Why does my cocker...?
FREE Online training for cocker spaniel owners!
6th- 10th November 2023
Have you ever wondered why your cocker might:
👉 Pull on the lead
👉 Not come back when called
👉 Chase after wildlife
👉 Pinch items and do not give them back
👉 Jump up!!
Then you are not alone!
Join me for my FREE training to understand your cocker and learn how to nurture your cocker to be the smart, content Cocker they were meant to be.
Sign up here: https://www.thecockeracademy.com/f/why-does-my-cocker
After the figures released by Spaniel Aid UK yesterday in regards to their August intake, I was feeling quite sad about the number of dogs who are being put up for rehoming or rescued for various issues. This video is all about Understanding The Background of your cocker so please take the time to watch.
If you want to learn more about understanding your Cocker, join our free live training in September, here's the link:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cockeracademyconnection
I love being up on the moor. During the bird nesting season and lambing though we keep away. Now I'm taking every opportunity to go up there as the heather is beautiful.
Today on our early morning walk I was hoping to catch the sound of all the bees buzzing, instead I got the sound of a panting cocker🤣🤣
Meet Pinga, the latest pup to join our household.
I grew up with dogs as part of the family. Looking back I can see how much they taught me. Cindy, our yellow Labrador, taught me there is no way she was going for a walk at 6pm when it's dinner time!
Now that I’m a trainer, however, I also realise how much I didn’t learn about dogs just by growing up with one. There was a lot of the care I wasn't involved in and the concept of training a dog using force-free methods was not a topic as a family we were aware of.
Even if you grew up with a family dog, if you’re getting a puppy for the first time, or recently welcomed a puppy into your life, you might be shocked at how challenging they can be. It can be a steep learning curve, but you don’t have to struggle alone - that’s what trainers like me are here for.
Let me know in the comments what was the name of your first dog?
#thedogacademy
Could Your Dog Retrieve An Egg? 🥚
Last month, we challenged some of our clients (and Emma!) to an egg retrieving challenge- have a watch so see how they get on! 🤩
Do you think your dog could do this? Let us know in the comments! 🐾
#thedogacademy
Before we get into the nitty gritty of recall, we first need to prepare. 🐾
Teaching recall means that you need to be the most exciting thing to your dog, in order to entice them to come back, so how are you rewarding them for coming back to you? 🤔
We first need to find out what is motivating our dog, and it's normally one of these:
🐾 Food
🐾 Toys
🐾 Praise
Once we have worked out in a safe environment (eg, the garden) what motivates our dog, then we can start really getting into our training in different areas.
What motivates your dog? 😀
#thedogacademy
We hate to break it to you... there is no "quick" way of teaching recall. 😕
Recall is a life long project with your dog, the training is ongoing and the behaviour we are looking for should always be rewarded. 🐾
How do you practice recall? 😊
#thedogacademy
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2022! 🥳
Thank you to all of our clients, dogs and wonderful friends for helping us and training with us this year- 2021 has been so busy!
We have had some amazing results from clients, all the way from puppy class right through to scentwork clients- you have all worked so hard with your dogs this year. 🐾
We are really looking forward to more happy dogs and clients next year, so from everyone here at The Dog Academy- have a great one and catch you in 2022! 🎅
#thedogacademy
So you’re thinking of getting a puppy? Congratulations! 🥳
Having a puppy is fun, but it’s not always easy. It can be challenging in those first few weeks as you embark on the journey of building a trusting relationship with your pup. 🐶
We want to support you every step of the way. This is why we offer support from the moment you’re thinking about getting a puppy onwards. You don't have to wait to join puppy class to access our extensive training and knowledge.
Here at The Dog Academy, we love puppies. We offer everything from puppy classes, to puppy packages. If you are thinking about getting a puppy and want to give it the best start in life, why not ask us about our gold puppy package which includes a course of puppy classes, alongside 1-2-1 training?🤩 🐾
Here is a video showing a very cute (and mischievous!) Ninja ☺️🧡 (please note, the pictures in this video weren't all taken on the 8th Jan 2021- it's just how the photo app has filtered and captioned it- I would need a very long lie down otherwise! 😂)
#thedogacademy
Last week, Emma went to agility camp- here are some of her highlights! 🤩
What did you do last week? We would love to know in the comments below! 🐾
#thedogacademy
We had such a great week last week! Here is what The Dog Academy were up to last week...🐶
#thedogacademy
How much sleep is your dog getting? 😴
Do you know that puppies and adult dogs need different amounts of sleep? Check out our video to learn a little more! 🐶
#TheDogAcademy
Thank you Wendy for your lovely review😀
"This Way" Cue
When my dog is off lead, I want a great recall but I don't want to over use it and be constant calling/nagging my dog especially if I'm constantly calling them away from things they are enjoying eg sniffing.
An alternative I use is my "This Way" cue, this tells my dog we are changing direction and to come in that general direction where there may be even more fun😀
Why does my dog pull on the lead?
I answered a question in a group the other day and thought more of you might be asking the same question.
Lead walking is a hard skill for our pups to learn and owning cockers I'm beginning to get a bit geeky on the subject, and I now love training it 😀
Being on a lead, by our side, walking in a straight line at slow speed is not what most of our pups want to do naturally. When your dog is off lead watch him what he does. With my guys its normally nose straight down, stop, sniff, zig zagging across the path, sniff, jog/run on a bit, repeat, you get the picture.
So when I start my lead walking I get a clear picture of what I want my dog to do (is it heel walking or a loose-lead) and then I do loads of my training in the home to build the skills before taking it to sniffy places.
I break the training right down into different games. I play focus games so check-ins become the norm, lots of reinforcement for being by my side and I play "drunk walking" games, so my pup gets the idea of following me. I spend time introducing the lead and any equipment I’m going to use; I build skills for leaving the house in a calm manner and I practice my mechanics!
Key things to remember:
- It takes time, so practice little and often
- Put management in place and try and avoid lead walks in distracting areas, so I might jump in the car to go to the park where my dog can go off lead and enjoy sniffing and a run.
- Have fun, yes have fun😀, if its fun you are far more likely to do it!
Little video of my pup practicing in the village hall car park.
Picking the right puppy
Get breed advice to make sure you are picking the right puppy for your lifestyle
Puppy socialisation and training
