Services
Puppy Beginner Classes
Early dog training is crucial for developing a-behaved and well socialized pet.
My beginner classes are designed for puppies and dogs who haven’t had formal obedience training yet, or for those who need to refresh their basic commands in a group setting with distractions. These classes focus on teaching essential skills and reinforcing core obedience in a fun and engaging environment.
We utilize positive reinforcement reward training throughout the sessions.
In these classes, dogs will learn essential commands and life skills such as Marker words, Luring, Sit, Off, Down, Settle, Recall training, and how to walk nicely on a lead.
Each class is held in a group setting with a maximum of 6 dogs. This ensures that I can give individual attention to each owner, guiding them in effectively training their dogs. It also provides a controlled environment, allowing the dogs enough space to focus and train with minimal distractions.
Basic training classes
Basic Training Classes - Designed for older puppies, rescue dogs, and those transitioning from puppy classes. All training is based on positive reinforcement.
To fully benefit from the Basic classes, all dogs must have a solid grasp of basic obedience commands and be able to execute them.
In these classes, we incorporate Distance, Duration, and Distraction into existing commands, reinforcing them repeatedly to enhance reliability.
Off-leash training (if appropriate) and group activities are encouraged to promote social skills and self-control.
We revisit and refine commands learned in puppy classes while introducing new ones like Stay, Hand touch and emergency Stops.
Distant control is practiced with added distractions when possible, and we begin to explore neutrality, working towards improvement with more challenging distractions.
Home Puppy training lessons
I offer a course of four private 1:1 puppy training lessons for those puppies who may struggle in a class environment or for owners who prefer training at home. The first lesson lasts 90 minutes, while the subsequent three lessons are each 60 minutes long.
The duration of the training sessions will depend on your puppy's age and breed, as well as their ability to focus. During these lessons, your puppy will learn essential obedience commands, and you'll have the opportunity to ask any questions about training, mental enrichment, toilet training, jumping, mouthing, crate training, and more.
It's crucial to manage your home environment effectively when you have a puppy, and I can provide guidance on setting this up if needed. By booking a course of four lessons, you can secure weekly sessions in the comfort of your own home.
1:1 Private Dog Training Lessons
Not all dogs thrive in a class environment, and for those with shift work, attending every session may not be feasible. In such cases, I offer personalized one-on-one training appointments.
My goal is to empower you with the skills to train your dog, enabling you to enhance your relationship without needing ongoing assistance from me.
It can sometimes be challenging to distinguish between training and behaviour issues, so here’s a glimpse of what we can cover in a one-on-one session:
- Addressing poor manners when greeting visitors, both indoors and outdoors (e.g., jumping up)
- General commands like sit and down
- Loose lead walking
- Recall training for when your dog doesn’t return when called
I can also help identify specific training areas that may need more attention if you're unsure where to start.
Private one-on-one lessons allow you to discuss your concerns and receive a tailored, positively reinforced training program, either in your home (locally) or in a designated area.
Beginner Gundog Training Classes
(From 6 Months+)
At Kate’s K9 Training, my Beginner Gundog Classes are designed for dogs aged 6 months and over, providing a structured introduction to gundog training using positive, reward-based methods.
These classes are ideal for owners who want to channel their dog’s natural instincts—such as hunting, retrieving, and working at a distance—into controlled, focused behaviours.
What These Classes Focus On-
Gundog breeds are naturally driven and energetic, so we focus on building calm control, engagement, and responsiveness.
Training includes-
Recall training (including whistle recall)
Stop whistle (emergency stop)
Loose lead walking and heelwork
Retrieving foundations (hold, delivery to hand)
Place board training
Impulse control and steadiness
Focus and connection with the handler
These classes help your dog learn to:
✔️ Listen around distractions
✔️ Stay connected to you on walks
✔️ Work in a calm and controlled way
Dog training, like much of life, is all about small, incremental improvement. You start by teaching your dog the easiest skills in the least challenging environment. As they learn, you try more challenging environments and skills. If you ever find that your dog is totally out of control it means you are in an environment that is too exciting. Move to a less exciting environment and try again there. If your dog will listen to you in one environment, but not listen to you at all in another, you need to work somewhere in the middle. As you start asking your dog to perform more difficult skills in more challenging environments you should also start rewarding your dog with rewards of different values and types. You should not reward your dog the same way every time they do what you ask, that's boring. Instead, mix it up, and give extra big rewards when your dog does something extra impressive.