Hi  Does anyone have any experience of this training company?  They are Company of Animals based in Chertsey, Surrey (http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/abc.php).  I have been attending obedience classes since my puppy was approx 10 weeks - he is now 9 months and I feel that a change of class may be of benefit.  Whilst he is quite good in a class situation - i.e in a hall or inside at home - outside its a different story, his recall in particular just seems to be getting worse.  My current trainer is very good and my pup is certainly well socialized, lovely nature towards people and other dogs etc - albeit rather enthusiastic!! but the class sizes are pretty large and I just wonder if another company maybe more effective for our particular issues.  Does anyone have any experience of these guys or any other trainers in the Woking/Surrey area? 

I don't know of any trainers in your area as I don't live near by but just wanted to say that the training has to be "proofed" elsewhere. It is normal for dogs to be super obedient in training class but not transfer that knowledge to the outside world. My son was the same - 10/10 every week in his spelling tests but spelt the same words incorrectly when used elsewhere

You need to do lots of small training sessions when you are out and about so your dog realises that the behaviour is required in places other than just at your training venue. Our dog was the same - excellent in class and mediocre elsewhere. Once I realised that I hadn't cottoned on to the proofing of the required behaviour the change in him was great. Your dog is also coming up to the teenage stage when his hormones kick in and it will seem as though he has never learnt a thing Keep on with the training in all situations and you will eventually come out the other side with a well mannered dog :) Or so everyone keeps telling me :D

I must confess to being a bit slack in doing training sessions out and about - with the exception of heel and come.  Trouble is i find that whereas he'd die for cheese at home/class, it pales in to insignificance if a new four-legged friend is on the horizon!!  I will definitely persevere tho.  Thanks for responding - as always its the owner which needs the training!

as always its the owner which needs the training!

Ah but unless anyone tells you you won't know :D I didn't know that the behaviour had to be proofed elsewhere until it was explained to me :)

I usually wait until near the end of a walk before I do any training. By that time he has had loads of running around, has explored all the undergrowth, sorted out a few squirrels, and has swum in every available water source  and is thus in a more receptive mood. :) I don't do much just a few sit and waits , the odd down stay where I walk away and come back to him and walking to heel off lead. The reward for all these is to go and have some more fun. Harley's walks are nearly all off lead so sometimes I will put him back on his lead part way through a walk for forty or so paces and then let him off lead again. Again the reward is to go off having fun again.

By doing just a few minutes of training on each walk he soon realised that he was required to do as asked wherever we were and not just at classes or at home. I never do anything but a basic sit and wait before exiting the car and sitting and waiting to be released from the lead at the beginning of a walk because it would probably be asking the impossible at this stage and was advised that you should always set your dog up to succeed - if you don't think he is going to come back when you call him then don't recall at that point or he just learns that he can ignore you totally or that he only comes back after the second, third or fourth recall command.

I also hide a lot from him so he has learnt to keep an eye out for me and now checks regularly that I am still in sight. It has helped with his recall tremendously :)

That's Roger Mugford. I'm sure you'll find loads of info if you Google. He was the person who invented the Halti and the first to import various other gadgets such as the Kong, the Buster cube etc etc. Been around many years. Use reward based training but plenty of gadgets. :)

Co of Animals is headed by Dr Roger Mugford, they make Kongs and load of other stuff. if classes are similar to Mugfords private consults I suggest you check costs before you sign up for anything.
Chris

It is where I go to agility. Superb trainers and small classes. However it is slightly more costly. I highly recommend them.

Co of Animals is headed by Dr Roger Mugford, they make Kongs and load of other stuff.

actually, they dont make all their stuff, but import many useful tools. Joe Markham, an American, invented the Kong.

Also, *as far as im aware*, you get a one to one consult, but not necessarily with RM, but maybe one of his associates...which is fine. So you *may* pay for a Beh. consult, which is more expensive.

But you just need to practise the training out of class.
Maybe a different class with less dogs would help to?
Or ask your current trainer for a sesh in the park?

RM is good though