Happy Hounds Hexham

25/11/2025

This is my fault....

In this video I ask Toryn to go to bed which she does brilliantly. Then pushing my luck I ask for a sit at distance. Notice she does a head turn away from me and then barks. I try for a hand signal but its a no!

What she is saying is I dont know that enough to do it at a distance, its frustrating for me and I can't do it.
Her bed training is a little tied up with doing it while we are working and she has lost patience. So their is past learning of frustration there.

She is is not being stubborn or defiant she is struggling and telling me she can't.
Its my job to listen. So I stopped there, stood by her and went through her down to sit movement.
Reducing the distance. Adding duration. Building strength in our task again.

Often the humans ask too much too quick of the dog. Im lucky, Toryn clearly tells me off.

24/11/2025

19/11/2025

Who's puppy had their mind blown this morning with the snow?

Watching new pups learn the world is one of the most lovely things of having a dog.

But it may of been difficult getting them to wee this morning.
A tip for that is to go out come back in and than quickly turn round and let them out again. Chances are once they come back in they will remember they needed to go and that when accidents can happen.

So turn back round prompt your toilet cue and be less exciting. Slowly pace the garden and dont get excited for them until they go.

18/11/2025

❄️ PUPPY LEAD SKILL HOUR – £40 ❄️
A one-off 1 hour deep-dive into loose lead walking for puppies who pull, zig-zag, or struggle to focus.
Set days - Corbridge -Pups under 1 year.
28th Nov & 9th of Dec

Booking via website

16/11/2025

Awesome social walk this morning.
Busy but amazing we could come together at the end

15/11/2025

Reactive dog training. Engage - disengage game!
Teach your dog to associate seeing a dog with you rewarding them is the key way to help reactivity (not telling them off, it makes them worse).
All M***a body language here is telling me she is struggling seeing so many dogs off lead. Using Marker training to mark when she checks in / looks to me (a heavily rewarded behaviour) and change her conditioned emotional response to seeing a dog.
Other tool here is the longline (used on a harness for safety), this is the half way between short lead and off lead. As i was working her back to being off lead in public.
A oldie but a goodie - this video has had 15,000 views on You Tube!

At this stage, she could be in line with them, but if they were head-on, she would either run at them or bark. So we kept work in making her more comfortable...

11/11/2025

What You’re Probably Doing Wrong When It Comes to Lead Work

When it comes to loose-lead walking, there’s a lot more going on than most people realise. Pulling isn’t just about a dog being stubborn — it’s often a mix of factors that all play a part in how they behave on the lead.

Think about it:

How you hold the lead matters.

The equipment you’re using can make a big difference.

Has your dog had any off-lead time or a chance to sniff and decompress before the walk?

Is this their first outing after being alone for four hours?

Are you walking through a busy park full of dogs, people, or squirrels?

All of these little details influence how your dog feels — and how they walk.

But one of the biggest issues I see, and one many people don’t even notice, is this:
👉 Allowing your dog to pull and still moving forward.

As hard as it can be (and yes, it’s frustrating when you just want to get somewhere), every time your dog pulls and you keep walking, you’re accidentally telling them that pulling works. You’re showing them that a tight lead still gets them to the next smell, the next dog, or the park gate faster.

💫The key shift is simple but powerful:
When the lead goes tight, stop.
When it loosens, move forward again.

💫It might feel slow at first, but you’re teaching your dog a much more valuable lesson — that a loose lead is the key to progress. Over time, that one change builds better habits, calmer walks, and a dog who enjoys being with you rather than dragging you.
💫Sometimes they dogs i meet can't even take food they are so over threshold. So this is where I start.

11/11/2025

Social Training walk this Sunday

08/11/2025

Currently all the way down south. For forum.
Trialing out my new logo on a hoody (its too warm here to wear!)
Weekend away for learning sake and focusing on improving Happy Hounds. as a business.

06/11/2025

🐾 Meet our pup who just couldn't bear to be apart from us! 😢 In our latest blog, we share the heartwarming journey of teaching her independence and overcoming separation anxiety. Check it out for tips that could help your furry friend too! 🐶💖 Read more at https://wix.to/xnoFx2X

04/11/2025

🐶 How did you find the Couch to Focused Fido course?

Did you manage to try every task? I’d love to know which ones clicked most with your dog — and which ones you found the trickiest!

Every dog learns at their own pace, and the aim of this challenge was to help you build focus, connection, and confidence step by step. If you enjoyed it and want to keep that progress going, you can continue with the full online course here:
For Free!👉https://www.dogtraininghexham.com/onlinecourses

Let me know in the comments —
💬 Which task made the biggest difference?
💬 What changes have you noticed in your dog so far?
Post were from Wednesday last week to Sunday. Still available for a short time before moving to the website.

I love hearing your stories and seeing your wins, no matter how small!

Jen 💚
Happy Hounds Dog Training