The Association of Pet Dog Trainers Puppy and Foundation Awards

Included below is all the information you’ll need to help you decide on whether the APDT UK Puppy and Foundation Awards are for you and your new family addition.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email or WhatsApp message - 07797892017

Who Are DogWorks Classes For?

Our classes are tailored for dedicated handlers committed to daily puppy training to foster development and strengthen the bond between guardian and pet.

About the Course

Our 7-week APDT Puppy & Foundation Awards course utilises positive reinforcement and clicker training. Covering essential beginner behaviours, the course offers a structured blend of instruction and practical application.

You will receive weekly emails with instructional videos, handouts, and a training schedule. By the end of the course, you'll have your own comprehensive puppy training manual!

Week one starts with an online presentation, followed by 6 in-person classes, concluding with an assessment of your progress.

Based on your puppy's age, you will either be working towards your Puppy Award (Up to 6 months) or your Foundation Award (6 months plus).

  • Attaching the Lead

  • Collar Grab

  • Repositioning Move

  • Heel, Settle

  • Door Control

  • Stay

  • Food Bowl Control

  • Slow Treats & Calm marker

  • Response to name

  • Handling

  • Drop

  • Play

  • Sit

  • Down

  • Stand

  • Recall

Your Instructor

Rest assured, our trainers are full, externally verified members of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and subscribe to their code of practice and the Jersey code of practice for the welfare of dogs during training. Ake is a registered Animal Training Instructor with the Animal Behaviour & Training Council. The ABTC sets and maintains standards of knowledge and practical skills needed to be an animal trainer & training instructor and maintains the national register of rigorously assessed practitioners.

To keep your dogs as safe as possible, Ake is canine first aid certified.

Use of aversive tools and techniques are not permitted in our classes; if you are unsure about what exactly this means, please let me know and I will be happy to explain further.

If you would like to watch a class before enrolling, you are very welcome - please email or WhatsApp to arrange this.

Vaccinations

Vaccinations & Minimum Age

Baby puppies must have had their 1st vaccination at least 7 days before coming to the first in-person class, which means that 9wks is usually the youngest age pups join us. However, if you’re held up by vaccinations, don’t wait another 6wks for the next course! You can attend the first class with your puppy on your lap, which will help them get used to the environment, ready for their first week!

Vaccinations & Socialisation

If you are concerned about attending before vaccinations are finished, recommend having a read of this article in a vet journal, which I hope will put your mind at rest. Your vet may well tell you not to take your puppy out until after the 2nd vaccine. Many people misinterpret this to mean that their puppy must be completely contained within the home until then. This would result in your puppy being very under-socialised when finally allowed out - because the socialisation period is time-sensitive and starts to close around 12 weeks. There is more information on how you can protect your puppy while still socialising them, in this post titled Before 2nd Vax. 

Where and When

Classes are held indoors in the St. Brelade Church Hall, opposite St. Brelade’s Church, or in a naturalised field between Beauport and Corbiere.

Parking for the church hall is up the small hill which takes you to Beauport, on the right behind the hall.

If classes will be held int he field, I will send you directions by email.

Each class starts at 18:00, is and is 60 minutes long, on Wednesday nights.

If you’re unable to attend a class, you will always be emailed the detailed handout sheets and videos for that week - so you won’t fall behind.

 

Course Dates

28 May
2025

St Brelade’s
Church Hall

1800 - 1900

09 July
2025

St Brelade’s
Church Hall

1800 - 1900

20 August
2025

St Brelade’s
Church Hall

1800 - 1900

Accessibility

The indoor venue is equipped with ramps and facilities for physical accessibility. I am able to dim the lights, and I do my best to keep the classroom as calm and low-noise as possible. Let me know if you require additional assistance or have needs that you would like me to be aware of, I will work with you and make adjustments where I can.

The cost for the course is £140. This fee includes:

  • 7 weeks of hour-long tuition from a qualified and externally assessed APDT & ABTC Dog Training Instructor in a small group

  • Indoor location away from the elements with facilities

  • 1 clicker

  • Detailed weekly handouts including the whys, whats and hows of dog training. At the end of the course you’ll have a comprehensive instruction manual

  • Extra information in your weekly emails including instructional videos

  • Personalised advice in and out of class if required

  • Party Bags

  • Certificate and Rosette

  • WhatsApp advice and support throughout the course and your dog’s life.

Fees

Please read through our Terms & Conditions. Once you have done so, there is a link at the bottom of the page which will take you to our application form.

Once the online application has been completed and submitted, we will send you an email invoice. Then, all you need to do is settle the invoice to secure your spot!

Spaces fill up quickly, so enrol promptly to reserve your spot. Completion of the application form alone does not secure a place.

Please note that the name(s) you give me on the application form will be used on your certificate at the end of the course.  

Application Process

By making a booking with DogWorks, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and fully accept our Terms & Conditions.