Pet Dilemmas

21/06/2023

Good dogs!:)

15/05/2023

New collars for the summer. Now we just need some sun!!

13/05/2023

I couldn’t have said it better. Thank you Victoria

20/02/2023

Join in the fun at the Woodmansterne may queen vm fair on May 1st!

16/02/2023

Finally some ☀️

10/02/2023

I can’t even believe that I’m having to go through this again. A few years after I started dog training there was a massive shift in the industry of trainers becoming force free or what ever else you want to call it. Basically not using fear or pain to train. This was an amazing time and those of us who saw that change will remember how lovely it was to witness. For the benefit of dogs everywhere. One of problems with social media is how fast news travels real or fake! Sadly much damaged is caused while fake news travels like wild fire and by the time the firefighters arrive armed with the truth much of the damage is done. Please let’s not go backwards because of a few bad apples with amazing marketing and social media platforms 😞

31/01/2023

Any pet lovers or carers who would like to learn about pet first aid join me on Saturday the 4th March 2023, 10.00am to 1.30pm

14/12/2022

Such good advice

30/11/2022

Thank you for the great post, Rplusdogs.com

30/09/2022

Such great advice.

13/09/2022

This is an old one but still relevant as I see little puppies being left to cry it out. .

Huey's first night.

When puppies arrive home at 8 weeks they often are in or just starting their first fear period.
If you expose a puppy to isolation and they get scared and do not recover, then they can become conditioned to being fearful when alone. These puppies can develop separation related problems and it can be difficult to overcome them. (O'Heare, 2004)

A puppy's mum at this age would still respond to her puppy's stress calls, it's not normal for them to be ignored. They are vulnerable and need to be cared for.
They do 'following behaviour' at this age because they need to stay close to their family to survive, because they are not old enough to fend for themselves.

Huey will not be left alone at night for the time being, he will be with us but in his own bed. He has an area for sleeping and an area for toileting. The crate is open. The toileting area must be away from the sleeping area, not in the crate. Crates are sleeping areas only.

If you're a bit of a night owl unlike me, it's even better if you get up and take them outside to the toilet, if they wake up in the night.

Huey will learn to be left alone during daylight hours in a structured manner and I will condition positive associations to this and increase duration as he copes.

At night I will first create a relaxed positive sleep habit, then I will teach independence. It's important my puppies feel safe and supported in their new home.

This is an important time for me and my puppy to bond. If he needs me, I will be there to support him.

Here he is now all grown up 🐾

15/08/2022

Positive all the way. ❤️

There's a video doing the rounds at the moment of a 'Dog Trainer' in the US beating customers dogs. It's sickening to watch.

I'm not sharing it.

Sadly our industry is unregulated which means anyone can set up and call themselves a dog trainer or behaviourist. They are not protected titles.

'It gets results' is just not good enough. Dogs are sentient beings and provide so much to our lives they deserve to be treated with kindness and respect.

I find it difficult to understand why people are so comfortable with punishment, but I've seen groups of people who use punishment on dogs for training and because they're doing the same and surround themselves with people doing the same it becomes their normal. If people stick to a belief that positive reinforcement training doesn't work, it will help them justify the use of punishment to themselves and their customers.

If you watch the film the Stamford Prison experiment it will show you how humans react to being in power and control of another being. If you look at the milgram experiment you will see how most people will mindlessly follow the 'Expert' without question and cause harm to others.

I have 5 years University experience studying Canine Science. I've studied methods and approaches, I've compared and contrasted them and critically evaluated them. I completed my dissertation on different methods and learning.

I have hours and hours of CPD from a variety of other trainers. I've been assessed and externally verified by several organisations.

I have a lifetime of experience with various breeds. Living with, competing with and breeding.

The more experience and knowledge I gained, the more positive I became.

I mostly learned that dogs don't need an 'Alpha Male' for you will live in harmony with them.

Positive training works, I know it does. What I do is share all my experience and knowledge and help people learn to be good at training their dogs with positive reinforcement.

Please please please make sure you check a trainer's approach and credentials, because getting results to make your life easier isn't enough, the journey and the experience your dog has living with you is of equal importance.

Have a great week 🐾🥰

Jane Ardern BSc Hons
Kennel Club Dog Trainer of the Year
Gundog Club Accredited Instructor and Assessor
ICAN Accredited Behaviourist

10/08/2022

It looks like we are in for another heatwave this week, so I am carefully considering how to go about training sessions.

I will be moving some about, depending on what we are doing, and some others might be pushed back until it is cooler next week.

Any good professional will be weighing up the pros and cons of training vs hot weather risks and offering options around rescheduling where they can, where it is appropriate.

We know the risks of heatstroke, burning paws and more - and we also know that a dog who is stressed by the heat can't learn as well as a dog who feels comfortable, and neither can their humans, and we want your dog to stay healthy AND for you both to get the most value from our sessions.

Yes, it can be awkward and even annoying for clients who have to reschedule, but their dog's health is so important. Getting their training and support right is vital for their futures too.

It is also difficult for the professional who has to juggle to fit everyone in and can often miss out on their wages in the process. Our industries are pretty tough at the moment ANYWAY as bills and food costs can mean that people are cutting back on their doggy expenditures. Many industries are feeling pinched. Many doggy pros businesses are going under at a time when bills are skyrocketing. It is hard for us too!!

Most professionals do their job because they love dogs, myself included, and that love involves a large degree of keeping the dog safe from harm. Despite any inconvenience to humans, ourselves included.

So please, do not berate your professional if they have to change at the last minute because of the weather - if they care that much that they are willing to do that, then you have a good professional there.

08/08/2022

Such great advice. Please don’t chase your pup to get items from them. Instead create games which make them want to come to you instead.

08/08/2022

What is socialisation?

It is a stage of development in your puppy. It starts at 4 weeks and ends around 16 weeks. However actual socialisation should continue well after 16 weeks as your puppy will go through other development stages having different experiences.

The first thing to consider is your puppy will go through their first fear stage 7/9 weeks old. It's important not to overwhelm them. It's also important if they're struggling to be left alone not to leave them.

During the socialisation stage of development, it's not about socialisation in the context that we understand it. It's about exposure to the world. It's so important that the exposure the puppy gets is positive emotional experiences. So a nervous or sensitive puppy needs less. They can see the world but they don't need to interact with everything in it. They need exposure that they as an individual can cope with. Doing more will not turn them into a confident social butterfly it will probably make them more fearful, even reactive.

It's needs to be a slow steady pressure free pace. Slow down your walks, stop and give them time to take in the environment, there's new sounds, sights and smells. This can be a sensory overload for some. Let them sit and watch, take your time so they can take it all in and then process it.

We used to call it a critical stage of development but it's now a sensitive, because it's flexible. Your puppy is sensitive to experiences so make sure they are positive.

If your puppy is scared support them and help them. This won't reinforce or reward negative behaviours that are driven out of fear, apprehension or caution, it will cause them to relax and feel safe and then those behaviours will stop.
Yes the puppy will become a little dependent on your support but once they feel safe you can teach independence and reward brave choices. Feeling safe will activate exploratory control processes in the brain and your puppy will choose to explore and approach. This is much more powerful than being lured to something they're scared of. Luring with treats to scary things causes pressure and conflict which are negative emotional and stressful states. Timing is key and reinforcement should happen in safe places for it to be emotionally reinforcing.

Forget behaviour and think emotions and experiences at this time.

This puppy was barking when I arrived today. Her owners reassured her and she relaxed. She then eventually started to choose to approach me. When she did they praised her, called her back to them so she didn't spend too long in the scary place and then rewarded her with them, she was rewarded for making brave choices in her safe place with her owners.
She eventually chose to come sniff me, make eye contact with me and take some treats from me. She then relaxed and fell asleep ❤️❤️❤️❤️

This lucky puppy has lovely compassionate and dedicated owners who are doing the best for her and meeting her needs ❤️❤️ I know she will be ok and I'm really looking forward to being a part of this family's journey with this gorgeous pup 🥰

Work at the puppy's pace, don't rush 🐾❤️

Jane Ardern BSc Hons
Kennel Club Dog Trainer of the Year
Gundog Club Accredited Instructor and Assessor
ICAN Accredited Behaviourist
Author of Mission Control How to Train the High Drive Dog

01/08/2022

Totally agree!

MYTH - PUPPY CLASSES ARE THE PLACE TO SOCIALISE YOUR PUPPY!

A very common comment that I hear on a regular basis is "I'd like to book my puppy into puppy classes to socialise him/her".

It's a common view - that you need to attend puppy classes as that is where your puppy will be "socialised"

A common misconception, partly I feel due to the word, is that socialisation is all about puppies playing with other puppies. Now don't get me wrong, learning to interact with other dogs is important, but it is only a small part of the picture.

Socialisation is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as "exposure of a young domestic animal to a variety of people, animals and situations to minimise fear and aggression and promote friendliness"

So, as this suggests, there is a lot more to socialisation than the term would indicate. I personally prefer the term "exposure and habituation" but it's a bit of a mouthful and everyone uses the term socialisation anyway!

As this also suggests, this cannot be (nor should it be expected to be) achieved in a 6 week puppy class! Socialisation is down to you!

Puppy classes are about education not socialisation!

Puppy classes should teach YOU how to teach your puppy. Puppy classes should show you WHAT appropriate interactions between dogs look like so you know what to look out for and when to put a stop to an interaction. Puppy classes should TEACH you about body language so you can tell when your puppy is uncomfortable and therefore what they can and can't cope with. Puppy classes should show you HOW to encourage your puppy to engage with you and check in regularly, and HOW to appropriately reinforce your puppy so that they are encouraged to repeat that behaviour.

But all these things you learn in puppy class need to be practiced and maintained at home and then, when appropriate, in more distracting environments.

So - socialisation is about GENTLE exposure to sights, sounds, environments, people, animals etc that we would like our puppy to be comfortable with throughout their life. The word 'gentle' is the important word here. We want to expose our puppies to these stimuli at a level they can cope with and are comfortable with (hence the importance of understanding body language), and build a positive association at the same time.

A 6 week puppy class cannot, and should not, be the place you go for "socialisation" alone. Sure, they can help with teaching pups to be around other dogs and not play, to learn to greet appropriately and then come away, to learn to be calm around other dogs, to be exposed to other animals such as chickens and horses (in the case of my classes!) BUT they are the place to LEARN how to work on certain things and LEARN what to do, NOT to rely on this one class a week, for 6 weeks, as being enough!

Puppy classes are about educating YOU how to train and raise your puppy :)

26/07/2022

19/07/2022

https://www.housebeautiful.com/uk/lifestyle/a22650251/fan-tricks-cool-room-heatwave-hot-weather/

Using items you already have at home!

12/07/2022

🔥please stay home with your dogs🔥 I’ve seen way too many dogs out walking in this intense heat.

10/07/2022

Again I’m posting about the heat. Please leave your dogs at home in the heat wave. No walks required!!!!

🥵 🐕 ⚠️ It blows my mind (and makes me so angry!) that despite the wide scale warnings and information that is available people are STILL walking their dogs in this heat.

Having nursed many dogs over the years with heat stroke it makes me dread the hot weather on a professional level.
Heat stroke is frankly horrific to witness and extremely unpleasant to try and treat.
When I see people out walking it makes me want to pull my car over and take the dog away.

😞The last patient I nursed we worked on for 6 hours straight to get him stable enough to be transported to a SRH. It was very touch and go. Luckily he went on to make a full recovery (after a further 7 days of specialist care!)
… and that day was actually much cooler than what we are experiencing currently.

💦 Although relatively rare, with the hot weather comes water intoxication cases. This occurs when dogs take on too much water, usually when swimming, playing with hoses or sprinkler systems. From memory in my career I have only seen 3 cases of this - the last one was a very sad outcome 😩.

🥵 Later this week it’s expected to get even hotter to record breaking levels, Let’s hope people listen & I really hope none of us see any cases. Even at dawn and dusk it might still be too warm. Shade isn’t enough!


🧐📕If you are working over the next week those are two specific areas to definitely have a read up on as they might come your way! You can help reduce your stress by planning ahead and having a pre-read✌🏻
Maybe it would be a good discussion point for morning rounds tomorrow?



Here’s some bedtime reading 👇🏻

Today's Veterinary Nurse
“Providing care to dogs with heat stroke” by the AMAZING & inspirational
👩🏼‍⚕️Amy Newfield CVT VTS (ECC) of Veterinary Team Training

https://todaysveterinarynurse.com/emergency-medicine-critical-care/providing-care-to-dogs-with-heatstroke/

My cat has already gone into pancake mode … she hates the heat!

08/07/2022

Some superb advice here for ALL dog owners :)

I spend so much time working with people and their reactive or aggressive dogs, learning how to help them and work with them, but I also try to show people with NON reactive dogs learn how they can help them too. I truly believe if we work together as a collaborative society of dog lovers we can help every dog live their best life. Here are some things I try to teach every human and dog team, and I’ve actually found these are good preventative tools too.

1. Stop letting your dog have on leash greetings with other dogs. Even if they are friendly. Teach your dog when they are on leash you are the best thing they can focus on! This will minimize their conditioned excitement every time they see another dog and help them not pull, lunge or move towards a reactive dog who doesn’t want an interaction. Also, the more you do let your dog meet dogs on leash, the more frustrated and aroused your dog can get when they see them and then reactivity can develop. NO leash greetings all around is a much healthier way to teach your dog(s) that the world out there is great but you’re even better to focus on!

2. Silence your dogs tags. I started doing this a few years ago when we started camping. I realized that the jingling of my dogs tags walking was a huge trigger for many of the dogs in their campsite, and as a result, they would bark and scream profanity at my dogs walking. This made their walk stressful too. By minimizing the noise, I’ve greatly improved my dogs walks and I know I’ve also helped a lot of reactive dogs not get triggered for the umpteenth time that day.

3. Work on a bombproof recall. And then work on it some more. And then some more.

4. Only let your dog off leash in places that are allowed. Even if you think no one is there. Even if it’s just for a second. Just. Don’t. Do it. It’s not fair and it sets so many dogs and humans up to fail. Want a place to let your dog run? Look at Sniffspot.com

5. Respect muzzles, give me space vests, and people saying “no” It is super hard to take a reactive dog out in public and have confidence. The more we give space and respect the better these teams will do! Don’t make judgements or stare or insist on saying hello because you hope to be the exception. Just tell them they are doing a great job and keep going.

6. Don’t let your dog stare. This is a BIG one we work on in all our classes. We teach humans how to position their dogs so they don’t stare at other dogs. I work hard on teaching my dogs to not stare at other dogs on leash and you can too. This is more subtle than not leash greeting but it can be just as helpful. Teach your dog to acknowledge there’s a dog there, but then move on, or turn around and not face them. For many reactive dogs there is nothing more triggering than a goofy adolescent dog staring at them across the road. I swear they scream back “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!”

7. Confine and safely manage your dog in the car. Dogs hanging out of windows, barking and lunging in the backseat, or moving back and forth in the car are problematic because 1. It’s not safe and 2. It’s teaching THEM terrible behavior and 3. It’s very stressful for reactive dogs trying to walk down the road. My dogs are crated in the car; or tethered or use a calming cap to reduce their own stress and the stress of dogs that may walk past.

8. Offer to help. Ask the person what you can do to make it easier or help them? More space? Or moving back and forth? Or just continuing on your way. Some people struggle to find others with NON reactive dogs to practice with, so having help makes a big difference. Speak up if you see someone putting them down. Warn someone with an off leash dog that there’s a dog there that needs space. Help them the same at YOU would like it if it was you and your dog.

Reactive dogs are not broken: and they aren’t abnormal either. Reactivity honestly is now becoming more normal than NON reactive dogs, so we have to all work through this together. And it boils down to respect, understanding, courtesy and lots of reward based training.

We can do it gang.

-Helen St. Pierre

06/07/2022

A great idea for new puppy owners. if you live in the surrey area this is worth doing.

🐾PUPPY COFFEE MORNING🐾

It's no secret that I think one of the most important things to teach puppies is that it pays off to settle and relax in any environment, from one with no distractions to somewhere with much more going on.

So I'm going to be running occasional Puppy Coffee Mornings....where you can have coffee and chat to me and other puppy parents, ask questions, but the focus will be on managing things so that each of your puppies is able to start to learn to disengage from distractions and relax on a mat.

First one will probably be at Denbies Wine Estate, Dorking on a weekday as there is plenty of room outside. I can also do one early on a Saturday morning.

If you would be interested please comment under here or drop me an email .

I haven't yet set a date because I want this horrific heat wave we are due to have to pass!

I'll also do one for adolescent / adult dogs if people would like it :)

04/07/2022

I had to share this one. It’s so true!

15/06/2022

🫠🐶🌞🔥 did you know that dogs sweat through thier feet? Did you know that that’s how they cool down when they are hot? Did you also know that it takes at least two weeks for the body to acclimatise to a sudden Increase in environmental temperature? Please don’t walk your dogs on the roasting hot pavement so they are physically unable to cool down. Instead pick shaded grassy areas. Don’t worry about a ‘walk’ or throwing a ball. Just hang out in the shade with your dog. Scatter some dry food in the grass for them to snuggle. Play some find it games or Bring a pre stuffed frozen kong for them to snack on while enjoying a cool breeze in the shade and then take them home to relax and regulate their body temperate. Enjoy the sun but please don’t torture your dog.

13/06/2022

06/06/2022

A fabulous fun dog show at the chipstead jubilee event. So much fun.

05/06/2022

What an absolute brilliant day we’ve had. Well done to everyone who joined in the dog show and congratulations to all our winners 🙂

05/06/2022