Lamplighter Dog School

16/02/2025

Have you ever caught yourself saying “My dog isn’t food motivated?”

Does your dog sometimes reject their meals, or ignore the food when you’re trying to train them?

It’s really frustrating, but it’s not usually because your dog doesn’t like the food.

More often it’s actually because:

😫 Your dog doesn’t like the way you’re giving it to them
🤕 They don’t feel well
😬 They have dental or digestive problems
🤯 They’re in the middle of a stressful situation
🤐 They’ve already eaten more than they need
😐 Commercial training treats are usually dry and don’t smell of anything

It’s not usually a case of just taking the food away if your dog doesn’t eat either and then trying again later, there are much better ways than that 👀

Check out the slides and see if any of these resonate with you. If they do, that’s okay! It’s not permanent damage, all of these things can be changed for the better.

If you can relate to any of these situations and want more information leave a comment or drop me a DM/WhatsApp me.

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09/02/2025

There are so many activities that our dogs are *trying* to do when we’re out walking.

The human idea of a walk and the dog idea of a walk are often veeery different.

When dogs are pulling on the lead, ignoring your calls, or gobbing off, it’s quite often because they’re trying to satisfy a need for natural behaviour that they are often unintentionally restricted from doing.

This often results in an unsettled and frustrated dog and an unsettled and frustrated owner.

The key is in becoming aware of your dog’s required activities and consciously integrating them into a walk, on the premise of “good” behaviour - behaviour that keeps you and your dog safe (in my book).

If you need help with assessment, building a structure, and implementation of safe and satisfying walks with your dog DM me or book a free video consultation with the link in my bio 🔗

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31/01/2025

Walks are loaded with importance, but actually, walks - in the traditional sense - can be utterly detrimental to our dogs. It’s time to question everything you believe, for your dog’s sake.

Your walks can meet lots of needs for your dog, like running, hunting, sniffing, digging, and physical fitness, and they can also foster good behaviour. Or not.

Depending on what behaviour “works” for your dog on a walk, how your walks are structured, where you go, and whether your dog is in pain - a walk can become a downward spiral of pulling, running off, reactivity, discomfort, frustration, and stress that spills out into their behaviour at home too.

It’s not about how far you walk or how long for, it’s about what you do - before you even leave the house.

Before you take your dog out ask yourself these questions:

🩻 Do I 100% know my dog is not in pain?
👋 Have I taught my dog how to 100% respond to me in this environment and for that length of time?
🤓 Will this walk give my dog an opportunity to satisfy their mental stimulation needs?
😱 Does this environment scare or stress my dog?
🦺 Can I keep my dog and others safe doing what I want to do?

This is responsible and considerate dog ownership. Leave a hands up if you’re a responsible and considerate dog owner 🙋

Check out the picture slides for essential needs your dog has that are waaaay more important than a walk.

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22/01/2025

I’ll preface this by saying there are anomalies in every breed and not all dogs of these breeds will show these characteristics.

However, we all know that these characteristics are what make these breeds the breed they are. None of us would expect a Border Collie not to herd, so why do we expect other breeds to be any different?

It’s essential to recognise that the consequences of (often innocent) human error with these breeds are still caused by humans, because we bred these dogs to be the way they are. The dog is never to blame.

A huge reason it’s so important to be realistic about breed characteristics and physical capabilities is because most people can’t read canine body language.

One study asked participants to watch videos of three different dogs interacting with children. All the dogs were showing anxious or fearful body language. However, 68% percent of people said the dogs were relaxed. Even more worryingly, dog owners are more likely to assume the dog is being friendly than non-dog owners.

When you throw a dog as capable, sensitive, prey-driven, heavy, and powerful as some of the breeds listed here into that mix it can become life-threatening.

Breed is not the only major contributor to a dog’s behaviour either. Here are some equally essential factors:

➡️ The temperaments of both parents.

➡️ Prenatal stress that can pass to your puppy. Find a breeder who is planning a litter so you can follow along with the pregnancy to see if the bitch experiences any significant stress.

➡️ Positive early socialisation in the litter, the responsibility of the breeder. If your breeder isn’t interested, then save your time (potentially over a decade) and money for a different breeder.

➡️ Positive environmental exposure with you. There is a big difference between socialisation and overwhelming. Keep experiences brief, varied and happy.

Comment below or DM me to share your own opinions, or ask a question 🧐

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14/01/2025

There is a saying that goes something like “Judge the deed, not the breed.” I would say it’s better going something like “Human irresponsibility caused this whatever the dog did.” Which includes taking responsibility for the fact that behaviour is influenced by genetics, and we massively influence dog’s genetics.

Of course, there are lots of other factors to behaviour; it depends on the parents and their temperament, the experience the puppy has in the litter, how the puppy is introduced to each new situation, and how people treat the dog throughout their life.

But breed is very much the first place to start. It’s clear that all dog breeds have been selectively bred to do certain behaviours more than others. Nobody would expect a Border Collie not to herd, so it rings true that other breeds have their “things” too.

The good news is this means there are some breeds that are generally excellent at being pets, which is what most of us want a dog for these days.

Gone are the days when dogs were bred and kept for working. We largely continue to breed dogs from working lines, but keep them for an entirely different reason that rarely involves work.

There are always anomalies, but generally it’s a disaster if somebody who wants to do a gentle stroll in the park for half an hour gets a Border Collie, or someone who wants to go fell walking gets a Greyhound.

So - as what should be treated as the tip of the iceberg in researching breeds before getting a dog - here is my list of breeds I recommend as pets, and why.

✨ Rescue tip - reach out to rescues that specialise in one breed or a small, local rescue kennel. They tend to be more genuinely helpful than the large commercial “rescues” ✨

If you want to ask me about these breeds or another breed you’re thinking of getting, drop me a DM and I’ll help you find the information you need 💌

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10/01/2025

Here is my safe list of dog training YouTube channels, and I don’t use the word safe lightly!

YouTube is a literal minefield when it comes to dog training, take one glance down the sidebar of suggested videos while you watch these and it will offer you everything from “How To Condition an E-Collar” to “The Magic of Slip Leads”.

Seriously, be bloody careful what you watch.

These channels are completely harmless and contain content that only has the ability to benefit you and, most importantly, your dog.

Kikopup is a channel that I watched back-to-back for solid days at a time when I was a teenager, replicating everything I could with my collie Cara and my terrier Alfie.

What About Bunny will just blow your mind, if you ever wondered if your dog can understand what you’re saying, give this a watch.

Dogs That with Susan Garrett goes deep! Susan enthusiastically covers absolutely everything and you can keep it simple, or really get into the nitty gritty with her.

CattleDog Publishing was founded by revolutionary veterinary behaviourist Dr Sophia Yin and covers many every day training and behaviour problems, but specialises in low-stress handling dogs at the vets.

Dogs Explained and the Service Dog Training Institute are extremely practical, straightforward videos that are short, sweet, and can teach you to teach your dog anything they can physically possibly do!

Battersea Dogs & Cats have made a clear, easy-to-follow set of videos on how to train all the basic everyday behaviour you could need, presented by a variety of their qualified staff.

Steve Mann founded the IMDT and wrote the UK’s #1 selling dog training book, his channel covers super easy techniques to teach foundation skills that will cover you for most situations.

If you’ve found a channel and you’re not sure if it’s safe, drop me a DM and I’ll check it out for you 💌

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05/01/2025

Even if you don’t like reading books, if you want to do anything with dogs, read On Talking Terms with Dogs. Non-negotiable. Will completely change the way you interact with dogs.

🦮 If you’d rather learn in person I’m running classes starting Monday 6th onwards, comment “Class” on this post for details 🦮

If you want the facts and how to get from A to B minus fluff, then It’s Me or the Dog, and How Dogs Learn, will both lay it out in black and white.

If you love good stories and memoirs (also full of learning opportunities and facts) like me, then Reaching The Animal Mind and Through A Vet’s Eyes will be right up your street.

To really connect with your dog, creating that invisible line between you and your dog everybody covets (I can attest that it is as good as it seems) then the Interactive Play Guide is for you.

If you have fluffy-animal-chasing problems and your dog barely recognises your existence on a walk, Hunting Together will revolutionise your relationship.

Finally, if you have or want a multi-dog household, or especially if you are a dog walker (or even have a dog walker to suggest this to!), then The Art of Introducing Dogs will completely enlighten everything that goes right or wrong, how to make it right, and how to know when to quit.

Watch out for upcoming posts on my favourite YouTube channels and podcasts too 🙌

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25/12/2024

Absolutely zero apologies for the Christmas Jack Russell spam in this post.

I saw a little baby one crossing the road earlier today and I was bloody delighted. They’re not everyone’s cup of tea but I love them!

Talking of Jack Russells, one of my own, Alfie (god rest his soul) was very nearly a Christmas statistic once.

A big box of chocolates had been wrapped up and put under the tree, and while we were out Alfie took his chance to unwrap and enjoy all 42 chocolates in the box.

I got home, found the box under the sofa (apparently Alfie’s snack lair), and cacked my pants.

Having not long passed my driving test, I thanked the stars I had a car to transport my patient. I rang ahead to the vets and got him there in 7 minutes for what is normally a 15 minute journey.

I don’t recommend driving like you’re a blue light driver when you’re not, but I do recommend ringing ahead to the vets and not wasting any time getting there, or better yet, preventing the situation in the first place.

When we got there the vet gave Alf an injection to make him vomit and there was a small lake of chocolate on the floor of the consult room. He then got a gobful of charcoal to line his stomach with a protective layer to stop any more absorption.

If I hadn’t got there before his body started to digest the chocolate he would have been in intensive care, or worse. He wouldn’t have been on his way home in half an hour and living another 7 years.

Moral of the story: boxes of chocolates are obvious even when wrapped up, give everything a shake before you put it under the tree.

Happy Christmas 🎄

15/12/2024

There is either so much joy in what your dog finds distracting, or a lot of stress.

When your dog finds distractions fun your dog is getting rewarded by the environment, not you. If you don’t get this under your control, you will essentially be allowing the environment to train your dog to ignore you!

It’s essential to build value to yourself, so that when you’re outdoors in the “toy shop” with your dog, your dog knows that all the best fun comes from you.

Remember to take toys and food with you on walks, and make sure that access to the environment and the natural rewards it contains also comes through you, by requiring your dog’s attention (eye contact, or a sit, for example) before they run free.

If you have a dog that’s stressed and overwhelmed by everything that’s going on around them then you need to build up the intensity of what they’re exposed to at a pace they can cope with, one thing at a time. Otherwise it’s like trying to teach a child to read and write on a speedboat.

For all of the above, it’s essential to build a baseline of the behaviour you want at home before you ask for it outdoors.

And of course, if you’re not 100% confident your dog will safely respond to you in “the wild” then use that amazing universally useful thing called a lead until you are. This not only keeps your dog safe but also prevents you from unintentionally training your dog to ignore you.

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29/11/2024

These posts give a little insight into the little nuances that make a big difference when it comes to developing communication and co-operation with our dogs.

As someone who’s been training dogs in personal and professional capacities for fifteen years it’s easy for me to say all this, so if these things make your head spin, give yourself some grace.

I’m a fully signed up proud dog nerd, and it’s been my life’s obsession to pick apart all these things. Not everybody has the same level of interest, and that’s okay.

That’s what dog trainers are for.

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19/11/2024

If your dog is driving you mad, or you feel like they’re not satisfied, there is so much more you can do than just keep walking them.

This can also be crucial for dogs that are really struggling, for example reactive dogs or rescue dogs, as it gives them mental and physical exercise without the stress of leaving the house.

You can substitute part of your usual walk routine with these games too. In fact, if you only have a limited amount of time to spend with your dog I actively encourage you to sub out some time for these games 🙌

There are seven different tips, tricks, and games in these slides of activities you can do with your dog to help them feel fulfilled.

If you’re not sure how to set a game up or you try one but it didn’t seem right, drop me a DM and I’ll be happy to help 😊

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06/11/2024

I’ve heard it a thousand times: I tried food and it didn’t work, my dog isn’t that interested in food, they won’t take food around distractions, etcetera etcetera.

And I always think, well it’s a good job that’s not how positive reinforcement training works then.

We are constantly training our dogs in every waking moment, whether we realise it or not, and it’s these micro situations and daily habits that have the biggest effect on our dog’s behaviour.

Your dog may be working beautifully at training class, but at home they’re like a hell hound.

It’s just a case of contingencies.

They’re not being dicks, and they’re not trying to p**s you off, they’re just doing what works, or what they need to feel safe.

The simplest way to look at it is this:

Something that nearly everyone does is speak to/shout at their dog when they do something annoying (which may I add… never works 😝).

What hardly anyone does is notice, reward or acknowledge their dog when they do something good (which, top tip, does work 🤩).

That’s a contingency.

If you want to unpick your contingency with your dog drop me a DM 🙌

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02/11/2024

Waggy Woofers have a Christmas Quiz in aid of Eden Animal Rescue ❤️ £2 a go for a chance to win a hamper worth £75 😍

‼️CHRISTMAS QUIZ COMPETITION‼️

This year we will be holding a little competition in the form of:

"Waggy Woofers Doggy Christmas Quiz"

to raise funds for Eden Animal Rescue Kennel Fund and also give you the chance of winning a Christmas Doggy Hamper worth an impressive, ready for it........ £75.00!!

Hamper includes:

Christmas toys
Christmas treats
Squeaky toys
Tennis balls
JR pate
Black pudding sticks
Pizza
Sausages

£2 per Quiz (enter as many times as you like) all enteries with the correct answers will be entered into a grand prize draw and the winner will be picked at random.

All questions have been carefully selected by us and of course are all dog related. (We had alot of laughs doing it too)

Play on your own, in a team, as work place, with a glass of mulled wine and mince pie to really get into the christmas spirit, however you like.

The Quiz sheets will be available from this Friday (1st November) along with our Christmas stock.

We will draw a winner on the 21st of december.

Eden animal rescue are currently holding fund raising events and asking for donations to raise vital funds to build their new kennels to offer the best environment possible for the rescue dogs who come through their doors.

As a previous volunteer of Eden animal rescue I know the importance of the work they do and it simply cannot be done without help and support.

Please share this post to get the word out in hope we raise as much as we can to help this great cause 🩷

26/10/2024

The second method is:

🧁 Get a muffin tin
🥗 Place different foods in different cups
🐶 Give to your dog
📝 Take note of which order they eat the different foods in
👩‍🔬 Repeat to make sure it wasn’t a fluke the first time

More ideas for treats:

💠 Diced cocktail sausages (convenient as heck)
💠 Their daily kibble (make use of it!)
💠 Squeezy cheese tubes (good for muzzled dogs)
💠 Cream cheese (on a spoon, great for recall)
💠 Tinned meat or fish (on a spoon, also great for recall)
💠 Liver paste squeezy tubes (also good with muzzles)
💠 Carnilove treats (expensive but good)
💠 Cooked and diced ox or lamb heart (cheap and dogs go mad for it)
💠 Cooked and diced liver (as above)

My friend Esther has some of the best treats stocked in her shop Waggy Woofers

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18/10/2024

There is often a deep underlying cause to what seems like just a weird surface behaviour like eating other dog’s excrement - the technical name for which is Coprophagia.

Fear and anxiety can cause a dog to do many unusual things, and eating p**p is one of them.

Confinement in a kennel or crate for prolonged periods of time can also cause this behaviour to develop.

It could also have been caused by a puppy being punished for having an accident. The outdated method of “rubbing their nose in it” can actually cause coprophagia.

So if you have a rescue dog who’s come from an uncertain background, or especially those of you who have rehomed a “failed” working dog, these underlying factors are often the cause. Maybe you messed up and you want to do better, and that’s an amazing thing.

Working dogs that are deemed unfit for purpose quite often fail purely because they were unable to mentally cope with the punishment-based type of training that is sadly so rife in these sectors.

Considering these potential circumstances, this is another reason why it’s so important to get pain ruled out, as some of these dogs have been subjected to horrific physical abuse.

My previous “failed” working sheepdog, Cara, had a spur of bone that had grown from her spine as scar tissue from being kicked, clearly extremely hard.

Fortunately, once pain has been ruled out or is being managed, there is a lot that we can do to alleviate the mental suffering these dogs are expressing through something we see as weird.

This would start with feeding a nutritionally complete, quality diet at the appropriate quantity, so that their digestive system can function normally and they don’t feel the need to “supplement” their diet due to deficiencies.

Then addressing that fear, giving them a happy outlet for the working breed needs they still have, and giving them confidence and joy in their lives.

If you need help with any of the problems mentioned in this post drop me a WhatsApp with the button on my page 💫

09/10/2024

Don’t get me wrong, barking can be really annoying, I totally get that, although I’m pretty deaf to it these days.

The ideal is to work out the cause of the barking and to adapt your routine to meet that need before the barking becomes the routine.

If you really can’t stand a dog that makes noise, then you’ll firstly need to consider if you should even get a dog, then pick your breed very carefully (don’t get a Husky, Beagle, Jack Russell, Dachshund, Chihuahua, or Miniature Schnauzer for starters), make sure you can provide a life for that dog that minimises their stress, frustration, and boredom and generally creates a contented and relaxed woofer, and finally add a bit of sound desensitisation for good measure.

Also, watch out for accidentally rewarding your dog for barking, such as letting them out of the car when they bark or playing with their toy when they get fed up of waiting and bark at you, thus creating the idea for the dog that if they bark they get fun stuff.

If you need help with a barker, you want tips on how to meet your dog’s needs, or even advice on picking a puppy, DM me or book a free 30 minute consultation with the link in my bio 🐾

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