Dream Dogs training Wales

24/12/2023

29/11/2023

Does your dog have a helpful habit that you havnt actively trained?
Dougs is - ima drop my ball next to my 💩 so mum can find it much easier 🤣 he then lies down about 4ft from said 💩 and ball waiting for his servant to collect his parcel!
So far he’s managed not to deposit his ball in his 💩 so win win for me 🤣🤣

15/11/2023

TRUST.

It’s unrealistic to expect our dogs to only experience great things in life. As much as we try to avoid bad experiences for our dogs we do have to build their resilience for when things out of our control happen.

Handling is one example. Dogs need vet treatment when they are poorly! So take my dog… the amazing Douglas!
He’s not a fan of the hose pipe as much as I’m not a fan of the dentist. Why do I go to the dentist? Because I trust them and that it’s good for my health! BUT I have a choice whether I have that experience and I can stop it at any time (usually by raising my hand mid-filling due to my speech being compromised 🤣)

DOGS NEED THIS CHOICE TO TRUST US!

Watch the video carefully:
I know Doug is not thrilled to have his feet washed (to make it equal I have cold, wet, muddy feet too 🤣). He lip licks and his ears are sometimes back.

BUT he has the CHOICE TO LEAVE - I am not cuing him to stay or restraining him.
Telling him to get his ball and seeing if he comes back gives him the opportunity to communicate his permission for me to continue.

I am not bribing him to stay there - the reward is no where near us. He can leave at any time but he TRUSTS the process. For me this is humbling and heartwarming and why dogs are so incredible.
If he did not come back I would not continue. I would deal with some mud on my floor and come up with a plan for next time. His mental health is more important.

There’s also fun interspersed in this activity which is crucial to keep his optimism topped up!!

When I pick up the hose pipe to water the garden in the summer he comes towards me not away. He wants to start this game and him getting his feet wet is a small sacrifice for the overall fun involved 😃

This is why his nail clips/vaccines/grooming etc are stress free - due to this framework. He actually finds them much less offensive than the hose pipe!

BUT there’s always room for an optimism top up - like me playing this game more with the hose pipe when he doesn’t need to be cleaned. This is what I’ll be doing now that I’ve seen this video as it’s easy to miss the lip licks when you are actually cleaning his feet! The value of videoing and really processing your dog’s behaviour is immeasurable.

24/09/2023

I never cease to appreciate how many skills a dog needs for what we see as a simple environment:
Disengagement
Impulse control
Calmness
Optimism
Are the main skills 🥰 and all grown through games that don’t require you or your dog to be anywhere near this situation initially. Then when they HAVE the skills they can be transitioned gradually into this type of environment which will hopefully limit barking, whining, anxiety and you having to ask for a takeaway mid meal 🙈

29/08/2023

The emails that just make my day 🥲
It’s a great day when there’s no reactivity while passing the neighbourhood nemesis’s house!

19/08/2023

Chase instinct is within all dogs to a greater or lesser degree. Being specifically selected for in herding breeds, it takes time for them to perform alternative behaviours when challenged. This challenge presented itself as a herd of deer 50-100ft ahead while Doug was off lead! He stopped when he spotted them, recalled and got his jackpot reward - ball 😁. It’s soooo important to match the value of reinforcement to the level of challenge. If I had offered him food for his great decision it wouldn’t have been such a great deal! Think about what reinforcers match your dogs challenges 💡

14/07/2023

Boosting Doug’s disengagement from livestock is always a great opportunity! He did well in such close proximity and the sheep didn’t seem remotely phased! A Few years ago this would have looked like a stalky, rigid, fixated border collie and I would have had to work a lot harder to convince him that I was a better deal than the 🐑 🤣
I could have used his ball as a reward here BUT the goal is to choose the calmest reinforcer for success in any training situation or move in that direction over time. A ball in this situation would have caused faster disengagement but at the price of higher arousal 👎🏼
what can you use for disengagement training today (family members, the hoover, the front door….)???

22/05/2023

How lucky am I to work with this dream team! Charlie likes to do a kangaroo impression when he wants to meet other dogs. Despite being a friendly chap walking a kangaroo is no fun 🙈 Charlie and his wonderful owners are doing brilliantly 🥰 well done!

13/02/2023

How does your dog get their meals? Using their daily food allowance to let them know they are rocking it makes them feel like a superhero. Like when we get appreciated for just being us 🥰
This is how Doug had his breakfast this morning, being a superstar 🤩⭐️
It's important to note he's not being distracted by the food, its being delivered to show him how awesome his choices are. Timing and knowing your dogs current skill level in this department is key for success🤓

30/01/2023

Wouldn’t it be nice if your pooch checked in with you before taking off after another dog?!
If a dog is off lead this is a necessity! Even if a dog is friendly, running up to unknown dogs is DANGEROUS. The other dog may be fearful, recovering from illness, in training...the list goes on!
If the approaching dog, then gets bad experience = recipe for the start of reactivity in a previously friendly dog.

This check-in seen in the video is achieved through games-based training and a targeted behaviour plan, just ask for more info! :D

02/01/2023

Gosh where has the time gone! - We've been busy studying more behaviour 🤓 Thought i would catch up before its back to being a book worm for a while longer! 📔
Here's a clip from todays outing in Penarth. Top tip for off lead freedom = on lead focus!

18/09/2022

Some fun by Ogmore beach today 😍 engagement with you around distractions is such an important skill for every dog. It’s possible through a targeted training plan (and Fun of course 😉)

07/08/2022

HUGE Win shout out! Lovely Mitzi had a consult a month ago as she is worried about anything that moves! She would quite spectacularly end up flipping, flopping, spinning and barking on the end of the lead! These fabulous pictures show something rather different - sniffing, mooching, taking food and at one point looking elsewhere as the horse, cart and motorbike goes past 😱 She's a senior rescue pooch (10Y!) which is proof that any dog at any age can be transformed. Keep up the amazing work!!

29/06/2022

Superstar stays this time! Variety is the spice of life on walks 💃 mix it up to boost learning and engagement with you 😃

23/06/2022

Emergency recalls! Have you got a back up plan when your pooch has a brain fart!? We all have weak moments and dogs are no different. The most important thing we can do as owners is have a plan B. It’s risky for any unfamiliar dogs to approach each other (especially when one is on lead), so Doug does not rehearse this despite being a friendly goofball. BUT we must remember that all dogs have lapses in judgement. As you can see in this video he slows down and I wait him out to turn back (which he usually does). When he has a brain fart and keeps going, I interrupt. Emergency recalls are so important – regularly powered up but should be rarely needed.

23/05/2022

Sometimes the best training is the simplest 👌🏻

09/05/2022

Did not expect to see this super cool beast on our walk today! A gentle reminder to keep your pooches close and top up your recall or they could find themselves in a slippery situation 🐍👀 this was in a lane on an industrial estate, so they really can show up anywhere! (For dog walkers in Cardiff/Newport area this was Pencarn lane (off Imperial way by Tredegar house!) Luckily this guy isn’t venomous but I’ll definitely be more vigilant from now on given this is snake habitat!

02/05/2022

COWS VS COW POO! We met some very curious friends on our soggy, 7 mile (distance unintentional 🙈) walk yesterday! But how did Douglas Fair with disengagement. Ignoring distractions is always something to reward and progress 💪