The Puppy Adviser

18/01/2025

🐑🐕‍🦺🐑 Ooh! Sheep! 🐑🐕‍🦺🐑

❤️ I love sheep (and once owned a small flock of Southdowns and managed a flock of 200 Lleyn)

These sheep arrived in the training field yesterday, just after I had finished a recall class! What a great way to add interest to outdoor training 😂

🤩 Stick with The Puppy Adviser - endless training opportunities at my private, equipped venue in Rowde…

17/01/2025

🐾😮This gives a whole new meaning to taking your dog to work ❤️🐾

Lots of renovations taking place around Lower Farm / Rowdey Cow at the moment and as I opened my barn door for my Friday morning Puppy Plus class to head out to the field for recall fun, I looked up and saw this little beauty looking down - she was one happy girl 🤩

17/01/2025

🐕‍🦺 Spending spare time to make my website as user friendly as possible with all the information you need to know including, of course, upcoming classes and 1:1’s available. Some of the changes may only be small but hoping they will help!

🤩🐾 I’ve just added a brand new Puppy Social Adventure for 2025 - Puppies At The Park 🐾🤩

When looking at what Group Training is available, please click on the photo to reveal more information then if you want to book, click on the Book Now tab. This will show you how many places are available / remain as well as confirming the details. You will then be taken to the booking form for essential details for me and my insurance and see my Terms & Conditions which must be agreed to. Finally, you will be asked to pay using a secure site.

More dates for classes, social adventures, recall practice sessions and more will be added as soon as I can - please bear with me, thank you! 😁

16/01/2025

🐾 Meet 21 month old Lancashire Heeler, Moomin ❤️

🐕‍🦺 Moomin was destined to be a show dog and despite being placed 2nd in her class at Crufts, she found the show ring too overwhelming.

She is now in a fantastic new home which she successfully shares with one of her brothers but it has become very clear that Moomin missed out on crucial socialisation and the opportunities to simply “be a dog”.

Yesterday, as part of a package of 3 coaching sessions, I joined her human for a gentle walk & talk in her local environment to give support and advice as to how Moomin’s confidence & resilience can be increased.
We made it super positive, super rewarding and above all safe and fun.
Well done to Team Moomin - you’ve got this 🤩

14/01/2025

🐾 A lunchtime walk at Avebury for Kermit & Ruby today and the excitement of finding some remaining ice after last week’s cold snap 😂🐕‍🦺❄️

14/01/2025

🐕‍🦺 I can never quite believe how many national / international awareness “days” / months there are each year covering a huge range of topics.
Increasingly, we are seeing more that are animal / pet related especially when it comes to our dogs.
Some of these are great for raising much needed awareness and some are clearly more lighthearted and for fun while a few are destined to be hijacked by trainers like me and commented on 😂

Today, apparently, is “Dress Up Your Pet Day” 🤔🐾🤦‍♀️😯

I confess immediately to being completely won over when one of my class attendees sports a bow tie or a bandana.
I love to see jumpers and coats on dogs who may feel the cold / damp or who are more senior and their owners have taken the time to ensure it fits well and is appropriate to the weather.
But when it comes to the above and anything else, the first priority should always be the welfare of the dog and if they are not happy or comfortable or displaying any signs at all that this is not for them, then it shouldn’t be done.

This is a great article from the PDSA ⬇️

Is it ok to dress up my pet?
by PDSA | 11 October 2022

We’ve all seen those funny videos and pictures of dogs and cats (and other animals too!) wearing silly costumes or accessories. They probably made you chuckle and maybe you’ve been thinking about dressing up your pet as well.

But is it really a good idea?
Is it helping your pet or is it more for your enjoyment?

There are lots of pet clothes available to buy which are designed to make your pet look cute or funny. These outfits might cause a stir on social media but they can make your pet feel stressed or uncomfortable. There are some really important things to think about first, which owners sometimes don’t realise when they want to buy funny outfits:
Can they move properly? Clothes can be quite restrictive. They can get in the way when your pet tries to do normal things like walking, going to the toilet or grooming themselves. They might make your pet itchy when they’re resting. They can also stop your pet from controlling their body temperature properly, so they could get too hot. Clothes could even choke your pet if they get tangled up or caught on something.

Is your pet stressed? Wearing clothes doesn’t come naturally to pets and it can cause them stress, especially cats. Stressed cats might groom themselves a lot, be aggressive towards you or make more noise than usual. Dogs might show they’re stressed by licking their lips, yawning or panting.

Can they still communicate? Communication is very important for dogs. If your dog is dressed up, other dogs might struggle to read their body language properly. This could make them act aggressively towards your dog as they could find it hard to understand each other’s body language. If your dog is already stressed from being dressed up, then they might act differently to usual around other dogs.

Is it respectful? This may seem an odd question to ask! However, as owners we love and protect our pets, and we wouldn’t want to see them come to harm of any kind. Dressing up a pet to be made fun of or laughed at isn’t necessarily kind or respectful.

When are clothes useful for pets?

Some pet clothes are really useful and help keep your pet warm, comfortable or safe:
Winter coats or boots. A well-fitted coat on a cold winter’s day can help keep dogs with missing or very thin fur stay warm. In a small minority of dogs, sometimes special boots can protect their paws, especially if they often get to cuts and scrapes on their pads or are recovering from an injury to their paws.

Surgical vests and therapy tops. If your pet has just had an operation your vet might recommend dressing them in a surgical vest to stop them licking their stiches. Therapy tops or pressure vests can sometimes be used in addition to other aides to reduce anxiety and stress. It is important that these fit well and are not too baggy because a large vest can get tangled and stop them moving properly or slow down their recovery.

Hi-Vis jackets. Working animals might wear a high visibility jacket to help keep them safe on busy roads or in dangerous situations. These are also useful when taking dogs on winter walkies.

If your pet is comfortable and happy wearing a coat or a surgical vest there’s no reason to avoid these items of pet clothing - they could actually help your pet by keeping them safe or comfortable!

Our advice about dressing up pets
We think pets are adorable just as they are, so our advice is simple – if the clothes aren’t designed to keep them warm or safe, then it’s best to avoid dressing up your pet. They’ll probably prefer to stay as nature intended!

13/01/2025

🐾😂 If the cartoon reminds you of your home, it’s time to start rotating your dogs toys - New Year, new start!

Toy rotation is a great way to add enrichment and novelty into your dogs lives, keeping them mentally stimulated and busy.
A toy becomes new again when they haven’t seen or played with it for a while and long forgotten toys can often become new favourites as well as providing lots of fun.

Always leave one favourite out - it may be providing some emotional support.

Always include a toy that your dog loves you to interact with too. Playing with your dog, in any shape or form is the best way to bond and build a relationship.

Always make sure there is a variety of toys with regard to use and texture - tugging, throwing, carrying, chasing or whatever activities your dog likes to do. Think different but equivalent each time you rotate.

Always ensure that your dog has access to several different types of chew toys including edible chews. This is especially important for puppies and adolescents whose need and desire to chew can sometimes seem insatiable!

If a toy is constantly ignored, it’s time for it to go.
If it’s still in good condition, think about toy swapping with a doggy friend.

Observe the type of toy that your dog loves most and his play style and use that to inform future purchases.

Accept that no toy is indestructible!!!

How many toys your dog has will most likely influence how many times the toys can be rotated - if there are lots, consider creating a box for each day of the week or maybe look to rotate a couple of times a week.
Rotating toys also helps them to last longer!

12/01/2025

🐾🥰 This gorgeous girl’s tail almost didn’t stop wagging from when I arrived to when I left.
She’s on my First Four Weeks Puppy / New Rescue package, having just been rehomed by a lovely family.

Despite her seemingly well-kept appearance, it is suspected that everything the family were initially told at the time of rehoming isn’t true and more and more conflicting information has come to light.

She’s come with a name she doesn’t know, she is not house trained and knows absolutely no cues whatsoever.
She didn’t know what a bowl was when food was put down and didn’t understand treats offered from the hand.
It’s also suspected that she’s not long had puppies.
Her age is undocumented and the vet suspects she is older than the family were led to believe.

Despite this, she is clearly a loving, friendly girl but desperate for reassurance.

Her new family are taking everything on board and prioritising making her feel safe, gaining her trust and building the best possible relationship with her.

I’m so looking forward to my next visit and supporting them on their journey 🥰🐾

11/01/2025

🐾😊 Make 2025 the year you change your mindset:

Think:

🐾 Connection NOT correction

🐾 Cue NOT command

🐾 Choice NOT control…

11/01/2025

With the start of each new year full of new beginnings, opportunities, resolutions, promises, goals etc, it seems very appropriate that January is Train Your Dog Month.

I’m absolutely delighted that so many of you have chosen me, The Puppy Adviser, to start or continue your training journey whether in one of my small group classes or with 1:1’s.

It won’t be a short journey.
In the world of positive reinforcement, science-led, reward based, ethical, holistic training, all training takes time - no exceptions.
What you may see, hear or read on Google, social media or the tv is often not real, out of date or just plain wrong.
What you may see others using, verbal punishment, forceful handling, electric collars, prong collars, chocke chains, head collars, is not the way forward. Wanting a quick fix and subjecting a dog to fear, pain, discomfort is simply not right.
Seeking professional help is not failure, it is education, advice, support and hopefully lots of fun!

Good training uses rewards, always, alongside kindness, patience and understanding of why behaviour happens and how to best support our dogs physical, mental and emotional needs.

Is your dog stubborn? I doubt it very much… 🐾❤️🐾

10/01/2025

❤️ Remember Hazel, the little Frenchie puppy who started my First Four Weeks package before Christmas?
She’s now out and about exploring the world and her humans are doing great with her.

Despite being super confident at home, Hazel was completely overwhelmed by the environment outside to begin with but by taking everything slowly, at Hazel’s pace, with lots of reassurance, with patience, with time to process anything and everything, she is learning that it’s not scary.

I accompanied her on a little adventure this week and it was great to see her busy sniffing and watching and listening calmly to all the sights and sounds. As she is super friendly, we also started a little training to help support her when she sees people and dogs and to learn that this is normal. We had just one little meet and greet with a calm, friendly dog.
An unusual addition to Hazel’s socialisation is that in order to access the outside world, she has to have a little ride in a lift. All credit to her humans, as by the time my first post-Christmas visit came around, she wasn’t bothered by it all.

Well done Team Hazel 🐾👏🐾

09/01/2025

🐕‍🦺 I am a “positive reinforcement” trainer - I train using science-based, researched, proven methods and strategies and I primarily use food to reward dogs (other rewards are of course also available and should be used as appropriate)
We know that behaviour that is rewarded will be repeated.
Food is hugely motivating, even the “fussiest” dogs will have foods that motivate them 😋

When working with young puppies, we often use a method called “luring” as a way of showing puppy what we would like them to do.
Luring uses visible food to support and guide puppy into the desired position.
Once in position, we immediately “mark” by saying “yes/good/nice” etc or use a clicker.
Then we “reinforce” the behaviour achieved by giving the food lure as a reward 🤩

Once puppy is reliably able to repeat the behaviour with the food lure, we fade the food lure out and use either a verbal cue and/or a hand signal to indicate the required behaviour, mark when achieved, then reward.
By this stage, no food should be visible 😬

Yet all too often I see food being waved about, food in hands, hands in treat bags, hands in pockets or hear lots of crinkly bags 😯

By doing this repeatedly, food becomes part of the cue, which in turn runs the risk that puppy will not listen to you unless you have visible food or are indicating the presence of food. Bribery is not training! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♂️

We don’t want to stop rewarding but we do need to learn to hide the food 😉

Make 2025 the year that food is accessible but not visible!
Make your trainer happy!
Stop waving it around or fiddling in your pocket or topping up from a crinkly bag!
I highly recommend investing in a treat pouch.
There are hundreds to choose from and some undeniably better than others.
My favourites, for durability and practicality are by Dog Copenhagen (direct or Calne Pet Supplies) and DogGoneGood (Amazon) and I also love the silicone treat pouches available - great if you regularly use fresh foods 🐾

Feel free to comment if you have a treat pouch recommendation ❤️

08/01/2025

🐾🥰 We all too often think of our dogs as givers of emotional support but we must never forget that they need emotional support too and for our dogs this can come in many forms - never underestimate its importance 😊

🐾🥰 Does your dog have an emotional support item too🤔

07/01/2025

🐾🥶💦💨Dog training means I can be out in all weathers and at this time of year, it’s super important that I stay warm and dry.

Today, my 1:1 clients have all been outside and this evening I’m welcoming two new classes in the barn.
My latest purchase is these rechargeable hand warmers and after taking them out with me today for the first time, I highly recommend them. Popped into my jacket pockets, they made a noticeable difference. I’m looking forward to trialling them in the barn later.

Other kit that has been keeping me snug & toasty includes:

my Aigle Neoprene lined Parcours wellies
my Acai thermal winter trousers
my Rab fleece worn over a chunky jumper when dry
my Deerhunter jacket worn over a chunky jumper when wet
a woolly hat - I would never be without one!
thin riding gloves / fingerless woolly gloves / wrist warmers - any combination but thin riding gloves give excellent grip for longlines
my M&S long sleeved, longer length thermal vest!

I’ve also just ordered some ski trousers - and no, I’m not going skiing 😂

What clothing and accessories do you swear by to keep you warm and dry - feel free to comment…😊🐾

06/01/2025

🐾🥰🐾 Such a great post from Dogs Disclosed.

I count myself as very lucky to work with so many of you who understand the commitment required when you welcome a gorgeous bundle of fur into your home, whether a puppy or an older dog.

But that commitment must never be underestimated at any time. It will always be needed.
It runs in parallel to the commitment of bringing a child into the world.

Understanding, patience and dedication really are key.

You have to make time.

You have to spend money.

You have to accept that your lifestyle will be affected to greater or lesser degree depending upon existing circumstances.

None of the above are options.

Before getting your first puppy, signing rehoming papers or even considering becoming a multi-dog household, please be honest with yourself, family members, friends - anyone who may be involved in or affected by a new arrival or another addition, and ask yourself if you have what it takes to support and love that bundle of fur no matter what.

For anyone that would like support in their decision making, I offer a 2 hour consultation “Making The Right Choice - Your New Family Member”, possibly the most important one you could ever book.
Through practical, objective discussion I can help you decide if a puppy is the right choice, what breeds to consider, breeders to approach and those to avoid, questions to ask and more.
Alternatively, the pros and cons of rehoming can be advised and support given that will take you right the way through your finding and choosing process, helping you to understand what is truly involved when we rehome ❤️🐾❤️

DON’T GET A DOG…UNLESS YOU CAN MAKE A COMMITMENT

In an ideal world dogs would be included as a family member and we would commit to sharing our time and life with them in the relatively short time they have on earth.

In an ideal world, we would take the time to learn about how dogs communicate through their body language, their emotions, their needs and keep learning about updated, modern, force free / pain free methods to understand or modify behaviour.

In reality, dogs are so often seen as an item of property, an object, a commodity to be bred and make money from, a cheap, replaceable security system, a garden decoration, a toy to play with when the kids are bored or an accessory that looks good while out walking, running or taking selfies.

Dogs are not objects, just like us they are sentient beings with the capacity to feel a range of emotions.

Dogs are naturally social beings and need to spend time with their human family.

A life spent confined to a backyard or fenced in with little or no human companionship is not a life.

They need love and attention, exercise and mental stimulation. They need routine, consistency and predictable patterns to feel safe and secure in our world.

Having a dog requires commitment, understanding, patience and dedication.

It’s hard work, it’s sometimes messy, dirty and stinky, it costs money and requires changes to our lifestyle.

It’s a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly or without making a long term commitment, but the rewards of forming a secure bond with another sentient being can bring so much joy and enrichment to both our lives and theirs.

05/01/2025

🐾🤩🐕‍🦺 This coming week sees the beginning of all my January classes and they got off to a fabulous start on Saturday as I welcomed two new Puppy Schools, a Puppy Plus School and a Loose Lead Mini-Course.
It’s so lovely to see how many people are committing to training and taking that training journey beyond Puppy School.

A good Puppy School, led by a suitably qualified, professional trainer is a great way to start training and
coming to one of my Puppy Schools will:

🐾 teach you the most current & effective skills & strategies
🐾 increase your bond with puppy
🐾 help you understand your puppy more
🐾 continue structured, appropriate socialisation
🐾 support learning to settle; introduce recall, loose lead, wait / stay; manage jumping up; promote a positive “leave”
🐾 include additions such as proprioception through parkour and introduce/demonstrate the value of placeboard training
🐾 add essential life skills such as confidence, optimism, resilience
🐾 give you all the tools to go away and work with puppy in your own time
🐾 show you that good training is about fun, games, rewards and positivity, working at puppy’s pace and ability - no puppy is perfect and should never be expected to be

Puppy School provides essential foundations, putting in place support for everything that will follow as puppy develops. But, coming to Puppy School does not mean that you leave with a perfectly trained, socialised, well-behaved puppy and there is no more to do.
Puppies need lots and lots of support as they progress through a series of developmental phases which may take many months, even years.
Reinforcing layers will always need to be added.
It’s why I offer a range of classes, each with their own particular focus:

Puppy School
Puppy Plus
Teenage Tinkers
Recall Mini-Course
Loose Lead Mini-Course
Gundog Foundations
Scentwork
Social Adventures

If you would like to get off to a great start with your puppy or continue with more training, make a note to check in with my website on a regular basis.
I will be busy with some updates tomorrow!

Featured below are some more gorgeous Puppy School graduates from the end of 2024 ❤️🎓🐾

04/01/2025

🐕‍🦺 Lots of clients ask me what training treats I use, often with the aside that their dog seems to prefer mine to theirs!

Whilst on the surface, this seems like a straightforward question, there are several factors that are at work here.
It’s not just about what treats I use, it’s also how and when I use them.
For this post, however, I’m simply going to concentrate on the “what”.

My priority when choosing treats will always be the ingredients.
I want meat or fish as the primary ingredient and I want to see that stated in a recognisable form on the list of ingredients - the name of the protein and the manner in which it has been used: dehydrated, air-dried etc.
I do not want to see meat/fish “meal”.
It must be said however, that there are also some excellent treats available that do not contain meat or fish and I regularly use these too.

I prefer to see less ingredients than more and I don’t want to be using Google to find out what something is, let alone how to pronounce it.

I choose to avoid all grains other than oats.
Our dogs digestive systems are not designed for grain. Wheat, maize, barley, rice serve very little purpose but for manufacturers are a great bulking agent.
And if you haven’t guessed, the more bulk we put in, the more poo that comes out 💩🤢

I always look to have a variety of treats in my treat pouch and generally carry a minimum of 3 varieties.
I never stick to one brand or one type, no matter how much they are enjoyed.
Having different protein sources, different textures, different sizes really helps to keep dogs interested and therefore motivated.
There is such an incredible range available to choose from.

I also love using foods that can be licked as opposed to crunched or chewed.
Although these need a squeezy dispenser they are readily available. Peanut butter, cream cheese, yoghurt, baby food (check ingredients for onions etc) are great for using in squeezy tubes and you can also buy doggy pastes in tubes too.

Human food plays a valuable role especially when super high value rewards are called for, working on recall for example - think cheese, ham, sausage, chicken, fruit, vegetables…

If time is on your side, why not make your own?
It’s often quicker and easier than you might think and you control the ingredients.
There are hundreds of recipes available online and a surprising range of doggy recipe books to buy.
Every so often, I pop a recipe on this page.
Tuna cake is so simple and a huge hit with Kermit and Ruby 🐾😋🐾

Companies such as JRPetProducts, Anco, Montys Natural Treats and Natural Pet Treats all produce a great range of treats suitable for training and are easily available online.
If you prefer to shop in person, Calne Pet Supplies, founded by myself in 2015 and now under the ownership of Kate McClaughlin since last August, has a great range of training treats.
Beware of picking up treats in the supermarket - it may be quick and easy but many of these brands are owned by global multi-nationals such as Pedigree (Mars) and Bakers (Nestle) where profit always speaks louder than quality!
Take a look at Denzels, Forthglade, Country Hunter, Fish4Dogs, Carnilove,
Arden Grange Superfoods, if you want your treats ready to go.

Don’t dismiss something just because it might need a little bit of chopping, dicing, shredding etc
Doggy pates are now readily available in a huge range of protein sources and always go down well.
Fish treats are also very popular, especially dried sprats and anchovies.

Photo credit - the fabulous German photographer Christian Vieler-Kircher

04/01/2025

🐾🤔🐾 Is there anyone who isn’t guilty of asking this at some point 🤣🤣🤣