foundation cource

Foundation Course

The Club runs a 7 week programme for dogs over 6 months of age and their handlers. This is a structured course open to dogs of all ages. Don’t believe the saying about old dogs and new tricks. All dogs can benefit from training at any point in their life.

During these 7 weeks we’ll build on what was taught in Puppy class, plus we’ll build in more distractions, distance, duration and work on and off lead. On graduation week (week 7) we review and celebrate what the dogs have achieved. At the end of the course each member will discuss with the training instructor the best thing to do next. Some members prefer to repeat the class to really embed those skills, others continue to Intermediate Class and some try a different type of activity with their dog. Our training instructors will always advise on the best options for our members and their dogs so that they continue to have happy and rewarding learning experiences.

During the 7 weeks we will also cover some of the material set out by The Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme at Bronze level to start getting dogs ready for the Scheme’s assessment in Intermediate Class, if they chose to take it.

 Golden Rules of Training

Train when you are in a positive frame of mind.

Keep training short, frequent and fun.

Timing is everything.

Reward your dog when they offer the desired behaviour, sometimes even if you haven’t asked for it. 

Set your dog up for success  and always end a training session on a high.

Ask for help when something is not working.

Build distance - duration - distractions gradually

Be patient, you and your dog are doing great.

More about all this in class!