Force-free, positive reinforcement-based dog training services in Holsworthy & surrounding areas ๐พ
(7)
What's in your training treat pouch?
Today we're working on recalls, so I've got some tiny strips of bacon* and beef mince! ๐
(*bacon is high in salt & fat so I only give this in strict moderation on rare occasions as a super high value reward to assist our training)
When we first got Mavis, she wasn't sure about the hoover. So I spent some time giving her the opportunity to find out what it was, praised her for being calm around it, and taught her to move onto a chair or her bed (either in a different room or across the other side of the room I was in) while I cleaned ๐งน
This gave her the choice to be out of the way of something loud (and scary to many dogs), which in turn gave her confidence around the hoover.
I might have taught her a little too well though it seems! This week I threw her puppy bed up onto the chair so I could clean the spot it was on, and she took it as her cue to sit there ๐ฅน I then got this rather judgy "mum you're making an awful lot of noise, some of us are trying to sleep!" look... ๐
Exactly this ๐ It's something I hear a lot...
โ๏ธ harnesses don't CAUSE pulling
โ๏ธ if your dog ALREADY pulls, a harness can make it easier for them to do so
โ
๏ธ the only true cure for pulling on lead (regardless of what they're wearing) is appropriate R+ TRAINING to teach them how to walk nicely!
I have worked with many different breeds wearing harnesses perfectly comfortably and walking so brilliantly on lead - from jack russells & spaniels, to bull mastiffs & newfoundlands!
Mavis (staffordshire bull terrier) always walks on a harness and rarely is there tension on the lead. In exciting places she is more likely to pull, but only because we haven't trained to that level yet. It's work in progress! Put the time & effort in and you will see the rewards.
Daycare can be a great option for some dogs, but many can get easily overwhelmed/overstimulated ๐ค If you're thinking of using one, it's definitely worth doing your homework to find a good daycare provider, and do trials first if you're not sure how your dog will cope! Great info below ๐
Dog daycare has grown hugely in popularity in recent years. And, like any new industry which has grown rapidly, the quality of the provision varies greatly. So how do you decide โ
โข whether daycare is right for your dog?
โข which daycare to choose?
๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ด?
Daycare isnโt right for every dog. Here are some points to consider when deciding if it might be right for yours โ
โข Is your dog anxious or lacking in confidence? While an under confident dog might grow in confidence in a smaller daycare they are likely (in my experience) to struggle in a large scale daycare. It can be tempting to think that by being around other dogs they will โget used to itโ but, very often, itโs totally overwhelming for them and can make existing problems worse.
โข Is your dog super interested in other dogs? If so, is giving him pretty much unrestricted access to lots of other dogs likely to be helpful? Or do you run the risk of turning him into a hypersocial dog with no boundaries?
โข Can your dog settle and relax around other dogs? If not they are going to be exhausted (and not in a good wayโฆ) after a day at day care.
โข Can your dog tolerate rude, socially clumsy dogs? Do they have the social skills to defuse and de-escalate tension or might they react if they feel painted into a corner?
โข Are you prepared to neuter your dog early? Many local authorities make neutering by a given age (often as young as 6 months) a condition of daycare licensing however early neutering can often be at odds with the health and well being of the dog, particularly for large breeds.
โข Why do you need/want daycare for your dog? Is additional care a necessity, for example, if you are out of the home for long periods or your dog has separation related problems which mean they need access to a human at all times? Or are you simply looking for a socialisation opportunity for your dog in which case what other options are available and which would suit your dog best? Would they get more out of spending time outdoors in a smaller group with a dog walker? Would a trip to the park meet their socialisation needs (always bearing in mind that socialisation is not just about meeting other dogs)?
โข How will you mitigate or avoid the potential behavioural problems which can arise from daycare? The lessons your dog might learn in day care are unlikely to be helpful in their life outside of daycare. Think about what daycare might teach themโฆthey get unrestricted access to play with lots of dogs lots of the time, they may get little practice settling and switching off, they are kept physiologically aroused a lot of the time, they often practice using their voice a lot. Are these things that might become problematic in contexts other than daycare? How will the young, adolescent dog who plays all day with every dog in daycare react when heโs out in the world and canโt interact with every dog there? Frustration? Barking? Pulling?
If youโve answered these questions and are happy that your dog would benefit from (NB not just cope with...) a day care environment how do choose the right daycare?
๐ช๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ?
There are many different styles of daycare from small, in home facilities to large, industrial scale daycares. So what should you consider when choosing a daycare?
โข Size. How many dogs are cared for at any one time? Thereโs a world of difference between being in a group of 6 dogs and one of 60. What will your dog be comfortable with (and what are you comfortable with)?
โข What size are the daycare's groups? Will your dog be in a small group (
I've had the pleasure of some lovely 121 sessions with these two cheeky brothers recently ๐
We'll be working on lots of elements within their dynamic relationship, but have started with teaching some of the basics to help us in the long-term. They're super sweet & super clever boys.
Here they are enjoying their homemade garden retreat - how amazing is this?!
All training today has been cancelled due to the heat - your dog's welfare & safety is my top priority! ๐ I will be checking the forecast and contacting everyone due to attend 121s/classes tomorrow asap if we need to cancel/reschedule.
Here are my top tips for keeping your pups cool in the hot weather...
๐ง allow access to shade & water at all times
๐ง avoid walking during the midday heat (safest early morning & evening)
๐ง if you can't hold your hand on the pavement for 5 seconds, it's too hot to walk your dog
๐ง provide enrichment activities at home
Well it's been a busy week for some of us... ๐ ๐
We made a quick trip to the Holsworthy '44 event this weekend to practice being around larger groups of people ๐ช
Mavis had a couple of excitable moments but overall did really well watching & walking past everyone calmly. It's taken a while (and lots of practice!), but we're getting there ๐
NOW FOUND
*** Lost Dog ***
It's raining, it's pouring, Mavis is snoring...
..on my bed! ๐โ๏ธ
So true...
*** Found dog ***
This energetic fella was brought in today wandering around Holsworthy woods. He is microchipped but the details are not up to date. If you recognise this lovely boy as yours, please call us on 01288 359500
We've been trying out Mavis's new vest this week ๐
She normally wears an 'I Need Space' vest in public, but often people come over (with their dogs in tow) to ask why she needs space - which kind of defeats the point as she gets overexcited to see people and other dogs! So we opted to try the 'In Training - Ignore' option instead.
I've passed so many people over the last few days who've said "I'm ignoring her!" which is so lovely that it's being taken notice of because it really does help her to stay calm. Thank you if you've been one of those people.
She is such a sweet dog and will get to a point eventually where she can get it right every time, but for now she needs a little bit of extra space so that we can successfully practice staying calm & *not* jumping up at people!
Mavis has entered her classes - have your dogs? Join us for some online dog show fun on a soggy Saturday! ๐ง
Thornbury's dog show has been moved online due to the torrential rain - as much as we would have loved to see you in person, its just not fair on the dogs to be stood out in rain this heavy for a couple of hours!
The dog show will go ahead but online via Facebook Events!
Please head to the Nature's Therapies Animal Behaviour page ~ click on the events tab ~ find Thornbury Online Dog show 2024
https://facebook.com/events/s/thornbury-online-dog-show-2024/385874187441824/
Entry fee is ยฃ1 per class and you can pay in 1 of 2 ways:
๐ถcash - there will be a pot provided near/ on the bar at the fun day (which is planned to go ahead)
๐ถbank transfer : Account num: 36626960 | sort code: 30-94-87 | Ref: ThornburyDS
Hopefully we can still raise some money for Thonbury as part of this event, even though now online.
Entries can be submitted under the relevant class post headings by commenting from 12pm today and I will judge the winners at 6pm today.
Winner of rosettes can collect them from Holsworthy Pets from Thursday 25th July.
Winners of the Prizes for Best in Show and Reserve - Michael will kindly drop them off to you!
My camera skills may need some work, but look at the speed of those recalls! ๐๐ I don't think their little legs could go faster!
๐พ Recalls & 'middle' practice, along with socialisation chats for my gorgeous Foundation class.
๐พ And a bit of a variety for my amazing Improvers - retrieves, sit/down stays, send arounds, recalls, & polite greetings.
While everyone else is going football-mad, we're escaping for a nice quiet twilight walk! ๐๐
Such a lovely 1-2-1 session with sweet Fergus this week ๐ He's a big teenager with big feelings about other dogs and gets a bit overwhelmed sometimes.
We started with focus around some minor distractions and built up to introducing 'Jasper' - a.k.a. my stuffed dog ๐ Lots of practicing lead handling skills, praise/reward timings, and discussing how to manage the environment while out and about.
Well done Fergus!
Great first week for my new puppies in their Foundation class ๐ How gorgeous are they all?!
We started by introducing a response to name, lying down, hand targeting ('touch'), and some nice little recalls ๐ Well done everyone!
How has it been a whole year already since we brought you home?! Time certainly does fly ๐ฅน
I'm pleased to be sponsoring Wags Canine Services charity dog show this year! Can't wait ๐
Due to a last-minute cancellation, I've had a space become available for my next Foundation group starting tomorrow 10th July!
Drop me a message/email if you'd like to join us! ๐ง [email protected]
Someone is glad we're home ๐ฅฐ Mavis has resumed her spot on my lap for a much awaited cuddle.
I'll be replying to all emails, messages etc over the next couple of days, thanks for your patience.
Do you live with a 'subborn' or 'naughty' dog? ๐ค
I think we're missing Mavis more than she's missing us! She's been having great fun with her friend Maggie so far at Woofworthy Secure Dog Field ๐พ
I do wonder what goes through her chunky little head when we go away. Since the beginning, we've tried to introduce her to the idea that sometimes we'll go and come back, for various lengths of time, and that it's absolutely fine. She's always been okay with it and never too concerned (in fact she often waits impatiently for me to leave for work so she can get her chew!).
She's very much a 'people' dog (she is very happy in the company of most people, even if she doesn't know them) but is also happy to relax by herself too (we've been told she's been taking herself off for nap time away from the other dogs when she needs it this week ๐ฅน). It all makes it easier to leave her.
But I know she'll be glad to see us when we return, and we'll look forward to being greeted with her charming gremlin noises and 100 slobbery kisses!
I'm now on holiday
๐๐ด๐น
All emails etc will be returned from Tues 9th July
My fab Improvers this week ๐ We practiced chin rests, swap & drops, road manners, and loose-lead walking exercises.
Great work everyone!
Dogs succumb to heatstroke quickly and cannot keep cool as easily as we can. ๐ฅต
Never leave them unattended in a car, even if you think you won't be gone for long or if the window is down.
With temperatures increasing this week, please share this message and call 999 if you ever see a dog in distress in a car. ๐ก๏ธ
More advice on what to do here: https://bit.ly/3VBiBUU
Super training session last night with sweet Zoa ๐
She gets a little overexcited around other dogs and will often bark while pulling hard towards them. We're on session no.4 and she's doing really well learning to watch them calmly at a distance (while her owner learns all the lead mechanics & appropriate reward timing!).
Well done Zoa! ๐
๐ Holiday notice ๐
I will be away from Sun 30th June - Sun 7th July (inclusive).
I'll be unavailable for the week so will reply to any emails, messages, calls etc on my return. Apologies for any inconvenience ๐พ
Making the most of the dry weather this week โ๏ธ
So lovely to meet my new Foundation group puppies who did brilliantly settling into class with lots of great focus work. And my amazing Improvers have definitely been practicing! They were all on top form this week ๐ Well done everyone!! ๐๐พ
North Tamerton
Holsworthy
EX226
| Tuesday | 9am - 7pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 7pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 7pm |
| Friday | 9am - 7pm |
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when New Tricks Dog Training & Pet Services posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
I like to give my dogs choice. Think about it. We decide everything - what food they eat, when they eat it, where/when they go outside or for walks, where they sleep and what they sleep on, which toys they have, what they wear, who they say hello to... The list goes on. So if I can give just a little bit of autonomy back, a little bit of choice, then I will. It's not always appropriate, but the more you do it, the more things you'll find to offer them choice. And the more confident and trusting they become. I don't know about you, but I want a good relationship with my dog - not a dictatorship. So I let Mavis choose which harness to wear, which direction she'd like to walk (where appropriate), which spot she'd like to rest on (she has two beds, access to the sofa & a rocking chair, along with our bed), which flavour food she'd prefer, which toy she wants to play with.. And which treat she'd like after a walk, even if it's always the same one!
Mavis is... well... bored! Apparently. Yes I've been working, doing boring work things. But we have also done some training outside, and we're about to go for a walk with friends. Apparently though, sometimes it's not enough ๐ She's normally quite patient and happy to chill out, but not today it seems!
๐ Holiday notice ๐ I will be away from Sun 30th June - Sun 7th July (inclusive). I'll be unavailable for the week so will reply to any emails, messages, calls etc on my return. Apologies for any inconvenience ๐พ
Mavis LOVES her tuggy toys! They're one of her favourite things to play with and have made her recall cue so much stronger. But it's really important that she's able to release if/when I need her to! We've been practicing dropping toys & items since she was 10wks old. It was a bit hit & miss in the beginning but she learned fast and is now a pro. But tuggy toys are her favourite (because Staffy!) so they can be harder to let go of. She's been doing so super well with the verbal ("thank you") and visual (hand under toy) cues together that I decided it was time to test our training and make sure she could respond to both of them individually too. This was really fun for her, especially as we can't go out for our usual walks while she's in season. How great did she do?!
Happy bank holiday โ๏ธ We're spending time with friends and family this weekend - what have your pups got up to?
Puppy throwback... to the evening zoomies! Tail chasing in her favourite chair, ft shrill barking ๐ซ But wasn't she cute?!
Happy Sunday early morning walkies! โ๏ธ Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No... it's a Mavis & she's bringing you something exciting later on today! ๐ค
Teaching Mavis to use a button-operated treat dispenser ๐ I started this a while ago and she loved the game and that treats just magically appeared from this weird contraption! A little bit too much ๐ that she was over-excited with her legs crazily flying around and mouthing the button when it was on the floor.. So we slowed it down. I held the button at her head height and encouraged her to sniff it or touch it gently when she was calm. If she got excited, barked at it or tried to paw it, I just removed the button for a second until there was a millisecond of calm again, then represented. I'm not against the idea of her using her paw, we'll build up to this - I just can't currently guarantee the safety of the button when it's being pawed at repeatedly ๐ and Mavis finds pawing/digging at things hugely over-exciting but this is a controlled exercise so I want her to be thinking clearly. Gradually we got to the stage you can see in this video. I'm slowly moving the button further away and at different angles as she gets better at the game. She loves it and wants to play all the time, but for now it's strictly a supervised game while she's a terrible teen! What's the point of the game? Aside from being a bit of fun, I'd like to have the option of a way to reward at a distance if needed for some training exercises in the future.
Following on from my frustrated post at the weekend, we had a really good day today ๐ Here's Mavis proving she can do all the things we've worked on after all! โ Loose-lead walking ๏ธโ ๏ธ Focus on me โ ๏ธ Calmly watching everything I'm especially proud of her "I just spotted a child and didn't get OTT excited" look ๐ฅฐ (FYI there will probably never be a video of the moments when it goes wrong, simply because I don't have enough hands to hold a phone straight if I'm concentrating on helping her get it right while also managing her safely!) We all have good days and not so great days. Take this as your sign to make the most of the good moments your dog has - encourage it, praise it, reward it, reinforce it. You'll start seeing more of the things you like and less of what you don't ๐พ Mavis is a teenager - we're likely to have lots of iffy days! She's not going to get it right all the time, especially when her hormones are all over the place! I'm just going to keep on practicing with her and the rest will fall into place with time. If she has an 'off' day where she's not feeling it, we'll just take a break and try again another time. (She's wearing an 'I Need Space' vest to ensure that people/dogs don't interrupt us while we're training)
We all hope our dogs will never go missing, but what happens if they do? I'm supporting @CornwallSearchDogs this week (along with 14 other local pet professionals) by counting my steps to raise money for a new search dog's training. We are so close to our target! Any support you can give is hugely appreciated! Thank you!! www.justgiving.com/page/1000stepsforsniffs
Happy #NationalPuppyDay! Here's a throwback to Mavis's first week with us, back when she was a tiny little dumpling ๐ฅน Penny was (is) so patient with her. Show me your puppy pics! ๐
Easy peasy canine enrichment ๐พ 1. Watch the world - Literally, just take them out to see, hear & smell things. You don't even have to walk anywhere, just stand still or sit on a bench. 2. Lead manners - Training for this one never truly stops, we're generalising this behaviour so she knows it applies everywhere. I'm using a mixture of the Stop-Start, 300 Peck, and Drunk Walking methods - plus lots of rewards! 3. Slow down - Why do we always have to rush everywhere? Take your time, let them absorb ALL the information. 4. Let them sniff - Dogs can smell 100,000 times better than us! Need I say any more?!
๐ What's going on here? How many calming signals can you see? ๐ ๐ SOUND ON Being able to read canine communication and figure out what's happening can help to prevent escalation. Dog body language can be really subtle - 'calming signals' are used by dogs to calm themselves and others around them to help diffuse situations and avoid conflict. Look out for... ๐ถ Lip-licking or nose-licking ๐ถ Whale eye (seeing the whites of their eyes) ๐ถ Yawning ๐ถ Looking away ๐ถ Head or body turned away ๐ถ Moving away ๐ถ Shaking off Other less subtle signals include growling, barking, snarling, lunging, snapping & biting! Here, Toddy has stolen Mavis's toys & an antler - and she wants them back. Toddy finds them equally as valuable and won't give them up. Although Mavis takes the hint that she shouldn't push it further, they seem to have come to a stale-mate. At this point I stepped in, called Mavis away and swapped the toys/chew from Toddy in exchange for a tasty treat (she got one too). I'll give them back to Mav later when Toddy isn't around.
Better late than never... ๐ Happy Valentines Day! ๐ Lots of love, Mavis ๐
Sunnier days! ๐โ๏ธ A little beach trip Mavis & I took this weekend. Despite being very excited to start with (and needing some gentle reminders of her lead manners), she did great once she settled down and loved doing lots of digging & splashing!! Mav even managed a couple of polite greetings with other dogs ๐ Anyone who knows her knows she can find that difficult at times as she (again) gets really excited. We worked on a bit of sitting & watching while staying calm if people/dogs walked by. This was a down-time kind of walk, but the training never fully stops!
Just a happy puppy paddling ๐พ
It's miserable outside today, so here's a clip from last week when I cleaned my van. The dogs all know that means one thing... BISCUIT CRUMBS! Scattered them over the grass and they had hours (yes hours) of entertainment searching and sniffing them all out ๐ Easy peasy canine enrichment!
๐๐ Training Classes ๐๐ Join me for the first Foundation group of 2024, starting 31st January! Teach your dog the basics of dog training: ๐พ 6-week course ๐พ small classes (max 6 pups) ๐พ Whitstone Parish Hall ๐พ dogs aged up to 1yr welcome See my website for more information & to sign up! www.newtricksdogtraining.co.uk/training-classes
What's your new year's resolution? ๐ค Mine is to improve Mavis' engagement with me - partly through using play! I've let her recall slide a little over Christmas so we've got some work to do. She loves her tuggy toys but we've also started exploring other types too. Kick-start the new year AND your dog's recall, focus, confidence etc. Get 20% off when you buy any 2 Tug-e-Nuff toys! https://tug-e-nuff.com/offer?ref=newtricksdogtraining It is #NationalTrainYourDogMonth after all...
We don't mind the windy weather! ๐จ๐ฆ We'll be back to work from Weds 3rd Jan & reply to all emails/messages/calls etc asap after this date. Thanks for your patience and ongoing support! ๐พ
Tamar Canine Fertility Services
Derriton Road
