One of the most important parts of working with rescue dogs is building trust. Many of these dogs have had experiences that make them wary of handling, so something as simple as touching their paws or checking their ears can feel overwhelming.
That’s why I use cooperative care - a training approach that helps dogs feel safe, comfortable and in control of the process. Today at the shelter, I worked with my best boy Jude to show him that having things put over his head can be a positive experience. No force, no fear – just patience, kindness, and choice. 💙
If you have a rescue dog, taking things at their pace and making sure they feel safe is key. Every moment of trust-building counts. 💕
Have you used cooperative care with your dog? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments! ⬇️
Jude is available for adoption at Pawprints Dog Rescue - Dogs Available
#RescueDogs #BuildingTrust #ForceFreeTraining #CooperativeCare #PositiveReinforcement #DogTraining
🐾 Are you the owner of a dog who hates being brushed, having their nails clipped, being given medication or getting examined by the vet? 🐾
How would it feel to:
🐶 Be able to groom your dog easily without them trying to grab and play with the brush?
🐶 Clip your dog’s nails without having to chase them around the house first?
🐶 Be able to administer medication or perform other procedures like tick removal without needing to restrain your wriggling dog?
🐶 Take your dog to the vet and have them calmly stand while they are examined?
I have the solution to help with that!
My online, self-paced course on cooperative care includes easy-to-follow video tutorials and downloadable handouts that will guide you through the process of teaching your dog to calmly accept handling without any need for force or restraint.
So don’t hesitate - sign up today at www.perfectly-canine.com/online-courses and start your journey towards stress-free grooming and handling ❤️
❤️BUILDING CONFIDENCE THROUGH SOCIAL WALKS❤️
It might sound counter-intuitive, but dogs who lack confidence around (unfamiliar) dogs can really benefit from…going on walks with other dogs! Watching another dog interact confidently with the environment helps encourage more exploratory behaviour, and the helper dog can also act as a social buffer to intercept incoming off-lead dogs.
Of course, we have to set these walks up in such a way that the less confident dog is not put under any pressure to interact if they don’t want to. You can see a lovely example of that in this video of a social walk with my dog Lyra and client dog Louie. At no point did they actually ‘meet’ on this walk - but that’s okay!
The fact that Louie was able to walk alongside Lyra calmly, without barking, was fantastic progress in itself. He even went to sniff a couple of the spots where she had done a wee or sat down to inspect her scent profile without the pressure of an up-close interaction 🧐
With time, I’m confident that he’ll be able to have some positive encounters with other dogs (he lives with another dog and has a great relationship with her, so we know he is somewhat socially motivated). For now, though, it’s all about taking things at his pace!
Good job to Louie and his fantastic owner, who showed some great handling skills 👏
(If you think your dog would benefit from social walks, keep your eyes peeled for some new packages being released next month! 👀👀)
#dogtraining #dogtrainer #positivereinforcementtraining #dogtrainingtips #forcefreetrainer #rewardbasedtraining #dogsofleamingtonspa #1to1dogtraining
It's me again, banging on about how important it is to let dogs sniff!
On this walk, my dogs spent the first half an hour or so walking at a reasonably fast pace, but the last 20 minutes was almost exclusively slow, steady ambling and sniffing 👃
And guess what? They were absolutely exhausted afterwards and slept for most of the morning!
If you're finding you get back from a walk and your dog is absolutely wired and unable to settle, you might want to consider adding a sniff stop at the end of the walk to help them return to calmness.
Get in touch today if you want to learn how to achieve calmer walks (and post-walk snoozes) with your dog ✉️
#dogtraining #dogtrainer #positivereinforcementtraining #dogtrainingtips #forcefreetrainer #rewardbasedtraining #dogsofleamingtonspa #1to1dogtraining #letdogssniff
Herding breeds like Border Collies often struggle around household appliances like hoovers - they’re noisy, they move around and they’re begging to be herded 😂
As you can see here though, it doesn’t have to be that way. I’m not sure Crash even opened his eyes while the hoover was going past him (picking up all his hair I might add!) - and you can achieve this too!
Start by teaching your dog to settle on a mat or in their bed, then practice just moving the hoover around at a distance, while it is switched off. Gradually make it harder by moving it a little closer to them, then switching it on and off again, and finally combining the two by switching it on and briefly hoovering a small patch of carpet.
By building this up in small steps you won’t overwhelm your dog, and they will learn that the hoover is something they don’t need to worry about!
If you’ve tried this and you haven’t managed to make it work, why not get in touch with me so we can work through it together - and so you can do the housework in peace!
🐶 Want your dog to come when you call them - even when there are distractions around like other dogs, people and wildlife? 🐶
If that's you, there are 5 key training tips you can't ignore:
🐾 Start by teaching a recall cue with NO distractions at home or in the garden, using high value treats or toys
🐾 Then practice recalling your dog from some easy distractions that you can control, like a ball or tug toy (it can help to have another person hold the toy so that they can pick it up if your dog doesn’t recall!)
🐾 Start introducing some real-life distractions but at a distance (e.g. practice recalling your dog away from some dogs they can see on the other side of a large field)
🐾 Gradually get closer and closer - if they’re finding it too hard, go back a step and practice some more at an easier level
🐾 Use a long-line while your dog is still learning so that they don’t get rewarded for ignoring you by getting to play with other dogs or chase wildlife
I hope you find these tips for recalling your dog from distractions helpful! What kind of distractions does your dog struggle with?
#dogtraining #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingadvice #positivereinforcementtraining #forcefreetraining #dogsofleamingtonspa #recalltraining
Today the dogs and I had lots of fun working on some training videos for a brand new online course that I hope to release very soon...watch this space 👀👀
Ensuring that good-quality dog training material is available and affordable to all is really important to me, and I hope to eventually offer a range of self-guided online courses in future!
Do you like the idea of online dog training courses? If you were going to buy one, what training issue would you like it to cover? Let me know in the comments! 🗨️
#dogtraining #dogtrainer #positivereinforcementtraining #puppytraining #dogtrainingtips #forcefreetrainer #rewardbasedtraining #dogsofleamingtonspa #warwickshire #dogtrainingtutorials
🐾 Cute videos of dogs on social media are all well and good, but it's easy for us to get into the habit of comparing our own dog to the ones we see online. 🐾
But like people, all dogs are individuals - and that affects the way they play too! In fact, some dogs don't like to play at all. 🤷♀️
Don't worry if this sounds like your dog - it's totally normal! Socialising doesn’t have to mean rough and tumble play or games of chase. 🐶
I took this video because it was a very rare example of Crash and Lyra playing together. They used to play-fight a lot, but when Crash hit social maturity at the age of about 2 he decided it was time to stop messing around! That doesn’t mean they don’t get on, though – they still enjoy sharing sniffs and racing shoulder to shoulder.🌪️
So whether your dog likes a good game of bitey face or a civilised stroll in the company of other dogs, it all falls on the spectrum of ‘normal’ - and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! ❤️
#dogbehaviour #dogsofleamingtonspa #dogtrainingtips #forcefreedogtraining #decodingdogs
Hands up if you’ve ever felt a bit stressed out in a really busy place (like the supermarket on a Saturday when the forecast says it’s going to be BBQ weather all weekend)? 😱✋
Now imagine what your dog must feel like if they are always walked in really busy parks with loads of other dogs and people around! Even if they are generally sociable and confident, this can get a bit much for some dogs. 🤯
That’s why I always try and make sure that some of Lyra’s walks are in quiet places and at less busy times, even though she’s comfortable with other dogs and loves people. 🤗
There are loads of benefits to doing this:
🐾 You can allow your dog a little more freedom to roam as you know they’re unlikely to bump into another dog (who might be on the lead)
🐾 Your dog will feel less social pressure as they don’t have to constantly interact with unfamiliar dogs
🐾 You will build a stronger relationship with your dog as they learn to see you as a partner to explore with rather than someone who puts a stop to their fun (like playing with other dogs)
Don’t get me wrong, having regular social interactions with a stable group of dogs they get on really well with is essential for the majority of our dogs - but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give them some downtime too!
How about you? Do you prefer quiet strolls in the countryside with your dog or a trip to a busy park in the centre of town? Let me know in the comments 👇
#dogsofleamingtonspa #dogwalkingtips #dogtrainingtips #walkies #forcefreedogtraining
🙌 There are 5 big reasons to book my Perfectly Calm and Collected 1:1 training package 🙌
💕Now the weather has finally improved it’s pub garden/café patio/BBQ season! With my help you’ll be able to enjoy these events together with your dog rather than stressing that they won’t settle
💕 I’ll show you some SIMPLE exercises that will teach your dog the art of relaxation (yep, it’s a skill they can learn like any other!)
💕 I’ll come along when you put those skills into practice for the first time - we’ll head out to some public places together for some ‘real-life’ training
💕 I’m here to chat any time you get stuck! When you purchase a package you get free virtual support in-between sessions in case you have any questions or want some feedback
💕 I won’t expect your dog to be an obedient robot. For me it’s about helping them to feel better so they can genuinely relax, rather than masking feelings of stress by insisting on obedience
I hope that helps you better understand how my Perfectly Calm and Collected can help you and your dog.
When you’re ready to get on track for the summer socialising season, I’m here to chat!
👉 Click here to learn more about my Perfectly Calm and Collected Package and book yourself in: www.perfectly-canine.com/calmness-training
🐾Secure fields are a fantastic way to give your dog a bit more freedom if you can’t yet trust them off the lead for whatever reason.🐾
Some trainers say that you should treat your secure field sessions like a normal walk; i.e. if you don’t think your dog will be able to recall, they should be on a long line so they don’t form bad habits.
I take a slightly different approach. In my experience, giving dogs more freedom to make choices in a safe environment reduces pressure on both dog and owner and helps build a relationship based on trust and agency.
The result? A dog who checks in with you because they choose to, not because you’re calling them every few minutes!
So I know I said no rules…but there are just a few teeny tiny ones that I like to follow 🫣 However, they are just there to keep everyone safe:
🐾 Warm your dog up first - if your dog has a tendency to launch themselves out of the car and immediately start sprinting around at 100mph, they are going to be more prone to injury. Try scattering some food at the entrance before releasing them to get their noses on the floor and slow them down a bit. This allows them to warm up their muscles before having a good run!
🐾 No digging - if you allow your dog to dig holes at a secure field, this can result in a major trip hazard both for your own pup and other visitors to the field. A dog running full speed can easily break a leg if their foot gets caught in a hole, so keep an eye on your dog to make sure they don’t start digging!
🐾 Minimise repetitive ball throwing - it can be tempting to try and ‘tire your dog out’ by having them chase after a ball for an hour! However, this kind of repetitive movement and hard braking is likely to result in muscle soreness or even serious injury. It also creates an adrenaline spike, meaning your dog will find it harder to settle down and snooze when they get home.
I also love to use secure fields for training new behaviours without any unexpect
Rosy Skilton | Dog Trainer and Clinical Dog Behaviourist in Warwickshire
