JUNIOR COURSE
The junior course is especially developed for young puppies between the ages of 6 to 12 months and is suitable for all breeds of dogs. It is a natural progression from puppy classes.
Rescue and rehomed dogs are just as welcome here, and can start whenever you're ready. And if you've come because your dog pulls on the lead or won't come back when called, that's exactly what this course is for: it's one of the most common reasons owners get in touch.
Engagement Training
At a glance
- Who it’s for
- Young dogs 6 to 12 months
- Course length
- 6-week course, 1 hour a week
- When
- Sunday afternoons
- Next course starts
- Sunday 11 October, 2:00pm
- Where
- Outdoors at the Training Grounds; indoors at Llys Nini when it is wet.
- A1K9 Training Grounds, Pontarddulais
- Llys Nini Animal Centre (RSPCA), Penllergaer
- Class size
- About ten dogs, never more than twelve. You can join up to week two.
- Bring
- A collar, a lead and treats your dog likes. Gaynor sells quality training leads and collars in class.
For insurance reasons XL Bully dogs, and dogs legally required to be muzzled, cannot join a class.
You Will Learn
Engagement training
Engagement training is a way of getting your puppy to pay you more attention and it is done in a fun and motivational way. Gaynor will teach you how to use touch training to motivate your puppy. This will prove invaluable as you progress to getting your dog to walk on the lead without pulling.
Recall
Getting your dog to be responsive to their name and to come back to you when called.
Follow me: the foundation for loose-lead walking
She will show you how to get your puppy to stay close and look at you. This will help to teach your puppy not to pull on the lead and is also a foundation training technique for teaching your pup to come back to you when called.
Play with a toy
Playing with a toy is one of the great joys in the life of a puppy. She will show you how to harness this natural drive and use it to teach the pup how to retrieve the toy and bring it back to you. This will become a great way of exercising your pup and another way to engage with your puppy and get him keen to interact with you.
Prevent jumping up on people
This is an essential discipline to teach your puppy. Jumping up is learned by the pup at an early age and many people will accept this behaviour when the pup is little but when your pup is fully grown it becomes unacceptable. She will show you how to get your pup to sit when they meet people. This is the dog equivalent to good manners.
Sit, down, stand
Gaynor will show you how to get your pup to sit, to lie down and back into a sit, then stand.
Stay
Starting your puppy to understand the stay command, working towards a 30-second stay.
Examine your pup
Preparing your pup for visits to the vet, or for times when you need to check for an injury, taught in a way puppies enjoy and will do willingly.
At the beginning and end of each class the puppies are let off lead to play together.
It's completely normal for a young dog to become a little rebellious between about eight and eighteen months: the teenage stage doesn't mean anything has gone wrong with the training.
Over the course of the six weeks on the junior course you will be developing your knowledge of engagement training and improving your relationship with your puppy, working towards a Junior award and preparing the pup for the future training throughout their lives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: My dog is X months old: Puppy, Junior or Bronze? Can we go up early, or skip Junior if we've done classes elsewhere?
It depends on your dog's age: Puppy Socialisation is for pups up to 6 months, Junior for young dogs 6 to 12 months, and Bronze for dogs 12 months and over. Going up a little early is possible if Gaynor agrees it. Ring her for a quick chat about your dog first. Skipping Junior because you have already done classes elsewhere is possible too, though her usual recommendation is Junior then Bronze, since age tends to matter more than a previous class at that stage. Either way, a short phone conversation is how she decides.
Q2: We've just adopted a rescue dog, or have an older dog that has never been trained. Can we join, and is it too late?
Rescue and rehomed dogs are welcome and can start whenever you like. Some owners prefer to wait a couple of weeks to let the dog settle in first, which is fine too. It is never too old to come to Bronze, whatever your dog's age. Most dogs coming back to training, or starting for the first time as an adult, join Bronze; if your dog has kept up a higher standard already, Gaynor may place it higher after a chat. If your dog is showing aggression or is very difficult to handle on the lead, she will want to see you for a behaviour consultation first.
Q3: My dog is nervous or reactive around other dogs. Can we still join a group course?
Often yes, but Gaynor needs to see you for a behaviour consultation first, so she can assess whether class is suitable. If your dog's reactivity is controllable, it can come to the group course but stays on the lead rather than off-lead play: it watches from outside while other dogs run free, then rejoins on the lead for the more structured work. That first consultation is what decides the safest way in.
Q4: My dog isn't aggressive, just over-excited: barks and pulls to get to other dogs. Is a class right for him?
Yes, this is something Gaynor deals with all the time. Over-excited, friendly dogs are usually let off the lead first to run off some energy, and then brought back to work at their own level once they can concentrate. It is a normal part of class, not a reason to stay away.
Q5: Can we join a course that's already started, and what if we miss a week?
You can join in week two if there is space. After that it's best to wait for the next course. If you miss a class partway through, there's no way to make it up on another course running the same weekend, since it will be at a different level: you have the weeks you paid for on your own course.
Ask about Junior Course
Tell Gaynor a little about your dog and she will come back to you with whether this is the right course to start on.
How booking works
- Step 1
Send the enquiry once you have filled in all the details.
- Step 2
Gaynor replies to your email with all the information you will need.
- Step 3
Confirm your place with a deposit.
- Step 4
The balance to be paid on the first week of attending.
Where Junior Course fits
Junior through to Platinum is a step-by-step progression: each course prepares your dog for the next. Puppy Socialisation is a standalone class, so your puppy does not need it before starting Junior.
Successful participants of this course are invited to graduate to our:
Would you rather train privately? Gaynor also offers one to one sessions.