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FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

For your convenience, our most common customer questions are answered right here.

Puppy Classes

When can I bring my pup to class?

Puppies can attend classes a week after their first vaccination, as they will be mixing with puppies of a similar vaccination status.

It is important for pups to socialise as soon as possible, as they become shy and less confident between 11 and 13 weeks. If they experience extreme negativity during this period they can become very fearful, which in some cases can lead to fear aggression.

Another good reason to attend puppy calls is that if puppies do not mix with other pups of a similar age, they forget how to play and therefore do not have the adequate skills to behave when they come into contact with their own species. Attending puppy classes early helps them with these issues and importantly will help you to understand your puppy’s growth and behaviour in the first weeks of its life.

Remember a week in a Puppies life is a long time. They mature very quickly. You need to put enough time aside to deal with this critical period.

What is habituation?

Habituation means exposing your pup to everyday life. Habituation is also very important, so start immediately. Introduce your pup to friends and family members of different ages, and who have a wide variety of styles, some may have beards, others may use sticks or wear hats. Introducing your pup as soon as possible and this will make them less fearful in the future.

A good way of introducing puppy to the world is to sit outside and have a coffee at a local coffee shop. They can venture out a week after their first vaccination as long as they are carried. Coffee shops are a good place for them to meet people, as well as to listen to traffic, birds singing, road works, etc. If you do this, their first walk will not be so scary. We can supply you with an Habituation Check List.

When should I start training my puppy?

As soon as you get them home. Most puppies come away from their mothers at around 8-10 weeks. This the most important time for teaching your puppy to listen to you.

Forget sit! Teach your puppy it’s name then teach it to come to you. Always make this a happy experience, offer treats, play, and praise, when your puppy responds.

Can children and babies come to puppy classes?

Children of all ages may attend Puppy Classes. It is important for young puppies who do not have children at home to experience the smell and sounds of young children including babies. We have many babies sitting in their buggies during puppy class.

It is useful for children to stroke and handle pups under expert supervision! Once fulltime training takes place, children of all ages can come along as long as parents can provide sufficient entertainment for their children. Older children can participate in the training and often enjoy teaching their puppies tricks.

Why do puppies require so many vaccination shots?

When a puppy is developing in the uterus of its mother (assuming she has a good vaccination history) antibodies will pass to the pup for Distemper, Canine Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvo virus, through her placenta. Once the pups are born they will obtain further maternal antibodies through the “first milk”, called the colostrum. The maternal antibodies gradually decrease in the first few months of the puppies life. If vaccinations are given too early, the maternal antibodies will destroy the vaccine. One would only vaccinate early if the parentage and vaccination history of the bitch was unknown. Some antibodies remain in the puppies system longer than others.

The maternal antibodies for Parvovirus have been known to remain until 16 weeks plus, some vets will offer a third shot of vaccine for extra cover for this disease. This is why puppies require 2 to 3 shots between the age of 8 to 12 weeks.
Once the vaccine has entered the puppies immune system it stimulates the puppy to produce its own antibodies to defend against specific canine diseases.

Dog Training

Are the classes full of dogs and people?

So that we can be sure of giving you the very best in training and socialisation for you and your puppy we encourage you and your pup to take classes with puppies of a similar age and a variety of breeds along with their owners.

We aim to keep the classes to a maximum of 6. The classes are held inside in inclement weather, but mostly outside.

What training methods do you use?

We train using Positive Reinforcement this involves clicker training, whistle training, and trains using food or a toy as a reward or payment.

We also teach the benefits of using T Touches and Calming Signals

We only use force-free methods and this is something we strongly believe in. All our methods are scientifically based and use the way dogs learn in order to train them. We do not believe in harsh training techniques or equipment, but in building a great relationship with your best friend.

Should I feed my dog before a class?

We recommend you give your dog half a portion of food before you come to training class and feed half an hour before you leave your house. The smaller amount of food will still keep your dog focused and attentive, and will prevent it snatching food from your fingers.

What will I need to bring to training?

Make sure your dog wears a flat collar or a harness and a fair length nylon (or similar) lead. Most important of all, don’t forget to bring some tasty treats.

Can I bring more than one dog to training?

Yes. Just so long as each dog has a handler (one dog to one person).

Can my child train our dog at the club?

We generally do not permitted children under 10 years old at our training classes. If they are over 10 years old then they are very welcome.

My dog barks and gets excited when they see other dogs. Will this be a problem?

Most dogs fit in very well and high spirits are kept under control… if you are worried about your dog being disruptive in class or your dog is highly reactive with other dogs, we run one-to-one behavioural sessions. Please contact us to discuss your situation

Can I buy things I need at the club?

We have a range of dog training equipment that can be purchased at the Club. You can also buy everything you need through our online pet shop.

How long does a class last?

Our dog training classes last approximately 1 hour.

How do I book onto your training?

Simply complete our online registration form and then come along to our classes.

Do you do 1-2-1 training?

Yes. We provide 1-2-1 training. If you would like to have 1-2-1 training for you and your dog, use our contact form to get in touch and tell us what you’re looking for.

Behavioural Support

Do we need to tell our vet we are seeing a behaviourist?

Vets usually refer animals to us. If you contact us directly, we will often refer you back to your vet to make sure there is no physiological condition that is precipitating the behaviour. If we think the problem is training based, we will offer you advice on that basis.

Do you need to visit our home or do we need to bring our dog to you?

We prefer to first see your dog in its home environment, where it feels most comfortable. We like to sit with you, have a cup of tea, so the atmosphere is very relaxed, which allows us to observe your dog and its reaction to us and yourselves.

We will also discuss various training methods with you and how to proceed with a behavioral program, keeping your vet included in the process.

Cat Minding

Do you need to meet us and the cat? Or can we drop the keys off somewhere?

We like to meet you first, this visit is free of charge. It is important we meet you and your pet so the animal is not fearful of a stranger arriving when you are not at home. We will want to play with your pet and groom while you are there

We also need to know where food, litter, toys, grooming equipment, travel box are kept and in which parts of the home your pet is allowed.

We need to check keys, alarms, make sure keys work with the door closed. We need to know how to access the garden area if you pet has an accident and cannot access the cat flap. We will also want a list of important contacts, and whether anyone else will be coming in to your house, such as a cleaner, builder etc.

How long do you stay and what happens each visit?

Our visits are 20 minutes unless the cat is very young or very old, in which case we stay for 20 min longer.

We feed, clean bowls, change water, change litter trays, clean and dispose of waste. Young animals love to play, paper bags provide a lot of fun and we will often bring toys with us to supplement their own. We also like to stroke, handle and groom the cats for their own wellbeing. We are happy to refill cat feeding devices as part of a daily visit but we will not feed every other day as we like to see the animals on a daily basis. We will also water plants and feed fish for an extra fee to be negotiated !

Can you give medication including injections?

Yes. We are used to giving tablets. We are also used to giving subcutaneous as well as intramuscular injections.