Terms of Course Attendance

• Your dog must be older than 4 months and up to date with their vaccination and worming to attend this course.
• Only one handler to attend.
• Your dog must be sociable with other dogs and not be an excessive barker, you may be asked to leave the course due to health and safety reasons if this is not the case.
• The first lesson in the program is a compulsory lesson where we work without any dogs present and focus on understanding and practising the mechanics of effective communication and preparing for the learning that will follow. If you do not attend this lesson, you will not be able to take part fully in subsequent lessons.
• Punctuality is vital for the success of the lessons, the class will start on time. If you know that you will be late please text and let us know as the venue door will be locked at the start of the class for security.
• Cancellation Policy : For booking cancelled less than 5 days prior to the start of the course or during the class, no refund will be given. If you are asked to leave the course due to any of the reasons above no refund will be given.

Just a quick recap of what we believe about training a dog and what our Bowlingo® programs are all about:

1. Communication is Key

Your dog does not speak English – obviously – and you do not speak dog. So the number one issue in dog training is communication. Our Bowlingo® training programs teach you how to ‘speak’ your dog’s language – called Bowlingo® – (which, interestingly, is 90% body language) and we help you to ‘attach’ english words to certain desired actions or tasks your dog needs to be able to live comfortably with you and your family – e.g. sit, stay, heel, etc.

2. Obedience is about Relationship

Even if you were Dr Dolittle and could perfectly communicate with your doggo, their obedience would still be down to the relationship that you have with them – and the context of the situation (i.e. why and when the command is given and what else is happening at the time). So we help you to develop your relationship with your furry friend – i.e. for you to better understand them and for them to better understand you.

NOTE: on the idea of relationship: violence begets violence. The idea that we need to make our dog submit through violence is just wrong! Beating a dog into submission builds fear – not trust – and can permanently damage your relationship with your dog. Using violence and pain to train a dog builds an unstable anxious animal. It suppresses behaviour that will come out somewhere else – i.e. you might suppress the behaviour, but it may come out when the dog is playing with your kids – and that’s when dogs become dangerous.

1) Does my dog need to up to date with their vaccinations to attend a class?

Yes your dog does need to be up to date with their vaccinations as they will be mixing with other dogs on the property. 

2) Will my dog be playing with other dogs?

In our basic obedience classes all dogs are on a lead during the training session. We do not have specific times in the lesson for socialisation. 

3) Can the whole family be involved the dog training?

Yes and no. During the class we ask that you choose one person to work with your dog. This is really important as your dog will be able to concentrate much better when only one person is communicating with them. Other family members can watch from the viewing areas and learn. Family members that cannot attend can always catch up with the online support course material.

4) I bought the dog for my child, can they be the handler for the class?

Our policy is that the handler of the dog must be over 16 years of age. There is a really good reason for this and its mostly to do with health and safety regulations. Because we have other peoples dogs in the class as well we need to have complete control over our dogs at all times.

5) Do I need to bring treats to the class?

During our dog training classes we will be advising that you use treats. Motivation is very important when teaching dogs, and at any age most dogs are highly motivated by food, unless stressed.. But don’t worry we also teach you how to train with treats the correct way, so your dog doesn’t become dependent of treats.