Ernie & Friends

16/01/2023

Tessa enjoyed herself in the boot today 🎊

My car serves as a very useful stop off for some of my training walk clients! Especially those that dont like getting in cars, need to stay close to home or need desensitising to dog scents.

I might start calling it the enrichmentmobile 🐶

07/01/2023

I'm currently doing a rare bit of dog sitting with sweet long-boy Crumble!

To help him relax we did tasks and I gave opportunities for sniffing and licking) to create a calm atmosphere. He is wary of strangers so I also gave next to no eye contact for the first hour or so.

The result - one happy, sleepy, cuddly sausage!

24/12/2022

Merry Christmas from Ernie and Friends!

06/12/2022

Kalli's confidence and focus is coming along so wonderfully!

⚓️ We've been using this snuffle mat as an anchor spot for venturing past the driveway and into the wider environment little by little.

🏆She is smashing it -we were able to walk together as she calmly investigated the local bushes before returning home and to the mat! A huge trigger for her is the scent of prey so this is so lovely to see and experience.

❤️ We are having a lot of fun together during this process which is bringing other small wins - she's enjoying more pets these days which means we can bond more, she is listening to what I'm saying which is improving our training relationship and she will happily drop her toys for me now too!

Isn't she just gorgeous? 😍😍😍

27/10/2022

Here is our latest puppy graduate Elsa posing with her rosette!

23/09/2022

Newwwww puppy class student Dougie started today! He's a Gordon Setter and I did a pretty poor job of containing my joy at meeting him and getting started on his journey. Such a great family, really looking forward to the next 6 weeks ❤️

SETTERS ARE THE BEST.

13/09/2022

I had a lovely session with Tessa today ❤️ she's a tibetan terrier and it's been fun and interesting to get to know her during the 121s with her owners. Today I took her out for her first training walk and it was great!

👂We did name recognition/mini recall practice using food and the environment as rewards, we chilled out and watched some people and dogs go by and did some chasing games.

🥰Can confirm she is a total sweetheart nutterbutter. Watch this space for her progress!

12/09/2022

Sweet baby Olive graduated from her 121 puppy class today! She is the most chilled out pup ever so they've been able to really progress through the behaviours. Such a devoted family and such a wonderful pooch!

11/09/2022

Where to start with a dog that gets distracted by the world?

🐕 Firstly, distraction is normal for dogs. There's so much going on each new day that our human senses can't pick up on, and dogs are animals - they are going to be interested in all that new information. So tip one, if possible just let them look/smell/listen.

🤯 However, if that distraction is also causing your dog to feel fearful or hyperactive this can lead to some not so ideal behaviours that you may want to reduce, such as running off, barking, lunging etc.

👂Think of a place where your dog can listen to you easily, maybe the living room or kitchen, and start there. What do they expect from you in this environment? Good things? Nothing? Bad things?

💰 Teach them to expect GREAT things. Teach them that looking to you and following you, especially when you call them, is the world's easiest and best paid job. Play with them, hide things for them to find, move around with them.

🍖 The more generous you are, the quicker your dog's expectations of you will change and the sooner their optimism will build! Show them you have their favourite stuff, and don't be afraid to give some out for free for just being together!

🧳Now take this new routine out and about, maybe the garden first, or the driveway; somewhere a bit more distracting. Play, move, have fun, be generous! They will still be aware of the distractions, but now they are learning to ignore them.

📊 Try it in more new places, think about your reward value as this will help them to stay focused and engage with you in more difficult places. Also be mindful of your expectations! They should drop in new places, be patient and kind.

🚩 If your dog has triggers for fearful or hyperactive reactions, add these in gradually once your dog is visibly less distracted by 'nothing'. It is always worth getting help from a professional for this.

⭐️ Put some time in each day and soon they will expect good things wherever you go, your recall will be improved and you'll have a better all round relationship with your dog!

24/06/2022

I had an absolute ball (👀) helping Alan and his owner bond over some confidence building games today!

🐕 Alan has nearly finished his puppy class now. He's struggling a little on his walks so we're working on building his resilience and confidence whilst making sure he knows he can 100% rely on dad.

What a tiny cutie 💓

22/06/2022

Today i realised I basically spend my life providing people and their dogs with fun things to do...and I am cooooool with that!

🌍 Best job in the world 🌎

12/05/2022

Fun new snuffle mat for the boy!

Its always good to keep things interesting so we rotate between this, a felt snuffle ball and a different snuffle mat. This one is v jazzy though so it's great for both of us 🤩

28/04/2022

Interesting reading the comments on this video, how so many people believe this dog is happy.

Have a watch and see what you think.

How many of the following stress signals did you notice?

Lip licking
Whale eye
Panting
Ears pinned back
Tail down or tucked
Shaking off
Flinching
Mouthing
Stooped carriage (lowered head and/or body)
Erratic movements

Now watch it again and let me tell you - this is what a stressed dog looks like! I actually found it hard to watch to the end.

This dog is wearing an ecollar AND prong collar, so I can assume it's been trained using aversive methods which is why it's so stressed in this seemingly light hearted situation.

This is what CAN happen to dogs with these tools. They can create generalised fear that behaviour may result in punishment. This can lead to insecurity, and then when their signals go unnoticed (and actually laughed at!?), that's when bites occur 'out of nowhere'.

Note that I say they CAN cause this. Not always, if the tools are conditioned properly and used fairly, but ultimately they aren't used to make the dog feel good. Why bother when you can get better results with positive methods!?

22/04/2022

I took Ziggy's enrichment on the road today!

It helped him to switch off from the world and enjoy some foraging. His body language was still showing his uneasiness so there is work to be done, but it was the first time he'd seen these objects in this context, and yet he chose to engage with them despite some distant dogs and crazy wind so it was a definite win!

Happy Friday everybody ✌

06/04/2022

The progress of Bod's session with Ernie yesterday! Im so proud of him and his owners for this achievement 👏

08/03/2022

Some of my favourite quotations to ponder on this

Im thinking of all the wonderful, supportive women in my life, I'm incredibly lucky to know them both in and out of work. I am inspired by all of you.

I'm also thinking of Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa, Ashling Murphy and so many more that we've lost needlessly because of the way women are still viewed by so many in society.

I'm thinking how so few women are involved in decision making processes around the world even though we make up half the population.

Please take some time today to listen to and understand the women in your life - there is so much to be gained from understanding their experiences. Celebrate them and be thankful for their wonderful presence in this world!

Our emotions are valid.
Our bodies are ours.
We have so much to offer.





pooches_mcr

06/02/2022

Reunited with Buckley today ❤ he brought me his mat which i thought was very generous ⭐

I love training my friend's dogs, it means I can see them out of school time!

01/02/2022

Pico the Wonder Chi absolutely smashed it around his outdoor confidence course today! We used objects that he'd investigated many times indoors, to ensure as much familiarity as possible. The first time he saw that wooden board he wouldn't put his feet on it, now look at him go 🥳

Him and his owner worked their way round all the objects, he got tasty treats and even stuck his head right inside the bag! Such an improvement in confidence, what a superstar ⭐

28/01/2022

Great kick off panel for this weekend, feeling very inspired!! Late one as it's hosting in America so somehow I've got a sleep now with a brain full of ideas 💡

21/01/2022

Spot the dog 🐶❤

Happy Friday everybody!

17/01/2022

I love this ❤ I hope it gives you some inspiration for your training, it certainly has for me!

16/12/2021

Such a great post about what socialisation is. Nothing in dog training is black and white and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise!

Socialisation:

I see so many people saying socialisation is X (meeting & greeting every new thing) or that it’s Y (being around new things at a distance with choice - including new dogs) or it’s Z (training around new things and dogs). It’s all of the above or at least it should be.

A good socialisation programme is bespoke but definitely has breed tendencies. For my confident little bully puppy there was a 70% X split with 20% Z and 10% Y. The things I trained around was mainly dogs as she has a genetic weak point there (she’s a bully plus her mum was reactive). The Y things including very odd and untypical things such as gun shots close up although in hindsight this could have been done with X too as she couldn’t care less. I would pop into Y if she was to suddenly should fear about something especially knowing that she’s not usually like this.

The malinois puppy‘a programme will be very different. I’ll likely do tons and tons of X whilst they are very very small then from about 8 weeks move to a likely 80% Z mix with 10%Y and 10%X. They tend to be a bit s**t at making choice and the choices they tend to make are usually v self reinforcing. They do well under instruction and plus the malinois I’m building is v different to the bully I’m building. Hopes life is all about cafes and family gathering. My malinois’ life is all about training and working together. The beasts I’ve picked suit these lives and so the route to socialise them will be specific to enhance these natural traits too.

Socialisation programmes, as with all things, is never just one correct system. Think about the dog and the life the dog will life and help build an animal fit to thrive!

09/12/2021

Something nice on my face there Pico!?

We've been introducing Pico to new scents each session, which involves me delving into my car full of random training objects and seeing what we can do. He took so much in his stride today, not to mention all the smells that are on me after a full day's training.

Today he saw:
Umbrella
A lead
Frisbee
Ball chucker
Soft dog toy (that had recently been played with)
3 other tug toys
The bag they all came in.

Plus he investigated my training vest that had keys, phone, toys, treats etc.

He's really getting into the investigation these days, still a bit cautious but doesn't shy away from new objects. Then he decides he's happy to hop up on my lap (which is secretly my favourite part of the session 👀🤫) and enjoy some cuddles and treats around all those new smells.

I always leave these sessions on a real high, I'm sure Pico will be fast asleep 😴

05/12/2021

Do you know how dopamine affects your dog?

Dopamine is a hormone involved with the 3 Ms - Motivation, Movement and Memory.

Usually called the 'happy hormone', it is often considered to be related to pleasure. In actual fact, it is related to ANTICIPATION of pleasure. Dopamine regulates desire, driving behaviour to achieve rewards whilst creating memories to be able to achieve those rewards in future. The brain process is called 'motivational salience' and it regulates how hard your dog will work to get a particular reward.

When your dog anticipates a reward (e.g they're chasing a toy as you wiggle it across the floor), dopamine levels begin to rise. There is an initial surge as they get close to the reward, and then another surge as they catch it. Even if the reward isnt achieved (e.g you quickly whip the toy away just as they were going to grab it), that first surge of dopamine will increase your dog's effort and MOTIVATE them to work harder for the reward next time.

These surges decrease with each exposure to that same reward. So the 10th time they chase the ball will give a lower dopamine release compared to the first time, until eventually they lose all motivation to play. Therefore, in order to really maximise your dog's focus on and memory of a particular rewarding event, novelty is your friend! Whip out a totally new toy or, if using food, introduce a new, high value treat that your dog doesn't get very often - this will really give them a boost and MOTIVATE them to create the MOVEMENTS (behaviours) to achieve that reward, and commit it to MEMORY for next time 😊

Dopamine also increases focus, here are some ways you can maximise its potential during training to increase your dog's engagement:
- when using food you can change your reward schedule to every other time to keep your dog guessing.
- Let your dog engage in their favourite aspects of play (stalk, chase, grab, parade etc) but make them work for it a bit first - tease them with the toy and really get their attention on you!
- keep some toys for special occasions and vary toys and treats to keep them novel.

⏫Novelty = ⏫Motivation = ⏫Attention around distractions

Happy training! 🐶

20/11/2021

Kalli and I had a chill at a bus stop today to practice her settle around some bigger distractions. We got a couple of mins overall with plenty of payment for doing such a good job 😋🥳

When you hear or see dog trainers telling you to celebrate the small wins, we mean it! 3 seconds of calm to take a picture is progress and a huge achievement for her in this setting 🙏

Happy weekend all!

15/11/2021

Social media is going on the back-burner at the moment as I've got a full work load and need to commit my brain space to that, however I can leave you with this beautiful picture of Walter our latest puppy class student ❤ He and his owners are smashing it and he's growing in confidence every week. I do love moulding a new pup 🐶

02/11/2021

The other face of the business 🙏😬❤

I call this the snaggle snuggle 🦷

26/10/2021

Please enjoy this picture of sweet Elmo from our training walk today whilst I talk about why training the little things matters!

Elmo loves to chase leaves, he jumps from leaf to leaf in a kind of crazed bunny motion. To the untrained eye it's pretty entertaining, it's cute to see him trying to play and pounce on the leaves like the puppy he is. However if you think about it a little deeper there's some not so great things going on. When there are leaves around he becomes so fixated that he no longer engages in the behaviours he normally enjoys, instead he's constantly vigilant for movement of leaves and leaves falling from the sky (its much worse when he hears the wind pick up). Remaining in this high arousal state for the too much of his walks (especially now its autumn) Is not great for his body or his brain. It would be much nicer for him to be able to calmly enjoy his walks, interacting with his owner and taking in all the smells and sights of the neighbourhood. Also its all well and good when a puppy does these things, but a full grown adult doing it for the next 10 years of its life is not so good.

So even though it may seem harmless, we are working on reducing his leaf chasing to benefit him in the long run. He's only 9 months old, he's building his behaviour patterns that he'll follow for life and it's important to take care of his emotional wellbeing ❤

15/10/2021

Pico hopped up on my lap for the first time today, almost a year on from our first session. I cannot explain how happy it made me. I do this job because I love dogs but until now I've had to love Pico from afar. Having him choose to have a proper cuddle and play with me today was so wonderful.

finally experiencing your joy 😊

10/10/2021

We had a great break last week in the Gloucestershire countryside.

Feeling nice and rested to start my first week as a full time dog trainer - i can't wait to start helping more dogs and their owners ❤

All our booking is now online via our website: www.ernieandfriends.co.uk/book. It is a very busy time so please be aware that there is already a wait of a few weeks for some appointments - get in touch via email or phone if you have any questions!