Right Start Dog Training

15/11/2024

I get to work with some amazing guardians and their lovely dogs in my classes, online and face to face. It’s very special to see them all excel and the icing on the cake is to get some really lovely reviews – thank you!

“Kaye provided really excellent training and guidance which was very much geared towards my specific needs. The exercises to practice at home are a brilliant way of building a rapport between me and my puppy and have helped me to understand and recognise what his motivation is and harness his exuberant puppy nature. I would say this training is a must for new and even experienced puppy owners - so much new to learn. Highly recommended!”

"Gertie, my cocker spaniel puppy and I have just completed the Adults and Adolescents Training Course. It was fun and really informative. Kaye is really knowledgeable, and Gertie is now well on her way to developing into a polite and happy girl. Thank you Kaye"

“We have just finished a 6 week training course with our rescue Cocker Spaniel with Kaye. We learnt really useful positive training methods which Kaye backed up each week via email. Included in the emails were several links to video clips too which I'm sure we'll re refer too in the weeks ahead. I would highly recommend Kaye and her training course.”

➡️ If you would like guidance or help navigating through puppyhood or adolescent this is Kaye’s speciality so do get in touch [email protected]

31/10/2024

Halloween can be a tough time for our dogs so here is some great advice from Canine Thinking to keep our dogs safe today

Halloween is here and it can mean a lot of fun for us humans, however it can be tough for some dogs to cope with so here are some tips for keeping your dog safe on Halloween:

🎃Keep your dog indoors—The excitement of Halloween can stress dogs, so it's best to keep them in a safe, quiet room away from the action.

🧟‍♀️Costumes—Costumes can make it hard for dogs to move and communicate. If you do dress your dog up, make sure they are happy and comfortable, don't force them. Keep the costumes simple and limit the time they are wearing them.

People and children in costumes can be scary for dogs. If your dog can not figure out that there is a person in them, this might cause them to be more barky or stressed.

👻 Keep sweets out of reach - Chocolate is toxic to dogs, so ensure your dog can't get into any sweets or chocolate. Keep an eye on the childrens sweets, making sure they are out of reach from your dog.

🧟Keep collars and ID tags on - If your dog gets frightened, they might want to run and hide, so just in case ensure your dog is wearing a collar with visible ID tags and a microchip with your contact information.

Prepare a safe space - Before the costumed kids arrive, and all the excitment starts, set up a space for your dog, such as a crate or a separate room. Somewhere they have free access to and is also quiet, where they won't be interferred with.

Keep an eye on your dog - Just because they are out of sight, it doesn't guarantee they are relaxed; make sure to keep checking on them so they don't end up struggling alone.

Whatever you do, ensure you and your dog are both enjoying it.

Share your Halloween dog photos below!

29/10/2024

🎆🎆🎆FIRWORK WEEKEND IS HERE! 🎆🎆🎆

Have you prepared everything to help keep your dog safe and stress-free while all the bangs are firing?

THERE IS STILL TIME TO ENSURE YOUR DOG DOESN'T STRUGGLE

If you NEED help, sign up for our FREE Fireworks survival course. It has all the information you need to help you and your dog cope over the next week.

Remember, there is no reason why the dog should be suffering from stress and anxiety once the fireworks start. Stand up to support your dog.

https://caninethinking.com/fireworks/

26/10/2024

Don’t forget the clocks go back tonight!

My two are practising their sleeping positions to make sure they make the most of the extra hour in bed!

How are yours going to make the most of that hour?! Share a photo here!

26/10/2024

Still time to help your dogs cope during firework season

NOT LONG UNTIL FIREWORKS 🎆🎆🎆🎆

Don't panic!!

There is STILL time to plan and provide support for your dog so they don't have to suffer with stress and anxiety throughout the bangs.

We are here to provide help and support with our Fireworks Support Group! Follow the link and sign up, to start today.

https://caninethinking.com/fireworks/

22/10/2024

It’s not too late to get help for your dog if they struggle to cope at firework time. Lisa Webb and the team at Canine Thinking can offer that help

2 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL FIREWORK SEASON!

Do you get really cross about fireworks? Do you share photos or videos of your stressed dogs on social media?

This year we’d love to help you do things differently.

Although we know fireworks can be awful, it doesn’t have to be that way for your dog (and in fact we have a big responsibility to make sure it isn’t).

Please help your dog feel relaxed first and THEN focus on supporting those that don’t have anyone else to advocate for them.

Sign up for our FREE FIREWORK SURVIVAL COURSE. start planning now to prevent your dog getting stressed.
https://caninethinking.com/fireworks/

28/09/2024

Very interesting article to share with you. So many dogs experience pain that sadly goes undiagnosed 😞

At the moment a Vet telling an owner their dog is physically fine after less than 15 minutes, it's a behaviour problem is nothing more than a false sense of security. It delays finding out about any potential pain or discomfort until the condition has severely progressed. is my reactive dog in pain....

11/09/2024

Does your dog struggle during firework season? If so and with that time is fast approaching, it's not too late to help your dog and make sure they don't suffer this year.

Sign up to the Canine Thinking FREE firework course and support - your dog just doesn't need to suffer it CAN be prevented.

FIREWORKS—Like them or hate them. If you have a dog who struggles with fireworks, then NOW IS THE TIME TO START PREPARING so you and your dog can survive them with little or no stress.

♦️Do you worry about your dog when it’s time for fireworks?
♦️Do you feel like you’ve tried everything to help, and nothing has worked?
♦️Or you just don’t know where to start?

There is ALWAYS a way to help your dog get through fireworks with a minimum of stress (and ideally little to no stress at all). It doesn’t have to be hard, and it is so, so important.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE SUPPORTED, WEEK BY WEEK, TO MAKE THIS YEAR’S FIREWORKS AS LOW STRESS AS POSSIBLE? This year we’re offering you the chance to do this FOR FREE.

With 8 WEEKS TO GO you need to start NOW, have your plan in place and ready to go when Fireworks start (usually from the end of Oct).

How:
▪ Just a tiny bit of preparation every week.
▪ We’ll guide you through it, a step at a time. We'll be on hand in the group to answer all your questions,
▪ A short weekly lesson (just 15 minutes or so),
▪ Short easy to do exercises to follow (another 15 minutes)
▪ We will review your exercises with you and then guide you to the next steps.

You can do it all at a time that suits you or hop into the live sessions—whatever makes it easiest.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join us and let’s make this year the safest, kindest year yet for our wonderful canine family members.

Just hop onto the canine thinking website and you’ll find the link to sign up. It’s on the homepage and under courses.

We want this to be available to absolutely everyone, to offer every dog the best chance of being free from fear and suffering. So this year we are offering it on a ‘pay what you can’ basis. You can sign up COMPLETELY FOR FREE, or, if you’re in a position to pay the suggested price (or anywhere in between, whether that’s £5 or £50 or the full £90) then that will help us offer more things like this for free in the future.



The choice of what to pay is yours – our priority is simply your dog’s wellbeing.
https://caninethinking.com/fireworks/

06/09/2024

Back to school – back to training!

School holidays are over, and we are returning to the usual routine – time to think about enrolling in some dog training classes!

We run an Adults and Adolescents Course in both Biggin Hill and Bromley Common and are currently taking bookings for both courses – starting at the end of September.

These courses cover everything you need to know about teaching basic lifeskills – recall, loose lead walking, drop and leave, settle, how to socialise appropriately with other dogs, how to meet your dog’s needs with the right enrichment, understanding body language and so much more.

The courses are run by Kaye, a very well qualified and experienced positive reward-based trainer so you will be getting the most up to date knowledge of dog training and behaviour.

Classes are small – no more than 4 dogs - so they are a calm and relaxed environment ideal for your dog to learn.

Come and join us – it will be the best decision you make if you are looking for guidance and help or just to refresh your knowledge and learning.

Looking forward to welcoming you back to dog school!

https://www.rightstartdogs.co.uk/basic-lifeskills-course/

23/08/2024

If you are at a lose end on Sunday or Monday why not come along with your dogs to The Kent Country Show at Quex Park, Birchington - https://www.thekentcountryshow.co.uk/

The Bedlington Terrier Rescue Foundation, a charity that Right Start Dog Training supports, will be running the Fun Dog Show at the event to help raise much needed funds to support their forever foster dogs.

There are some great classes on both days and some amazing prizes have been donated for the winners and placed dogs in each class.

Come along with your dogs and have some fun!

Do you and your dog fancy winning a share of over £5,000 of prizes, helping raise funds for rescue, and having a lovely bank holiday day-out at the same time?

Our wonderful friends at Bedlington Terrier Rescue Foundation are running the dog show rings at the Kent Country Show on the 25th and 26th August, so if you're in the area, please do pop in to support them. To help get entries (and much-needed funds!) rolling in, we have donated prizes for first, second and third place in EVERY class as well as first prizes for Best in Show. There is a fab line-up of classes on each day, both fun and pedigree, and we know the team will be keeping a very close eye to make sure everyone is well-looked after.

BTRF have had some very, very poorly dogs to support over the last two years, with big medical bills, so we really hope this event is a huge success for them (and all the other organisations who will be there).

All we ask is you make the day as nice for your dogs as for you:

🐾 take water and offer it regularly
🐾 give your dog plenty of breaks to just chill, sniff and watch (or nap!)
🐾 tasty snacks will boost energy and chewing can help with relaxation
🐾 listen to your dog's communication - keep them safe
🐾 give your dog (and other dogs) enough space to feel comfortable

And remember not all dogs enjoy busy environments like country shows (so might be happier staying at home), whereas others absolutely love it (bit like people really!).

Tell us what you're up to this weekend... and we'd love it if you could share this post to any of your friends who might be in and around Kent to help our beddie buddies!

30/07/2024

Very wise words - but how many people do we see still insisting on taking their dogs out in the heat of the day - I even saw a lady with a pup, no more than 12 weeks old walking in the middle of the day. I offered advice but I think it fell on stoney ground sadly 🥲

Please be sensible in the hot weather with your pets. We’ve seen far too many dogs being walked in 27+ degree heat the past few days and devastatingly some have died because of it.

I think my pet has heat stroke, what do I do?

If you think your dog has heatstroke:

❌ Do not pour lemon juice into its mouth if they are producing excessive phlegm or saliva
❌ Do not attempt to force any liquid into its mouth - you risk causing aspiration
❌ Do not leave wet, cold towels stationary on them. They quickly warm and trap the heat

✅ Do:

✅ FIRST - Cool them down by pouring cold water on them or submerging in cold water (NB it can be cold, not tepid).
If using a hose pipe ensure that you run it for a few seconds first to avoid burns from warmed water inside the hose!
✅ Bring your dog inside into a shady, well ventilated, cool room
✅Call your veterinary team and follow their instructions
✅Prepare yourself to promptly transfer to your practice
✅ Depending on their current condition they may drink small amounts of cool water, don't allow they to lap up huge quantities at once incase they vomit
✅ Travel in a cold, air-conditioned car

***According to a recent RCVS study into heat-induced illness in dogs, those actively cooled before arriving at the vets had a lower mortality rate than those not cooled prior to arrival.***

More information on heatstroke and how to manage while transferring to your veterinary team? See the RCVS update link below..

https://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/news/the-rvc-urges-owners-of-hot-dogs-to-cool-first-transport-second

12/07/2024

27/06/2024

Please be very mindful of the heat!

We should not be walking our dogs in the middle of the day - it’s just way too hot. Very early morning or late at night short walks are the only times to venture out in these temperatures.

Elands Veterinary Clinic have first hand evidence of the dangers

I also drove passed a poor puppy no more than 12 weeks of age being walked in the middle of the day with temperatures in excess of 25 degrees. Yes, I did wind down the window and offer advice - but I really shouldn’t have had to - dog guardians just can’t avoid seeing safety warnings everywhere as soon as the temperatures soar.

27/06/2024

What a lovely class to head into the summer break!

Mabel, Suki, Sadie and Teddy and their amazing guardians graduated from our Adults and Adolescents Course at Bromley Common.

We had fun learning lots of important lifeskills and everyone left knowing that it wasn’t the end of training it was just the beginning!

We are now booking for our September course at St Luke’s Church Hall, Bromley Common - spaces are limited to 4 dogs so early booking is recommended.

3 SPACES REMAINING

22/05/2024

Join us for our last Adults and Adolescents Course to start at St Mark's Church Hall, Biggin Hill before the summer break!!

The 6 week course begins on Monday 3rd June from 12.15pm through to 1pm and will help to build that all important enriched bond and relationship between you and your dog so that they enjoy being with you and enjoy learning!

Classes are small - maximum 4 dogs - so a nice calm environment which is ideal for dogs and guardians to learn.

Call or email us NOW to reserve your place - ONLY 2 SPACES REMAINING!

https://www.rightstartdogs.co.uk/basic-lifeskills-course/

12/05/2024

Really interesting article showing how important it is to build trust and to be that safe place for your dog.

18/04/2024

This is really interesting food for thought on a Thursday morning, thank you Being Canine, Dog Behaviour and Training - absolutely worth a read and taking on board - for the well-being of our special companions.

For many years, I have been promoting a kinder and more effective way of helping dogs and their people with challenges. I am not going to lie; it's sometimes been an uphill struggle. Many people are still wedded to the idea that a dog has to be reprimanded for doing something wrong so that they learn. Many trainers out there believe that the best way to deal with any behaviour is by using force, intimidation, and corrections. The correction's severity depends on whether the dog has tried to become 'pack leader' or simply not listening to their owner. We just have to look at the popularity of some FB Reel/TikTok' trainers' and those on TV to see that changing minds about the causes for the behaviours that we see and how to support dogs and people to move from this long-held belief that dogs must obey us 100% of the time, is not going to be an easy road.
In fact, it's often seen as a single event in isolation: one correction, the dog learns and then goes on to have a happy life, but of course, it isn't the case.
Positive-based methods are generally considered better for dogs because they focus on the reason for the behaviour and the dog as a whole, not just punishing the undesired behaviours. This builds trust and strengthens the bond between dog and their humans. Surely everyone wants that?
Kinder methods promote a more confident and emotionally stable dog, reducing the likelihood of anxiety or fear-based behaviours. It is more effective in the long term and less likely to cause stress or aggressive responses in the dog.
If you are not sure about how you feel about what is being done to dogs in the name of training, imagine that you are watching someone doing the same thing to a young child. Would that change your view? How would you feel if someone told you that their child won't move or do anything for fear that they will be punished again? Would you still be impressed by their 'well-behaved' child?
Of course, we know that some people enjoy inflicting pain, terror and suffering on any other living being, but the majority of people would rather not if they felt that there was an alternative.
I am not a lone voice (although it can sometimes feel like that); there is a considerable body of evidence out there, and of course, there is the ethical side of things to consider.
Sadly, research also tells us that the more uncomfortable people feel when presented with an alternative view, the more that they will defend their position; it makes them feel better. This is one of the reasons not to spend hours on FB arguing; it often won't change minds, and it will cause people to become more defensive.
Most people who visit my page will have the same approach or mindset that I do, but there is no harm in repeating my mantra, 'It's not ok to physically or mentally abuse dogs so that they will 'behave'.
I am off to cuddle my dogs, safe in the knowledge that they don't see me as a pack leader, but as someone who has their well-being at the heart of everything that I do.

13/11/2023

With any change in behaviour it’s important to consider why.

In many cases, changes in behaviour can be linked to pain and should be the first consideration. It’s important to talk to your vet.

Here is a really interesting message from Hannah from the Canine Arthritis Management group