Canine Classes

Any dog can come to classes providing it has the ability to cope when surrounded by other people and dogs.

If your dog has Completed Canine Beginners and was settled throughout the entire course, then it can progress to Canine Class Level 1.

If your dog has completed Canine Beginners and struggled to settle by the end of the course, then we suggest repeating Beginners again to ensure your dog is ready to progress to the next level.

If your dog displays any form of aggression (lunging, snapping, snarling) or is a bite risk or has bite history, an assessment will need to be done prior to booking.

Your dog must be over 4 months of age to attend this course.

All our classes are kept small so they remain personal and more manageable. Keeping the dogs happy, stress free and giving them space is very important.

We also abide by a strict code of ethics set by Delta Society Australia and the Pet Professional Guild Australia which sets our class number to 6-8 dogs maximum per class.

During the theory lesson, we discuss learning theories, methodology, what you will learn, what you need to work on before starting, you learn about canine body language, learn about abnormal behaviour and anxiety, familiarise with terminology that will be used in class, you will be briefed on OHS to ensure everyone is safe throughout the course and you will learn about rules and how to manage your dog during the course.

It is important that you have a good understanding about all the rules as well as learning theory before you attend your first practical lesson. Theory is compulsory for all those that are booked in. Failure to attend unfortunately means we will have to withdraw you from the course.

Once we have all this out of the way, we can get right into training with your dog!

All puppies and dogs will get a certificate for passing their course providing they completed it. They must attend at least 4 out of 6 lesson in puppy classes and 5 out of 7 in dog classes in order to get their certificate.

If the attendance was less, then the dog will receive a Certificate of Attendance and not a pass in its level.

We understand that sometimes you cannot get to class on time because of traffic, car issues, work, babysitter issues, sick children, school events, dog is unwell, etc. however we can no longer organise catch up lessons due to the number of dogs we work with and the limited times and spaces we have during class time. If you do want a catch up lesson, it will need to be done as a private lessons during hours when we do private lessons and a full fee will apply.

If you cannot complete the course at that time, your paid fee will be held and used when you re-enrol however if you cannot return at all, then we will refund 50% of the course fee.

If too many lessons are missed, then I might suggest withdrawing from the current group and starting again in the next new one.

Yes, it can but we have to monitor it a little more carefully. With the females, if they come into season at the start of their course, they need to defer from classes until they have finished. If this is the case, they can start again in the next available course at no extra cost. If they come into season towards the end of the course, they should be able to finish it. If they come into season half way through the course, they will need to withdraw and we will refund you the remainder of the course so you can rebook in your own time.

With the male dogs, owners need to be prepared for ‘male’ behaviour- posturing, urine marking on everything and possibly challenging of other dogs. I don’t exclude dogs just because they are entire however owners need to be watchful of their dogs as their hormones play a role in their behaviour.

Again, these dogs are not discriminated upon and can join classes if they can be managed well. To determine this, a private lesson with your trainer will need to be done first. Once we have established whether your dog can cope and it has learned how to be settled in the presence of dogs and people, it could then be added to a group.

If we suspect your dog has underlying anxiety or arousal issues that requires further assistance, then we will discuss other options with you to ensure we give the dog the best chance to improve.

We only use force free training methods in our dog training classes and there are particular pieces of equipment which go against our methodology and code of ethics. For this reason, choker or check chains, prong collars, electric shock collars, chain leashes, Sporn or Lupi harnesses are NOT allowed to be used. Retractable leashes are also banned from classes as they pose an OHS risk.

The equipment we DO recommend are head halters, normal flat collars, regular harnesses, front attachment harnesses, nylon, and cotton or leather leashes with a minimum of 1.5m in length.

Martingale or limited slip collars may be used providing they are fitted correctly and are used solely for the purpose that your dog can slip regular collars easily. Some breeds such as Whippets, Greyhounds, Bulldogs and Bull Terriers have necks similar sized to their head which makes collar reliability a challenge. We can provide advice regarding the appropriate collar to use in class.

No because I am a force free dog trainer. Bullying has been proven to be traumatic to the dog, exacerbate anxiety, can trigger aggressive behaviour, fear, phobias and redirected aggression.

If you are seen intimidating your dog in a class, you are warned and if you still choose to work with your dog in that manner, you will then be asked to leave the course.

Your dog will receive treats to train a new behaviour and then sustain the reliable behaviour once we are at the proofing phase. Using primary reinforcers throughout your dog’s life will not teach it to be greedy, but to instead enjoy what it works for!

We do not limit reinforcers to food only and we do recommend adding life rewards such a play, off leash entitlements, attention, chasing a ball, swimming, etc.

Greediness is not a result of training with treats; it tends to be either genetic (the dog may lack the satiation gene or have a disorder that causes it to want food all the time) or because treats were given for no particular reason. I always encourage the dog to perform a simple act before it gets ANY treat.

Classes, no matter what level, are not about what your dog can and cannot do necessarily; it is more about your dog learning to be reliable in a variety of situations with a variety of stimuli. Your dog may be really well behaved at home but as soon as you add in variables, it all falls apart and this is because your dog has failed to generalise the behaviours. Coming to classes and starting from the bottom helps it work on impulse control, learn to generalise behaviours, learn to focus despite distractions and gives you tools and strategies on how to transfer this back to your home, when on walks, when at the dog park, when there are visitors, when at the vets or groomers, etc.

In saying that, if your dog clearly demonstrates it can cope and learn really well in a class, then it would be given more advanced work to do so it does not get bored or frustrated.

When dogs join the Canine Classes, they are no longer puppies and this means their social skills may be different. Some dogs may have not been to puppy classes, have not had a chance to interact much with other dogs or just don’t know how to and there may also be a very big size difference too. Other dogs may have had a bad experience or be generally anxious and fearful and for these dogs, play is not something they look forward to.

If you have a sociable dog and are also looking for play sessions, then I recommend play dates with your friends or consider dog day care.

In Canine Classes, the emphasis is calmness in the presence of dogs and reduced frustration when they are on leash.

Handlers need to bring a variety of treats, their walking equipment, a stuffed Kong or pig’s ear, and the dog’s mat to every class.

We also recommend handlers bring a treat pouch so they do not rely on plastic bags or containers to hold their treats.