Archive for June, 2010

Training Holidays

Every dog owner knows the heartache of leaving your faithful friend behind when you go away for that well-earned holiday.

We’ve all driven away from the boarding kennels promising ourselves it’s the last time and that in future we’ll only go on holidays where the dog can come, too. That’s one reason why more and more of us are taking our pets with us when we enjoy a break.

The current economic climate and concerns over the environmental impact of jetting off for far-flung places also mean it’s a boom time for the dog friendly holiday market in Britain. And despite the bureaucratic hoops of the Pet Passport Scheme, even those parts of Europe that can be easily reached by car are experiencing an increase in enquiries from dog-owning holiday makers.

But rather like the perennial family holiday problem of “what shall we do with the kids today?”, dog owners still need to be armed with a few ideas for keeping their pets amused and stimulated when they go away together. Walking holidays are a great way to see the country, top up your fitness levels and keep our four-legged friends interested. But not everybody – and certainly not every dog – wants to spend every single day of a holiday foot-slogging it up hill and down dale.

One alternative is to combine a trip away with your dog with a short training course. You could try almost anything from basic obedience and good behaviour to advanced skills such as agility and stock work. There are plenty of courses on offer, varying in length from a couple of hours to several days. Some are residential courses, where you can stay “on-site” at the training centre. But if not, most parts of Britain boast a range of dog friendly places where you can stay from plush country house hotels to cosy self-catering cottages and welcoming B and Bs.

The Paws For A Walk website carries details of a selection of the many training courses available in Britain and abroad as well as a wide range of accommodation possibilities. So why not combine a well-earned break in wonderful countryside with a bit of canine self-improvement?

Cumbria, for example, can offer magnificent scenery and walking opportunities – plus two of the country’s foremost trainers!

Katy Cropper, the first woman to win BBC television’s One Man and His Dog, is now based in the Cumbrian hills on the eastern edge of the Lake District, where she offers a range of courses in sheepdog handling. Drawing on her huge success in the field, Katy provides courses lasting from just an hour to three days and promises to get well and truly inside your dog’s head. For the frustrated pastoral dog as much as for the owner , it is guaranteed to be an unforgettable and life-changing experience.   

Pembrokeshire Sheepdogs is run by Anna Lou Daybell and Marion and Brian Loverig at Tremynydd Fach, a working sheep farm in this beautiful part of Wales. Courses cover all aspects of sheepdog handling, from basic training for farm work, to advanced tuition for trials.

Self-catering cottage holidays and bed and breakfast in the farm are available. Private lessons, half day up to 4 day courses . Training is tailored to suit you and your dogs level in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.  Situated 3 miles from St Davids and close to the beautiful  Whitesands Bay.

Debbie Connolly is an Animal Behaviourist with over 27 years experience.   She believes in a natural approach, teaching owners to understand and sometimes mimic the pet’s behaviour to get the right result.  Safepets offers residential holidays with behavioural help and training, lessons are also offered in sheep herding and trials.

Holiday training opportunities don’t have to be totally serious or goal-orientated, of course. These days it’s not so uncommon to find dog friendly holiday lets which provide fun activities for keeping your pet active and occupied.

Burnells Gardens is a small family run farm bed and breakfast, situated in the beautiful Aville Valley on Exmoor. Close to Minehead and Dunster and with moorland, valleys and beaches within easy reach this is a lovely place from which to explore Exmoor. The agility course is available for guests to use.

In  County Durham, close to Barnard Castle,  Mandy and Mark Bainbridge have self catering accommodation in this Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty.   Laverock Holiday Cottages are part of a working sheep farm where they offer agility and sheepdog training lessons.

Ashleygrove Gundogs is based in the Hertfordshire countryside.   They offer handling skills to gundog owners through private lessons and group courses.   Avis Boreham has developed training methods which are based on building a sound relationship with your dog and learning some basic canine communication skills to achieve trust on both sides.

Working Canines are based in South West Fife, near to the Forth road bridge. They offer basic obedience and gundog training. An area of lochs, beaches, fields and woodland make this a lovely base for a holiday.

Further afield  France offers relaxing gites and  friendly and welcoming Chambre d’hotes, and whichever part of France you choose you will find plenty to do, plenty of villages and towns to explore and bring back some wonderful memories.   La Belle Vilaine has friendly, family run gite accommodation in South Brittany. Located in the heart of the picturesque Morbihan countryside the area offers an authentic  flavour of France. The owners have dogs of their own and this is a great place for a dog friendly holiday, with walks directly from the cottages,  beaches close-by and even an agility course to have a go at under supervision.

 Paws for a Walk
www. pawsforawalk. co. uk
info@pawsforawalk. co. uk