Do I need a puppy training class?

Puppy classes are one of my favourite classes to teach, I enjoy getting to know the individual characters of each dog, I love to see the owners joy when their dog learns something new and I also like the support that working in a group provides “yes, my puppy grabs at clothing too!” 

I think that well run puppy classes are a great way to get your puppy off to the best start, but they might not be right for everyone. 

Benefits of attending a puppy class 

You should receive plenty of support from your trainer, we know how difficult raising a puppy can be, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows…more like needle teeth and endless supplies of kitchen roll! We want our puppy classes to provide a safe and supportive environment, where owners can ask questions and discuss how to deal with some of the challenges they face. 

Your trainer should provide you with on-the-spot coaching and feedback while you are training your puppy in class, adapting and progressing exercises throughout the session. The trainer can give advice on timing and when to reward your puppy. 

Trainers are really good at reading dog body language and they will help you learn about your puppy’s body language and behaviour in class. They can help you to recognise when your puppy may be feeling scared or worried or when they may be starting to get over excited and give guidance on what you can do In these situations. 

It can be difficult to set up situations in real life to practice some of the skills you puppy needs to learn, like greeting people without jumping up. Classes can provide great opportunities to practice these skills in a controlled way so you can feel more confident practising outside of class. 

Puppy classes come with a whole host of distractions, other dogs, people, noises, food etc. Your puppy class should be set up so that your puppy can be exposed to these distractions, but still able to learn and eventually settle around all these exciting things. A valuable skill for our dogs to learn! 

Classes are a great way to provide safe opportunities for socialisation, especially if your puppy is still waiting for their final vaccination. 

Owners are often concentrating so hard on training their puppies that they can’t remember everything the trainer talked about in the session, so to make sure you get all of the relevant information handouts are provided in class and we we’ve created an online teaching area full of extra resources and information.   

Classes aren’t for everyone 

Our puppy classes run for six weeks and we recognise that can be a big commitment for some families who are often busy with other activities or plans. 

The timings of our classes do not work for everyone, some owners work evenings or have small children who need to be in bed early. 

Sometimes being in a group situation can feel overwhelming for some owners and also for some puppies 

In these cases classes may not be the best solution and working with a trainer on a 121 basis may be a better option. 

Puppy classes aren’t compulsory and may not be for everyone, but they can be beneficial and get you off to a really great start. 

If you want to know more about our classes or recommend them to a friend just click on the image below 

Happy Training 

Clare and the gang 



P.S. We still have two places left on our upcoming Baby Gundog Mini workshop next  Wednesday 920th) evening 

 Open to any gundogs and gundog cross puppies

Baby Gundog Workshop