Cottage Farm Dog Training

04/02/2025

LISTEN TO DOGS
All to often we hear owners complain that their dog gave no warning before snapping or biting at a person or indeed becoming severely reactive to other dogs.

The truth is that dogs rarely attack without warning an in fact it is often the case that a dog will have been trying to communicate their discomfort for months or longer. Sadly, many owners do not realise that there is a problem until their dog escalates the warnings to the point of demonstrating aggressive looking behaviours or an attack.

Think about how you would feel if those around you pushed you into situations that made you feel worried, uncomfortable or anxious.

What would you do? In the first place you would likely try to leave or avoid the situation. Bearing in mind that dogs seldom have as much choice as we do...now imagine that you are pushed into the same upsetting situation every day. Losing your temper of attacking others is likely the last thing you would want to do. But again, imagine that this happens to you again and again and after a while you learn that there is nothing you can do about it. You have tried to drop a few hints...but no one understands or cares.

Imagine how all of this might affect every part of your life...you might become generally rather anxious, you might lose self confidence and you would surely lose confidence in the people who are supposed to have your back!

It is easy to understand therefore how and dog or a human could easily arrive at a point of extreme stress, anger and strike out.

It is every dog owners responsibility to learn as much as possible about canine communication and body language AND to LISTEN TO DOGS.

www.cottagefarmdogtraining.co.uk

27/01/2025

27/01/2025

I am super pleased with this lovely graphic that I purchased from ABC Dogs NZ. Hopefully this will be helpful to anyone who is looking to learn more about canine communication. The poster shows how dogs demonstrate their discomfort and how they escalate their communication and warning.

LISTEN TO DOGS

20/01/2025

ONE SPACE LEFT!
RECALL & LOOSE LEAD - 4 WEEK COURSE
Starting Friday 7th February - 11.30am-1pm
£80 for the course

This course will introduce and develop the many skills that form beautiful loose lead walking and recall. Using only kind, force-free methods we will work to meet each dog's individual needs with an emphasis on having fun and developing confidence

Dogs of all ages and abilities will be welcome to join us, however, this course will not be suitable if you are presently experiencing significant behavioural difficulties with your dog - if that is the case then do get in touch to ask how we can help.

Please telephone or PM to book your space.
07535 040602

The sessions will be held near Billingshurst.
https://www.cottagefarmdogtraining.co.uk/

Also please like my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/cazdogtraining/

18/01/2025

DOG TRAINING GROUP is 11am for the next few weeks. Just the one class..all existing customers welcome.

15/01/2025

RECALL & LOOSE LEAD - 4 WEEK COURSE
Starting Friday 7th February - 11.30am-1pm
£80 for the course

This course will introduce and develop the many skills that form beautiful loose lead walking and recall. Using only kind, force-free methods we will work to meet each dog's individual needs with an emphasis on having fun and developing confidence

Dogs of all ages and abilities will be welcome to join us, however, this course will not be suitable if you are presently experiencing significant behavioural difficulties with your dog - if that is the case then do get in touch to ask how we can help.
Please telephone or PM to book your space.
07535 040602
The sessions will be held near Billingshurst.
https://www.cottagefarmdogtraining.co.uk/
Also please like my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/cazdogtraining/

Force-Free, Relationship Centred Approach
Dog Training
Dog Behaviour Consultancy
Canine Anxiety Specialist
Rehabilitation
Dog Reactivity
Private Sessions, Group Classes
Recall, Obedience, Canine Life Skills

15/01/2025

💔 SORRY
We are very sorry to announce that we have had to cancel our upcoming dog show that was planned for Saturday 8th February. This is not a decision we’ve taken lightly but because of the amazing and unprecedented response to it. These events are always a wonderful chance to bring our community together, meet new dogs and families and raise vital funds for the dogs in our care.
We know that so many of you were looking forward to this day, and we really appreciate your support and understanding. Rest assured, we are already working hard to reschedule the event for later in the year at an outdoor venue, and we can’t wait to see you all there when the time comes!
Thank you so much for your support ongoing - we couldn’t do this without you. Stay tuned for updates in the rescheduled event!
Thank you,
All of us at Arundawn ❤

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A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
We have very kindly been able to hold a dedicated ARUNDAWN DOG RESCUE DOG SHOW on February 8th
We would LOVE TO SEE AS MANY OF YOU A POSSIBLE whether with an Arundawn Dog or NOT we will be delighted to welcome ALL DOGS ❤️

10/01/2025

DOG TRAINING SUNDAY 12TH
I will be providing ONE group class at 11am.
All are welcome to attend this session. I will keep to this time for a few weeks so the later time will allow for temperatures to warm up a bit.
Hope this doesn't cause inconvenience.

01/01/2025

Happy New Year to all my two and four-legged friends from all of us at Cottage Farm!

19/12/2024

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR OPENING TIMES

Sunday group classes will not be running on the 22nd or 29th of December but will resume on the 5th of January at the usual times.

I will be available over the next couple of weeks for a limited number of private consultations and then back to normal from the 6th of Jan.

I hope that you all have a lovely Christmas and New Year.

29/11/2024

NEW PRODUCT ALERT!
I am super excited because Nutravet has released three of its most important and popular products in the format of yummy, liver-flavoured dog treats!

Whether it’s supporting joints and mobility, maintaining healthy skin and coat, or easing stress and anxiety, these chews provide a tasty solution!

Each chew is packed with natural, scientifically proven ingredients, providing pet owners with an easy, stress-free way to care for their furry friend’s health and well-being. The same products continue to be available in capsules which owners usually open and empty into their dog's dinner. However, these chews will provide a very handy alternative that is bound to suit many dogs.

New customers get 20% off with this link:

https://www.nutravet.co.uk/natural-dog-treats/ref/CFDT/

24/11/2024

I hope everyone understands that it would be inappropriate to provide dog training classes when we have strong winds and weather warnings in place.

Strong winds do mean an increased risk in terms of travel and also there are risks of the wind blowing debris and people or dogs being injured. These are not risks that I would encourage you to take over non-essential activities and obviously, I would not make myself responsible for people putting themselves or their dogs at risk.

Classes are run on a pay-as-you-go basis, so there is no obligation on your part to do anything. If you are busy or just not in the mood you do not need to tell me - you simply don't turn up. That is just how it should be, after all, there is always another week.

The only reasons I would cancel a class at fairly short notice would be to do with my kids or myself being ill or because the weather might cause a risk to safety.

CANCELLATIONS WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THE FACEBOOK GROUP

I will NOT be personally contacting people on the off chance they might be coming.

For those of you who do not like Facebook or may be outraged or upset at the thought of having a wasted journey here because you didn't check FB for updates, you are welcome to text or phone me to check.

In the event of strong winds I can assure you that dog training is likely to be cancelled. I will announce on FB and the gates will be closed!

24/11/2024

DOG TRAINING IS CANCELLED THIS MORNING

02/11/2024

Management & Training

The happy, well-adjusted dog that pet dog owners enjoy living with is a product of appropriate management and training.

Like us, our dogs need the opportunity to learn how to live well within our environment and how to live with others. When you think about it, humans expect a lot from dogs and often require many skills and behaviours that don't come very naturally to dogs.

Every week I meet dog owners who are struggling with various dog behaviours or who want their dogs to behave differently than they are doing!

For example, owners who want their dogs to stop pulling on the lead also need their dogs to enjoy walking at a slower pace and become happy to walk with their human companion rather than charging off on doggy adventures!

Much of what owners want from their dogs is the opposite of what dogs would offer if left to their own devices. If dogs are to successfully live in our homes and our human-orientated world then they absolutely depend on us to teach them how. The training and the teaching are therefore important but even so, dogs will remain dogs and the compromises and adjustments cannot come solely from them.

My opinion is that training is important but that appropriate management is crucial. You need both of these components to achieve the dog you want to live with! While it is true that an untrained dog will be hard to manage well, it is also true that a poorly managed dog will be impossible to train!

Appropriate management means everything in the dog's life is right and the dog's needs are fully met. Everything from food, exercise, mental stimulation, health, well-being, company, routine, enrichment opportunities, rest - literally everything.

If a dog's needs are not met then they will suffer as a result and behavioural issues are a likely symptom.

Most people accept that human children will not learn much at school on a poor diet or with insufficient sleep. I am sure most of us know that children need plenty to do every day otherwise they become hyper or cranky. Dogs are no different.

Recently I have noticed a surge in owners of puppies or young dogs with various complaints about behaviour that usually involve separation issues, toileting in the house, hyper behaviour and anxiety.

I am often asked for help with, "training," to eradicate these nuisance behaviours and I am often told that so far all previous interventions and efforts have not worked.

BEFORE I discuss training I ALWAYS discuss management. In the vast majority of cases I will discover that the management needs tweaking to some extent and sadly, more and more often I find that the management fails to meet the dog's most basic needs.

The common factors are dogs being left for lengthy periods regularly and dogs not getting enough exercise, company, interaction and mental stimulation.

If a dog is left alone all day then its needs cannot be met. If a puppy is left for long periods or even all day, its needs cannot be met.

If a dog's needs are not met then they are very likely to offer behaviours that owners do not like. They are also very unlikely to be capable of learning much or offering behaviours that the owner wants.

A poorly managed dog is at high risk of becoming stressed in a way that will have detrimental effects on his or her physical and mental health.

While a dog is living under stress it is very much the case that his or her window of tolerance will diminish, often rapidly which will mean the dog becomes more stressed and less resilient. The result is often a dog who finds more and more situations stressful.

An example of this could be a puppy who became stressed after repeatedly being left alone for too long. The puppy is stressed regularly and separation anxiety sets in - the puppy is now chronically stressed and doesn't have the opportunity to recover from frequent traumas. The puppy becomes less and less tolerant of any type of stressor and the stress response is always bubbling under the surface. Next, the owner finds that the puppy is afraid of all kinds of things and the response will certainly appear disproportionate such as when the pup kicks off at other dogs or people despite an absence of unpleasant experiences in that context.

Appropriate management is essential for your dog's physical and mental health and without it both you and your dog will suffer.

I am a dog trainer and behaviourist but not a magician. I can teach you how to communicate with your dog and how to train your dog, and I can absolutely help you solve behavioural issues. I cannot do any of that without focusing on your dog's lifestyle and ensuring that your dog's needs are met.

Www.cottagefarmdogtraining.co.uk

02/11/2024

02/11/2024

Been having loads of fun at Cottage Farm Dog Training x

02/11/2024

Please share and donate if you can. Arundawn Dog Rescue, like all rescues are under terrible strain and the situation just worsens.