Pirate Dog. Behaviourist, trainer, photographer & 1-2-1 dog walker

Badger loves the beach, especially digging holes.

Chester has been working hard on his training and he is progressing really well. Well done Chester, good boy.

Sit, stay and recall training with Bertie. If you want a super well trained dog you have to put the time in, practise, practise, practise. Your dog will love you for spending all that time with him and you will have a great bond together.

The weather forecaster said "today we would have unseasonably windy conditions". This is Quinn giving a visual demonstration of what that looks like.

A walk through the grass is more of an adventure when you are only small.

I love watching dogs having fun. Quinn loves the beach and the water. He's such a lovely boy. #dogbehaviourist #behaviourist #dogtrainer

Quinn having a cooling paddle at the end of our training session today in this glorious sunshine we have at the moment. Quinn loves the water so this is a great reward for him working well today. Well done Quinn, good boy. #dogbehaviourist #dogtrainer #petphotographer #dogwalker

Quinn enjoyed some time on the beach today, he was very excited when I picked him up and we had lots of fun, he went home happy and tired. Well done Quinn, Good boy #dogbehaviourist #dogtrainer

Is your dog's recall great. If the only time you call your dog is to put their lead on and take them home your dog will learn not to come back to you. If you call your dog frequently during your walk, praise and reward them for coming back to you and then releasing them again they will learn that being called means good things and their recall will be much more reliable. Don't be stingy with the rewards, high value and plenty of them will make your dog want to come when called. Don't forget you are competing with the environment so start somewhere with few distractions and build up from there.

Your dog wants to spend quality time with you. When you are walking your dog don’t just walk along looking at your phone, interact with your dog it is a great bonding time. Yes let your dog be a dog and sniff those wonderful smells but I also like to play with my dogs and do some training with them it’s great for their mental stimulation. I do a few minutes of training mostly sits, downs, stay and recall, then a few minutes play as a reward for the training, I then send them off to do their own thing for a few minutes. I repeat this all the way along our walk.

Most dogs like to dig, but why? Digging is a natural instinctive behaviour, but excessive digging can be a sign of underlying distress and if you have any concerns speak to your vet and/or behaviourist (me). Digging is fun for your dog it is also a good way to de-stress. Terriers have been bred to dig out rodents and flush out prey from their burrows. Some dogs bury prized possessions and dig them up later, some forget where they buried them and will dig lots of holes to find them. Some dogs like to dig a shallow rest spot in the soil in hot weather to cool themselves or to protect themselves from rain and wind if left outside. Dogs are social animals and if left outside for long periods alone may dig out of boredom and to work off excess energy, or to escape which is often a sign of separation anxiety, often accompanied by excessive barking and/or destructive behaviour. You should never punish your dog for fulfilling it’s natural instincts such as digging. If you don’t want your dog digging up your flowers you can train them to only dig in a designated digging spot such as a child’s sand pit or take them to the beach regularly to fulfil their needs there.

When I am doing a training session I like to give the dog I am working with plenty of breaks, training is mentally tiring for the dog. So I let them sniff, play tug and fetch. you don't need to throw a ball very far so even when the dog is on a long line you can still play fetch. It also acts as a reward for doing well and keeps those Endorphins, the “feel good” hormones going.