Which Program Is Right For Your Dog? ​ 2-Week Puppy And Foundation Obedience Program  Best suited to puppies and young dogs needing strong foundations, early socialisation, household manners and basic obedience. 3-Week Adolescent Obedience Program Best suited to adolescent dogs needing stronger focus, better reliability, improved recall, impulse control and obedience around distractions. 4-Week Comprehensive Program Best suited to owners looking for a comprehensive training programme covering basic obedience, advanced obedience, recall, loose lead walking, impulse control, distractions and real-life reliability. Every dog is different, so the most appropriate programme will depend on their age, temperament, current training level and the goals you want to achieve. Residential Training Programmes Are £600 Per Week

What Is Residential Dog Training? ​ Residential training combines home boarding and structured dog training in one programme. While your dog stays at my home, training can be incorporated throughout their normal day rather than being limited to one short session. This can include structured training sessions, supervised walks, calmness exercises, household manners, enrichment, social experiences where appropriate, rest periods and everyday routines. This allows us to work on behaviours in a variety of situations and environments rather than only teaching a behaviour in a training room.

Your Dog's Programme May Include: Individual assessment and training plan Basic and advanced obedience Recall training Loose lead walking Focus and engagement Impulse control Sit, down, stand, wait and stay Leave it and drop Settle and place training Calm greetings Jumping and mouthing Managing over-excitement Puppy training and socialisation Confidence building Appropriate exposure to everyday sights, sounds and environments Household manners Structured walks and enrichment Training around distractions Continued reinforcement throughout the day Owner handover and guidance at the end of the stay Every programme is tailored to the individual dog, so the exact training covered will depend on their needs and the goals agreed before their stay.

Looking For More Than A Standard Weekly Training Session? ​ Our Residential Dog Training Programme gives your dog the opportunity to stay in a safe, caring home environment at First Steps Dog Training, while receiving structured, individual training throughout their stay. Rather than simply teaching a few commands, our residential programmes are designed to help dogs develop good habits, better communication, confidence, focus and practical obedience that can be carried into everyday life. Your dog will live as part of a normal household environment while receiving a personalised training programme based on their age, ability, temperament and individual goals. ​ Training is carried out using positive reinforcement methods, rewarding the behaviours we want to see more of and helping your dog understand what is expected of them. We do not believe in frightening, intimidating or physically punishing dogs into compliance.

YOUR DOG'S STAY   Before a residential stay begins, we can discuss your dog's current training, behaviour, routine and the areas you would like us to work on.   This allows us to establish realistic goals for the stay. During the programme, your dog will have a balance of: Training - Structured one-to-one training sessions. Practice - Repetition throughout normal daily routines. Exercise - Appropriate walks and physical activity. Enrichment - Sniffing, food enrichment, play and other suitable activities. Social experience - Where appropriate for the individual dog and their needs. Rest - Important downtime to allow your dog to recover and process what they have learned. The aim is to provide a balanced programme rather than keeping a dog in constant training. An important part of residential training is making sure the training does not stop when the stay ends. At the end of the programme, we can go through the behaviours your dog has been working on and explain how you can continue them at home.