Leaps n Bounds Dog Training

26/06/2023

Annual trip to the ARK in Kefalonia - giving loads of cuddles to this lot. There are over 200 dogs and probably the same in cats ! It does break my heart to see them here but they are safe and off the street. The management of behaviour here is spot on, I do wish I could bring them all home.

31/08/2022

For anyone that’s interested in first aid for their dogs

Find out what a recent attendee, Jenna, had to say about the Dog First Aid workshop 😍

"My dog recently had a seizure and I realised I didn’t know what to do and wasn’t able to identify he was having a seizure.

I jumped at the chance to do Dog First Aid with Claire and so glad I did! I learned so much about all the potential things that could happen to your dog (I didn’t know there were so many!) and how to deal with them in the correct way, should I ever need to use them.

Claire is knowledgeable, was able to answer any questions I had, and we had lots of opportunities to practice with equipment to get a feel for what it would be like to use the skills learned in an emergency.

My favourite part was that Kipper, Claire’s dog came along too, and we could practice some real-life scenarios with him e.g. how to approach an injured dog calmly without stressing them out.

I also love Claire’s approach to taking things at the dog’s pace and breaking down the exercises into small manageable steps, so our dog isn’t stressed or see the equipment as a scary thing. This means I can be prepared and practise these exercises at home ahead of time in case there ever was an emergency.

Thank you so much for such a valuable learning experience, Claire, I would highly recommend anyone to sign up and learn these skills. You could potentially save your dogs life!"

The next in person workshop takes place on

Saturday 3rd September at 1pm at Banton Community Centre near Kilsyth.

Tickets cost £70 and includes video refreshers, and challenges that last well beyond the day of the workshop.

Message me to find out more or to book 😊

12/08/2022

I have sent all that are coming to night a message- no classes due to the heat. Thank you and I will see you all next week

18/07/2022

Please ensure that your dog stays cool and well hydrated, check the temperature of the pavements before you go out (5sec rule back of hand). Looking at tomorrow’s weather classes will be cancelled as it will be to warm.

26/02/2022

New Laws regarding livestock worrying

29/01/2022

25/12/2021

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas 🎄

27/10/2021

21/10/2021

Last night we were talking about fireworks and I’ve found information on the new laws regarding fireworks

06/10/2021

So we all have our moments where we question our sanity when it all seems to be going wrong, walking/training/living with your pup or dog is frustrating. My advice is breathe, take a deep breath and look at how you’ve set up the walk/training and rules of the house. Are the instructions clear or have you trained what your asking or is there something in the environment that is causing moments of in focus? Clear communication is key to successful training, go out and have fun with your dog 😀

01/09/2021

Last night we were talking about lick mats and how some dogs might jsut tear them up. Going round Dobbies today and found these! They seem very robust so just need to try them out on willing volunteers 😀

16/07/2021

As the heat stays with us over the next week it’s useful to remember this. Also if your unsure put the back of your hand on the pavement to check that it won’t burn your dogs paws. Stay safe and enjoy the good weather 😎🍦

14/05/2021

Some good news ... I can now announce (on Facebook) that Merlin has been accept as a trainee search dog! It has certainly been a roller coaster get through lockdown and the challenges it’s brought but a huge thank you to each and everyone plus your canines that have been part of helping Merlin become a well rounded pup. We look forward to seeing you all in class 😀

13/04/2021

Hello, some good news regarding the opening up of Scotland. All going well we will be back the first week of May and Merlin is looking forward to welcoming you all back. I will be looking at classes and spaces so anyone waiting for a class i will be in touch. Many thanks for your patience
Gayle and Merlin

28/03/2021

Its with great sadness that I have to tell you of Taz's passing on Friday at 14 yrs old. Taz was much loved and he excelled at his job as a search dog with a special love of water, never questioning all that I asked of him. He is and always will be the face of Leaps n Bounds, rest easy Taz so proud of you.

28/02/2021

Lightbulb moment .... things that trigger your dog or indeed other dogs into a state of high arousal.

Words ie walkies, biscuits, hello!, who's that?

Sounds ie doorbell, bath running, door shutting, dog tags

Sights ie someone walking past house or car, someone running, another dog.

Smells ie dead animal, food, perfume

Now my lightbulb moment was dog tags! Another dog having a previous bad experience with a dog on hearing the tags of an approaching dog can be triggered into fight or flight state. How many times have you wonder why is my dog being attacked? Could it be the sound of your dog's tags that the other dog is reacting to?!

So have a think on what triggers your dog has and we can discuss on what we can do to reduce the effect of the trigger.

28/02/2021

Hello one and all, with the lockdown pathway set out we aren't any clearer on when we can re start. The APDT are working on finding out and once I know the answer I can pass that on. Meanwhile look out for some wee video's for you to be trying with your dogs starring Merlin and Louie.

Stay safe everyone

19/01/2021

Hello one and all, I hope you’ve all had a nice time over Christmas and New Year. There has been a lot of debate going on about what we can and can not do, the Kennel Club waded in today with their updated policy regarding Covid but fails to make it any clearer. So going by general consensus once we can meet in groups we can start classes again. Don’t worry I’ve been working to bring new content to you for when we do restart. I know it’s all very frustrating but this new strain is excelling the spread unfortunately. Stay safe and I hope to see you all soon x