Reservoir Dogs Llanishen Training and Behaviour

06/01/2025

🐾 Bringing Your Puppy Home: What You Need to Know 🐾

Bringing a puppy home is exciting, but it’s also a big adjustment for them. Puppies are leaving behind their mum and littermates, so it’s important to support their emotional needs and help them settle in. Here’s how to set them up for success:

✨ 1. Think About Their Emotional Needs
• Puppies are experiencing a huge change, so give them time to adjust.
• Create a safe, quiet space where they can relax and feel secure, like a pen or crate with comfy bedding (you may have been given a blanket with mums scent on from the breeder, which is great to use) and toys. This becomes their safe haven when they need rest or downtime.

✨ 2. Set Realistic Expectations (and Puppy-Proof Your Home)
Puppies don’t know the rules yet! Mistakes like chewing or toileting indoors are normal – they’re not being naughty.
Take some time to puppy-proof your home to prevent accidents and keep them safe:
• Use baby gates to block off areas you don’t want them exploring yet.
• Remove hazards like shoes, wires, or anything chewable from their reach.
• Secure bins, cupboards, and anything fragile or valuable.
Management tools like gates, pens, or crates can help keep your puppy out of trouble while they’re learning the ropes. Redirect them to appropriate behaviours and reward them for getting it right to encourage learning.

✨ 3. Reward Positive Behaviours
• Instead of focusing on what they shouldn’t do, teach them what you’d like them to do.
• For example, reward calm behaviours like sitting or lying down, so your puppy learns that good things happen when they’re calm.

✨ 4. Gentle Socialisation
• Socialisation doesn’t mean overwhelming your puppy. Introduce them to new experiences gradually, at their pace.
• Pair sights, sounds, and people with treats to help them build positive associations. This builds their confidence and reduces the chance of fear-based behaviours later.

✨ 5. Build a Strong Bond Through Play
• Playtime is more than fun – it builds trust and connection! Games like tug or fetch are great for tiring your puppy out mentally and physically, which can help prevent unwanted behaviours caused by boredom.
• Sniffing games, like hiding treats around the house or using a snuffle mat, are fantastic for calming your puppy and tapping into their "rest and digest" nervous system. These activities encourage focus and relaxation, making them perfect for winding down after an active session.

✨ 6. Sleeping Arrangements
• When your puppy first comes home, have them sleep in your room in a crate or pen. This helps them feel safe and secure.
• Leaving a puppy to sleep alone straight away can be traumatic and may cause lasting anxiety. Over time, you can gradually move the crate outside your room if that’s your preference. Remember, dogs are social animals, and they naturally feel safer sleeping near you.
💡 Think of it this way: Imagine being in a completely new country, surrounded by strangers, different smells, nobody who speaks your language, you don't feel safe and then you're told to sleep alone in the dark. How would you feel? Puppies need comfort and reassurance to build confidence.

✨ 7. Gradually Introduce Alone Time
• Puppies don’t naturally know how to be alone – this is something they need to learn slowly.
• Start with the flitting game (please see link in comments) leave the room for a few seconds, return calmly, and gradually increase the time you’re gone. This helps them understand that being alone is safe and temporary.
• If you’ll need to leave them for longer periods, consider a dog walker or sitter to break up their day.

✨ 8. Take Time Off Work If You Can
• If possible, plan to take time off when your puppy first comes home. This allows you to establish a routine and focus on settling them in without overwhelming them.

Helping your puppy feel safe, secure, and supported is the best way to support them whilst they are developing emotionally and physically.

What are you most looking forward to when your new puppy comes home? Let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear! 🐾

01/01/2025

🎉 Happy New Year to New and Existing Followers! 🎉

As we move into 2025, I want to thank all of you for being here – whether you’ve just joined or have been following for a while. Your support means so much, and I’m excited to bring you more helpful and informative content this year.

🐾 What’s Coming in 2025?
This year, I’ll be focusing on sharing practical tips, training advice, and valuable insights to help you and your dogs. Whether you’re working on recall, settling, or understanding behaviour, I’ll be sharing practical tips and insights to help you better understand and work with your dogs.

If there’s something specific you’d like to see, let me know – your input helps shape what I share. Let’s make this year one of progress and connection with our dogs.

Thank you for being part of this journey, and here’s to a great 2025 for you and your dogs! 🐾

31/12/2024

🚨 New Blog Alert 🚨

After taking some much-needed time off to reset and refocus, I’m excited to share that my new blog is live! 🎉

Having some much needed rest has given me the chance to regain clarity and explore new ways to reach and support more people with their dogs. The blog is just the first step toward providing even more resources and information to help you and your dog's.

This one is all about preparing for a new puppy—full of practical tips to set your pup up for success.

👉 Check it out here:

How to Prepare for a New Puppy: Essential Tips for a Smooth StartBringing a new puppy into your home is such an exciting time, but it also comes with a lot of responsibility. Puppies are leaving behind their mum and littermates and entering a completely new world. It’s our job to make that transit...

10/11/2024

On Remembrance Sunday, we honour the bravery and sacrifice of all who served in times of war—humans and animals alike. Alongside soldiers, animals like horses, dogs, and pigeons played crucial roles, from carrying messages and rescuing the injured to providing comfort and companionship.

As we remember today, we should also think about those (humans and animals) who are currently affected by conflict and keep them in our thoughts too.

Lest we forget.🌺

04/11/2024

🧡 How Many Choices Have You Made Today? 🧡

Now... how many choices has your dog made? 🤔

Think about your day. Did you choose what to eat, what to wear, where to go? Now consider your dog’s day. How many opportunities did they have to make choices?

Allowing dogs to make small choices in their daily lives—like where to sleep (yes that would probably be with you in your room), what to play with, or where to explore on walks—can make a big difference to their happiness and well-being.

🐾 AGENCY Reduces Stress: Research shows that animals, including dogs, experience lower stress when they have some control over their environment (Koolhaas et al., 2011). Just like us, dogs feel better and less anxious when they have some agency in their lives.

🐾 Choice Boosts Mental Health: Studies in shelters found that when dogs were allowed to make choices—like selecting toys or deciding when to interact—they showed fewer signs of anxiety and improved overall well-being (Fitzpatrick et al., 2017). Making small choices can help keep their minds active and engaged.

🐾 Prevents Learned Helplessness: Remember the famous learned helplessness study (which was horrific)? When dogs had no control over their situation, they became passive and stopped trying to change it, showing signs of depression (Seligman & Maier, 1967). Lack of choice can lead to this same sense of helplessness in any dog, so even small choices can help keep them mentally resilient and optimistic.

🐾 Quality of Life and Confidence: Giving dogs choices—like where to sleep or who to interact with—can improve their quality of life and make them more confident (McMillan, 2005; Mellor et al., 2020). Letting them explore their world and express natural behaviours keeps them happier and healthier.

Whether it’s letting your dog choose the route on a walk, decide between a few enrichment toys, or even pick their resting spot, giving them choices supports their mental health and builds trust.

So next time you’re with your dog, try giving them the chance to make a few choices! 🌱💛

What choices did your dog make today?

16/10/2024

Willow, the little Black and Tan pup, recently completed one of my Puppy Packages. She likes to observe her surroundings and has shown some slight sensitivities around other dogs.

During this session, I introduced her to Charlie—the best boy, and an incredible communicator. Other dogs naturally respect him because he’s polite, calm, and confident, without being rude or pushy.

Willow was a bit nervous at first, so we gave her the space to do what felt comfortable for her. She chose to either come in for a brief sniff or move away as she pleased. After twenty minutes or so, she felt comfortable enough to try and initiate play with Charlie.

The puppy packages are great because they really are tailored to what your puppy needs, whether that’s to know how to relax, build confidence around bigger dogs, or just gain an understanding of our human world.

06/10/2024

Just got back from the PACT conference in Winchester. It was a fantastic day with some amazing speakers, and I had the chance to network with like minded dog enthusiasts. I even got to see some
of the people who were on my course!

Of course, I couldn’t resist spending a bit of my hard-earned cash on the girls – including a toy pastrami! Pippa had great fun testing it out 😂.

24/09/2024

Have some FUN with your dog!

Offering a variety of different treats in a muffin tin is a fantastic way to learn more about their preferences. By placing different treats in each section of the tin, you allow your dog to make choices and explore new flavours and textures. This simple activity engages their natural foraging instincts and also provides valuable insight into your dog’s preferences—do they go straight for the high-value treats or explore everything equally? This can help you determine which treats are most motivating for training and which ones they’re less interested in.

You can mix it up and have a tin full of different meats, their favourite can be used for recall, you could have a tin with half soft foods and half crunchy foods. What did they prefer?

Give it a go and let me know what your dog's favourite treat is, feel free to include a photo!

Make sure to use foods your dog is able to eat! If you're not sure research it first!

08/09/2024

🐾 Getting a Puppy? Not Sure Where to Start? 🐾

It can be overwhelming trying to find the right puppy—there’s so much to think about! I’ve put together some key tips to help you navigate the process and make sure you’re on the right path to getting a happy, healthy pup from the right breeder.

Getting a puppy today might be easy—you can hop online and find one in minutes—but I urge you to pause and think carefully about where that puppy is coming from. Is the breeder experienced? Are they doing things ethically?

Breeding dogs is about so much more than just pairing two dogs. The long-term consequences of poorly bred puppies can lead to behavioural and health problems. Good breeders research, plan, and prioritise the welfare of their dogs—and that’s exactly what you should be looking for.

📖 Read the full blog here and I hope it helps you! https://www.reservoirdogsllanishen.co.uk/post/getting-a-puppy-here-s-how-to-find-a-reputable-breeder

04/09/2024

Just two soaces left for our class, starting Thursday!

Don’t get FOMO come join us and have some fun!

£135 for 6 weeks at Llwynfedw Gardens just off Heathwood Road.

Small classes and lots of support throughout.

Reservoir Dogs Llanishen. Professional dog walker, Dog Trainer and Dynamic Dog Practitioner. Every dog is an individual and should be treated that way, using kind & effective methods

23/08/2024

Today, I had the pleasure of working with these two brothers again! You might recognise them from my classes.

Dougal has been struggling with his attention outdoors, so we focused on practicing some foundation skills outside, like stays—a challenging area for him. Today, he absolutely smashed it! Repetition is key!

We also played some simple engagement games to boost his focus on his guardian when out and about.

Next we’ll be heading to parks across Cardiff to practice in more distracting environments. Stay tuned for updates!

14/08/2024