Hillside Puppy School

29/06/2025

Teenage Tearaway??

Last chance to join my training course in Bratton Fleming. Get that rocket recall and lead walking nailed now!
Tuesday 1st July 6.30pm
For more info ping me a message, or to book hit the link below

https://www.hillsidepuppyschool.co.uk/service-page/good-companion-awards-foundation

27/06/2025

DOES YOUR DOG PULL ON THE LEAD?

There is still time to grab a place on my next course starting
TUESDAY 1st July 6.30pm
Near Bratton Fleming

This is an APDT Foundation award level course and will include fun ways to encourage your dog to walk nicely on a lead, including the method below

MESSAGE ME FOR MORE DETAILS or BOOK via the link

https://wix.to/qC6gu44

23/06/2025

🐶🐶🐶 LAST MINUTE PLACE 🐶🐶🐶

Do you have a young dog?
Would you like them to:
✅ Come when called
✅ Walk nicely on a lead
✅ Drop/Give objects when asked
✅ Settle
✅ To have good manners

If so, why not join our new six week Good Companion Awards course and have fun while you learn with your dog. This is a nationally recognised award run by an APDT trainer using kind and effective modern methods.

This course is suitable for dogs that are comfortable in a class environment

Tuesday 1st July 6.30pm Bratton Fleming

£75 for six classes and accompanying notes

For more information message me

TO BOOK NOW:

The Good Companion Awards are a nationally recognised qualification within the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. This course will cover the skills necessary to complete the GCA Foundation stage. The emphasis is in acquiring the life skills necessary to develop a strong bond and understanding between....

21/06/2025

Good Companion Awards

I have one place left on my Foundation Level course starting:

Tuesday 1st July at 6.30pm Bratton Fleming

6 week course
£75
Prior booking essential

Booking link

https://wix.to/qC6gu44

Suitable for anyone wanting to learn how to get the very best out of their relationship with their dog.

The foundation stage covers the following skills:

Recall
Handling
Positions (Sit, Down, Stand)
Settle
Lead Walking
Self control around food and doorways
Drop/Give
Response to name

This course is suitable for puppies and dogs over 6 months old who are comfortable in a group class.

Alongside the skills required for the award there will be plenty of time to learn some fun games to play when you are out and about together.

This is a nationally recognised award scheme run by the APDT Uk who promote Kind, Fair and Effective Dog Training. For more details follow this link to their website

https://www.apdt.co.uk/good-companion-awards

The APDT Good Companion Awards have been carefully designed to help dog guardians to attain an award for being a good companion to their dog, and their dog a good companion to them.

05/06/2025

When it’s a bit damp outside what’s a dog to do?

22/04/2025

Just in case!!

Better chocolate than raisins .. there is no safe limit for raisins and it seems to be pretty random which dogs react.

If your dogs do eat raisins you need to act straightaway, waiting to see if they become ill could mean the damage can’t be reversed.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/194pL57Wb1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

How much chocolate is too much for your dog? 🐕

With all the Easter treats around this weekend, it’s important to know how chocolate can affect your furry friend. Even a small amount can be dangerous depending on their size! ☠️

If your pup sneaks an Easter egg (or two), give us a call for advice — better safe than sorry. 📞

Wishing you all a safe and happy Easter weekend! ☺️

15/04/2025

Dog Training is Changing…

This is a great post by Zak George highlighting how modern, ethical training is moving forwards as we learn more about dogs, and for that matter, humans too.

When I qualified as an Early Years Practitioner it always struck me how similar the approach to under five’s learning and development is to my approach to dog training!

Early Years Foundation Stage principles:

Every child is a unique individual

Positive relationships are essential

Enabling environments support learning

Learning and development are ongoing processes

I encourage reading the AI summary which elaborates on these principles which are in my opinion just as valid for puppy rearing.

The other big thing is LEARNING THROUGH PLAY

We now know that punishment based child rearing/schooling is neither ethical, nor the best way to support a child fulfil their potential as an emotionally secure, productive adult. Most people would agree that similar practices also apply to dog training.

But it goes beyond this.

With dogs we have to consider their genetics, this really does matter. What was your puppy bred to do? What do they need to thrive? What are their natural behaviours and are you meeting their needs for expression?

If we don’t look at the bigger picture and take a holistic view our relationships are unlikely to thrive

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CUbUuMHcL/?mibextid=wwXIfr

04/04/2025

24/03/2025

🎉🎉🎉 SPECIAL OFFER FOR VIPS 🎉🎉🎉

Very Important Puppies are now able to book onto our April PupStars Course at the special Mad March Price of just £65!

Next 4 week course:

Tuesday 1st April at 6.30pm
At Moorland Vets, Bratton Fleming

Suitable for puppies up to 20 weeks old
(Contact me for details of classes for older VIPs)

This is so much more than just a puppy class.
It has a unique 4 + 2 format with the 4 classes being supplemented with 2 half hour Saturday Socials at our private paddock to allow for some play time and off lead recall practice🐶

Families and children welcome (under 5s will need a second adult)

You and your puppy will learn life skills together with an emphasis on understanding puppy behaviour.

Professionally accredited APDT trainer

BOOK NOW TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE!

https://www.hillsidepuppyschool.co.uk/general-7

23/03/2025

Happy National Puppy Day!

Do puppies need friends?

This might not be as easy to answer as you would think!

Yes ..Puppies need social interaction✅
No…. Puppies don’t need puppy friends❌

Social interaction CAN be mainly human:puppy as long as the human can meet the puppy’s needs with plenty of age appropriate play and enrichment, plus of course, lots of love and company. We can in effect become surrogate puppy families. Your puppy should also be socialised with other dogs too so they are confident and appropriate with them.

But, and it’s a big BUT, I do think they thrive on a mixture of human and dog:puppy mixing. Even better if the dog is a 10 month old English Setter with a very similar play style!

Here is Evie with Evie (yes!) who we went to stay with this week. It was true 🥰 The other beauty is Summer:)

18/03/2025

Mad March Hare or April Fool?

Our next PupStars course is available at an amazing discounted price!!

Was £85 NOW JUST £65 for a limited time only

This is a unique 4 + 2 format which we are finding works brilliantly for young pups.

4 coached sessions held at Moorland Vets in Bratton Fleming and 2 Social Saturday sessions for supervised play and outdoor skills practice in our private fenced paddock.

PLACES ARE LIMITED SO BOOK NOW TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE

https://www.hillsidepuppyschool.co.uk/general-7

24/02/2025

I ❤️ Exmoor!

Walk to Pinkery Pond today. Ok yesterday was pretty damp and windy, but today, just beautiful! The upside of rain is the way sunlight sparkles on the water. It might look wet, but for the most part this walk is stony under foot and not muddy unless you stray off the path!
No stock grazing today so the dogs got some off lead freedom. (The red deer were above the road where I parked the car)

So I actually intended this post for our holiday cottage account, but popped it into the training one by mistake! I am going to leave it here though..Days like today are a great example of how teaching a really good recall can give you the confidence to let your puppy/dog enjoy some freedom!