Evening Classes:

drop in class, pay per evening

Monday:
7 - 9pm. K9 Multi Sports with Helen Phillips 

Tuesday:
6.30 - 7.30pm Puppy Education with Lesley Buxton 
7.30 - 8.30pm Puppy Graduate

Wednesday:
7pm - 9pm Energy Class with Kay Laurence 

Thursday:
7pm - 9pm Wag n Click with Kay Laurence 

Coming to Class

Classes are held in the lovely Wag More Barn and Field. We welcome dogs that are comfortable in a class environment, dogs that are going to be too stressed should attend the specialised lifeskills or rehabilitation workshops.

Puppies over 12 weeks old are welcome to attend, but please do not bring bitches in season. Bring a your dog on a plain collar and lead. If you are bringing non-participative dogs you must ensure they are content and safe to leave in your car, and will not bark excessively. Please bring something to cover the car in hot weather.

Bring PLENTY of titbits - this is the equivalent of one week's training in one day. We recommend small squares of sliced cooked sandwich meats. Dried food, packaged commercial titbits and sausages will make the dogs too thirsty with the amount of work we may cover.

Please remember this is a working farm. No dogs are allowed to run off lead. The area you can walk your dogs is clearly marked and only that area can be used. Please respect this and DO NOT walk your dogs anywhere else. Anything that your dog deposits must be picked up - bags are available at the centre. Unsupervised children cannot attend.

Learning is tremendous fun, challenging and an opening to a whole new absorbing interest. We are lucky to have great teachers and plenty of interested trainers to help you on a one-to-one basis. Please let us know if you have any particular needs we can help you with.

Evenings Classes welcome visitors, please ring for details or if you would like to enquire the best class for you to attend. 01386 430189

K9 Multi Sports Class

Monday evenings 7-9pm £8

Training through 6 levels in lifeskills (Core Test) plus an increasing number of Options: Agility, Tricks, Retrieve, Heelwork to Music Freestyle, Ringcraft, Tracking, Assistance Dog, Scent Dog, and Gundog. Regular opportunities for assessment for Multi Sport titles.

Open to everyone, no previous experience required, no age limit, although your dog needs to be comfortable in a class situation.

visit the K9Multi Sports website for more details

Puppy Education

Tuesday evenings: 6.30 - 7.30. £6
Pups from 14 weeks up to 5/6 months old.

Pups are welcome to come along to the class as soon as they have completed their second vaccination. They can either sit on your lap and watch the other dogs or join in meeting and greeting. Lessons begin when the pup is ready to start - this is usually when they are keen on their treats and able to focus on you, the trainer will advise you when they are ready to join the workshop. Older pups, up to 7 months are welcome to begin at any time. If your pup is 7-10 months old it will depend on their skills as to whether they join puppy class or puppy graduate.

Lifeskills for puppies include experiences that allow puppies to learn how to behave, meeting a range of different types of dogs, and giving them the very best start in life. Interaction is always safe and voluntary. Classes give the pups opportunities to watch and meet other breeds.

You are taught:

• strategies that enable positive learning experiences, and how to avoid possible traumas
• training to teach them how to cope with being alone
• how to see the world through your pup’s eyes, and enjoy every minute of this time
• basic grooming and handling skills
• exercises and activities that develop good balance, muscle co-ordination and strength suitable to their age.

In the Barn we have a range of j equipment to teach them motor skills, fuelling that desire to explore and discover new things. We supervise compatible play time, and introduce pups to gentle adults as well as teach them how to avoid grumpy adults.

Puppy Graduate

Tuesday 7.30 - 8.30pm  £6
From 5/6 months to 12 months.

For pups graduating from the puppy class onto a transition class for a wide range of games and activities to follow through to adults.

During these great activities - learning to search, egg-agilty, flexigility, play and games, movement etc; your relationship and connection will be continually building. All the time we are becoming more aware of developing the essentials of lifeskills through these activities: self control, response to your cues, and using a variety of reinforcement for appropriate decisions and behaviours.

You will “shape” your youngster through the difficult teenage months.

Energy Class

Wednesday evenings 7 - 9pm £8

Learning to manage your dog’s energy in an enjoyable way to teach compliance without force. We teach the dog a range of activities and movements through controlled actions, balance training, self awareness on agility equipment. Within the movements we build confidence and skills, control and change the energy. Through this the dog becomes familiar and highly reinforced by your management and previous “discussions” can simply fade away. Finding an outlet for the energy is essential to being able to live harmoniously.

This is a wonderful way to build on your relationship, teach yourself exquisite handling skills and enjoy time with your dog. You dog will develop great self awareness and self control - and sleep really well!

Class is ideal for the medium to high energy dogs, teaching concentration and focus and self confidence. No experience necessary and beginners may start at any time.  

If you are unsure of the strategies to employ is this high energy class, and you are bringing a high energy dog, we recommend you book for a lifeskills workshop first for assessment and experience.

Wag-n-Click

Thursday evenings 7 - 9pm £8

Clicker training is a very simple process to enjoy. This evening is perfect for beginners looking to enjoy a pleasant evening exploring the techniques, and discovering the fascinating land of the inside of your dog’s mind! Beginners are welcome to join any time, no experience necessary.

bRING PLENTY OF TREATS - THINLY SLICED SAUSAGES, OR SANDWICH MEATS ARE IDEAL. cLICKERS ARE PROVIDED.

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Teenage Challenges

“When he is older he will be a lovely dog”.

Remember this. You began with a wonderful, loveable puppy, amiable, responsive, easy to manage, slept a lot and hasn’t chewed anything. Aren’t you lucky?

Come back to this page when:

“I didn’t know they could have so much energy”
“He’s begun to chew the kitchen”
“He didn’t used to pull on a lead”
“She jumps up every time someone comes to the house”
“She has stopped listening to me, and won’t come in from the garden”
“He’s driving me up the wall”

Support is on offer. Canine puberty is not easy. Life will change rapidly for you and the dog. Those hormones manage behaviour now, not you, not the dog, the Hormones. Lifeskills is about getting through without learning to make it worse, prevention of unwanted habits, and support from fellow confused puppy owners. Puberty can begin between 5 and 10 months old, and continue through to 12 to 18 months. Sorry! Nobody tells you that bit eh?

The Lifeskills are taught in class with the least amount of stress - in a true Wag More Bark Less environment! We teach self control, lead walking, management skills, social awareness, play and safe interaction.

Lifeskills classes are usually held at weekends, to allow you to explore a range of strategies. During the Lifeskills class you will be advised to best courses to follow onto, evening or weekends.