Pawsitive Pups Dog Training

02/01/2025

NEW YEAR, NEW SKILLS: 50% OFF FOR 3 MONTHS!!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, with family and friends (not to mention, fur friends!)

I don't know about you, but at this time of year, I always start off with big plans, resolutions and full of determination for how my year will go, BUT then life happens and things never seem to go according to my plans.

I often find that this also happens when it comes to dog training. We start off with great intentions, and the one thing we don't do is actually make a plan. We have lots of ideas in our heads, but we never seem to make them happen.

That's where the Pawsitive Academy Membership will really help! Whether you're just starting out with a new Border Collie puppy, or you've been working away with your dog for a while now, but aren't quite seeing the results, I'm here to help give you guidance, and structure, to build a plan, and more importantly, to help you stick to it!

With the private Facebook community, you'll never feel alone again, and you'll have instant access to a ton of courses, videos, handouts, and lessons, for everything from Loose Lead Walking, Recall, Reactivity, Impulse Control (emotional regulation, really) to enrichment, play and relaxation.

❓Struggling with jumping, when visitors come? ☑️
❓Shoulder killing you, from all the pulling? ☑️
❓Fed up wishing your Border Collie would just come back when you call? ☑️
❓Wishing that you could just enjoy a walk together, without all the barking and lunging at other dogs, or people? ☑️
❓What could it be like if he'd just stop chasing things (cars)? ☑️

No matter where you are in your journey, or what you're struggling with, you'll find solutions in the Pawsitive Academy Membership.

If that's not enough, I offer personalised feedback in the community, as well as the support you'll receive from other students.

Members only training, beginning in 2025,
Regular Live Q & A sessions - get your burning questions answered,
Access to a bunch of courses, and over 150 step-by-step lessons,
Templates for training plans and journaling,
all of this included with one monthly subscription

The BEST part is...even if you have more than one dog in your family, that's no problem. One price covers them all.

Create different training plans for each dog, work with them individually, and start making some real progress, from today.

Join me, Angie Brown CCUI, DipCBT, Professional Dog Reactivity Specialist, Certified Family Dog Mediator, and Border Collie enthusiast, to learn some real-life skills, build your relationship, trust account, and have some fun while you're at it.

Find out more and join us here: https://pawsitivepups.learnworlds.com/membership

Can't wait to meet you!

04/11/2024

Border Collies are my absolute soul dogs, BUT my lab x lurcher has stolen a special place in my heart, forever. She's a mad, wild, bouncing off the walls kinda girl, and I love her for it!

What's your favourite breed of dog?

01/11/2024

Halloween is upon us, again, so I thought I'd share some tips for keeping your dogs a little calmer, over this busy, spooky, evening (and in the coming weeks of fireworks 🎆)

Lots of dogs are already struggling with the lack of daylight. You might find they're a little more skittish, tuggy on the lead, even barky etc.

This often happens as the leaves fall, creating noise under foot, different smells, the winds pick up etc as well as the darker nights creating confusion with headlights, street lights, brake lights, to name a few things. People look different, in the dark, and things can 'appear out of nowhere' to your dog.

To help them, try to do your main walks in the morning or during the daylight hours, and keep your dog on a lead in the evenings. Especially around fireworks times! Many dogs run off, as they get a fright, and then become lost or disoriented and we don't want that 🐾❤️

If fireworks happen when you're out, or even when you're at home, try to praise the dog for noticing and reward with petting, food scatters etc. Soothing voices may seem like a good idea, and for some it works, but for others it reinforces that there's something to be worried about.

If we flip it on its head, and make the loud noises mean fun stuff, this really helps our dogs make more positive associations, rather than fearful ones.

If your dog is afraid, try to create a cosy 'den' with blankets, cushions and a tasty long-lasting chew or lickimat. Chewing and licking are self-soothing behaviours and can bring significant relief to a stressed dog.

Also, things like Pet Remedy, or Adaptil plugins, sprays and collars can help too!

If all else fails, be pro-active and ask your vet for some temporary medication, to help them through this tough time of year.

There's no shame in it, and it can, and does, bring huge relief to suffering dogs.

If your dog gets stressed with the doorbell going, cover it so people can't ring it, or put a little tub outside with Halloween sweets in, for the kids, and a note on the door, not to knock.

It may seem a bit like a party pooper, but your dogs will thank you 🐾❤️‍🩹

Whatever you're doing, have fun and enjoy it, and if your dog needs space, that's absolutely okay 🐾

19/10/2024

I took this, 1-minute, clip when I brought Oskar to a brand new place, he'd never been before.

We were going for a 'watch the world' walk, in a local GP surgery car park and grassed area. Sometimes Oskar gets stressed in new places, but we've been working on his ability to keep calm, stay in the car until I give the 'okay' cue, and generally just let him observe things at his own pace.

BODY LANGUAGE
When I open the boot, he remains in the car, but isn't interested in his favourite food treats. What other signs can you see, that show he might be a little unsure?

I release him from the car, but pretty much stand still, to let him soak up this new environment in his own way. Still no interest in food, but the environment is safe, so I'll keep offering, occasionally. Out of shot, there are two workmen, across the car park (about 40 feet away)

What else can you see Oskar doing that tells us he's starting to feel a little calmer. HINT: there are two things

I also don't overload him with instructions or requests. When we micro-manage our dogs, it can add to their stress.

Imagine trying to type an important email, you forgot to send, while someone is wittering in your ear, asking questions about how you're feeling, 'reassuring' you that you'll be okay and it'll be done on time. Wouldn't that just add to your stress?

Even in a 1-minute video, we can learn so much about how our dogs are feeling. Often things we don't notice in the moment.

This is why I place so much value on recording training, or being out on walks.

Why is any of this important?
I'm so glad you asked! 😅

When we give our dogs the opportunity to observe, and soak in new environments, at a safe distance from things, people, other dogs etc, it less them process what they're seeing, smelling, and hearing in a way that keeps them in their thinking brain.

Letting Oskar out of the car and going straight for a walk would have been a mistake, as it would have given him no time to do any if these things, which would raise his stress levels, and make him more likely to panic when he saw something.

It's only 1 little minute of patience on our part, but it can mean the difference between a lovely walk, and a stressful, reactive, one for both ends of the lead ❤️

Take a look, and tell me what you see...

15/10/2024

That face 😍 my handsome boy.

Training my rescue boy been hard work, and I've loved every minute. He didn't want to herd sheep, but I reckon he was born for the camera 💕

19/09/2024

Border Collies are an awesome and inspiring breed. They certainly know their mind, and can inspire awe in us mere mortals. Those same traits can also have us tearing our hair out, too!

Check out my blog post https://wix.to/FVUv2rP

Ever wondered exactly what makes your Border Collie tick? Today's blog takes a deeper dive into exactly that, and the pitfalls too.

01/09/2024

Little bit of Doggy Zen, to start our Control Unleashed class, yesterday, followed by working on Leave It (without cue) as it was attention/self control week! We finished the session with development of our work on Look at That but I didn't get that on video. Great work teams!

18/08/2024

Positive Training - what it means to me

With such acrimony and in-fighting, in the global dog training industry, I've been involved in a couple of very interesting conversations, this week and it got me thinking...WHAT DOES POSITIVE TRAINING MEAN. TO ME?

With the rise of TV dog trainers, also offering different methods of teaching, who should you follow? What should you do/not do in your training? and the biggie...WHAT DOES AVERSIVE MEAN? So I thought I'd try to answer some of your questions, in a way that explains my training methods, ethical stance, and beliefs.

To me, positive training means that I have a responsibility to be suitably educated, and accountable for my actions, while training using methods that encourage the dogs to feel good, enjoy learning and have fun. I should be someone you can trust, to offer the right advice and training, based on science, for your family. I use, and would recommend all dog guardians follow, a trainer that uses, positive reinforcement training. Science is increasingly showing that dogs trained using these methods do better, learn faster, and retain their learning more effectively, than those with correction-based tools and practices.

What does aversive mean? Essentially, an aversive tool, or practice, is one that creates pain, discomfort, fear, anxiety, or frustration, in the dog. Something that creates a negative response, or something the dog would choose to avoid, is aversive.

Do I believe in crate training? (That's a big bone of contention!) - Yes, I do. I believe that all dogs, at some point, are likely to need vet care, that will require them to be in a crate of some sort, so teaching a dog to feel comfortable and safe in such a space, is imperative, in order to avoid fear and stress later (let's face it, the vets office is stressful enough for most).

Do I say No? Sometimes, but I try not to need to. I work with you to teach your dog the things you DO want them to do, instead of having a need to correct them for doing the things you don't. This one is also dog dependent, as some dogs are simply too sensitive to cope.

How do I reinforce/reward? Yep, I use food. Food is a primary reinforcer (that means it's something we need, to survive) but I also use toys, games, sniffing, swimming, running, praise, and the list goes on. Reinforcement can be ANYTHING your dog wants or likes, so use those things to mark and reward them for a job well done. It's not all about food and I NEVER make a dog work for their meals. I may suggest reducing meal sizes, depending on what we use for training.

Do I use head halters? Only in very specific situations, and as a temporary measure, while training. They also have to be properly introduced, just like harnesses (and even collars for some) as a dog can often find this aversive, to begin with, if not approached correctly.

Do I use muzzles? I'd love to say no, but there are situations, when it comes down to public safety, or the safety of yours, or another persons dog, that a muzzle may be necessary. Again, this needs to be properly introduced, over time, and not shoved on the dogs nose. The idea is that we use this, while training, and work towards no longer needing it (with the exception of breed legally required to wear them in public).

Do I use e-collars, shock collars, air cannisters, bottles of pebbles, French collars, prong collars, lemon-spray bark collars...and the list goes on? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Not now, and not ever. By design, these tools can, and do, cause injuries, pain and induce fear in dogs, and are completely un-necessary in any situation. THESE ARE AVERSIVE BY DESIGN

Harnesses, collars, head halters, muzzles, whistles etc CAN BE aversive to some dogs, unless introduced properly, so care must be taken when introducing them, BUT they were never designed to be so.

I accept that some things I do may cause an aversive response in a dog, and it's my job to stop, and reconsider how I can work differently, to remove that feeling. My job is not to introduce things that are, by their very design and purpose, highly likely to cause pain, fear, or harm. In fact, I'm prohibited, by law (as are you) from doing so.

Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 makes this clear.

THAT'S WHAT POSITIVE TRAINING MEANS TO ME.

14/08/2024

Looking for help with your dog's behaviour?

The first step in successful training, is asking for help. Everything else comes with the plan (you gotta have a plan, right?) 🤓

Whether it's puppy basics, socialisation, or teenage tantrums and selective hearing, get in touch below, and let's talk.

I offer 1-2-1 private training, both in-person and virtual, as well as new, Control Unleashed classes, running Saturdays.

New puppy classes are coming soon, at our training facility, just outside Edinburgh.

The 4-week block is due to start on Saturday 21st September. Book now, to avoid missing out.