Sarah's canine connections

03/08/2024

19/04/2024

New puppy classes starting Thursday 25th April at 11am!

If youd like a space for you and your pup to have fun and learn cool stuff, click the link to book https://calendly.com/swhappyhounds/puppy-life-skills-class

18/04/2024

Some doggy pics from the last couple of weeks 🥰🐾🐾

26/03/2024

Three great sunny walks with my two school holiday helpers 😊🐾🐾

25/03/2024

Our close friends at Saffron Walden 41 Club have a exciting new event in 2 weeks time on Monday 1st April 2024 to raise funds for 'Guide Dogs For the Blind'.
You can read all the information below or at www.9k4k9.co.uk
All of us at Saffron Walden Round Table are looking forward to seeing you and your 4 legged friends down at the starting point and finishing line!

"9K 4 K9 - from pugs to Great Danes, from Crufts hopefuls and family champions to lovable mutts, or even if you do not have a dog, this is Saffron Walden 41 Club’s first charity dog walk and we are taking the lead to raise vital funds for ‘Guide Dogs for the Blind’.

We aiming to raise an incredible £10,000 and we need YOUR help!

9K4K9 isn’t just about raising funds for this great charity, its also a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the lovely scenery and walks around Saffron Walden, learn some (hopefully interesting) facts, whilst getting health benefits for you and the paws in your family.

There are two walks available on the day – one being 9km and the other 4.5km.

They both start and end at Saffron Walden Cricket Club where there will be fun for all the family, whether you have two legs or four!

26/02/2024

🐾INCOMING🐾

Social walks for older puppies and doggos
Bring your dog and join us for training and socialisation
Thursday daytimes-message for more info

15/02/2024

13/02/2024

05/02/2024

29/01/2024

Puppies bought up in a really lovely family home locally, three still available 😊🐾🐾🐾

08/01/2024

Have you had a new puppy addition to the family recently?

We have a space left on our Puppy Life Skills classes starting this Thursday (11th Jan) at 11am in Hempstead Village Hall.

Join us for 6 weeks of fun and bonding woth your gorgeous pup 🐶❤️

30/12/2023

Join us for puppy or dog training classes Thursday daytimes. Please message for more info and to book a space

18/11/2023

This is really interesting and super cute

10/11/2023

Good morning 😊🐾🐾

this is your sign: to get a croissant this morning 🥐

04/11/2023

🔈 Calling all puppies 🔈

🐾New classes starting 9th November

Thursdays at 11am Hempstead Village Hall
6 week course running until 14th December

Please message to get a space 🐾

04/11/2023

I have space to take on another training client…
I offer training walks where I take your dog out for you and then give you tips and advice or consultations where we make a training plan for you to follow.

Training walks are great for nervous or reactive dogs and can really help dogs improve their confidence and help them to stay calm in situations. Using my experience of behaviour and body language and knowledge of positive training I can make walks more fun for your dog and you.

I have numerous qualifications in dog training and am continually studying. I am also insured, DBS and first aid trained.

I have my own animals (dogs, cats, donkeys, chickens and fish) and children so I’m available term time only 🐾🐾

22/10/2023

This is great news

🌟We are now offering Keyhole Spays🌟

We’re thrilled to announce that, as part of our ongoing commitment to deliver gold standard care for your beloved pets, we’re now offering Keyhole Spays 🐾

A Keyhole Spay is a minimally invasive alternative to a standard spay, allowing your pet to recover faster and sparing them the need for a long rest period.

Here’s why choosing a Keyhole Spay is a wise decision for both you and your pet:

• 🕒 Faster Recovery with less rest needed
• ✂️ Smaller wounds
• 💕 Less post-operative pain

🐶 Ready to book or interested in learning more? Don’t hesitate to ask a member of our team or by calling us on 01799522082

21/10/2023

Brilliant 😆!!! We hope Daisy found her forever home 🐾🐾

04/09/2023

Puppy classes starting Thursday 14th September at 11am
Hempstead village hall with good indoor and outside space
6 week classes £90
Covering puppy development, body language, enrichment activities, increasing puppies confidence, engagement with your puppy and general manners

28/07/2023

I am taking August off work due to some difficult family events and childcare issues. I will be back fully charged in September 😊🐾🐾

11/07/2023

Come and join us for a loose lead workshop, because nobody likes being dragged round on a walk 😉🐾🐾

17/06/2023

One space left for our recall workshop next Sunday (25th)

Learn new techniques and practise recall around distractions

10am to 12pm at Hempstead village hall

We have inside and outdoor space and breaks for cool drinks for dogs and humans 😊🐾

09/05/2023

Musings of a Dog Walker
I recently heard that a dog I know was sent away for residential training. It makes me feel so upset every time I think about it.
I know the dog because she came into rescue whilst I was working there. I watched her with a breaking heart as a colleague tried to walk her away from her owner. She was looking back and pulling to go back.
As she got closer to the kennel area, she was terrified. Her tail between her legs and her head down as she pulled and tried to run away. We tried to encourage her with treats and kind words, but every instinct was telling her to run back to her owner and “go home” and not walk towards the deafening noise of barking dogs.
It was the same as I have seen a hundred times with most dogs the first time they go into kennels.
You leave them with a comfortable bed and hope they will be warm enough. Even if they are lucky enough to have a heated kennel, it is unlikely to be as warm as a centrally heated home.
They have food but you know they won’t eat it. They just stand at the bars looking and sometimes shaking. You go back to check on them, but they won’t really interact. They just keep looking past you.
It is just the most awful thing to watch and for many dogs they will do this for days before eventually resigning themselves to the fact that they must live here for now.
It is for this reason that I would never put my dogs in kennels. No matter how good the kennels and no matter what the reason, but to put your dog in a situation where they feel terrified and then expect them to be able to engage in “training” is just not acceptable.
The only way to train a dog is by positive associations and that must be done by building a relationship built on trust with the owner. This must be done in the right way and most importantly the dog must be feeling safe and secure to be ready to learn. They can't do this in a kennel environment and especially not with a stranger.
How can a dog be “trained” when they are feeling scared and with a person they do not know or trust?
The sitiuation with this dog especially upsets me as she is dog reactive i.e. she is scared of dogs she doesn't know. This would make the whole experience even more traumatic for her as she will inevitably have been placed in kennels with other dogs and her "training" would have been about making her not react to other dogs.
Residential training is growing in popularity but i question how can anyone that offers "training" with a stranger, in a frightening environment understand dog behaviour or be up to date with positive training techniques?
I have heard so many stories of dogs returning from residential training “shut down”, frightened or even having reverted to aggression in an attempt to stop the so called “training”
Dog training is not regulated, and it is easy for owners to get completely the wrong advice. Most sad of all is the trauma and emotional damage this causes your dog.

For more information on dog training and regulation see www.dogcharter.uk

29/03/2023

I offer training walks as well as consultations
I work with lots of reactive dogs through these walks and want to give a few tips that may help others

🐾Space, space, space!! giving your dog as much space as possible will help them
🐾learn your dogs body language so you can tell when they are starting to struggle-never be embarrassed to change direction to avoid a confrontation
🐾If they do bark or lunge don’t talk to them or tell them off, just keep moving away to reduce conflict
🐾reward when they are calm-praise, treats, fuss or a play with a toy
🐾allow them time to sniff on walks it is naturally calming and helps your dog process their environment
🐾It’s okay to give your dog a day off walks, training and playing in the garden is a great alternative