Puppy Classes:
Due to the limited time we have in class, each topic will be demonstrated and then practised for a short time by the owners on the day. It is imperative that you work with your puppy DAILY, going over what was demonstrated in class.
Puppy Social Class (Ages: 6 weeks to 4 months).
Course duration: 6 weeks (Sessions will be about an hour long) and is only available as a group class. Puppy social classes will consist of some basic obedience and manners mixed up with structured play and then free play time.
• Due to the short attention span of puppies so young, classes will consist of 5 minute training sessions followed by 10 minutes of play time for the duration of the hour.
• This course will teach the puppies how to act around other puppies and people. It will introduce them to new sights, sounds, etc and set the basis for the next level of training: puppy manners.
Puppy Manners Class (Ages: 4 months to 7 months).
Course duration: 7 weeks (Sessions will be about an hour long) and is available as a group class or private class. Puppy manners classes will consist of basic obedience and manners without the play time.
• Puppies are older now, so longer attention spans means more intense obedience training along with learning manners.
• They will learn how to greet strangers, stop mouthing/biting, and how to walk on a loose leash.
Please bring a soft, comfortable leash, flat collar (Rogs clip collars are perfect) or harness (collar and harness would be better). Ensure the puppy is used to wearing the collar/harness BEFORE you bring them to their first class, so that we can dive right in and get going with the learning. No retractable leads or chain leads will be allowed.
NO SHOCK COLLARS, CHOKE CHAINS OR PRONG COLLARS WILL BE ALLOWED! Unless you would like me to demonstrate their use on you, don’t bring them. They are cruel, inhumane and illegal to use.
It is important that you get your puppy used to travel BEFORE coming to the first class. We want their learning experience to be a happy, positive one. Not a car sick, terrified ordeal. Some tips:
Clicker training, positive reinforcement, operant conditioning will be used at all times. No aversive techniques will be tolerated.
Right of admission is reserved. Respect the other owners and their puppies. Any racial/religious slurs, bigotry and/or verbal/physical abuse WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! We are all here to learn, so let’s be supportive and understanding of one another. If you cannot abide by those rules, then you shouldn’t own a dog.
Please ensure that you have enough high value AND low value treats for each class (keep them in separate containers). Bring a lot! Take the quantity you’re thinking and double it.
High value treats that can be used:
Due to the limited time we have in class, each topic will be demonstrated and then practised for a short time by the owners on the day. It is imperative that you work with your puppy DAILY, going over what was demonstrated in class.
- The most important thing to remember in puppy class is to have fun. Don’t compare your puppy to someone else’s puppy. Some dogs progress faster than others, some owners are more experienced, some breeds are better suited to certain tasks than others. Relax and don’t push your puppy, take it slow and steady. Ensure the puppy knows what is going on and what is expected. THEN move on to the next step. If it comes to it, we can organise extra classes for puppies that are not keeping up.
- Puppies will learn basic obedience (sit, down, stand, come, heel, wait, stay).
- Puppies will learn to walk on a loose leash.
- Puppies will learn how to socialise with other puppies, adult dogs, children and adults.
- Puppies will learn how to interact with people (not jumping, bite inhibition, etc).
- Owners will work with their puppies getting them used to being handled, brushed, dental care, bathed, checked by a veterinarian, etc).
- Puppies will learn manners when it comes to feeding time. Not to jump up for the bowl, not to eat another dog’s food.
Puppy Social Class (Ages: 6 weeks to 4 months).
Course duration: 6 weeks (Sessions will be about an hour long) and is only available as a group class. Puppy social classes will consist of some basic obedience and manners mixed up with structured play and then free play time.
• Due to the short attention span of puppies so young, classes will consist of 5 minute training sessions followed by 10 minutes of play time for the duration of the hour.
• This course will teach the puppies how to act around other puppies and people. It will introduce them to new sights, sounds, etc and set the basis for the next level of training: puppy manners.
Puppy Manners Class (Ages: 4 months to 7 months).
Course duration: 7 weeks (Sessions will be about an hour long) and is available as a group class or private class. Puppy manners classes will consist of basic obedience and manners without the play time.
• Puppies are older now, so longer attention spans means more intense obedience training along with learning manners.
• They will learn how to greet strangers, stop mouthing/biting, and how to walk on a loose leash.
Please bring a soft, comfortable leash, flat collar (Rogs clip collars are perfect) or harness (collar and harness would be better). Ensure the puppy is used to wearing the collar/harness BEFORE you bring them to their first class, so that we can dive right in and get going with the learning. No retractable leads or chain leads will be allowed.
NO SHOCK COLLARS, CHOKE CHAINS OR PRONG COLLARS WILL BE ALLOWED! Unless you would like me to demonstrate their use on you, don’t bring them. They are cruel, inhumane and illegal to use.
It is important that you get your puppy used to travel BEFORE coming to the first class. We want their learning experience to be a happy, positive one. Not a car sick, terrified ordeal. Some tips:
- Have the puppy sit in the car while the engine is off. Feed the puppy treats, we want a positive association to be made with the car.
- When the puppy seems comfortable in the car with the engine off, start your engine. Don’t drive just yet. While the engine is running, feed treats, and give a lot of praise and love.
- When the puppy is comfortable with the engine running, go for a short trip around the block, keep it happy and when you get back, have a good play session with the puppy. Keep it happy and upbeat.
- Give the puppy some time to recover from the car trip to class by arriving a little earlier. They can have some water and a run around to release some tension.
Clicker training, positive reinforcement, operant conditioning will be used at all times. No aversive techniques will be tolerated.
Right of admission is reserved. Respect the other owners and their puppies. Any racial/religious slurs, bigotry and/or verbal/physical abuse WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! We are all here to learn, so let’s be supportive and understanding of one another. If you cannot abide by those rules, then you shouldn’t own a dog.
Please ensure that you have enough high value AND low value treats for each class (keep them in separate containers). Bring a lot! Take the quantity you’re thinking and double it.
High value treats that can be used:
- Cooked beef liver cut into small pieces.
- Vienna sausages cut into small pieces.
- Chicken (just the meat, no bones or skin) cooked and cut into small pieces.
- Chicken polony cut into small pieces.
- Store bought dog treats will be acceptable, just be sure that they are soft and small.
- Small pieces of biltong.
- Smooth peanut butter (make sure it doesn’t have ANY artificial sweeteners in it, these are toxic to dogs).
- Liver spread.
- Your chosen puppy food.
- Puppy biscuits broken into small pieces.
- Popcorn (unsalted).