Bluebell Dog Walking and Training

25/12/2024

A blast at the field before we are off out to visit family for Christmas lunch. Our dogs prefer the quiet of home but we make sure all their needs are met just as any other day. It's ok if your dogs prefer not to be part of the festivities, recognising that and giving them a peaceful day instead makes you a great guardian.

Merry Christmas everyone 🐾

23/12/2024

Just a couple of walks left today and we are done for the year.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us this year.

Thank you to my clients for all the wonderful cards and gifts, they are so appreciated.

Have a lovely Christmas everyone 🐾🎄🥳

20/12/2024

Some of this week's walks.

19/12/2024

We had some great Scentwork teams last night. ❤️ Newt did some multiple article searches, Spyro showed some fabulous improvement in his independence to search and Holly located an article we'd forgotten to move, showing she was clearly identifying the scent not looking for a specific article.

It was a real pleasure to work with such fabulous dogs and handlers.

(Thank you to Emma for the fab photos).

10/12/2024

A great opportunity to try out classes and see if they are for you without committing to a 6 week course.

With 2 trainers and 1 assistant trainer there is plenty of opportunity for individual coaching to help you get the most out of your training.

ADOLESCENT/ADULT TASTER CLASSES - JANUARY 7TH, 14TH or 21st!

Not sure if group classes are for you?

Come and have a go with no commitment!

We are running 3 standalone classes this January covering the core skills of: Recall, Loose Lead Walking, Stay, and Leave It.

There will also be a Q&A at the end of each class so you can ask any questions about things which may be happening at home!

Classes are £20 each, and you can book 1, 2 or all 3 of them. Tuesdays 7.30pm at Shirehampton Public Hall

If you enjoy the class, depending on your dogs' needs you could then choose to join our indoor Life Skills course or the outdoor Real World Club pay-as-you-go classes.

Bookings through the website! Join the inner circle to earn points!

05/12/2024

Many years ago I broke my collar bone and several ribs falling off a horse. (Note, you are supposed to take the horse with you over a jump, somersaulting over it alone and crashing into the floor is a terrible idea!)

Thanks to the marvel of adrenaline I had no idea how badly I'd injured myself at the time. In fact I kept getting back on that horse until the lesson had ended and even drove myself home. It wasn't until the adrenaline wore off that I really started to feel the full pain.

Adrenaline is an important chemical that helps us cope with stress to help us stay safe.

So many dogs that are sore don't have any obvious physical afflictions. I've met many that will still try to run and play as they would normally.

As I've got older when the weather gets colder and wetter I often get some soreness where I was injured. Presumably because of arthritic changes. Sometimes it's a mild ni**le but sometimes it's pretty painful.

I hear so many people say their dogs 'only have a bit of arthritis' or 'they are just getting old'. These are loving, caring owners who don't know differently.

I can't imagine having those painful days and not being able to communicate with someone or have access to pain relief.

There are so many things we can do to support our older dogs. Talk to your vet and check out the info over at https://caninearthritis.co.uk/managing-arthritis/what-can-be-done/

Your dog will thank you for it.

04/12/2024

✨NEW BLOG POST✨

Everything you need to know about resource guarding in dogs.

Please share far and wide so I can help as many people and dogs as possible with this distressing issue
Love
Clair x
https://talktothepaw.io/everything-you-need-to-know-about-resource-guarding-in-dogs/

03/12/2024

Scentwork skills sessions, both classes and 121's for Jan onwards are now available to book on the website.

Great gift idea if you are struggling to buy for your dog mad friend or family member.

Don't forget Emma at Halcyon Hounds is running a fabulous raffle in aid of Dog Friends where alongside lots of other fabulous prizes you have the opportunity to win a Scentwork session with me.

25/11/2024

24/11/2024

18/11/2024

Here's a boring video of a retriever sniffing and being a dog.

And yet this is the thing I have received most compliments on since doing this job.

Betty is well loved by her community.

Betty also loves dogs. Alot. She'd find it quite difficult to concentrate or stay calm around them.

Listening to a human when she was around dogs was really hard.

But after alot of work here we have a dog chilling and doing her thing, on a trailing line without me micro managing every second.

When I took this there was lots going on in the field, including 2 very high energy dogs chasing a ball.

She knows they are there but they are no longer so overstimulating for her. She can mooch and chill and be a dog despite their presence.

We both have a much more enjoyable walk and Betty enjoys much more freedom.

Remember the goal of socialisation is to be comfortable around things, not to need to engage with them.

16/11/2024

Mental enrichment is so important for our dogs, especially working breeds.

During Duke's adolescence this has been especially apparent. Without his daily training we would see alot of unsettled behaviour such as barking for attention and harassing the older dogs to play.

I've never been into sports training with my dogs, I'm not by nature a competitive person, I find that sort of environment stressful. But there is no denying how much this dog loves his hoopers, it makes him incredibly happy, which will always be my goal as his human.

Find something you both enjoy so that training becomes a joy not a chore. You'll all benefit from it.

11/11/2024

We are back from a fabulous break away.

I should have responded to everyone but if you haven't had a reply please give me a nudge.

31/10/2024

We are now out of the office having a well earned break.

Please note emails and messages won't be answered until Monday 11th Nov.

Please remember there are no walks or classes during this period.

Happy Halloween!

30/10/2024

Thank you to Hugo, Sweep, Remi and their humans for a great spooky Scentwork class.

A sneaky ghost tested Remi and Amanda without them knowing. 😱 They successfully passed two test searches, which they had to complete in under 90 seconds, and met the handling criteria with ease. Congratulations to our first ever level one pass! 🎉