At Training 4 Dogs we have family inclusive policy that encourages the whole family to learn and take part in the socialisation and training of the family pet. This means that we welcome children to our classes not just as remote spectators but as trainers in their own right, we have adopted this policy for a number of reasons. Firstly the whole family need to understand the principles and commands that are being used in training the family dog, if there is any confusion or lack of understanding it may confuse the dog and inhibit the learning process, this applies to children as well as adults, if the whole family hear the same story they are more likely to be consistent in the way they train the dog. Secondly children are often more compliant with instructions given by a figure of authority other than their parents so that hearing first hand from an instructor is more effective than having information passed to them second hand by their parents. Thirdly children are more likely to take part in training the dog if they feel that they are allowed and encouraged to do so, this means more attention and better training for the dog. Fifthly child/dog problems are far less likely to occur if the dog understands that the child has the authority to give it commands and to handle it, handling and training reinforce authority and underpin the family hierarchy. Lastly children often make very good dog handlers. On the contrary side it is hard to think of any reasons why children should not be involved in helping to train the family pet. It should be bourne in mind that children often don't appreciate that dogs and puppies can be hurt quite easily through rough or careless handling and that an adult should always be present when young children and dogs are together mainly to ensure the dog's safely but also to make sure that games don't get out of hand and that neither children or dogs get over excited. 
Children at our Classes
We welcome children to all our regular classes and encourage them to get actively involved. It is essential that all children are accompanied by a responsible adult at all classes and that children remain under control at all times. There are some basic principles that apply to family inclusive training, it is important that the whole family use the same commands (both verbal and visual), inconsistent commands will make it very difficult for the dog to learn and create discord among those attempting to teach the dog. Children should be encouraged to train using "hands off" methods, this prevents accidental discomfort for the dog, keeps the dog calm, enables the child to concentrate on giving clear visual signals and enables the supervising adult to ensure that both dog and child remain relaxed and safe in each others company. It is very important that adults ensure that children do not pull dogs around by the lead, puppies in particular can suffer injury if not handled with care.
Both breed type and the individual character and temperament of a dog will determine its suitability to live as pet in a home with young children. Some breeds and types are less suitable to live with small children because of the tasks that they have been bred to perform. Individual dogs will also be more or less suitable depending on the temperament and character that they have inherited from their parents and the early experiences that they have had with their breeder or in the case of rescue dogs the experiences they have had in previous homes.
Our pre-ownership visits are designed to give you the best advice on how to integrate your new dog or puppy into your family. Our Pre-ownership visits include advice on dog/child relationships and explain how children should be allowed and encouraged to play an appropriate part in the care and training of the family dog. We provide exercises that children can perform and that will help to establish their place in the family hierarchy and avoid some of the common problems that can occur between young children and dogs such as "play biting" and possession games. Our pre-ownership programme is ideal for families with young children 
Children of all ages can and should be involved in training the family pet. Even toddlers should be taught how to safely interact with the dog or puppy in a way that establishes the child's higher status in the family hierarchy, this sort of interaction must always be assisted and supervised by an adult. Young children should be taught basic skills and behaviours that will avoid exciting or inciting dogs at home or in public. 
Young children often prove to be excellent dog trainers, they are sometimes more receptive to instruction than adults who may have been taught poor dog training techniques in the past. Children are usually less embarrassed when things don't go right in training because they are used to learning quickly and accept correction as a way of improving. Many children have a natural rapport with dogs. 
At Training 4 Dogs we have had many children successfully train their dogs up to the standard required for the KCGCDS Awards, the youngest to date was 8 year old Francesca Grassi who, with her 7 month old puppy Spira achieved both the KCGCDS puppy assessment and the KCGCDS Bronze Award. 
At Training 4 Dogs we support the Kennel Club Safe and Sound Scheme. This is an initiative to teach children how to behave around both their own family pets and around dogs with which they are unfamiliar, the scheme provides guidance for parents and advice for children on how to interact safely with dogs. More details of the scheme can be found on the Kennel Club site or contact us for details. 
Junior handling is a popular sport for young dog enthusiasts. The best analogy would be that it is similar to dressage but patterns are performed by a handler and dog rather than a rider and horse. Catherine Everitt, one of our qualified instructors is also an approved Handling Judge. We currently don't run specific Handling Classes but if you would like more information please contact us. 
In the first instance please contact Graham Everitt on 01420 562119 or 07970 298532 or to send us an e-mail 