Avon Dog Services

03/03/2025

Bertie boy showing off his Intermediate APDT Good Companion Award!

If you want to find out more about the awards, we'll be putting on an informal zoom chat soon so you can ask any questions.

28/02/2025

Settling in for another day of learning!

27/02/2025

A little glimpse into our reactivity reset programme. 'The fizz up' lessons (part of the play module) are a small part of the big reactivity jigsaw puzzle.

Add this to your toolkit and let me know how you get on

24/02/2025

A lovely change to my usual start to Mondays. I had the privilege of talking to students about what actually goes into being a dog trainer and behaviourist, as well as the business side of things too.

18/02/2025

I'm crap at keeping secrets, and my event manager doesn't know I've already posted this!

More info coming very soon, but if you want to be first in the know, sign up to the mailing list here - http://eepurl.com/dtdOm1

17/02/2025

This week we're shining the spotlight on an amazing team - Helen & Monty.

They've just completed their APDT Intermediate award. But what makes this achievment extra special, is that I first met Helen & Monty in my dog to dog reactivity course!

They've put the work in, remained consistent, built trust in every environment they find themselves in, followed the plan and are now reaping the rewards.

Well done team, a very proud moment handing over that certificate and rosette to you.

16/02/2025

If you're an owner, guardian or dog care professionals looking to increase your skillset, then come and join me for a day of learning and hands-on training!

We'll be covering:
Breed stereotypes
Breed specific behaviours & outlets
Selecting appropriate reinforcement
Schedules of reinforcement

This is a human only event, but dogs will be provided throughout the day to work with

https://wix.to/3UQCHBT

15/02/2025

A nice end to a gloomy Saturday set of sessions.

3 more teams who've passed their APDT Improver Good Companion Awards

13/02/2025

Thursday vibes!

What are you all up to with your dogs today?

06/02/2025

2 of many ways to help improve safety through doors/gates

31/01/2025

Finally updated my marking and filing system for the APDT - Association of Pet Dog Trainers Good Companion Awards. All colour coordinated too!

This might not look much, but to those who know me well, this is the most organised I've ever been! 😂

23/01/2025

Things I've learned about dog training from my daughter.

Gracie and I have a dad & daughter day every Wednesday, we rarely do the same things each week, sometimes it's softplay, some days it's swimming, other times it's a chillout day at home, but there's one area, the play park, that I learnt my first nugget of information not only about Gracie, but about dogs too.

When Gracie was first on the swing she'd want to pushed slowly, which is understandable. As she grew in confidence, she wanted to be pushed higher and higher. There was always a point at which she'd want to stop either because she'd had enough, or I pushed her too high.

Gracie didn't want to just swing slightly slower, she wanted off the swing completely. The dog trainer brain in me thought, if I just drop the criteria (swing slow and build up again) she'd be happy to stay on. Nope. She wanted off!

But here's the thing, she only wanted off the swing for a short time before asking to be back on again. For Gracie, dropping the criteria wasn't want she wanted. She didn't want easier. She wanted a reset.

This got me thinking about how I train dogs, whereby if the job is too difficult for the dog, I drop the criteria and carry on with a few more reps. I started to do complete resets when the dog struggled, rather than dropping criteria, I started to see I had way more buy-in from the dog. Because they had the chance to fully opt out, rather than take an easier approach. Training sessions lasted longer and the dogs' trust built up much faster.

I still get it wrong from time to time, where I forget to break and just drop criteria. If anyone is following Nova's nail trimming progress you'll see all my errors in technicolor. But I'm human, I get it wrong, a lot, but mistakes are just another learning opportunity

21/01/2025

Remember that indestructible toy I posted about a while ago?

As we all expected, it isn't! 😂

20/01/2025

Socialisation isn’t something we check off a list and forget about — it’s a lifelong, ever-evolving process. Just like humans, dogs are constantly learning how to navigate their world, adapt to new situations, and form relationships.

Think about it: when we meet someone new, we take time to read their body language, listen to their tone, and figure out how to connect. Even when we meet familiar people, we still adjust our interactions depending on the situation, environment, or even their mood that day. It's no different for dogs

For example, a dog might react differently when meeting a new puppy compared to greeting a dog they see regularly. Even with familiar friends, the dynamic can shift depending on context—just like we might greet a close friend differently at a quiet café than we would at a crowded party.

Socialisation doesn’t end after puppyhood or adolescence. It’s about continually giving your dog good experiences and helping them to feel comfortable in a variety of situations throughout their life. That doesn't mean throwing them into every situation to make sure you're exposing them to everything, it means giving the dog great coping skills, and listening to them when they're not comfortable and helping them out if needed. By doing so, we help them build confidence and maintain emotional regulation in an ever-changing world.

11/01/2025

We're shining a spotlight on the lovely Bertie this week.

During his weekly Good Companion Award classes, Bertie has been working on searching and indicating on items that his owner has 'dropped' such as keys, phone, gloves etc

This week, however, one of the attendees genuinely lost her phone in the training field. In comes Bertie, a quick sniff of the ladies hat to get the scent he was looking for and off he went. The phone was found by Bertie within 30 seconds! This is the first time he's found something that doesn't belong to his owner during a real search!

Couldn't be more pleased for this team, they've come such a long way and it's lovely to see the relationship Bertie and his owner have.

05/01/2025

If you're on our waitlist for the Reactivity Reset, check your emails! There's a 60% discount on sign ups made before the course launches in mid-January.

Lifetime access for a one-time payment of £23.99 (full price 59.99 when course launches)

This isn't a 'how to fix your reactive dog', that would be mad, I may never actually lay eyes on your dog. This programme looks at addressing all the underlying factors that can have an effect on reactivity, from understanding their body language, breed specific behaviours, meeting dogs needs, emotions and emotional responses, training and behavioural exercises, the other end of the lead (help and guidance from a trained and qualified human counsellor who's also been through a course with her own reactive dog) and much, much more

Ready to go beyond managing reactive outbursts? Reactivity Reset explores the why behind your dog’s reactivity, focusing on underlying emotions rather than symptoms alone. Through reward-based training, help your dog build calm and confidence for a happier, more connected life together. Transform ...

31/12/2024

I cocked up, and now I have remedial work to do! If you're in the same boat, follow along and learn the importance of stress-free husbandry skills

https://avondogservices.podia.com/the-whole-hound-community