Blue Sky Dogs

21/08/2024

Fly kicking the arse out of her fears again....
I couldn't be more proud if Fly than I am today.
Here is a few pics of her in places she has been too scared to go before. Fly has a fear of thresholds and doorways.
In the first picture you can see her laying down inside her vets office. This is a big goal for fly.
With time, patience and clear guidance she is able to work through her fear and eventually conquer them.

20/08/2024

Blues bovine adventure continues. She loves meeting cows and giving them "kisses" !

19/08/2024

Recently it was commented in a post that all I do is shut my dog down and don't allow her to express her emotions!!
In the first video Blue is a bit excited to see her best friend in the whole world.
But you can clearly see how she is suppressed and never shows her emotion in anyway!
In the second video you can see a continuation of how shut down and suppressed she is.....

18/08/2024

So this video shows Blue walking in a nice calm neutral state. This is exactly what we want when we are just out for a stroll. So often we see people out with their dogs and the dog is in a really excited state of mind constantly. We have been told that this is how our dogs should be. This couldn't be further from the truth.
In a split second and one word Blue can switch it up to play or be excited. Butbut is not where I want her mind to be all the time.
We don't run around all day chasing people and jumping up and down with excitement at every tiny stimulus in our environment just because it is there. So why do expect our dogs to be this way.
This is why we have an epidemic of reactive digs in our society right now!
If your dog has not been taught how to be calm and neutral then how can we expect them to know how to do it when they see another dog or any other trigger.
Please be mindful of your dogs state of mind and aim for calm when leaving the house and when you are simply walking. There is a time and a place for excitement.
Exercise, discipline and then affection.

18/08/2024

Just a quick note on the benefits of reward based training.
I was working with a reactive dog a few days ago. When an off lead dog decided to walk towards us to investigate. He was a couple hundred feet away . I put my hand up and used eye contact and body language to hold him in position.
A couple minutes we were both stood there just being calm and maintaining communication. All the time the owners were calling him, getting their whistles out, shaking food in his direction. Eventually, after holding back my laughter, I released him and gestured to him to go to his owners. Off he ran.
No words were spoken just clear and concise communication in both directions.
I have had some questions recently about why I use short simple words with a stern voice. The answer is simple. It keeps it simple for the dog. If there is no grey area the dog has a much better chance if success.

16/08/2024

I couldn't say it any better than this. Soni will let Lee say it for me.

16/08/2024

Today I had the pleasure of meeting two of the great legendary roman war dogs, the Italian Mastiff or Cane Corso.
Meet Nola and Kilo.
8 months old and full of joy and energy.
I met their owners and their walker too and had a really great meeting.
We talked through all their training options and came to a great understanding of what they want from their digs and how they want it to happen.
We git their lead skills and loose lead walking in order enough for their owners to be able to walk them and practice we I taught them.
Nola and Kilo will be getting an hour each a week with me for a while so we can take them to the next level.
As responsible owners of an power breed they know that they have to set an example for their breed and I am Iver the moon because the Corso is undoubtedly the next breed to be on the dangerous dog list!
I hope that that never happens to these beautiful animals.

15/08/2024

This afternoon I had one of my favourite messages. Nala's owner sent me a message to say that they had been out for a walk and passed 9 dogs without a single reactivity event. We have only had our initial assessment and 1 hour session . We have worked on lead skills and starting to change Nala's mindset.
I will never tire of hearing about the changes we make together and the happiness we can give dogs.
Reactivity is such a hard thing for us as dog owners. It takes a toll on our mental health and can cause us deep anxiety which often starts before we even make the decision to take the dog out and lasts long after we get back.
I am so pleased for both Nala and her owner. Well done to uoj both.

15/08/2024

Working Blue in different environments. Still lower stimulation and she gets a bit cheeky but she is only abyear old and works incredibly hard.

15/08/2024

Blues off lead training is coming on beautifully. It rakes time to get this right. It's jot something that just happens over night. She is a year old and it something we have been workkngbkn since she was 4 months old. So many layers of reinforcement go into everything we do.
She is this good in lower stimulation environments like this but it will still take more time to get her to the point she can be off lead everywhere.

13/08/2024

I have had to change my phone today and have been locked out of my Facebook messenger account. Would my clients please be able to send me a txt with your name in it please to my mobile number or on whatsapp.

07379925818

Thanks so much B

12/08/2024

Today I had the joy of meeting Vision the American bulldog. What an absolute legend she is. A heart of solid gold and as soft as butter. Well unless you are a small dog and then you might wanna run!
Her owner messaged me and asked for my assistance with vision as she has gotten her as far as she can. Vision didn't have the greatest start in life but is lucky enough to have found a fantastic human to live with now who loves her loads .
We are going to be working on loose lead walking and engagement as well as tightening up her basic obedience and impulse control. and then working on some more advanced obedience when she is ready.

08/08/2024

Blue and Robi playing today, Blue taking the stick out of his mouth in mid-flight!!

07/08/2024

Working on blues intermediate obedience skills.
The audio is slightly off on this video which makes it look worse than she actually is. However we really need to get her dialled in a little bit more.

07/08/2024

With great Joy I would like to welcome Nala to the family. This little beauty came all the way from Romania to bring joy to her owner.......
But with great cuteness comes great responsibility!
Nala feels it's her responsibility to protect her owner from other dogs. Which she does with great style.
I am so impressed with her. She is a very capable dog with a lot of spirit.
We will be working on her obedience over the next couple of weeks. Teaching Nala how to remain calm in the presence of triggers and setting her very clear and concise rules boundaries and limitations so that her and her owner can enjoy life without having to worry about who and what might be around the next corner.
I am very confident that Nala will learn everything very quickly and soon they will both be living their best life.
Thank you both and I am looking forward to seeing you next week. B

02/08/2024

I want to show so much love for my daughter who took Blue out last night and got these shots.

01/08/2024

What you can expect me to use when training you and your dog.
These are all that are necessary for the majority of dogs. There will be instances when I will utilise other tools for very specific outcomes.
However for 99% of the work that I do this is all that is necessary.
I work primarily through relationship and play is the best way to build that relationship.
As in life, I. Dog training, there are always exceptions to every rule. Dogs are all different and have different needs and desires. So one thing will work perfectly for one dog and another thing for another.

31/07/2024

On Wednesday mornings I get to work with Fly. What a lovely and beautiful girl she is.
What a journey we have been on together too.
When we started working together Fly was scared of dogs out in public and her owners reported reactivity when out in walks and also in car barking as well as many other problems such as fear of entering new spaces and crossing boundaries.
We have worked so hard over a long period of time to get Fly habituated/desensitised to other dogs enough to be able to take her out to the woods and into town without her being over aroused and actually starting to feel comfortable.
My training always begins and ends with relationship. I will take as long as it takes to build a relationship based on trust and clear communication.
Today Fly, penny(fly's owner), daisy (her dog sister) and I walked through luxulyan woods with minimal problems. Fly is fine with medium and large dogs but is not quite sure of small dogs yet.
We then moved to training Fly to enter a new environment.
With a dog like Fly this is a process that can never be rushed. The skills and knowledge to understand how the dogs think and feel is a must. The ability to cycle through possibilities is key.
Patience, love and kindness are an absolute necessity.
After an hour of trying different strategies to help fly feel the confidence to enter the new environment she cracked it. What a beautiful sight it is to see a dog work through their fear and build confidence.
The joy I feel when seeing the happiness on her face and the happiness on Penny's face is the reason I do this work.
Well done Fly.

29/07/2024

Over the last few weeks I have taken a fair amount of flack online from people who don't know me, have never met me or Blue and have no idea about my training methods! They have seen that I train Blue with a prong collar and an e-collar and have assumed that this is how I train every dog I meet! I have had comments such as "animal abuser" "a quick fix trainer with no patience " "all you do is suppress the dog and don't allow it to show any emotion". Anyone who actually knows Blue knows just how ridiculous that last statement is!
For those of you who don't know, there is a global battle currently under way. About the use of training tools and the efficacy. World champion trainers of all disciplines are debating whether or their use should continue.
There are many many ways to train a dog to the same outcome. Some are very very harsh and rely heavily on the side of "positive punishment" and there are "purely positive" or "positive reinforcement only" trainers. Who used primarily positive reinforcement to train dogs.
As I. All walks of life there are advantages and disadvantages to every method, none are perfect.
The use of "aversives" is widely argued. Which one is better for what. Some people will only use a harness and others will utilise all and any tool to help a dog.
Some people will criticise the use of a prong collar but heavily use a head harness or halti. I have seen and met many dogs that have been injured for life through the misuse of harnesses, both front clip and back clip! Any device that you attach to your dog to stop it from doing what it wants to do is applying " negative reinforcement" and is inheritantly "aversive" no matter how you try and dress it up! It is rarely the tool or equipment that is at fault but the human attached to it.

The "purely positive" community will use lines like "positive reinforcement has been proven to be the best way to increase and teach behaviours" in order to try and prove the point against using aversive methods. Nobody is arguing that point they are absolutely correct.
I use positive reinforcement constantly in my teaching methods as I rely heavily on play to teach dogs in my program.
When we talk about positive reinforcement it comes from something called "operant conditioning" which was developed by a man called B F Skinner. Who, over years of research, refused the way that all animals learn down to 4 quadrants of operant conditioning.
Positive and negative reinforcement.
Positive and negative punishment.

To increase the likelihood of the repetition of a behaviour we use reinforcement and stop decrease the likelihood of the repetition of a behaviour we use punishment. Either positive or negative for each.
Positive and negative do not refer to if the dog likes it or not but simply to the adding or subtracting of said reinforcement or punishment.
So if there are 4 quadrants why would we limit ourselves to just one or maybe two.
Because there are advantages and disadvantages to each one. Some are also prettier than others!
Some people will try and tell you that their way is better and that it has been proven without a shadow of a doubt. Well if this was the case then everyone in the whole world would agree and there would be no value in debating the point.

I am a "Balanced trainer" this means that I will utilise all 4 quadrants of operant conditioning. I am not a purely positive trainer and if this is something that you don't like then that's your decision. But that does not mean that you have the right to then cause people if things that you have no grounds for. Accuse people of things that you have no basis of proof for either.
Everyone who has been part of my training program will know that my go to tools are a flat collar and a six foot lead.
There are times when other tools might be used.
To say that I shut dogs down and suppress them because I used a prong collar just shows your limited knowledge of how they work. The usage of negative reinforcement can strengthen a behaviour much better than positive reinforcement if used correctly and in conjunction with positive reinforcement is a game changer!
Please before you judge people on things that you don't understand try and have a conversation first. After all this is Social media not antisocial media!

29/07/2024

Working on some basics with Blue this morning. Behind me walks a Westy terrier from our village, they don't get on very well as when she was a small puppy he had a snap at her. She's not small anymore! But she still stays in command, even with a few complaints! Lol

28/07/2024

Thanks Garrett 😁

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28/07/2024

I want to welcome Jasper and his human Jeanette to the family.
I went down to Redruth yesterday morning to meet this beautiful boy and he did not disappoint. What an awesome dog and what a fantastic relationship they have with each other. They are a great team and Jasper has a great level of engagement with Jeanette. Lazer focus like you can only get with a Collie and lead pulling like you can only get with a Collie! Lol.
I walked Jeanette through a few techniques after we changed him over from a harness to a simple flat collar, my tools of choice. Within minutes he was walking nicely by my side. I showed Jeanette how to get the same engagement from him too.
Communicating through a lead in a way that the dog considers a request is vital to a proper relationship rather than a battle.
I spoke with Jeanette today and she said that they are improving quickly.
I would enjoy seeing them both again soon but they are so good I probably won't 😁

27/07/2024

Yesterday morning I got to train Teddi and ocean. Two if the most beautiful and loving dogs I have ever met.
Josie, their owner, informed me if the abuse that they suffer from people who cross the road when hey see them coming and then shout things like " that dog is dangerous" or " keep that dog away from your children"
Anyone who has had anything to do with an English bull terrier will know that they are one of the most loyal and loving companion dogs of all time. They would go to the ends of the earth to lick their family in the face.
All the time I hear people say how open minded they are and how the world has changed but yet they are still ready to jump onto a dog because of its breed. All and any dogs have the potential to be aggressive and bite it is not breed specific.
The ironic beauty yesterday was that when we were outside training 4 or 5 doodles or Pooh's of some discrimination walked past. They were reactive and pulling their owners/handlers up the road barking their little heads off. While the "dangerous dogs" just stood their and looked at them.
Please people think before you speak.

26/07/2024

I would like to welcome Teddi(white) & Ocean to the Family.
We had our initial assessment and training session this morning. What a beautiful and loving pair of dogs.
Like typical English Terriers they are full energy forward minded dogs who love everyone and want to know what everything is ... And the chew it up.
Their owner Josie and her son are both amazing people who love their dogs with the whole of their hearts and it shows in the dogs.
Teddi a year old in a few days and Ocean is 7 months. I was naturally a bit worried about them having litter mate syndrome but they are not there, which is so good to see.
We talked through the dogs histories and their general behaviour and then we moved out the door.
A great pair of dogs, they want to be at the end of the lead at all times but are happy when they are there.
So the plan is to get them walking properly on a loose lead and to engage with their handlers. Whilst working towards a calm submissive state of mind in a follower state rather than forward constantly. Then we will move forward into other parts of their training next week

24/07/2024

What a great, but wet, morning we had with Fly, Daisy and Blue. We started with Fly and Blue running drills in the arena. Lots of loose lead walking sits, downs and stays. Blue working on her impulse control and learning to be calm while flying was learning the finer points of obedience training.
Then Daisy came and joined us and we moved to social time with plenty of play and fun jumping in the long grass.
Fly is still struggling to learn the finer points of etiquette and how to keep herself together when playing with high intensity dogs so we had a couple of rough moments. But she is doing so well.
Fly had a very disturbing early life and didn't have the opportunity to learn how to be a dog and how to socialise properly as a puppy. So we are helping her to learn this now and she is totally crushing it.

23/07/2024

Up until this week we had been working on Bella socialising with other dogs.
But she has become a steam train pulling on the lead and injured Ruth's leg at the weekend.
I agreed to do an hour a day with Bella this week.
We started yesterday and got her to walk nicely on a loose lead at a slack health position.
Today we started to tighten the heel up a bit and work on her engagement.
Bella is making great progress after such a short period of time. I don't rush this process better to be patient and allow her to find her position and reinforce her when she does. She is such a happy little wiggly worm that I am using praise and chin scratches as her reinforcement and she laps it up.
Another half hour with just me tomorrow and then we move on to teach her owner how to maintain her boundaries and expectations.
Video below of her really starting to follow instead of pull.
Well done Bella 😁

23/07/2024

Finally got some time with Blue this week. Tightening up her basics, damn we need to work on them!!