Game Fair 2024
I took Murphy to The Game Fair today for some environment training. Despite it only being Friday it was really busy with LOTS going on but the boy bossed it! Absolutely no reactivity towards big fluffy dogs ! We even managed a few fun little gundog scurries , he did a lovely job with everything else going on around him ! A seen and a blind retrieve 💙
#gundog #gundogtraining #gundogtrainer #positivegundogintraining #positivegundogtrainer #scurries #haveago #gundogfundog #environmenttraining #socialisingdogs #englishspringerspaniel #springer #spaniel #rescuedog #rescuedogsofinstagram
Hunting Together!
🐶♥️ Hunting together! ♥️🐶
Really nice to see the boys working together, hunting for dummies I had planted previously.
This requires team work and trust , something we are still building with Murphy and it’s great to see him transferring the skills I teach him to his partnership with Rob . Proud mum/wifey moment 💕
#gundog #gundogs #gundogofinstagram #gundogsunday #gundogtraining #gundogtrainer #positivegundogtraining #positivegundogtrainer #partnership #teamwork #quartering #hunting #spaniel #soringerspanielsofinstagram #soringerspaniel #huntingspaniel #englishspringerspaniel #spaniellife #rescuedog #sundayfunday
Scentwork - Indication Training
Ahhh I am sooooo proud of this boy! 💙
Everything we’ve done over the past year and a half was
search ->find ->grab ->bring back
so a passive indication is not something Murphy offered automatically.
I got a bit frustrated as he searches really nicely and lost my mojo to do the indication work .
But not everything works for every dog so trying a different approach seems to really work for Murphy 💙
I’ll be looking at moving further around and throwing a 2nd Kong in when progressing 🙌
Thank you Kat from K9 Behaviour Consultancy for getting us fired up about indication work 🔥
➡️ Don’t skip the steps! 😂
If you know you know 😂🫣😂🫣
#scentwork #scentworktraining #indication #indicationtraining #scentworkinstructor #newmotivation #spaniel #springerspaniel #rescuedog #mentalstimulationfordogs #trainthebrain #havefunwithyourdog
Day 2 of the Trainer CPD with K9 Behaviour Consultancy and I decided to bring the boy! 🐶
Plenty of potential triggers for Murphy but together and with the support of Kat and the other trainers we managed really well and were able to get some really nice indication reps in!
It’s always a bit daunting for me to work M in front of others in case it all goes tits up but I actually really enjoyed this! 🙌🙌
#trainerday #scentworktraining #scentworktrainer #scentworkforeverydog #trainthetrainer #trainthebrain #dogtrainers #collegues #trainerssupporttrainers #ProfessionalDevelopment #neverstoplearning #cpd #scentdetectiontrainer #scentdetectiontraining #dogtraineroxfordshire #positivetrainer #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementtraining #havefunwithyourdog #springerspaniel #rescuedog #rescuedogsofinstagram #spaniel #englishspringerspaniel
⭐️ Walk & Train ⭐️
Rosie has been joining our adventure walks to gain confidence and exposure to different environments.
We have also been working on problem -solving skills and building resilience, she’s a spaniel so she loves sniffing and searching so we have been integrating this into our training plan.
We’ve been teaching Rosie to retrieve a ball so here we are asking her to go out and work away from us, searching for a ball, pick it up and bring it back. So many things for her to think about but little Rosie smashed it! 👏👏👏
#cockerspaniel #cockerspanielsofinstagram #showcockerspaniel #showcocker #showcockerspanielsofinstagram #dogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtraineroxfordshire #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementtraining #positivereinforcementdogtraining #positivetrainer #positivedogtraining #positivegundogtraining #buildconfidence #confidencebuildingfordogs #walkandtrain
⚠️ Resource Guarding ⚠️
Murphy is a resource guarder (we found it pretty soon after he joined us 😅) so we have been working on his confidence and teaching him that he doesn’t loose anything valuable when we are around. Always with lots of positivity, never scolding as resource guarders are worried and meeting worry with pressure will always make things so much worse. It’s not about dominance, it’s about building trust.
Murphy absolutely loves his hoof and it’s great to see that he is comfortable around me with it and happy to share it💙
#sharingiscaring #resourceguarding #resourceguardingtraining #resourceguardingdog #springer #springerspaniel #englishspringerspaniel #rescuedog #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuespaniel #positivedogtraining #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementdogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogtrainingoxfordshire
Rosie is swimming !
Today something very special happened ♥️
Rosie has been joining our Walk & Train sessions and more than anything we have been focussing on confidence building. Rosie can be a little unsure about the world and when I met her, she was very worried about bodies of water.
We have been taking it slow and steady, hanging out around water , looking at water, having fun around water , going into water together, watching other dogs play in the water … no pressure, just building trust and making positive associations.
Today, Rosie decided it was time to go for a dip ! 👙☀️💦
I love it when a plan comes together!👍
#spaniel #spaniellife #spanielsofinstagram #waterdog #funinthesun #confidencebuilding #happydogs #walkandtrain #dogtrainer #dogtraineroxfordshire #dogtrainingoxfordshire #havefunwithyourdog
This morning Trudy and I did some environmental training as part of our training to become an AAI (animal assisted intervention) team with PAWS Therapy & Assistance Dog Training.
We walked amongst lots of people , prams, kids, wheelchair users, went into some shops, chilled in a cafe and went and bought some delicious dog treats .
So very proud of my little girl 💕
#therapydogtraining #therapydogintraining #therapydogs #therapydogsrock #environmentaltraining #labradorretriever #blacklabrador
Murphy 😴😴
We are currently staying at an AirBnB, which is always challenging for Murphy. He is hyper vigilant, any door that closes in the house, anybody walking around in front of our room ,any noise will easily result in him barking . This barking used to just be a frenzy he couldn’t get himself out of , not even with my help.
It’s so tempting to avoid these situations but I’m glad we are persevering.
We didn’t get much sleep the 1st night, no barking (which is a huge improvement) but lots of growling so he needed reassurance.
Last night he settled much better and we all actually slept soundly which is such a great result !
I know that Trudy’s calm & trusting attitude is a huge part of this success 💕
Dogs like Murphy aren’t easy but I don’t think I’ve ever had a dog that’s taught me so much. He is making me a better dog owner, handler & trainer.
Here is to all of you who learn from and with their dogs, who keep going despite the tough days and those who support us through the difficult times & celebrate our successes!
Happy Saturday!⭐️
#reactivedog #rescuedogs #rescuedogsuk #trainwithkindness #spaniel #springerspaniel #keepgoing #saturdaymorning
🔻 Walk & Train 🔻
Rosie has quite a few walk & train sessions under her belt now so last week she joined the pack in a fun, confidence building “wild walk”.
With a fantastic recall she has earned herself a fabulous off leash walk together with Trudy & Murphy ❤️
If you’d like your dog to go for a 121 walk with a certified & fully insured dog trainer , who will brush up on those foundations with your dog as well as offer them mental & physical stimulation, just drop us an email to
[email protected]
or check out our website
https://www.penthwelldogtraining.co.uk/
We look forward to hearing from you 🐶
This worried young vizla boy has really been blossoming in the past few weeks that I started working with him . Binned the owner’s e collar and introduced scent work 💙 I love how his confidence and trust are developing 🐾
#scentwork #scentworktraining #snifferdog #scentworkfordogs #scentworkforeverydog #scentworkforpetdogs #trainingwithkindness #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementtraining #BuildingTrust
Trudy & Murphy puzzling today 🙌
🔸 Walk & Train 🔸
This is Jax, a young Vizla, who can be dog- reactive and is generally very worried. We are building confidence with lots of positivity & fun games that he can succeed at! Here we are doing some basic Movement Puzzles and you can really see his brain working !
If you’re interested in our walk & train service, please email us on [email protected] 🐾
#trainthebrain #mentalstimulation #braintraining #movementpuzzles #vizla #vizslasofinstagram
🐶 Murphy’s Movement Puzzles 🐶
They are going to come in handy now that the boy isn’t going to play “hunting for a tennis ball through thick cover” for a while as his eye is healing 🫣🫣.
We’ve changed location again and moved onto grass- challenging for M as that’s usually where he runs and sniffs and runs and runs …. So he isn’t used to working slowly in this context at all.
But puzzles encourage learning new skills and thinking and processing … so here we are 😊
#movementpuzzles #trainthebrain #slowdown #slowdownandthink #problemsolving #spaniellife #springerspaniel #braintraining
🐶Murphy's Movement Puzzles 🐶
We have now progressed to doing this outside, which is a big step as Murphy is not used to going slow outdoors - it' usually "running and sniffing" and if he can't do that he usually displays unwanted coping behaviour like his OCD nose tapping or vocalisation. So this is really great and I’m able to offer him another option - to work slowly and focus on the task at hand.
Next time I won't have the treat box behind me though as he is quite distracted by that - handler error 🤪
#movementpuzzles #braingames #trainingmyowndogs #trainthebrain #englishspringerspaniel #spaniel #springerspaniel #Springer #rescuedog #LearningTogether #teamwork
⭐️ Walk & Train ⭐️
This is the lovely Rosie, a young spaniel lady who likes to pick up “treasures” (or little bits of plastic or rubbish she can find ) on her walks. She is super quick, and once got hold of something she won’t give it up !
When she was a puppy she’s had to have surgery after having swallows a “treasure” so her owners are understandably anxious when walking her.
One of our training goals is teaching her a “Leave it” and of course, being a spaniel , she loves sniffing and hunting for tiny bits of treats which we are using as a reward ( or “reinforcer”).
Here is a short snippet of our training, keeping it fun and light hearted - Rosie loves it and she is super clever, learning the game ( not picking up rubbish but orientating to handler) quickly 💕
If you are interested in our new Walk & Train service , just get in touch [email protected]
#dogtrainer #dogtrainer #havefuntraining #dogtrainingpaysoff #dogtrainingisfun #foundationtraining #leaveit #walkandtrain #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementtraining #positivereinforcementdogtraining #spaniel #cockerspaniel #showcockerspaniel #clevergirl
🐶 MOVEMENT PUZZLES 🐶
Developed by Mari Valgma.
✅ improve body’s ability to deal with stress- coordination exercises are like stress resilience boosters for your dog!
✅ improve memory , attention span and thinking
✅ increase learning speed and neuroplasticity (that plays a huge role in overcoming traumatic experiences)
✅ boost emotional self-regulation and frustration tolerance
✅ lower impulsivity and help your dog to “think before acting “
✅ reduce the risk of cognitive decline at a higher age
✅ reduce startling and “big feelings” in case of surprises by balancing norepinephrine levels in the brain
➡️ sounds perfect for our little Murphy, right ?! 😊 here is our first practise session ⬇️
Murphy had started to refuse to get into the car in the autumn of last year. Murphy wasn’t “stubborn” or “hard-headed” or any of the characteristics some traditional trainers suggested and that I “just needed to show him who’s boss”.
Murphy was in pain and jumping into the car hurt. Murphy is a quick learner and very quickly he made the connection that getting into the car would cause him pain even when we had started the pain meds - he still expected the “punishment” .
This was a real issue because I couldn’t avoid this trigger that caused Murphy to shut down - my dogs are with me all day as I’m often out and about visiting clients. They have to get in and out of the car multiple times a day !
Thanks to my friends and colleagues Cerys, Sarah, Pauline and Emma, we have been able to help Murphy and now he actually runs ahead of me to get into the car !
This is a huge achievement and I am so very proud of us but I couldn’t have achieved this without the support of some amazing women !
We still have a long way ahead of us and Murphy still struggles in certain situations but this was a big one and I am confident we can overcome many obstacles with empathy , kindness, patience and an open mind ❤️
#spaniel #springerspaniel #englishspringerspaniel
#rescuedog #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuespaniel #painandbehaviour #patience #supportyourdog #trainerssupportingtrainers #behaviourist #thankyou
Vet Visit
Murphy has had very traumatic vet visits in the past is very fearful of these clinics. We’ve changed vets a couple of times until we found The Bridge Veterinary Clinic in Lechlade who understand him completely and are happy to support us with his fear & anxiety.
We’ve had consultations in the car park when Murphy wasn’t able to go inside and we have now started visiting during quiet times. We don’t need anything medical , we just sit and chill in the waiting room and Murphy searches for tasty treats.
He is becoming so much calmer and today he actually pulled me INTO the practise as he knew this is where the good stuff happens.
Of course, there will be times where a procedure is uncomfortable for him but we are building lots of good experiences here so that they outweigh the unpleasant times.
Thank you Emma & the fantastic team at Bridge Vets Lechlade for your support 💙
#vetclinic #vet #vetvisits #counterconditioningtraining #counterconditioningdogs #rescuedog #rescuespaniel #springerspaniel #springer #englishspringerspaniel
