

Honorary members are not voting members of the club. Honorary membership is time limited and awarded by vote of the BOD.

Training members (TM) represent the majority of ODTC members. Training membership is awarded after a period of provisional membership and documentation of meeting volunteer requirements. Training members may vote on club issues, receive priority registration for classes, pay reduced class fess, receive the club newsletter, and if they have an email address, are included on the club announcement distribution list.

Contributing members (CM) are members who volunteer a minimum of 50 hours to the club annually. CMs are generally those who instruct regularly, clean the building regularly, serve on the BOD, serve as trial secretaries, routinely steward or judge at all Show-N-Go events, or combine numerous activities such as various trial chairs, teaching some semesters, working some Show-N-Go events, etc. New contributing membership may be awarded throughout the year. Contributing membership is awarded after a member has worked at an ongoing activity for 6 months or met at least half of the required hours with the expectation that they will continue the activity throughout the year. Contributing membership is re-evaluated annually during the annual dues solicitation. Contributing members will retain their CM status for 6 months after they discontinue their CM duties. After this 6 month period has ended, their membership status will be changed to Training Member.

<<NEED A BUTTON HERE FOR THE CONTRIBUTING MEMBER INFORMATION PAGE >>

Provisional Membership is awarded upon approval of the Membership Director after receipt of a membership application that is signed by a sponsor who is a member in good standing. Most members are permitted to sponsor a maximum of 2 new members per year. BOD members and instructors are permitted to sponsor an unlimited number of new members. Sponsors are responsible for introducing the prospective member to the club and its requirements. Provisional members are required to contribute to the club through volunteering to work at club activities. The Volunteer work must be performed by the individual applying for membership; not a spouse/family member. Provisional membership will last a minimum of six months. Upon completion of the 6-month provisional period and volunteer commitment, the Membership Director will present the provisional Members name to the BOD for approval. The BOD may approve the provisional member, extend the provisional period, or deny membership. Upon approval of the BOD, provisional members will be contacted for payment of annual dues. Upon receipt of dues, the provisional member will be converted to training membership and will begin the rights and privileges of membership. New members will be announced in the club newsletter.

The membership year will run from July 1 through June 30 of the following calendar year. Membership renewal will take place annually during the spring months. In addition to annual dues, all members are required to volunteer to at least one club activity annually. Members who fail to renew in a timely manner will have a 60-day grace period in which they may remain a member in good standing. If the member fails to pay their dues in full by the end of the grace period, they will loose membership rights (voting rights, member registration fees) but will be permitted to regain membership rights without having to go through provisional membership if they pay their dues within 4 months of the due date. Members who fail to pay dues within the 4-months following the due date will be removed from the membership rolls. If they wish to renew their membership following the 4-month period, they will need to apply as a new member and go through the provisional period again before becoming a member.

Provisional members who join in the last quarter of the membership year (April, May and June) are considered paid in full for the following year. In addition, provisional members are asked to pay their dues within 30 days of acceptance, otherwise they will need to reapply.

Provisional members who volunteer in jobs that would normally qualify as hours towards Contributing Member (CM) status (i.e. housekeeping, instructors, assistant instructor, etc), will be allowed to apply those hours toward obtaining CM status once they become members. Job descriptions for CM positions may be found available in the ClubExpress Documents library in the Bylaws and Club Policies folder (SUPERCEDED BY ABOVE CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS BUTTON?)

Committees

Committees shall exist for the most efficient delegation of authority for various club functions. Committees are appointed as necessary, subject to the approval of the BOD and are designated either permanent, or 'ad-hoc' to deal with a specific issue or improvement the completion of which results in the dissolution of the ad-hoc committee.

Committee reports are assigned a designated spot on the board and general membership meeting agendas. Each committee head shall report status to a designated Board member and/or report status directly at club meetings, including BOD meetings. Oral updates at meetings are encouraged.

If a person serving on a committee feels the time spent on committee work meets the hours requirements for Contributing Member, that person can apply to the Membership Director for that membership designation.

Awards

ODTC holds an annual awards party in January each year. Award recognition will be given for all new titles earned in sports for which
ODTC offers a sanctioned trial or test (See Table 1 above in Events). In addition, ODTC provides performance awards for teams that title in multiple sports (see Table 1 for eligible sports and organizations) as well as various special awards for outstanding performance of a club member in the sport.

ODTC recognizes but does not provide additional awards for special awards or honors provided by an organization outside of ODTC.

Members may submit award applications at any time throughout the year. Award applications should be made (1) by mail, or (2) scanned and submitted via email. There is no provision provided for collecting award applications left in the building mailboxes.

Members are encouraged to submit award applications as the awards are earned to avoid failing to obtain recognition for the title at the end of the year. A specific date in December each year will be announced as the last date to submit award applications so that the awards committee has time to procure the awards for the January Awards Meeting. No awards will be given for late applications, although the awarded titles may still appear in the published summary of awards for the year.

ODTC also makes appreciation awards throughout the year at general membership meetings. Any member may nominate someone for an appreciation award using a designated form.

Award applications as well as the form for making an appreciation award nomination can be found at Member Award Forms

Communications

ODTC uses email for the majority of its routine communications with its members. Members may request announcements be made to the membership, by contacting announcements@orioledogclub.club .

It is ODTC’s policy NOT to make announcements regarding urgent homes needed for dogs in shelters where euthanasia is eminent. We will however, permit routine announcements regarding finding homes for dogs in need.

The electronic communication email list administered by ClubExpress is updated annually based on the information provided during the membership renewal period. New members are added to the list upon payment of their dues. Members who experience mid-year changes in their email address may change their profile in ClubExpress or email the webmaster at webmaster@orioledogclub.club to revise their address on the distribution list.

ODTC publishes a newsletter periodically. Members are encouraged to submit information to the newsletter. Items of interest include brags on qualifying scores on their dogs, humorous stories or jokes, stories of general interest to dog enthusiasts, recipes for treats for dogs, etc. Items should be submitted to the newsletter electronically by emailing dumbbell@orioledogclub.club . The newsletter is distributed electronically to all members who are on the email distribution list.

ODTC maintains two Internet websites:

1. www.orioledogclub.org, which houses publicly available information about the club and its events and classes, and
2. odtc.clubexpress.com , which contains information intended to be private to ODTC members only.

Websites are maintained by a webmaster appointed by the BOD. Only the webmaster is able to add information to the site, so all materials to be posted are sent to webmaster@orioledogclub.club.

In addition, both the building and event calendar are maintained on the website. In order to schedule the building for personal use, members should contact the building coordinator at building@orioledogclub.club. To have events added to the events calendar, please see the previous section "Club Events".
ODTC also maintains a Facebook page for announcements and member inquiries/input (i.e., items for sale, training advice). Other social media sites where the club has a presence are X and Instagram.

ODTC on Facebook

ODTC on X

ODTC on Instagram

Classes and Registration

Registration Policy

General

Oriole Dog Training Club (ODTC) holds 4 registration sessions for classes throughout the year (fall, winter, spring and summer sessions). Each registration session will have a closing date. Any registrations after the closing date will be at the full non-member rate. This does not apply to individuals on the waitlist prior to the closing date of registration.

A registration schedule will be posted to the ODTC website at least 10 days prior to registration opening for a given session. A catalog of classes offered will also be posted to the ODTC website at least 7 days prior to registration starting for a given session.

Only handlers and dogs registered for a specific class are eligible to participate in that class. Students may not bring additional dogs to participate in the class.

Preregistration

Specific entry-level classes allow preregistration for graduates into the following class level during the next session that class is offered.
The following Obedience classes are eligible for preregistration:
- (OB101) Puppy Kindergarten graduates enrolling in (OB105) Basic Obedience
- (OB105) Basic Obedience graduates enrolling on (OB110) Continuing Basic with AKC CGC & Tricks

The following Agility classes are eligible for preregistration :
- (AG050) Foundations for Dog Sports graduates enrolling in (AG100) Agility 1
- (AG100) Agility 1 graduates enrolling in (AG110) Agility 2
- (AG110) Agility 2 graduates enrolling in (AG140) Agility 3

All students MUST successfully complete the prerequisite class to be eligible to preregister for the following class. Successful completion is determined by the instructor. If an instructor deems a student should repeat any of these obedience or agility courses listed before moving on in the series, the student can preregister on one occasion.

All Nose Work classes except for NW101 are eligible for preregistration. All nosework students who do not start the ODTC nosework series in NW101 MUST get approval from the Nosework/Other Activities Training Director (TD) before registering for any nosework classes.

Tracking classes TR105 and TR115 allow preregistration for students wishing to continue in the following session.

The Registrar will send a preregistration link to eligible students at least 2 days before registration opens for Lifetime and Contributing Members. Students are responsible for registering by the date provided by the Registrar. If they do not register during the allocated preregistration time, they are no longer eligible for preregistration and must register as part of their normal membership group.

Preregistration is only applicable for students moving on to the next level of classes in the following session. Ex: Fall Agility 1 students are only eligible for preregistration for the Winter Agility 2 session.

Registration

ODTC operates on a rolling registration schedule based on membership level. The membership levels include:
- Lifetime Member (LM)
- Contributing Member (CM)
- Training Member (TM)
- Non-Member/Provisional Member (NM/PM)

The registration schedule for each session will be posted to the ODTC website at least 10 days prior to registration opening. This information will include the dates and times each membership level is eligible to register. Registration for LMs and CMs will open first, followed by registration by TMs 2 days later, and for NMs and PMs 2 days after that. A “Late registration” date will be provided on the registration schedule. Registration will remain open for classes that have spots available; however, member discounts will no longer be applicable as of the Late registration date.

The individual who will be handling the dog must be the one to register for a class in Club Express. Students are responsible for the following during registration:
- Knowing their membership level
- Being logged into their ClubExpress account (if they are members)
- Selecting the right membership level while registering
- Ensuring they meet any prerequisites and/or requirements for any class they register for
- Verifying that they can attend most of the class dates
- Paying for class within 30 minutes of registering

Training Directors will be listed as the Event Coordinator for each class in ClubExpress with the understanding that the Registrar is allowed to make changes to class registration if deemed necessary. Training Directors have the ability to put a limit on the number of times a dog may repeat a class. It is the handler’s responsibility to know what the limits are as stated in the class description.

Limitations on the number of classes a dog may take during a given session (winter, spring, summer, fall). Training Directors reserve the right to limit the number of classes a dog may take in their discipline during a given training session.

- With regard to Obedience, for the first five days of regular registration, a given dog may be registered for only one Obedience class beyond the Beginning Novice or Foundations level. If there are still openings in Advanced Novice or higher-level classes of interest after non-member registration has been open for 2 days (48 hours), dogs may be registered for an additional higher-level Obedience class for which they meet the prerequisites, and with permission of the instructor of the class(es) they wish to join. The number of registrations for classes in introductory Obedience, Beginner Novice, Novice Foundations, Rally, and run-throughs are not limited per student/dog, as long as prerequisites for the class(es) in question are met.

- With regard to Agility, for the first five days of regular registration, students may only register for a maximum of two Agility classes (beyond Dog Sports Preparation). If there are still openings in Agility classes of interest after non-member registration has been open for 2 days (48 hours), students can register for an additional higher-level Agility class as long as they meet the prerequisites.

All classes are limited to one dog per handler during the normal registration timeline. If additional spots remain 24 hours after registration opens for non-members, instructors can decide to allow a handler to register additional dogs.

Waitlist

All waitlists will be maintained on ClubExpress. Students are responsible for adding themselves to the waitlist for any class they are interested in that is full. Any open spots in classes that were previously full will be given on a first come basis determined by signup date/time on the waitlist.

The waitlist for a given class is only good for the session in which the student joined the waitlist. It does not guarantee a student a spot in the following session.

Cancellations, Credits, and Refunds

The Registrar reserves the right to cancel a student’s registration in the following cases:
- Register before registration is open for their given membership level
* Ex. A TM registers while registration is open only for CMs
- Register for a class for which the dog does not meet the requirements and/or prerequisites
* Ex. A dog is registered for Foundations for Dog Sports without graduating from a Basic Obedience class, holding a CGC title, or being approved via instructor evaluation.

Students may request to be removed from a course any time prior to classes starting for the current session. Credits will be issued for all removals or cancellations of club members and refunds will be issued to all non-members in the case of removals or cancellations. A $10 service fee will be withheld on all credits and refunds issued.

All classes must have at least 3 students registered for the class to be held. If the class is canceled at the request of the instructor or club, a full refund will be issued to all students without regard for their membership level. Members do have the right to request their refund be given as a credit.

ODTC will make every effort to ensure that students are offered the number of class meetings (weeks) advertised in the course catalog. If for any reason an instructor is unable to hold the number of class meetings offered, students will receive a credit (members) or refund (non-members) for the prorated cost of any class meeting that could not be held.

In the event a member registers for a class at the wrong membership level and requests a credit for the difference, the Club reserves the right to deduct a $10 processing fee. For repeat offenders (more than 3 such errors), a member is no longer eligible to receive any credit for the error.

Dog Behavior

Owners/handlers are responsible for their dogs’ behavior at all times and must ensure that their dog is under control and does not approach or interfere with other students’ dogs. ODTC classes are intended for dogs that are reasonably well-socialized and not aggressive toward other dogs or humans.

Instructors reserve the right to remove a dog from their class if they identify any behavior that they feel could harm or negatively impact another handler, dog, or the instructor. Examples of aggressive acts that are potentially harmful or dangerous to others are, but not limited to, the following:
- Growling, snarling or snapping at other dogs or humans including the instructor.
- Charging or running down another dog.
- Attacking and/or biting another dog or human including the instructor.

Instructors should keep in mind their safety as well as the safety of students and their dogs in making the decision. It is the instructor’s responsibility to report any aggressive incident and/or injury to dog or human on an Incident Report form. When completed, the form should be turned in to the Training Director for that discipline and emailed to the Board within 24 hours of the incident occurring.

If a dog is removed from a class due to their behavior, a prorated credit (members) or refund (non-members) will be issued to the student for the remainder of the class. A refund can be issued to members in circumstances where the instructor feels that the dog will not be able to train at ODTC for an extended timeframe.

If a dog is removed from a class because of their behavior, the handler MUST consult with the Training Director of the discipline they were removed from, prior to registering for ANY future classes at ODTC.

Instructors’ Responsibilities

Instructors will be given a roster for their classes prior to the start of their first class. It is the instructor’s responsibility to ensure that only handlers and dogs on the roster are in the class. If an unregistered handler and/or dog tries to attend a class without being on the roster, the instructor should immediately contact the Registrar. Instructors should refer any student requesting a credit or refund to the Registrar.

All changes in enrollment during the session should be referred to the Registrar.

Instructors are also responsible for checking rabies vaccinations for any dog indicated by the Registrar on their rosters.

Instructors are responsible for informing students if a given class or class meeting has been canceled, including if it is canceled due to inclement weather.

Instructors should review the ODTC Instructor Information prior to week 1 of each session teaching. Information in this document must be relayed to the students during the first class meeting. This document includes the following information:
- Inclement Weather Information
- House Rules
- Kennel Cough & Influenza Policy
- Bitches in Heat
- Class Incident/Dog Behavior

Instructors should refer to the instructor checklist for the start of each class. This checklist will be sent out by the Registrar each session at the same time as the roster.

As noted in “Dog Behavior” above, it is the instructor’s responsibility to report any aggressive incident and/or injury to dog or human on an Incident Report form. When completed, the form should be turned in to the Training Director for that discipline and emailed to the Board within 24 hours of the incident occurring.

Junior Handlers

ODTC’s classes are taught at the adult level. Well behaved, mature children may enroll in classes; however, children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who remains in the building throughout the entire class period. Individuals who have written legal authorization to supervise another’s child under the age of 16 may attend classes with the child.

Class Cancellations

ODTC will make an effort to ensure that students receive the number of classes advertised in the course catalogue. However, it may be necessary to cancel classes at times due to unforeseen circumstances, such as weather. ODTC classes will be cancelled when Baltimore County schools are closed for the day due to inclement weather or if they have an early dismissal due to snow, sleet, high winds, etc. (not heat).

Cancellations are posted on the public home page www.orioledogclub.org

If an instructor believes that the schools have been over cautious in closing and wishes to hold classes, they may discuss this with the respective training director and if they agree to hold class, contact the students to advise them. Instructors will attempt to schedule make up sessions for any classes cancelled, keeping in mind that if there are a large number of cancellations, rescheduling may not be possible before the start of the next session. ODTC does not have a heat cancellation policy. Instructors who believe that the heat is so excessive as to create an unsafe situation, may cancel class by contacting their respective students.

Private Lessons

Private lessons may only be provided by persons specifically authorized to do so by the BOD and appropriate Training Director. Persons wishing to take privates must register to do so at the beginning of the class semester. Consult the Class Catalog for more information.

Contracted Classes

ODTC provides a limited number of hours a week that may be rented by an outside contractor for the purpose of conducting training classes. Outside contractors are responsible for their own class registration and policies, subject to their contract with ODTC.

When a contracted classes is on-going, ODTC members may use other areas and equipment in the building not specifically included in the contract at ODTC. Oriole members are not entitled to audit a contracted class.

Building Usage

The primary usage of the club building at 9 Azar Court in Halethorpe MD is for club member use for classes, as well as events involving both members and non-members such as trials, tests, tournaments, seminars, and run-throughs. All class and event attendees are expected to treat the property and equipment used for events or individual practice with respect and care.

A secondary usage of the club building is practice time for contributing members on an occasional basis on an as-available basis as explained in the Building Reservation Policy

Contributing members must work with the building scheduler to reserve this private training time. The building scheduler may be contacted at building@orioledogclub.club

Rules of Conduct that apply to ALL USAGES of the building (class, seminars, privates, personal use, trials, etc) are posted here: House Rules

ODTC Members of all types are our club's first line of response involving issues with the building. Consult here for the best way to report problems: Reporting Building Problems

Sportfield Cleanliness

There is a $10 fee for a dog fouling the turf area. Instrutctions for payment and recording of the incident are on the cleanup boxes located at either end of the sportsfield.

Frequent pee'ers may be required to wear diapers or belly bands by the class instructors.

Equipment

Members are NOT permitted to remove equipment from the building for their personal use without the permission of the Board of Directors or the Training Director responsible for the equipment. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary actions.

Much of the club's obedience and agility equipment now has dedicated storage locations. When using equipment outside of scheduled class time, make sure you follow the principle of "Put it Back Where You Found It"

Quiet Hours

ODTC remains in constant jeopardy of losing our lease due to the noise produced by barking dogs. The club officers are regularly called on the carpet before the building management and owners for complaints submitted by adjacent businesses about continuous barking that has occurred during daytime working hours.

Official quiet hours are weekdays, 7:30 am through 5 pm. During those times, barking dogs may not be left unattended in cars in the parking lot and may not be crated anywhere in the building except the back wall of the building where their barking is unlikely to be heard. If a particular dog is unable to work quietly anywhere in the building (including the sportsfield) during quiet hours, then that dog may not be trained in the building during those times.

Guests

Non-members may use the club facilities to train as a guest ONLY if they are accompanied by a keycode holding contributing member AND they sign a statement of responsibility/waiver form AND pay a guest fee of $25. Completed waiver forms and guest fees should be deposited in an envelope in the lock box mounted on the wall in the office behind the door. Guests accompanying an enrolled class member may attend only with the consent of the instructor. The waiver may be found here: Guest Waiver

Keycode Holders

The ODTC building is open to members and non-members enrolled in classes during class times. At other times, it will be necessary to use a keycode to enter the building. Keycodes to the building are issued to contributing members on a need to have access basis. This includes instructors, cleaning crews, committee chairpersons, etc. whose job involves opening or closing the building, or maintaining a resource stored in the building.

Members in general are not issued keycodes to the building and are not permitted to use the building during non-class hours unless they are with a keycode holding contributing member.

Keycode requests should be emailed to the Club President president@orioledogclub.club or to the Membership Director membership@orioleclub.club.

We particularly rely on keycode holders to report building problems. Consult here for the best way to report problems: Reporting Building Problems

Operating Procedures

Keycode holders are responsible for following all operating procedures policies related to building opening/closing and temperature control, and in addition should ensure guest policies and quiet hour restrictions are followed in the off-hours.

Failure to do so may result in disciplinary actions and/or loss of keycode privileges. Building opening/closing procedures may be found here: Building Opening/Closing

Building temperature are set on an automated schedule that accommodates more normal usage on weekdays and weekends. If a keyholder finds it necessary to alter the temperature, instructions are for doing so are here: Building Temperature Control

Building Rentals

Persons or organizations wishing to rent the building for exclusive use for an event or partial use of the building for designated activity may enter into a contracted agreement with ODTC. See Rental Information for more information.

Incidents

Dog Aggression

ODTC classes are intended for dogs that are reasonably well socialized and not aggressive toward other dogs or humans. Owners/handlers are responsible for their dogs’ behavior at all times and must assure that their dog is under control and does not approach or interfere with other students’ dogs.

Instructors identifying any aggressive or unruly dogs may excuse the dogs from class. A prorated refund of class fees will be issued. Instructors should keep in mind their safety as well as the safety of students and their dogs in making the decision. Training directors are available and interested in assisting instructors in making decisions on potentially aggressive behavior. Instructors dismissing a dog for aggression should recommend the student see their veterinarian for referral to a behaviorist and encourage the handler to consider ODTC in the future once the behavior problem is resolved.

Examples of aggressive acts that are potentially harmful or dangerous include, but are not limited to, the following:

- Growling, snarling or snapping at other dogs or humans including the instructor.
- Exhibiting intimidating behaviors toward other dogs or humans including the instructor.
- Charging or running down another dog.
- Attacking and/or biting another dog or human including the instructor.

If an incident occurs despite these precautions:

1. The dog that involved the biting must be removed from the premises,

2. Ask the owner for proof of rabies vaccination or titer,

3. Collect witness statements and write an incident report :

2025 ODTC Incident Report.docx or
2025 ODTC Incident Report.pdf or
2025 ODTC Incident Report (fillable pdf).pdf

Although anyone can file an incident report, if an incident occurs during a class, it is the instructor’s responsibility to report the aggressive incident and/or injury to a dog or human. It is recommended that the club president and appropriate Training Director be notified immediately that an Incident Report is being prepared. See the Club Contacts page for contact information.  The Incident Report must be submitted within 3 days of the incident.

When completed, the form should be submitted to the Club President at president@orioledogclub.club . If there any photos or videos of the incident, these should be emailed to the President as well.  The President will make the form and all materials available to the BOD for consideration.

If the incident occurs during a trial, the normal procedures for aggressive/misconduct for the sanctioning organization must be followed. A copy of the findings of trial's misconduct hearing should be attached to the Oriole Incident report.

Services to the Community

It is part of ODTC’s mission to provide services to the community. As such, ODTC makes donations to charitable organizations annually. Members are encouraged to nominate their favorite dog-related charitable organization. However, breed specific organizations will not be accepted for nomination. All nominees will be compiled and presented to the membership for a vote at the annual meeting in January. The budget for donations for the year will be divided among the top 6 vote getters in proportion to their share of the total votes made.

In addition, ODTC may conduct local demonstrations or rent space for a booth at an event to promote dog sports and training.. In the event a demonstration includes charging the public for trainer assisted run-throughs, the demonstration must have a designated chairperson and the club's insurance agent must be notified this is an official club events so that this activity is properly covered.

Funds

If at any time a member receives payment for services rendered by the club and loses such payment (check or cash), the Treasurer will advise the Board so that a decision can be made regarding further action.

Any member who wishes to use the club’s debit card for a specific purpose must obtain approval from the Board. A description with receipts for the items purchased must be provided to the Treasurer.

Donations

If a donation of funds or physical items is made to the club, a receipt should be provided to the donor and a copy of this receipt supplied to the Treasurer. The receipt should contain the date, the name of the donor, and the amount. Furthermore if the item is a physical item with a value over $100, the receipt should contain a brief description of the item, its estimated value, and a statement for the donor to sign acknowledging transfer of ownership to Oriole DTC.

Human and Dog Health

COVID-19

ODTC complies with all government advisories concerning human health, particularly with concern to pandemics.

COVID-19 Mitigation Policy

Rabies

Proof of rabies registration is required for all dogs participating in ODTC Classes.

Collars

Electronic collars are not allowed in ODTC’s facilities or at any event sponsored by Oriole DTC.

Bitches in Season

No Bitches in Season (BIS) are allowed in the following classes: Puppy, Basic Obedience, and Advanced Basic/CGC and Trick Dog Drills. Otherwise BIS are allowed in classes or trials (when permitted by the sanctioning organization) providing:

a) they are covered (i.e. wearing 'panties');
b) the owner maintains 'social distance' from other dogs.

Instructors may refuse entry of a bitch in season to class if in their opinion she is causing a disturbance. Instructor(s) will make the final decision.

Kennel Cough

Dogs diagnosed with kennel cough may not attend ODTC classes and events for a period of 14 days from when the initial cough was detected. For multi-dog households: asymptomatic dogs residing in the same household are also prohibited from attending until the original dog has cleared its 14 day isolation period.

Canine Influenza

Canine influenza is a serious, novel pathogen that is spread through respiratory secretions and contaminated objects (crate floors/walls, food/water bowls, leashes/clothing). Dogs diagnosed with canine influenza may not attend ODTC classes and events for a period of 20 days from when the dog is diagnosed. For multi-dog households: asymptomatic dogs residing in the same household are also prohibited from attending until the original dog has cleared its 20 day isolation period. Persons who own or have come into contact with a dog with canine influenza may not enter the building for at least 24 hours following exposure.

If a dog is diagnosed with canine influenza and has been crated in the building 48 hours prior, the Club President must be immediately notified at president@orioledogclub.club so that crates in that area can be disinfected in an attempt to stop any further spread.

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