Canine Compass

20/10/2026

🐾 HELP US DECIDE! 🐾

With our Trick Star courses coming to an end, a few of our lovely Trick Star teams have asked us what's next! They're not quite ready to give up their Sunday dog training fix and would love something new to fill that space in their weekends.

So we've been putting our heads together and have come up with two ideas. The trouble is, we can't decide which one to run!

OPTION 1 – TRICK STAR CALENDAR CLUB 📸

A six-level trick training adventure, with new tricks to learn and themed photoshoots along the way!

Think Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and plenty more. At the end, we'll turn the photographs into a Canine Compass calendar featuring all six dogs, with the option to order extra copies for family and friends.

OPTION 2 – WEEKLY BRAIN GAMES 🧠

Our Brain Games workshops have been so much fun that we're thinking about making them a regular weekly class!

Skittles, puzzles, bell ringing, opening and closing doors, silly challenges and all sorts of clever things to get those brains working. Something different to tackle each week!

So, we need your help!

Which would you prefer? Are you Team Calendar Club or Team Brain Games?

You don't have to be an existing Trick Star to have your say. We'd love to hear from anyone who fancies joining us!

Let us know in the comments.

Love from Mandy, Gracie & Alice xx

18/10/2026

Another lovely Sunday at Canine Compass!

We kicked things off with Trick Star Level 5, where our dogs were busy practising their Level 5 tricks and learning a brand-new one – a rollover!

They’re all doing fantastically well, and we’re really looking forward to our photoshoot next week. We absolutely adore photo week, and I can’t wait to see what we manage to create this time!

Next up was Life Skills Plus, and our dogs really are going from strength to strength. This week was recap week, so we revisited some of the exercises we tackled earlier in the course to see just how far everyone has come.

And what a difference! The improvement has been fantastic, and we’re incredibly proud of every single dog and handler.

Next week is our final session, and weather permitting, we’ll be heading outside to put those skills to the test in the real world. I’ve got a feeling they’re going to smash it!

Now, we need your thoughts on something!

We’ve been chatting in class about what happens when our Trick Star dogs finish their journey with us. I know Pixel is going to be heartbroken when it’s over, and it seems she’s not the only one!

A few of you have asked whether we could offer something to keep the trick training going, and we’ve come up with two ideas.

Option 1 – Weekly Brain Games

Our Brain Games workshops have been really popular, so what if we turned them into a weekly class?

Think skittles, opening and closing doors, fun challenges, puzzles and all sorts of clever things to teach your dog. Something different to get those brains working every week!

Option 2 – The Canine Compass Trick Star Calendar Club

This one could be rather special!

Starting in December, we’d run a six-level course with a maximum of six dogs. At each level, we’d teach two new tricks and work towards themed photographs for our very own Canine Compass calendar.

We’d start with Christmas, then work through themes such as Valentine’s Day, Easter and Halloween, bringing the seasonal photoshoots forward where needed.

With six dogs and twelve calendar photos, every dog would have two starring moments in the finished calendar!

At the end of the course, you’d receive your own Canine Compass Trick Star calendar, with the option for family and friends to order copies too.

Imagine having a calendar full of your dogs showing off everything they’ve learned!

So, which would you prefer?

A weekly Brain Games class, or a Trick Star Calendar Club? We’d love to hear your thoughts, especially from those of you who are coming to the end of your Trick Star journey.

And finally, coming up at Canine Compass…

Our next Life Skills Plus course starts on Sunday 1st November, and Puppy Explorers will be returning too!

If you’d like to join us, get in touch or head over to our website for more information.

See you next Sunday!

16/10/2026

Life Skills Plus – Starting Sunday 1st November!

Ready to put your dog through their paces? Our next Life Skills Plus course is just around the corner!

We kick things off with a dog-free theory session, where we’ll explore why we train the way we do, how dogs learn and, most importantly, what YOU want to achieve over the course.

Then the real work begins!

Think of it as an eight-week dog training boot camp! We’ll be working those brains hard, building skills, tackling challenges and having plenty of fun along the way.

And the best bit? No two courses are ever quite the same. We tailor the training to the dogs and people in the room, focusing on what matters most to you, with plenty of opportunities to challenge yourselves and progress.

Expect lots of learning, plenty of laughs and a few tired dogs heading home on a Sunday!

Starts: Sunday 1st November
Location: 100 Club, Exeter
Duration: 8 weeks
Price: £160

Come and see just how much you and your dog can achieve together!

Join our friendly, science-based dog training classes, Exeter. Our Life Skills programme is ideal for puppies, adolescents, and rescue dogs. Build confidence, focus, and real-world manners.

04/10/2026

Nobody said they could catch 🤦‍♀️😂

training

04/10/2026

Another amazing Sunday at Canine Compass today!

We kicked off with Trick Star Level Five and had a really lovely time working on some classic tricks, including the spatula treat flick and rolling a ball. The dogs thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and we’re already looking forward to heading into Exeter city centre for their Level Five photos.

Next up was Life Skills Plus, and this group is continuing to progress so well. Today we worked on heelwork, played lots of heelwork games and practised keeping our dogs connected to us while moving.

It was an unusually tricky class today because there was an aircraft circling overhead and making an eerie low rumbling noise. A couple of the dogs found it really quite distressing, so their buckets were very full. That understandably made it harder for them to focus, and the extra energy made things more challenging for everyone else too.

Everyone worked through it brilliantly, though. They stayed patient, kept their cool and supported their dogs when things were much harder than usual. A huge well done to the whole group because it definitely wasn’t an easy session.

We’ve also got some really lovely things coming up. Brain Games is back next Sunday, followed by our ever-popular Halloween workshop on 25th October. We have lots of Halloween-themed games planned, plus everyone will receive Halloween photos of their dog.

Our next Life Skills Plus and Puppy Explorers groups will also be starting in November, so if you’ve been thinking about joining us, don’t leave it too late!

As always, we absolutely loved our Sunday and hope everyone else did too. 🐾

📸 Photo credit: Cappuccino 🐾

03/10/2026