Butler Dog Training Association
Trainer’s Tales
BDTA Web Site:
President
Betty Scarnato
Vice-President
Sam Abbott
Secretary
Jeanette Nestor
Treasurer
Greg Rock
Director of Training
Nancy Kieffer
Board of Directors
Linda Arnold
Cheryl Sanson
Sharon Vrable
Barb Walter
Editor
Pam Eckert
Obedience / Day/Time / Length / CostPuppy Class / Thursdays 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM / 6 Weeks / $60.00
Basic Manners & Obedience I / Mondays - Wednesdays Saturdays / 8 Weeks / $80.00
Basic Manners & Obedience II / Sundays / 8 Weeks / $80.00 (No Discounts) Includes Price of CGC/TDI Test
Members’ Class / Tuesdays* 6:45 PM – 7:45 PM *No Members’ Class on Meeting Nights / All Month / Members Only
Agility Foundations & Handling / Friday Nights / 6 Weeks / $80.00 for each class
All Classes are at the BDTA Building unless otherwise announced.
All BDTA Members: You must register for all BDTA classes by sending the applications and deposits to: Obedience - Sande Winters, 430 Mushrush Road, Butler, PA 16002. If you have any questions or need Application forms, call Sande at 724-287-3933 or Nancy at 724-285-9910. Classes fill up very quickly and applications are taken as they are received. Deposits required for class registration will be half of the total class fee (this applies to members also).
The Training Building is available to all members. If you need a key, please see one of the board members. With the privilege of using the building comes the responsibility of cleaning up after use. It's very difficult for instructors and assistants to come into the building and discover that a room needs cleaned before students arrive. So please use the vacuum cleaners and also the other cleaning supplies for spilled drinks, etc. Please wipe the mirrors clean. Please do not leave food or treats on the windowsills or any place that will attract “critters”. Our customers deserve a clean place to train and so do our members. Please be sure to turn lights off, leave the furnace setting on low or off during the warmer months and make sure all doors are locked! Everyone is responsible for keeping our facility clean and this will help spread the duties among us.
BDTA Meeting Notice
The next Membership Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday APRIL 19th 2016
There is no Members’ Class on Meeting Nights!!
We encourage all Provisional Members to attend meeting nights.
It’s a good way to meet others in BDTA and we get to meet YOU!
FACILITY / CITY / DAY OF THE WEEK / TIMESunnyview / Butler / 1st Thursday of the Month / 6:30 pm
VA Hospital / Butler / 2nd Thursday of the Month / 1:00 pm
Valencia Woods / Valencia / 2nd Thursday of the Month / 6:30 pm
Shelbourne Assisted Living / Butler / 3rd Wednesday of the Month / 6:30 pm
Butler Memorial Hospital TCF / Butler / 3rd Thursday of the Month / 6:00 pm
Passavant Retirement Center / Zelienople / 3rd Thursday of the Month / 6:30 pm
Concordia Adult Day Care / Cabot / Last Tuesday of the Month / 10:30am
Lowrie House / Butler / Last Wednesday of the Month / 6:30 pm
Saxony House / Saxonburg / First Wednesday of the Month / 10:30 am
St. John’s Specialty Care Center / Mars / Last Thursday of the month / 6:30 pm
Butler Hospital Psychiatric / Butler / Second Wednesday of the Month / 2:30 pm
New Haven Court / Butler / First Wednesday of the Month / 3:00 pm
Irene Stacy Metal Health Center / Butler / Third Friday of the Month / 1:30 pm
LTSR Psychiatric Unit / VA Campus / 2nd Thursday of the Month / 2:00 pm
If you would like to learn more about Therapy Dogs or how to become a Therapy Dog, please contact Nancy Kieffer (724-285-9910).
Please contact Bernie Abbott, Public Education Coordinator at 724-295-4983, for more information concerning the Canine Ambassador Program. There are local Boy Scout, Girl Scout, YMCA and Elementary Schools that need to learn more about dog safety, pet management and dog training. Bernie can help arrange the dates/times necessary to meet with these groups. WE NEED TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND PROMOTE OUR CLUB.
The deadline to submit items for the next newsletter is Friday April 22, 2016
Submissions should be emailed to or sent to:
Pam Eckert
123 Clark Road
West Sunbury, Pa 16061 724-282-2783
NEW MEMBERS
Welcome…
New Members:
Current Provisional Member(s): Carrie Chapman , Char Rimer,Pat Depp and Ellie Lojak
Please take time to get to know them and welcome them to our club.
Nikki Rock is our provisional members’ liaison for the Club. She will be keeping in contact provisional members so they can make an easier transition to Club membership. If you have any questions call: 724-285-9087
MEMORIAL PLAQUE
There are many places available on our Memorial Plaque at the Training Building. Please remember, this is a wonderful way to remember our dogs that have left us for the Rainbow Bridge. If you would like to purchase a spot on the plaque, you can pick up applications at the club or contact Cherry Sauers at 724-625-3554
Don’t forget about Amazon Smiles
This is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices and convenient shopping as on Amazon.com. The big difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile(smile.amazon.com) the foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchase to our Building Fund. It’s that easy. So far we have only received $21.00- while it’s not a lot of money, every little bit helps out.
Subject: Cleaning calendar for New Building
We have posted a calendar for people to sign up to clean the building weekly we need the bathrooms and office area swept, dusted and mopped. The instructors and assistants are responsible for sweeping the training room after every class and putting equipment it back where they found it The floors will need mopping if there is salt brought in. We do not want the dogs walking on salt residue If everyone signs up you will only need to clean once or twice a year
If you have any questions please contact Georgia Slater. Thank you
April 15th, (Friday) 10:30 AM
Canine Ambassador visit to Shepherd of My Heart Pre-School on North St., in Butler. Dogs must have CGC certification to attend.
April 19th, (Tuesday) 6:00 PM
CGC/TDI testing at BDTA
April 30-May 1st (Saturday/Sunday)
BDTA’s Spring Obedience/Rally Trials in Saxonburg
May 14th (Saturday) 10:30 AM-11:30 AM
Paws to Read a Tale, Butler Public Library (this will be our last visit until Fall) Dogs must have CGC/TDI certification to attend.
May 15th (Sunday) 1:00 PM-4:00 PM
Blessing of the Animals (sponsored by Thompson-Miller) Alameda Park, Masonic Shelter
We are invited yearly to be there as a group. Great place to get to know other members. This is a Meet n’ Greet for our group.
May 21st (Saturday) Noon-3:00 PM
Community Kid Safety Carnival at the Petroleum Valley Youth Center. We will be providing Dog Safety Education to all of the children who visit our display. Dogs must have CGC certification to attend.
September 11th (Sunday)
Doggie Fun Day in the Park, Alameda Park, Butler
September 17th (Saturday) Afternoon
North/Southwest Synods Lutheran Women’s Retreat at Lutherlyn….We have been invited to give a Therapy Dog presentation to this group. Dogs must have CGC/TDI to attend.
September 24th (Saturday) 1:00 PM
Canine Ambassador visit to Brady Hills (formerly Peter Rabbit Campground). Dogs must have CGC certification to attend.
November 5th-6th (Saturday/Sunday)
Christmas Photos at BDTA
November 18th-20th (Friday/Saturday/Sunday)
BDTA’s Agility Trials at Countryside Agility in Erie, Pa.
November 25th (Friday) Evening
Spirit of Christmas Parade, Downtown Butler
December 6th (Tuesday) Evening
BDTA’s Annual Christmas Dinner and Awards
Please remember to look at the up-to-date Members List on our website. Check to see if any corrections need tobe made and send those to Georgia Slater@. We will be updating the listing as often as possible…. (You might need to Refresh your screen (F5) in order to get into the members’ listing.)
We have the newsletter posted on the web site. There is a change in the password. You can access it by taking the following steps:
1. Go to this URL address (webpage) :
2. The Username box, type in bdtamember (this is case sensitive - must be all lowercase letters)
3. In the Password box, type in BDTA2010 (this is also case sensitive - ALL CAPS - and that is a zero, not the letter o)
4. Click on the “March ” link.
If you need to download Acrobat Reader there is a link at the top of the page. Acrobat reader is a free application for reading special non-editable documents. There is an excellent chance that you already have this application.
March 2016
Trainer’s Tales