Dogs & Owners Guidance School incorporating DOGS daycare and walking

03/04/2024

We have a few spaces left on our classes starting on 22nd April 2024.
6.30pm - Puppy class - suitable for dogs up to 6 months
7.30pm - Novice class - suitable for dogs of any age with little or no previous training. Small personal classes, lots of help always available 🙂
Classes are held at The Diamond Centre, Woodmansterne Road, SM5 4DT.
For any further information please feel free to WhatsApp us or contact us through the website - www.

Positive,reward based puppy and pet dog training using modern and effective methods. Informal, friendly and relaxed atmosphere with small classes giving you personal attention. Classes for all abilities including rescues

27/09/2023

I’ve had several dogs come to me in the last two months who have aggression issues around people that either started or became much worse after they’d had aversive training. By aversives we mean the use of slip lead corrections, body jabs, rattle cans, prong and Ecollars etc. Some dogs went for general loose lead/recall/obedience training but became so scared after the use of aversives that they are now lunging at or even biting people who approach them or try to handle them. Some were already worried about people (growling or barking etc) and are now lunging or attempting to bite people. Some have bitten their owners since this training.

These dogs didn’t have these issues beforehand and they’ve become so scared of what people may do to them now that they are showing aggression. Some of them are now misinterpreting normal human interactions with them and see people as a threat to their safety and are using aggression to try and keep people away. These dogs are traumatised by what’s happened to them, there is no other way of describing it.

Aversives are sold as a ‘quick fix’ they make dogs stop behaviours that people don’t like (running off/barking/stealing things) but there is always a huge risk of a fall out. It’s no surprise really that doing or using something that causes fear or pain may make an anxious dog worse.

None of this is the owners fault either, all have incredibly kind and loving families who weren’t aware these methods would be used or who didn’t realise the implications. They’ve done nothing wrong and are now left to try and repair the damage that’s been done. I feel so sad for the lovely families and their dogs as they’ve been really let down.

There’s no quick fixes to changing emotions, it takes time and patience and who often we are trying to rebuild confidence that’s been lost and help dogs recover from previous trauma (of all sorts). There’s a huge risk with quick fixes and it’s like playing roulette- you may have an incredibly robust dog and get ‘lucky’ and have no negative consequences from using aversives but it may break another dog and leave you with a terrible fall out. Just not worth the risk when we have alternatives

03/06/2023

Love this 😍

The fallout from aversive methods. Coercion has a cost.

Logan has lived with me for 6 and a half years now. I have never shouted at him around food, every time I put his bowl down to him, he is free to take the meal without any requests from me, he doesn;t have to sit, give me eye contact etc. I never bother him when he's eating, I don't take his food bowl away from him to show him I can do it or anything else.

6 years later and there are still times when I put his bowl down and he looks at me to ask if it's ok for him to eat. This is the fallout from being told to leave it, pushed away, shouted at, told no, or otherwise reprimanded for taking food without being told to.

A few months ago, I left a glass of milk on the coffee table. I went back into the kitchen to get something and when I came back, he had his face in my glass of milk. I said nothing to him, the mistake was mine. If I had shouted at him, I'm further telling him that eating and drinking around humans is unsafe. It shouldn't be. There are ways to do things without resorting to coercion.

Remember that boss you didn't like from 20 years ago who still pops back into your mind after all these years? That's the fallout from coercion. Are you reluctant to answer questions in front of people for fear of getting it wrong? Same. Coercion has consequences for the learner. They show in external behaviours, such as Logan's occasional reluctance to eat his dinner despite 6 years of it being safe. They show internally through illness.

We can do better with our dogs. We must do better. For them and for us. The science is on this, it's tiresome to have to keep discussing it but as long as there are people out there thinking aversive treatment of dogs is ok, then I'll never stop educating about it.

For more information on this read

The Body Keeps The Score - Bessel van der Kolk
Coercion and It's Fallout - Murray Sidman

03/06/2023

💥SPECIAL OFFER - 25% OFF ALL BOOKINGS RECEIVED THIS WEEKEND ONLY💥

We have a limited number of spaces available on our 6 week classes starting 26th June 2023 at The Diamond Centre, Carshalton.

Puppy class - Monday evenings at 6.30pm
Novice class - Monday evenings at 7.30pm

For more information contact us now or visit our website

Positive,reward based puppy and pet dog training using modern and effective methods. Informal, friendly and relaxed atmosphere with small classes giving you personal attention. Classes for all abilities including rescues

12/04/2023

Some view from the office today 😀

12/04/2023

Out before the rain today 🤞🙂

29/03/2023

💔😢

Battersea joins the nation in mourning the loss of Paul O’Grady - an entertainment legend and much-loved Ambassador to our charity. We’d like to extend our deepest sympathies to Paul’s family and friends. To millions Paul O’Grady is the popular TV and radio presenter and comedian who lit up their screens with his razor-sharp humour and perpetual generosity and warmth. Battersea will forever remember Paul as a devoted animal lover with the biggest heart, who fell in love with every dog he met at our centres. Paul will always be associated with Battersea, and we are truly saddened to have lost such a true friend and huge part of our charity.

22/03/2023

We have a few spaces left on our classes starting on 17th April 2023.
6.30pm - Puppy class - suitable for dogs up to 6 months
7.30pm - Novice class - suitable for dogs of any age with little or no previous training. Small personal classes, lots of help always available 🙂
Classes are held at The Diamond Centre, Woodmansterne Road, SM5 4DT.
For any further information please feel free to WhatsApp us or contact us through the website - www. dogsandownersguidanceschool.co.uk

02/03/2023

I am so lucky I get to walk these beautiful areas 🐶🐕🐕‍🦺

21/02/2023

Not such a nice day today but the dogs are still enjoying themselves 🐶🐕🥰

15/02/2023

Think the dogs are enjoying the sunnier weather 😎

10/10/2022

We have a few spaces left on our classes starting on 7th November 2022
6.30pm - Puppy class - suitable for dogs up to 6 months
7.30pm - Novice class - suitable for dogs of any age with little or no previous training. Small personal classes, lots of help always available 🙂
Classes are held at The Diamond Centre, Woodmansterne Road, SM5 4DT.
For any further information please feel free to WhatsApp us or contact us through the website - www. dogsandownersguidanceschool.co.uk