Collie Encounters

01/05/2025

01/10/2024

🎆🎇 Firework season is nearly upon us! I highly recommend going to this online webinar tonight hosted by the fabulous Rachael Maxwell 🎇🎆

🌿 **A Soothing Herbal Solution to Ease Fireworks Stress and Fear in Animals** 🐾💥

We fully understand the fear, anxiety, and terror that fireworks can induce in our horses 🐴 and dogs 🐶. And it shouldn't be that way! Really, it shouldn't.

So, join us in our £8 charity webinar 🌟 to discover effective herbal strategies 🌱 and holistic techniques to help your animals feel calm, nourished, and safe during fireworks season.

Our chosen charity for 2024 is Bodmin Moorland Pony Rescue and Rehabilitation 🐎💖.

**Registered charity no. 1167401**

Designed to help you navigate the week-long celebrations that fireworks are, ensuring your horses and dogs feel less anxiety, fear, and stress.

In this webinar, you will learn:

- 🎆 A method that you can use consistently, for fireworks, loud noises, anxiety & stress-based traumas.
- 🌿 Guidance and support on preparing and using your herbs to best effect.
- 🔄 A method that supports the long-term changes to trauma and builds long-term resilience.
- 🤝 Access to our Herbs for Horses and Hounds Facebook group.
- ❤️ A bond that deepens between you and your animal.
- 📚 All material available for you to download and keep forever.
- 💡 Simple, effective, affordable tactics and techniques.
- 🐾 Animal-focused and animal-centered care.
- 🌺 Techniques and practices that provide physical, emotional, and spiritual support.
- 🌱 Botanical products that can be utilized for several years. More than just this fireworks night.

Our webinar shows you the right botanicals to use, how & when to use them, and why you're using them. Ensuring your animals mediate the stress and are better equipped to cope with the night.

Our webinar includes:

- 📋 A kit list of all the botanicals needed. Including dried herbs, powders, and essential oils. You can purchase our kits or go DIY.
- 🕒 Learn how and when to provide the right herb at the right time, and exactly why you're doing that.
- 🐕‍🦺 Discover how the herbs support each aspect of the animal, the physical body, and the emotional responses.
- 🎥 You have full access to the webinar and recording for later viewing. 1 x month.
- 🕖 You get the option to attend at a time that suits you. 2 times available.
- 📥 Download all the documents and presentation handouts to use when you need.

Yes, It Really Is Possible! A much calmer, stress-free evening for all our animals, using natural, toxin-free products. Enriching for you, enriching for them, supportive, and calming.

20/08/2024

I have recently started spending more time around a particular lovely horse who is owned by a wonderful new friend and its been quite eye opening.

So what does this have to do with dogs?

I know nothing about horses, literally nothing. In fact, they scare me a little bit, so I decided to learn more about horses and why they do what they do.

I went to good old Google and YouTube, and I couldn’t believe some of the videos, advice, and so-called knowledgeable professionals giving horse owners advice in the name of training and behaviour.

There was so much information out there that I had no idea whether it was true or not. There was so much about dominance and how to "control" your horse and whether your horse is being "pushy" or "disrespectful".

Some even showed training that looked so quick and simple, backed up with the words, "Look how calm and well-behaved he is now, and it doesn't hurt them," they say as they yank and push around the horse.

It made me think about the parallels in the dog world and when owners are really stuck and they want to learn more about their dog and jump into YouTube and google and are then given so much awful and damaging advice that appears to be quick, easy and painless....unless you really know and understand dogs and then a lot of this "advise" is painful and sickening to watch.

How hard it must be as a dog owner to know what is true and what is not. It's a minefield full of awful information. How do you know what’s right? How do you know what’s wrong? Is this training ethical? They seem to make sense, but the animal does not look okay.

It's terrifying out there with all the easily accessible information.

It took me a really long time to find someone who spoke about positive methods with horses, understanding their body language, putting the horse first before their own needs, and building trust, relationships, and confidence.

Thankfully, I have some amazing horse professionals in my corner who I know will always be kind and trusting and have the knowledge to train horses effectively and can guide me.

If you are struggling with your border collie, I can promise you that I will never do anything that makes you or your dog uncomfortable or scared. I will always have your relationship at heart and use effective and positive border collie specific training methods.

I currently have some spaces opening for new clients, so please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]

17/08/2024

Lovely review from a wonderful client!
Super proud of them both ❤️

14/08/2024

Is your border collie not taking treats?

Don't worry; it could be as simple as switching to a softer, wet treat that’s not only easier to chew but also more appealing and easier to swallow. This change could make all the difference in your collie accepting treats🍗

It's important to remember that if arousal levels are too high, your border collie may have gone into its sympathetic system. This is the fight-or-flight system, and your collie just isn’t able to take any type of food at this time.

Helping your dog calm down and return to its parasympathetic system, which is the rest and digest system, will help them to take food again.

13/08/2024

Hello, and a huge warm welcome to my page 👋

You may have noticed a few changes around here! I'm very proud to officially introduce my new business name, Collie Encounters.

If you are new here and we have never met before, my name is Jessica Richardson.

I am a border collie specialist trainer.

I help and support border collie owners who are struggling so much with their collie's behaviour that they are at a crossroads and don’t know who or where to turn next.

Border collies make the most fantastic companions, but they can also come with lots of challenging behaviour, making living with a border collie very stressful.

Having had my own challenges with my now wonderful border collie, I can identify with the struggles that come with sharing your life with a border collie.

As a professional with 20 years of experience in dog training, my aim is to support border collie owners in training and living effectively with their dog to build the relationship they always dreamed of.

Encountering your collie with new eyes, we can delve into their unique problems and tackle any underlying issues together. Alongside specialised border collie training, I implement a comprehensive approach, blending unique strategies like health, herding activities, nutrition, and holistic methods for successful training!

If you have any questions or would like to know more about how I can help you and your border collie, you can send me a direct message.

Or Email me: [email protected]

Love of love

Jess ❤️

📣 I am also so excited to share some more really exciting news with you soon. If you are struggling with your border collie, ensure you like and follow me to be one of the first to know!

*I am APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) and ABTC (Animal Behaviour & Training Council) qualified and have a lifelong passion for learning.

12/08/2024

Are you ready to get your border collie walking well on the lead?

💪 The ultimate goal is to teach your border collie that the space by your side is the most rewarding area, encouraging them to stay close to you on and off the lead.

I like to start off with a Hansel and Gretel trail so that the dog is always being rewarded at my side or behind me🍪 🍪 🍪

This means they don’t go in front of me, so I don’t need to pull them back or stop and stand still, which causes even more frustration for the dog.😤

Start with small, manageable training sessions throughout the day over the next few days. This gradual approach will set the stage for the next steps that I can share with you soon ❤️

11/08/2024

Tips for a happy, healthy Border Collie!
❤️

28/07/2024

Happy Sunny Sunday!

Reds is helping out in the secure field today at Chapel Farm with some of my clients dogs who really struggle around other dogs!

He is doing a great job and having a well earned break 🤩

27/07/2024

We are half way through Bonny’s training program and the difference in her is amazing! ❤️

Today Bonny was full of confidence and radiating pure pleasure in the training. Training should be fun 🤩

When Bonny is worried she becomes fixated on the thing that is worrying her. Today she was able to move around and carry on as if another dog wasn’t even there 👏

She even got to train around a big loud tractor on today’s session too! ❤️

12/07/2024

How absolutely perfect is this!!!

As Red is on a very restricted diet I have to make all his treats by dehydrating venison. I always end up with little crumbs when cutting them up and it feels such a waste binning them but this would be a great way to use them up. ❤️

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/w5MCGEPHz7FpfWiU/?mibextid=WC7FNe