A Fairy Tails walker in a green top leading a small group of dogs, including a basset hound, on an autumn woodland group walk

Dog Day School · Hastings Country Park

Where dogs learn that learning is fun

A fun, safe place for your dog to stay, play and learn — busy days of friends, enrichment and structure, with you back to calm, happy evenings.

Send an enquiry Already with us? Book your days

Enrichment-led, not just minded
Local pick-up & drop-off
Daily reports, straight to you

Welcome to day school

A proper day out — for dogs

The day school programme at The Fairy Tails offers a fun and safe place for your dog to stay, play and learn. It’s a great way for them to stay happy, active and busy — and to socialise with fellow furry friends.

For training and enrichment we have plenty of space, learning equipment and timetabled activities. Our schooling programme is designed to engage dogs safely and effectively, with positive behaviour in mind.

A birthday party at day school — one of the team holding the cake while the class gathers round under the bunting — Fellow furry friends

The line we won’t cross

Pain-free dog training — and exactly what that rules out

We are pain-free dog trainers. Nothing we put on your dog, and nothing we do with your dog, is designed to work by hurting them — no choke chain, no prong collar, no electric collar, not on the toughest case, not on the worst day.

We never use: Choke chains

A sliding metal loop that tightens around your dog’s neck whenever the lead goes tight, and only loosens when the pressure comes off. Repeated use can damage the windpipe, and a sudden jerk can strain the neck or spine.
We never use: Prong collars

Metal links with inward-facing points that press into the skin around your dog’s neck every time the lead tightens. Repeated use can bruise, break the skin and damage the nerves underneath.
We never use: Electric collars (e-collars, shock collars)

Contact points on your dog’s neck that deliver an electric shock by remote control. Even on “low”, it works by being unpleasant enough to stop the dog — who may link that to whatever they were looking at, often the other dog.

What we use instead

Positive reinforcement dog training, applied properly — and it works on the hard cases too, not only the easy ones.

Read what choke chains, prong collars and e-collars actually do to a dog →

Positive reinforcement. We pay for the behaviour we want with food your dog will actually work for, plus toys and play — so they learn what to do, not only what to avoid.
Work kept below your dog’s threshold. We set the distance and duration your dog can cope with, then close the gap as they steady, rather than correcting them for not coping.
Counter-conditioning. We change how your dog feels about the thing they react to, rather than suppressing the reaction and leaving the feeling underneath. On our training programmes that work happens where the problem does: the high street, cafés, traffic, the seafront.
Ordinary, well-fitted kit. A well-fitted harness, a non-retractable lead, a collar with an ID tag — ordinary kit, nothing corrective. Your programme’s own kit list is the one to pack from.

Why we say pain-free, not force-free: a lead, a collar, a harness, a muzzle where safety requires one, a nail trim, grooming restraints, a bathing noose, holding a dog steady in a busy street — every one of those applies a degree of force, and not one of them is there to cause pain. Force-free isn’t a promise any trainer can honestly keep. Pain-free is.

Why day school

Dogs were built for a busier world

A feral dog can spend as much as 70% of its day hunting and searching for food — real physical effort and real problem-solving. For many of our companions, the day is eight hours or more just waiting for us to come home.

Years of domestication made dogs wonderful company, but they still need enrichment in their lives. That’s where we come in — a day full of the movement, stimulation and friendship they’re wired for.

Real socialisation

Planned, supervised play with regular friends of all breeds, sizes and temperaments — the foundation of a confident, well-mannered dog.

Energy, well spent

Walks, games and problem-solving burn off the energy that builds up at home, so the dog you collect is a happy, settled one.

Minds at work

Timetabled enrichment and proper learning equipment give clever dogs the mental stimulation they’re built for — far more than a day on the sofa.

Routine & structure

A predictable rhythm — play, lunch, rest — lowers anxiety and reinforces good habits, with gentle daily obedience woven through.

Calm & confidence

Our team keeps a calm, positive atmosphere; quieter dogs build confidence and resilience in a safe, controlled environment.

Time apart, made easy

Happy hours away from you, in good company, build the independence that helps prevent separation problems — and mean far fewer hours home alone.

The whole curriculum

Everything we pour into a school day

A day here is built from 100 small, deliberate things — and every word in this gentle downpour is one of them.

A day in the life

From morning bus to happy tired

Most days follow this rhythm. Times flow into one another — some dogs arrive on the bus while others are dropped off — but here’s how a typical day unfolds.

7:45 – 9:30am

Pick-up round & arrivals

Our school buses head out on their rounds and the first happy paws hit the playground.
8:00 – 10:00am

Parent drop-offs

We open at 8:00am — drop your dog off any time up to 10:00am.
9:30 – 10:30am

Welcome & settling in

Cuddles and calm to settle everyone in, plus health, poop and bag checks so the day starts right.
10:30am – 12:00pm

Walking & enrichment

Out for walks, then into the enrichment activities that keep clever dogs happy and pleasantly tired.
11:00am – 12:30pm

Lunch & feeding

A calm, supervised lunch — every dog fed their own meal, exactly as you’ve asked us to.
12:30 – 1:30pm

Rest period

Downtime to recharge — indoors or out, wherever your dog is comfiest.
1:30 – 2:30pm

Afternoon play & prep

More engagement and a little obedience practice, daily reports written up, and we get ready for home time.
From 3:00pm

Loading the buses

Dogs loaded into the vans, headcounts done, and the buses set off on the return run.
By 4:30pm

Home runs complete

All the school-bus return journeys are wrapped up by half past four.
Until 5:30pm

Parent pick-ups

We stay open until 5:30pm for collections — then we do it all again tomorrow!

Our hours: we’re open Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:30pm (closed weekends and bank holidays). School-bus pick-up and drop-off times vary with your location — we’ll set yours when your dog joins.

Why people choose us

The little things that add up

Regular buddies

Your dog socialises with its regular friends, engaging in planned activities for the day.

Local pick-ups & drop-offs

Your dog can travel to school and back in one of our buses — saving you time and money.

Strict entrance criteria

A careful assessment keeps every doggy client and our staff safe and happy.

We love dogs!

Our doggy clients love our staff, and we love dogs — come and see for yourself.

Proof, not promises

Don’t just take our word for it

A day with us — straight off the cameras

Real reports, every day

You don’t just collect a tired dog — you get to see their day. Every dog goes home with a daily report, and Confidence Building sessions are recorded on camera with a video link sent straight to you.

Example Day School daily report — Daily report

Example Confidence Building Session report — CBS video report

A few of our day-school regulars

Drag to explore

What our families say

Real words from day-school families are coming to this spot.

A dog building confidence in a training session — Building confidence

A little extra help

Confidence Building Sessions

£15 per session, while your dog is at day school

Designed for dogs who need a bit of extra help. Each session is around 30 minutes, recorded on camera — and you’ll receive a link to the video. They can help with:

Lead pulling
Focus
Recall
Obedience
Town walks

Booking is subject to availability.

Ask about CBS

Day-school plans

Plans to suit your week

Full Day

8:00am – 5:30pm

£24.99 per day

+£10 per day for large dogs

£19.99/day on a regular weekly booking

Local pick-up & drop-off (£1 each way)
Activities & socialisation training
Dog walking (£5 add-on)

Enquire about day school

Half Day (AM)

Mornings only

£19.99 per day

+£5 per day for large dogs

£14.99/day on a regular weekly booking

Local pick-up & drop-off (£1 each way)
Activities & socialisation training
Dog walking (£5 add-on)

Enquire about day school

Add-ons: pick-up & drop-off £1 per journey · Sniffari walk £5 · Confidence Building Sessions £15.

Plan your week

Estimate your cost

Estimated cost

£24.99/day

Optional extras: +£0/week
Per week: £74.97
Per month (approx.): £325

Tick “Comes every week” for the weekly-booking discount.

An estimate only — final pricing is confirmed when your dog joins. Confidence Building Sessions are booked separately.

Coming every week? Save with membership

Monthly membership bundles your days with free pick-ups & drop-offs, grooming perks and priority boarding space.

See membership plans

Joining the school

How your dog joins us

Every dog is assessed before they start — it’s how we keep day school safe, calm and happy for everyone. Here’s how it works.

1

Send an enquiry

Tell us about your dog and what you’re after. We’ll be in touch to arrange your first visit.
2

Assessment & tasters

An introductory assessment plus three taster sessions — 1 hour, then 2, then 3 — at £12.50 each, so we can be sure day school suits your dog.
3

Welcome to the school

Once your dog is accepted, you’re all set — and ready to start booking days.
4

Book your days

Book full or half days to suit your week, or save with a regular weekly booking or membership.

The assessment is made up of three introductory taster sessions at £12.50 each. After the three sessions, any further half or full days are charged at the standard rate. Please only book once your dog has been accepted into the school.

How we keep everyone safe — our criteria

Every new dog has an introductory assessment plus at least three taster sessions, so we know day school is the right fit.
Vaccinations up to date — DHP, Leptospirosis and Kennel Cough.
Intact male dogs over six months old can’t join (unless they’re on one of our training programmes).
Females in season can’t attend while they’re in season.
We keep a healthy ratio of dog sizes, so your dog may go on a short waiting list until a suitable space opens up.
We can’t take dogs with risky behaviour issues — they’re welcome to join our training pipeline (or work with a trainer) first.
We can’t accept dogs that are allergic, on routine medication, with ongoing medical issues, or in recovery.
We can’t take any dog before 8:00am.
Visits are very welcome — strictly by appointment, after 4:00pm on weekdays, and without a dog.

By law we also can’t accept any banned breed or derivative (cross breed); our assessment is the sole criteria. See the government’s list .

Very rarely, if a dog presents a risk to people or other dogs, we’re legally bound to keep everyone safe — which can mean muzzling, restricting movement, isolating, or sending a dog home. It’s there to protect every dog in our care.

Getting ready — your dog’s kit list

Once your dog is accepted, here’s what they’ll need:

Collar with an ID tag showing your up-to-date address and phone number
An appropriate dog collar, as recommended for handling
A non-retractable lead
A fitted harness with a handle
Vaccination card
Microchip (with your address up to date)
Flea-treatment self-declaration
A named lunch box containing your dog’s normal meal
A blanket from home
Treats: plain boiled chicken only (no other treats, due to allergies)
Registration form, signed and submitted before the first full day

This page was last reviewed and updated July 2026.

Where dogs learn that learning is fun

A proper day out — for dogs

Pain-free dog training — and exactly what that rules out

What we use instead

Dogs were built for a busier world

Real socialisation

Energy, well spent

Minds at work

Routine & structure

Calm & confidence

Time apart, made easy

Everything we pour into a school day

Some of what fills a school day

From morning bus to happy tired

Pick-up round & arrivals

Parent drop-offs

Welcome & settling in

Walking & enrichment

Lunch & feeding

Rest period

Afternoon play & prep

Loading the buses

Home runs complete

Parent pick-ups