Class Descriptions

Puppy Classes

Happy Dogs Training 8 week long Puppy Course, as well as all our other classes, is held in the grounds of Elmtree Canine Country Club.

The course aims to show you how to have a great relationship with your new four legged friend. We teach you basic pet obedience, responsible dog ownership, relationship building exercises and give you information on health, nutrition, grooming, canine communication, and dog laws. You will also be assessed for The Kennel Club Puppy Foundation Award throughout your course and if you complete all the areas required you will receive a Certificate and Rosette on your final week. During the last week we will also discuss further training options with you as this is only the beginning of a very exciting journey for you and your puppy.

If you would like to come along to meet us, observe our classes and speak to one of our trainers to ensure that our Training School is the right one for you and your dog, we would be very pleased to reserve you a place on one of our courses. If you cannot visit us you can reserve your space by making a Bank Transfer Payment – please phone for details.

Our puppy class runs on a Saturday and Sunday morning at 10am. To find out when the next course start date is please either call or email us here.

Pet Dog Obedience Classes

Continue with your Kennel Club Good Citizen awards and achieve your Bronze, Silver & Gold awards building on life skills and pet obedience exercises. During our courses we aim to provide you with the tools to train your dog to become a happy, well behaved and socially acceptable member of society. Together you will share many years of fun but it is important for you to understand your dog’s needs and for you to learn how to recognise these needs and manage them in everyday life situations. We will make your lessons fun and educational making sure you and your dog look forward to coming each week. Course content is listed below;

– Revisit previous obedience exercises extending where appropriate.
– Introduction to play retrieve and extending to formal retrieves.
– Steady dogs to distractions in all control positions and walking.
– Heel work with directional changes.
– Dog manners and life skills.
– Stays, recall to present and finish.
– Send away.
– Introduction to scent work.
– Temperament test and dog examination.
– Leave away from handler.
– Emergency stops.

Calm & Confident

For dogs who are reactive or under reactive: At this class we continue to work at the dog & owner’s pace within their comfort zone to introduce and expose them, slowly and gradually with positive reward, to environmental changes, different life situations, people, dogs and noises. In other words all the things that some dogs may find quite stressful or worrying. These are smaller classes helping your dog to gain confidence and improve behaviour in a calmer environment.

One to one behavioural sessions

These sessions are for owners not wishing to attend classes or dogs that are not suitable for group sessions. For some dogs a class environment is just too much and a one to one Behaviour Session gives owners techniques and skills to deal with individual issues their dogs may be experiencing. Indeed some dogs will be able to progress to join a group class. These sessions can take place at the centre or we can offer a home visit depending on the issues your dog has. Common issues include:

– Aggression to dogs/people.
– Separation anxiety.
– Excessive barking.
– Hyperactivity.
– Puppy behaviour consultations.
– Destructive behaviour.
– Mouthing/play biting.
– Jumping up.
– Recall issues.
– Unwanted chasing.
– Boisterousness.
– Untrained dogs.

Agility

Come along and learn how to navigate an Agility Course. This is both fun and learning for you and your dog as your handling skills are as important as your dog being happy and confident on the equipment. Great for building dogs’ confidence and listening skills and a perfect relationship between you and your dog.

Doggy Dancing and Tricks

Stretch your dog’s mind and physical abilities by teaching them tricks and moves. Start with our Beginners Course to learn the basics that you can impress your friends with by teaching your dog moves such as high fives, bowing, twists and turns. The course is good for your dog’s physical well-being as it uses muscles that may not be exercised on normal walks. Great course for winter evenings as these are exercises you can practice at home when it’s cold, dark and wet outside.

Gundog Training

Experienced gundog handlers will take you through the requirements you and your dog need to be able to attend a shoot or participate in working tests. Or if you would like to come along just for the learning experience and to give your dog a chance to really use their brain and steady them to distractions. This training is really beneficial for working breeds; we will introduce your dog to retrieving fur and feathers, flushing game, a steady retrieve, working to the whistle, directional controls and walking to heel off the lead. Come along for fun, experience and to really stretch your dog’s control and learning abilities. Suitable for everyone this is not just restricted to working breeds. Positive Reward Based Training working towards our 4 certificate levels.

Rally

This class is carried out on lead individually. The owner and dog make their way around a course made up of signs giving different instructions. The signs are taught on a single basis and consist of exercises such as spirals, weaves, jumps, heel work, recalls and left and right turns to name but a few. The signs are then put together as a course which needs to be completed on a loose lead, racing against a timer with points lost for incomplete/wrong instructions or tight leads. Rally is really good for increasing your dog’s listening skills and general obedience.

Scent Work

Scent beginners is great fun for all dogs. Teach your dog how to use their nose in a positive way through various seen and unseen search levels. During the course you will have an introduction to scent objects and teach your dog how to do a basic find with a search word. We will then progress the level of search and ultimately end up with your dog finding an object in vehicles, buildings, luggage and postal objects. For the dogs starting the Intermediate Course, we shall be using your previous scent – or a new one if you wish to swap – to hide objects in different areas increasing the difficulty and even employing some decoy scents.

Hoopers

Hoopers is a sport that has started to spread from America into Europe and now to the UK shores here in Enfield. It takes a lot of basics from Agility but removes the need for jumps or contact equipment and replaces them with hooped gates for the dog to run through so there is minimum impact on your dog’s limbs. This makes it ideal for any type of dog to take part in; from puppies who will want to learn Agility when they are old enough, up to retired agility dogs and dogs returning from injury. It focuses on learning distance control and directional commands, hoops, tunnels and send arounds. A brand new class that is set to freshen up the Agility sport and make Agility more accessible to all dogs no matter what their age or breed.

Recall and Loose lead walking

Does your dog come back when off lead? Does your dog pull when on the lead? Are other dogs and people more interesting? If you cannot call your dog back to you instantly you DO NOT have full control. Here at Happy Dogs we run a specific 4 week course designed to put you and your dog on the road to success. Covering areas such as Distractions, control, Equipment, Distance and Dog law.

For more information please contact us here.