Mabel and I

Mabel and I 🐾Dog Walker - 4 Dogs per walk max
πŸ“Newbury and Surrounding Areas
πŸ•Trainer for Anna Balch Dog Trainer
πŸ’š Postive Reinforcement Only

10/09/2024

FIREWORKSβ€”Like them or hate them. If you have a dog who struggles with fireworks, then NOW IS THE TIME TO START PREPARING so you and your dog can survive them with little or no stress.

♦️Do you worry about your dog when it’s time for fireworks?
♦️Do you feel like you’ve tried everything to help, and nothing has worked?
♦️Or you just don’t know where to start?

There is ALWAYS a way to help your dog get through fireworks with a minimum of stress (and ideally little to no stress at all). It doesn’t have to be hard, and it is so, so important.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE SUPPORTED, WEEK BY WEEK, TO MAKE THIS YEAR’S FIREWORKS AS LOW STRESS AS POSSIBLE? This year we’re offering you the chance to do this FOR FREE.

With 8 WEEKS TO GO you need to start NOW, have your plan in place and ready to go when Fireworks start (usually from the end of Oct).

How:
β–ͺ Just a tiny bit of preparation every week.
β–ͺ We’ll guide you through it, a step at a time. We'll be on hand in the group to answer all your questions,
β–ͺ A short weekly lesson (just 15 minutes or so),
β–ͺ Short easy to do exercises to follow (another 15 minutes)
β–ͺ We will review your exercises with you and then guide you to the next steps.

You can do it all at a time that suits you or hop into the live sessionsβ€”whatever makes it easiest.

So what are you waiting for? Come and join us and let’s make this year the safest, kindest year yet for our wonderful canine family members.

Just hop onto the canine thinking website and you’ll find the link to sign up. It’s on the homepage and under courses.

We want this to be available to absolutely everyone, to offer every dog the best chance of being free from fear and suffering. So this year we are offering it on a β€˜pay what you can’ basis. You can sign up COMPLETELY FOR FREE, or, if you’re in a position to pay the suggested price (or anywhere in between, whether that’s Β£5 or Β£50 or the full Β£90) then that will help us offer more things like this for free in the future.



The choice of what to pay is yours – our priority is simply your dog’s wellbeing.
https://caninethinking.com/fireworks/

Interesting
05/09/2024

Interesting

⚠️ π‘Ύπ’‰π’š 𝑰 π’˜π’π’'𝒕 𝒃𝒆 π’‚π’‘π’‘π’†π’‚π’“π’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒐𝒏 π‘«π’π’ˆπ’” π‘©π’†π’‰π’‚π’—π’Šπ’π’ˆ (π‘½π’†π’“π’š) π‘©π’‚π’…π’π’š

Yesterday, I received the following email from a researcher for the TV programme *Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly*:

"𝑀𝑦 π‘›π‘Žπ‘šπ‘’ 𝑖𝑠 (redacted) 𝐼 π‘€π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘˜ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑇𝑉 π‘ β„Žπ‘œπ‘€ β€˜π·π‘œπ‘”π‘  π΅π‘’β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘–π‘›π‘” (π‘‰π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘¦) π΅π‘Žπ‘‘π‘™π‘¦β€™.

𝐼 π‘€π‘Žπ‘  β„Žπ‘œπ‘π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘π‘œ π‘’π‘›π‘žπ‘’π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘  π‘‘π‘œ π‘€β„Žπ‘’π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘ π‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘œπ‘›π‘’ π‘“π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘š π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘š π‘€π‘œπ‘’π‘™π‘‘ 𝑏𝑒 π‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘‘ 𝑖𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 π‘Ž π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘œπ‘›π‘’ π‘œπ‘“ π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘’π‘π‘–π‘ π‘œπ‘‘π‘’π‘  π‘€β„Žπ‘–π‘β„Ž 𝑀𝑒 π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘“π‘–π‘™π‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘” 𝑛𝑒π‘₯𝑑 π‘€π‘’π‘’π‘˜ 𝑖𝑛 πΏπ‘Žπ‘›π‘π‘Žπ‘ β„Žπ‘–π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘›π‘’π‘Žπ‘Ÿ πΏπ‘¦π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘š.

π‘Šπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘ π‘β„Žπ‘’π‘‘π‘’π‘™π‘’π‘‘ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘ π‘œπ‘šπ‘’ π‘“π‘–π‘™π‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘œπ‘› π‘‡π‘’π‘’π‘ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘¦ 10π‘‘β„Ž π‘†π‘’π‘π‘‘π‘’π‘šπ‘π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘™π‘œπ‘œπ‘˜π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘Ž π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘π‘œπ‘” π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘–π‘›π‘’π‘Ÿ 𝑒π‘₯π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘’ π‘œπ‘›π‘π‘œπ‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘‘ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘“π‘–π‘™π‘š π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž 𝑒𝑠 π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘› β„Žπ‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ 𝑖𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘“π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘›π‘œπ‘œπ‘›. π‘Šπ‘’ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘™π‘œπ‘œπ‘˜π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘Ž π‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘“π‘’π‘ π‘ π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘Žπ‘™ π‘‘π‘œ π‘ β„Žπ‘œπ‘€π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘’ π‘ π‘œπ‘šπ‘’ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘–π‘›π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘π‘œ β„Žπ‘’π‘™π‘ π‘œπ‘›π‘’ π‘œπ‘“ π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘‘π‘œπ‘”π‘  π‘‘π‘œ π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ π‘Ž π‘‘π‘’π‘™π‘’π‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘›π‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘›π‘”π‘‘π‘œπ‘›π‘’.

π‘Šπ‘’ π‘€π‘œπ‘’π‘™π‘‘ π‘–π‘‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘™π‘™π‘¦ 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘€π‘› π‘‘π‘œπ‘” π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘“π‘–π‘™π‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘π‘œ π‘ β„Žπ‘œπ‘€ π‘ π‘œπ‘šπ‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘ π‘–π‘£π‘’ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘–π‘›π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘π‘œ π‘›π‘œπ‘›-π‘£π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘π‘Žπ‘™ π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘ , π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘šπ‘œπ‘ π‘‘π‘™π‘¦ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘”π‘’π‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ .

π‘ƒπ‘™π‘’π‘Žπ‘ π‘’ 𝑙𝑒𝑑 π‘šπ‘’ π‘˜π‘›π‘œπ‘€ 𝑖𝑓 π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘  𝑖𝑠 π‘ π‘œπ‘šπ‘’π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘›π‘˜ π‘Žπ‘›π‘¦π‘œπ‘›π‘’ π‘€π‘œπ‘’π‘™π‘‘ 𝑏𝑒 π‘–π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘‘ 𝑖𝑛. 𝑂𝑓 π‘π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘’, π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘¦β€™π‘‘ 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 π‘‘π‘œ 𝑏𝑒 β„Žπ‘Žπ‘π‘π‘¦ π‘‘π‘œ 𝑏𝑒 π‘œπ‘› π‘π‘Žπ‘šπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Ž, 𝑏𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑑 π‘€π‘œπ‘’π‘™π‘‘ 𝑏𝑒 π‘Ž π‘”π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘œπ‘π‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘’π‘›π‘–π‘‘π‘¦ π‘‘π‘œ π‘ β„Žπ‘œπ‘€ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘–π‘Ÿ π‘ π‘˜π‘–π‘™π‘™π‘ !"

My first thought was to delete the email. I'm not a fan of Graeme Hall. I've watched a few episodes of his show, and in my opinion, he seems to make things up as he goes along, relying on outdated training methods.

However, I was puzzled. Was the β€œcravat” unwell, and they needed a stand-in? I'm a nobody – why on earth would they want to film me training a dog when there are so many high-profile trainers out there? Curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to give the researcher a call.

I'm still in shock as I write this. The researcher explained that they wanted to invite me to Lytham with my Border Collie to "demonstrate" to Graeme Hall how I would train my dog not to respond to a phone ringtone.

Graeme would then take my training method and use it to teach the Border Collie of the family seeking help – all while filming it for his TV show!

WTF 😳😳😳

I decided to dig a bit deeper and reached out to the force-free dog training community to see if anyone else had experienced something this bizarre.

It turns out that many trainers had also been asked to attend filming sessions to show Graeme how to train dogs before the cameras rolled. Most reported that they refused because of his methods, but a few had shown him and his team how to train a dog, only to be dismissed without any credit for their expertise.

I then did some open-source research on "The Country’s Best Dog Trainer," as the *Daily Telegraph* calls him. He has no formal training in canine behaviour or training. He’s essentially winging it with the help of whatever trainers are willing to show up and assist him.

According to his website, he charges Β£875 per session πŸ€”πŸ˜§

Now I’m not someone who normally criticises other trainers. I prefer to let my clients decide if I’m the right trainer for them based on how I work with their dogs.

However, I couldn’t let this pass without making it public knowledge.

If you're looking for a dog trainer, please avoid this programme and this man. You have no idea whose techniques he’ll be using week to week, and given that most qualified and accredited trainers want nothing to do with him, the quality of training you’ll receive is questionable at best.

Instead, do your own research and find a local trainer who aligns with your own dog training ethics. Organisations such as The IMDT or APDT - Association of Pet Dog Trainers can help guide you to qualified & accredited trainers in your area.

𝑷𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒑𝒖𝒕 π’šπ’π’–π’“ π’…π’π’ˆπ’” π’Šπ’ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒔!

03/09/2024

What it's like to NOT have a dog.
..okay so a bit of a weird title coming from a dog trainer but bear with me on this one.

For those of you who don't know, we lost both our boys within 4 weeks of each other earlier this year. This is the first time that we have been without a dog in 10 years and the following things have struck me:

🦴 I have more free time.
For the few weeks after they past, I felt a bit lost! So much of my time was devoted to caring for them, walking them, training them, health checks, management....etc etc that when I didn't have to do all that anymore, I had to adjust my daily schedule!

🦴 My house is clean and smells nice!
Dog owners will know that feeling where your house never quite feels clean. The boys also smelt quite a bit in their old age - especially with all the farting! My house actually smells good now!

🦴 I have loads more money πŸ˜…
As they got older, my boys cost a lot. Vet bills, food (Β£100-Β£200 per month), medication (one of Bentley's was Β£80 alone!), holiday cover, hydro... the list goes on. Neither boys were insured by the end either. My bank balance now looks a lot healthier.

🦴 Freedom.
We now no longer have to plan our days 4 hours at a time. If we go out for the weekend, we can choose to stay for an extra night.

My point here is not that I don't miss my boys. I do, like crazy. My point is to consider all of these things and more if you are thinking of getting a dog. They will cost money, they will dirty your house, they will take up a whole heap of time.

If you are thinking about adopting a dog and you would like to talk through whether it is the best decision for you, feel free to give us a call.

Make meal times more fun. Use your dogs brain and gain some quiet time whilst you get back into the swing of routines an...
03/09/2024

Make meal times more fun. Use your dogs brain and gain some quiet time whilst you get back into the swing of routines and a new school year.

23/08/2024

I have always used the Halti 2m training Lead. I can't deny its one of the two 2m leads that I use and recommend (the other being from Perfect Fit).

Soft and easy to hold.
Long lasting.
Adjustable lengths.
Hands-free options.
Double ended clips for extra security.
Strong clips for string dogs.

Best bought on Amazon and some pet shops.

20/08/2024
08/06/2024

A dogs neck is a very delicate part of their body!

The neck and cervical spine contain the spinal cord, this is where the nerves of the front legs originate. Excessive paw licking is quite often misdiagnosed as allergies when it is in fact pain.

Putting stress on the neck can cause painful disc damage and shoulder problems

A dog has the same number of vertebrae as a giraffe (think about that before choking a dog)

One of the most important structures of the nervous system "The Vagus Nerve" originates at neck level and this controls life essential organs like lung, heart, stomach, and intestinal tract.

The Thyroid gland is located in the neck. If this gets inflamed the immune system trys to remove the inflamed cells.
The destruction of the Thyroid gland cells can lead to hypothyroidism

Increased pressure put on the Jugular vein can cause seizures
Ear and Eye issues are significantly increased

Being je**ed on a lead causes whiplash and bruising.

The epidermis of a dog is only 3-5 cells thick
A humans is 10-15 cells thick

So WHY would anyone want to use a noose ....sorry I mean a slip lead?

A well fitted Y shaped harness is the safest and kindest peice of equipment to use.

Sorry for the radio slice - life has a funny way of getting busy and sucking all time away. I’m going to try and be bett...
11/01/2024

Sorry for the radio slice - life has a funny way of getting busy and sucking all time away. I’m going to try and be better and posting more.

To kick start the year I have to give a shout out to Earthbound UK. Their dog beds are so incredible they’ve actually blown me away. My girls like choice to sleep together or apart depending on their mood. They also like to have choice to lay stretched out or to curl up. We’ve been through so many beds in the last year due to Figgy being a chewer but also just because the beds haven’t been able to cope with the use. So far almost a month in and I can’t find one fault with this bed. It ticks every box and my girls love it. I will be purchasing a round one soon to replace out tired looking other bed.

Also if you are looking to purchase a friend of mine is a rep and if you use ruby10 it gives you 10% discount. I purchased on Friday 22nd December late morning and it arrived less than 24hrs the next day. I was already blown away before even opening the box.

Our dog bed is size L in green. All covers can be washed and every part can be replaced too.

03/12/2023

Unpopular opinion alert! There are a number of 'tools' that I would ban in the dog world and one of them would definitely be the ball launcher.

Though I understand the appeal and what it seems to do on the surface, I see the fall-out of what happens to our dogs when they repeatedly chase a ball over and over again.

🐢Tiring your dog out can be done in the 'wrong' way. Ball launchers create an over-tired, overstimulated and achy pooch. Try tiring your dog out with enriching walks, training and breed appropriate activities instead.

⚾️Balls on walks can help to keep your dog under control but this can also be a red herring. Can your dog remain under control without the ball? If not, some good training would be a great alternative.

🦴I also see a big connection between ball play and joint issues in dogs. The activity puts a lot of stress and strain on your dog's joints. You may not think this is the case but remember that pain can go undetected in dogs for a long time.

🐾For dogs with behaviour challenges, ball play can often mask issues. When working with clients, we often see nervous, fearful behaviours come through when their dog doesn't have the ball to rely on. Ball play can also cause behaviour issues like obsession, inability to settle and resource guarding.

❗️Try this instead!
If your dog loves a ball, why not play hide and seek with it instead? This is a lovely way to promote calmness, mental stimulation and focus on you.

08/11/2023

Have you got a puppy or know someone who does? Our 10 week course will give you the foundations to set you have to have a lovely well rounded balance dog.

05/10/2023

Halloween can be a scary time for our dogs, especially if they already struggle with anxiety day-to-day.

Here are some things you can put in place to help your pup feel more comfortable.

28/09/2023

Ready for Week 3 of classes. This week we start to get our teeth stuck into new exercises using our new knowledge to help shape and condition our dogs.

Brain games to tire this pup out. It’s tempting to step in and help they are struggling but st pig back and letting them...
17/06/2023

Brain games to tire this pup out. It’s tempting to step in and help they are struggling but st pig back and letting them figure it out is key to the cognitive thinking and working ost their frustration.

The girl are in agreement that this food is one of the best kibbles on the market.
17/06/2023

The girl are in agreement that this food is one of the best kibbles on the market.

It’s tongue out Tuesday. Remember to walk your pups in shaded areas and go slow. Keep them on lead to slow them down and...
13/06/2023

It’s tongue out Tuesday.

Remember to walk your pups in shaded areas and go slow. Keep them on lead to slow them down and spend time sitting and doing static training. This will tire their brains just as much as a walk will if not more.

Share your tongue out Tuesday photos

06/06/2023

Dog Training Classes - Starting 3rd July in Curridge.

Suitable for dogs over 6 months.

* Get help with recall and attention around distractions.
* Learn new skills.
* Top up your puppy training.

Small classes with experienced instructors.
Positive reward-based methods.

Email to book: [email protected]

06/06/2023

We are VERY excited to offer our 'ENGAGE DISENGAGE' workshop! 🀩

Perfect for working on
Helping your dog enjoy more off lead time.
Help with common issues such as jumping up.
Having your dog's full attention around distractions.

βœ… Theory & practical elements
βœ… Personalised advice for each dog
βœ… Fun, positive, game based training methods
βœ… Friendly atmosphere

Saturday 8th July
9:30am - 11:30am
Curridge WI Hall
Β£60

Email to book: [email protected]

Tonight’s dinnerKibble with water, carrots, apple, banana and salmon oil.
08/05/2023

Tonight’s dinner

Kibble with water, carrots, apple, banana and salmon oil.

Dinner time for the girls. Natural yogurt, peanut butter, salmon oil and banana on a licki mat and the remainder of kibb...
05/05/2023

Dinner time for the girls. Natural yogurt, peanut butter, salmon oil and banana on a licki mat and the remainder of kibble in bowls. Dinner time is enrichment time too.

Did you know:
02/05/2023

Did you know:

Do you have a dog who loves to dig? Does it do it in your garden? Did you know that it’s a completely natural thing for ...
02/05/2023

Do you have a dog who loves to dig? Does it do it in your garden? Did you know that it’s a completely natural thing for a dog to do. Why not when on a walk let you dog have it’s digging time? Give it permission to go dig - just like when you play tug use a cue such as enough when you want it to stop and bring the dog away using a food reward and praise. Since I’ve started to let Fig do this when out in the woods, off the normal paths so not to create any wholes people could trip in, she has stopped digging in my garden. This is also a really good enrichment idea for the dog too.

This is a great video of how you should build up putting your dogs harness on. Dogs should always have choice. You want ...
01/05/2023

This is a great video of how you should build up putting your dogs harness on. Dogs should always have choice. You want them to have a positive experience.

We're adding a *new* weekly series for our friends on Youtube. Introducing: Training Tips with WAGD. This week's video: How to desensitize your dog to their ...

This is HUGE news!! As a trainer and aspiring dog behaviourist any form of negative training tool has a huge no from me....
28/04/2023

This is HUGE news!! As a trainer and aspiring dog behaviourist any form of negative training tool has a huge no from me. You should always be able to help your dog through positive reinforcement reward based training. E collars or vibration collars are cruel for a number of reasons and it makes me so sad see trainers suggesting the use of them. Where knowledge ends punishment begins. If anyone has or is ever told to use such things it’s a big warning sign to get out and find a new trainer.

In a historic moment for animal welfare, we’re welcoming news today that the Government is completely banning the use of remote controlled electric shock collars in England, as of 1 February 2024, following our ten year campaign. To find out more, visit thekennelclub.org.uk/shockcollarsbanned

These words are perfect.
26/04/2023

These words are perfect.

I posted this a few years ago and thought I would post it again as I couldn't agree more.

The training we do here does include some cute tricks, but a huge focus is around:

🐾Understanding our dogs and opening up communication.

🐾Helping our dog cope with the things we expose them to in our very human world.

🐾Giving our dogs a chance to develop the life skills they need to become a well-rounded individual.

"Training is a way to enhance the quality of life for our pets."

25/04/2023

Dog Training Classes - Starting 15th May in Curridge.

Suitable for dogs over 6 months.

* Get help with recall and attention around distractions.
* Learn new skills.
* Top up your puppy training.

Small classes with experienced instructors.
Positive reward-based methods.

Email to book: [email protected]

COOPERATIVE CAREOver the past few weeks I’ve been learning about Co operative care and what it means, how to teach it an...
23/04/2023

COOPERATIVE CARE

Over the past few weeks I’ve been learning about Co operative care and what it means, how to teach it and then putting it into practise with my girls. So now you are thinking what is she talking about - it’s this:

β€˜Cooperative care involves training an animal to not only tolerate handling and husbandry procedures, but to be an active, willing participant in these experiences.’

You may think is it worth it. Yes 100% giving a dog some choice in its life is so important. Dogs are pretty much told what to do all day by us they don’t have choice on walks, or when they get fed, when they get groomed, have husbandry procedures done etc so being able to teach a dog it does have choice helps hugely with your bond and the dogs stress bucket and to trust.

This can be done across all types of animal. There is a zoo where hyenas come and present themselves for bloods to be taken - just think how much better this is for their mental state - not having to be sedated for example.

I have started with teeth brushing - dogs should have their teeth brushed daily to stop uwanted vets visits, dental issues and it can help with bad breath.

How do I do it? I start by having a bowl of treats, everytime the dog looks at the brush I mark and reward, you do this a few times then see if you can move the brush closer to the dog if it shows an interest then mark and reward you keep building on this always giving the dog choice. If ever the dog moves away you put the brush down and stop. Building trust is key. This is not an exercise you can rush. It can take weeks depending on the dog and their behaviours and mental load. I have been doing this for a week and today the girls both allowed me to get the brush in their mouth and move it around. We had got stuck and getting the brush to the mouth but neither were keen on it going in. So I used peanut butter which was the key to allow me to brush. I won’t always have to use this but I needed trust and I wanted them to want to participate and feel happy about it.

Before trying this I would urge all to either watch videos of the process or have some training. It’s so easy to get wrong and then create fear around this thing you are trying to do. Falkland Vets are so amazing at understanding this process and I’ve been building Fig up everytime we go in giving her choice to move away when being handled if she’s not keen. Sophia Fensome Dog Training is such a wonderful mentor helping me to understand the steps, process and why it’s so important.

If anyone is interested in this type of training then please drop us a message at Anna Balch Dog Trainer and one of us can arrange to see you and get a session booked in.

I absolutely love this that was shared on our puppy group at Anna Balch Dog Trainer. Such a great picture to save and us...
23/04/2023

I absolutely love this that was shared on our puppy group at Anna Balch Dog Trainer. Such a great picture to save and use again and again to help your dog engage in different ways.

Dog training doesn’t need to be boring and also you only need 30seconds throughout the day to practise. Short bursts are far better than long frustrated sessions.

28/03/2023

Kate Bowsher Dog Training now has a new home on Instagram 🏠

You can find us at 🐢

Share with us photos of your dogs at training, or photos with their training certificates below, if you would like to feature on the new Instagram page πŸ“Έ

Don't forget to give the new Instagram a follow, and add to your favourites, to stay up to date with all of the latest information on classes, courses, workshops and updates ⭐️

Have a little sister they said, it’ll be fun they said πŸ˜‚
28/03/2023

Have a little sister they said, it’ll be fun they said πŸ˜‚

So true
25/03/2023

So true

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Ready for Week 3 of classes. This week we start to get our teeth stuck into new exercises using our new knowledge to help shape and condition our dogs.

You can clearly see here Mabel asked to stop so I moved the brush away - after this is stopped.

14 weeks and lead walking like a pro. (So sorry for the wobbly videoing - it’s hard when you’ve got a lead and treats and phone) Lead walking when done right is easy. Yes she’s young, yes we will have harder days, yes we’ll hit adolescence, yes she has room for improvement. Also she does not walk like this when out with Mabel as well πŸ€¦β€β™€οΈπŸ€£ but we can work on that. However we can walk from home to town which is about 20mins and she ignores all other dogs, she doesn’t rush across roads, she stops when I say road, she checks in with me constantly. Fig is proof that if you get the foundations correct and make lead walking fun and play the bubble game and follow me you can have a dog who wants to walk next to you. We also were able to sit in a cafe for two hours with lots of dogs coming in and out and sitting next to us and she just laid down and watched the world and slept. Didn’t once try to rush or pull or think it was playtime. Settle work is one of my foundations I teach - as a family we like to go out and want the dogs to come too so being able to switch off is import.

Lead walking is a tough one to crack - but consistency is key - clear boundaries ie the lead is tight we stop, when the lead is lose we get to walk are just a few of the elements to getting it right. This pup is such a sweetie and really wants to please but also pray drive is high too.

What things does your dog bark at that really aren’t scary at all? We took a few minutes to work out what Mabel was barking and growling at, then realised it was the bowl floating on the water. To help her we went over and touched it then took it out and put it on the grass. We then stepped away and when she chose to go close we praised her and she got a reward. Then she realised how silly she’d been 🀣

When on a walk, do you ever just stop to take in your surroundings? If so what does you dog do? Next time you are out try this. Mabel and I have done so much settle work that she now knows that when I stop it’s time to just be still.

I’ve waited a long time for this moment you see before you. Mabel is an all round incredible dog but her lead walking had never been great. Back in December with the help from Sam who is an outstanding trainer and quickly becoming a great friend and colleague at Kate Bowsher Dog Training we started lead walking from scratch. This meant taking away the lead - all her walks were off lead (she has 100% recall). Every night for at least 15mins I took her out up and down our road off lead working on making our space fun and building on our bond. We did settle work, self control and lots of rewards for being close. Over a week I then added a lead to her collar. This stayed on the ground and and carried on working on all the above. Then I took the lead and held it but no pressure my hand was in my pocket. I added a PerfectFit Harness so that when we were walking during the day it didn’t matter if she wasn’t getting it right. But when the lead was on the collar if lead was tight we stopped she corrected herself and we carried on. So 4months on and look at that lose lead focused happy dog. Sometimes you just have to start over. Your dog is NEVER too old to start new training. It’s ok to get things wrong. Working with outstanding understanding trainers is key. Find someone who you click with who makes training fun and it will all come together. I promise if you are consistent your dog will learn. If you are struggling in any area of dog training please don’t hesitate to get in touch - between us we will be bake to help you in all areas.

Never take a dog out for the first time and let it off the lead even if it has good recall with its owner. You are not their owner and as I’ve said before a recall is built on trust and a bond - this you do not have on your first walk with the dog. All my dogs spend time on the lead with me before going off. On the walk I build a trust and bond quickly using food treats and games. I also judge how they respond when I call Mabel back. She comes 100% of the time so most dogs will follow her as she’s coming back to get food and praise - most dogs will follow because they don’t want to miss out. (She doesn’t come on all walk with me - it all depends on the dog I’m taking out, the training I’m doing and what activity she is doing that day).

Part of my dog training and a branch of interest is therapy dog work. Our own Mabel is training so that we can take her into schools and use her in the classroom. If anyone is interested in learning more and having help and guidance with this please do get in touch.

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