How We Can Support You?
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOU?
All about our classes at The WHOLE Dog
In this blog post we wanted to go into more detail about what we offer in our classes and who they are for.
There can be many points in your dog journey that you might feel like you need to reach out for help or just want to have some FUN with your dog and strengthen your relationship with them. A class may just be the place to do that.
Here at The WHOLE Dog we’ve put a lot of thought into our classes, having attended classes with our own dogs in the past as students and not loving what we found.
With this in mind each class we run is carefully thought out and backed by kind, science based methods.
WE DO NOT DO OBEDIENCE HERE!
That is just not what we feel is needed in the modern world with our puppies and dogs.
What we aim to create for all of our students both human and canine, is an environment where you can learn together.
Understand who your dog is and how to meet them where they are at now.
Thankfully the world of dog training is slowly moving on and we are seeing a reduction in “dominance” based training. Unfortunately it is still out there!
Here we want to encourage you to see the world through your dog's eyes by learning about the WHOLE dog in front of you!
This is where the magic happens!
So let’s introduce our classes to you…
First up we have PUPPY PLAYGROUP
This is the one for our bubba's fresh out the wrapper.
A fun and interactive 4 week block to support them at this stage of their life
Open to pups even before their second vaccines as it is held indoors in a safe and clean environment and is open to pups up to 16 weeks.
Socialisation is a term you've likely heard before, but what exactly does it mean and why is it so important?
Socialisation is the process whereby our puppies learn how to interact with the world around them. They learn social skills with dogs, people and other animals, as well as building an understanding of how things work in the world around them.
They learn what is safe and enjoyable as well as what is scary and should be avoided. In order to help our puppies to develop into confident, resilient adult dogs, we need to ensure that we are careful with how we introduce them to new experiences.
There’s LOTS of puppy parties being held and unfortunately some of them are done in a way that does NOT take into consideration the personalities of the individual pups attending. This can have the potential to be detrimental to that puppies social development and confidence.
At The WHOLE Dog Puppy Playgroup we have SMALL groups of puppies and the weeks are set out in a way that is supportive of every pup that attends.
Whether they are uber confident or are more on the introverted side your pup will get what they NEED as an individual.
We use lots of environmental enrichment to encourage your puppy to use their natural abilities and create calm. By doing so creating confidence.
Play is absolutely part of the structure BUT IT IS NOT A FREE FOR ALL!
Puppies will be matched with playmates of a similar size and play style.
ALL play is monitored carefully to ensure EVERYONE is enjoying it!
You will learn about body language and what your pup is saying to you and other dogs and humans around them.
You are free to ask questions about life with your puppy and get answers to all your puppy questions as you start that journey of life together off on the right paw!
We’ve had many students form friendships and meet up outside the sessions which is just wonderful to hear!
This class is run by Ciara who is our puppy expert! She will guide you through this stage of your pups life so you leave each week confident you’re doing a good job because it doesn’t always feel like that!
Having a puppy is an exciting time but educating yourself on what they need will set you up for a lifetime of happiness and adventures together!
Puppy Playgroup is a wonderful place to start!
Next up is The WHOLE Puppy - 6 week foundation class open to pups UNDER 6 MONTHS and can come before their vaccinations are completed as the sessions can be held indoors or outdoors.
Also taught by Ciara.
Over the course of 6 weeks she will guide you in teaching your puppy some IMPORTANT life skills!
These are skills that your puppy will use for the rest of their life, we still get regular updates from previous students who are still using these skills years later!
There's SO MANY things that can be great to teach our pups but we have picked these ones to give you a solid foundation to build on.
So within the class you will learn how to…
CREATE A PHENOMENAL RECALL! - By using a fun game you’ve probably never thought of! Your pup will be zoooooming back to you to play again!!
LOOSE LEAD WALKING - Every puppy human's dream is to have a pupper that toddles along next to them. You will be taught how to show your pup being next to you is a GREAT place to hang out!
LEAVE IT! - There can be a bit of confusion on how to teach this one! We will teach you our tried and tested method so your puppy will look to you when they are asked to leave something! This could genuinely save their life!!
SETTLE ON A MAT - Want that puppy that can calmly relax while visitors arrive? When out and about when you have a coffee? Not climbing all over you while you eat? Then this one's for YOU! If time is taken to teach this in the right way then you can have the most versatile skill that can SOLVE so MANY problems!!
PAWS UP - Essentially a fun trick BUT with so many practical uses! It teaches your puppy to go to a place and stay there, which can have many applications in their life. Such as to examine them, groom them or even take a PICTURE! It is also useful for building confidence.
The classes are also designed to be fun and interactive with a competition and graduation party to test your skills with prizes to be WON at the end of the 6 weeks.
Each pup will also receive a professional graduation picture and certificate to remember their time with us!
As well as your physical classes each week is accompanied by videos & tutorials in our private Facebook group to give you a deeper understanding and little bits of homework to complete to keep you learning between in person sessions.
Don’t have a puppy…DON’T WORRY!...
Lou at The WHOLE Dog specialises in the Adolescent and Adult dog!
She has been referred to as the dog wizard but unfortunately there are NO MAGIC WANDS HERE!
What we do have however are classes that will meet you where you and your dog are at right now!
Having lived the adolescent and adult dog life Lou is familiar with the chaos that can come with it but fear not there is LOT’S we can do!
So let’s start with an introduction to YOOF Club! This class is for dogs 6 months + WITH NO UPPER AGE LIMIT.
This is a unique 4 week block run by Lou which isn't really a teaching class as such. However it's designed to help in particular dogs who struggle around other dogs and humans socialise in a safe and structured environment,
We understand the impact of living with a dog who is struggling in this area whether they are going off their nut if they can’t greet EVERY SINGLE dog/human they come across or are a bit overwhelmed when coming across dogs or humans in the environment.
Then this class may be for you!
Each block is individually tailored to what the dogs joining us need.
So no two blocks are ever exactly the same.
We have also recently sectioned this by size so that in particular the littles aren't overwhelmed by big dogs and our bigger dogs have friends of a similar size.
This has been working well.
Lou uses a mixture of environmental enrichment & games to help you understand what your dog is feeling and teaches you ways to check in with your dog before having an interaction.
You will walk away from the sessions feeling more confident in knowing what your dog is saying to you.
If you have an Adolescent or Adult dog who’s turned into a bit of a roaster?
Or you’ve noticed that their basic skills have slipped a bit and you don’t know how to get you all back on track then we have the class just for that…
The WHOLE Dog Class also ran by Lou is our 6 week foundation class open to dogs 6 MONTHS+ WITH NO UPPER AGE LIMIT
A similar structure to our puppy class but with an emphasis on what our older pups and adult dogs need at this stage in their life.
Also don’t let that old saying you can’t teach an old dog new tricks fool you!
We’ve had older dogs massively benefit from coming to classes!
You see, we teach life skills. There's no end date that we can start teaching these even if you didn’t manage puppy classes for whatever reason it doesn’t mean it’s too late!
Lou’s dog is 6 and she's still teaching her new things regularly!
So what do we teach?
RECALL SUPERSKILLS -
By looking at who your dog is as a species, a breed and an individual can give you clues on how to set them up for recall success! Lou uses a mix of games and interactive play to help you in getting your dog to CHOOSE YOU!
LOOSE LEAD WALKING - Finding that walks aren’t enjoyable these days? We will reset those loose lead skills and rebuild those foundations.
LEAVE IT! - Having a dog that has become a stealer of things can be dangerous! We will look at what you’ve been doing and show you our tried and tested method.
SETTLE ON A MAT - Dog a bit embarrassing? Dashing at doors! You daren’t take them into a public place? By teaching them to relax we can overcome many an issue! You’ll be proud to take your dog out and show off to visitors once you teach this skill! We will take you through the full process so that you can carry it on.
PAWS UP - Essentially a fun trick BUT with so many practical uses! It teaches your dog to go to a place and stay there, Which can have many applications in their life. Such as to examine them, groom them or even take a PICTURE! It is also useful for building confidence.
The classes are also designed to be fun and interactive with a competition and graduation party to test your skills with prizes to be WON at the end of the 6 weeks.
Each dog will also receive a professional graduation picture and certificate to remember their time with us!
As well as your physical classes each week is accompanied by videos & tutorials in our private Facebook group to give you a deeper understanding and little bits of homework to complete to keep you learning between in person sessions.
In our classes you will NOT be standing at the sidelines waiting your turn!
Your dog WON’T be bored and causing a riot!
You WON’T feel embarrassed by their behaviour!
You WILL be treated as part of The WHOLE Dog family!
Your dog WILL be celebrated for who they are and all their uniqueness!
So if you’re ready to start your journey however that looks we are HERE!
