TRAINING AND CLASSES

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR IF YOU WISH TO BOOK A PLACE.

We welcome chidren and family groups to our training classes, as we see their involvement in the training process as key to building a balanced and safe relationship between your dog and your family. This is of course on the understanding that all children must be supervised by their parents or carers responsibly.

PUPPY TRAINING CLASSES

Puppy training classes are probably the most important classes you will ever consider taking with your dog and in our view the most important classes we run. WHY? Because the first 22 weeks of any canine's life are key to healthy growth both physically and mentally.

Mistakes made during this period can have long reaching and serious effects to the physical and mental well-being as well as the future behaviour of your dog. A dog's learning capacity within this period is comparable to a young child and they are like sponges, soaking up information. A dog learns experientially and if the experiences are of a negative nature then this will adversely affect the dog's behaviour at the time and in the future.

All our classes are run outdoors, over a 8 week period, each session being of one hours duration. Puppy Classes cater to the needs and development of your puppy between the age of 12 weeks and 6 months.

All dogs must have been fully innoculated before attending a course. Evidence of innoculation will be required on the first attendance.

This course is designed to educate handlers and dogs in a way that is enjoyable and rewarding. It helps develop and cement the bond between you and your puppy, promoting an understanding and "Pack Code" that will set a firm foundation for a well balanced, fulfilling life together in the future. The course also addresses Socialisation of your dog.

Puppy socialisation encompasses the interaction of the puppy to other dogs, people and new experiences. We will also address important day to day health issues and handling and grooming techniques.

On completion of this course your puppy will respond to basic obedience commands and be able to sit, down, stand and walk to heel on the lead. You will be able to recall your puppy whilst off the lead and will have established a degree of control which will enable you to handle your dog in public places in safety and with confidence.

Most importantly, you will have developed an understanding of your puppy's behaviour, it's needs and it's perceptions of you and the world you share before moving on to one of our Obedience Classes.

Our Obedience Classes run throughout the year in blocks of 8 weeks, each session being one hour in duration. They are conducted in an outdoor environment, our aims in this class are to develop an understanding of dogs, create an environment where our dogs can learn to socialise safely with other dogs and instill control in both the dog and handler. Although there is no upper age limit for dogs in this class, the minimum age is 6 months.

There are 2 levels to our Obedience Classes - Basic and Advanced.

The Basic Class - This class is targeted at dogs over 6 months of age that have received no previous training and is similar in many respects to a puppy class, with the emphasis being on gaining control, building strong bonds and developing a keen sense of understanding between the handlers and their dogs. On completion of this course you will achieve a standard of obedience and control with your dog which will enable you to handle your dog in public areas in safety and with confidence.

The Advanced Class - This class takes our dog training to the next level, where we work on refining and honing our skills and the control of our dog. It is more demanding of the dog and the handler and requires more commitment and concentration. We introduce heel-free work where the dog is off the lead, distance control, extended periods of leaving the dog in a controlled position and the "emergency stop".