The beginners’ course is intended for owners of dogs that have not previously received any formal obedience training. It teaches you how to train your own dog and is suitable for owners of either puppies or older dogs, including rescued dogs..

Training a dog requires commitment, time, patience and effort by the owner. 

If you are prepared to make that commitment, we can show you training methods that work,
and how you can use them to train your dog.

We cannot train your dog for you. Each week at the classes, we will show you what to do, and set exercises for you to train at home, starting with the basics and adding more as the course progresses.

Every day, you will need to spend a total of around an hour practising the training with your dog, split into ten or twelve training sessions of a few minutes each, spread through the day. It’s not as bad as it seems. Training can often be fitted between normal activities, such as waiting for the kettle to boil, or during the TV ad breaks.

Much of the class is on a one-to-one basis, but it is essential that the whole class watches, listens and learns, as each dog and owner receive individual instruction.

We split the course into two groups, each of around 6 to 7 dogs with its own instructor. The Monday Courses are normally taken by Janet and Anita, the Tuesday courses are normally taken by Sue and Becca.

Courses normally last eight weeks with classes of approximately one hour each week, although sometimes it may be necessary to adapt them to fit the number of weeks available in a term and availability of the Church Hall.

Our training methods are reward based, using praise and treats to motivate the dog. We start by showing the dog what is required and then add a command to the action.

The charge for the Beginners’ Course is £50, payable on the first night by cash or cheque.
We do NOT accept any cards.

The course covers: Walking to heel on a slack lead Sit & stay Down & stay Recall to owner Leave (ignoring food on the floor)

Behaviour Problems and Barking Dogs
The course is suitable for dogs that have been reasonably socialised with other dogs. We expect puppies to be playful and that is fine. However if you think your dog may have a problem mixing with other dogs, and in particular if it is likely to bark constantly at the other dogs in the class, please telephone us to discuss this before you book a course place.

Click here to view course dates and booking information

At the end of the course, you will have an opportunity to take a test to earn a certificate in basic obedience

When you have completed a beginners’ course, you can move up to our improvers and intermediate class.
 

Before attending a course, you may find it helpful to read the following sections of our web site

Your Questions Answered
Commands
Family Rules
Problem Page

and if you have a young puppy

Puppy Socialisation
Toilet Training