Agata Brzek - Dog Focused

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Agata Brzek - Dog Focused

Helping you to raise and train your dog to be the best dog you've ever had.

Dog Training and Behaviour Consulting based on positive reinforcement techniques and protocols. Non-aversive methods, creative and effective solutions to common behaviour problems, life enrichment for pet dogs, games, everyday manners, obedience. I hold a Diploma of Dog Training and Behaviour Consulting from Companion Animals Sciences Institute, and the Pro Dog Trainer certificate with AbsoluteDOG

S, and have attended various courses, workshops, seminars and webinars related to animal training and behaviour. I have over 15 years of experience of working with dogs, including 10 years as a pet dog trainer.

24/10/2024

As we all know Dachshunds were originally bred to go down the badger holes.

They needed to be low and long, hence the short legs and super long bodies.

But, since we don't use them for this purpose any more, there's been a trend in recent years to breed shorter Dachshunds, which would also prevent some painful orthopaedic conditions.

Ogórek, in the picture, is a typical example of the new generation of Daxis. They're so short that their tails grow out of the back of their heads, so they never get any problems with their spines.

It's certainly a positive step in the history of dog breeding, one that I wholeheartedly support.
😉

22/10/2024

Only 2 spots left in November, both for Tuesday + Saturday.

Towards the end of the month there will be also some random appointments available, suitable for training and behaviour issues that do not requre frequent meetings.

The last week in November I need to keep clear, as I got the dreaded Jury Citation letter again...

So, if you're ready to work on your dog's outdoor manners, or interactions with other dogs, pop me a message, and we can book your in!

16/10/2024

Imagine your dog pulls on lead. Every single day.

When he was a puppy it wasn't so bad, and you could hold on to him with ease.

Now he's 11 months old, weighs 25 kg, is hyper social, and just drags you around like you're not even there.

He yanks the lead out of your hand, or he pulls you off your feet, you're exhausted by the end of the walk.

One day someone tells you to use this amazing collar, harness, lead, which will change your walks forever. So you buy it.

The transformation is instant! Your dog walks right by your side, or at least stops pulling the moment he hits the end of the lead. You're absolutely ecstatic, and you can't wait to go out with him again.

But a few days later you notice there is a little bit more tension on the lead, you need to stop your dog more often, bring him back to your side, correct more, or reward more, whatever your philosophy is.

Within a week or so you're back where you started: barely holding on to the end of the lead.

Sounds familiar?

It does for me. I've heard so many stories like this, that I now just nod and sigh, and I'm not at all surprised.

So what happened there? Why didn't this miracle equipment work?

That's because there is no miracle equipment.

No harness, collar, even head collar will cure your dog's pulling on lead if you don't put effort into teaching him how to walk with you.

What you experience with any new equipment is just that: novelty.

For your dog the sensation of having something new on his body will make him more aware of it, and may temporarily suppress his old ways of being.

He may pay a little less attention to smells, or be less excited to see his doggie buddies in the park. But as he gets used to the new equipment, all that goes back to normal levels.

Dogs will learn to pull on any harness you can imagine, on a slip lead, on a prong collar, and yes, on a head collar too.

They will ignore any discomfort they may feel, and just get on with their life.

It doesn't mean they don't suffer from it, it just means that other stimuli in the environment are more important in the moment than the tight collar, or the body distorting harness they're wearing.

Yet, I often recommend to get a new type of harness (usually) and perhaps a new lead, to jump start the training. Why?

Because we can totally take advantage of this "new harness" phenomenon.

Remember the first few days, when your dog's behaviour improved so much? Well, this is the time to really make sure we reinforce it, and keep working on the loose lead skills, and our handling.

These first days can really teach the dog how to walk, if we take an active part in it. If we're vigilant, plan our walks, choose where we go and who we meet., this can really be transformational.

But it rarely is. Because we believe that a piece of webbing on the dog's body has the power of teaching him anything.

It does not.

There is only one way to change the pulling, and it's called training.

Have a nice walk today😊

06/10/2024

I'm not great at taking photos of the dogs I work with. I'm too focused on actually training and, often, playing with them.

But I managed to take 2 pics yesterday, of Phinn the Lab, and Rex the Collie.

Both boys are adolescents, and struggle a bit with... life.

Between them they present with pulling, ignoring recall, having their own agenda, jumping at people, worrying about cars, wanting to meet every other dog, but also occasionally growling at them.

Rex is further on with his training, and recently his family took him to a cafe, where he actually relaxed and even watched other dogs calmly.

Phinn... well, we're working on it😂😉

But despite their struggles they're both awesome young guys, and very handsome, aren't they?

10/09/2024

We were on Bs today: Brambles, Bramble, and Bear😊

Little Brambles just finished her puppy package. She and her mum learned all the basics that a well behaved pup needs.

Bramble tends to bark at the world, so we're at the beginning of his training to help him develop better coping skills.

Young Bear is going through adolescence, and just discovered wildlife, so we're teaching him to ignore stuff and engage with his mum.

We had fun and games, and some sausage with the " canine students", and now it's time for me and Arco to have a relaxing walk by the river. X

21/08/2024

It's been a very busy summer, working with many lovely dogs and their people. As the days get shorter, we need to now think about the fast approaching autumn.

September's coming soon! How is it even possible?!

And with it a few available spaces for my Training Walks.

At the moment I have a Tue + Sat spot, starting on Sat 7th, and

Wed + Sun, starting on Wed 18th.

These are 1-2-1 sessions, held twice a week, for 3 or 4 weeks, depedning on what we need to work on. Price per session £35, so the 3 week package costs £210, and the 4 week package is £280.

All breeds and ages welcome. I've had the pleasure of meeting puppies, adolescent dogs, adults and seniors. From mini dachshunds, to Leonbergers.

Training Walks are a great option for you, if you've done your best to teach your dog, but you feel like you're not getting any further.

Or if you'd love to have a well trained dog, but you just don't have the knowledge, skills, or time, to do it right. At the sessions I can train your dog for you, and you'll only learn how to keep it going in the future.

Please note that not all behaviour struggles are a good fit for Training Walks, but I also offer weekly behaviour and training sessions, so please ask even if you are not sure if this is something for you.

Thanks🐾🐶

22/07/2024

Hello

I have 2 spots available for August Training Walks.

These are 1-2-1 sessions, we meet twice a week for 3-4 weeks, and work on yours and your dog's skills, confidence, and relationship out and about.

☑️ evening sessions available for those working 9-5
☑️ working shifts? - no problem, we can manage that too
☑️ multi-dog households welcome
☑️ great for puppies and young adult dogs
☑️ covering Perth and surrounding towns and villages

Price £280 for a 4 week programme, (8 sessions, for reactive dogs), £210 for 3 weeks (6 sessions - recall, lead walking and other training issues).

Please get in touch if it sounds interesting, or share if you know someone who could benefit from this training.

25/06/2024

We are so lucky to live where we do.

The fields are now empty, the sheep have been moved to other locations.

Every day we walk here, surrounded by nature, today the yellow flowers, aren't they pretty?

This morning I tasted first wild raspberries, but I'm not going to tell you where they are🤫😉

For Arco this place is a paradise, he loves it here. I would prefer a forest, with tall pine trees, or oaks, but I'm grateful for what it is.

Just outside the door, no need to drive far.

Where are your everyday walks? Do you have your favourite spots?

18/06/2024

Bookings now open for Training Walks for July.

Every month I work with 4 or 5 amazing dog-human teams. We meet twice a week, for 3-4 weeks, and go for these educational and often transformative walks together.

We address the WHY and the HOW, we teach the dog better ways of behaving, we teach the owner more effective handling skills, we play games, and see the improvement right in front of our eyes.

I only use methods and techniques that are kind, motivational, and ethical. But you'd be surprised how many different ways of training there are.

Every dog brings his own temperament and experiences to the table, so we need to be able to adjust to that and find the best methods for that dog. And for their guardian.

With nearly 2 decades of experience working with dogs of all kinds, and with a considerable fortune spent on education, I can easily find something that will work with your particular dog.

Why not give it a go? Your walks will be more relaxing and your dog will behave much better.

All sessions are now £35.
We start with 6-8 sessions, depending on your needs, but the programme can be extended.

The 3 week programme (6 sessions) is suited for easier trainig struggles, like recall, pulling on lead, lack of focus. It costs £210.

The 4 week programme (8 sessions) is for more persistent and intense issues like reactivity towards dogs and/or people, chasing cars, joggers, animals, and aggressive behaviour. Price: £280

Payment plans are always available. You can pay with your credit card, cash, or BACS.

More questions? Please email [email protected]
Or send a message on Agata Brzek - Dog Focused

Thanks!

09/06/2024

Proud training moment!

We were walking along a field when I noticed a hare sitting at the edge, in front of us.

Arco hadn't seen it at that point, so I took out the phone to record the encounter.

I thought Arco would see the hare running (because of course it would run across the field), and then I would call him off, and he would come back. A nice recall brag.

Instead, Arco didn't follow the hare at all!

What's more, there were actually two hares, and he didn't run after any of them!

You can see the hares on the green part of the field, on the left of the screen.

I must say, the training took time and effort, but it was well worth it, as I can relax on walks, and Arco can be off lead practically everywhere.

And it was all fun and games. No aversive tools ever used.

You want to achieve the same, or similar results? Get in touch!

27/05/2024

I was sitting on a log and Arco came to join me. We were watching the sheep in the other field together. And then...

There is only the burn between us and the lambs. The fences got destroyed by raging water.

Normally it's not a problem, as Arco will not go there, but when the two little ones decided to test his self control, it got a bit too much for him.

Did I have to grab his collar? Probably not, but I don't take any chances. I'm on pretty friendly terms with the local shepherd, and I want it to stay that way.

Once the lambs ran away, we got up and went home, as it was the end of our walk anyway.

I often walk Arco off lead around here, also on the country roads, with the pastures just next to us.

But if the sheep are close to the fences I put him on lead. It's not because I worry that he could jump over the fence and attack them.

It's because sheep get scared so easily, especially now when they have lambs. And scared sheep can even die out of stress.

I'd feel awful knowing that we caused them serious distress, or worse, so I'm proactive in this area.

Arco is big, strong, and highly predatory. He would at least try to kill a lamb, and maybe he would succeed, who knows.

So he doesn't get the chance, ever. He's off lead where I'm confident in his training, and that the temptations of the environment are not too much for him.

We live here, so we need to be responsible.

26/05/2024

SIT! How we love this word!

For most dogs I ever meet, Sit is the only behaviour they can perform on cue.

At least some of the time. And with a cookie in the owner's hand. And without distractions.

But it's not what this post is about. Well, not entirely.

For years I've been really interested, even passionate, about dogs' physical health. Probably because most of my own dogs have suffered from various joint issues that required medication, surgery, restricted exercise, supplements, and so on.

I lost one dog at the age of 15 months because of serious orthopedic issues.

Another had advanced hip dysplasia.

Yet another had spinal arthritis, which went undiagnosed for years (more on that later) and eventually he was in too much pain...

Arco has "something" in his back end, and can occasionally get stiff and sore, especially after longer exercise.

What it all has to do with Sit?

The way your dog sits, lies down, walks and runs, can alert you that something is wrong and needs your attention.

In the three photos below only the Collie sits properly. The Golden Retriever and the Pointer both show "bad" sit postures.

The proper sit is pretty much square and balanced. The front feet are shoulder width apart, and they are directly underneath the shoulder joints, to support the body.

The back feet are hip width apart, parallel to each other, the knees are close to the body.

Puppies often sit differently, but their jonts are not formed yet, so they are more flexible and "soft". An adolescent dog may go through various growth phases and his sit may not be correct either.

But if your adult dog sits like either of the two dogs in the pictures, take notice.

Front or back feet too wide, or too narrow, or to the side, indicate that you should ask the question Why?

It doesn't mean that your dog has hip dysplasia or other orthopedic issues, there are also soft tissue problems and imbalances that can be to blame.

There are muscles, tendons, and ligaments, that may have been injured, or underdeveloped, and they change the way the body moves, and the positions the dog is able to comfortably sustain.

That's the reason the dog may not always to want to sit, or lie down when asked. Is he disobedient and in need of more training?

Not necessarily. He may be too uncomfortable or sore to get in this position, especially for a prolonged time.

Dogs in general are very cooperative, and if they know how to do something, and have done it many times before, and suddenly they resist... I, personally, stop and listen.

Knowing that Arco is sore sometimes, I will not insist that he sits or lies down every single time I want. I accept what he can give me, which is a quiet stand, instead.

In the past I felt torn between what I could see, and what I was told by the vets. Chester, the Collie, started showing signs of pain at about 2 years of age.

Every time I mentioned it to the vets, I was told it was nothing to worry about. Long story short, at the age of 8 he was diagnosed with spondylosis which he "probably had all his life". His pelvis and a few vertebrea were fused together in a big lump of bone.

These things are painful. But Chester was a working dog, so he soldiered on for years, until he could no longer hide the pain. He seemed happy and was very active and playful. Only at the end of the day he would look exhausted and stiff.

And that's how it is with dogs: they may not show you how bad it really is. You must learn to spot the little signs, like an incorrect sitting posture, and take action to get to the bottom of this.

Majority of the vets are not trained to recognise chronic pain in dogs either. That's why Chester went undiagnosed for so long.

So, even if you ask them, they may say your dog is fine. We definitely need better education there.

I'm doing my best to learn about this, as it's estimated that up to 80% of all behaviour cases have chronic pain as a contributing factor. That's huge.

I look at all the dogs I work with very closely for irregularities in their posture and movement. And, unfortunately, I see them pretty often.

I can't diagnose a condition based on that, but I can highlight an issue, for the owner to further investigate. It's always better safe than sorry.

I'll be happy to be wrong. But to determine that, the dog would have to be thoroughly examined. And, as stated above, they're often dismissed.

But you, as the dog's guardian, should not dismiss the wonky sit, as just "the way he does it". There is a reason behind it. Seek information, from your vet, your trainer, a massage therapist, a chiropractor.

Get curious, and you'll find some answers, and solutions. Maybe some hydrotherapy, or physio, or conditioning, change of exercise routine...

The fact is, there is plenty of info out there, you just need to ask the questions.

Because your dog can't.

14/05/2024

Connection Practice.

Wouldn't it be nice, if your dog voluntarily engaged with you when he sees something of interest, like another dog, a sheep or horse, or when he smells something fab, like dog p*e? 😐

Well, he'd need to first learn the concept of connection around lower level distractions.

Here I'm walking with Arco around markers on the ground, and if he stays engaged and walking on loose lead, he gets released to a puzzle toy with food inside.

The puzzle can be replaced with a food bowl, or a toy. The concept remains the same: give me engagement before you get what you want.

This builds nice foundations for future training, out on walks, where it really matters.

As my client you might get a little homework with similar games, to keep you and your dog practising useful skills in between sessions.

If you're thinking about improving your dog's manners out and about, give me a shout, as I'm now open to taking bookings for June.

Thanks

07/05/2024

One of the most interesting courses I've done recently. After more than 15 years of learning all about dogs, I don't find a lot of new or very different info out there. This course was one of the very few exceptions.

Intro to CARAT is about animal temperament. CARAT stands for Clothier Animal Response Assessment Tool, and was developed around 2007 by Suzanne Clothier.

It can be used to asssess all species of animals, humans included. But in this course we focused on dogs.

It scores 21 traits, divided into several sections. The picture with the circle is my own interpretation of the CARAT graphic, as I'm not allowed to use the original one after this course. There is a whole certification programme available, after which the student will have access to the CARAT score software.

But all the traits in my graphic are exactly where they are in CARAT. I now use my version to assess all dogs I come in contact with, to help me think about them as individuals with unique temperament, as this will guide me with creating a better training plan for them.

CARAT is often used to assess litters of puppies for specific roles, such as guide for the blind, assistant dog, search ahd rescue, detection work, various sports, etc. But also for matching the puppy with a prospective owner, even if it's just to be a pet.

All of us have some plans and goals for our pups, or adopted dogs, we have our lifestyles that we'd like the dog to fit in. But not all dogs have temperaments suitable for what we want from them.

Very often we can help the dog to adjust, be more comfortable, learn coping skills and be relaxed. Sometimes, however, it is us and our expectations that need adjustment, so we can give our dog the best life possible.

With CARAT we could choose the right puppy for us, with just the right temperament, so she could fit in seemlessly, from day one.

CARAT scores patterns of behaviour in several situations, and at different times. Seeing the dog once is not enough to score the traits properly, as the dog may be stressed, uncomfortable, overexcited. We may create a initial assessment, but very often more observation is needed.

Without going into too much detail, the scores in CARAT are bi-directional ranging from -4 to +4, with a midpoint of 0, which is a fully functional level of the trait.

The farther away from the midpoint, the less functional the dog is in this trait, and the more he may struggle in the world. -4 and +4 are extreme scores, and not often seen.

The farther away from the midpoint also means that as the dog's guardian you'll have more work to do, to help the dog. But many working and sporting dogs will score high on some traits, as these traits are necessary for them to do their jobs well.

It's in the pet home that this dog could struggle if he was not provided the opportunities to use his natural abilities.

Every trait and score in CARAT has a specific definition, so that each assessor trained in this system will see the same things when working with a dog. This system is not open to interpretation. That's why it takes up to 3 years to get fully certified in it. The course I just finished is only an introduction, but has already provided an incredible amount of value.

The point is to really see the dog in front of you. It doesn't matter that you had 3-4 dogs of the same breed before. This one is unique. If you're able to fully embrace it, and stop trying to fit a square peg into a round holw, your life with your dog will be much more enjoyable.

As Suzanne keeps saying:
SEE THE DOG

27/04/2024

First, longer, clip: George and his Mum rocking it at North Inch this morning🙂

Second clip: a very short video of myself waking Rocket, a few weeks ago.

Both boys, but especially Rocket, were pulling on lead when I met them. George would get very excited at the sight of other dogs and also people, and would pull towards them.

George and Rocket learned to disengage from interesting things and engage with their handlers. We increased the value of the handler, so the dogs now choose to stick with them rather than look for other forms of entertainment.

Rocket, being a very young dog, is still going to be in training for a while. George is a bit older, and he did extremely well with only 6 sessions.

Both dogs have super dedicated guardians, who keep putting in the work, and that's why they see these results.

My role was to introduce the training to the dogs, teach them some stuff, and then the guardians took over, and learned a few skills themselves.

The Training Walks is a team effort, as I can't do everything myself, seeing the dogs only twice a week.

But they are much more effective than weekly sessions, and infinitely more effective than sporadic one-off sessions I used to do, even though the latter came with lots of additional resources and support.

That being said, I'm still available for weekly sessions, as not all behaviour struggles will do well with frequent meetings.

If you'd like your dog to walk like George and Rocket, message me, and we can book you in for Training Walks or weekly sessions. I still can add one dog to my schedule in April.

23/04/2024

There is one spot available for my Training Walks in May, for either general training or reactivity.

Days: Wednesday + Sunday
Start day: Wednesday, May 1st; or Sunday May 5th.

The most common areas we work on are pulling on lead, recall, ignoring distractions, and of course barking and lunging at other dogs (or/and people).

I can help you with finding what exactly motivates your dog, how to get him to WANT to listen to you, how to teach him to modulate his excitement, how to support him if he's scared, and so on.

Seeing your and your dog twice a week allows me to really get to know you both, try different things, and choose the best options, that also suit yourself, as the dog carer, and fit in with your lifestyle.

As you will go for the walks with me, you can see what I do, how, and maybe most importantly: why.

Get in touch if walks with your dog are not enjoyable, you need to avoid other dogs, can't ever let your dog off lead. After 3-4 weeks of training, you'll be in a completely different place, and able to give your dog more freedom, and joy in life.

If the beginning of May is not suitable, there will be another spot open later, around the 21st of May (for Tuesday+ Saturday).

Looking forward to meeting new dogs and their awesome people😊

09/04/2024

It was a black lab kinda day🙂

03/04/2024

A few of the boys I've been working with recently:

Rocket, the silver lab
Charlie, the Finnish Lapphund
Archie, the black lab cross

Rocket, a typical adolescent, interested in everything, super happy and friendly, pulled on lead like a train. His education, at 10 months of age, is far from finished, but his owners now have some strategies to handle him more effectively, and make sure he keeps learning the right stuff.

Charlie, a lovely and lively guy, gets very excited, and barks a lot at dogs. His breed was developed to herd reindeer, and they use barking as a tool for moving the animals around. Charlie is still in training.

Archie also gets excited by dogs and, occasionally, people. His bark is low and serious, although there is nothing dangerous about Archie. He pulls towards interesting stuff, and struggles with self regulation. We are helping him to calm down quicker and just enjoy his walks.

If you're struggling with similar behaviours in your dog, and would like some help, please get in touch. Although I am fully booked in April, we can certainly make appointments for May.

Address

Forteviot
Perth
PH29BS

Telephone

+447593032280

Website

http://www.dogfocused.co.uk/

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Videos

Proud training moment! We were walking along a field when I noticed a hare sitting at the edge, in front of us. Arco hadn't seen it at that point, so I took out the phone to record the encounter. I thought Arco would see the hare running (because of course it would run across the field), and then I would call him off, and he would come back. A nice recall brag. Instead, Arco didn't follow the hare at all! What's more, there were actually two hares, and he didn't run after any of them! You can see the hares on the green part of the field, on the left of the screen. I must say, the training took time and effort, but it was well worth it, as I can relax on walks, and Arco can be off lead practically everywhere. And it was all fun and games. No aversive tools ever used. You want to achieve the same, or similar results? Get in touch!

I was sitting on a log and Arco came to join me. We were watching the sheep in the other field together. And then... There is only the burn between us and the lambs. The fences got destroyed by raging water. Normally it's not a problem, as Arco will not go there, but when the two little ones decided to test his self control, it got a bit too much for him. Did I have to grab his collar? Probably not, but I don't take any chances. I'm on pretty friendly terms with the local shepherd, and I want it to stay that way. Once the lambs ran away, we got up and went home, as it was the end of our walk anyway. I often walk Arco off lead around here, also on the country roads, with the pastures just next to us. But if the sheep are close to the fences I put him on lead. It's not because I worry that he could jump over the fence and attack them. It's because sheep get scared so easily, especially now when they have lambs. And scared sheep can even die out of stress. I'd feel awful knowing that we caused them serious distress, or worse, so I'm proactive in this area. Arco is big, strong, and highly predatory. He would at least try to kill a lamb, and maybe he would succeed, who knows. So he doesn't get the chance, ever. He's off lead where I'm confident in his training, and that the temptations of the environment are not too much for him. We live here, so we need to be responsible.

Connection Practice. Wouldn't it be nice, if your dog voluntarily engaged with you when he sees something of interest, like another dog, a sheep or horse, or when he smells something fab, like dog pee? 😐 Well, he'd need to first learn the concept of connection around lower level distractions. Here I'm walking with Arco around markers on the ground, and if he stays engaged and walking on loose lead, he gets released to a puzzle toy with food inside. The puzzle can be replaced with a food bowl, or a toy. The concept remains the same: give me engagement before you get what you want. This builds nice foundations for future training, out on walks, where it really matters. As my client you might get a little homework with similar games, to keep you and your dog practising useful skills in between sessions. If you're thinking about improving your dog's manners out and about, give me a shout, as I'm now open to taking bookings for June. Thanks

First, longer, clip: George and his Mum rocking it at North Inch this morning🙂 Second clip: a very short video of myself waking Rocket, a few weeks ago. Both boys, but especially Rocket, were pulling on lead when I met them. George would get very excited at the sight of other dogs and also people, and would pull towards them. George and Rocket learned to disengage from interesting things and engage with their handlers. We increased the value of the handler, so the dogs now choose to stick with them rather than look for other forms of entertainment. Rocket, being a very young dog, is still going to be in training for a while. George is a bit older, and he did extremely well with only 6 sessions. Both dogs have super dedicated guardians, who keep putting in the work, and that's why they see these results. My role was to introduce the training to the dogs, teach them some stuff, and then the guardians took over, and learned a few skills themselves. The Training Walks is a team effort, as I can't do everything myself, seeing the dogs only twice a week. But they are much more effective than weekly sessions, and infinitely more effective than sporadic one-off sessions I used to do, even though the latter came with lots of additional resources and support. That being said, I'm still available for weekly sessions, as not all behaviour struggles will do well with frequent meetings. If you'd like your dog to walk like George and Rocket, message me, and we can book you in for Training Walks or weekly sessions. I still can add one dog to my schedule in April.

A bit of Easter scent work. We haven't done handler scent searches for years, so it took him 3 reps to remember what he was looking for. But, as always, once he got it, he got it🙂 Such a good lad😊

Walks in the dark don't have to be boring. The dog's nose works just as well at night. Arco loves searching for treats in the grass. This is how we move along the road, I toss a treat to either side while he's busy with the previous one. He's quick, so sometimes I can't even hide the treat well, but occasionally I'm more successful, and he has a bit longer search. It's an easy way to add some mental exercise to your dog's day😊

Monty meeting Hayley! Today Monty made a new friend, Hayley, one of the residents at PADS. Normally it wouldn't be so exciting, except that Hayley is explosively reactive to other dogs, especially on lead. I had them meet through the fence, she barked at him fiercely, but Monty managed to totally dissolve the tension, and within half a minute they were the best buddies. Hayley is also Arco's friend, and she loved playing with Comet. But she's never warmed up to any other dog. Little Monty, although only 11 months old, seems to be pretty savvy when it comes to interacting with other dogs. He's met quite a few recently and always read the other dog very well. Maybe he'll replace Chester as my main helper dog, and we may find him little socialising jobs around the kennels too😊

Close encounters with wildlife. One of the things Arco learned in his chase programme was to stop when seeing an animal, and just watch. This was heavily reinforced over a long time, but now he does it automatically. I was playing with Monty when I looked up and saw Arco watching something intently. You can see a hare walking between the hay bales, there's an arrow pointing at it if you can't spot it. The hare was not bothered by us at all, and at some point it even walked straight at us, which triggered Arco to move towards it. Only then I intervened, and called him to me. As you can see Arco was a bit sticky with his response, but he came and positioned himself between my feet (his default after a recall). Also notice the collie at the end of the video, totally unaware of the world around him😆. And then, yes, I dropped the phone😐

Monty's loose lead walking lesson. One of the things we need to work on with Monty is walking on lead. At the moment he doesn't want to stay close to me, so the shorter the lead the more pulling and resistance he shows. But even on a long line he speeds up, especially if Arco is in front of him. There are many strategies I employ in this situation, one of them is walking in a circle. This is my favourite technique for times when the dog is not taught to keep the lead loose, but we still need to go for walks. When he starts pulling, I turn into a circle, and bring him back to the starting point. I slow down while doing the circle, but speed up a bit when walking in a straight line. I repeat it as many times as needed, until either we get to our destination, or the dog calms down and stops pulling. It's very easy and very effective, and after doing it for a while, I'll be able to walk much more in a straight line, on a loose lead, than in circles. Especially when this method is combined with some others that I use alongside it. Typically I talk to the dog, and even give some treats at strategic points, but it's not that easy while filming. Looking forward to seeing how this boy develops and learns crucial life skills. At 10 months of age he needs practically everything. As far as I know he only knows Sit.

Everybody has a dog dream, the vision of what your life with your dog will be like. For most it's all about nice relaxing walks and then snuggling up on the sofa and watching movies. For me it has always been the Frisbee, or disc dog sport. Not that I wanted to compete, but I wanted to play like the pros. But none of my dogs had the same dream. Chester, the collie, played with one disc only. He would just not touch another one, the end of story... Raven, the GSD, had hip dysplasia, so of course we didn't do such a demanding activity. Arco played as a young dog, but it wasn't his thing, and now he doesn't touch the discs either. Comet, my sweet baby, he would have played, he loved it, but we all know what happened...💔 Then I had Macy, the kelpie, for a while, but she also has hip dysplasia. I'm not lucky with dogs and their joints☹️ And now this guy has entered my life, Monty the collie x something brindle. 2 weeks ago he moved in as a foster, as he struggled in the kennel environment. He's great at catching toys, so I took out my discs and tried him. He was so keen! At first it didn't look like in this video, he was holding on to one disc but kept running after the others. With time, he started dropping the one in his mouth and catching the next. Now, we are here⬇️⬇️⬇️, and it's the best I've ever had! So, it looks like Monty's status is changing from fostered to adopted on a trial. Maybe finally I can get my Frisbee dream come true😊 (Apart from catching discs Monty is a lovely dog, which helps a lot😉)

Today "Chase The Borzoi" game😂 They both loved it😊

Precision before speed. A short, unedited, session of training for the canine freestyle and/or Rally Fr-Ee. We are not going to compete in anything, it's just to stretch our skills. Since Arco has never been interested in this kind of training (unlike Chester, who loved it!), teaching him anything is a hard work for me. Arco is a very sensitive dog, who needs a lot of reassurance, and any disapproval from me is met with quitting. Sometimes just a change of my tone of voice is enough for him to walk away and refuse to engage. He then needs a cuddle and some free food, or a game, to come back and try again. If I amp up his arousal with more movement and/or a toy, he then becomes more erratic and less precise, so my job is to find a balance. Once we have some semblance of precision, we then try a session with a toy, to see what he actually learned. But even with toys I can see that performance sports are not his thing. Or I haven't found a way to get the best out of him yet. But as long as we're having a good time trying, we will continue. Here I'm introducing 3 ways of changing direction: crossing in front, spin and twist next to me, and through. Each of them were taught beforehand, and practiced with the use of various props. We still make mistakes, mostly because he takes so many clues from my body movement, and doesn't really listen to my verbal cues. We're working on that little issue a lot. In the meantime, if my body tells him something else than my voice, guess what wins? But I still like this session, it's starting to look half decent😊