Life Skills Classes

Relationship Skills | Boundary Skills | Calmness Skills | Lead Skills | Optimism Skills | Proximity Skills|

Help your dog to be the best version of themselves by playing games!

Do you...

Want to give your puppy the best start in life?

Want to train your dog with trust, using reward-based methods?

Want to help your dog make better choices?

...then keep reading!

Teaching your dog to be a good dog in our human world doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

 You only need to commit to playing for a few minutes each day to start seeing results.
 You don’t have to drown in the sea of information online. 
 You don’t need to go through this alone.

Sussex Canines'
Life Skills classes
can help you move from feeling confused about the best way to train your dog to feeling empowered about making positive steps in your dog’s training journey. 

Write your awesome label here.

What's included

For just £50 / month

4 x weekly 45 minute mixed ability group classes

Allowing you to train in a safe and controlled environment with experienced trainer, Gemma.

2 month’s free access to the Training Library

A collection of 70+ online training resources, so you can immerse yourself in games-based training and learn how to play even more games!

Access to a private Facebook group

So you can reach Gemma in between classes if you need additional support.

APDT Good Companion Awards

Opportunity to be tested at each award level.
About Gemma
I created the Life Skills classes because I see so much focus on teaching dogs certain behaviours, but not enough on helping your dog to make better choices, to look at your dog’s individual strengths and weaknesses and to adapt training to suit them.

There’s so much more you can do to help your dog successfully navigate life by your side and it doesn’t need to be complicated! 

I have seen first hand how transformational games-based training can be, and I want to share it with as many dog owners as possible!

I have helped hundreds of dog owners, who are committed to training with love, achieve the outcome they dreamt of. All by spending a few minutes each day having fun with their dog!

Testimonials

“Training with Gemma has been the most positive, informative and fun way to spend time with my dog.  Scout and I have loved every minute of our training journey - from puppy foundation classes to scent work classes - I have learnt so much.  You could not find a more positive, friendly, calm and totally dog-mad trainer who will help you every step of the way to bond and have fun with your dog.  Highly recommended.” - Nita
“Sussex Canines training has been invaluable with tips to help our puppy settle in and be socialised, and has made me more confident with using games and techniques to help our dog make good choices. Plus Gemma was amazing with advice on all the random questions thrown at her!” - Mel

Ready to join us?

These classes are open to dogs over 12 months old of any ability and will be filled on a first come first served basis.

Please note: Each month's availability is added after the 15th of the previous month. E.g. March availability will be added on 16th February.

Looking for puppy classes? Check out my Puppy Life Skills here!

Class Details

Day: Saturdays
Times: 11am
Level: All levels from Foundation onwards
Location: Field for Dogs, Staplefield

I'm taking a break

I won't be running group classes over the winter.
Classes are due to resume in April, with priority booking given to existing clients.
Please contact me if you'd like to be notified when new classes are available for booking. 
You can find a full list of training dates here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Class FAQ's

Payment & Booking FAQ's

Terms & Conditions
- Your membership will become active on the date of your first class and will renew on the 1st of each month.
- Your free 2 month trial to the Training Library will begin within a few days of the 1st of the month of your first class. If you wish to continue to have access, you will need to sign up via our Memberships page or within your 'My Account' section.
- The free trial to the Training Library is only included for clients who are new to our Life Skills classes. 
- If you cancel your subscription before the end your 2 month minimum time, your access to the Training Library will also be cancelled.
- If you already receive access to the Training Library as part of another membership, no refund or alternative will be provided.
- You can cancel your subscription by emailing gemma@sussexcanines.co.uk
- Subscriptions run for a minimum of 2 months. If you choose to join ad hoc classes prior to the start of your subscription, these will not count towards your subscription time.
- We reserve the right to cancel your subscription at any time. E.g. disruptive in class, abusive to trainer or participants.

Cancellation Policy
- If you cancel more than a week before your first class you will receive a full refund on your first payment, minus a transaction fee*.
- If you cancel within a week of your first class you will receive a 75% refund on your first payment and not be charged anything further. 
- If you cancel after 1 class has taken place within your subscription period you will receive a 50% refund on your first payment and not be charged anything further. 
- After 2 or more classes have taken place within your subscription period you will not be able to cancel until the minimum 2 month period has passed.
- If your subscription has run for 2 months, you can cancel it on or before the 15th of the month to end that same month.
- If you cancel after the 15th of the month, your subscription will finish at the end of the following month. 

* The transaction fee is set by Stripe, who process our online payments. The current fee is 1.4% +20p per transaction, however this may change and is outside of Sussex Canines' control. As a guide, if you were to book an 8 week course for £96.00 the transaction fee would be £1.54.
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