Do you have, or are you thinking of getting, a new puppy?
What an exciting time it is! Whether you have planned this momentous event for months, maybe even years, or whether it's a bit of a spontaneous decision, there are few things that bring more joy than a new puppy around the place. They fill the world around them with love, as they explore their new world with such boundless enthusiasm, we are all biologically programmed for our hearts to melt at the sight of a new floppy puppy! However……owning a new puppy brings many responsibilities and considerations with it, and even if you've owned dogs before, there is so much to remember and think about, it's very easy to forget some things from one puppy to the next.
The first few months of a puppy's life are CRITICAL. A puppy that is well socialised within the first few months of its life is far more likely to grow into a well-behaved, well-balanced adult dog who will be a pleasure to live with and share your life with for many years to come. The first few months will fly by and before you know it, you'll be celebrating your dog's first birthday, so you need to act NOW!
Help is at hand! You and your puppy are now able to attend 'Puppy Parties' to explain everything you need to know for raising a happy and healthy puppy into adulthood, along with many pointers for basic training and making your puppy a dog to be proud of. Weekly classes are held for approx 8 weeks, these are very relaxed and informal, and consist of no more than 5 puppies at a time, with the emphasis on FUN for both you and your pup. The parties are held indoors in a clean and safe environment, puppies can attend as soon as they have had the first of their two lots of vaccinations. The puppies have opportunities to mix together in a controlled environment so that they can play under supervision, but also learn when play time is over and when to return to the 'boss'. There is no exam to pass at the end of the course, but you and pup must have attended at least 4 of the classes in order to achieve the Kennel Club Good Citizen Puppy Foundation Certificate.
The course is held in Baldrine at the home of Mary Sims who hosts the course.
Mary can't remember a time when there weren't dogs of one breed or another in her life. Mary's family had a German Shepherd when she was born, and for her 5th birthday, Mary was given a Cocker Spaniel called 'Snooky' . Many years later, Snooky was followed by a Collie/Labrador cross who was named 'Kelly', and Kelly was joined a few years later by a pure Labrador, Betsy. By then, Mary had left home and set up home of her own, their first dog being 'inherited' from her late father-in-law, a cross Shih Tzu/Jack Russell named Titch. She was followed by Mary's first dog of her own, a Cocker Spaniel called 'Mack'. Mack was a real 'dog with attitude' and it was Mack who Mary first attended puppy parties with and learnt so much, then joining a dog training club and taking part in obedience, followed by agility when Mack was old enough. Mack thought he was a collie in spaniel's clothing and loved agility, although it was all on his terms! Mary also competed in obedience and agility with her parent's Lab, Betsy. Mack was joined when he was 2 by a rescue collie/lab cross called Gemma, a few years later another rescue terrier/lab cross called Oliver, and finally Mary got Daisy and Storm, two beautiful Border Collies in 2002. Daisy and Storm both currently are very enthusiastic agility fanatics, travelling to the UK to take part in competition at national level on a monthly basis. Daisy is also a Pets As Therapy dog and visits a nursing home, hospice and a special needs unit with Mary, and is extra-special as she was nominated by the nursing home for the national 'PAT Dog of the Year' award, which Daisy unbelievably won out of all of the 3,500 PAT dogs in the country! Mary has been involved with the teaching of dog training for many years, both in obedience and agility, and is currently one of the trainers at the Isle of Man Dog Obedience and Agility Club, teaching the advanced agility class each week.
Gemma, Mack, Olly (Oliver)
Daisy and Storm
The course is designed to cover the syllabus of the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme Puppy Foundation Assessment.
This is not an award that is based on a one-off test, but is based on the puppy and its owner's attendance at training classes. The thinking behind this is that puppies learn on a gradual basis, over a period of time. This way a puppy will have time to settle into a new class and gradually build up solid foundations for the future. Upon enrolment onto a course your puppy will receive an introduction pack including the Puppy Foundation Syllabus, a Puppy Foundation diary and Canine Code. As part of any normal dog training process, training the owner is as important as training the puppy! The course includes 12 different exercises and each exercise will be covered several times over the duration of the course. They are :
1. Responsibility & Care
There is no exam at the end of the course, this programme has been designed to lay the foundations in a puppy's education and therefore assessment will take place over the duration of the course and not on one occasion. In addition to laying the foundations for a well-behaved dog, puppies who successfully complete the Puppy Foundation Assessment course will be awarded their very own rosette and KC Good Citizen puppy certificate.
2. Cleanliness & Identification
3. Attentive Response To Name
4. Puppy Play
5. Socialisation
6. Handling & Inspection
7. Puppy Recall
8. Basic Puppy Positions
9. Walkng in a Controlled Manner
10. Stay for approximately 10 seconds
11. Take Article Away from the Puppy
12. Food Manners (take a treat without snatching)
K9 Training uses only the most modern kind, fair and effective reward-based methods of training using positive reinforcement to allow the dog to enjoy its learning and so be keen and eager to learn more and more. The course offers practical help, tips and advice and covers many aspects of dog ownership that you may not have considered. You will also be started on the way for basic obedience training for your dog, giving guidance for progression if you so wish to partake in either obedience or agility as a sport, or alternatively to just have a well-behaved dog that is a joy to own.
For further details, please contact : Mrs Mary Sims, K9 Training
Telephone : (07624) 497870
Fax : (01624) 862542