Why Do You Keep Class Sizes So Small?

A selection of photos from some of our indoor and outdoor dog and puppy training classes

Comfort for Everyone

It is often commented on that we could fit more dogs into our group sessions (and so earn more money). Our answer is always the same. We want you and your dog to feel relaxed and comfortable so that you are able to learn and enjoy your session. We also hear often how much calmer and less chaotic our classes are from clients who have attended sessions elsewhere. This matters to us!

Quality of Learning

It is true that some dogs go away from certain classes having learned something slightly different to the rest of the class, and in fact for some classes, this is essential. Most of our classes are planned and delivered by a qualified teacher - which means that we understand how to adapt our training to make sure everyone is able to make progress no matter what level the dog-human team is at, rather than teaching everyone the same thing at the same level. We meet each team where they are and try to make the learning experience for both dog and handler as individual as possible.

What does this look like?

A nervous 12 week old puppy who has never been out before class is not going to be learning the same obedience stuff as a confident 5mth old puppy who has learned a lot about the world already. For the first puppy, the priority is learning to comfortably be in a room with strangers and other dogs before learning to do the perfect sit/stay.

A hunting breed with a high prey drive will need to learn to recall in a different way to a velcro lapdog breed. A labrador with high food drive will need their 'leave it' and food manners trained more carefully than a dog who is much less interested in food.

So why the small classes?

So we can make sure this level of personalised training is possible. So we can make sure the very young pup with no confidence is not too close to other dogs, same for overly excitable dogs. So we can make sure owners are not too crowded together that they can't get their dogs to pay attention. So we can adapt where necessary to accommodate specific needs such as mobility issues in handlers or dogs and similar.

In short - to make EVERYONE feel more comfortable and successful. The experience you and your dog have is more important than cramming in an extra dog or 3 for a bit more