Hilton Dogs Training Academy

22/04/2024

Please contact the Vets directly if you have any information. Tutbury - Glenthorne Vets.

Dog found tied up on Castle Street, Tutbury this morning. If you have any information or doorbell/camera footage please get in contact with us, thank you

18/04/2024

Stamps! 🐶

You can save up your used stamps and send to the address below. SSC then gets a donation! All stamps accepted, from anywhere in the world.

Please do not send donations of money to this address though, stamps only please 😊

18/04/2024

Any dog, any breed, ALL can be trained to the highest standard WITHOUT slip leads, prong collars, choke chains etc. Bravo to all involved.

16/04/2024

Tamworth/Staffs.

Devastated owners speak out after tragedy.

16/04/2024

Local IMDT trainer Laura is doing a great job helping puppies and their owners with small, friendly and positive classes. Bravo!

10/04/2024

Very true! In 'nature v nuture' it's even odds at best. Throw in epigenetic data and its gets interesting, learn about Trauma (not only in mom/dad but also the generations beforehand) and it gets even more interesting.

Dogs are mammals. The same brain (almost) as humans (the basics are the same - ours just grew bigger and has a little more capability). Think you can 'choose' the puppy/dog you want?....probably not.

Work with the puppy/dog you have, throw in love, patience and perseverance and you've got much better odds.

They're bloomin' ace either way in my opinion. Completely unique - even when they are from the same litter!

Increase your chances.

When purchasing a puppy you will often hear advice about purchasing from a reputable breeder ( if you're not going down the rescue route).

Whilst I agree that an ethical breeder should increase your chances of having a healthy dog who parents had good temperaments and were raised well this is still no guarantee, it's a start!!

We should avoid falling into the trap of believing that if you have found an amazing breeder the buck stops there.

Ethical breeders will have bred for health and temperament but that's just the starting point, it's an opportunity to increase your chances of a dog that has good coping mechanisms, it is not a reason to believe you are half way there.

I bred a litter and kept them all, they are now 4 and still here with mum, dad and auntie, but by god all 4 are VERY different, even though they are raised in the same familiar environment.

Genetics, personality, experiences, environment, they are all pieces of the puzzle and our job as guardians is to try and increase the dogs chances of success and even when we try, there will always be things out of our control.

It's important to understand where you get your dog from, what experiences they have, what professional you use, how you react and respond, what you feed, they are all pieces of the puzzle to INCREASE your dogs chances of coping and happiness.

10/04/2024

Wise words.

It's a frightening fact that some people still believe/work from the 'Alpha Pack' Theory and that dogs are indeed wolves......they also think humans can be too and that intimidation is an appropriate method of cross species communication.

Deep sighs.

09/04/2024

09/04/2024

Can you imagine treating a traumatised child the way that some people treat traumatised dogs?

The world would be in uproar if someone did that on social media.

But people are doing it to dogs all the time.

In the name of training.

And building a vast crowd who are doing it too.

Because it’s the ‘only thing that works with aggressive strong dogs’

But it doesn’t work.

It’s victimising the biggest victims.

And that’s why it hurts so much to see it.

(credit: Sally Gutteridge)

Let’s consider this idea that extreme dog behaviour needs more extreme methods for a little while. It seems to be based on dogs who show aggressive responses needing a stronger hand. A firmer approach. Even counter threats.First let’s look at what an aggressive response is shall we? Aggressive r...

09/04/2024

Go Cooper & Ben! Wishing you every success fellas 🐾

If anyone has a link to your sponsor form please feel free to add it to the comments, I'm sure some of Hilton's finest will be happy to support your great effort.

Cooper from Hilton's walking 60 miles this month to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer.

08/04/2024

🐕 🐈 🐄 🐷 🦊

07/04/2024

Just a reminder.

You have every right to decide how YOU want to train YOUR dog. No trainer should force you to use any 'training tool' you don't wish to use. If a trainer cannot train your dog using methods you're happy with, then there are other trainers available.

Everything you can teach a dog can be taught without slip leads, choke chains, prong collars, e-collars (shock collars), water sprays, rattle cans, face haltis/collars and shouting and screaming.

I've trained pet dogs, professional working dogs and many dogs with complex behavioural needs for over seven years and I've never used any of these 'tools'. There's always another way.

Be their voice. It's the only one they have.

25/03/2024

Imagine a parent just standing idly by, close at hand when their child is in danger, for arguments sake another child being aggressive towards them and being physically aggressive, swinging punches and then imagine chastising the child for taking matters into their own hands and swinging back. Unthinkable right? Imagine how that child would perceive their parent and the trust in them that would be lost. Not OK

So why is this OK when it comes to our dogs?

So many dog related incidents are caused because the guardian of the dog(s) have failed to protect them from harm and therefore they have taken matters into their own hands as trust in their handler has been lost

Why should you be risk assessing for them?

Once you take their flight option away, through a lead or other restrictions, then fight is all that's left. Once you take that freedom away, the handler needs to be risk assessing on the dogs behalf, knowing what their dog would choose to take flight from and which they are happy to engage in

Not only should you be comprehensively risk assessing constantly in your mind, you also need to bear in mind that that there are lots of other folk out there, with or without dogs, in different scenarios in joggers, pedestrians, cyclists, etc that simply do not risk assessing either and that will put you and your dogs at risk even though it may not have been your fault

As an intelligent human, you risk assess whether on foot, a bike or in a car so you should always be doing so with a living creature being restricted from making it's instinctive choice and scarpering from the threat

Don't be that parent whose child has no trust in you keeping them safe. Be their guardian, their advocate, their protector through your own confident decision making. You can grow confidence without high risk

Ian

25/03/2024

Good to see that even the Blue Cross acknowledges 'Dog Experts' on TV are anything but!

With the lockdowns leading to a higher demand for new pets, we're worried that TV programmes like Canine Intervention and Dogs Behaving Badly are giving pet owners advice that will do more harm than good. We urge pet owners to always turn to approved sources for much-needed advice.

How do you feel about TV shows centred around pet behaviour? 🤔

23/03/2024

No truer word spoken. If you think a dog is 'disrespecting you', 'making you look stupid', 'deliberately ignoring you', 'being dominant' or any other trait of humans then I'm afraid you're highly likely to be misreading what is going on and placing bad (human) traits onto a different species. Dogs want peace. We would do a lot to learn from them. Treat them with kindness, patience and respect and you'll get it back ten fold.

What do we need?
We need to be more dog. 😆

18/03/2024

"Yeah, but you'll never beat genetics with just 'food rewards'.....dogs are predators".......well.......yet again, here's proof that's nonsense.

Just hangin' with the swans.
This is what we talk about when working against genetics. Poodles have been selectively bred for many generations for retrieving water birds and yet May is 100 percent trustworthy off lead around swans.
How? Relationship, good training and ensured the good stuff happened when she offered the wanted behaviours, and I mean good stuff.
Never a need for slip leads, chokers, half chokers or any of the old fashioned aversives when training; we know better these days!

15/03/2024

Let's keep our paws crossed this progesses today, three years late is better than nothing. Banning puppy smugglers and the import of ear cropped (cut) dogs are part of the bill.

It's nearly three years since the government promised reform, but a new bill hopes to tighten the law.

12/03/2024

You should never let your puppy or dog 'cry it out'. It doesn't cure separation anxiety, it doesn't help your young puppy 'get used to it' - remember puppies leave their mom 5 (FIVE) months before nature intended when they are taken as pet dogs.

If some guy (or girl) tells you to ignore your dog's cries, to show your dog you're in charge or disregards how your dog feels, then grab your beautiful, vulnerable dog and run the other way. Our dogs rely on us to understand and care for them, to be their advocates and protectors from harm. Let's live up to their needs. It's our responsibility.

11/03/2024

Happy 8th Birthday to Mr Flint. Loved by so many, it is a joy to watch you grow!

10/03/2024

Statement from LickiMat.

10/03/2024

Statement from the Kennel Club.

10/03/2024

🐾HAPPY MOTHERS DAY🐾 to all the Dog Moms out there. You never known unconditional love until it presents in the form of a wet nose, four paws and a wiggly tail. ❤️❤️

Photo by FLOUFFY on Unsplash