Dog and Puppy Training Classes are held in Ferndown, Stapehill Wimborne, St Leonards and St Ives Village Halls and Sandbanks all within easy reach of Christchurch, Ringwood, Bournemouth, Poole, Parkstone and Blandford areas. Have yourself some great fun training your dog! There's no limit to what you can do!
Why attend classes?
Often people attend classes because they are experiencing problems. We can help you to solve these problems using positive reinforcement techniques in our small classes which are run by experienced and qualified instructors (and behaviourist). Many people opt not to attend puppy classes once they have their pup as the feel they are coping well. However, the most important aspect of puppy training is suitable socialisation which cannot be satisfactorily achieved in the local dog park due to the large numbers of unsocialised dogs using these places. Many problems are caused by socialising in this way which then may require behavioural modification to resolve! The results of inadequate socialisation do not generally appear until after the second sensitive period at about 6 or 7 months old by which time permanent damage has been done. Behaviour modification is possible but the dog will always struggle and will not be so adaptable as they would had they been properly socialised and habituated in the first critical period. Please read my section Want to Get a Puppy and tab to the bottom section "Puppy Socialisation" for more information.
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Where are the Classes run?
Indoor classes are run at the Ferndown Village Hall, (Multimap) the Stapehill Village Hall (Puppies only as the hall is too small for an adult dog class),(Multimap) and St Leonards and St Ives village Hall in Braeside Road, St Leonards (multimap) and Holy Angels Church Hall in Lilliput. All classes are within easy reach of Bournemouth, Parkstone and Poole.
We also do outdoor classes to suit your specific needs, see outdoor training classes for more information.
All the halls I use are in lovely safe locations with plenty of parking and two sets of doors to ensure all dogs are safe even if a door is opened. All venues are also suitable for those with mobility problems. There is plenty of room in all classes as I only have a maximum of 8 to a class. Even though I could accommodate a larger class I prefer not to as the more dogs and people there are the noisier a hall can get which means greater distraction and problems for people to hear. Also we have a great atmosphere in class as fewer people mean a greater chance to meet people and make friends.
We also run outdoor classes now please click on Outdoor dog Training Classes for more info
When are the classes run?
- Puppy classes are run on Saturday mornings at 09.00 at Ferndown Village Hall, 18.00 on Mondays at Stapehill Village Hall, 18.00 Thursday evenings at St Leonards Village Hall and 10.00 Friday mornings in the Sandbanks area from January 2010. We put on more classes subject to demand and hall availability.
I try to ensure that I can accommodate all people who wish to attend puppy classes as a matter of priority as there is an optimum period for training puppies and would always add extra classes as required as long as I can find the hall space.
Benefits of coming to Paws In Hand Dog Training
- You'll love it... really! Have good fun with your pup/dog and make great friends along the way!
- Experienced and qualified trainers and behaviourist running your classes two of which are APDT members and one of which is a qualified dog behaviourist (DipCABT Coape and currently entering final year BSc in Applied Animal Behaviour). We are passionate about training and behaviour and have a qualified behaviourist in all sessions to answer your questions and provide advice.
About Puppy Classes (Scamps)
All classes are run using rewards based training techniques. No harsh punishment is used. We provide training on how to effectively punish your dog without causing pain or fear via a process of non reward cues/signals. Class sizes are a maximum of 7/8. If you go to a class using treats you need to know how to fade out the treats to improve the training results.
The puppy course is really good fun and covers the following over a 6 week period. For the puppy classes only I offer a complimentary one to one session should you need it once you have booked and paid for the class. Not all issues can be recreated in a class environment which is why I offer this service.
- Basic obedience (sit, down, stand, heel walk, meeting and greeting, recall, drop, leave etc). Fun competitions.
- Puppy emotional and social development
- Sociable play (controlled)
- Socialisation
- Overcoming existing problems
- Habituation (getting used to new things)
- Nutrition and general care
- Problem prevention
- Homework
- Information sheets
Puppy classes cost £50.00 for the six week course.
About Continuation Classes (Scallywags, Wagger and Top Dogs)
These classes are for puppies moving on to the next level of training and for other dogs which were too old (bless 'em) for the puppy class and there is no age limit. There is a maximum of 7/8 dogs per class. We try to keep the classes fresh with new, fun and exciting activities. You work to the standard you want and the standard can be as informal or formal as you want! These classes include:
- General obedience to a higher standard
- Zero impact fun agility
- Circuit training
- New obedience tasks (send away, retrieve, halt, group recall, scent retrieval etc)
- More complex tricks
- Closer heel work
- Closer interaction with other dogs on lead
- Fun competitions
Continuation classes cost £50.00 for a six week course.
Please contact me on 01202 861340 or 07764 250554 or via e mail for further information about any of our classes.