Dog education

Kaija, a three-month-old puppy, carefully foots her way up a ladder-like structure and, when she reaches the top, she trapezes her way to the end of a suspended plank.

The tiny Yorkshire terrier then runs down a slope and into her owner's safe arms before she sprints into a tunnel-shaped pipe for another adventure at the Pelham's dog fun park in Ta' Qali.

Meanwhile, Blossom and her brother Prescott, two English cocker spaniels, have a go at climbing a wooden slope with their new friend, an English setter.

Clearly, just because dogs are man's best friend, it does not mean they do not enjoy four-legged company too.

"Dogs in Malta need to socialise more," says Marlon Howes, as he explains what inspired him to open the fun park last month.

Mr Howes, a professional dog trainer, set out to provide a space where dogs can stretch their legs and have some fun in a safe environment.

Dog owners can take their pets to the park during opening hours and enjoy a cup of tea as their dogs make friends with their peers and play on a 14-piece agility course.

"People can leave their pets here while they are at work or they can stay and socialise with other dog owners," Mr Howes says.

Mr Howes, an Englishman, moved to Malta with his wife, April, about three years ago.

On arriving here he opened a professional dog training school which he named Pelham, after his golden retriever with whom he won the British championships for the gundog society in 2003.

After training dogs for about 20 years he is now offering his expertise in Malta where he holds one-to-one training sessions with dogs and several courses for puppies and adult dogs.

His school has some 70 members, and he is very grateful to them since it was his clients who first suggested he open up the agility circuit, used for training, as a fun park. Mr Howes immediately liked the idea and opened the doors of the park to the public.

Anyone can take their dog on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sunday's between midday and 5 p.m. against a fee of €5 an hour. The rest of the time he is running dog-training courses.

His next project involves opening up a pug club where people who own the small popular dogs can enjoy the park, that will be open exclusively for pugs for an hour a week.

For more information call Mr Howes on 9944 9644.