Findon Downs Dog Training Club is based in West Sussex, England (United Kingdom), and is dedicated to promoting responsible dog ownership through education and training. The Club was first registered at The Kennel Club on 31st October, 1967, when the Registration Fee was 10 shillings and sixpence!
With effect from September 2006, we meet on Tuesday evenings at Washington Village Hall in West Sussex, from 6.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. We hold three terms per year, roughly aligned to school terms. At the end of each term, End of Term Tests are held, which can help to determine you and your dog's progress through the classes. In addition, we hold Kennel Club Good Citizen Tests as required through the year.
Our classes are suitable for all-comers, from first-time dog owners to competitive obedience handlers, from children to pensioners, and you do not have to have a puppy to be able to start training (you can teach an old dog new tricks!). All breeds of dog are accepted, with training ranging from basic pet handling to competition standard. A number of our instructors have experience with rescue dogs, either through their work, or from owning their own rescue dogs. The club is open to all dogs (and their owners), from puppies to senior dogs of any size, colour or breed (including cross-breeds). All you need to join is a dog, and the desire to learn!
All of our training is reward based, and some of our basic principals are listed on the Training Basics page.
If you are interested in joining, the first thing we recommend is that you pay us a visit without your dog. This gives us a chance to be able to speak to you without too much distraction, to introduce some of our training methods, and talk about any previous experience of dog ownership and training you may have. We will also ask you to complete a membership form and advise you of the current fees applicable. The training sessions do occasionally get 'filled up', in which case, you may be put onto a waiting list, but this is as a last resort.
On the following week, you may bring your dog along to the club. Depending on how the dog reacts to the surroundings (and some can be a bit wary!), you may be able to join a class straight away, but do bear in mind that your dog will probably not be totally at ease, so do not expect too much from him at first! Depending on your experience and ability, you will probably begin in our Foundation class - if the principals taught here are too basic for you after a few weeks, you can be moved to a different class. For details of all the classes, please click here.
As well as our regular training nights, we hold Demonstration Team practice evenings during the summer, and we also hold events such as seminars with leading dog trainers and behaviourists over free weekends throughout the year too.