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Bark To Basics, Manchester (2025)

01/07/2025

Meet Echo !

Echo is a gorgeous working line German Shepherd puppy who came in to make a start on puppy foundations.

Unlike puppy classes, our puppy foundational programme is 1-1 & focuses on real life skill sets your puppy will need before they enter the tricky adolescent period. No sterile rooms to train in, no standing in a feild, no learning tricks - just genuinw skill sets in an everyday setting with everyday distractions and situations- we have a 'start as you mean to go on' approach here, so that means no free play with other random dogs, either. Contrary to popular belief, this isn't beneficial for dogs or good socialisation, and in 6 months time you'll increase your chances of having an over excitable dog that doesn't listen to a word you say because other dogs are now more valuable than you are - or, worst case scenario - a defensive, reactive and stressed dog who doesn't quite understand that every dog they pass doesn't want to come and invade his space.

Echo is only 14 weeks old and was already presenting with high arousal & a little nerve driven reactivity towards dogs, there is some minor pulling ahead on the lead and a lack of handler engagement- the last two being fairly normal puppy behaviour at this stage. We spoke about Echo's lineage and that being a working line dog, with siblings that have gone into Police work, he's really going to need a job going forward. A job for a dog can be anything from your everyday walk being "work" by having them work for food & toys in return for nuetral responses around triggers, maintaining handler engagement & offering wanted behaviours, or even better, getting them involved in some kind of sport that honors their genetics. For Czech line shepherds like Echo, obedience sports are a great outlet for all of that natural drive - you'll have heard me say this a million times before, but if there is a drive that's not being put to good use then you can expect issues ! We discussed some ways we can provide appropriate outlets for Echo that will aid in his training.

Today our main focus was on Echo's Leash skills, Engagement building, maintaining handler value and nipping that reactivity in the bud. His owner has been brilliantly proactive 👏 which I love to see ! We began shaping in a heel and Echo did lovely with this as we did a ton of luring to proof in the heel position as the most positive place to be. Echo has a lovely food drive and worked for his rewards beautifully during repitions. As he worked on this we gradually began to work Echo around passing dogs, prior to the foundational skill sets we taught today he would fixate & bark at passing dogs, his hackles would raise & he felt a little unsure. It's important to note that this isn't always a fault in some lines of GSD as some working line dogs are pretty much bred to enjoy conflict, our job is to show them when this is and isn't appropriate.
We covered a little on canine behaviour, body language & communication to not only help Echo's owner read him, but to read other dogs too so we could select nuetral, good examples to work around when exposing Echo to dogs which he did wonderfully with.

We had Echo passing dogs without any reaction in no time while in the heel position. He's still very young and this is all very new to him, so this training definitely requires consistent, daily practice from here on - but he's shown us he can do it today and now he has a little "job" to complete - all the better ! Echo now has some homework to work on until we see him next time to further refine these skill sets as he grows up. Well done little man 👏🐕

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26/06/2025

Meet Norman !

Norman is a beautiful Great Dane who came in to work on his reactive behaviour towards dogs. Norman would fixate heavily on dogs, lunge, flail & buck on the lead & give passing dogs a good telling off - He would also react to prey animals. During the assesment period it was akin to controlling a small horse ! Luckily his owners have been brilliantly proactive and got this powerful young boy into professional training quickly - we got to work.

Like many of of the giant breeds we work with, Norman came in on a head collar to try and limit his lunging, reactivity & pulling when passing dogs. He had been on a slip before but he just powered through & pulled ahead. We discussed how the slip lead works and how this tool isn't just a restriction tool like a clip lead, but it's also a communication tool that allows us to interrupt unwanted behaviours. We swapped out his head collar & got to work on leash skills on the slip, where we began teaching Norman how to maintain a heel and how to engage. He settled into this quickly and understood what we wanted from him in no time as he was keen to earn some tasty rewards.

Once the foundations of this were covered we moved onto the fun part - working Norman around passing dogs. With the help of clear boundaries & clear reinforcers Norman went from being difficult to control to relaxed & nuetral around passing dogs, including dogs that would react at him. He made a huge step forward in session and didn't offer a reaction to any passing dogs throughout. Once I had proofed in this skill set with Norman I passed him back to his owners - now it was their turn to learn the skill sets ! Good training isn't just about the dog, the owners always need to learn alongside. Both of Norman's owners took to the skill sets beautifully and for the first time Norman was maintaining the heel position & letting dogs pass without attempting to pull his owners over to passing dogs.

Lastly we discussed Norman's body language & development stage, we could see at the beginning of our session he was amped up and aroused by all of his surroundings, he struggled to listen to basic commands due to how overwhelmed he was. We taught his owners how to build & mark structured decompression behaviours that help dogs self regulate, which is always helpful during this life stage - Norman is going through his 3rd fear period, which is a normal critical development period that helps dogs become independent & self sufficient adults, unfortunately for us this is the window where unwanted behaviours become solidified & habitualised if not corrected and typically, wanted behaviours need to be reinforced all over again due to the brain undergoing massive reorganisation to prepare adolescent dogs for adulthood. About 30 minutes into our session Norman was far more relaxed and able to calmly & clearly communicate with passing dogs that he's not really into saying hello - which is completely appropriate and fine - he quickly understood he didn't need to loose it to ask for space, and that we will advocate for him instead.

Our next move with Norman is getting him ready to sit calmly in a beer garden where dogs are present once he's completed the homework we've set, until next time big boy !

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24/06/2025

Meet Dior !

Dior is a beautiful XL Bully who came in to resolve her Reactive Behaviour towards dogs. Dior would fixate at a distance, lunge out & bark at passing dogs - she's a big girl & this behaviour was making her difficult to control ! Because Dior is an XL it's paramount that we got this under wraps quickly so as to not put Dior at risk. We got to work !

We started off in an area where we could guarantee passing dogs at a comfortable distance but Dior didn't react at all - we decided to give her a test run near her home and we discovered this is where the reactive behaviour is present, but not in other environments!. Reactivity in one environment but not in another can occur for a number of reasons, the most common one being nerve - nervous dogs tend to habitualise their daily walking route and begin to understand that the stress they feel on a walk happens *there* everyday, & when in new environments that they havent habitualised, they may opt for conflict aviodance instead. We decided to run the remaining time of our session on her typical walking route to have a look at why this reactive behaviour was occuring closer to home.

We made a start on Diors leash skills to shape in a nice relaxed heel & to help Dior understand leash pressure & communication which she settled into beautifully. We passed a few dogs and while Dior fixated she didn't actually offer a reaction and the reason as to why became clear - dogs that didn't directly engage with Dior were, in her mind, no threat to her whatsoever - Dogs who fixated, reacted, pulled towards her or wanted to play caused her alot of concern, she had a knee jerk reaction to keep these dogs at bay by reacting.
While maintaining a comfortable distance we passed a lovely dog on our walk who was desperate to say hello to Dior - Dior immediately wanted to react which we quickly corrected, this helped create a very clear boundary for Dior and she let the excited dog pass without further concern and remaining in the heel position. Creating clear, firm black and white boundaries is key here.

We spoke about how important this foundational skill set is for nervous dogs, the heel position not only helps you build engagement but it allows you to better advocate for your dog, too. While we worked on this we also drilled engagement building to knock off Diors fixation towards dogs so we can eliminate the reaction before it begins to build. Dior is used to being out ahead on the leash, we spoke about how that additonal pressure can build frustration which is the last thing we want from her. We continued working on repitions while teaching her owners how to read Dior and other dogs - this is a skill set we teach all of our clients - if you can spot a potential "problem" dog a mile off you can advocate for your own so much more effectively under threshold and you can understand how your dog is feeling, which will give you better context as to what they may choose to do in certain scenario's if they aren't directed by you, first. Again, both Dior and her owners did great with this!

We still have a little work left to do with Dior but she's made an excellent start. Next time we will be working this lovely girl around one of our amazing Demonstration Dogs to further proof in these skill sets - well done big girl 🐕✅️

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16/06/2025

Do You Have A Reactive Dog Or Are You Experiencing Aggression Problems ?
Then You're Seeing The Right Post ✅️

Get In Touch Today To Learn How We Can Change Both Your Dogs Life, And Your Own.

With Well Over A Decade Of Experience & Formal Education in Canine Behaviour & Psychology, We Are Experts In Our Feild - We Are Dedicated To Getting Our Canine Clients & Their Owners The Help They Need To Thrive.

No Nonsense Dog Training - Just Results.

12/06/2025

Meet Leia !

Leia is a lovely Pocket Bully who came in to work on her Leash skills & nervous behaviour, aswell as some barking at the door whenever someone knocked on ! Leia is a nervy girl but she's also a little different to what we're used to here - while she was pulling ahead like a freight train on walks, she wasn't lunging, barking, growling, showing teeth or heavily fixating on passing dogs. Instead she was opting for conflict aviodance behaviours, silently trigger stacking stress & this was attributing to the issues she was experiencing at home - we got to work!

During the assessment period, it was clear to see Leia was on a mission, to pull ahead & aviod aviod aviod. She wanted her walk to be over and done with ASAP bless her. She also struggled to take food, food refusal is a hallmark of stress - we opted to work Leia in a quieter, calmer area of the park while we worked on the foundational skill sets she & her owners needed - we're all about adapting to the individual dog here and for Leia that meant additional resting periods as she's a low drive, low energy girl.

We made a start on Leia's Leash skills, she was on a bully billows collar & clip leash so we swapped this out for the slip. We worked on leash pressure & communication and she clicked on that the heel position was the best, most positive place to be to earn some tasty high value rewards We spoke about how we can improve Leia's food drive by gradually phasing out her current diet to a lower carbohydrate, higher protein food. Low drive dogs/ companion breeds typically don't do well with high carb dog foods, they're great for working dogs who need all those extra carbohydrates to burn but if it's not being burnt off by exercise, play, sport or work then that energy has to go somewhere else - often somewhere you don't want !

When passing dogs Leia would orginally communicate some nerve driven behaviours, these behaviours are subtle and commonly go missed. Being able to understand the root cause of the nerve is extremely important - otherwise you'll just treat the symptoms and the unwanted behaviours will crop back up in no time. Once she had the foundations down she was alot more comfortable - she had a little rest we gradually began working around more distractions at her pace. Her nerve driven behaviours had significantly improved and she remained in a heel. We took her to a cafe to work on a little exposure, something she doesn't normally do, and she did great !

Lastly, we set her owners up with some homework to not only to work on the skill sets above but to help with her barking at the door. We spoke about how trigger stacking stressors and experiencing this level of nervousness out on walks will impact her barking at the door. If everything is scary outside then it will cause a nervous dog to become extra defensive when those scary triggers bang on the entrance to her safe place, her house ! The homework for this focuses on classical & counter conditioning methods to help Leia understand the door isn't any of her concern, while the work we're doing outside is to help build neutrality, confidence & tolerance 🙌

We still have some work left to do with this lovely girl, but it's only onwards & upwards from here ! well done big girl 🐕✅️

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11/06/2025

Meet Daphnie !

Daphnie came in for a Half Day to work on her Reactive Behaviour towards dogs, joggers, bikes & cars, along with some pulling on the leash - she is a lovely mix of shar pei, bull terrier and some labrador. We've previously worked with 2 of her siblings for the same issues so we knew there was a definite genetic predisposition to nerve from the get go. Daphnie would fixate heavily on dogs & lunge out in an effort to defend herself, she was also beginning to develop redirection caused by the frustration she was experiencing when in view of triggers - we got to work !

We made a start by swapping out her clip leash to the slip lead, we did this because she was all over the show at the beginning of our session and putting a ton of pressure on her collar & her trachea, this allowed us to teach leash skills & communication without putting any pressure on her trachea - all while teaching her a nice slack heel. Just like her siblings, Daphnie has a great food drive and was really eager to work ! We spoke about hand feeding going forward & how important it is to create a job for a dog like Daph. Despite her size she's a powerful young girl - teaching her that engagement in the heel = a safe, positive place to be was paramount at this stage. We had Daphnie heeling, relaxed and earning her wage in no time at all - she's a really bright girl & took to the foundational skill sets beautifully.

From there we began working Daph around passing dogs, cars, bikes, Joggers etc and she did brilliantly - We worked Daphnie at a comfortable distance while using her "wage" as a clear reinforcer to condition the nuetral response we wanted from her, having her in the heel position meant we could better advocate for her space & she was instantly so much more relaxed and comfortable. We passed a range of triggers during our session from cars, fire engines & tractors, passing dogs, dogs barking at squirrels, dogs chasing balls, a pack of on leash huskies & plenty of joggers - Daphnie remained in a relaxed heel throughout while offering maintained engagement to her owners & she knew exactly when her rewards were due ! Her owners took to the skill sets wonderfully too 👏

During the second half of the day, we worked Daphnie at a Cafe for short periods inbetween repetitions. Staying still in the presence of dogs is typically a little harder for nervous dogs to master, all of that adrenaline is telling them to keep on the move & stay vigilent - when they're used to alot of pressure on the leash it can make them feel abit trapped and that will cause them to think their only option is to react to keep triggers at bay. We worked on positioning and exposure at the cafe and she did amazingly well once again, she sat down calmly facing dogs without any anticipation behaviours, no fixatation or feeling stressed & with a nice slack lead & engagement, even when one of her owners left to grab a drink she was nice & relaxed 🙌

Throughout session we went over Daphnie's body language when passing dogs, this is something we teach every owner who comes in. It massively improves our own communication and relationship with our dogs, this way we can spot how our own dogs are feelings so we can better help them. We also cover other dogs body langauge to help owners spot potential problems a mile off - A proactive approach like this is beneficial for everyone. These skill sets allow us to better advocate for our own dogs ahead of time, stopping unnecessary stress for both owner and dog alike, with the added benefit of proofing in the idea for your reactive dog that *you* will deal with any issues - your dog doesn't have to !

Lastly we touched on genetic predisposition- this can understandably sound really daunting to owners, when we hear "genetic predisposition" its so easy for us to think there's no hope for change. While training & behaviour modification won't alter your dogs genetics, it *can* help them learn to manage those inherited predispositions. With the right approach, dogs with genetic predispositions to nerve driven reactivity can build confidence, tolerance & better coping skills with an end goal of neutrality in the presence of triggers. I've been really lucky to work with 3 of the Bridgerton littermates from Bleakholt now, they're a unique mix of primitive breed & working breeds, all with varying drives & nerve, we spoke about each breeds orginal purpose & where each predisposition comes from, along with ways we can utilise these drives and provide outlets for them, too ! I'm going to do a little more on these 3 and genetic predisposition in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled ;)

Daphnie smashed her First Session, she did so well & was shattered after 5 hours of hard work throughout the day ! She now has some homework to practice until we see her next time, well done wrinkly girl 🐕✅️

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07/06/2025

Meet Sandy !

Sandy is a mix of German shepherd, Azawakh, Ovtcharka & a small % of Grey Wolf.
She's the second low content Wolf Dog we've had in over the last month ! - Sandy came in to work on her Reactive Behaviour around dogs. Sandy would bark, growl & bare teeth at passing dogs, she would also fixate on dogs at a distance. She was struggling to maintain engagement & during her assesment we saw she was far more focused on defensive behaviour - we got to work !

Primitive breeds like the Azawakh, Caucasian Shepherd & Ovcharka all share one trait - an independent nature. Now that means alot of people chalk up primitive breeds & LGD as being hard to train, but I'd argue that dogs who are capable of being independent show a higher intelligence. They really do have a "what's in it for me" attitude towards anything we ask of them, and I personally love that in a dog. Alot of primitive breed owners refer to their dogs as stubborn but in reality, theyre just a little harder to motivate - so we had to show Sandy it really was worthwhile. German shepherd is her most dominant breed so she wasn't anywhere near as complex as she couldve been, she was pretty eager to work once we showed her it was worthwhile - and then we had that percentage of grey wolf in the mix - contrary to popular belief, genuine wolfdogs are typically pretty flighty. Why am I telling you all of this ? Because its *imperative* we understand the breeds/wild canids in unique crossbreeds like Sandy, if you don't know what you're working with you don't know what drives, genetic predispositions and natural outlets your dog needs that could massively benefit you during your training journey. If you have a mix & you're struggling to train, I'd strongly reccomend getting a DNA test from a reputable company like Embark Vet.

We made a start by working on Sandys leash skills, when dogs are out infront & engagement hasn't been shaped in, its easier for them to become hypervigilant & focus on what is ahead instead of their owner - being able to preemptively defend herself from other dogs was her number one priority on walks. It only took a few tweaks to her handler and Sandy's foundations for her to realise being in a heel is the best place in the world. She settled with this no time at all & remained in a relaxed heel throughout session.

From there we began to work Sandy around passing dogs. Because we had given her a clear , worthwhile job to do while we were providing clear communication and guidance for Sandy, dogs weren't her priority anymore. We not only had Sandy passing dogs calmly, but sat facing dogs in no time at all, while offering engagement to her handler so she could earn her "wage". We set Sandy up with some homework that would allow her to use her preydrive, as we do with all sighthounds & mixes. If there's genetic predisposition at play that doesnt have an outlet, you can guarantee it'll cause issues for you & your dog. Surprisingly, Sandy didn't show many LGD traits beyond a strong loyalty to her owner so we didn't have to much to express in that area !

Sandy is currently practicing her homework & we can't wait to see how she's further built upon these skill sets when we see her next time - we'll done Sandy !

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05/06/2025

Meet Cole !

Cole is a beautiful South African Boerboel who came in to work on his reactive behaviour when passing dogs. Cole is a very large & strong dog, his owner had resorted to holding onto railings or whatever they could find to control him when passing dogs due to his strength when he would lunge & react. To manage this, walks were typically in the early hours or late at night and this was of course making walks unenjoyable. At 7 years old Cole is about to be entering his golden years, so it's now our top priority to make sure they're as chilled as possible - we got to work !

We made a start by swapping Coles head collar for the slip. The purpose of us doing so is so we could better communicate with Cole. Head collars are a go to for many large dog breed owners but its important to understand how they work - head collars are an aversive tool. Aversive doesn't mean bad, but this particular bit of kit works by punishing the action of pulling without providing a positive alternative and they create constant tension on a sensitive part of the face called the 'stop'. We spoke about how constant tension & pressure can add to the frustration Cole feels when he's out on a walk. Cole took to the slip beautifully and was much more relaxed with a lack of tension on the lead. For us, it feels counterintuitive to allow for a lack of pressure, especially with giant breeds ! Constant tension can limit natural body langauge and make dogs feel like their only option is to react to create space for themselves.

From there we began working Cole around dogs. This was understandably really daunting for his owner ! Like all our Reactive Rehab clients, Coles owner was used to avioding dogs, but with the new skills in hand it was time to put them to work in a real life setting. Cole took to repitions around dogs absolutely brilliantly, we passed dogs on a slack leash without any fixation or concern in no time. Due to the sheer size of Cole, we decided it would only be responsible to have an additional dog handler on site as I'm a big believer in being proactive and luckily, Coles a sweet natured boy so extra hands weren't required at all.

Cole is a quick learner and clicked on exceptionally fast to what we did and didn't want him to do now that his instructions were clear. We had Cole waking past several dogs calmly & at one point, Cole was sat directly infront of another dog, totally engaged with his handler, 0 conflict aviodance & 0 fixation towards the other dog. We spoke about how important engagement is for a dog like Cole, if he's engaged & food is being used as a clear reinforcer rather than a distraction, it makes things nice & clear cut for him. Being hypervigilant & fixating on every dog will inevitably cause a reaction, through engagement building and using this as a "job" for Cole on his walks, has really helped him understand that his owner is the most valuable, important & interesting thing.

Lastly, we covered body language & communication. Understandably not alot of people know a ton on this, but it's so important to know ! We always teach our clients not only how to read their own dogs body languge so they can understand how they're feeling or what their next move will be, but we educate owners on other dogs that we pass, too. Why ? Well, if you can spot a dog that's insecure, offensive, dominant, nervous etc at a distance then you can better prepare your own dog. We did this with Cole when passing a Siberian Husky, who we knew he wouldn't be thrilled about passing and yet he did beautifully because we were prepared 👏 thanks to us not allowing Cole to trigger stack stressors, when he passed a dog he didn't absolutely love the look of, he could keep a clear head and make the right decision & earn something worthwhile for it too. If you're extremely stressed and worried, you might faulter and make a crap choice - Dogs are exactly the same ! Now Coles owner has the skill sets to maintain a happy, calm boy.

Our next move is a house call with the big lad to work on a few things closer to home, but it's onwards and upwards from here & he now has some homework to practice until we see him next 👍 well done big man !

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04/06/2025

Meet Bridget !

Bridget is a lovely Belgian Malinois x German shepherd who came in recently to work on her Reactive Behaviour around dogs. Shes been to a couple of other trainers & tried out a few different methods, but they just werent getting the results they needed - so it was time to try something new. Bridget would lunge, bare her teeth, bark & growl when passing a dog, she was also essentially doing parkour moves off of her owners body in an attempt to get over to a passing dog ! When Bridget wasn't passing dogs, she was abit erratic on the lead & hypervigilant, looking for the next trigger. We got to work !

We made a start on Bridgets leash skills, when bridge came in she was on a halti head collar & harness combo with a long double clip lead. We swapped this out & taught her leash pressure & communication on the slip. Bridget wasn't too happy being a matter of feet away from her owner for this portion of the session but we soon made friends once she realised I had something worth working for. Bridget had really habitualised the idea that she can launch herself off of the person handling her towards the trigger, but we quickly resolved this issue.

Bridget doesn't typically have much food drive & the methods the previous trainers had suggested largely focused on trying to use food as a distraction, which just wasn't going to cut it for an intense dog like Bridget. Imagine someone is running towards you with an axe and you're restrained, then imagine while this axe sw***er is running at you, you're offered a mcdonalds- you aren't going to stop to eat when you believe you're in danger. Distractions don't work when you're in fight or flight ! We use food as a clear reinforcer, keeping things super simple and easily achievable while teaching owners how to *build* a better food drive. Bridget took to this beautifully, we had her passing dogs in no time in a relaxed heel & earning rewards - we also sat near dogs with Bridget totally engaged on her handler, waiting to earn her "wage" - The difference was day & night.

The day after our session, Bridget had a vet appointment booked in which understandably, her owner wasn't looking forward to at all ! But thanks to the work we put in the day before, Bridget was a totally different dog at her vet appointment. She was calm enough to emotionally regulate herself passing dogs & when another dog in the vets reacted at Bridget. She's done amazingly well and we have really enjoyed helping her take the first step. Bridget now has some homework to practice until we see her next, Well Done Bridge 👏

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28/05/2025

Meet Ester !

Ester is a gorgeous Rottweiler who came in to work on a variety of issues recently. Ester would pull ahead on walks, she had next to no handler engagement & a fairly strong fixation towards passing dogs, we also learned during Esters assesment that she needed a little work put in around the other dogs in the home & she would chase shadows & lights both in the home and on the walk. While the latter sounds like a minor behaviour, it can quickly devolve into canine OCD if it isn't addressed which presents a little differently in dogs - we got to work:

We made a start on teaching Ester how valuable the heel position is, not only to work on her leash skills & to build a solid heel, but to proof in some much needed Handler Value. Luckily, Ester is a typical Rottweiler and was keen to work for some tasty, high value rewards. We gradually began working Ester around a range of distractions from passing dogs & people to her favourite thing to lunge out & chase after- birds! Ester took to this portion of the session beautifully & offered us consistent engagement throughout.

We spoke about how important it is that we give Ester a job, this not only allows for drive expression but it really aids in building key skills young dogs need such as impulse control & it helps to devalue distractions & triggers when out on a walk. We increased distractions & triggers and Ester was brilliant 👏 she was far to focused on earning something tasty for a job well done.
We moved onto structured decompression & explained why this is something that should be practiced going forward on Esters walks.

Next we moved onto the most concerning of the behaviours - light & shadow chasing. Now this doesn't always mean your dog has OCD but it does mean your dog may be at risk of developing it, if its left. It can be a symptom of being abit bored and under stimulated, having a high prey drive with no outlet or, in rare cases, it can be a sign of a neurological issue. Light & shadow chasing is commonly kick started by playing with laser pointers but it can develop on its own as it has with Ester. When we think of OCD we think of obsessive cleaning or a need for symmetry & order but the way it presents in dogs is pretty different - signs typically surround the following:
Repetitive and intense chasing of lights
Chasing things we can't see
Difficult to interrupt or distract a dog when fixated on lights/reflections/shadows
It escalates over time, and may cause some afflicted dogs to stop eating, sleeping & socialising as they spend all of their time obsessing over where the lights/reflections/shadows may be.

Ester has developed this behaviour from chasing the reflections caused by garden ornaments, we saw in session she has a fairly strong preydrive, too. We've opted to remove the ornaments & focus on providing a structured outlet for her preydrive - when dogs chase lights or reflections they never get the satisfaction of actually catching what they're chasing, it only triggers three parts of the preydrive sequence, fixation, stalking & chasing but the rest of the sequence, catching, biting, shaking and consuming don't get put into practice, leaving the dog left totally frustrates & unfulfilled. We've set Ester up with some homework to tackle this area, focusing on both a better outlet for the behaviour & providing some decompression behaviours to help better refine an "off switch".

Ester smashed her first session, she was good as gold and has a strong desire to please. We still have a little work left to do with this lovely girl in the home going forward, but for now she has several weeks worth of homework to drill until we see her next time. Well done big girl 🐕✅️

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