SouthwellPuppyClasses

Kind handling, reward based dog training

Southwell Puppy Classes - Level 1

Start Early!
Many behavioural problems (often not showing themselves until your dog is between 6 and 9 months old) can be avoided by good early socialisation and a very large percentage of fear based aggression can be traced back to a lack of good early socialisation. Until the age of 14 weeks your pup soaks up information like a sponge. Because of this it is important to socialise puppies with as many things as possible - LOTS of people, other nice dogs (not just 5 or 10, but lots,) places, experiences and objects. It is very important that your dog has a GOOD experience on each occasion. There are so many dogs that we meet with serious behavioural problems that could so easily have been avoided with the right advice when they were a puppy. This is why all of our instructors are so passionate about helping owners to get it right (to the point where many of them are prepared to go for a walk with their own dogs free of charge to help very nervous puppies mix better with other dogs.) Our Instructors are also very experienced and can usually spot the early warning signs of potential problems and can give you advice to avoid the problems developing. Click for further advice with puppies.

This course is open to puppies as soon as they have finished their vaccinations with an upper age limit of 5 months at the start of the course. (Puppies 5 months old and older have moved into the adolescent stage of their life and are welcomed onto our beginner courses.) There are usually a maximum of 6 puppies per class with an instructor and often an assistant as well so you can be sure of lots of individual help and attention. A premium puppy course is also available, please see below... Our eventual aim is the same as most owners - a well-mannered and socially acceptable dog who can go anywhere with them. This aim is carried through our follow-on courses as well.

The Puppy course will include:

  • Five practical lessons mixing good socialisation with basic exercises including sit, down, stays, recall, walking on a loose lead, fun confidence building courses, clicker training, helpful handling / grooming techniques for owners, and pretend vet inspections. We will also give help and advice on puppy biting, house training, and NOT running off with your wallet and chewing it up etc! (In other words, help and advice along the way!)
  • A theory session on understanding your dog, learning how they think and learn, how they communicate and how best for you to communicate with them. Understanding the theory behind clicker training and how to help your dog to learn what you want them to.
  • A clicker
  • Weekly handouts to remind you of what to practice at home!
  • Puppy social walks with other puppies and a few very well socialised older dogs are available to clients for an extra £3 per walk. These walks really help your puppy to learn how to communicate effectively with other dogs and avoid problems with mixing with and communicating with other dogs when they are older. THIS IS IMPORTANT - MOST PROBLEMS DON'T SHOW THEMSELVES UNTIL YOUR DOG IS BETWEEN 6 AND 9 MONTHS OLD BY WHICH POINT A LOT MORE WORK IS NEEDED TO OVER COME THE PROBLEM THAN IF YOU'D PUT THE WORK IN TO START WITH!
  • We are currently investigating including the The Kennel Club Puppy Foundation Assessment (part of the nationally recognised Good Citizen Scheme - for more information please see the bottom of this page.)

Cost - £55

Class dates and times

  • Wednesdays 6:15-7:15pm - starts - 5th May. PLACES AVAILABLE? Yes. Please note that the first lesson will be the foundation talk 7:00-9:00pm.
  • Wednesdays 7:25-8:25pm - starts - 5th May. PLACES AVAILABLE? Yes. Please note that the first lesson will be the foundation talk 7:00-9:00pm.
  • Wednesdays 6:15-7:15pm - starts - 16th June. PLACES AVAILABLE? - This class is an overflow class and will only run if the 7:25pm puppy class is full. Please note that the first lesson will be the foundation talk 7:00-9:00pm.
  • Wednesdays 7:25-8:25pm - starts - 16th June. PLACES AVAILABLE? Yes. Please note that the first lesson will be the foundation talk 7:00-9:00pm.

 

To Book Puppy Classes Click Here

Puppy Socialisation - Well supervised puppy play session for all current clients Cost - £1

Next session time and date - TBC.

Walks - click for details of puppy walks.

Premium Puppy Course

ICC Southwell also offers a Premium Puppy Course designed to offer intensive hands on help to help owners to get things right in the first few days and weeks of your new puppy's arrival. This is a comprehensive training and support programme and is ideal for first time owners. It includes a home visit to advise on all aspects of raising your new arrival plus understanding your dog foundation class and full practical course to socialize and train your puppy. Cost £90. Please contact Wendy for further details.

The Kennel Club Puppy Foundation Assessment (syllabus taken from the Kennel Club web-site.)

How will courses be conducted?
The Puppy Foundation Assessment will be based on the puppy and its owner's attendance at training classes. It is not an award that is conducted on a one-test basis. The thinking behind the Puppy Foundation Assessment course is that puppies learn on a gradual basis, over a period of time. This way a puppy will have time to settle into a new class and gradually build up solid foundations for the future. Upon enrolment onto a course your puppy will receive an introduction pack including the Puppy Foundation Syllabus, a Puppy Foundation diary and Canine Code.

How old does my puppy have to be?
The minimum puppy age limit is at the discretion of the training course provider and will be based on the premises and environment used for puppy training. Some dog training clubs may enrol puppies for their course from as young as 10 weeks, other clubs may ask that puppies have completed their second vaccination, whilst other training clubs may like your puppy to be older still. The maximum age for a puppy to enrol will again depend on the individual training club, but will not exceed 12 months old.

How long does it take to complete the course?
Each dog training club or organisation will set their own duration for the courses e.g. 6 - 8 weeks, but puppies must attend for a minimum of 4 weekly sessions.

What does my puppy have to do?
As part of any normal dog training process, training the owner is as important as training the puppy, therefore both owners and puppies are assessed. The course includes 12 different exercises and each exercise will be covered as part of each training session. They are: -

1. Responsibility & Care
2. Cleanliness & Identification
3. Attentive Response To Name
4. Puppy Play
5. Socialisation
6. Handling & Inspection
7. Puppy Recall
8. Basic Puppy Positions
9. Walking in a Controlled Manner
10. Stay for approximately 10 seconds
11. Take Article Away from the Puppy
12. Food Manners (take a treat without snatching)

Is there an examination at the end of the course?
NO - this programme has been designed to lay the foundations in a puppy's education and therefore assessment will take place over the duration of the course and not on one occasion.

What does my puppy get when he or she passes assessment?
In addition to laying the foundations for a well-behaved dog, puppies who successfully complete the Puppy Foundation Assessment course will be awarded their very own rosette and KC Good Citizen puppy certificate.