Frequently Asked Dog Training Questions

A: At around 5.5 – 7 months of age most puppies will start to become adolescents and their behavior and training needs will be different to that of a younger puppy. The Adult Beginners Obedience course is more suited to this stage of development and you and your dog will gain much more from attending this course. The basic exercises will still be covered and the course is suitable for a complete beginner, the only difference is you will receive information more relevant to your dog’s current stage of development.

A: Puppies may attend once they have completed their full set of puppy vaccinations and have been given the ‘ok’ by your vet to mix with other dogs.

A: We assess all dogs over 20 weeks of age as standard. This is to ensure that your dog is suitable, and will benefit from a group class environment, and also to provide you with in-depth help you with any specific behaviours you may be struggling with.

A: We work with lots of rescue dogs and love seeing them bond and settle into their new family. We often recommend waiting for at least a few of weeks before attending a course, this is to allow your new dog some time to relax and adjust into their new home and routine. You may find a home training session helpful to get things off on the right foot, these sessions can take place at a time convenient to you and as soon as you feel ready.

A: Yes we can help. If you have one or several specific areas of training that you want to work on you will probably find that a 121 training session is the best value option. We can work on the particular problems you are having in the actual environment they are occurring (for example we can work on lead walking on a busy footpath or on your local walk).

A: Yes we can help. Our New Puppy Home Visits are extremely popular and excellent value for money. An experienced, qualified instructor will visit your home, give you lots of advice and show you some training techniques that you will see working immediately. You may also want to consider purchasing our online ‘Online New Puppy SOS’ video, which is a handy, no-nonsense guide to the basics of settling a puppy into a new home.

A: At Cheshire Dog School we are strong advocates of positive reinforcement. We will never use techniques that cause your dog pain, or make you feel uncomfortable. All of our training is force-free, which means that we teach your dog in a way that he, and you will find enjoyable and we will never use equipment or methods that contradict this.

A: The oldest dog we have had in classes was a 13 year old Border Collie, her owners just wanted something fun for her to do to stimulate her brain. The oldest dog we have worked with on a 121 basis was a 14 year old Cocker Spaniel – she picked up the exercises quicker than her 5 month old puppy ‘sister’!

A: For dogs that are reactive or aggressive to other dogs a class environment is often not the best place to work on that behaviour. In fact a class environment can often make the behaviour worse. We have other options available and you are welcome to send us an email or give us a call to discuss how we can help.

A: It sounds as if your puppy may be experiencing some separation anxiety, most puppies go through this stage, contact us for some advice on things you can do to help

A: We believe a good recall is one of the most important things you will ever teach your dog. We put lots of emphasis on this in class, alongside other basics of training. If you would like to focus more on recall we would recommend 121 training. The benefit of a 121 recall session is that it can take place in your local park or suitable field. This means that your dog gets to learn the behavior in the actual environment they will need it in. You will have an experienced, qualified instructor with you as you carry out the training and meet all the distractions and dogs that your dog normally struggles to call away from.

A: We can take cash, bank transfer and all major credit and debit cards.