Puppy and Dog Training Classes
Classes are designed to be fun, relaxed and teach handlers how best to train their puppies and dogs. All puppies and dogs will have the opportunity to take the APDT Good Companion Awards at the end of their course. Classes are held on Wednesday afternoons at Shipton Gorge Village Hall, Church Lane, DT6 4LZ (see map) All you will need are lots of rewards for your puppies and dogs – and plenty of enthusiasm!
Puppy Course
Puppy courses are run on a rolling basis so your puppy can join as soon as they are ready (usually one or two weeks after the last vaccination). Courses run for eight weeks. As people have other commitments, if you need to miss a class this can be added onto the end of the course. Classes focus on teaching handlers how best to train, taking into account the needs of your pups. Topics include learning the fundamentals such as attention, recall, loose lead walking, give, leave, impulse control, sit, down, stay etc. Advice is also given on topics such as toilet training, socialisation, biting and mouthing, how to discourage behaviours such as jumping up, stealing your tea towels ….., etc., as appropriate. See also section on vaccinations below.
Older Puppy/ Adolescent/ Adult Dog Classes
Classes build on the fundamentals of training including: dealing with distractions, increasing distance and duration of behaviours; addressing normal issues of adolescence in dogs (for instance, apparently ignoring you); and overcoming common problems for dogs and handlers (such as pulling on the lead, not coming back when called, poor stays, and impulse control). Classes also encompass aspects of scent work, fun marker exercises, ‘send away’, smart retrieves, fun agility, etc. As classes are small, individual issues can often be addressed.
Social and Training Walks
Social and training walks are also available on request. These enable teaching in real life situations and are useful, for example, for developing attention, good recall, loose lead walking, etc.
Vaccinations Required
To join classes all puppies and dogs will be required to have the core vaccinations including DHP (canine distemper, hepatitis [canine adenovirus], and canine parvovirus) and leptospirosis. Kennel cough (canine infectious tracheobronchitis) vaccination is not necessary. However, any animal who has had a live virus kennel cough vaccine will need to be away from classes for seven days following vaccination.
Brucella canis
Dogs from abroad are welcome with negative Brucella canis tests – TC1032 (SAT for Brucella canis) and TC1542 (RSA for Brucella canis) after being in the UK for three months.