The Academic Pooch

24/03/2024

Love this!

24/03/2024

This weeks training classes were for Royce (French Bulldog 2yrs) and Kruger (Great Dane 5mths)

Both these boys were jumpers, pulled on the lead and in general thought they were in charge of their households.
No more boys, your humans have the skills. 😂😂

21/03/2024

20/03/2024

Please let me know from time to time how you are progressing - I’d truly love to know.
Feel free to leave me feedback too 🫶🏻

20/03/2024

I met two beautiful souls on Saturday.

Miss Roxy and Miss Ivy

Roxy is a 6 yr old rescue Kelpie cross and Ivy a nearly 3 yr old Great Dane.

Both of these girls have confidence issues.
Their humans are so ready to work towards helping these girls to face their issues and become more confident when faced with their fears.

Well done to both families for seeking help for your girls.

25/02/2024

Man’s best friend for sure!

24/02/2024

Dogs have life stories and issues just like people do.

24/02/2024

I was absolutely thrilled to spend time with Sunni and her human mum today.
Sunni is 11mths old and so very well behaved.
Why did she come and visit with me you ask?
Her mum just needed some reassurance about how they worked as a team - which is pretty well in sync.
Sunni, being only young though sometimes liked to pull a little when walking.
Sunni is sometimes unsure of herself too but after a couple of pointers walking nicely will be a breeze and her confidence will grow.

11/02/2024

Another great day yesterday with the doggos.

First up was Boris the BC - full of energy and of himself.
He has some boundary issues and throws a tantrum when he can’t get his way.
After some consistent direction he toed the line but he’s one not to give an inch too, a lovely challenge for me and a real friendly lad.

Then I met Winston, a cavoodle.
He’s a star pupil learning ‘watch’ and ‘touch’ very quickly.
With a new lead replacing his harness he will learn quickly not to pull.
And he mastered no jumping up on the instructor after trying it only twice. 😂

10/02/2024

Why not join in!!!

Woohoo! Training is back on for 2024! Starting tomorrow, Sunday 11th Feb.
*Please note - All dogs must be on lead AT ALL TIMES unless otherwise instructed by a trainer. This includes advanced and Rally-O classes. Please see your trainer if any questions.
*Classes start PROMPTLY at 11 am for Foundation, Grade One and Intermediate. Advanced starts at 10 am. Please arrive a few minutes early for sign in.
*No dogs in sign in area please. If too hot to leave dogs in car please see a committee member for assistance.
*Please bring a large bag of high value treats and/or a toy to reward your dog during training.
*Most importantly, remember to have fun and enjoy learning with your dog!!
*

03/02/2024

I had the pleasure of meeting 3 lovely pups today.

Mack - a border collie boy who barks a little and likes to jump up. Typically it’s his yard and he needs to warn those walking past or doing something on the other side of the fence. He’s a busy and very well behaved boy otherwise so I’ve given his humans some ideas to keep him busy and teach him to calm the farm a little.
A very smart young man who will learn very quickly.

Skye - a beautiful girl who’s dad is a Malamute/Shepherd and mum is a border collie. Skye is a bit full on with other dogs so I’ve given her human a few hints on how to control the growls and reward her for her good behaviour. She’ll get the idea quickly, she is a stunning, friendly girl.

Tito - Oh Tito you funny boy! He is a Chihuahua who thinks he is a Great Dane. He definitely thinks he is a guard dog. His humans will be working on bringing him down a peg or two and quietly letting him know that whilst they love him dearly, he is not the boss.

06/01/2024

Living with a reactive dog is rough.

And it’s not just the dog who is always on edge … it is the owner as well!

It can be tempting to try and correct the dog with words or actions.

There are some trainers who use very harsh training methods to “cure” reactivity.

I highly recommend you don’t copy them..

⭐️Your dog does not WANT to be bad

⭐️Your dog does not WANT to cause trouble
From Spirit Dog

30/12/2023

With your guidance and encouragement all dogs are good dogs. Arm yourself with the knowledge.

30/12/2023

I love your feedback - thank you!

Thanks so much for today claire and I went away very positive and Luna had a short walk with claire and then later I took her on a longer walk and both were very successful 😀
We cannot believe what a difference your help has made. Thanks again

30/12/2023

I hope you all had a wonderful Xmas and I wish you great things for 2024.

After a 3 month break due to a shoulder issue I’m back training and as enthusiastic as ever to assist you with your canine problems.

Today I worked with :-
- two gorgeous Dachshunds, one an habitual barker and the other pulling hard on walks;
- a beautiful black lab who wanted to take her humans for a walk;
- and a sweet American Staffy who thought he was the man of the house so his rules ruled.

These owners have the knowledge now to encourage and change habits into new and wanted behaviour.

Remember suppressing behaviour is not the same as changing behaviour.
You must want the change and be ready to do the work.

21/08/2023

Anyone with puppies, socialisation is the key to a well rounded personality.

19/08/2023

Yet again I forgot to takes photos..

Mikey did well today with stays becoming his new hero activity which is doing well. His drops and sits are great, he’s always such a happy little dude!

I met Cara today, a sweet little girl who found walking a bit daunting. It didn’t take her long though to get the idea at all. Once she gets used to it I’m sure she’ll be loving her walks. I just adored her pretty blue eyes.

Ben, a very strong Foxhound boy was an absolute pleasure. We worked on walking nicely on a lead, sits and drops and his mum and dad learnt how to teach him some manners and some strategies to keep his mind busy.

The rain stayed away 👏👏👏

06/08/2023

We missed the rain all morning although it was only nusience rain.

Luka and Mikey worked on being calm and to sit quietly until they are asked to move.
Heeling is still a tricky exercise for them both, playing is more fun.

Sasha did really well with her stays and we were even able to do some proofing with some unusual distractions.

Nala and her Dad human are smashing the recall with distractions so onto stays at the next meet.

These owners know that training is a journey not a destination.

16/07/2023

**Training Tools**
With every dog you train you will use ‘tools’.
Some tools work for some dogs but not for others.
Remember, tools are just that ‘something to assist at the time’ to train your dog to behave in a way you need them too OR to keep them safe (collar for ID tag, containment fence, seatbelt etc).

Training tools can include:-
A harness
Halti
Rope collar
Slip collar
Whistle
Shaker
Electronic device for barking
Food
Toys that squeak or tug

Don’t forget the organic tools too:-
Clicking your fingers
Your pace
Your voice
Your stance
Your look
Hand signals

Some Tools can be ceased once your dog knows what you want, but throughout their lives behaviours should be challenged to proof and imbed what you’ve taught them.

Classes are run between 10am - 1pm Saturdays only in 1/2 intervals.
Book your spot on this page or send me a message.

15/07/2023

Classes have been spasmodic over the last month or so with the weather proving difficult.
Great day today with Louie and Baxter - Cardigan Corgis. Delightful little fellas who love life.
We worked on ‘being patient‘ for mum and dad on their walks. They are both happy to please and picked up the ‘no pull’ idea quickly.
Keep up the good work boys…

Tilly, a young border was back today. Her mum is doing a wonderful job of teaching her things with a lovely calm attitude.
Tilly has a little bit of anxiety that I see in a lot of pups so she spent some time with my boy ‘Buster’ and now realises that some dogs are ok.

When you socialise your pups it’s best to try and pair them with a play mate who ‘gets’ them.
An anxious pup does not need an over the top active dog or another anxious pup.
An over excited pup won’t learn calm playing with another over excited pup.

Learn what your pup/dog needs /can handle so you can make good decisions when socialising them.

26/06/2023

This is very relevant to two naughty lads who visited with us on Saturday.
I think they wrote this 😉🤪

18/06/2023

So very true…

06/06/2023

Go on you know you want to and your dog will thank you too!