I am a force-free, fear-free puppy/dog trainer, supporting canines and their owners in and around north west London. I offer 1:1 puppy packages.
I focus on teaching life skills and love helping families with young children bond. Contact for more info!
Stella and I are incredibly proud to continue our membership with the fantastic organisation - making safety between dogs and humans a priority.
The KAD programme to help children (and adults!) overcome their fear of dogs has proven how a good understanding of canine body language can make such a positive difference.
If you, or anyone you know, could do with a little support feeling more comfortable around dogs, please do get in touch - 07355 061 881
I have the delightful task of training this little energetic bundle of cockapoo fluff!! Doing so well already and his owner has put in place some great boundaries from the start helping to settle and keep him safe. He uses his crate in such a positive way.
Currently teething, so we've been discussing ways to alleviate the constant nipping and chewing. We've also been taking advantage of the dry weather to train recall and walking on a lead in the garden. We've also discovered that he LOVES 🍎🍏!!
Just look at the confidence this super little girl was displaying in our session!
She started the programme with me two months ago with a fear of dogs. During that time, she has listened, engaged and learnt so much about canine body language and how to stay safe around dogs.
Today's session was her second time meeting Stella, playing games with her in the garden. She asked to hold Stella's lead whilst guiding her around for a chicken treasure hunt. I was incredibly proud of her!!
Our final session will hopefully involve going on an empowering walk with Stella and watching her apply her newly acquired knowledge of canine body language as well as her new 'What to do when...' techniques in practice. Can't wait!!
The Kids Around Dogs protocol is such a wonderful, engaging programme. Helping children to 'speak dog' has such an empowering, positive and life changing impact - and it's also a safety skill for life!
If you know a little human struggling with their fear around dogs, please do get in touch so see how I can support them.
Opting for shock collars reflects a lack of understanding. Both untrained dogs and their owners are bound to face challenges, yet shock collars don't solve the underlying issues—they merely suppress symptoms, compromising welfare and damaging relationships in the process. Contrary to the belief that shock collars are lifesavers, it's actually positive reinforcement and education that truly make a difference. Let's reconsider our approach—because real change comes from guidance, not fear.
Do you live in UK? sign the government petition!
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/657377
Sharing educational posts is part of supporting the do no harm framework.
Thank you.
A useful explanation for any dog owners...
Free Download: https://dunbar.info/classicalconditioning
When you're dealing with an out of control dog, one of the first questions to ask is whether their undesirable behavior is driven by fear. If it is, you'll want to start by helping them feel more at ease. It's hard for anyone to control themselves when they are afraid!
The easiest way to help a dog feel at ease is Classical Conditioning, the simple act of getting your dog to form an associate between one stimulus and another. Help your dog form POSITIVE associations with the things that make them uneasy and they'll start to feel more relaxed.
Classical Conditioning is simple and easy to do, and with the right techniques, it can even be fun and enjoyable!
Want to learn more?
Check out our free DADD (Dunbar Academy Downloadable Document) about Classical Conditioning: https://dunbar.info/classicalconditioning
Or, even beter, join us for FREE at our Out of Control Dog Summit, coming up next week: https://dunbar.info/control2024
We'll be covering Classical Conditioning and SO MUCH MORE, including everything you need to know to calm your out of control dog and get them to pay attention to you and listen to your instructions in exciting and distracting environments. Join us!
Best job in the world, being a Therapaws therapy dog! Today Stella was invited to for staff playtime and cuddles!
Lighting up the Chanukah spirit...
Not sure it's come out quite how it was intended - so we have donuts too just in case 🤣
Off to dish out oodles of therapy cuddles as 's newest therapy dog ❤️
A busy graphic, but a useful one nonetheless to help you recognise signs of rising stress levels in a dog.
When we invite a dog to live with us, bringing him/her into *our* environment, understanding canine body language becomes our responsibility. It is vital to ensuring your safety and welfare, that of the dog and those she/he interacts with.
Reactive dogs.
This graphic looks a bit complicated....but looks can be deceiving. The idea is sound and simple and if you have a reactive dog this can change everything.
I know some of the terminology used by some in the industry is complicated....and this page will always try to break down often difficult/complex issues so they can be more easily understood......because understanding this concept will change how you work with your reactive dog.
Desensitisation and Counter conditioning
There is a measurable scale of rising emotions and/or stress with reactive dogs, this is measured by your own dogs body language and behaviour. At the lower numbers (1-4).... your dog is happy to view a trigger (another dog, car, horse etc) at a distance they feel comfortable with and you reward that calm looking.
Rewarding that calm looking is called counter conditioning, you are pairing something positive (such as food or a toy) and this will (over time) change how they feel about a trigger. This is a well timed reward.
Distance is needed for all of this (and every dogs distance is different....some have huge distances as a starting point).
These low level numbers are where you can desensitise your dog to their triggers (what they react to).
When your dog is reaching a level of 5 (going over threshold).....your dog is about to react, their body language is changing ......you need distance (quickly) to get back to those lower numbers again.
When your dog is reacting, desensitation work is very unlikely to work....they are unlikely to listen, focus or stop reacting unless you get distance.....distance is key with this work.
Over time and if you can have far more "low number looks" at your dogs triggers (and keep reactions minimal)....your dog will be able to view triggers more closely (reducing distance) and not react. Every dogs time frame is different and every dogs distance is also different.
Many clients attempt desensitisation when their dog is already over their threshold.....and the trigger is way too close.
We cannot dictate where to start this work....your dogs body language will let you know.
If your dog needs 20 metres from another dog to be at a 2 - 3 great !
If they need 50 metres from a trigger to be at a low level, then insisting on a closer interaction will not help them, they decide what is too close to a trigger...not us.
Distraction is NOT a long term solution for reactivity.....it sometimes has its place, but hiding and distraction are very temporary "solutions”.
If you have a reactive dog, there is hope, you can do this!
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Much of my work, as a Pro, is to support youngsters with their fear of dogs.
My latest session took place with a young boy whose grandmother's dogs gave him a fright, the effects of that incident have stayed with him, and visiting grandmother is now a tense and anxious experience.
I'm so glad the parents were proactive and reached out to me. Our first session called for special measures 😊 My uber-cuddly, soft dog army. Can you spot the 🐶 imposter?
Treat eating is serious business!!
For those XL Bully owners suddenly feeling bewildered by the recent news, Dogs Trust are supporting owners by holding a FREE online muzzle training workshop. It's never too early/late to start, whatever your dog's breed, age, size, type..
Such useful training, for any dog owner, I'd recommend saving your spot on this expert workshop.
📣🐕 Muzzle training with our experts
If you own an American Bully XL type dog, you can start preparing them for the restrictions by making sure they are trained to happily wear a muzzle.
We’re offering free online sessions to help you do this and will cover:
👉 information about the most suitable types of muzzle
👉 how to ensure a good fit
👉 how to teach your dog to enjoy wearing their muzzle.
Book now 👉 https://bit.ly/3RsuUCw
Our expert trainers have muzzle trained thousands of dogs in our care and can answer any other questions you might have about how to prepare for any upcoming changes affecting you and your dog.
These sessions are designed to support owners of American Bully XLs in light of the recent news, but all dog owners are welcome to attend. It’s useful for all dogs to be able to wear a muzzle comfortably – for those who are anxious at vet visits, for dogs who like to eat undesirable things on a walk or to keep other dogs and people safe if dogs are worried.
Such a great illustration from Trailblazing Tails showing the subtleties of canine body language.
It's vital to educate ourselves on these signals - to keep our dogs feeling safe, secure and listened to and also to ensure our kids safety whilst in their presence. Respect works both ways, and it's never too early to start teaching kids about what safe, respectful and relaxed dog interactions should look like.
Dogs talk with their bodies. It’s our job to listen. Dog body language should be a second language to us all!
Same dog, same child.
Sniffing everything she possibly can in London's East End today.
Perhaps you've got a canine companion in the midst of puppyhood, adolescence or you've recently rehomed a dog and he/she's feeling confident enough to explore? Try to make time visiting places you wouldn't usually venture to.
It's a great way to tickle your dog's senses, gets them sniffing, exploring and experiencing unfamiliar sights and sounds with you by their side. A great confidence boosting exercise! We're going to have a sniff around a building site later 😁
We bring you the Lick Mat Bundle, exclusively from Reset K9 Training!
The bundle consists of an exciting LickiMat for your cat/dog, 80g (100% meat) of pate from JR Pet Products. Complementing these items perfectly, you will also get our FREE expert guide on how to use the LickiMat to enrich your pet's life.
We have a range of different LickiMat styles to choose from and a choice of beef or turkey pate... yum!
Collection from NW11 or happy to post to a UK address for £3.50 once funds have cleared.
Great afternoon at the Great Hampstead Bark Off in Parliament Hill! Stella won FIRST place for ⭐⭐Waggiest Tail ⭐⭐ 🥳🥳 and they treated us to some lovely goodies from !
Dog-loving presenter Gail Porter and vet extraordinaire Marc Abraham did a brilliant job judging, so many wonderful dogs, so many waggy tails, can't have been an easy task!
Lovely stalls too! We also got ourselves a , tasty treats from and Stella's portrait taken by the very patient 😍.
We now have our prize-winning, tired but very satisfied waggy tail curled up on the fleece blanket dreaming about her entry into the Miss Hampstead category next year. 🐶🥇🐶
Just arrived, my weekend reading.... I've been looking forward to getting stuck into this!
There are so many puppy training guides available written by so many well respected positive reinforcement trainers, it's always a good idea to look up the authors and check out their bios, read reviews, tuck into a few chapters first. And then consider whether their approach to training suits you, your pup and your lifestyle. Tom and Lauren, founders of , are leaders in the R+ dog training field and their focus on training games and practical life skills for pups is very much in line with my own approach.
👉 Game On Puppy! by Tom Mitchell and Lauren Langman
This is something that owners often overlook so I always try to work it into my puppy programme.
A puppy who's comfortable with hands, seeing them in a positive way, can make a huge difference - from having a grass seed removed from a paw, an injection administered at the vets, ears dried, a session at the groomers... they will find many instances where hands may have to touch them.
The least stressful we can make these occasions, the better we'll all feel. 🧡
The easiest time to teach a dog to enjoy being handled is when they're a puppy. if you have a puppy now, or you know someone who does, PLEASE, take the time to proactively teach them to LOVE being held and handled by humans.
If your pup already seems comfortable being held and handled, don't take it for granted! Keep it up, and be sure to handle their entire body, using lots of food and praise to help them form a positive association. Don't forget to get your pup comfortable being handled by family and friends as well.
This will make it much easier to keep them safe and clean, and it will help them feel comfortable if they ever need to go to a groomer or get examined or cared for by a veterinarian. Dogs that are anxious about being handled will suffer much more if they ever need medical treatment for an illness or injury.
If you have an older dog who is already fearful or hand shy, you can definitely still teach them to enjoy being held and handled, but you'll need to proceed much more slowly and carefully, so you don't push them too far, too fast. If you take your time and use lots of treats you can build their confidence gradually, so that they can enjoy life more, with less anxiety.
Learn more here: https://dunbar.info/puppy-handling
If you have a puppy, or you know someone who does, we have an extra-special offer for you!
For the next few days, we're offering our Essential Puppy Training Course for 50% off AND we've just launched a new optional upgrade for our Essential Puppy Course Students. It's called the Premium Puppy Support Plan and it includes 3 months of personalized puppy training advice and assistance from us, the Dunbars, so you can give your pup the best education possible, make sure you and your pup are on the right track, and rapidly resolve any problems you might run into with your pup's training.
We're really excited to get to know some of our puppy students better, and have an opportunity to really help them train their pups with more personalized support.
If you know of anyone with a puppy, please tell them about this special offer!
Learn more here: https://dunbar.info/pup50
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I’m a Tug-E-Nuff partner and I absolutely love their ball toys, I use them not only during client sessions but also with my own dogs. They’re very versatile, great for find it games, fetch, tug and so much more.
Why go for a plain old dog ball when you could do so much more with a POWERBALL?!
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Some excellent guidance when bringing home a dog or puppy.
Stop insisting that helping dogs happens within The Four Quadrant of Operant Conditioning. Not only you do injustice to dogs and their potential, but you also miss important aspects of dog training and limit in providing essential skills to your dog. The operant quadrants (positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment) are important concepts in dog training, but they do not represent the entire picture.
the operant quadrants in dog training do not justify physical punishment or aversion. The operant quadrants are a framework for understanding how behavior is modified through consequences, and they include positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment.
Positive reinforcement (R+) involves adding something desirable to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. For example, giving a dog more attention when the dog remails with all feet on the ground.
Negative reinforcement (R-) involves removing something undesirable to increase the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. For example, removing people from the room when a dog is triggered.
Positive punishment (P+) involves adding something undesirable to decrease the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. For example, adding pressure to the leash when the dog gets stressed in the presence of people.
Negative punishment (P-) involves removing something desirable to decrease the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. For example, removing his comfort and safety when the dog gets stressed.
While all four quadrants can be used in dog training, the use of physical punishment or aversion falls under positive punishment, which is the addition of something undesirable to decrease the likelihood of a behavior being repeated. This type of training is often not recommended, as it can cause fear, anxiety, and aggression in dogs, and damage the relationship between the dog and its owner.
P+ Positive reinforcement, on the other hand, is often recommended as an effective and humane way to train dogs. By using rewards such as treats, praise, or play, positive reinforcement can encourage dogs to learn and perform desired behaviors without the use of physical punishment or aversion.
Effective dog training requires an understanding of many other factors beyond the operant quadrants, see the list below.
Breed-specific behavior: Different dog breeds have different temperaments and instincts, and understanding these is crucial to successful training. However, each dog is unique and needs individual approach.
Canine body language: Dogs communicate primarily through body language, so understanding their cues and signals is essential for effective training and communication.
Environmental factors: Exposing dogs to different environments is important to generalize behavior and ensure they can perform tasks under different circumstances.
Relationship building: Building a strong and secure relationship with your dog is essential for effective training. This includes developing trust, mutual respect, and good communication.
Trauma-informed socialization: Dogs need to be socialized with other dogs and people to ensure that they are comfortable and confident in a variety of social situations, but always taking in consideration the dog's past trauma and present emotional state.
Exercise and nutrition: Physical exercise and proper nutrition are essential for a dog's well-being and can impact their behavior.
In conclusion, while understanding the operant quadrants is important, effective dog training requires a more holistic approach that takes into account a wide range of environmental factors that influence a dog's behavior and learning.
Today was my final (for now!) puppy session with wiggly, waggly Pretzel.
Pretzel has two keen, young human sisters who dote on her. Early on, we discussed our expectations; what consent means and why it's important to listen and respect what we say to eachother. This is an especially important message that can make all the difference to a safe co existence with dogs. The girls were given an copy of at the start - it was amazing to hear what they had picked up since and were able to recognise in Pretzel's body language ❤️
Involving kids in day to day enrichment games and activities is something I focus on heavily. After all, a puppy who is secure in their presence, happy at home and confident to explore is more likely to demonstrate calm, confident, attentive and trusting behaviours which will have a long lasting impact. The photos here show a simple yet effective confidence course that the girls lovingly set up during the session today - with the help of packaging, every day household objects and a whiffy tub of chicken liver pate! The engagement from 🥨 and the 👭 was👌
✨✨ Pretzel truly has the most attentive family, eager to put in the foundation work to support her as she transitions through to adulthood. I'm going to miss that bare wiggly belly immensely! ✨✨
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Remember : The power of early positive, reward based training combined with a good dose of realism (we're human, not robots!) and patience (quick fixes generally come at a high price!) cannot be underestimated when training a puppy.
Over the weekend I caught up with a previous client, a chatty, confident little girl who was starting to demonatrate a fear around dogs.
Her parents love dogs and they have lots of family and friends with dogs. Their hope was that their daughter could feel comfortable as nd confident in their presence, and interact safely with them.
This photo speaks a thousand words 🧡
Mix up your training with some homemade dog treats!
No geniuses required to make this tasty, healthy snack.
1. Mandolin/finely slice a sweet potato.
2. Lay out on a baking tray.
3. Pop in the oven at 150*C for about 20-25 mins until they start to curl and crisp as the edges.
4. Wait to cool.
5. Treat dog (and yourself!) generously.
👉 🍠 Sweet potatoes 🍠 support a healthy digestive system, are naturally low in fat and contain essential vitamins such as B6, C and A.
**Give it a go, and see what your pup thinks!**
The fabulous team have developed a super range of toys to complement your dog's daily dose of enrichment. All products focus on the one thing all dogs generally love to do - LICK!
Licking has a very positive, calming effect on dogs and trainers often encourage owners and carers to allow their dogs uninterrupted time to get sticky and licky with these enjoyable items.
are currently offering Reset K9 Training clients and subscribers the opportunity to get 20% of their range of enrichment feeding toys.
Simply head over to their UK website and use the code RESETK920
You're still here?? Go on, get shopping, your canine companion will thank you 👅
All aboard the Happy Dog Train... Today we bumped into our furry friend Oslo for some much needed branch jumping, muddy fun.
Ta daaa! From banana box to dog bed, expertly and thoughtfully styled by the eight year old in the house!
Stella was very chilled in there, I think it may have become her new favourite space!
Preparations underway for my last session with a very curious and happy group of nursery children, excited to learn about dogs and how to be safe around them. Today they get to meet my sidekick, Stella, and put into practice those 'kind & gentle strokes' we've been learning about.
All children deserve to feel safe around dogs, and vice versa.
Get in touch if your school, nursery or childcare setting has children (and possibly adults too!) who could benefit from an interactive dog safety workshop.
👉 07355 061 881
👉 [email protected]
Silly Sundays! 🤣🐶🐾
CONSENT ➕ RESPECT
A vital part of building a safe environment for both kids and dog to share is to teach little ones how to recognise dog body language, respect the signs and react accordingly. See what the dog is saying, does she consent to being picked up? Woken up? Touched? Stroked? Stared at?
More often than not, Stella loves nothing more than a snuggle on the sofa quite literally underneath one of the kids but every so often she prefers to fart and snore with an audience and so will show subtle signs that communicate her discomfort or disinterest. In the photos above, her signs were met with an automatic reaction by 7 year old to get up and give Stella some space.
It's the little things that make all the difference and keep kids and dogs safe together 🧒 ❤️ 🐶
London
NW11
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Glorious, calm morning stroll with Quinta showing off her loose lead shimmy! To get her to this point has taken many weeks of confidence building, patience, proximity zone training and engagement/disengagement work. At five months old, her training has only just begun but these foundations, if revisited regularly and consistently, will stay with her for life. She's a super 🌟... a true example of what a force-free, long term and positive training approach can achieve.
This morning Stella got to enjoy a delicious superfood treat by @mygrubclub - packed with insect protein (yes, you heard, insects!), these grain-free soft baked hexagonal treats also contain banana, berries and spirulina!
