Positive Paws Dog Training South West

Did you know that the most crucial time for socialisation is between 4 and 16 weeks? And yet most puppies are not allowed out on the ground until they are close to 16 weeks 🙈 Luckily we can do lots of socialisation and confidence building the moment we bring our puppy home Gentle exposure to new things at home and outside (safely in your arms) is super important to raise confident happy puppies Video of the lovely Saffy who is braving lots of new things this week 😍 Just remember to go at your puppies pace and never force an interaction #confidentpuppies #cavapoopuppy

Bitey Face 🤣 They have the run of the ENTIRE house but they choose to wrestle where me and the toddler happened to sit 🙄🤪 Make sure you have the sound on 🤣 Happy Friday everyone! Please share if any of your dogs are also being knobs (albeit cute ones) 🐾

Huge shout out to Claire and Winnie for absolutely nailing the “down” cue! Winnie has found this one pretty challenging and, as she isn’t the most food motivated dog, would often get bored of trying pretty quickly. So we shifted her goal post and worked on getting her “halfway” down and then we gradually shifted our expectations. This can be a great way to give our puppies little wins that gradually get bigger. After all, if they feel like they don’t succeed why would they keep trying? Winnie is settling into her new home absolutely beautifully and the bond they are building with her is incredible! I feel so lucky to have been able to witness (and be a part) of some of this ❤️ Well done to Winnie and family! 🐾👏

First time off lead in about two weeks !! I think Georgie is very pleased that normal walks can resume!! 🐕 #goldies #dogtraining #sohappy

Rosie absolutely smashed her first time off lead 👏

Barking at the doorbell

Are you tired of constantly saying "no" to your dog? 🐶 Instead of focuing on how we can stop a particular behavior, it’s important that we understand why our dogs do something in the first place. Once we know the cause, we can give them a better, more positive alternative! ✨ Lottie for example, struggles with the doorbell. To her, this signifies people coming to the house which is both exciting and scary. With people she knows, Lottie is very friendly and affectionate but it can take her a little while to warm to people she doesn't know. So when the doorbell goes she feels quite anxious and doesn't know how to deal with the stress. Our goal with Lottie is to teach her that she doesn't need to be involved with people coming to the door and, instead, positive things happen away from the door. Over time this will help her feel less anxious at home whilst we also build confidence with people out and about. In this before and after video, you can see how far Lottie has come in just one short training session. Already, Lottie feels calmer and less anxious. Most dogs, but especially working breeds like Lottie, love having a "job" to do and it really shows in this second video which was filmed less than a minute after we started working on the doorbell. I am so excited to see how much progress her and her family will make over the next few weeks. A simple shift for a happier, stress-free home! Watch the change unfold now! 👀👇 #DogTraining #PositiveReinforcement #BeforeAndAfter #UnderstandYourDog #CalmDogHappyHome

Did you know that a verbal marker is going to really expedite your dog training? A verbal marker is a word or sound you use to signal to your dog that they’ve done something right. It’s like clicking a "snapshot" of the exact moment they performed the desired behaviour. Common verbal markers include words like “Yes!” or “Good!” When paired with a reward (like a treat or praise), it helps your dog understand which actions are being reinforced. It’s a simple, effective way to communicate and speed up learning! 🐾 #DogTraining #PositiveReinforcement #VerbalMarkers

Look at this boy 😍 When I first met Kobe he was like the Tasmanian devil 🤣 he was SO busy ALL the time and really struggled to focus! I am genuinely so happy to see how far along he has come, I am not sure his human ever truly believed he would one day be off lead like this. Huge shoutout to Rianna Keeley for working so hard with Kobe and for supporting him so wholeheartedly throughout! You’re both absolute superstars!

A little note on dog walkers… Have you ever used or are thinking of using a dog walker? If the answer is yes, have a quick read of my thoughts below: First of all, there is some amazing dog walkers out there! 😍 But finding “the one” might be harder than you think. Personally, I try and go with a dog walker that can replicate the sort of walks I give my dogs. Somewhere off lead with plenty of opportunities to sniff and play. The sort of things you need to consider and ask any potential dog walker should include some of the following: - how do they travel the dogs and how much time do they spend in the car/van overall? -where do they walk them and how much time do they get to sniff/explore/run around off lead? -are they walked with other dogs and if so how do they “match” those dogs? -what kind of leads/collars do they use? This is not a fully comprehensive list and I would be grateful for other people to add to this. This post was sparked by a local dog walking service that I see very regularly (I won’t name and shame them so please don’t ask who they are) and watching them always makes me sad. They’re not intentionally cruel to the dogs but I have never seen the dogs off lead. They are walked in groups (on lead) with, what appears to be, no opportunity to play or even sniff and I can’t help but think that if their owners asked the above questions they would potentially consider a different service (as there is plenty of amazing local dog walkers)! 🐶

Anyone else loving this weather? Just remember to regularly check your dogs for ticks (and grass seeds)! You can get a tick hook from the vet which makes it really easy to remove any ticks. It’s really important to remove the head too. Please don’t use Vaseline to smother them

Toddlers can be quite loud and unpredictable which can be stressful for dogs. Teaching our dogs that these same toddlers can also provide fun and positive interactions is really important as long as this is done in a safe way. Good relationships between young children and dogs involve a LOT of separation to make sure that interactions are appropriate and positive and anything unsafe is avoided. It is not fair for the dog to be put in a situation where they have to “put up” with a child climbing on them or poking them which is what a lot of young children will naturally do when they are exploring. Unfortunately this is also how a lot of bites happen which should have been completely preventable. Let’s not expect our dogs to be “bomb proof” but instead help them feel confident that we will advocate for their feelings in all situations #nailedthatthrow #positivedogtraining #toddlersanddogs

This is a really simple little game I like to play when we’re on a walk. I throw a few treats and use a verbal cue like “go find it”. It’s a great way to engage with your dog without the formality of a recall and it’s really good fun for your dog. Can you spot the scooter that went past? My dogs have no interest in chasing scooters or bikes because we regularly work on much better alternatives 🐕