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Puppy Advice

How to Choose a Good Puppy Training Class

If you cannot find a Puppy School tutor close to where you live, or you want to find a training class for an older dog, you will need to do some research to find the best one. The worst thing to do is call a number from the first advert you see, sign up and hope for the best!

Child training Spaniel puppy in local puppy classes with qualified trainer

We recommend:

Firstly search for your local Animal Training Instructor (ATI) registered with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC).  All practitioners have been rigourously assessed to a high standard of practice and animal welfare so you can be assured of a good quality class experience. 

If you do not have a local ABTC registered Animal Training Instructor, you could ask the following people for details of the puppy training or dog training classes they recommend:

  • Local vets (try www.any-uk-vet.co.uk)
  • Dog warden (try your local county council for the phone number)
  • The Kennel Club (www.thekennelclub.org.uk)
  • Local rescue organisations 
  • Local groomers/boarding kennels/pet shops
  • Dog-owning friends

If you ask enough people, you will end up with a list of all the local classes as well as some idea of their quality.

Contact the trainer you think may be suitable and and ask to visit all of the classes WITHOUT YOUR DOG. It is very important to visit without your dog so that you can make an objective assessment without being distracted or being asked to join in.

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  • Relaxed, sleeping Vizsla puppy after puppy training classes
  • Owner rewarding puppy for practising a sit in puppy class
  • Fluffy puppy looking at owner walking to heel in puppy training class
  • Small, fluffy puppy practising positions using hand signals in local training class

Make an assessment based on the following criteria:

  • 01 /
    Positive training methods for training puppies/dogs and humans, using praise, food treats and games with toys.
  • 02 /
    Training is effective for both people and puppies/dogs so that all are learning and progressing
  • 03 /
    Calm, ordered class.
  • 04 /
    Any off-lead play is carefully managed and supervised with just a few puppies off lead for short periods of time.
  • 05 /
    People and puppies/dogs are having fun.
  • 06 /
    Puppies and adult dogs are in separate classes. Puppies under 20 weeks are kept separate from adult dogs.
  • 07 /
    Dogs within a class are all at a similar level, e.g. beginner, intermediate, advanced
  • 08 /
    Small class sizes (8 puppies/dogs maximum per trainer/assistant).
  • 09 /
    No stress and tension.
  • 10 /
    No check chains, prong collars or electric collars.
  • 11 /
    No rough treatment of, grabbing, shaking, shouting at puppies or dogs or pinning them to the floor.
  • 12 /
    No spraying with water pistols/air sprays.
  • 13 /
    No throwing of noise makers.
  • 14 /
    No humiliation or shaming of owners.
  • 15 /
    Ask yourself ‘would my puppy/dog and I look forward to coming to this class’?

(Please note: ALL Puppy School classes fit these criteria)

 

  • Smiling Puppy School trainers discussing puppy classes

Enrol in the class you think is most suitable, even if you have to wait for a while to get a place on a course or have to travel a distance to get to it – it will be worth it!

NB: If your dog is shy or already aggressive with people or dogs, it would be better to train him yourself at home, or arrange individual tuition with a good trainer (find a Puppy School tutor in your area– as many provide training for adult dogs as well as puppies) as well as getting advice from a Clinical Animal Behaviourist registered with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC). 

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Logan - Collie puppy wearing rosette after completing local puppy training classes

Testimonials

What Clients say
about Puppy School

  • “I wanted to share my gratitude towards my puppy school tutor in Chichester, Louise Williamson. She has really gone above and beyond to help me giving me lots of support, advice and positive encouragement.”
    —   Emma
  • “We had such a wonderful experience with Jacki as our Puppy School tutor! She is incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and supportive. Jacki explains training techniques clearly and makes them easy to follow, which really helped us feel confident. She creates such a positive learning environment where both the puppies and owners feel comfortable. Her calm, encouraging approach made a huge difference for our puppy, who grew in confidence and picked up new skills quickly. You can really see how much she cares about the dogs and their families. Thank you, Jacki, for giving us the tools we need to continue training and for making the classes such an enjoyable experience!”
    —   Penelope
  • “I really enjoyed these classes. Frankie was knowledgeable and explained the reasoning for why you need to do things the way you go in such an interesting and straightforward manner. It has definitely helped with Cooper.”
    —   Joe
  • “It was just a great course, it helped so much with our confidence in training Lucky correctly, and watching his confidence grow from being super nervous when he started, to the outgoing bundle he is now. Puppy School has been amazing!”
    —   Erica
  • “We enjoyed the class immensely it was very helpful and both Barney and the family gained a lot of knowledge and confidence at an important time in our bonding and setting a foundation for our future together so we will all be happy.”
    —   Thomas