Sooz Foster Dog Training

20/08/2024

When people think about dog training, they often picture obedience classes or agility courses. But there’s a lesser-known activity that’s ga

08/06/2024

Join us for a month of sniffing!

Head to the website to find out more.

www.dreamsdogclub.co.uk

30/05/2024

‼️ Layla has a very important announcement ‼️

Scentwork workshops are now on the website for booking 😃

🌟 Introduction to Scentwork - for dogs and/or humans who haven’t done any scentwork before - Thursday 20th June, 6.30pm, Northam

🌟 Building the search - For dogs who have started searching for odour - Tuesday 11th June, 6.30, Gunn

Head to the website now to secure your space

www.dreamsdogclub.co.uk/book-online

Layla says: “you’re a fool to miss them”

Her words not mine 👇

27/05/2024

We’ve had a few new followers recently so thought we'd re-introduce ourselves. 👋

We’re Clare and Sooz and we are the team behind DREAMS Dog Training.

Our goal is to make dog training as accessible as possible and to introduce you and you best friend to activities that will enrich both of your lives.

Whether you have an adolescent dog who has forgotten everything they learnt at puppy school, or a reactive dog who needs something to do, we can help you.

We work with all dogs and their people to coach, support and advise on:

Basic training - from focus, to recall, to loose lead walking and beyond

Enrichment activities - Scentwork and Mantrailing

Sports activities - from foundations to competition level

And we do that by creating channels of communication between you and your dog, making training a valuable and enjoyable experience for all.

We joined forces in January 2024 through our shared love of dogs and have found our ethos, skills and personalities complement each other perfectly.

We both regularly compete our own dogs and can often be found camping in our vans in a field whilst discussing the best way to teach a rear cross!!

We each live with multiple dogs and love nothing more than to spend time walking them, playing with them and hanging out on the sofa with them.🐾

Helping our customers gain confidence in their dogs abilities, learn new skills and make new friends has been immensely rewarding.

Animals have been a big part of our lives. Nothing brings us greater joy to see dogs and their humans having the best time together 💕

And as we hit 6 months working together we are so proud to have supported so many dogs and their people to achieve their goals. We can’t wait to see what the next 6 months bring.

We’re always excited to meet new dog owners in our circle. So don't be shy!

Share a pic and a little something about you and your dog in the comments below... 👇

19/05/2024

The boys and I had a lovely couple of days away competing.

On Friday, Toro got his first ever rosettes at a Nosework Games trial.

Even more impressive is how well he coped with new places, dogs and strangers. Even at a busy agility and Hoopers show after spending the night in the back of my truck!

On Saturday, Shadow ran really well at a Hoopers show and got his first ever 1st rosette and a gorgeous trophy after running a clear round.

Both boys settled in the car while the other one worked and even managed to sleep through the thunder storms!

Very proud of them both 😍😍😍

09/05/2024

🌟 Exciting News for Dog Lovers! 🐾

Join me for a Scentwork Workshop at West Country Canine Therapy's stunning venue in Mid Devon!

👃 Perfect for beginners - no prior experience needed!
🐾 All dogs are welcome, including those on reduced exercise due to injury.
🚫 Dog will be worked individually so suitable for reactive or nervous dogs.

Scentwork taps into your dog's natural instincts! Together, we'll explore the world of odour, providing a mental workout perfect for pups needing to take it easy physically.

Whether you dream of competing or just want to give your dog a fun and enriching activity, this workshop is tailored just for you!

📅 Save the Date: Tuesday 21st May
📍 Location: West Country Canine Therapy, Pinkworthy Barn, EX16 9EU
📩www.soozdogtraining.co.uk/book-online

Let's make sniffing out adventure our new favorite pastime! 🐶✨

04/05/2024

I never thought I would write this but today …

TORO WENT TO A COMPETITION AND DIDN’T LOSE HIS SH*T

He coped with dogs, people, new environments, being left in the car while Shadow did his bit and even managed to find 3 scentwork hides and run a full Hoopers course (in his own special style!)

Of course there was some barking and a few moments where he went over threshold but he recovered quickly and was able to stay in the game.

Oh, and he got a badge for coming 3rd in his Hoopers class!

I honestly never thought this day would come but here we are!!

02/05/2024

🥰 A massive thank you to everyone who came to our talk last night. It was a great turn out and we hope you all learned something new.

A special thanks go to Phil Hammond’s Hounds Dog Training and Harriet, www.gunterveterinaryservices.com, for giving up their time to speak, to Bethany for stepping in and helping with the refreshments and to Toro for being a super brave boy!

We are looking forwards to the next one.

If there is anything g you would like to learn more about, let us know in the comments

30/04/2024

TOMORROW!

Spaces still available

www.dreamsdogclub.co.uk

A talk all about reactive dogs.

TOMORROW at Littleham Village Hall, Bideford.

We have talks from Phil from Hammond’s Hounds Dog Training

and

Harriet Gunter from Gunter Veterinary Services.

Spaces still available

Head to the website to book

www.dreamsdogclub.co.uk

28/04/2024

Spot the deliberate mistake 🤣

27/04/2024

Do you and your dog love scentwork but find you are searching the same places all the time?

Do you want to join a group of likeminded people and take your training to new places?

Well look no further.

As an addition to our Scentwork classes and the Scentwork element in our DREAMS membership, we are adding:

SCENTWORK ON THE ROAD

This is for anyone who has done basic Scentwork training with their dog and they are searching for odour.

If you think this is something that would interest you, let us know in the comments.

If you haven’t done any Scentwork before but would like to join in, keep an eye out for classes at both 4 Active Paws and Sooz Foster Dog Training. We are also going to be running some workshops with DREAMS too.

More details coming soon 🤩

26/04/2024

Toro has been dog reactive since about 12 weeks old. Today was his first time in years that he was not only able to walk with a dog outside of the household but even be off lead. To say I am thrilled would be an understatement!

They say it takes a village and they are right. We wouldn’t be where we are today without so many people. I am so grateful to you all.

Clare Parker Harriet Gunter West Country Canine Therapy Karen Rookes Trudi Dempsey

You have all contributed in different ways to helping Toro be the bestest dog ever!

23/04/2024

Looking forward to scoring again at next months Nosework Games with 4 Active Paws. There’s nothing better than spending a morning watching dogs sniffing!

😀We are hosting another Nosework Games Trial on 25th May at Littleham Village Hall.

If you haven't done a Nosework Games Trial before, don't worry, we are there to help and guide you. We just won't show you where the hides are!! (Unless you go into training mode).

Can't wait to see you there!

Enter through our website www.4activepaws.com.

19/04/2024

This photo pretty much sums Shadow up 🤣🤣

19/04/2024

Our next guest speaker at our Reactive Dog Talk is Dr Harriet Gunter.

Harriet is a veterinary surgeon with a special interest in pain management. She takes a fear free approach to her work and makes the effort to give the dogs as positive an experience as possible when visiting the vets, in what is often a stressful time for the animals and humans.

Harriet is going to be speaking about the close link between pain and behaviour, and how we can recognise pain in our animals.

If you want to join us, head to the website

www.dreamsdogclub.co.uk to book

17/04/2024

May classes are now available for booking on the website.

We have:
Scentwork - Wednesdays 4pm
- Sundays 1.30 and 2.30

Hoopers - Sundays 10am and 11am

Rally - Thursdays 12.30pm

If you are enrolled on a April course make sure to check your emails to receive your £10 discount code

Spaces fill up fast so book now!

www.soozdogtraining.co.uk/book-online

16/04/2024

Reactive Dog Talk - Meet the speakers

😊 We are very excited to welcome Phil Hammond from Hammonds Hounds Dog Training. He has worked with countless dogs with reactivity issues, both in a rescue situation and at people homes, with incredible success. He takes a force free, ethical approach with dog and human wellbeing at the forefront of the training program.

🐶 Phil is going to be talking about lead reactivity and is going to give you some practical tips to take away to help your own dog.

To book a ticket, head to:

www.dreamsdogclub.co.uk

13/04/2024

Had a lovely day scoring a Nosework Games competition for Clare at 4 Active Paws.

🐾 All competitors did brilliantly and the dogs looked to be having the best time.

If you want to be in on the action, I have scentwork classes on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Your dogs will thank you for it! 😃

What a day!
😃 Thank you to everyone who came to the Nosework Games competition today.

It was great to watch you and your lovely dogs having the best time doing the thing they love the most - sniffing!

😍 All teams did incredibly well and it was so lovely seeing the dogs grow in confidence with each game.

A special thank you to Sooz for giving up her time to score and Katherine for getting the kettle boiling in the morning!

Scores were as follows

ALL CLEAR
1st - Brian and Maisie
2nd - Margaret and Gypsy
3rd - Jayne and Indie

DISTRACTIONS AND BLANKS
1st - Tanya and Lundy
2nd - Jayne and Indie
3rd - Brian and Maisie

DISTANCE
1st - Jayne and Indie
2nd - Judith and Magnum
3rd - Margaret and Gypsy

OVERALL
1st - Jayne and Indie
2nd - Tanya and Lundy
3rd - Brian and Maisie
4th - Margaret and Gypsy

🌟 Well done everyone! Remember, you all took the best dog home.

Next competition is Saturday 25th May at Sooz Dog Training’s Yard near Gunn, Barnstaple.

Hope to see you there

12/04/2024

I’m Phil, I’ve worked for Dogs Trust for over 8 years, mainly as a Training and Behaviour Advisor and more recently in a role where I travel the country to train staff in all things dog training and behaviour. I also have recently started to do private 1-2-1 consultations for owners who may need...

12/04/2024

Here’s an interesting video (well I think it is anyway!!).

I’ve been doing scentwork with Toro for a while now and he is really starting to get focused in the task of searching for the target odour.

You will hear in the background banging and crashing and men’s voices. This would normally send him into a barking frenzy but notice how focused he is on finding the scent.

I am seeing huge improvements in his reactive behaviour with the addition of scentwork to his daily life.

Helped by the wonderful Clare from 4 Active Paws he is now able to attend her classes without screaming at the other dogs in the hall. Something I thought would never be possible.

Sorry for doing this (I promised no ‘call to action’ marketing language) but I am genuinely interested - has anyone else found sniffing has helped their reactive dogs?

I don’t want to say this too loud but how good is this weather?!!

11/04/2024

And now for something completely different! Proof that you don’t need a ‘sporty’ dog for dog sports.

Layla, my Pug X Jack Russel showing us how hoopers is done!

I’m using random (to her) rewards to keep her driving forward to the next hoop.

I do a whoopsie amd let her make the same mistake 3 times - my bad - but luckily she’s resilient and she pushes on despite MY errors.

Is she not just the coolest Jug out there?!!

10/04/2024

Staying on the theme of boring videos, here is Shadow and Toro practicing their tuck sits.

A tuck sits requires the dogs to anchor their front feet and bring their back legs underneath them into the sit.

I’m using a chin rest (and a nose target for Toro) to help them shift their weight onto their front legs so they can bring their back feet forward.

The platform gives structure and for Shadow really helps him think about where his legs are and he’s actually keeping his right knee tucked in.

I love training!!

10/04/2024

🐾 Do you live in North Devon and own a reactive dog?

🐾 Do you want to find out why they do it and what you can do to help them?

Join us for an informative evening to help you and your dog feel better about walks again.

Head to our website www.dreamsdogclub.co.uk to book now

🐶 The talk your dog wants you to attend

07/04/2024

Here’s another potentially very dull, SEO free video.

Toro (the dog with the blue collar) likes to have a shout at dogs he doesn’t know. We’ve now got to the point that he can attend scentwork classes with the wonderful Clare at 4 Active Paws.

Up until now we’ve been working on him feeling comfortable in the hall in the presence of other dogs. I think he’s ready to start working on settling on a bed while the other dogs are working. I’ve done quite a lot of bed work BUT never really got to the point where it is reliable and he can stay on it around distractions. His sister Luna was very happy to be the distraction today!

I did a short session first with just Toro (if you want to see it I’m happy to share) where I explained the rules. That is, stay on the bed no matter what. We then added the whirling dervish that is Luna, into the equation.

Points to note:
• I am luring him onto the bed then feeding a few treats in the down before starting the exercise.
• I’m not feeding him in the down position on the bed.
• After I mark I’m luring him into a sit.
• I then wait for him to lie down before I go back to playing with Luna.
• When I first call Luna off the bed Toro joins us, no biggie, I just lure him back on and remind him of the game.

So him going into the down gets me to start the distractions and rather than waiting for food to miraculously appear in front of him, he is waiting for the ‘yes’ marker. I have found it much easier to build duration this way. When he lies down I start the distractions again.

If I ‘drip feed the bed’, which is what I have done in the past, I find that it is really hard to fade that out. Delaying the treats to the bed causes him to get frustrated and start barking or to leave the bed. This shows up more when he is anxious about unknown dogs being nearby.

I am not using a formal cue to ask him to go to the bed as he has enough to take in without having to think about that as well. I will add a ‘go to bed cue in a separate session.

Watching the video back I can see near the start I have a bit of a stand off with Toro (whilst Luna was hanging onto the tug toy). I could definitely have made this easier for him by luring him back into the down to help him understand that that is the behaviour I am looking for.

In a more difficult environment I may be thinking that if he won’t lie down he is not feeling very comfortable and I need to change something rather than expect him to stick to (my) rules.

And finally, you’re in luck, I haven’t put my pj’s on yet!!

07/04/2024

This just about sums me up!

What kind of clients do I want?

I see posts everywhere saying what to look for in a trainer, but I am lucky enough that my books are constantly pretty full and I can be more selective in who I take on. So who do I want to train?

All my group classes especially are existing clients who completed their 1:1 goals and just wanted to keep having a great time with their dogs! Laughter and silliness is 100% the main theme of all my sessions. So here is an exhaustive list of what I look for in a regular training client;

🐾 Someone committed. Rome wasn’t built in a day and I don’t want anyone who wants a magic wand. I want clients who do their homework and trust the process.
🐾 Someone who wants to improve their dogs welfare through training. Be this behaviour modification to expand their world or sports training to enrich their lives. My favourite comment on any intake form is ‘we just want to help our dog’.
🐾 Someone dog centric in their goals. Yes the human element is important and I actually count myself as a human trainer as well as a dog trainer, but the dogs emotions and wellbeing is always at the forefront of all my work.
🐾 Someone not afraid of the mud or the rain. Someone not afraid to get a bit mucky in the process!
🐾 Someone who is a bit of a nerd. I love sending clients studies and book recommendations to supplement their training and expand their understanding.
🐾 Someone willing to change THEIR behaviour. Unless the owner changes their outlook and behaviour, the dog will never change theirs.
🐾 Someone who loves to have FUN with their dog and loves to get a bit silly. Ask any of my clients and they will tell you that fun (and a bit of pisstaking) is the absolute staple of all my sessions. We don’t get dogs to march them around looking bored!

I do this job because I love dogs. I also do this job because I love teaching people. I am old enough and grumpy enough to know that I want my life to be about connecting with great people with similar mindsets. If you do not have the mindset of the above, then I am simply not the trainer for you.

If you think you may fit the above criteria, then we may well be a good match! Let’s get training 💪

06/04/2024

As promised, here’s my first training video! I’m working on Shadow’s down from stand and trying to tidy it up. He tends to creep forward and stick his right knee out (he had an operation about 18 months ago). I got this exercise from Tromplo and it’s making a difference. The platform helps to keep his knee in (and prevents SOME of the spaniel wiggle!) so I can focus on the chin rest which is really starting to anchor his front feet. This is tough for Shadow, he gets weekly physio and hydrotherapy but this is a real workout! From working with lots of dogs, stand to down can be a sticking point for many. We often teach our puppies to sit first then down from sit second so down from stand can be tricky. Enjoy! Ps. Not putting a call to action in, a hook or a sinker, no SEO keywords or any other marketing stuff!! - just real training of my gorgeous doggies!