Paws & Progress

06/11/2024

Doesn't Cooper look smart with our new car 'Boot n Bumper' protector?! Designed by and stocked by our lovely local pet store () - we couldn't think of a better way to keep our dog-mobile clean in-between training walks!

Using this stylish gear, Cooper absolutely rocked his calm car travel training today! For reactive dogs, setting them up for success before even reaching the destination can make all the difference. By therefore incorporating well-timed release cues, and wait cues when triggers popped up, we were able to effectively lower Cooper's arousal levels this morning before the adventure even began. The overall result? A much smoother start to our outing and more positive interactions all around.

04/11/2024

Hi everyone! Happy Monday! 🌟

Question... Have you ever considered a career in canine behaviour, or are you simply eager to learn more about our favourite four-legged friends?

If so, I am thrilled to announce that I am now officially looking for someone to assist with our Wednesday evening group classes at Woodlands Village Hall, Verwood!

This is a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience with real-life clients whilst also diving deep into the world of dog training. You’ll also receive access to a wealth of visual training resources upon each session, expert advice from me as a qualified trainer, and the chance to connect with other fellow dog lovers. (If you're lucky, you might even get to meet the amazing Vicki at Forest Walks each week too — what could be more exciting?)

Applications are now open. If you're interested or want more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Looking forward to hearing from you! 🐾

02/11/2024

Over the past 5 weeks, I have had the absolute pleasure (with the amazing assistance of Forest Walks) of teaching Bobby, Charlie, Watson, Frank, and Nelson during our recent group classes, and today they officially graduated! Swipe to see some of them with their certificates...

I am so proud of what these guys have achieved, and there was huge progress for each and every one of them. I can't wait to hear how these guys get on as they grow up, and I'm so pleased to hear some of them will be continuing their training journey with us too!

Our next set of group classes begins on the 13th of November, and we still have spaces available. Get in touch today to book!

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12/10/2024

Okay everybody… Cooper has officially returned! And he is being heavily rewarded today with the Liver Paste! What for, you ask? Well he has just mastered the art of ‘Target Training’! Keep reading to find out more…

WHAT IS TARGET TRAINING?

Target training is a form of training in which you encourage a dog to touch a certain object, surface, or item, with their nose. In Cooper’s scenario, we used the palm of my hand.

WHY TEACH TARGET TRAINING?

Target training has many benefits. The main one we are using it for with Cooper is recall! This is so, in time, it will act as a great visual cue for him, so even if I’m too far away for him to hear me, he can still see that I’m asking for him to come back. It also means he’ll come right to my feet so that I can easily attach his lead again if needed.

We are also looking to use it as a focus tool. This is because Cooper can sometimes struggle with reactivity when on walks with other dogs, and so by teaching a solid target, I can use it as a way to test whether he is focused on me or not. If not, I know we are overwhelming him with emotions and we may need to take it back a step.

Finally, we are going to introduce it as a politer alternative to jumping up. I can then present my hand in a low-down position when coming through the door and easily show him that interaction can happen below the knee too!! Such a great tip for family members and visitors around the home!!

Swipe through to the next video for a demonstration and then get in touch to see how you can get started on target training with your dog!

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21/09/2024

Looking to get your dog into training? Whether adolescence has sent your dog into a spiral, or you have an old dog looking to learn new tricks - look no further!

Our new venue is officially confirmed, with our next set of classes starting on Wednesday 2nd October at 7:45pm. Suitable for all dogs over 20 weeks, the 'Adolescence & Above' training course will teach you everything you need to know about dog behaviour, and how to eliminate problem behaviours with ease.

Each week, you will attend a 1-hour group class with up to 4 other dogs, and will be thoroughly supported by an accredited and qualified trainer throughout our in-depth content. You will then be invited to continue this training at home after each session, using our easy-to-read summary emails and directional videos. Upon graduation, you will then of course receive your certificate, but will also unlock access to lifelong support from Paws & Progress, meaning you can come to us even several years down the line for almost anything! The cost for all this? Just £75!

Content includes, but is not limited to:
- Over-arousal and excitability
- House manners
- Using a marker word
- Teaching your dog to focus
- Teaching your dog a new behaviour
- Strengthening a new behaviour
- Settle / Independant relaxation
- Walking nicely on the lead
- Recall
- Jumping up
- Drop / Leave It
- Polite doorways and road crossings
- Real life scenarios
- Impulse control
- Polite socialisation

Want more information or to book now? Get in touch at [email protected] 07887 882578.

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20/09/2024

Introducing Stokes!

No exaggeration needed when I say he is one of our local community's favourite dogs, and is always very well known in the cafes and local hotspots! He even won over everybody's hearts at Animal Avenue Pet Supplies LTD in seconds!

However, as well as enjoying regular walks with my own spaniel, Stokes is also due to start some light training to aid his recall (particularly around the New Forest ponies) since it has become a little rusty with adolescence age. Watch this space as we see what we can do...

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19/09/2024

Looking to get your puppy into training? Look no further!

Our new venue is officially confirmed, with our next set of classes starting on Wednesday 2nd October, at 6:30pm. Suitable for all puppies under 20 weeks, the 'Puppy Essentials' training course will teach you everything you need to know about puppy behaviour, and how to eliminate problem behaviours before adulthood.

Each week you will attend a 1-hour group class with up to 4 other dogs, and will be thoroughly supported by an accredited and qualified trainer throughout our in-depth content. You will then be invited to continue this training at home after each session, using our easy-to-read summary emails and directional videos. Upon graduation, you then will of course receive your certificate, but will also unlock access to lifelong support from Paws & Progress, meaning you can come to us even several years down the line for almost anything! The cost for all this? Just £75.

Content includes, but is not limited to:
- Mouthing
- Toilet training & house manners
- Using a marker word
- Teaching your dog to focus
- Teaching your dog a new behaviour
- Strengthening a new behaviour
- Settle / Independent relaxation
- Walking nicely on the lead
- Recall
- Jumping Up
- Drop / Leave It
- Handling during vet and groomer visits
- Polite doorways and road crossings
- Real Life Scenarios
- Polite Socialisation

Want more information or to book now? Get in touch at [email protected] or 07887 882578.

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16/09/2024

Happy Monday everybody! Let's start this week off right by introducing the gorgeous Stella!

Stella is one of my newest clients, who has been working with me to improve her recall and her confidence around other dogs. She has made such huge steps already, and with just two training walks, we have managed to get her successfully greeting other dogs and recalling away instantly!

I am so looking forward to continuing work with Stella, and can't wait to see how far she can go.

04/09/2024

Hi everyone! I just wanted to take a moment to once again say a huge thank you to all that supported the first ever Bark In The Park event! Because of each and every one of you, it was better than I could I ever imagine and we had such a lovely time.

We also had the absolute pleasure of being joined by who took the most amazing photos. I've selected just a few to commemorate the day, but all the photos he took are available to purchase for a small fee over on his page!

Please do watch this space as more details about next year's event will be released soon, which is set to be even bigger and better! We couldn't have done it without you.

09/08/2024

Come say hello! 😇

Reminder⭐️ We are at Ellingham Show Tomorrow! 🐄 🐏 🐎 🐕
Come and find us near the dog show 🐶
We've got some goodies to give to you all!
We will be joined by the lovey Forest Walks and Paws & Progress ❤️

Shop will be open again as usual on Sunday ⭐️

15/07/2024

Introducing Luna!

This stunning young black lab is yet another dog that was very kindly referred to me by in attempts to hopefully improve her recall when on walks. When working on her case, we initially had to lots of external factors to consider, such as both medical and hormone concerns, and so we made sure to keep it easy for everyone, without adding too much additional stress.

Our first session together as a result, was mainly just focused on getting Luna to pay attention to us in an outside environment. This is always such a vital step, because if you don’t have their attention, you won’t get anything else either! After this, we then started some fun little recall games, and also looked at covering some preference tests in order to see how we can motivate her best. Next week, we will see how she has gotten on, and add in some distractions to put her to the test!

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12/07/2024

Introducing Ernie!

Now it of course goes without saying that this handsome little boy was just such a treat to have a training session with, and his confident charm definitely won me over within seconds! He was very eager to please, and clearly had such a love for his owner, which I always love to see.

Ernie's training session this week was purely based around helping him become calmer on walks, especially when meeting other dogs, as he can often tend to pull, bark, and howl to say hello! As this (in Ernie's case) was worked out to only come from a place of utter excitement, we were then able to cover lots of ideas on how to help with this, and also how we can reward the right behaviours in a super productive and pre-emptive way. His owners now hopefully feel confident in how to manage these situations, and are on track to a much calmer day out!

Ernie's owner also displayed huge interest in attending some group classes with Paws & Progress, much like many others, so do watch this space! Exciting things coming soon....

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10/07/2024

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to come online today to re-introduce myself to anyone who may be new or visiting this page for the first time, as the owner, founder, and trainer behind Paws & Progress. We've had a few new followers recently which I'm extremely grateful for, so hello and welcome!

Now on to the one thing I'm good at - bragging about my dog! (Joking, I promise). Strangely enough, not the one pictured above, but I'm sure you will see lots of her if you scroll through my feed. She's the adorable little black cocker spaniel with her tongue nearly always sticking out! The reason I speak about her today, is because she really is the whole explanation to my career choice! Without her and her previous behaviour concerns as a pup, I admittedly would be nowhere near as passionate as I am now in canine behaviour, and therefore most likely would still be completely clueless as to how best to put my love of animals into a living!

Because of this, Paws & Progress is my true heart and soul business, whereby I offer both 1-2-1 sessions, and training walks to pups of a variety of breeds and ages. Within these sessions, we can explore any combination of topics, whether that's reactivity, confidence, or just general manners! The dogs (and owners) I meet along the way are always so fabulous and willing to learn, and, honestly, I am still yet to meet a genuine 'bad dog' (they just don't exist!!).

My only aim as a professionally accredited practitioner, is to support as many people as possible with their four-legged friends, so that they can flourish and build that famous, well-known bond and relationship. By exclusively using reward-based training along the way too, we avoid any techniques that create harm or pain for the dog, and I truly believe this is the only ethical way to train.

I do hope to keep meeting lots of you throughout the next few months, and please do come say hello at my very own Bark In The Park event this year!!

See you soon
Ally x

03/07/2024

Introducing Cooper!

Cooper came to me after the lovely Forest Walks recommended that they get in touch with myself in regards to his reactivity around other dogs.

As some of you may know, reactivity can be down to many reasons - a lack of confidence, frustration, or excitability - just to name a few. To find out a little more about Cooper's reactivity, we therefore had a good old chat at the start of the session to discuss what exactly Cooper's parents were seeing, and then were able to put a plan in place accordingly.

In this scenario, it appeared that the reactivity was mostly caused by raging hormones, lead frustration, and excitability! This is such a common mix though, and so there were plenty of tips and tricks to recommend.

Looking forward to hearing from both Cooper's owner, and Victoria, on how they are doing!

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30/06/2024

Hi all! As some of you may know, I have been keeping a bit of a secret recently! It has been SO hard to keep quiet, especially as things have progressed... However, I am so pleased to officially announce that this year I will be hosting the New Forest's first ever BARK IN THE PARK!

This event is due to include a fun family dog show, trade stalls, food stands, and more! I am also set to be joined by some of my closest friends in the doggy industry too, and so I can't wait for you to meet them all!

Please do come along and say hello, it would be so great to have your support. Fingers crossed we can even make this an annual thing!

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Reward-based training in Dorset and Hampshire.

30/06/2024

Have you ever felt like it's 1 step forward, and 3 steps back? Or maybe just when you think you're getting somewhere, it completely flies out your dog's brain? It's easy to feel frustrated during this time, especially when you have put in hours of hard work!

However, I'm here to tell you that the training journey can be fun! Unfortunately, it will never just be a straight line no matter how hard you try, but you can follow these simple tricks to ensure you are making it as easy as possible:

1) Recognise the bad days... and let yourself have a day off! Use these days to either relax with some simple brain enrichment for your dog, or take it right to basics with some fun and easy training games. Take the pressure off yourself to have progress every single day - you will actually make more progress if you both feel ready to learn!

2) Keep a journal.... of the good, the bad, and the ugly! This way you won't lose sight of what your end goals are, and you are also able to see how far you have come. I know it's easy to feel down on those harder days, so by taking a peek at this journal even for a second, hopefully it will bring you right back to those positive vibes. It also means you can keep track of what works particularly well for your dog!

3) Speak to others....and let it all out! I remember feeling so alone and isolated when I was having problems with my pooch, and I also felt as though nobody else could relate. But by speaking to others who actually were in fact going through similar things, or had even progressed through that tricky stage, it made me feel like there was an escape, and that we could actually get somewhere. They also might have some useful reward-based training tips!

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