Fitting In Your Dog Training Around the School Holidays

School holidays can disrupt routines, but your dog training doesn’t need to stop. Here’s how to keep it going around family life.

Fitting In Your Dog Training Around the School Holidays

The school holidays are a time for family adventures, ice creams, and slowing down from the usual rush of school runs and packed schedules. But if you’re training your dog, particularly a young or active gundog, it can feel like your carefully crafted routine is thrown out of the window the moment the school bell rings for summer.

Here’s the good news: dog training doesn’t need to stop during the school holidays. In fact, it can be a brilliant opportunity to build consistency, maintain your dog’s skills, and even involve the children in a positive and fun way.

1. Training Can Happen Anywhere

Your dog doesn’t know it’s the summer holidays; they just know you’re busier or routines are different. Instead of trying to fit in a full training session, look for opportunities throughout your day:

Practise a ‘sit’ while you wait for the ice cream van.
Do a few recalls on a family walk in the woods or park.
Use ‘settle’ training while having a picnic.
Practise heelwork while walking to the playground.

Micro-training sessions like these, even for just 2-3 minutes at a time, help keep your dog’s learning topped up without overwhelming you or your family.

2. Involve the Children

Children often love helping with dog training, and it’s a great way to teach them about calm, positive interactions with dogs. Supervise them while they:

Play a game of hide-and-seek with your dog’s toy to encourage hunting skills.
Help deliver treats for practising recalls.
Throw a toy or dummy for a retrieve (while teaching your dog to wait for release).
Settle on a mat while the children are doing crafts or reading.

It’s a practical way to keep both the children and your dog occupied while strengthening your dog’s skills.

3. Set Yourself and Your Dog Up for Success

The holidays can bring different environments, busy days, and tired children (and adults!). Setting yourself and your dog up for success doesn’t mean no training—it means being mindful about when and where you train, choosing appropriate goals, and making sure your dog is in the right headspace to learn.

If you’re visiting a busy café, don’t expect your young dog to hold a perfect settle for an hour on their first try. Practise for shorter periods first. If you know your day is packed, focus on one or two small training moments rather than trying to cram in a full session.

4. Be Flexible and Kind to Yourself

Some days will be busier than others, especially if you have trips planned or visitors arriving. Remember, it’s OK if training doesn’t happen every day. Your dog will not lose all their skills overnight, and rest days can be valuable, particularly for younger dogs who may find the chaos of the holidays tiring.

5. Use the Opportunity to Practise Real-Life Skills

School holidays often mean more visitors, trips to dog-friendly cafes, and busier environments. These can be great real-life training opportunities:

Practise loose-lead walking in new places.
Use settle mats at a café or during a picnic.
Work on calm greetings when people visit.
Practise ‘leave it’ around dropped picnic food or ice creams.

These are all useful skills for a well-rounded family dog and are often more beneficial than structured drills in a field.

6. Short, Frequent, and Fun

If your training has felt intense, the school holidays can remind you to keep sessions short and fun. 5-10 minutes of play-based training can be just as effective as longer sessions and are often more enjoyable for both you and your dog.

In Summary

The school holidays don’t need to derail your dog’s training. Instead, they offer a chance to:

✅ Practise in different environments
✅ Involve the children positively
✅ Keep sessions short, fun, and consistent
✅ Build real-life skills your dog will use daily
✅ Learn how to set yourself and your dog up for success

By weaving training into your family’s everyday life, you’ll continue to progress without it feeling like another task on your to-do list.

Need help keeping your training on track over the summer?

If you’d like support in building consistency during the holidays or would like your children to learn how to help with training, I offer family-friendly training sessions that fit around your summer plans. Get in touch to find out more.