Heal&Lead

18/04/2025

I’m now taking bookings for my May dog training classes! 🐶

Details:
* When: Mondays at 6:15 PM�
* Where: Chapel Farm, Pensford (just a 10-minute drive from Keynsham)�
* Dates: 12, 19 May�

These fun, games-based, life-skills classes are perfect for:

* Puppies�
* Rescue dogs�
* Any dog-and-human partnership looking for a training refresh�

What makes our training special? We use games to teach essential skills while strengthening the bond between you and your dog. It’s fun, effective, and helps create a happy, harmonious relationship!

Topics we’ll cover:

* Loose lead walking�
* Reliable recall�
* Managing jumping up�
* Arousal up/arousal down�
* “Can you hear me?” focus games�
* Household manners�
* Handling and grooming�
* Loving their equipment (harness, collar, muzzle, lead/longlines)�
* Plus any additional topics you’d like to explore!�

Cost:
* £15 per class, paid monthly (£30 for May).�
* Your place is confirmed once payment is received.�

Each session lasts an hour and includes a follow-up email with detailed descriptions of the games we’ve played—perfect for practicing at home.

I’m always happy to answer any questions or chat about whether this class is the right fit for you and your dog. Feel free to reach out via message or email [email protected].

As an AbsoluteDogs-trained ProDogTrainer (Geek and Genius levels, with Video Assessment passed), I can’t wait to share games based training with you and your dog 💛

Photos of current and past owners/dogs.

17/04/2025

It's lurcher week at Bath Cats&Dogs home and it's always lovely (and sad at the same time) to see photos of all the dogs in their care that are looking for homes. Lurchers make wonderful four footed companions, so I thought I'd link this blog from my website which explains both the joys and challenges you might encounter if you were to adopt one - adopting any dog of course needs careful consideration, but the benefits for both you and the dog can be huge and I would find it very hard not to have at least one on my sofa 😆 https://www.healandlead.co.uk/blog/sighthounds-our-spirited-friends

It all begins with an idea.

15/04/2025

Super class last night - thank you to everyone for coming and joining in so enthusiastically! You were all brilliant.

We were playing games for loose lead walking - so that involved games for putting on equipment like a harness or a muzzle so we're prepared in case it's ever needed, games to teach our dogs to keep checking in with us and learning to disengage from all the exciting things that are going on in the world so that they want to stay with us rather than pulling ahead and be a joy to walk 😊

12/04/2025

Here's Rosie playing Magic Hand - caught it just perfect with the food mid air!!

This is a brilliant game for keeping noses off the ground (fabulous if you own a spaniel or other very sniffy dog) but also great if there's anything in the environment you'd rather your dog didn't look at, putting the value in looking up at your hand instead!!

11/04/2025

Love these photos Iain took of me playing whip-it with Gracie - this is a fantastic sighthound game, keeping the interest with me, giving her the opportunity to chase and catch whilst staying close to me.

If you'd like to learn more about games to engage your sighthound with you rather than scanning the horizon for chase opportunities, why not sign up for my workshop?

Date: Saturday, 17 May - 10am to 1pm
Venue: Chapel Farm, Pensford, BS39 4NE
Price: £55
Having shared my life with sighthounds for over 20 years, I have made it my mission to understand the very best training methods to engage their unique characteristics and enable them to live their best life.
During this workshop I will share the games I play with my dogs to enable them to live a balanced and happy life. This includes building relationship with me and the ability to disengage from wildlife rather than scanning the horizon for chase opportunities.
We will have time to discuss the needs of the different dogs attending, why training sighthounds is different from other breeds and how we can get the very best from them, demonstrations from my dogs as well as plenty of time for you and your dogs to practice the different games and adapt them to your needs.

10/04/2025

Once a month I drive down to Devon Dogs for a three hour dog training class to build my own skills - I get to work with other trainers who have different experience to myself as well as different breeds of dogs.

I find this monthly top up hugely valuable, both for setting goals for Rosie and Gracie, but also my own abilities as a trainer - I love learning new skills, both for my own dogs and all the students I teach - the learning is never done and if we can have fun at the same time, then what's not to love?? 😉

09/04/2025

It's great to be able to be outside for April's training classes (we still have the barn if it rains) - but I had to laugh at my photos, definitely room for improvement 😆

Well done everyone and see you next week!

05/04/2025

Boundary games are an essential part of games based training - this is essentially target training, building our dog's bed, mat, back of the car etc as a really valuable place to be - and then we add cues, so our dogs know to stay on their place until we cue them to release.

For me when I'm teaching it's brilliant to know that once I've asked my dogs to get on their bed that they will stay there while I'm moving about the barn helping other owners (OK Gracie does need half an eye on her and might put her front feet on the floor, but she's getting there).

It's also perfect for cafes and pubs, knowing I can sit them by the table and then leave them while I order knowing they will happily wait for me to come back.

NB: Because they are sighthounds, I'd never leave them outside a shop or anywhere I didn't consider safe as they have a history of being stolen.

04/04/2025

Super proud of everyone who came to my March All Stars and Super Stars classes - I hope you've enjoyed playing the games as much as I've enjoyed teaching them and can see the results at home and out and about with your puppies and dogs.

I have a couple of spaces left for April - more information below, or message or email [email protected] for joining information.

I’m now taking bookings for my April and May dog training classes! 🐶

Details:
* When: Mondays at 6:15 PM�
* Where: Chapel Farm, Pensford (just a 10-minute drive from Keynsham)�
* Dates in April and May: 7, 14, 28 April and 12, 19 May�
These fun, games-based, life-skills classes are perfect for:

* Puppies�
* Rescue dogs�
* Any dog-and-human partnership looking for a training refresh�

What makes our training special? We use games to teach essential skills while strengthening the bond between you and your dog. It’s fun, effective, and helps create a happy, harmonious relationship!

Topics we’ll cover:

* Loose lead walking�
* Reliable recall�
* Managing jumping up�
* Arousal up/arousal down�
* “Can you hear me?” focus games�
* Household manners�
* Handling and grooming�
* Loving their equipment (harness, collar, muzzle, lead/longlines)�
* Plus any additional topics you’d like to explore!�

Cost:
* £15 per class, paid monthly (£75 for all five classes in April and May).�
* Your place is confirmed once payment is received.�
Each session lasts an hour and includes a follow-up email with detailed descriptions of the games we’ve played—perfect for practicing at home.

I’m always happy to answer any questions or chat about whether this class is the right fit for you and your dog. Feel free to reach out via message or email [email protected].

As an AbsoluteDogs-trained ProDogTrainer (Geek and Genius levels, with Video Assessment passed), I can’t wait to share games based training with you and your dog 💛

03/04/2025

I love teaching my monthly class - it's a fabulous opportunity for more experienced owners to goal set and to keep moving forward building their dog's skills.

This month we were concentrating on real life loose lead walking, keeping noses off the ground and interacting with our human, plus topping up our recall skills. We also looked at playing games without food to reduce 'action prompting'.

I can't wait to see all you achieve this month - you really are fabulous owners and I'm proud to be a part of your journey 🥰

31/03/2025

I’ve been so impressed with all the dogs and owners who have joined my classes over the last month - it’s so rewarding to see the progress they have made.

I’m now taking bookings for my April and May dog training classes! 🐶

Details:
* When: Mondays at 6:15 PM�
* Where: Chapel Farm, Pensford (just a 10-minute drive from Keynsham)�
* Dates in April and May: 7, 14, 28 April and 12, 19 May�
These fun, games-based, life-skills classes are perfect for:

* Puppies�
* Rescue dogs�
* Any dog-and-human partnership looking for a training refresh�

What makes our training special? We use games to teach essential skills while strengthening the bond between you and your dog. It’s fun, effective, and helps create a happy, harmonious relationship!

Topics we’ll cover:

* Loose lead walking�
* Reliable recall�
* Managing jumping up�
* Arousal up/arousal down�
* “Can you hear me?” focus games�
* Household manners�
* Handling and grooming�
* Loving their equipment (harness, collar, muzzle, lead/longlines)�
* Plus any additional topics you’d like to explore!�

Cost:
* £15 per class, paid monthly (£75 for all five classes in April and May).�
* Your place is confirmed once payment is received.�

Each session lasts an hour and includes a follow-up email with detailed descriptions of the games we’ve played—perfect for practicing at home.

I’m always happy to answer any questions or chat about whether this class is the right fit for you and your dog. Feel free to reach out via message or email [email protected].

As an AbsoluteDogs-trained ProDogTrainer (Geek and Genius levels, with Video Assessment passed), I can’t wait to share games based training with you and your dog 💛

Photos of current and past owners/dogs.

30/03/2025

Lovely Sunday lunch at Savour in Temple Street - I did have to laugh though, most people photo their own lunch, I'm photoing the dog's sausage 😆

29/03/2025

Gracie loves nothing more than looking out of the window searching for squirrels, cats and birds.

Most people would think we're really mean because we don't let her repeat doing this and always call her away, ideally before she manages to get a look out (most of our rooms are set up so she can't see out) - now we don't do this because we're mean, but because we know she's practicing hunting.

We've noticed that if she manages to spend any time looking out the window that when we get out on our walks that's she's so hyped up she can't hear us, can't recall and this means she doesn't get to go off-lead - so we make sure when she's at home she's building calm behaviours and then she gets to run and play when we go out.

It's really worth noticing what our dogs are doing day in day out at home as it can have a huge impact on our ability to build our dog's skills with training - and if you're not sure, change things at home and see if it makes a difference when you're out and about, we can learn so much from observing our dogs 🥰

28/03/2025

Sighthound Workshop!

Date: Saturday, 17 May - 10am to 1pm

Venue: Chapel Farm, Pensford, BS39 4NE

Price: £55

Having shared my life with sighthounds for over 20 years, I have made it my mission to understand the very best training methods to engage their unique characteristics and enable them to live their best life.

During this workshop I will share the games I play with my dogs to enable them to live a balanced and happy life. This includes building relationship with me and the ability to disengage from wildlife rather than scanning the horizon for chase opportunities.

We will have time to discuss the needs of the different dogs attending, why training sighthounds is different from other breeds and how we can get the very best from them. There will be demonstrations from my dogs, as well as plenty of time for you and your dogs to practice the different games and adapt them to your needs.

Message or email [email protected] for further details or to book. https://www.healandlead.co.uk/services

28/03/2025

Some days are just perfect for relaxing in the sun 🙂

27/03/2025

I’ve been so impressed with all the dogs and owners who have joined my classes over the last month - it’s so rewarding to see the progress they have made.

I’m now taking bookings for my April and May dog training classes! 🐶

Details:
* When: Mondays at 6:15 PM�
* Where: Chapel Farm, Pensford (just a 10-minute drive from Keynsham)�
* Dates in April and May: 7, 14, 28 April and 12, 19 May�

These fun, games-based, life-skills classes are perfect for:

* Puppies�
* Rescue dogs�
* Any dog-and-human partnership looking for a training refresh�

What makes our training special? We use games to teach essential skills while strengthening the bond between you and your dog. It’s fun, effective, and helps create a happy, harmonious relationship!

Topics we’ll cover:

* Loose lead walking�
* Reliable recall�
* Managing jumping up�
* Arousal up/arousal down�
* “Can you hear me?” focus games�
* Household manners�
* Handling and grooming�
* Loving their equipment (harness, collar, muzzle, lead/longlines)�
* Plus any additional topics you’d like to explore!�

Cost:
* £15 per class, paid monthly (£75 for all five classes in April and May).�
* Your place is confirmed once payment is received.�

Each session lasts an hour and includes a follow-up email with detailed descriptions of the games we’ve played—perfect for practicing at home.

I’m always happy to answer any questions or chat about whether this class is the right fit for you and your dog. Feel free to reach out via message or email [email protected].

As an AbsoluteDogs-trained ProDogTrainer (Geek and Genius levels, with Video Assessment passed), I can’t wait to share games based training with you and your dog 💛

Photos of current and past owners/dogs.

25/03/2025

Thank you to everyone who came along to my classes last night - we based all the games around building a great recall which included making us really interesting and worth coming back to, being able to disengage from really interesting things going on in the environment AND being able to hear our recall cues.

It was great fun and I hope you all learnt loads of new techniques.

I have spaces for my April and May classes - please message or email [email protected] for more information.🥰

24/03/2025

Lovely to get out and walk with friends - we are so lucky to have so many places to get out and about in the countryside!