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Dog Training Boot Camp
Dear Campers,
Please read below if you are taking part in our Camping holiday 26 July - 1 August 2009 or considering taking yourself and your beloved ones (dog at the top of that list I am sure) for some summer fun and a bit of doggie education. Whether you are just visiting for a day or two, popping along or staying the whole week - this message is for you.
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I am so very much looking forward to seeing you all in Capstone Farm, Kent next week! It is just a short while away and I would like to give you a few camping tips to make your stay with us easier, safer and more enjoyable.
1 We are in the UK, so to cope with unpredictable weather please come well prepared. Even though the weather forecast was great for that week, you know how it usually goes: We can only hope for the best! But anyway - Pack it all - waterproof clothing and an umbrella, woollen socks and fleece, soft with no-heel shoes / trainers and a few changes of all your clothing, sunscreen and a hat, swimwear, towels (for both you and your dog) and mosquito repellent - it all might come handy.
2 Thermal flask and a bottle for drinking water, torch, picnic rug, photo / video camera and mobile phone with charger will certainly be used a lot. Camping chairs this year might be needed a lot more!
3 Hot and cold drinks and milk will be provided by us at the site together with some cereals for breakfast. Do not forget your favourite mug, bowl, plate and spoons +... We all have different ideas on comfort of our setting.
4 Some music, radio and outdoor games that you might fetch with you will certainly be appreciated by fellow campers: and their dogs!
5 Most of us are up-to-date with our dogs' inoculations. You might wish to check on this just in case. Also, consider flea & tick treatment before the camp as you both will be spending a lot of more time out in the wild:
6 Think safety, warmth, comfort. Pack whatever this means to you but do not overdo it - it is a week of close-to-nature get-in-touch-with-your-roots camping after all.
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Training refresher tips - this part is also not compulsory, but it will help you and your hound to fit into the spirit & rhythm of the Good Boys quicker and easier, so:
Consider reading the book "Dima's Dog School" as it might become your first step on the way to Crufts Obedience, Agility or Heelwork-To-Music Championships!
To help you follow our lead I would very much like you to: HANDFEED your dog ALL their food (not treats) indoors and out on your walks for a few days prior to departure. Try not to leave your dog any options - you are the solo provider, and not eating NOW means you miss out and have to wait till the next meal time. A bit of a messy business, I know, but it will save us a lot of time at the Camp usually spent on motivating the dogs to listen and learn.
Brush up on moves like: following your hand from one side to the other, around you both ways, coming towards you after food, reversing backwards away from you in a straight line. Twists and twirls (circular moves on the spot both ways), sit, down and stand, hoping up after food as well as keeping balance while begging and standing on hind legs, laying flat on both sides, rolling over, bowing etc. Cool moves also include going in and out of your legs, jumping over them, walking forward and back in a straight line, giving paws, catching a biscuit thrown up in the air and many more. Do not feel bad if not everything happens as you plan - this is why you are coming to the Boot Camp - with a bit of guidance and observing the others at work I am sure by the end of the week these all will be a child's game for you both.
Refresh your dogs' responses to some more fancy moves - paw, roll over, crawl, beg, weaving between legs, speak etc - bribery and corruption is not just permitted but highly recommended here. Initiate some new games that you both will enjoy - tag of war, ball chase, search for various objects; pack some new and old toys. A blanket, dog bowl, brush, bed (maybe a crate), longer and shorter leash, tie-up post, some treats etc will make your dog feel like on holiday. Many of the above will be needed if you are staying on-site with us 24/7.
Met Office predicting return to hot weather end July - Aug so camp should be good again!
There will be a professional photographer working on the grounds of camp. Creative photoshoots in country style will be offered for you and your dogs, together with photoshoots during the doggy activities - agility, doggie dancing, swimming etc. The photographer will also be able to make a photoshoot of your dream, so turn on your imagination and prepare the ideas!
We will have a reporter from Telegraph camping with us for the whole week, and studio team visiting to record a podcats of the training sessions and take pictures for newspaper report. Please do not tell your dogs - you know, the stage fright and other stuff may affect their performance...
Only kidding! All our hounds are huge crowd pleasers. After all, who wouldn't want to work when you get paid for it, and bonuses are in their contract too!
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Address for the site is:
Capstone Farm Country Park
Capstone Road
Gillingham
Kent ME7 3JG
Directions are below:
From Maidstone:
a.. Join the A229 and go up Bluebell Hill.
b.. Join M2 at junction 3 and head towards Canterbury.
c.. Leave M2 at junction 4 and head towards Hempstead (A278).
d.. At roundabout, turn left towards Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre (Sharstead Way).
e.. At next roundabout, turn right on to Hempstead Valley Drive. Continue straight over several mini-roundabouts.
f.. Hempstead Valley Drive becomes Pear Tree Lane. Road curves around and goes downhill.
g.. At the bottom of the hill there is a roundabout - look out for the brown tourist sign. Turn hard left at this roundabout, which will bring you out on to Capstone Road.
h.. Capstone Farm Country Park is approximately 400 metres along the road on your right.
From Chatham:
a.. Join A2 and head towards Gillingham and Rainham.
b.. Look out for brown tourist signs.
c.. Turn right into Ash Tree Lane and go down the hill.
d.. At roundabout at the bottom of the hill, take the first exit.
e.. At the next roundabout, take the second exit - look out for the brown tourist sign. This brings you on to Capstone Road.
f.. Capstone Farm Country Park is approximately 400 metres along the road on your right.
We will have the direction to our site signposted from the main road.
Address link for GPS from М25 along А2 (http://maps.google.co.uk/
Capstone Farm Country Park (http://www.medway.gov.uk/
A map of the park (http://www.medway.gov.uk/
Rochester Castle (http://www.medway.gov.uk/
Rochester Cathedral (http://www.medway.gov.uk/
The Historic Dockyard (http://www.medway.gov.uk/
Guildhall Museum (http://www.medway.gov.uk/
Oh, few more things - arrival day is Sunday, we have an official opening of the Camp procedure at 1 pm with most things starting slowly before 4 pm when we have a site guided tour (good fun) followed by a session, take away dinner delivered to the site (order after 1 with us) and a cosy sit-down around the fire - kinda session.
There are many guest trainers joining us this year with various disciplines and styles for you to learn - here's the brief mention of them all:
Behaviourist Amber Batson talking about Stress, Aggression, Dominance etc on Monday afternoon.
Obedience workshop with Jenny Harknett and Fran Godfrey is on Tuesday morning.
Good Citizens Dog Scheme Testing with Chris Bloomfield is held on Wednesday morning, with Sure Evan running a workshop on Loose Lead Walking in the afternoon
Heelwork-to-Music workshop with Louise Ince & Sarah is on Friday morning,
and Agility workshop with Dan Shaw
All sessions are included in your booking price.
If you decide to just come and spectate any of the events we are organising, visitors with no dogs are charged ?60 - ?65 pounds for the whole week or part of it for short visits, so not having a dog shouldn't keep you from attending. And after all you are welcome to borrow one of ours - we all have quite a few "spares" (that's when they are not tired).
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For those of you who for some reason have not received our last Camping update, here's the text:
Boot Camp is nearly here!
Dear all!
With just about 4 weeks to go until the biggest annual event in our training schedule, I just want to update you all on the order of things.
We are inviting anyone interested in learning loads more about dogs in a space of just one week while holidaying with your dog in the beautiful Kent's countryside.
Facilities on the Camp site include - access for Caravans and plenty of space for tents, hot and cold showers and separate lockable toilets, cleaned daily, barbeque grill, marquee, tables, big open bon-fire space, cafe nearby that serves snacks and meals during working hours, restaurant at the Dry Ski Slope on-site (with plenty of activities to take part in), shady wooded area with plenty of space for everyone.
Camping is from Sunday 26th July, 12 noon, till 1 August, Saturday, 2 pm.
Weekly and daily packages available, so whether you wish to spend the whole week with us, or just planning to come for a day or few - we are confident that you will love the project and everything involved.
Training programme includes Guided Site Walk,
Clay Pigeon Shooting
Treasure Hunt in woods on-site,
Sea-side trip with dog swimming session,
Heelwork-to-Music workshop and demo by Louise Ince & Sarah
Introduction to Competitive Obedience with Jenny Harknett, KCAI (Cd. Ob.) and Fran Godfrey
Session with the behaviourist Amber Batson on Stress in dogs, How dogs learn, Dominance in dogs and Aggression, and many more including a questions / answers time
Good Citizen Dog Scheme Testing - all levels, by Chris Bloomfield and Sue Evans
Nose work / search play-type workshop
Agility and "Dog-Olympics" on-site
Daily Handfeeding and obedience classes to organise yours' and your dog's reliable communication skills with Dima Yeremenko.
Barbeques, Take-Away meals, Visits to Restaurants and bars,
And (you have to believe me here) - all this with your dogs accompanying you everywhere!
(Dima's still working on more things to do as it is his job to keep everyone busy at the Camp)
This is it for now - the fee for the week is ?270 with a daily charge of ?45 applied to shorter term campers. Please ask us about whatever questions you might have.
We have a small-ish caravan (sleeps 3) available or you to hire, but towing will have to be organised by you, and also a list of local B&Bs and Hotels if you are not the "Camping" type: But I am sure you will want to stay on-site once you have seen how we set everything up there: This is the reason so many people bring their dogs to us over and over again: I love it myself so much, that if not the amount of work going into it every time, I would probably run Camps like this all year round:
Please email via dimadogs@hotmail.com
"Clever dogs are good dogs" Boot Camp is here:
http://www.medway.gov.uk/
Info / invite and booking forms are sent on request.
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