Q & A

All dogs must be vaccinated. A current vaccination certificate is required at the first lesson. Dogs must be on a quality collar and lead. Flimsy collars and leads are more likely to break and do not provide much control. Sturdy footwear must be worn. No flimsy shoes that can be slipped out of or break. Adhere to the class rules and follow all instructions as safety for you and your dog is important.

Anywhere from 6 weeks on and a week after the first vaccination. The sooner you start training the better. This is a great way to bond with your puppy. Early training allows to set the rules and expectations and will be of assistance through the formative ‘teenage’ years.

Yes, providing that your puppy has received the first vaccination a week prior and receives all consecutive vaccinations on time. The earlier a puppy is exposed to training and other dogs and different environments, the more well adjusted they will be as an adult.

Dogs must be vaccinated for their safety and wellbeing as they are in a public place. Vaccinations help to build a dogs immunity. Maintaining a vaccination protocol increases your dogs immune surveillance and response. Vaccinations protect your dog and minimise the spread of potentially fatal disease. If you have not maintained a regular vaccination protocol, a titre test will be acceptable if the results show that your dog has a decent level of immunity.

Between the ages of 6 to 16 weeks is a dogs ‘Critical Period of Development’. What a dog does or does not experience during this period will determine how they will be as an adult. This is the best time for a puppy to learn to cope with new environments, noises, moving objects, other dogs, people etc. If not exposed to these things, dogs can become fearful, anxious and reactive as they don’t know how to adjust with new situations or environments. It is also the time when fear will be learnt. Once a puppy is fearful of something during this time it will transfer as an adult.

No, you can teach an old dog new tricks. In fact, it will provide mental stimulation for your dog. If your dog has done something his whole life, the rules can be changed to teach them an alternative behaviour. Training a dog should last their entire life. Some dogs that have had no prior training may need to learn how to learn. This can be a slow period, however it is very rewarding.

Yes. We have rules and guidelines for the safety of all dogs and handlers. It is important to learn leadership and to understand why your dog behaves like that while learning how to train your dog appropriately.

Basic obedience can be improved upon by proofing the behaviour. This is where we up the ante and make it more complex for the dog. Classes also provide mental stimulation and socialisation with other dogs. We also cover habituation to moving objects, loud noises etc. Agility provides team work and bonding as well as mental stimulation and exercise. Your dog is guaranteed to sleep all afternoon.

All dogs are welcome at the DogYard. If you have a restricted dog than it is important to train and socialise your dog.

DogYard have a range of training options to suit your lifestyle. Contact Us to discuss all options.

Yes, as long as it is fitted correctly and used properly. It is best to learn how to correctly fit and use a check chain so as not to harm the dog in anyway and to ensure you gain benefits for training. If used incorrectly it is ineffective and can harm the dog. Some dogs respond better on a check chain. Contact Us to receive information on how to properly fit a check chain. Alternatively, martingale collars work just as well.

Yes, providing that your dog responds to the equipment. Most of the time this equipment is sold to assist with a dog that pulls. Unfortunately, harnesses and halti’s teach a dog to pull by tapping into a dogs oppositional reflex. These can also be expensive. A martingale collar is a cheaper and more effective option and is easier to train a dog to not pull on a lead.

They are trained together. It is good for dogs of different sizes, breeds, ages etc to interact. This is especially good for small dogs to learn confidence around bigger dogs and for bigger dogs to learn how to act around smaller dogs.