Puppy Classes for Puppies Who Never Switch Off
Puppy classes in Reading for Labradors, spaniels, cockapoos, labradoodles, vizslas, retrievers and other busy gundog breeds and crosses.
If your puppy is constantly biting, stealing socks, picking up stones, launching themselves at visitors, struggling to settle or acting like they are powered by espresso, you are not alone.
Because puppy training should prepare you for real life, not just the classroom.
Our classes have flexible start dates, so start when your puppy is ready - no waiting weeks!
You are not doing anything wrong
One person tells you to ignore the biting. Another says your puppy just needs more exercise. Before long, you’re second-guessing everything.
You’re not doing anything wrong. You’ve just not been shown what actually works in real life.
Why won’t they stop biting?
Why are they always on the go and never settling?
Why do they grab things and run off like it’s a game?
Why do walks feel stressful instead of enjoyable?
Our puppy classes focus on the practical skills that make everyday life with your puppy feel easier, in Reading and across Berkshire and South Oxfordshire. They’re designed by Tash Clark, a qualified behaviourist (OCN Level 5 DipHE Canine Behaviour, ABTC Accredited Animal Training Instructor, APDT), and delivered by a team holding professional accreditations including IMDT and ABTC, so you’re getting behaviour-led depth and hands-on support every week.
“Absolutely essential. We’ve learnt so much and enjoyed putting it into practice. As a first-time puppy owner, Tash really helped reassure me about what’s normal and how to approach different situations.” - Rachael and Freddie
Puppy Classes in Mapledurham & Sulhamstead
Small, supportive groups
Flexible start dates
Trusted by local vets
Real-life training for busy puppies and their owners
Saturday and Sunday 10am, and Wednesday 5.30pm, in Mapledurham
Saturday 10am in Sulhamstead
Our classes are popular with owners across Reading, Caversham, Tilehurst, Calcot, Pangbourne, Theale, Burghfield, Mortimer, Henley-on-Thames and the surrounding areas of Berkshire and South Oxfordshire.
Three levels of puppy classes, built to support you and your puppy:
Our puppy programme runs across three supportive levels, so you keep building skills without feeling overwhelmed.
Level 1 - 4 weeks, £125. Building the foundations for real life: recall, lead walking, confidence, calmness and focus around distractions.
Level 2 - 4 weeks, £125. Adding reliability, real-world distractions and practical skills for everyday life with your puppy.
Level 3 - 4 weeks, £125. Progressing to higher distractions, off-lead reliability, impulse control and real-life situations.
Most owners move through the levels back-to-back to keep their progress going.
But life happens, and puppies don’t stop being puppies because you went on holiday or missed a couple of weeks.
Because our classes have rolling start dates, you can take a short break and rejoin without feeling like you’ve fallen behind.
“A well-rounded and thought-out programme of training from the very start of your dog-owning journey.” - Paul, Sandra & Rowan
What you and your puppy will learn
Most puppy classes teach commands. We focus on what actually makes day-to-day life easier, because it’s not about whether your puppy can do something in a quiet room. It’s whether they can make good choices when real life is happening.
In our classes, we work on the skills owners find hardest:
Coming back when you call them - even when something more exciting is happening
Walking nicely on the lead - without pulling or switching off
Not grabbing things and bolting off with them
Letting go of things safely - without it turning into a game
Settling at home - instead of being constantly on the go
Greeting people calmly - without jumping up
Feeling relaxed being handled - for vets and grooming
Staying focused on you - even around distractions
Plus guided puppy interactions, so you can see for yourself what calm, sensible socialising looks like - the social side of class, done with structure rather than chaos.
This is practical, real-life training, the kind that makes living with your puppy feel calmer and far more enjoyable.
“Louis our Show Cocker Spaniel has learned so much and loves the class, but we have learned even more as owners.” - Paul and Louis
What makes our classes different
It’s the dog who comes back the first time you call, even with another dog tearing round the field, and walks beside you on a loose lead instead of towing you down the road. The one who settles under the table at the pub, while you eat - the dog you take everywhere, because they’re a joy to be around, not a project you’re managing.
That’s what these classes are built to give you. Not a puppy who can perform in a quiet hall, but one who’s a joy to live with out in the real world.
Our classes are designed by a behaviourist - the person owners usually call once things have already gone wrong. They’re built alongside a gundog trainer who knows exactly how these breeds tick.
So we spot what a spaniel, labrador or a cockapoo is prone to as he grows up and head it off while it’s still easy. And we build the recall and lead walking to hold when adolescence hits and the world gets far more interesting than you.
Most puppy classes teach commands. We teach you how to live with a gundog brain in a pet home.
And when your puppy’s ready for more, our secure, private field opens up off-lead recall training that very few local classes can offer.
"Tash and Ian both offer lots of good, practical down to earth advice. You can start as a real beginner and choose to develop to higher classes if it suits you which works well. I also really like they way they have rolling class starts so you can start as soon as you are ready - ideal as puppies change so quickly!" Charity & Lilly
Start when your puppy’s ready. Rolling start dates mean that you dont have to wait weeks fir the course to start.
Join our small, supportive classes and get clear, practical guidance and real progress from people who understand what you’re going through.
Frequently asked questions:
What age can my puppy start puppy classes?
Puppies can join as soon as they’ve had their vaccinations. Starting early makes a big difference - it’s far easier to build good habits from the beginning than to fix things later.
My puppy is not a gundog, can we still join puppy classes?
Of course! We have plenty of other breeds attending. Our classes are suitable for busy puppies of any breed.
What do the puppy classes cover?
The skills that make everyday life easier - recall, loose-lead walking, polite greetings, leaving and giving up items, settling, and staying focused on you around distractions.
Where and when are the puppy classes held?
Mapledurham (RG4) - Saturday and Sunday at 10am, and Wednesday at 5.30pm.
Sulhamstead (RG7) - Saturday at 10am.
Both are easy to reach from Reading, Caversham, Woodley, Henley, Tilehurst, Calcot, Burghfield, Mortimer, Thatcham and the surrounding areas.
Can we join puppy classes anytime, or are there set start dates?
We have rolling start dates, so you can join as soon as there’s a space. No long waits - you start when you and your puppy are ready.
What happens if I miss a puppy class?
Life happens, and you won’t fall behind. Because classes run on a rolling system, you simply catch the topic you missed when it comes around again.
Who can come to puppy classes?
We encourage the whole family to come along. The more consistent your puppy’s learning is at home, the quicker you’ll see progress.