Posted on
June 8, 2019 by
Mel under
Uncategorized
Dog Agility is the most popular Dog Sport in the UK and it has many advantages for both Dogs and Owners alike.
Agility combines skill, training and requires great human- dog communication. Its fun to do and its fun for people to watch. It is not very often that people don’t stop and watch as they walk past the agility field. Kids especially love it.
In competition, a handler directs thier dog through a sequence of obstacles–such as tunnels, jumps, weave poles, and A-Frame. The handler is not allowed to touch the dog or the equipment. Voice and hand signals are used to direct the dog around the course as quickly as possible with as few mistakes as possible. Competitions are held for dogs (and handlers) of all levels, ages and sizes. You don’t have to compete you can just do it for fun. Lots of people go cycling or running but do not enter competitions.
Agility has great benfits for both the dog and their human!
Posted on
January 15, 2019 by
Mel under
Uncategorized
Today, while I was up at my field I witnessed and event which could have turned out to be very nasty.
One owner, three dogs walking along the footpath. I hear him calling the dogs from some distance.
500 yrs away from very fast road the owner is calling the dogs but they are busy with the environment and not responding. He is about 50 yrs behind them.
The dogs carry on and 100 yrds away from the busy road he is still calling and dogs are not responding. They are on a mission to the woods the other side of the road!
20 yrds from the road the owner is still calling the dogs and they continue out onto the main road. The entrance to the footpath is totally blind to drivers and the cars travel at 50-60 mph along it!
Owner talks crossly to dogs when he catches up with them the other side of the road…
He won’t do that again me thinks! Why would he not put them on the lead?
The consequence of not doing so could be the dogs get run over, the car driver crashes and gets injured or worse killed!
30 mins later he comes back from the woods and the whole process is repeated! This time several cars come by!
I hope those dogs never get run over. It will not be their fault!
I personally think that unless you are 110% confident that when walking by a road your dog will not leave your side if it sees a bird, squirrel, dog, cat, deer, jogger, cyclist etc then they should be on the lead. Otherwise you are risking the dog and other peoples lives.
Please think about your dogs and what effect your and thier actions could have on other people, their lives and yours!
Thanks for reading.
Posted on
December 21, 2018 by
Mel under
Uncategorized
It’s been a while since I blogged. Have been very busy with training and my photography work. Not to mention all the other fun things life throws at you! We are all way to busy these days!
The winter is holiday time for my dogs. Agility season over and although I keep them ticking over we do concentrate more on playing our concept games.
In Novemeber I travelled to Devon to attend Super Trainer Live, an awesome dog training event run by Absolute Dogs, founders of Concept games and Pro -Trainer of which I am a certified trainer for. This was the fourth one I attened. It is attended not only by dog trainers but also people that own dogs and like to get the best out of them. The best thing is those of us who train regularly with Devon Dogs get to know eachother well and its is a great social event too. Every dog owner is a dog trainer in their own right, some like to do more than others. They are selling tickets for next years event already and they will sell out!
This was then followed by two days intense training for Pro-Trainers. New ideas, new concepts a brilliant two days of fun and learning.
I hear so many stories, especially during my dog shoots of very old fashioned, what we call Trainer 1 traits, where punishment, or consequences are used to try and get dogs to stop doing things the owners don’t want them to do. A dog who is trained the concept way is willing to do things because they get rewarded to make the right choice, not punished for making the wrong one!
Absolute dogs have just updated their website. Its cool, it has some great blogs on there that you should read and many of the photos are taken by me!
All the games they play and concepts they teach is what my training at “Game On for dogs” is based on. Those of you that have done some training with me will be familiar with some of the games they cover and concepts they talk about. Go take a look. Its a valuable resources for you all. Absolute Dogs Blog Posts
Posted on
September 13, 2018 by
Mel under
Uncategorized
A new puppy is coming, its exciting. Well it is for all the human family but what about your existing dog? Not many dogs great a new canine member of the family with open paws! Most people think that introducing a new puppy to the household will be a happy affair and all will go well. This is not always the case and it is important that steps are taking to make it run a smoothly as possilbe to avoid problems occurring.
Puppies have usually only had experience in communicating with litter mates and their mum. Their communications skills are limited and developing. They do not know the “rules! especially when it comes to interacting with a new family and a new dog.
Puppies play diffrerently to an adult dog. Adult dogs have usually learnt the “rules” how to greet, play, stop play and general manners but puppies do not know this. The only rule they have probably learnt is dont hurt your litter mate. 
So without any litter mates to play with the nearest thing for them will be your existing dog! They may throw them selves at your new dog in the same way they would a litter mate and that is likely to be greet with a snarl or a show of teeth and maybe more if they persist! The pup has to learn the rules. It is important that puppies are not left un supervised with older dogs. This is to protect both the puppy and the older dogs sanity!
Introduce the dogs in a neuteral place and keep them on leads so you can control the interactions. Praise the older dog for being nice. Don’t punish any growls or shows of teeth this is just your older dog teaching the puppy they are over stepping the mark!
Your new pup is going to be taught the following by the older dog.. dont jump on me, take my toys or food, don’t bite, or pull my body parts, dont sit on me. These are all to be expected. The general rule is that the adult dog can warn the puppy but is not to hurt it. The older dog may not engage play with the puppy, that is their choice. Make sure the older dog has somewhere it can go to get away from the puppy and maybe have a reward, like a chewie or stuffed kong to eat while relaxing. Instigating some time off by crating the puppy or putting in a puppy pen is also a good idea. Puppies need to rest, if they get over tired they can become more boistrous.
If you see the older dog showing signs of aggression then seperate the two and make sure all sessions together are supervised and don’t allow the puppy to badger the older dog. Praise both the puppy and the dog for the beahviours you want to see.
So often I see puppie with free run of the house, hanging off the older dogs ears and the owner wondering why they are not getting along. Take care of both your dogs needs and harmony should resume in the house, but it doesnt alway happen over night it takes time and work from you to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Posted on
June 2, 2018 by
Mel under
Puppy, Uncategorized
Ha, so cute, so angelic, butter wouldn’t melt!
So hopefully you have your bundle of joy, and he/she is cute than can be, maybe with teeth sharper than you had expected and maybe not sleeping so well at night?
Hopefully you decided to go down the sleeping in a crate at night. Getting your puppy used to a crate has so many advantages.
- Somewhere to keep them safe at night,
- somewhere for them safe in the car,
- somewhere you can put them at friends or family houses when visiting if you need them to be safe.
- when away on holiday, peace of mind at night and if you have to leave them during the day that they will not do any damage.
- a quiet place for them to go and relax, children should not be allowed in or around the crate when the dog is in there.
- somewhere to go at training classes when someone else is having a go.
If your puppy is struggling to settle at night,try covering the crate, leaving a radio on or playing some white noise. Make sure they have been out to the toilet before going to bed and don’t play and over stimulate them before bed time.
If they wake in the night and cry, take them out for a toilet session on the lead. Do not give them eye contact or talk to them. The lead helps to stop any ideas of play and the.. you can’t catch me afterwards game! If they continue to cry after you know they have been toileted, are not cold, or thirsty then try to ignore them and avoid going to the crate when they are actually crying. Wait fot them to pause before you go to them if you have to.
Play lots with your puppy, and interact with them lots. Reward them for all the good things that they do. Training can start straight away. They are very quick to learn at a young age! Try not to have loads of toys available for them to play with all the time. Playing with toys is a great reward and is high value to a dog, so get the value associated with you… they play with the toy with you. You need to be the best and most fun thing in that puppies world.
Make sure they get lots of rest too.
There are loads of fun games you can play with your puppy at home before they are allowed out into the big wide world. Games that teach calmness, flexibility, impulse control, optimism all key skills your puppy will need out there in the big wide world.
Posted on
May 16, 2018 by
Mel under
Uncategorized
Very exciting, I would be …. but are you prepared… what might you need?
It is a good idea to leave an item of clothing or a towl with the breeder or ask them to provide something that you can bring home with familar smells on it to keep them comforted for the first few days.
Most breeders will have had the puppy mirochipped as this is now mandatory, that dogs are microchipped and recoreded with a government compliant microchip database such as Petlog. They should provide you with the relvant paperwork. Make sure this has been done and if not arrange a vet check and to get this done as soon as possible.
You will need a sturdy, comfortable dog crate for collecting your puppy in. It is best to purchase a crate that will suit your dogs adult size. If this is going to be very large then maybe ask around to see if there is a smaller one you could borrow for the first few weeks or so. The crate should have some comfortable/washable bedding in it. If you have a long journey make sure you also have a bowl and some water for the journey.
Remeber your puppy has just been taken from its Mum and siblings and so will be most probably be nervous. Try and avoid loud noises, try and keep handling calm and to a minimum especailly if your puppy is looking stressed. Ensure they have lots of fresh air, remember cars get very hot in sunny weather.
If the breeder has not provided one then have a suitable collar for your puppy. Choose a comfortable collar that is suitable for the breed, size and age of puppy. Remember that puppies grow very quickly and collars need to be checked very regularly a few times a week to ensure they fit correctly. A collar needs to be able to have two fingers slipped underneath.
Have the area where your puppy will be ready. A puppy pen is a really good idea as puppies need 100% supervision and this is not really possible, so they need to be secure in their crate or in a pen when you can not watch over them to make sure they are safe.
Check the house for things that could cause harm to your puppy. Make sure small objects are removed that could be choked on. Any items of sentimental value that could be knocked are put away. That there are not places they could get behind or under and stuck!
Ensure the outside area is puppy proof. Puppies can get through gaps smaller than you think.
Make yourself and family members aware of things that could be poisonous to your puppy/dog. Poisonous things around the house and garden
When you bring the puppy home take it outside to where you want it to go to the toilet and praise when they do so and then take back to this spot each time. It is best to keep a puppy on the lead for this so that they go to the toilet and don’t go into play mode!
If you are not able to supervise your puppy then put the puppy in a secure area where they are not able to hurt themselves or get into mischief!
When your puppy is wandering around the house keep and eye on it at all times, watch for them sniffing and circling as this is most likely going to signify that they need the toilet, try and get them outside before they go.
Puppies need to go to the toilet on a regular basis and house training will be much quicker if you try to ensure as few accidents happen in the house as possible and ensure if they do have an accident you cleant the area well after.
Take your puppy out when it first wakes up, after you have had play time and when he/she starts circling or sniffing and when you think they have not been for a while. Praise Praise Praise when they go and you can cue the behaviour by saying a word of phrase to encourage it. Such as go toilet, get busy.. this helps when they are older as you can take them out, say the cue and if you have done it consistently they will know what you mean and go on cue.
Follow your breeders recommendation for feeding. Puppies need feeding little and often. I prefer not to bowl feed a puppy. Use the food to reward your puppy for making good choices. Like going to the toilet outside, coming to you, being near you, giving you eye contact, keeping all four feet on the floor, being calm and settled. It is proven that dogs prefer to work for their food. If you put the food in a bowl, you are building value for the bowl and you need to be building the value with you!
If you give them any chews or chewy toys make sure that they are suitable for the breed and age of your puppy. Avoid leaving them to play alone with toys that have squeekers in as they easily come and and can be swallowed and cause problems.
A suitable lead will be required and I prefer to walk my dogs on a harness rather than a collar. It gives great comfort to the dog and they are less likely to slip a harness, but could slip the collar if it not fitted correctly. Dogs do not naturally like leads and take some time to get used to them. This is normal.
Poo bags will be required. It is now law that you have to have poo bags on you when walking a dog. Dog fouling laws
Night time – Your puppy will feel lonley at night to start with, it has been used to snuggling up to its litter mates. I am great fan of crates as this gives you a safe place for your puppy to be and as puppies need lots of rest it is a good place for them to be put to ensure they get the rest or they can be come over tired, over excited and problems will occur.
There are lots of different views on where you puppy should sleep. I have always started them off where they will always sleep but help them out with a toy and a hot water bottle and leave the radio on or some white noise. Covering the crate with a blanket can also help but ensure they have enough ventilation and make sure there is fresh water avaialbe but not a huge amount so if it gets knocked over it soaks everything. I do not leave collars on during the night in the crate just incase it gets caught on anything.
Some people start with the dogs crate in with them and then slowly move it to where they want it to be. You have to do what is right for you.
Dogs don’t like to soil where they sleep but a puppy can not go through the night without going at least once outside. I get up every two/ three hours with my pups to start with and increase the time length by 15 mins every day. When you go to take them out, keep them on a lead so they can not start a play game or the “you can’t catch me game”! Don’t talk or interact with them. Praise when they go to the toilet and then put them straight back in the bed. If your puppy does go in the crate then clean it out immediately as they will not like being in there if it is soiled.
Make bedtime a calm time, dont go playing crazy games with them just before you go to bed and expect them to settle.
Find your self a good positive reward based dog trainer. Training can start as soon as puppy comes home so get some advice of what to be doing with them at home don’t wait until they are allowed out after their injections.
I hope you found this useful.
Posted on
May 1, 2018 by
Mel under
Uncategorized
You been an seen a litter, chosen your favourite bundle of joy and you are totally smitten and in love.
Getting a new puppy is exciting but if you have never had a puppy before or its been a long time since you had one then there are challenges ahead. The thought can also be quite daunting. Having a new puppy in the house is lovely but it is also very hard work. It’s the same as bring a new baby home. Everyone’s routine is thrown up in the air and if you are not prepared it can be very stressful.
What you should expect.
- A little person that wants & needs all your attention.
- A little person that is not potty trained and will not worry about peeing or pooping on your carpets!
- Someone that may cry alot when left alone.
- Someone you need to watch 100% of the time to keep them and your belongings safe!
- Someone that needs feeding every three to four hours.
- Someone that thinks everything they can get hold of is a teething ring!
- Be ready for sharp needle like teeth!
- Getting up in the night to let your pup out for a wee.
So you are all ready to pick up your little bundle of joy, you need to be prepared for the new responsibility of looking after another life.
A puppy should not be left for long hours on thier own, they will get bored, anxious and problems will arise.
You will need to take time out of your normal schedule to see to his/her needs. It is a good idea to get a new puppy when you are able to take some time off work or arrange to work from home so that you can spend time together and allow you to be able to let him/her out regularly to go to the toilet. You also need to be able to have time to watch them, play with them and get to know when things like going to the toilet are about to happen so you can get them outside.
Expect less sleep. To house train a dog effectively you really need to let them out in the night, they will not be able to go all through the night to start with, without needing to go to the toilet.
Give your puppy plenty of your attention so they get to know you and are comfortable around you and other family members. Training can’t start early enough and should be 24/7, reward for the choices the puppy makes that are good, there a 100’s of choices for a puppy to make each day. Think of them as tunnels or pathways. You only want them to go down the paths that are good, so you need to reward and add value to those pathways as soon as possible so that they keep keep choosing the paths you want.
I hope you found this useful.. next blog… how to prepare for your puppies arrival what you need. Must haves and nice to haves……
Posted on
April 14, 2018 by
Mel under
Uncategorized
If you are interested in a lesson please go to the “Where, When & Prices page. All the information is now there.
Posted on
April 13, 2018 by
Mel under
Uncategorized
Just a quick post to say hi. I have been waiting for the weather to improve before launcing my training. Limited spaces will be available so if you are interested then don’t delay in contacting me.
I will notify of new classes here on the website and also on my facebook page.
Classes will be small to ensure that we can focus on your needs.
If you are having specific problems, don’t like group enviroments, cant make the class times then a 1:1 session maybe the best option for you.
Things we will be learning.
Optimisim- confidence
Calmness
Focus on you
Recalls
Boundries/ Crate Games
Impulse control
Loose Leash Walking
Play
