Congratulations! You have a new puppy.
The most critical time in your dog's life is right now!
Puppyhood is the time when your influence and what you do with your pup will have an everlasting effect.
The help and guidance you receive from Gaynor Probert at A1K9 Behaviour and Training Academy, can make a profound difference on the success of your relationship with your dog.
Responsible dog ownership
As your pup develops over the coming months, Gaynor will teach you the most important aspects of your dog's education and how to develop him to be the well behaved and balanced pet you have always wanted.
These classes are the starting point for all puppies under the age of six months.
Your puppy needs all its vaccinations to be able to attend the puppy course then get in touch and book a course and you can join in the fun. Puppies get the opportunity to meet and play with other pups off lead in our fenced fields under the watchful eye of Gaynor and her assistants, who with their specialist knowledge of dog body language will prevent any over exuberance.
We also have a large purpose built dog training barn so that we can go indoors when the weather is inclement. It is filled with sand for a soft landing when playing, ensuring that your puppy's socialisation and education continues no matter what the weather.
Puppies grow and mature much faster than humans, therefore the earlier you get your pup accepting and happy around dogs and people they don't know, the happier they will be in the both the company of people and other dogs that they meet.
Teaching your dog to sit, to lie down and to return to you when called, is the beginning of you dogs training, achieved easily in fun environment with a clicker.
Course Details
Over a period of weeks Gaynor will help and advise you with different aspects of responsible dog ownership:
- How to teach your puppy to inhibit the force of his play bites is the most important priority, for your puppy to develop a soft mouth and preventing what can be potentially serious problems in the future.
- Getting your dog acclimatized to walking on a lead in a controlled manner, to make walking with your dog a joy.
- How to handle and examine your young puppy is easy and essential; your groomer and veterinarian will be very grateful.
- Teach your puppy how to enjoy giving up valued items when requested.
- We establish the correct manner for your puppy to greet people, as early as possible.
- How to condition your puppy, to accept you and others, picking up his food bowl, to help, prevent food aggression developing in the future.
Only you can condition your puppy to living in your home and to accept and fit in to your lifestyle; but, having the help and guidance of Gaynor Probert at A1K9 Behaviour and Training Academy can have a profound effect that will enrich your relationship with your dog for many years to come.
Mandy and Henry
When our Labrador puppy Henry was 12 weeks old we decided to take him to puppy socialising classes at A1K9
What a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon, there was a lovely family atmosphere, Henry loved running around with the other puppies and meeting new people. I learnt a lot thanks to the help and advice from Gaynor and Sara.
After 6 weeks of puppy classes Henry was ready for bronze level obedience training where Gaynor and the team taught Henry and I skills including heel work, recall and sit on command. Henry is a very excitable pup and proved quite difficult to control, this was addressed by Gaynor along with other issues we've encountered on our journey. By the end of bronze Henry would sit on command, stopped jumping up and he pulled a lot less, but we were a work in progress and progress we did, to silver level obedience which included lie down, stay and retrieve and how to control your dog when approaching other dogs and people.
Henry and myself then progressed to gold which is where we are now, we've started to learn agility skills which Henry enjoys immensely, especially the A frame. Henry is now a year old and his behaviour improves weekly, my 7 year old can give him commands and take him for a walk and he can keep Henry under control and it's all thanks to Gaynor and the team at A1K9.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your puppy is 5 months of age or over it's time to move to the: