Pawsitive Puppies!
Our puppy foundation course is just that: a sound foundation to build upon and an introduction to dog training, for both pup and owner alike. It's a well structured 6 week course during which all the puppy basics are covered, including basic commands (sit, down, stand, come, wait, stay, etc), puppy health and well-being, safe and controlled socialisation with other pups, handling and inspection, road-walking, puppy retrieve, and plenty of fun games through which you and your pup will learn even more.
We only use positive, reward-based training, as it is crucial that the puppies enjoy their training. We help to teach the basic positions (sit, down and stand) as well as how to train your pup to walk nicely on lead, along with other basic commands, such as the recall, wait, stay and leave, but a far greater emphasis is placed upon socialisation. We feel it is crucial that a dog is properly socialised from a very young age, as this, along with the teaching of the basic commands, helps to ensure that the dog grows up to be happy and well-adjusted.
Time and again we come across dogs who display aggressive and/or nervous behaviour, and we are often told, "He's not used to other dogs." We believe one of the very best things a new owner can do for his/her puppy is to allow them to mix with other dogs/puppies from a very young age (as soon as the course of vaccinations is complete - usually around 12 weeks), in a safe and controlled environment.
During our puppy classes we do not allow an "off-lead free-for-all" (but never say never, should circumstances arise where this might be appropriate), but we do allow them to mix and mingle and just generally check each other out, as dogs do. It's important that puppies learn to respond to their owners amidst distraction, and what more inviting distraction for a puppy than another puppy?
Another area we cover in the Puppy Foundation Course is that of responsibilty and care. We'll talk through what this covers, and hand out more information, during the sessions themselves.
At the end of each class, we hold a question and answer session, during which owners are encouraged to ask our advice about any concerns/little problems they might be having, such as issues with toilet training.
With the puppies there is no formal assessment evening, as there is with the Bronze course and up. Assessment will be done on an on-going basis, over the six weeks of the course.
More
information on the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme Puppy Foundation
Course can be found at the Kennel
Club website.
OUR “MUST” COMMANDS - The basic commands used by us.
HEEL/CLOSE
means “Walk nicely by my side”.
SIT means “Sit your bottom down, immediately”.
DOWN means “Lie down, immediately”.
STAND means “Stand up and stand still”.
OFF means “Get off and stay off!” (people/furniture/whatever)
LEAVE means “Leave it alone: do not touch!”
STAY means “Stay there until I return to you”.
WAIT means “Wait there until I call you, or give
you another command”.
COME means “Come straight back to me, as soon as
I call you”.
And NO means NO!
Academy
of Dog
Training & Behaviour
Katie's dog Billy
as a small pup
| Puppy Course Info | |
| Course Duration: | 6 weeks. |
| Course Venues: | Monday evenings - St Andrews Parish Centre, Charminster, Bmth Friday evenings - St Lukes Church Hall, Winton, Bmth |
| Course Fee: | £45 |
| Included in Fee: | 6 well structured 45 minute classes, with two very experienced and qualified dog trainers (Katie runs the classes and Malcolm gives individual attention, where needed). Full support paperwork. Puppy homework each week. A first aid talk and demonstration. Certificate and detailed assessment sheet at the end of the course. |
| Training Methods Used: | We only use positive, reward-based training here at Pawsitive. It is crucial that the puppies feel happy, confident and enjoy their training. To begin with we encourage the use of "high value" treats, but then also encourage the practice of "random-rewarding" of the treats later on in the course (more will be explained about this during the course). Toys are also used during some exercises and you will be told when to bring pup's favourite toy along. The most important training aid is you, and your body language and voice; praise is crucial. |
| How Old Should Pups be? | The puppy course is geared especially towards young pups and we accept dogs from as soon as they have completed their course of vaccinations from the vet (usually around 11-12 weeks). Kennel Club GCDS rules state that any dog under 12 months of age can take part in the Puppy Foundation Course, but we usually find that any dog over 6 months of age would be better suited to starting off in Bronze. |
| Class Size: | 8 - 10 |
| Course Availabilty: | Go to the Courses page to check which dates and times are available |
| How to Book: | Go to the Courses page, to check availabilty, then follow the instructions there to book. |
Katie's dog Travis as a small pup
