Frequently Asked Questions

We strongly believe that you should obedience train your dog in the environment in which you exercise your dog, the environment in which you expect them to respond to you. Indoor training venues are artificial environments. There are none of the sights, sounds and smells that would distract a dog like there are in the local park. Training amongst those distractions is much more realistic. Being in an enclosed, relatively small space with lots of other dogs can also exacerbate anxiety as there is no visual escape route. Couple this with typically slippery floors and echoey acoustics and you have a situation that is not suited to all dogs.

The only indoor training we offer is Scentwork training where the indoor environment is actually beneficial due to the reduction of distraction scents and absence of wind.

As Sir Ranulph Fiennes said “There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing”. We train outdoors, whatever the weather. Your dog still needs exercise come rain or shine. We have only ever cancelled two sessions in the last 11 years and that was because the van was snowed in. We will be there, will you?

We could but we won’t!! We do not offer residential training. It’s no good your dog behaving for me, you need them to be well behaved for you. Dogs can be situational in their behaviour and act differently with different people. We train you to train your dog. We give you the skills but you won’t have a trained dog with a 1 hour a week lesson. You need to put in the effort in between classes to practice.

All the normal things you would take on a walk – treats if you use them, a toy if your dog is toy obsessed, poo bags. You will find a fixed length lead easier than an extendable lead. Your course payment. Water for your dog. Weather appropriate clothing and footwear. Oh, and your listening ears and a sense of humour!

Yes please! In order for training to be effective it is important to be able to reward your dog with something it is willing to work for. In 99% of cases this is food. Food is a valuable resource to dogs. Different foods hold different values to your dog so it might be that you need something a bit special for class. We do stock a range of natural treats if you are struggling to find something. However, we do recognise that all dogs are individuals and have different motivations. Some dogs are indifferent to treats and so won’t work for food but give them a ball and it’s a different story. Treats or toys are good motivators when starting training and introducing new things but we do look to wean them off of having food every time. We look to swap to using verbal and touch praise as much as possible.

Again, all dogs are individuals. Some are fine on a soft collar, some prefer a harness, others work well in a halti. There is no hard and fast rule, we can work with what you want to use or suggest an alternative if it is not working. Ultimately though it is just a training tool as eventually we are looking to reduce reliance on the collar and lead and to control the dog with word commands. You will however find a fixed length lead more suitable to the classes than an extendable lead.

Yes. We do not exclude reactive dogs from our classes. After all, if your dog needs to be socialised with other dogs you need a safe environment to do that. What better place than somewhere dogs are under control, the other owners are sympathetic and understand you have a problem and there are experienced instructors on hand?!

That said, group class is not always the solution for all dogs. Group class can be overwhelming for some anxious dogs and class could actually be detrimental. It may be that 1:1 training is more appropriate.

When you enquire about the classes please be completely honest about your dogs behaviour around other dogs. You may need a 1:1 assessment first and waiting times may be a little longer as we only accept one reactive dog per class. Where a dog has a bite history we will require it to be muzzled in order to attend in the first instance.

As soon as possible – puppies can attend class as soon as their vaccinations are complete and the vet clears them to mix with other dogs.

Absolutely not – as long as they are fit and willing even the older dog can be taught new tricks! Scentwork and hoopers are good options for those that are less physically able but still keen.

This will be assessed on a case by case basis but we can normally tailor the exercises to accommodate. Please get in touch with full details.

Our class enrolment and registration is managed electronically by Class Manager. Full information on how to register can be found here. You can enrol on a waiting list. Class spaces will then be assigned by us about week before the course is due to start. You will receive an email and your customer portal will update.

Please get in touch via the 1:1 enquiry form if you are interested in a home visit.