Kind, motivational, reward-based training for every stage — from a puppy's first socialisation to the Kennel Club Good Citizen Gold Award.
Puppy Socialisation classes are run by Rachel and the puppy team on Sunday mornings at Malvern Cube. These friendly, 6-week courses, as informal as possible, are designed to help young dogs adjust well to people and other dogs and to lay the foundations of good care and training, including clicker training.
Handlers have the opportunity to work for the Kennel Club's Good Citizen Dog Scheme Puppy Foundation Assessment — perhaps your puppy's first rosette!
Please book early — don't wait until your puppy has completed his vaccinations!
Classes for dogs over 6 months old are held on Tuesday evenings at Malvern Cube. Courses run per term, and may be repeated as many times as your dog needs. Basic responsibility and care of your dog are addressed, as well as training exercises.
This is where the foundations of good behaviour are laid down. Handlers are shown how to teach and encourage their dogs using positive training methods, including clicker training. Dogs learn to sit, lie down, walk on a loose lead and return to the handler when called, among other exercises.
These revise and extend the training in the Puppy or Beginner course, including recall, stay in one place, food manners and finish to heel.
Here we teach exercises needed for a dog to be a sociable and well-behaved member of society, such as control at doors and gates, walking on a loose lead, handling and grooming, and recall. At the end of the course, if handlers and dogs have reached the required standard, they will have the opportunity to gain the Kennel Club's Good Citizen Dog Bronze Award.
In these classes dogs cover more advanced exercises such as vehicle control, examination of the dog and recall from distractions, and learn more formal heelwork, recall, retrieve and distance control. Handlers and dogs work towards progress certificates as they master the different exercises, and also have the opportunity to gain the Kennel Club's Good Citizen Dog Silver Award.
Handlers and dogs learn more complex, formal exercises, such as sendaway and scent discrimination, as well as refining the exercises already learned. Exercises for the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Gold Award include stopping the dog at a distance, walking free beside handler, waiting for permission to eat, and relaxed isolation. Handlers have an opportunity to take the Gold test during the spring or summer each year.
From time to time we invite guest trainers to take courses or individual classes, to allow members to sample different disciplines or to benefit from different teaching styles.
Tell us a little about you and your dog, and one of our volunteers will get back to you.