Samantha Lewis Dog Trainer

07/02/2025

I love this extract from the attached article.

This is so true.

Canine survivors of trauma are not “misbehaving”—they are instead struggling to survive with a traumatic legacy combining somatic (body-based) being with deep emotional learnings. Listen to your dog and they will tell their emotional and physical stories—and nothing is more healing than seeing and hearing others for who they really are.

By Dr. Laura Donaldson, PhD, CDBC, KPA CTP; Certified Trauma Professional. Did you know that dogs and humans have remarkably similar social and emotional brains? Neuroscientist and physician Gregory

01/02/2025

Body language is a key part of being a dog owner.

Today on a walk Pepper feet planted, tail between her legs, turned to face something and started shaking.

If I was on my phone or had my headphones in, would I have known what was going on or would I have just yanked the lead to get her to walk?

I could hear a woodpecker and so could Pepper. The sound upset her. To you and me it's a gentle tapping of wood but to Pepper it could mean so much more. Could it be someone using a hammer, could it be an animal hitting a tree, or could it be a child hiding around the corner?

Pepper needed time to think about the sound and to look around. After a couple of minutes with gentle encouragement and her cue words to walk forward we carried on with our walk.

If I did not allow Pepper time to digest the problem in that moment, would she be able to walk in the same place again or would it be too stressful?

Be with your dogs when you walk, don't just walk by them. Observe them, take time to see the world through their eyes.

We control when dogs eat, sleep, walk and play, let them be in control of their own emotions and fears. We are here to support them. 🐾

27/01/2025

10/01/2025

Settles, waits and patience is something I teach.

It is such an important behaviour to learn. Think about going to a cafe, waiting to cross a road, sitting on a beach, riding in a car, it's a great life skill to practice.

30/12/2024

# Qualifications bring knowledge.
# Belonging to a professional group brings continuous support and ongoing training.
# 25+ years of training brings experience.
# Living with dogs over many years, of various ages, needs, breeds, challenges, sizes and backgrounds brings hands-on experiences.
# I live in a multi-generational household with various health needs, so I know how to work with dogs to integrate them within a family.

I train holistically, meaning that I deal with the whole needs of the dog and family, not just part of it.

I have availability for training 4 new clients in the New Year.

I can help with:

* Puppies
* Dogs of any age
* Dogs of any size and breed
* Dogs from abroad which need a different type of training.
* Rescue dogs
* Dogs with disabilities
* Children with fears around dogs
* Children who want to be involved in dog training
* Children with additional needs who want to be involved with the family dog
* If you have a litter of puppies and want to set them up to go on to live their best life.

I teach:
* Recall on a 3 lesson 121 course.
* Loose lead walking, 3 lesson, 121 course
* Puppy 5 week 121 course
* Dogs over the age of 6 months, 5 week 121 course for life skills.
* Supported dog walks

I am also qualified behaviour trainer so can work with dogs with many issues.

* If you would like to know more please drop me a message for your free 15 minute mini consultation.

27/12/2024

My dogs are trained to the whistle and to voice recall (I don't always carry a whistle!).
When training recall, consistency is key. You can't train recall using one word and expect your dog to come back when you shout another word.
It's the same with whistle training, you can't train using 1 pattern of whistle blowing and then sound the whistle differently and expect your dog to return.

This video demonstrates that 2 short whistle blows means nothing to Pepper, it gets ignored. But with 2 longer blows she comes running back out of the fog!

One-to-one recall courses available from January.

24/12/2024

Thank you, every single one of you that I have had the pleasure to work alongside. You bring me joy in my heart.

For all of you that I have never met, I am here for you for moral support, to be your sounding board, for lots of advice, training, behavioural problems or just to sort out family disagreements with training (it's normal 🫣🤣).

Merry Christmas 🎄💝🐾

16/12/2024

Christmas presents for your dogs.

If you buy your dog a Christmas present, think about enrichment, think about safety and whatever you do avoid rawhide ingredients in the chews!

I love making these simple enrichment toys for dogs and puppies. Very easy to hide treats inside and to gently play tug with.

You can make them from fleece blankets or even an old t-shirts.

It's a great activity for the children (and adults) to do before Christmas.

Remember to give your dogs space to relax and to get away from all the extra noise/movement/visitors.

Keep the food that dogs can't eat safely away from them.

Even think about removing the snap from the Christmas crackers if needed.

I love the extra time I can have with my dogs training, playing, walking, going on adventures, running around secure fields or just lazing on the settee with them.

Take a deep breath, sit down and cuddle you dog.

🎄🎁

09/12/2024

Be safe, be seen when you walk your dogs.

My dogs love a torch.

How to train a dog to love a torch:

When it's dusk, keep the lights off in your house. Get some treats and a torch.

In a room that your dog loves in your home throw some treats on the floor. Next turn the torch on and shine it on the treats. In an excited voice say 'find it' and whilst still shining the torch on the treats get down on the floor and pretend to search for the treats and let your dog eat them.

Turn off your torch, once again throw treats on the floor but this time in a different place. Shine your torch on the treats and say 'find it', pretend to help find the treats.

Do this a few times and your dog will associate your torch with treats.

Next time you go out in the dark, play this game outside and once the treats have been found start your walk with your torch on.

Dog training is fun for both the dog and the family.

Happy, safe walking.

07/12/2024

Keep safe and keep your pets even safer.

06/12/2024

I know I am not going to convince people to stop using retractable leads when walking dogs on the pavement but please, please keep your dogs close.

I was going out this morning so I needed to reverse my car, off my drive. As I approached my gateway I could see a person walking on the pavement by my neighbours driveway, so I knew I had plenty of time to reverse into the road. As I started to reverse I heard shouting (I always reverse with my car windows open), and there was a dog at the end of a long retractable lead behind my car. No one was hurt but as I got out to speak to the owner the dog lead was so thin it was almost invisible.

Please keep your dog under close control at all times, maybe, if you have to buy a retractable lead buy a brightly coloured one!

01/12/2024

Training under distractions requires a safe place and high value treats.

Today it's our favourite secure field and roast beef for Pepper!

10/11/2024

When you adopt always get your pet scanned to check the microchip details and it's location in the body.

Annually checking of the microchip is a good idea too.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/158mtX6qeX/

This is an X-ray of a dog’s bent front leg. See that tiny white spec? That’s a microchip! It has migrated down the leg....far from where it was inserted, between the dog’s shoulders. This is actually quite common.....

When lost pets are scanned, the entire body SHOULD be scanned to catch any that have migrated. But, as an owner, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AT THEIR YEARLY VET EXAM, to ask for a quick scan to make sure that: (1) the chip is still working, (2) the location of the chip is good, and (3) that the chip info is correct.

Remember microchips save lives and reunite families with their pet.... just have it checked regularly!

04/11/2024

After a lot of studying I have qualified to be a Romanian Rescue Professional Dog Trainer....

This means that I can professionally work with adopters of foreign rescues. So, as well as living with two foreign rescues for several years and experiencing the full impact of their every day challenges I can support other adopters to look deeper into the emotional depths of their dogs.

By adopting from overseas I realised how the dogs were different to British born dogs, how the genetics and bloodline, being from street dogs, meant they were different.

I have learnt and adjust the ways I interacted with and work with these dogs, to accommodate their more streetwise and cautious characteristics.

If you have an overseas/Romanian rescue and feel that you need some support please get in touch.

02/11/2024

First puppy lesson with this beautiful girl today. She was fantastic with a great loving family to support her every step of the way.