Teach your dog essential life skills, have fun, strengthen your bond and help them to be a happy, reliable member of the family with Dog and Puppy Training Classes ​by A Different Dog  
​(Bronze, Silver and Gold)
Good dog training is more than just teaching your dog obedience cues.
 If you want to have a well-behaved, well-adjusted, confident and happy dog, it's vital to teach them
​appropriate life skills, such as self control, just as we do with children.  

The days of stuffy instructors, over-crowded classes, out-dated curricula and stressful assessments are over (or, at least they should be!).  We believe that dog training should be fun, bond-building and useful to real life.

People tell us that they love our online content almost as much as the classes themselves - the videos and downloadable skill builder sheets which accompany the courses are the perfect way to remind yourself of what to do and catch up with anything you might have missed.  

LIFE-SKILLS TRAINING CLASSES:

Bronze Training Course:
  • Exclusive access to more than 2.5 hrs of online content (videos + downloadable skill sheets)
  • 5 hour-long group classes 
  • ​Basic cues ('sit', 'down' etc)
  • Recall (coming when called)
  • Attentiveness to owner
  • Self control ('leave-it', 'wait', 'drop')​
  • ​Settling/ relaxing
  • Confidence building
  • Handling and playing with your puppy 
  • Controlled greetings (not jumping up)
  • Puppy play (off-lead with other pups)
  • Walking nicely on a lead (not pulling)
  • Tricks and games​
Bronze classes are designed for young puppies and, therefore, we only accept dogs up to 20 weeks of age at the start of the course.  If you dog is older than this, we can still work with you (your dog may start at Silver level after attending a one-off trial class, for example) so please get in touch to see how we can help.
Silver Training Course:
  • 5 hour-long group classes
  • Online content (videos + downloadable PDFs)
  • Proofing of cues with distractions
  • Consolidation of recall (with distractions)
  • Recall games
  • Shaping/ Targeting Behaviours
  • Attention and engagement​
  • 'Automatic' sit (eg. at kerb)​
  • Self-control at a door
  • Food manners
  • Embedding self control 
  • Socialisation and off-lead play (if appropriate)
  • Consolidation of loose-lead walking skills
  • Tricks and games
If you would like to start at Silver level (ie. your dog did not attend Bronze level as a puppy), you will need to come to a Pre-Silver Trial class first.  This one-off session covers some basic skills and is an opportunity to check whether your dog is suitable for a group class environment.  This hour-long session costs £25 and includes free access to our entire bronze course online so you can practise some skills before you start your silver course.
Gold Training Course:
  • 5 hour-long group classes
  • ​Online content (videos + downloadable PDFs)
  • Embedding of known cues
  • Emergency stop
  • Permission for handling using targeting 
  • Advanced recall (from further distractions)
  • Advanced loose-lead walking​ ​
  • Socialisation and off-lead play (if appropriate)
  • Walking free beside handler (off-lead)
  • Sit and wait at a distance/ with distractions 
  • Scentwork
  • Advanced self control games
  • More advanced shaping behaviours
  • Fun games​ and challenges
Dogs attending Gold classes must have completed Silver level training with us.  However, if you have had training elsewhere, please get in touch - we can contact your previous trainer to check your dog's suitability. 
A personalised certificate and the coveted 'A Different Dog' rosette is awarded on completion of each level.

PRAISE FOR OUR DOG TRAINING CLASSES

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Each skill was well taught: precise, easy to understand, clearly-demonstrated and followed up after the session.  We would absolutely recommend A Different Dog and have met lots of other dog owners who also said the same. 

Liz

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We thoroughly enjoyed the classes and found them very helpful indeed.  
You have brought a refreshing approach to training.  ​Thank you!

Maggie

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​We decided to try the Silver Classes... they have been good to focus our training, reinforce some skills and learn new techniques. The biggest difference has been loose-lead walking which has improved dramatically. Our dog loved the classes!

Clare

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Great socialisation, clear instructions for each technique,
​something new to learn each week and very inclusive for children.  
We have already recommended A Different Dog to others.

Alison

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​Our dog learned skills that seemed impossible at home!
 Gretta was skillful and approachable - it has been enjoyable for us and our dog.
I would definitely recommend A Different Dog.

Rebecca

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Thank you for another set of really enjoyable classes, they have really improved our confidence as dog owners. It has been lovely to learn that Poppy can focus and show self control; we wouldn't have been able to achieve that without the classes. 

Jenny

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​Working with A Different Dog has helped to build a stronger, fantastic relationship
and a two-way understanding between us and our dog. 
​The classes were full of fun and useful activities – we wouldn’t change a thing.

Sue

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​Simply outstanding!  We received excellent personal attention and
recommendations from Claire and Gretta in the classes. 
Positive, reward-based training with excellent results!

Stephen

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The challenges and activities in this course have been really enjoyable for all of us.....
In fact, as we got nearby our dog started yelping with excitement
and couldn't leap out of the car quick enough to start the class!!

Jenny

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This has been a fun, interactive and valuable course. 
All of the advice given has been really positive and we loved
​the online video tutorials included in the Bronze Puppy Course.  

Deirdre

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​Fun-packed and informative...
We couldn't recommend the training more. 
Fantastic!

Olivia and Bobby

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I can honestly say going to these classes has been the best investment I could have made.  The positive training technique really gets results, making for a good relationship between dog and owner.  We have learnt so much.  Thank you!

Louise

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Both Claire and Gretta are very friendly and helpful.  The classes have been a good mix of theory and practise in a very safe environment.  We were given 1:1 help on exercises and the training techniques really work!  This has been a fantastic learning opportunity for us and the dogs and is far better than any training experience in the past.

Rob and Stephen

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A Different Dog has an excellent reputation and, having completed the bronze course, we chose to continue with silver level.  We have learned more about how dogs think and would summarise our overall experience as 'brilliant'!

Andy

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This has been a great learning experience for us.  Having Gretta on hand for advice was invaluable and got us through our first few weeks as a puppy parent.  I would 100% recommend A Different Dog and have already done so.  Looking forward to Silver!  

Lucy

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I chose A Different Dog because of the APDT and Victoria Stilwell accreditations.  There was a lovely, positive atmosphere at the classes and we really enjoyed it.  The online aspect was very useful and the social element with the other owners was fun!  

Valerie

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Worth every penny!

Chrissie

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Thank you so much for the Silver Level training.  We have been to training elsewhere before but what we’ve learnt with you just in these few weeks has been really invaluable.  You’ve been brilliant so I just wanted to say thank you!

Karen

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GOOD TO KNOW

A Different Dog's Training Classes usually take place at three venues:
​
Jubilee Centre, Catherine Street (St Albans) - Tuesday evenings  (6:30-7:30pm) - Bronze (puppies) only 
St Julian's Church Hall,  Abbot's Avenue (St Albans) - Friday mornings (11:45am-12:45pm) - Bronze (puppies) only 
Colney Heath Village Hall (Colney Heath) - Sunday afternoons (various times) - Bronze, Silver, Gold

Contact us to find out the next available start date suitable for your dog.
Please note that the Bronze course is only available to puppies up to 20 weeks of age at the start of the course.
If your dog is a beginner but older than 20 weeks of age, please get in touch and we will advise how we can help.  ​​
Further information about A Different Dog's Training Classes can be found on our FAQ page.
To book or discuss your needs, please contact us or click on 'book now'

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