History of Cowal Dog Training Club

Glenis and Robin Coles set classes up around 1985 for people wanting to train their dogs for the show ring. It became apparent that there was a demand for obedience and pet dog training so they obtained the services of a trainer from Greenock (Bobby Boyle) to do the training classes. He asked Cathy to help with the classes and she has been doing so ever since!  Bobby retired from coming over to take our classes after several years and we were hugely grateful for his assistance.

We started off in the Burgh Hall and have also used the Pipe Band Hall, and a room in the Queen’s Hall which we had to vacate when it became the Olympia Bar.  We were in the West Bay Shelter for a number of years until former Councillor Dick Walsh assisted is in leasing our current premises.

We became Cowal and Mid Argyll Dog Training Service in the early 1990s and worked with the branch based at Cairndow under Jane Dawson who owned Croft Kennels at that time.  The Dunoon club eventually split from Cairndow branch due to geography.  It became the Cowal Dog Training Club, registered with the Kennel Club and also became a Scottish registered charity.

The trainers completed 2 training courses with Alexandria and District Dog Training Service under the auspices of George Cochrane, a retired police dog handler.  Margaret McRae was a trainer for a number of years, but left the club to set up her own business taking another trainer, Gina McCanna, with her.  The original trainers include the following:

Cathy Hodson (Proctor)
Kitt Cheshire
Alice Russell
Kathy MacNiven
Margaret Touhill

Whilst it is difficult to detail exactly how many dogs have come through our doors, it is likely to be in the hundreds!