Puppy Socialising
You may wonder where you can find a 'safe' place to take your pup where he will only meet
nice, polite, even tempered dogs. Often people try puppy training classes just for the
socialisation, and while a good training class can do a lot of good for you and your pup,
they don't allow your puppy to behave naturally if he has to be kept on a lead. There is
also the risk of choosing a training class that doesn't follow modern training methods,
which can sometimes cause problems for your pup.
Your puppy needs to meet dogs of all different shapes, ages, colours, sizes and temperament to ensure they grow up with respect for other dogs, without becoming fearful or overbearing. Dogs are social animals, so we do them a disservice if we don’t ensure they are happy to be around other dogs.
Our puppy socialisation walks allow you and your puppy to mix safely with small groups of dogs with proven temperaments, while you have the expert guidance of the dog trainer when strange dogs, cyclists, joggers, horses, etc, approach. Walks are 30 minutes long for puppies under 6 months (9 months for large breeds), shorter for the youngest pups.
We advise you bring your pup on one of our walks as soon as they have been cleared by the vet to go on walks, ideally they would attend before 12 weeks of age. Please call to discuss if your dog will not be cleared for vaccinations by this age, as we may be able to offer an alternative.
One puppy only per walk.
Interactive Walks for Adult Dogs
Join us on our walk, where you will learn how to be the most interesting thing in your dog's
life – to get and keep their attention no matter what - something we are often advised to do
at training classes.
If your dog missed socialising with other dogs when he was a puppy, or is unsure how to react when meeting strange dogs, we can teach you and your dog how to be relaxed and enjoy your walks. There will be a mix of other dogs on the walk, as your dog will need some distraction without being enticed into unwanted behaviour, and you will see demonstrations of how easy it can be to get and keep your dog's attention when you know how. Your dog may need to be kept on a lead if your recall is not reliable yet.
These are not dog training sessions as such, and will not 'fix' dogs with problems such as running away, chasing or serious aggression. Recall training, stop pulling on the lead and other types of dog training sessions are available separately on an individual tuition basis.
The Interactive walks are also useful for anyone who:
- wants to bond more closely with their dog
- has a dog with a higher energy level than themselves
- is looking for new ideas for activities with their dog
- joining classes
- attending on a weekly basis
- entering competitions
There are spaces for up to two dogs and their adult owners on the walk, or one family with children and their dog. Games and activities will be designed to appeal to your breed of dog. Walks are 30-60 minutes long depending on requirements. An assessment of your dog may be needed prior to joining a walk.
Included as part of each walk (puppies and adults)
You will gain an understanding of:
- how other park users expect dogs & their owners to behave when out on a walk (around 85% of the public are not dog owners, that's a lot of people who don’t want to share their lives with dogs)
- the laws that apply to dogs
- welfare with regards exercise and mental stimulation
Not included as part of the walks
There may be the opportunity to discuss other aspects of dog care or training, but the aim on the walk is to interact with the dogs so this may not be possible.
You may book an individual training session for a later date or if time, we can hold a Q&A session after the walk while the dogs are resting (if it's not too hot or too cold), both of which will incur an extra charge.
@BoredomBusters Excellent idea, and having met your dogs, anyone with a puppy should jump at the chance to socialise PROPERLY.
— Robert Alleyne (@RobertAlleyne) January 13, 2012