TRAINING CLASSES

The development of your puppy during those formative early weeks is critical.

Developing your relationship aswell as appropriate exposure to a good variety of environmental stimuli, and knowing how to show them how to deal with real life events, is key to developing a well balanced dog.

Preparing you both, with tools for dealing with the real world and those inevitable big experiences.

Early steps to nurturing the communication system you will use to train your dog and guide them through dealing with our human world.

Relationship - How does your dog consider you? How do you ensure your dog sees you as the most important part of their environment.

Communication - a way to guide your puppy toward more of the behaviours that you want, and away from behaviours that you don't want. How to use the leash as part of your communication system, and how to appropriately use food/treats to guide and reinforce behaviours you want to see more of.

Challenge - provide your puppy with challenges that work their whole body,  mind and senses. Problem solving, and overcoming challenges helps build a self assured and confident canine. Having confidence in their physical abilities helps maintain a healthy and stable dog.

Handling - introduction to handling to prepare your puppy for some of the challenges they will face at the Vets and Groomers. Prepare your puppy for the inevitable before it is necessary.

Desensitization and Environmental Neutrality - We will introduce new sounds each week to test your puppy's sensitivity and guide you through how to show your puppy how to deal with novel and unsettling environments.

Social Neutrality - How to teach your puppy to maintain neutrality while on leash. Learn how to properly socialize your puppy whithout losing your puppy's focus and bond with you. How to read appropriate and equal play. When to interupt play, and when not to allow your puppy to interact with other canines.

Bring: A normal short leash, 1.5m long. A flat collar. Loads of very small soft treats (always bring more than you think you might need.) Poo bags.

To Book Email - Behave@CanineAcademy.co.nz, see the Contact page on this website or message us on facebook messenger.

Puppies are to have had their first vaccinations.

No harnesses unless it is necessary for some reason and discussed prior. One handler per dog. 

Beginner + Group Classes

(See below poster for details . . .)

We start with the essential elements of training –

• how to deliver a food reward
• why timing matters
• marking behaviours you want more of
• leash communication
• how to communicate what you don’t want
• motivation
• focus
• RELATIONSHIP

To begin the layering process of this communication system we use some “basic” behaviours and simple training scenarios as a framework to establish some clarity. We need to practice the mechanics of delivering food/treats the right way at the right time, we need to practice how to use the leash correctly as part of a clear communication system, and we need to be aware of our body movements and how that influences our dogs. The dog also needs to practice the mechanics of the behaviours we are training first, before we can move on.

Once we have practiced our communication system over the first week or two, we begin to build the control and management behaviours – like recall and place command. The process of training these commands further builds the communication system, and the clarity that follows, builds and enhances your relationship.

Now that we have a clear communication system under development we move onto extending some practical management ideas, and start developing your dogs self control. The three D’s of proofing behaviours Distance, Duration and Distraction.

Desensitization and Environmental Neutrality - We look into recognising when our dog needs some guidance around dealing with their environment and at some options around what to do when our dog shows some level of reaction.

Social Neutrality - This is ultimately what we all need. If you want to be able to walk past other dogs on the street. Or recall your dog at the park with other dogs around - social neutrality is what you should be aiming for. Once neutral, you may find that then their social interactions will be much more relaxed for everyone.

We also touch on strength and stretching exercises that are not only excellent and fun to train but can also keep your dogs body and joints healthy. We cover some handling exercises and how to train your dog to accept restraint at the vets.

Your dog is born to work for what they want. Your relationship with your dog is of primary focus.

End goal – you will finish the program with a new understanding of the important elements required to train and communicate with your dog and be able to apply those principles to situations in the real world. We are looking for clear behaviours, on command, with the beginnings of duration and self control around mild distractions.