Teaching a dog to check-in makes safe walks a shared responsibility. I want my dog to split their attention between their activities and where I am. He can chase after scents, play with dogs, race into the woodlands and so long as he checks-in he knows we are connected. I can instruct him to return…
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Silly games for strong self control
Silly tricks are rarely useless! When training is playful, no game is ever wasted. Exploring our limits, no corrections, just play… and we get success! Hero and I practise fun tricks in between the challenging stuff so that these new skills are something he continues to want to explore. If he doesn’t want to do…
Yes we play fight
My fiesty little dog asks me to fight on days he needs: Connection, help to release tension, a mood booster, a boredom buster. Wrestling can be a safe activity, its bond building. It brings us both joy but it has to be done right so the dog doesn’t get over excited, frustrated, overwhelmed and make…
What’s this Puppy Course?
If you’re wondering what our Puppy Course entails, read on: The Puppy Course is a 7 week group programme covering the foundations to essential skills like; – loose lead walking – recall, leave, wait, / settle around distractions, – techniques to manage barking, chewing, jumping up and biting, – happy handling for vets and groomers,…
Painting is my other love
I adore painting pets and felt I deserved a sweet portrait too
NO BALL GAMES
Before: screaming, barking, spinning, biting, destroying… absolutely losing it! Now: engaged, focused, patient, motivated and able to walk away as if it’s no big deal The other week Hero and I walked through a park where a young boy was playing keepy-uppy with his football. Within seconds of seeing this, Hero shot to the end…
Hoover haters rehab
Just a video for 3 minutes of me hoovering 😆 Or for those of you dog behaviour enthusiasts like me, a video of an adolescent who has developed conflicting emotions around the hoover. Hero used to chill unfazed, id hoover around him, while he just watched or played. He has had a few knocks to…
Train a Hold to Drop
Introducing Hero to a dumbell. Foundations for Hold, Retrieve, Drop, plus clever cooperative care techniques, watch this space! Notice how Hero explores with his mouth but hadn’t yet placed himself where I want so I demonstrate with the “do as I do” modelling training method. Copying plays a big part in how dogs learn. When…
sheep poo scoffers
Is your dog a doodie diver, patt licker, sheep poo scoffer? 🤢 Have you found that your intervention has amplified the problem so now they rapidly indulge? I’ve seen dogs go from showing little interest to suddenly scoffing cos a human insisted they leave the stinky stuff… Sorry, did you say leave?… As in, you…
Sideways lead pulling
Does your dog lean sideways on walks?
Have you seen this? The dog is walking so far into the lead at an angle, not in front but to the side, that their body is fighting the laws of physics. Why?
Well, this could be a few things but most commonly it’s down to a natural behaviour called Opposition Reflex.