These sessions are for puppies that have had their first vaccinations and have not yet started a Puppy Starter course. Puppies can come for up to 4 weeks.
Each session covers the following:
- Short Socialisation plays supervised by the trainer to ensure all puppies have a very positive experience
- Start of basic puppy training using positive reinforcement techniques for:
- Focus on the owner
- Sits and Downs
- Puppy Recalls
- Loose lead walking
- Focus on the owner
- Puppy handling exercises to prepare puppy for grooming and vet inspections
- General information discussions on topics such as integrating the puppy into its new home, socialisation and walking the puppy when it has finished its vaccinations
- Chance to ask any questions about puppy care
Puppy Pre-School sessions are currently held in Upper Hale on Tuesday evenings at 5.45 or ad-hoc sessions for puppies who have had their vaccinations can be arranged at the enclosed field at Badshot Lea during the day on Thursdays, Fridays or on Sundays.
For further information or to book a place please contact Barbara Delany on 01252 321711 or Sarah Delany on 01252 326207. If no answer, please leave a message with your telephone number and we will get back to you when we are not teaching.
This 6 week course is for puppies which are under 20 weeks at the start of the course. Puppies can start this course after attending the Puppy Pre-School sessions or as their initial training course.
On this course the owners are taught the principles of positive reinforcement training and learn how they can teach their dog any required behaviour using these principles.
As well as being able to socialise with the other puppies on the course in a controlled manner, the following specific behaviours are taught:
- Sits and Downs in front of and beside the owner
- Walking on a loose lead
- Recalls
- Sit and Down Stays
- Standing still and lying on side for handling/vet inspections
- Walking back so owner can step in front of puppy to go through doors/gates
- How to leave food/toys on cue
- Various self-control games around food and toys
Owners are also taught how to handle their puppies all over including how to open their mouths to give pills and have their teeth cleaned and teaching the puppy to have its muzzle held should the need ever arise during a veterinary inspection.
A set of homework notes are sent out after each class which details what has been taught in the class and what the owner should do during the week to make good progress.
These courses are currently held in Upper Hale on Tuesday evenings at 6.30 or outside in Badshot Lea on Thursday, Friday or Sunday during the day for puppies who have had their vaccinations.
For further information or to book a place please contact Barbara Delany on 01252 321711 or Sarah Delany on 01252 326207. If no answer, please leave a message with your telephone number and we will get back to you when we are not teaching.
These classes are for young dogs which have completed the Collar and Lead Puppy Starter course or an equivalent puppy course elsewhere and wish to advance their training. It is also appropriate for older dogs starting out who have done one to ones with our Head Trainer to get them started.
The aim of this course is to progress the behaviours taught in the Puppy Starter class as follows:
- To add duration e.g. walking for longer on a loose lead or staying in a sit or down for longer
- To carry out the behaviours successfully in the presence of more distractions (for example other dogs moving around)
- To teach the dogs to discriminate between the different cues given and not just do the last rewarded behaviour
- To teach the dogs they will not always receive a treat for every occurrence of a behaviour (as in everyday life) but to remain motivated to carry out the behaviour as a treat will be given on a random basis
- To remove all luring with a treat for any behaviour they know well.
The new behaviour of stopping on the move even when going away from the handler is also taught on this course as it is a useful safety exercise. The dogs are also taught how to relax in an owner chosen position in the presence of other dogs whilst their owners stop for a chat.
Handling and grooming exercises continue on this course as it is important to keep doing these throughout a dog's life.
These classes are all held outside in Badshot Lea during the day on Tuesday, Thursdays and Sundays.
For further information or to book a place please contact Barbara Delany on 01252 321711 or Sarah Delany on 01252 326207. If no answer, please leave a message with your telephone number and we will get back to you when we are not teaching.
Although it is important for puppies to attend training classes where possible so that they can socialise with other puppies and learn to carry out behaviours when other dogs are around, we understand that is not always possible for someone to get to classes. Our Head Trainer, Sarah, therefore does offer one to one sessions for puppy owners at the enclosed field at Badshot Lea. This may be to cover the general puppy training covered on the Puppy Starter course or for specific home issues that cannot be covered in a class environment.
One to one sessions can also arranged for any dog which needs to brush up on any of the training it received as a puppy, train new appropriate behaviours or for specific home training issues. These are held at an enclosed field in Badshot Lea.
For further information or to book a session please contact Barbara Delany on 01252 321711 or Sarah Delany on 01252 326207. If no answer, please leave a message with your telephone number and we will get back to you when we are not teaching.
These classes are for dogs which have completed the Young Dog sessions or have previously completed similar courses elsewhere. The Bronze course is also suitable for dogs too old to start in the Puppy classes but which have had at least one private session with our Head Trainer to get them started.
The Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme is a well-established nationwide dog training scheme which is open to all types of dog of any age. It is non-competitive and emphasis is placed on a standard of achievement with dog owners being awarded a rosette and certificate when they pass the scheme's tests.
Our classes cover the training required for the Bronze, Silver and Gold level awards. Each award develops the dog's domestic obedience skills whilst also ensuring the owner is able to control and care for the dog in a domestic situation.
These classes are all held outside in Badshot Lea during the day on Tuesday, Thursdays and Sundays.
For further information on any of the courses/classes or to book a place please contact Barbara Delany on 01252 321711 or Sarah Delany on 01252 326207. If no answer, please leave a message with your telephone number and we will get back to you when we are not teaching.
All competitive levels are covered from those just starting out right through to those competing at the very top national level, Championship C. Our Head Instructor, Sarah, does Sunday competitive training sessions at Badshot Lea and, in the winter, on various Saturdays at the Hale Village Hall. Private Lessons with Sarah are also available at the field in Badshot Lea all year round.
If you are interested in doing any Competitive Obedience training please ring Sarah Delany on 01252 326207. If no answer, please leave a message with your telephone number and she will get back to you when she is not teaching.
Our Head Trainer, Sarah, has been teaching Pet training and Competitive Obedience classes since the early 1990s. All her classes/training sessions use positive reinforcement training methods and all her own dogs have been trained this way in both their domestic and competition training exercises.
Sarah is currently working in Championship Obedience classes with her fifth dog to qualify at this level. Two of her past Championship level dogs (both Belgian Shepherd Groenendaels) became Obedience Champions, both were placed in the Obedience Championships at Crufts and one worked as part of the winning England Team in the World Cup competition held at Crufts. Sarah has also competed at both Crufts and Olympia in Agility in the past and judged the Obreedience competition (an obedience competition for teams of different breeds) at Crufts in 2022.
