Languages
Dog Training

Activity Training Groups

Have more fun and increase the bond between you and your dog!

Fun activities for everyone

There are many different activities that we can do together with our dogs. Whether it’s nose work, refining our communication with the help of body language circle training or crossdogging, where many different activities and challenges are met – you can try these out and find out what gives you and your dog the most pleasure and fun.

Tracking Nose Work (Spurnasenarbeit)

Tracking Nose Work (Spurnasenarbeit)

With Jacqueline Koerfer

Who for: Dogs from 6 months Date: Every other Thursday 18.00-20.00 Location: Martha & Friends

Every dog comes equipped with a highly capable sense of smell which can be used in a meaningful way to protect our local environment and threatened species. By attending Spürnasenarbeit classes, you will work together as a team with your dog to search for one or several target odours related to nature conservation. Some examples include, preventing, mapping, and eradicating invasive species; finding and protecting rare, threatened and endangered species of animals or plants; or ecological monitoring—finding where species live, how many there are, and what they need.

Dogs have a peculiar advantage in that they can cover large areas and rough terrain in a relatively short time, detecting cryptic species and scents hidden in deep vegetation. Some examples of the scenarios we work with here in Luxembourg include carcass detection of bat species protected under EU law. Conducting surveys in their mortality rates is common place around wind turbines. Another example is detecting the scat of wolves. One of the most effective ways of determining population sizes in areas, and the success of reintroduction projects for elusive species, is to perform DNA tests on animal scat. Bark beetle detection on spruces is another example, as bark beetles cause extensive tree losses in our local forests. Dogs can also detect invasive plants such as ragwort, as ragwort contains toxic compounds which can cause poisoning to horses and other livestock if eaten. Finally, we also work closely together with pest control experts for bedbug and mould detection.

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Trick Dog Training

Trick Dog Beginners Block Course

With Lena Mertens

Who for: Dogs from 6 months Date: Start: 24.06.2023 every Saturday from 15:30 – 16:30 Location: Martha & Friends

Having fun and joint activities are our aim. You will learn to teach your dog all sorts of tricks. Accompanied by motivating music, we will work on various tricks from a simple "slalom through the legs" to the "jump into my arms", individually tailored to the respective dog and their owner. At the same time you learn to understand your dog's body language and to motivate him even when facing distractions. Learning to do tricks together will strengthen the relationship and trust between you and your dog, and you will master a series of tricks as a team. During the course, we only work with positive reinforcement. A clicker and small soft treats are used as aids.

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Trick Dog Advanced Block Course

With Lena Mertens

Who for: Dogs from 8 months Date: Start: 08.05.23 every Monday 18.00-19.00 Location: Martha & Friends

Having fun and joint activities are our aim. You will learn to teach your dog all sorts of tricks. Accompanied by motivating music, we will work on various tricks from a simple "slalom through the legs" to the "jump into my arms", individually tailored to the respective dog and their owner. At the same time you learn to understand your dog's body language and to motivate him even when facing distractions. Learning to do tricks together will strengthen the relationship and trust between you and your dog, and you will master a series of tricks as a team. During the course, we only work with positive reinforcement. A clicker and small soft treats are used as aids.

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Crossdogging

Crossdogging "Taster" Session

With Lena Mertens

Who for: Dogs from 10 months Date: You can book a taster every Monday from 19.15-20.15! Please write us an email: training@marthaandfriends.lu Location: Martha & Friends

This class will let you try out this competitive activity: if you and your dog like it, then we would love to have you join the Martha & Friends Crossdogging Team!
Known as the "Bundesliga of Dog Clubs", this is a fun activity for you and your dog which allows you to compete with other Crossdogging teams from canine training schools in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The tasks change weekly and are made available to participating dog training schools by the company Crossdogging GbR.

Crossdogging involves circuit training in which two people work on each station. One person completes the given task as often as possible for two minutes, the other counts the number of runs. Then the team swaps and when both have completed the task, it goes on to the next of the 5 stations. The teams are not aware of forthcoming tasks until each training session. The tasks involve several different disciplines within dog sports. Sometimes tricky, sometimes more athletic, from agility and retrieval to body language, circle training and tricks performed by the dogs - there will be something for everyone.

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Crossdogging Club March 2024

With Lena Mertens

Who for: Dogs from 10 months Date: Every Monday from 19.15-20.15 | Entry available at the start of each month Location: Martha & Friends

Known as the "Bundesliga of Dog Clubs", this is a fun activity for you and your dog which allows you to compete with other Crossdogging teams from canine training schools in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The tasks change weekly and are made available to participating dog training schools by the company Crossdogging GbR.

Crossdogging involves circuit training in which two people work on each station. One person completes the given task as often as possible for two minutes, the other counts the number of runs. Then the team swaps and when both have completed the task, it goes on to the next of the 5 stations. The teams are not aware of forthcoming tasks until each training session. The tasks involve several different disciplines within dog sports. Sometimes tricky,
sometimes more athletic, from agility and retrieval to body language, circle training and tricks performed by the dogs - there will be something for everyone.

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Other Activity Training

Have a Ball!

with Tanja Karpela

Who for: Date: Start 24.08.23 every Thursday 18.30-19.30 Location: Martha & Friends

This course is for energetic dogs who love balls and ball games. You will need two balls for the course. Playing with balls is a great way to release the dog's energy, as long as the dog is taught the release and the rules of play. This way it's fun for both; dog and owner. Come along and relax with your dog in a boisterous way!

week 1 - starting the game

week 2 - naming the behaviour

week 3 - release and rules of the game

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