Haven’t packed your bags yet
– it’s the Camping time!
“Conditioned Relaxation” Doggy Boot Camp -15
is on – 26 July – 01 August!
So it is in one weeks. What to expect – well, the timetable is out there, please see the full list. On the top of that you will also have a chance to walk this glorious countryside with your dog or on your very own – it’s literally located in the middle of the woodland, and it’s all ours after closing time. During the day the field is also in our solo use, buyt the rest of the park is shared with locals enjoying the nature too.
You are welcome to arrive on Saturday 25th July, but no activities are planned for this date. Not yet!
From Sunday we offer: Obedience, Gundog Training, Agility, Coursing, Rally-O, Good Citizen Dog Scheme Testing – all levels, Trick Training, Heelwork-to-Music, Canine First Aid , Clay Pigeon shoot, Seaside fun walk and swim plus sports from football and volleyball, to bonfire, barbeques (yes, we have a fire pit, and BBQ set on-site for eevryone to use), socialising (or not if you are after some peace and quiet), drinks etc. Some campers are not dog owners, and everyone will have a choice of joining in or just takingit easy. So Dog Classes or No Dog Classes?
Our daily obedience and motivational talks and training sessions with Dima Yeremenko and Linda Perry on site (usually, morning and evening, to fit with our busy schedule) are built to suit all dog owners, and help them, and their dogs, to live a happy and healthy lives. Please ask questions, try your hand at all activities and let your dog see what life our “Good Boys” lead – they’ll want to join in! As mentioned earlier, this year’s Camp will be built around Conditioned Relaxation and anything to do with staying calm, learning to de-stress, polishing up those Stays and Wait commands, dealing with distractions and temptations.
The pair of photographers are camping with us for the whole week with their dogs, so do not worry about forgetting your camera, but if you do take snaps – make sure you share them with us towards the end – we’ll make sure everyone gets the copy of the pictures / films from this training holiday.
Please note that due to the changing weather we might switch some activities over and re-arrange your feeding arrangements to suit us all better.
Updated list of daily itinerary will be displayed in the central marquee at the Camp so watch this space. If yoa re coming for a day or two, please phone us before setting off to coordiante our movements and changes of schedule if any. Dima: 07957228269; Linda: 07742074744; Laura and Anna: 07745429982 / 07811604157.
Please make sure you only telephone us if wishing to get in touch as from Saturday the 25th July we are not going to be able to check your emails till after the Camp.
Just to remind you that the fee for the week is only £300 when pre-booked and paid for, or £330 if not registered, with a daily charge of £60 applied to shorter term campers. This is a price for a family unit of up to 2 adults, 2 children and 2 dogs and not per person. This year we are offerring £50 discount for a single person + single dog units. Non-doggy visitors are expected to pay £30 (£14 for under-16) for the whole week each or £5 daily rate (£2 – children). We still have availability, but remember that you might well miss out if not reserved your space with a £50 nopn-refundable deposit.
To make sure all the expenditures are covered, cereal breakfasts are provided to all booked participants including teas and coffees free of charge, as well as two evening BBQs for one person on every booking. All other meals are payable and you buy what you want all throughout. Non-doggy campers and any guests can join in and pay for the meals provided if required.
Extras: We also organise most lunches (on and off-site, so might need to walk or drive) and all evening meals ranging from Take-aways, Gastro-Pub, Lakeside Cafe etc which you pay for if you decide to go and for whatever you order.
We camp in a secluded field in the middle of a country park, so there’s no electricity. We have sole use of a Shower / Toilet block and lockable gates restricting access to the area for our members only.
Just a quick note – there are some tents for hire still available at £50 per week for a large, stand-in tents which we help you to put up. We currently have large, 4-6 sleeper-tents at a cost of £50 per week and a small, 2-3 persons tents at £10 per week. Please bring a camping / lounging chair to make your participation in some activities more comfortable. Cuttlery, mug, plate, torch and thermal flask will always come handy.
For application forms please email lindaperry25@gmail.com or dimadogs@hotmail.com
Address for the Camp is: Capstone Farm Country Park
Capstone Road, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 3JG
Boot Camp is here:
We are in Capstone Wood, watch out for the signs put up:
http://www.medway.gov.uk/pdf/Capstone%20Trails.pdf
http://www.visitmedway.org/places-of-interest/capstone-farm-country-park
More info / invites, timetable and booking forms are sent on request.
We are delighted to introduce our supporters this year, who provided education materials, prises and equipment for us to use at the Camp:
-Bob & Lush pet food manufacturers
-Our Dogs newspaper for all canine lovers worldwide
-Jo Rycroft, Hair of the Dog grooming parlour
-Company of Animals behavioural centre and supplier
Many thanks for your help and support!
Please look through these if you are considering / decided to join us for this Camping Trip!
Please make sure you read this before coming to a class, and make it your guiding principle for all your doggy outings:
It’s crazy not to train in Controlled Environment at ALL TIMES!
http://goodboydogschool.com/node/150
Thinking of bringing your dog to one of our group training / advice sessions? Please consider booking an individual class as trying to “socialise” your dog by making that leap from no dogs to loads of dogs is not always the best option:
My routine situation – a client with an aggressive and anti-social dog phoning up asking about group classes… When I suggest that they’d better take it easy, and start with a bit of controlled exposure, systematic desensitization and training some control exercises and Impulse handling skills, the answer is the same in 99% of cases: “We just want to introduce him to as many dog as possible / socialise him etc, as he’s very good on his own…” Well, I though it was just me then…
This is the way forward: Graduated Exposure Therapy is the answer, not routine group classes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systematic_desensitization
But of course you are welcome if you decide that group class is THE class for you!
And something recently published: www.clickertraining.com/dont-socialize-the-dog
Not all dogs are calm and happy all the time. Hardly any really. Many dogs lose their homes and their lives due to inability to manage their emotions and cope with stressors. We like teaching dogs to recognize and manage their own mental state, a process called “Conditioned Relaxation.” Good read here: https://paws4udogs.wordpress.com/2012/08/13/relax-already-how-to-condition-a-relaxed-response/
For the last fifteen years The Good Boy Dog School have run a week of doggy boot camps! And this year is no different, this summer The Good Boy Dog School are inviting all their friends to join them for a week of Dog Training and Fun at our regular location of Capstone Farm Country Park in Kent, running from 26 July to 1August. You are welcome to arrive on the 25th for a bit of fun and partying, but no planned activities are booked for that day.
This is it – we are nearly there – and if you have not packed your bags yet, you will want to do it now:
Our biggest and busiest project of the year, the Brain-child of the School:
Good Boy Dog School awaits you on a fun-filled week at our Doggy Boot Camp, held at Capstone Farm Country Park in Kent, ME7 3JG.
Very reasonably priced cafes are: Lakeside Cafe or Ski Centre within the park which provide a variety of hot meals and snacks at lunchtimes when on-site, or you are welcome to visit them, they are exoectiung our members. Apart form the two BBQs, evening meals are not included in the fee, but we usually arrange a takeaway, evening trips to the Lakeside Cafe and a trip to the local gastro pub to eat, which you are welcome to join in. Please book those with us by filling in the slip in your handout pack.
However, you are also free to make your own eating arrangements should you prefer. There is a Sainsbury’s, a Morrison’s and a small Co-Op (and a pet store) within easy driving distance.
If you don’t have your own tent, we can arrange one for you and have it put it up for a small extra cost. But please book it in advance.
The campsite is very close to a small toilet block that includes mens and ladies toilets and a shower in each.
The site is set in a beautiful location with loads of countryside to explore and within easy reach of other local attractions. It is not a camping site, so we are going to be the only crowd having it all to ourselves at night! This is a unique opportunity for you and your dog to spend time together, learning new things and meeting lots of new like-minded friends! If you’ve never camped with us before but want to do something a bit different with your dog, then this is the opportunity for you!
We look forward to meeting you and making lots of new doggy friends!
As many of you have asked – yours and your dog’s Insurance is not compulsory, neither are the vaccinations, but are highly recommended for so many reasons, and we keep a record of it all. Please remember -your dog is always your full responsibility as everywhere else you ever take them – you are the one in charge!
To check out pictures from last year’s camp go to: https://plus.google.com/photos/117324545999957096648/albums/5908330040964166129?banner=pwa
Everyone booked in advance for the whole week will get a special discount, freebies for all our guests, and and lots of chances to win our fabulous prizes all throughout the week.
Please email us if you’d like anything else, like booking form, or a final version of our timetable.
And now, the practicalities and logistics:
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. We are not likely to get a heat wave but weather is going to be warmer and more pleasant, but knowing our predictions, we can only hope for the best! In any case – pack it all – waterproof clothing and an umbrella, woollen socks and fleece, soft 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 car charger will certainly be used a lot. Camping chairs are an absolute must unless you fancy curling up on the ground with your dog during our sessions and talks!
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 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.
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! Copies will be available at the Camp at £10.
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. Start now! 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 want to learn. And pleasenote – it’s not about how hungry your dog is, it is about how many times it succeeded in various scenarious, places and surroundings. We want those numbers to be impressive, so start Practicing!
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. 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.
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.
A blanket, towel and dog bowl, brush, bed (maybe a crate), muzzle, longer and shorter leash, clicker, 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.
And do not hesitate to speak to us – we will be more than happy to instruct you on all the necessary steps to make this highly enjoyable week even more fun for all attending.
Dog Boot Camp Etiquette
We offer this unique opportunity for you and your dog(s) and obviously the health and safety of everyone is our major concern. People and dogs are in unfamiliar settings and tend to get tired as the week goes on. Whilst in the field, we expect all dogs to be under close control or on leads where necessary to avoid any incidents. We also expect everyone to pick up after their dogs, especially on site. There are plenty of other fields around where you are welcome to walk your dog(s) off lead in beautiful surrounding of this Country Park.
1. It helps to keep camp running smoothly if we all accept some basic ground rules. We are all here on holiday so please be aware of others e.g. do not make loud noises late at night/early in the morning.
2. Please protect guy ropes with visible bunting or similar –they are a trip hazard for anyone walking or running past.
3. Kids will always be kids. They are not intentionally bad but some dogs might not think so. Please keep an eye on your dog at all times and watch any children nearby – if you notice anything they should not be doing, please tell them and let parents and us know.
4. Please keep your dog(s) under close supervision or on lead at all times on site whether participating in an activity or not.
5. Remember the gate at the top of the road is locked at 8pm, any entry or exit after that time will require the code for the padlock.
6. We do not have cleaners for the toilets / shower block so please leave them as you would wish to find them (any problems let us know).
7. We do not have people to take our rubbish away so please try to take your rubbish with you whenever you leave the site, or recycle where possible! There are bins in the car park of the ski centre (at the bottom of the road up to Capstone) and at the visitor centre.
8. When we book meals, please make sure you complete the form in good time so that we can give venues as much notice as possible! Order deadlines will be displayed in the main marquee when an order is required. We are lucky to have built up good relationships with the cafes and pubs nearby and we want to use them again!
9. All activities are optional, but please let us know if you will/will not be participating.
10. Although we ask for insurance, it is not compulsory, but by being here at camp you are accepting responsibility for your belongings, your family, your vehicle(s), your dog and its actions.
NB We provide cereal and milk for breakfast everyday but you will need to bring your own bowl and spoon. We also provide tea and coffee and again please bring your own mug and teaspoon.
Evening meals include Takeaway, BBQ, visit to local pub or visit to the Lakeside Cafe.
We do not provide food at midday but usually arrange for a time / place to eat so you may wish to bring some with you or use local facilities.
Thank you all for reading, and see you all at the Camp!
Dima on behalf of the Good Boy Dog School
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