What are the opening hours?

Monday 8am - 12pm 2pm - 5pm Tuesday 8am - 12pm 2pm - 5pm Wednesday 8am - 12pm 2pm - 5pm Thursday 8am - 12pm 2pm - 5pm Friday 8am - 12pm 2pm - 5pm

https://www.facebook.com/101374835308331/

GB Dog Walking- Petersfield, Petersfield, Petersfield (2024)

03/11/2021

Mine don't do meeting other dogs on lead at all- I don't have a need to. But if you do, take note!

06/08/2021

Input required 🤔
Great training sessions this week with a top little dog 😍
The value of socialising around older, well socialised animals is invaluable to a pup. They get to see the older, calm dogs reacting (or not, most of the time!) to new and exciting environments, and learn that actually...there's not that much to be excited about. This should be reinforcing what you are already training your dog... to not be reactive to new experiences/how to handle himself in high stimulus environments.

You wouldn't expect a toddler to learn how to behave from a group of other toddlers... pups are no different!

Considering offering training socialising sessions and short training breaks with my 1 or 2 older dogs for young dogs that live as the only dog in the house, to provide some positive experience and stimulus. Visiting dogs would have to be in good health and unfortunately exceptionally specialist dogs such as extreme aggression or anxiety would not be catered for initially (these require targeted training to address their issues before standard socialising could take place).

Would that appeal?

31/07/2021

Your dog thinks you're boring...
..if you find they run away at the drop of a hat...if you find that they think every other dog in sight needs saying hello to, despite your requests...if the possibility of chasing anything that moves is more exciting than coming back to you.

The list goes on. Be more engaging, more exciting, more stimulating, more interesting.

Be less boring.

*If you feel triggered by this post, it may be because your dog does actually find you boring. Feeding them more treats and telling them you love them won't fix that.

25/07/2021

Perfectly put!!!
"BEFORE YOU GET A DOG - READ THIS! ... and then think long and hard about how you will adjust your life to include your new addition ..."

“I am a Dobermann, cataloged one of the most intelligent and most feared dogs, I have served the US Navy and I will not narrate my dark past on the German side. They called me the devil's dog, today they ask me to behave like a Poodle, they have gone so far as to wear clothes ...

I am a Malinois:
Gifted among dogs, I shine in all disciplines and I am always ready to work. Today they ask me to relax on the couch all day.

I am an Akita Inu:
My ancestors have been selected to fight with other dogs. Today they ask me to be tolerant of my peers, and they blame me for my reactivity when one of them approaches me.

I am a Beagle:
When I followed my prey, I gave a voice so that the hunters could follow me. I was leading the dance.
Today they put an electric collar on me to silence me, and they want me to return to the call in a snap of fingers.

I am a Yorkshire Terrier:
I was a rat catcher, fearsome in the English mines. Today they think that I can't use my legs and they always hold me in their arms.

I am a Labrador Retriever:
My vision of happiness is a dip in a pond to bring my master the duck he just shot. Today we forget that I am a sports dog, I am fat and I have to babysit the children.

I am a Jack Russell Terrier:
I am capable of facing a fox larger than me in its own den. Today they blame me for my damn character and want to turn me into a parlor dog.

I am a Siberian husky:
I got to know the great spaces of northern Russia, where I could pull sledges at impressive speed. Today I only have the walls of the garden on my horizon, and my only occupation is the holes I dig in the ground.

I am a Border Collie:
I am cut out to work eight hours a day, and I am an incomparable artist of herd labor. Today they blame me because in the absence of sheep, I try to control bicycles, cars, children from home, and everything that is in motion.

I am...
I'm a 19th century dog

I am handsome, I am alert, I am obedient, I can put up with being in a purse ... but I am also an individual who needs to express his instincts, and I am not suitable for the sedentary life that you want me to carry.

Spending eight hours a day alone on the patio, seeing you a little at night when you come back, and being entitled to any activity just a short walk to the bathroom will make me deeply unhappy.

I'll express it by barking all day, turning your garden into a minefield, relieving myself on the inside, being unmanageable the few times I'll find myself on the outside, and sometimes spending my days on my cushion, then you'll think I'm happy to To be able to enjoy all this comfort while you go to work: in reality I will be in full depression, because it is not the preference of the human, but also that of the dog of the XXI century.

If you like me, if you dream of me forever, if my beautiful blue eyes or my athlete look make you want to possess me, but you can't give me a real life of a full dog, a life that is really worth living, and if not you can offer me the job my genes claim ... then quit me.
If you like my rhythm but are not ready to accept my character traits from rigorous genetic selection, and you think you can change them with your only good will ... then quit me.

I'm a 19th century dog, yes. But, deep there, the one who fought, the one who hunted, the one who pulled sleds, the one who led a herd still sleeps. And sooner or later, you will wake up. For better or worse.”

Elsa Weiss Éducation Canine / Cynopolis

24/07/2021

There's actually a lot of work that goes into forming dogs that are this chilled out in a pub garden!
2 easy-to-remember paths to pub dog success:

- Be bold and train other people too. No, they CANNOT pet your dog. No, they cannot feed your dog. The only way to nurture a dog to not become over excited in crowded places is to make sure it's never exciting or stressful for them. The pup/ dog needs to learn that at the pub, people are non threatening, boring and don't want to play, and so the pub is best for sleeping.

- Be consistent! Once you've stopped everyone trying to pet your pup, you need to be ridiculously consistent at showing the dog acceptable behaviour in this environment. That sitting and laying down are rewarded, that it's safe and no strange people or dogs are going to bother them, and that the food and beer is definitely not for them 🤣

Let's keep pubs pro-dogs by showing off some top chilled out behaviour!

19/07/2021

Repeat after me: I will NOT walk my dog. I will NOT walk my dog. I will NOT WALK MY DOG!

No matter how much your dog nags you for walkies in this heat, don't take them out. Be creative with games indoors instead, or short, light hunting games in the garden (that don't revolve around fetching at speed).

Your dog will want to please you, but this weather is, quite literally, a killer for dogs- get up a bit earlier, get your dog walked by 7/8am if you can- as soon as it creeps towards 20 degrees, it's heading swiftly towards the No walking range. Much rather have a bored dog for a few days than losing a dog!

18/06/2021

Rainy thought of the day!

10/06/2021

It's HOT 🔥🔥for doggos out there! There's good panting, then there's bad panting... can you tell the difference?

Healthy panting 🐶: face, ears and eyes are relaxed, mouth open an inch or so and tongue out and flopping. As per the pic!

Unhealthy panting🐕: eyes are stretched wide open or shut, mouth is very wide open, pant is incredibly fast, and in some cases of dangerous over heating, the tongue will start to curl up at the bottom and the dog may wobble on his feet. This is NOT good, and putting your dog at serious health risk.

Panting as per 'unhealthy ' panting can also indicate stress and/or pain.

Please remember that dogs will keep going in the heat, because YOU'VE asked them to. It's your responsibility to say 'enough' and keep them safe. Dogs, particularly of a working breed, will keep going until it's too late.

Enjoy the sun, but keep safe!! 😊

22/05/2021

Such a busy week I've been neglecting this page! Pups are all coming on brilliantly this week and had some great socialisation walks. Well adjusted older dogs serve very well to influence pups towards positive social skills.

A final Saturday thought: remember, your pup was not born with an understanding of the word 'no'!

Happy weekend all!

01/05/2021

Let's make it normal social etiquette to put your dog on the lead when you see another dog, call to the owner and ask 'is it OK to let my dog off the lead?' , and THEN let the dogs interact if it's safe.

Not only will this make walking safer, but your dog will learn some fantastic socialisation skills, by coming to check in with you before they go and meet another dog!

Win win!

28/04/2021

A lovely rainy walk with a new client's young dog today (not pictured!). He's just learning about the sights and sounds and smells of the world.
It's worth remembering you can gauge how confident you're dog is out walking by paying attention to whether they are comfortable going to the toilet when you're out- if not, this may tell you that they are still a bit nervous of the outside world, and will help you adjust their walks to build confidence accordingly.
Happy Wednesday!

27/04/2021

A Tuesday thought- what gets rewarded, gets repeated!

If your dog is only used to being told what NOT to do...and this is the only way he gets attention from you, then he'll repeat it! Even 'bad' attention is better than no attention in your dog's eyes.

If your pup offers you a recall, a sit, a fetch without you asking, you can still dish out the praise! Encourage the good things, even when they aren't asked for!

23/04/2021

As thoughts start to turn towards returning to 'normality' with work and being in the office, try and make sure you practice leaving your dog on their own for periods of time during the day, whether they are young or old!

They have LOVED the last year with you around 24/7, make life less stressful for both of you by practicing some separation before the long work days recommence!

😴😴😴

21/04/2021

Positive training vs negative training conversations can be as tense as discussing politics loudly in a crowded pub.

Advances in evidence -based research means we have access to new ideas and horizons with our dog training, and as animal lovers, we're always looking to do the best for our animals.

If one training method worked for a friend or family members' dog, that's great! But...what if it could have been even better? What if the dog could have loved working for their owner even more? What if they could have been happier?

Research is showing that dogs really do learn better and faster with positive reinforcement training. Link in the comments!

11/04/2021

Yes! Yes isn't legislation yet but we need to keep pushing! Contact you local MP and get your voice heard to help keep our dogs safe!

10/04/2021

I'm available to help you with your pup, too! Experienced, positive, calm and reliable dog walking services, working with your training goals to provide consistency for your dog/pup.
Also experienced with working dogs! Pop me a message for more info!

30/03/2021

Let's be real- marketing is not there to help you. Marketing is primarily there to sell products.

Food or supplements that claim to 'support' your dog- for example, 'support joint health', 'support immune system' etc do not actually have to provide any evidence that their product does this.

I repeat- THEY DON'T HAVE TO PROVIDE ANY EVIDENCE TO REGULATING BODIES!

Further, actual studies funded by pet food companies will only be published if it works in their favour. You won't hear about the studies that didn't.

And we all love a story- science is not fun to read on your lunch break. But the stories provided to you by companies about dogs that recovered from their underweight/malnutrition life ... may have very little to do with that product. They just know you'll read a nice story, not a peer reviewed science paper.

Linda P Case is an example of an independent nutritionist, scientist and unbiased researcher of food for dogs. She, amongst others, is a source of information for the REAL DEAL on your pet food.

Science over marketing!

24/03/2021

Presumed knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Someone offering advice that owns a dog may:

- Get all their veterinary advice from Facebook.
- May still be following outdated training advice that has been disproven
- Have only been exposed to training their one dog.
- Have never had any experience with your breed of dog

There's an abundance of advice out there, and friends with experience that may well be very useful, current and proven- and that's fantastic! But be sure to keep an open mind, research from accredited studies and proven trainers, seek second opinions (be it with veterinary advice or training advice) and keep learning!

Make sure you and your pup are on the same team 💪

20/03/2021

Insurance!

Pro- the unexpected costs are covered, sometimes including treatments that are required over long time periods or for the rest of your dog's life, such as daily drugs.

Con- once you have claimed for an injury or ailment, once the case is considered 'closed', your dog will usually no longer be covered for this issue if it arises again, whether its in the same leg/body part or a different one.

Pro- your dog will have public liability insurance, a basic cover that alone, tends to not all that pricey, and covers you for serious incidences, such as if your dog were to cause a car crash, or bite someone.

Con- policies are often bias to certain breeds of dog, and in the event of buying breeds with type-related ailments (such as breathing difficulties in short nose dogs), your insurer may well not pay for the surgeries that these breeds will require. (Sidenote: please support the ethical breeding of dogs that can breathe without medical intervention/are able to fully close their eyelids and avoid blindness/have skulls big enough for their brains etc...research, research, research!)

Pro- having adequate cover can provide you with more options for savouring your dogs quality of life- rather than a potential £4000 vet bill meaning you have to consider euthanasia instead, for example..

There isn't a clear right or wrong, but rather than considering insurance merely as 'another monthly cost I'd rather be without', take some time to research and have a serious talk with yourself about the most sensible option. £20/£30/£40+ may seem like a lot to part with a month, but finding £4000 overnight could be a hell of a lot harder..

11/03/2021

The five 'F's of doggy behaviour when stressed...!

Fight- ' I can't run away, so I've got to fight it!' ... the last resort.

Flight- ' I don't like this...I'm leaving!' ... often the first option, if they can.

Favor - ' I'm going to go to my safe person and hope they can save me from this situation ' ....if your dog runs to you and sits by your feet or jumps up uncharacteristically...they want to leave!

Flirt - ' I'm not comfortable with what's happening, so I'll show I'm not threatening by rolling over!' ... if a shy or nervous dog rolls over for 'tummy rubs', they may actually be trying to show they aren't threatening and they want you to leave..not have their belly rubbed!

Freeze- 'I'm not sure I like this situation, I'm going to stay still and hope they go away!' ... if your dog freezes and in particular, has a hard stare or lowers his head, they are not happy!

Would you recognise these in your dog as signs of stress?

08/03/2021

Have you heard of Lucy's Law?

'Lucy’s Law’ means that anyone wanting to get a new puppy or kitten in England must now buy direct from a breeder, or consider adopting from a rescue centre instead. Licensed dog breeders are REQUIRED to show puppies interacting with their mothers in their place of birth. If a business sells puppies or kittens without a licence, they could receive an unlimited fine or be sent to prison for up to six months.'

If you're buying a puppy, there's a simple checklist you can follow to help ensure you are not supporting and funding puppy farming:

- Can you see the puppy with it's mother? This is essential and a legal requirement. No excuses.
- Are they a Kennel Club approved breeder with references available from other breeders/ the stud dog owner/breed or working societies?
- Can they show you the health test certificates of both parents, including hip and elbow scores, and provide information on genetic faults with the breed you are buying?
- Are they showing you the puppy in a lived-in home? Puppy farmers WILL rent houses to try and pass off the image of a genuine breeder.

Be savvy, ask questions, and do not rush! A genuine successful breeder will have a lot of questions for you, and likely a waiting list!!

04/03/2021

A recent study has shown evidence that dogs may use Earth's magnetic field to navigate their way home!

Is there anything dogs can't do?!

A link to the study:

https://elifesciences.org/articles/55080

01/03/2021

Food!
The type of food you choose to give your dog can be responsible for:
- poor attention
- anxiety/nervousness
- hyperactivity
- lethargy
- behavioral problems
- itchy skin
- waxy ears
-mood swings
- gut problems
- weight management problems (both underweight and over weight)
- and more!

Most of the above issues are often tackled with treatments or investigation (usually at high cost! 💰), but does anyone look at what the dog is eating?

If your dog is suffering, veterinary intervention is required above all else, but talk to your vet to find out details of local canine nutritionists who may be able to help with similar problems, as described above, working together with you and your vet.

Feeding high quality food may often mean it's a little more expensive, but if it means comfort for your dog and less vet bills for you... that's got to be worth a try?

24/02/2021

Thought of the day...
Is your lead an emergency tool, or in regular use?

A car seat belt is there for emergencies only.

Your dog lead should also be there for emergencies only...everytime your lead is the only thing that stops your dog running away, you've had a crash, and this means more basics training required!

How many times does your dog 'crash' on the lead?

22/02/2021

But...if I reward my dog for doing that bad thing, he'll think it's good to be bad!

Mm...no. Not, critically, if you get your timing right.

For example- your dog is scared of cars and barks when they pass by.

Normally, what happens is that as the car goes by, you try and get your dog to sit. Your dog might sit, but is eyeballing that car like it's a charging bull, and yet again, as the car gets level with you, your dog flies to the end of the lead, barking and furious that this terrible metal monster has invaded his space- but barking worked, because when he barked, it ran away! 'Maybe EVERYTHING will go away when I bark!' He thinks.

Not so good.

Next time, armed with something that motivates your dog (treats, ball, fave toy, belly rubs), try heading to a quiet road where you only have to deal with one car at a time. Be alert, and as soon as you get a sense a car is approaching, put as much distance from the roadside as you can between you and the car, and engage with your dog in his favourite activity- food, playing with the ball, big affection. Keep doing this as the car passes, and if you lose your dog's attention- you'll have to put more space between you and the car, and try harder to be more exciting!

Repeating this action will begin to register 'cars' in the dog's brain with positive experiences, and more importantly, the mental stimulation and engagement in games will REDUCE your dog's emotional response to the car, as his brain is consumed with problem solving thoughts of how to get the treat, how to get the ball.

In time, you may even find your dog comes back to you at the sound of a car, looking for the fun! This can be applied to so many emotional responses in dogs, such as cat chasing, deer chasing, fear of traffic or other dogs etc.

With puppies, this is usually fairly straightforward. With a learned behaviour in older dogs, it will likely take longer- BUT- if you're CONSISTENT, you'll get there!

Positive, consistent, controlled- safe!

16/02/2021

Badly behaved...or just bad diet?

It's widely accepted that poor diet can lead to behavioral problems in adults, children, even horses... this can include lack of focus, wild energy levels, lethargy, irritability to name but a few.

So why are we so slow to look at our dogs' diet when things are going wrong?

Food will not be the answer to ALL problems, but it is always worth addressing this issue alongside professional medical or behavioral assistance.

Processed dog foods may be cheaper in the short term, but if you are spending money on treating itchy skin and allergies - when your dog is allergic to the food he eats- or spending money on a behaviourist for aggression/poor focus problems when his food is causing him to have energy spikes and dips... well, that makes the lower quality dog food much more expensive than the good stuff!

There are a range of very useful food comparison sites online that really let you see what's in each bag, and expensive does not mean better!

You have options for trying your dog on raw food, biscuit kibble or pre cooked mixes that are blended to your dog's needs, from dedicated dog food companies that will offer you all the guidance you need.

It can take as little as 4 weeks to start to see a difference in your dog when on a good quality diet... that's got to be worth a try?

Give your dog the opportunity for a positive, consistent, controlled and safe environment.

15/02/2021

The best breed for you is................

No, just kidding. That cannot be answered as easily as that. The only way you'll know which is the best breed for you is research, and plenty of it.

But there are some clues as to what types may suit you, even just by looking at a breeds' grouping.

Working dogs (labradors/ spaniels/ vizsla etc) are often noted for being easy to train, for example. But what does that really mean? Are they born with a ready-installed set of commands? A working breed means it's natural tendency will be to work, and 'work', when these breeds are in their element, can mean 4 hours + per day of scenting, hunting and retrieving. They tend to be easy to train for this, as it's in their blood...but they still require training on how to do it properly!

When in a non-working home (i.e as a pet only, not a working dog) many of these breeds will still desire to have their natural skills tested and fulfilled on a daily basis- something that a normal dog walk does not fulfill on its own! So, it may be easy to, initially, teach them to sit, stay and lay down, but it can be that your working bred dog gets rather bored with only 3 commands to respond to. You may find they start to appear 'disobedient' at home or on walks, either disappearing for minutes on end, chasing wildlife, tearing up the house- when in fact, they are only trying to provide themselves with the work they were born to do (in other words... they are bored!)

Working with your dogs to provide mental stimulation around the purpose of their breed goes a long way to helping ensure your dog has had a satisfying and tiring day. A 15 minute training session can prove as tiring to a dog as an hours walk! (Though it is important to provide both training and walking for optimal physical and mental health.)

What group does your dog belong to? What was the purpose of their breed in years gone by, and do they get to ever replicate the training of that purpose?

Positive, consistent, controlled, safe.

12/02/2021

"He just wants to play!"

That quote may bring about a range of emotions for you. It may be that you've heard it said by others 100 times. It may be that you've said it yourself 100 times.

It may be the last thing you heard before another dog attacked your dog.

"He just wants to play!" Is NOT ok.

Some dogs really do just want to play. Some dogs' behaviour is being misread by their owners, and rather than feeling playful, your dog is actually feeling threatened, nervous, or is out of control.

Whatever the reason, it is the OTHER dog/dog walker that must be respected here, and you, as an owner, must be accountable for your dogs behaviour.

Dogs are no longer puppies after the age of around 4 months. Here, they are entering adolescence- and some of them will feel rebellious! Your sit-stay-heel perfect puppy will be by your side one minute, and the next he will have seemingly turned feral, barely able to recognise his own name! And that's ok, that's normal.

BUT, when your teenage dog hits this phase, it is critical to their training and safety (to themselves and others) that you STEP UP YOUR TRAINING GAME. This means following through with your training- even if it can be a little embarrassing- and being CONSISTENT.

If your teenage dog, previously very attentive, now pulls on the lead towards other dogs, YOU must make sure you are armed with training treats/their reward toy/ your chosen training method, and redirect their attention to you when it wavers towards undesirable behaviour.

If your teenage dog, previously brilliant at his recall, now runs off into the sunset at the sight of another dog, YOU must make sure that when you recall and he doesn't come back, you go and retrieve him from his distraction, and get straight back to recall basics, possibly even whilst on a long lead, until it's reaffirmed. Yelling and being cross with him will certainly reinforce his idea to leave you for the fun looking dog in the distance!

It happens to everyone, but its ESSENTIAL that during this teenage phase, you are prepared at all times to reinforce the basics, and that you're prepared to follow through with your training- it is not fair on other walkers or other dogs to have an untrained/uncontrolled dog invading their space, only to watch the owner disappear into the distance whilst giving the occasional whistle. No sensible dog owner is going to mind you going the extra mile to reinforce your training basics, however!

Let's go from using 'He just wants to play' when he's out of control, to 'Is he allowed to play?' From the handler of a controlled, calm dog.

Positive, consistent, controlled, safe.

05/02/2021

What do we mean by socialising our dogs?

Purchasing a puppy over the last year would have made socialising your pup one of the hardest tasks to complete- but it's one of the most important!
The early weeks of a pups life in his new home are the most important for socialising. This means between the ages of 8-15 weeks. During this time, you want your pup to see as much of the world as possible (once vaccinations and worming are complete), with you as his safe haven. During this time, he can experience different smells, noises and sights.

This doesn't mean long walks- your pups body can definitely not cope with walks of longer than 10 or so minutes at this point. But it DOES mean visiting different environments. It also means experiencing other humans and other dogs. Other dogs need to be of a quiet disposition and already well socialised themselves- letting your puppy loose with other, very boisterous dogs will burn off some energy, but it will NOT teach them calm social skills (there is time for play later!). The humans your pup meets should respect his personal space if he does not want to be touched, and not force your pup to engage if he doesn't want to. It's also important for your pup to learn that not every human wants to engage with him! So, some people that your pup meets should not pay him any attention as they talk to you, and some can provide fuss (if the pup is willing) after a few minutes of no engagement.

These weeks are critical, as after 15 weeks your pups brain will begin to enter the adolescent phase, and he will start refining and processing his experiences so far. It is down to you and the environment you provide as to whether this means he is processing negative experiences, or positive ones.

If you've bought your pup during lockdown and he has had little exposure to life during his 8-15 week phase, it is of the utmost importance that you introduce him to new environments and surroundings carefully as he gets older, and provide positive experiences and reinforcement on a regular basis to ensure a well rounded, happy dog.

Positive, consistent, controlled, safe.

26/01/2021

Friendly, experienced dog walking services available, either walking from your front door or collection to quality local walks around Petersfield. Private or group walks, car ramp available for veteran dogs. Pets and working dogs welcome. On or off lead (with owners permission), and at-home puppy play time sessions available for young dogs that are unable to do a full walk. Positive training and structure reinforced for young or learning dogs. Also happy to pop round to let your dog out into the garden on busy work days! Please get in touch via the message button to find out more.