Dog Training classes are like Tumble Tots or Water Baby Classes - you can both survive without them but why miss out on all the fun? They are great places to meet like-minded people, to socialize and have some fun whilst learning what you need to know to make your dog nicer to live with, more sociable and safer in society. A well trained dog is a great source of pride and pleasure so I think obedience training is essential for your own peace of mind.

Dog training classes were the highlight of my week when I was fourteen. Spice and I use to walk twenty minutes to the village hall for the hour long session on a Monday evening. Round and round that hall we paraded as a group, halting, right turn turn, forward, sit, forward, down, forward, about turn, left turn, halt, leave your dog, call your dog, finish, praise your dog. And so it went on. I loved it!

At the end of the hour all the dogs were released in a hysterical pack to riot around the public park next door. A fantastic sight as twelve dogs of mixed parentage, age and ability raced around together, delightedly playing and fooling around after their lesson.

After two terms we graduated to the Wednesday classes in the next village. St Sebastians Hall had three classes novice, intermediate and the awesome advanced class. The latter was made up of hardened obedience competitors who had sycophantic border collies welded to their left legs.

Spice and I completed our Novice Class, won the end of term competition AND the Best Newcomers Contest. It was the first and only time I, a desperately unsporty child, took home not one but TWO silver trophies to keep for a whole year. What a night that was!

Twenty five years later and I still feel proud when I look at the photo of that quizzical looking little black and tan mongrel wearing his pair of three tiered rosettes and sitting between his two cups on our lawn. That could be your dog next year so give it a go what have you got to lose other than a badly behaved dog?

Learn more about this author, Sarah J Palmer.
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