Dorset Paws

Dorset Paws Force-free dog training and behavioural modification in BCP, Dorset. IMDT, MRes & BSci qualified.

Dorset Paws officially started in 2019 and is run by Faye Barker MRes, BSc (hons). Running both private and group training, any dog can be helped with professional and passionate advice and training. Covering all of Poole, Bournemouth and into Christchurch, Faye can come to you in order to train your dog most effectively. With experience training many dogs, including Military and Guide Dogs, Faye

uses positive training methods to teach you and your dog. There is no requirement to add conflict to your relationship when a dog can learn anything through the right management and training modification.

17/09/2024

Gorgeous young dog looking for a new home 🥰 Please share his original post to help him find somewhere asap!

15/09/2024

I'm going to say something controversial - I like those people who tell me their dog is friendly when I'm out on walks with my dog 🤷‍♀️

I'm not saying it's an excuse for lack of control of a dog, but it makes me more comfortable when a dog comes running up. Only yesterday in the forest did this woman immediately upon seeing us grabbed her lead and "tried" to recall her dog, telling us he's normally good at waiting as her dog stalked up to us. Aloy was an angel and waited by my side as we waited for the owner to get control of her dog. She unsurprisingly failed, and the dog bolted up to us, leaving myself and my husband very stressed because of both the owners immediate reaction and her dogs stalking. If she had told us her dog is fine with other dogs, we could have released Aloy to say hello and it would have been much less stressful for us 🙄

Many dogs will, at some point in their life, usually when young, decide to ignore their recall to go up to another dog. Nobody's perfect at managing their dog all the time, and no dog is perfect 100% of the time. In which case, if the owner knows their dog means no ill intent, then why shouldn't they tell the other owner? 🤔

We recall Aloy for 95% of the dogs we meet at the moment, only because she's an over friendly giant 😂 To anyone else, it probably looks like we're recalling her because she's unfriendly, so we do say to people "she's friendly, but too bouncy for your dog / we're working on ignoring dogs today / I wanted to check it was okay for her to say hello first" 👋 It works brilliantly because for whatever reason we say, it means everyone knows the situation BUT I do have full control of her first - its not an excuse for bad management 😊

26/08/2024

Happy International Dog Day! 🐶

Do you know which country your dog's breed originates? It can be fascinating to see where your dog's ancestor's were from and what job they were bred to do.

For example, the Beauceron comes from France 🇫🇷 They're still to this day used to look after sheep and cattle, for both guarding and herding 🐑🐄 The extra dew claws are helpful in this job for when they have to herd up steep hills 🐾

If you're not sure about your dog, let me know their breed below and I'll tell you 👇

19/08/2024

Did you know dogs can get phantom pregnancies (also known as false pregnancies) where their hormones tell them that they're pregnant 😯 It can cause their bodies to change and behavioural changes too.

Aloy recently has been going through it, unfortunately it took us a little bit of time to notice it but she's much better now. We first noticed the nesting attempts, digging at her bed and struggling to get comfortable, then she began losing fur around her ni***es and then they began to swell up. Behaviourally she became very needy, getting very attached to me and distressed if she couldn't access me 😔

Fortunately we discovered Rasperry Leaf supplements (thank you for the recommendation ) and within just two days she made a dramatic improvement. I definitely recommend it if anyone else notices any symptoms in their girls 🐕

13/08/2024

Heads up - I'm on holiday for the rest of this week in Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 I'll get back to any messages next week when I'm home!

12/08/2024

🏆 Two shows in one (long) weekend! 🥇

Aloy's been a star 🌟 and officially qualified for Crufts 2025 too!

👉 1st (Best of Breed) at Bournemouth Open Show

👉 1st (Postgraduate Dog or Bittch) and Reserve Best Bitch at Bournemouth Championship Show

On the whole she's done really well, especially today with the heat and the fact we're 90% sure she's having a phantom pregnancy 😅

Time for a week off ☀️🌊😴

05/08/2024

Clarity in Communication workshop with Corinne Wrend 🤓🐕

Yesterday Aloy and I did some training at Eye2Eye, focusing on the use of markers to build her motivation and make training clearer for her. It was good to work somewhere different with her and was good to get thinking about what everything really means to the dog 🤔

I recommend workshops to anyone thinking about it, it's fun to meet other dog owners and spend the day having fun with your dog!

23/07/2024

Looking for a safe way to exercise your dog off lead? If your dog struggles with recall, reactivity, your dog's in season or you just want to give your dog some mental enrichment exploring somewhere new, look at hiring a private field!🌲

I've put a list together to make it easier for you 👇

⭐️ Free ones - Slades Farm Bournemouth, Canford Park Sang Bournemouth and Upton Country Park.

⭐️ Hounds & Hooves, The Gallops. Whitcombe, Dorchester - https://houndshooves.com/field-hire/

⭐️ K9 Woods Dog Park. Heathfield Farm, Parley Cross -
https://www.k9woodsdogpark.com/

⭐️ Dandelion Dogs. Hordle, Lymington -
https://www.dandeliondogs.co.uk/

⭐️ Wild and Free Dog Meadows. Fordingbridge, Hampshire -
https://www.wildandfreedogmeadows.co.uk/

⭐️ Hayters Field. Holt, Wimborne -
http://www.haytersfeeds.co.uk/

⭐️ Woodland Dog Park. Bransgore, Christchurch -
https://woodlanddogpark.com/

⭐️ Pet Plan Adventure Park. Wimborne -
https://www.petplan.co.uk/pet-information/dog/advice/dog-behaviour-training/adventure-park/

⭐️ Oak Paddock. Upton, Poole -
https://www.oakpaddock.co.uk/

⭐️ The Dog Park. Three Legged Cross, Ashley Heath -
https://thedogpark-threeleggedcross.co.uk/

17/07/2024

Another course completed ✅️

Although I must confess that I wouldn't recommend the course to others and didn't feel it expanded (or tested) my knowledge whatsoever 🙈

Just because a dog trainer has lots of certificates doesn't mean they're any good. The best dog trainers I've met are the ones who have the most broad experience, learning from lots of different sources - mainly in person. They also haven't stuck to one 'label', because there's so much to learn from everyone! 📚🤓

12/07/2024

Did you know if your get bitten by a dog, you may need to check your tetanus is up to date and antibiotics to prevent infection? 💉

Unfortunately today whilst doing a hydro session with the MWDs, one of the dogs accidentally caught my finger whilst leaping in the water to grab the toy 🙈 Ouch!🩸

After getting checked by a nurse at work I fortunately didn't need to go to A&E (you wouldnt stitch or glue a dog bite due to trapping the bacteria inside) - but did have to get to the doctors for an updated tetanus jab and 5 days of antibiotics.

I've worked with the bitey dogs for 3 years now and I'm very lucky this is the worst that's happened 🦁 👉🪵 Accidents happen and it could have been much worse, so not complaining here!

25/06/2024

☀️🥵☀️ Hot weather - Classes / one to ones☀️🥵☀️

With temperatures now reaching 25°c and above, classes and one to one's may have to be adapted. This might mean having to find well shaded areas, taking more regular breaks, reducing activity or potentially even postponing 🚫

I thoroughly recommend bringing PLENTY of water both for your dog to drink and for body cooling, using cool coats/bandanas etc, and making sure you monitor your dog constantly for signs of overheating during training 💧

If your dog struggles with the heat at all, we can reschedule your session to make sure we keep them safe and make the most of the training session 🐕🐾

24/06/2024

Hot Weather Alert for Dog Owners! 🐶🔥

As temperatures keep increasing, it's crucial to keep our dogs safe and comfortable. Here are some tips to protect your pup from the heat:

💧Hydrate: Always have fresh water available.

⛱️Shade & Cool Areas: Provide a cool spot away from direct sunlight.

🥎Avoid Excessive Exercise: Walk your dog during cooler parts of the day (early morning or late evening) and don't throw balls or allow your dog to run around until they're exhausted.

🚗Never Leave in Cars: A parked car can quickly become dangerously hot, even with the with the windows open.

🐾Paw Check: Hot pavement can burn paws, check the temperature of the floor regularly but ideally stick to grassy areas or shaded places.

Stay cool and take care of your pets! 🐕💧

14/06/2024

Just to let everyone know I'm back home from my holiday - Aloy and I are ready to get back to work! 👷‍♂️😂 I'll get back to all the messages and voicemails over the next few days 📞

13/06/2024

I saw a pet shop in Italy and had to get Aloy a present 🤣 We've been away on a cruise for two weeks and so excited to get back home to her this evening! She likes to get involved with the DIY jobs so now she can feel like she's helping 👷‍♂️😂

22/04/2024

It's the little bits that count 🐎

Don't think that doing 2 minutes of training with your dog is pointless ❌️ Those quick and easy bits you do whilst the kettles boiling, the adverts are on TV or whilst your partner pops into the supermarket are the MOST valuable in the long run.

I try to multitask with a lot of things I do when Aloy is around. It might be doing positions (sit-down-stand) whilst I'm washing up, or playing around with formal heeling whilst watering the grass in the garden 🍃 But we also look for opportunities to train around different stimuli.

For example, there is a horse tied up local to me on public land (poor thing looked very unhappy 😞) and Aloy has decided that horses now bring out her prey drive too 🙄 So instead of going a different route or just dragging her past, we've been playing around with the behaviours she knows whilst approaching, walking past and on the other side of the horse.

The first time she immensely struggled, but I was patient and didn't ask for anything but her looking my way. Since then, each time I've asked for more and more, mixing it up from heelwork to simply doing a down stay. Each time, we do less than 5 minutes around the horse on the walk, but Aloy finds it easier every time we pass to respond to my cues quicker 🥰

Take 2 minutes to practice your cues with your dog each day, and watch your training advance! Little and often really is the way forward 💪

07/04/2024

Yesterday I passed my practical side for the Search Technician qualification, having done the theory a few weeks ago. It was a great day working through various scenarios - no dogs involved yet, but once I've finished a few other assessments, I'll be able to go out to support the qualified dog teams 🥳

31/03/2024

If your dog isn't friendly - muzzle it 😡 Don't let it bite other dogs as they run past!

Aloy got bitten by a chocolate labrador at St Catherines Hill around midday. It bit her as she ran past whilst recalling back to me. It was growling and Aloy yelped out when the dog bit 😞 She now has two puncture wounds that may require a vet trip.

The owner made no effort to inform us her dog was unfriendly, nor did she muzzle or put her dog on lead. She carried on walking and didn't care that her dog bit mine.

At the start of the walk I was talking about how I don't like walking there because there are so many unfriendly dogs and irresponsible dog owners. Well, that was only confirmed yet again and now I'll definitely be avoiding walking there in future 🌲❌️

If your dog shows any sign of reactivity to other dogs, it LEGALLY has to be muzzled. If a dog fight starts and an owner gets involved and then gets bitten, or just feels at risk of it happening, then your dog can get put to sleep under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

There's nothing wrong with muzzling your dog. It's the safe and legal option. It also doesn't prevent your dog from enjoying their walk and getting the training they need around other dogs.

Address

Bournemouth
BH121PH

Telephone

+447543048494

Website

https://www.dorsetpaws.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dorset Paws posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Dorset Paws:

Shortcuts

My Story

Over the last 10+ years I have gained a wide variety of dog experience.

I graduated from an MRes in Anthrozoology (the human-animal relationship) in 2018. This investigated the impact we have on our pets lives and the benefits they provide to us.

Prior to this, I graduated from Hartpury University, in 2017 with a 2:1 BSc (hons) in Animal Behaviour and Welfare. The topics studied included animal welfare, training and psychology. The three years allowed me to gain a full understanding of our pets physical and psychological needs.

During my time at university I also volunteered at a dog and cat hydrotherapy and physiotherapy centre, whilst also spending three days a week assisting at dog training classes in Gloucester. Furthermore, I was a leading member of 'High Flyers' dog agility club.