Big Dog Adventures

18/08/2021

Family Matters.

Loki and Darcy on today’s session. I cannot lie, it’s hard to remain focussed on the task at hand when Loki is around. I absolutely adore him! 😍

Andy and Kirsty have progressed so much since their first session and it’s amazing to see. Always willing to put in the work and it shows. Huge improvements in both dogs’ engagement and enthusiasm for learning.

12/04/2021

Feast your eyes! 🤩

We at Canine Capabilities love to support and work with local businesses in the industry!

We are working with Wag Mail on a variety of projects including this perfect puppy starter box;

Every pup deserves the best welcome home present. Each pup box will contain 9 items, and includes:
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Eco-friendly rope toy (perfect for teething)
Snuffle ball for seeking out those tasty treats
KONG puppy toy for enrichment activities
2 packs of high value training treats
Lickimat
JR Pure Pate (perfect for a mat topper!)
Long-line lead for training your pupster
FREEBIE: A pup handbook written by our very own dog training expert to help guide you through those early stages.
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An optional add on is a custom made bandana (please email or DM us your pups neck size).
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NOTE: For a more personalised experience, please select the gift option at checkout and type in your pups name and breed.

USE LOCAL DISCOUNT CODE: CANINE10 For 10% off this box!!!

https://www.wagmail.co.uk/one-off-boxes

29/03/2021

Smashing!
That’s the word I’m using to describe today’s session with Stanley and his owners who have been putting some excellent work in.
30mins before this, Stanley was still showing lots of barrier frustration towards people and dogs.
I was so impressed with how quickly he learns but more importantly, how his owners respond to advice and take guidance on board.
A really excellent session today ❤️

22/03/2021

Creating solid engagement. Love this level of focus ❤️🙌🏻

07/03/2021

Any Tips?

Every single day I get about twenty messages asking if I have any tips in an area of dog training. Of course if that's 'how do I make my dog down faster, or recall faster' or 'what's your favourite ball to use' then I can no problem answer in a paragraph on Facebook and I love doing that for people.

The problem arises when people are asking for tips for advanced behaviours whether that be advanced heel work or reactivity or even aggression.

Behaviours beyond the basics don't have tips. It's like calling a pilot and asking for tips to fly your plane. There are no tips. There are many faucets learned inside and out to successfully fly a plane. You need to know intrinsically how they work. Sure he could say, push the throttle forward and you can do that without learning much, but although it will feel like you are making progress hurtling down the runway, you aren't.

Once you hit the end of the runway, what do you do then? What's the next tip you need? What about when you get off the ground? What about when you're hurtling towards a mountain at five hundred miles per hour?

Dog training is no different (although thankfully not quite as dangerous as flying a plane without a clue what you are doing). You need to understand the entire picture.

If there were tips in dog training, every trainer you know would collate them into a pocket book and then they'd never have to stand outside on a miserable January morning again. Unfortunately there isn't a book of tips and there's a forever changing set of variables.

It's why me and all the other trainers in the world get up and work dogs every day in real life. So if you have an issue, seek help. When my car breaks I take it t the mechanic, when I feel ill I see a doctor, when I injure a muscle I see a physio, I don't go online and look for tips.

Consult a professional, join the Academy, book in for a group class, I don't care what your action is, but you have to take some!

23/02/2021

Understanding Buddy.
This is my 2nd session with Matthew and his Staffy X, Buddy. When I met Buddy he was full-blown out of control. There was certainly no doubt that Matthew loved his dog, but there was not a single ounce of control or direction in this dogs life. He did absolutely anything he pleased; jumping up people, bounding round the house, helping himself to anything and everything he fancied and had no aspect of obedience. He was probably the highest energy of canine I’ve encountered, ever. Before we even set to work with Buddy, me and Matthew needed a serious chat. These are sometimes difficult conversations but never negative. Matthew had to understand that Buddy, beyond affection, needed huge investment in terms of routine, direction and stimulation in order to see changes in his behaviour.
Matthew originally had Buddy on a harness - useless. Dogs work from physical touch, body language and energy. Matthew has never owned a dog so all these things are completely new things to understand. To stand back and watch how Matthew has changed within a week (and the massive positive affect it’s had on Buddy) has been nothing short of amazing.
For the most part, we have spent time in a closed, safe environment to build engagement with Buddy; working on mental and physical stimulus; obedience on the most basic level and incorporating a really positive environment to be in.
This was Buddy’s first time on leash with Matthews new mindset and understanding. Dogs work by touch and energy and initially with Buddy in a harness and Matthews slight anxiety with difficult situations, there was a distinct lack of positive impact with those things in mind.
Understand that no, Buddy is not right at his owners side but this is without encouragement or enforcement. Buddy is simply working with the physical connection of the lead and the feel of his owners new-found confidence and inner-peace. There is absolutely no resistance offered from Buddy and to think in the first session he would drag Matthew everywhere!
There is still a lot of work to do with Buddy but he learns so quickly. He is incredibly intelligent and responded so well to some positioning work at the end of the session. Seeing such a huge difference in a dog within a short space of time is very rewarding for me. I just love to see it!

02/02/2021

The importance of routine, domestic etiquette and staying focussed on goals.
When Megan contacted me a few weeks ago, it was to help introduce a recall with 7 month old GSD, Rhia. However, upon further consultation, I quickly decided that there was absolutely no way that Rhia should be working on a recall when there were no fundamentals in place at home. She had a low level of basic obedience, she showed a lot of barrier frustration and wasn’t walking well on her lead. With the owners own admission, there was no encouragement for any good behaviour within the home and it was spoken about that Rhia almost got rehomed recently. Never underestimate the huge impact such small changes can make to a canines behaviour. Introducing barriers, a new routine and giving a dog reasons to work will make massive changes to their overall behaviour and improve the mood within the home and outside. It’s only been three days since Megan and her mom have been implementing the changes I suggested. I’m chuffed to bits with the reply I got today! By nailing down the foundations it means that Rhia’s mentality is beginning to change and she’s starting to show some great signs of engagement. This will make training much easier 👌🏻 Cannot wait to get to work and seeing how far they’ve come in such a short space of time ❤️

11/01/2021

Baby Steps. You’ll hear me saying this a lot during sessions. Titan has come on so much during our two sessions together and today he worked really well for Maggie. Don’t be under any illusions; Titans focus is far from perfect but today we took huge strides. Anyone who works in canine behaviour could spot a fair few issues in this video but to note, Titan would normally show a great deal of reactivity towards other dogs. Here he is towards the end of our session under no leash control whatsoever with another dog in clear sight. It’s important to never expect perfection straight away and some progress is better than none at all. Maggie will continue to work with Titan at home and I can’t wait to see how he comes on!

03/01/2021

Back in Business.

Head over to Instagram to see a short video of new client Gill and her beautiful 16 week old Plummer Terrier, Ollie.

There’s quite a detailed write up about the session with how and why it was put together.

03/11/2020

Supreme K9 UK

ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛꜱ 😋

13/09/2020

Refreshed after an adventurous week away and ready to get back to it!

05/09/2020

Two Outta Three Ain’t Bad!
Today’s double session was spent with Richard and Sandra with their Cocker Spaniel, Ruby. They were keen to introduce a solid recall with Ruby after she had developed a habit of disappearing in fields when on walks which had naturally become very frustrating for them both.
Phase 1 of the session was about half hour in the garden, conditioning Ruby with a new whistle command in a secure environment. Once she had shown good engagement we moved outdoors to bring in some varied levels of distraction. This video was taken around 40 minutes prior to the end of the session. I was so impressed with the work that all 3 put in today. I’m beginning to find a real confidence in guiding sessions and allowing owners to take the lead and not just doing all the training myself. Ruby did fantastic today. She worked really hard and had lots of fun! Now that we have developed a great bond between whistle, recall and reward I have instructed Richard and Sandra on how to continue to develop this in the coming weeks until I can see them all again. Ruby learns really quickly and I foresee us taking whistle commands to the next level by bringing in new disciplines and really getting her to work to her breed traits. All the fun to be had 😬

01/09/2020

For your attention. Many thanks for all your interest and support thus far ❤️

31/08/2020

Taking away spaces in the home that dogs have claimed for themselves can help engagement in neutral areas. The two Frenchies, Mason & Margaux, would claim one sofa in the conservatory with Mac & Murphy claiming the other. Understanding the psychological impact this has had on the dynamic of the household means that by taking that option away, the dogs are then forced to engage in an area that is new. After two hours of stimulation and interaction today, the dogs were invited to enjoy the space of the conservatory floor (where the sofas are) to relax on their blankets. This is so amazing to see. Baby steps moving forward focusing on the bonding between Murphy (in the middle) and the two Frenchies. Attention will be made in building up Murphy’s confidence in the coming weeks and giving him a fresh purpose in the household. This is a tough task but one I cannot wait to throw myself into. Team work, patience, consistency and time are key to any aspect of learning.

31/08/2020

Shall wins! 😬 Friday’s consultation write-up has been sent of to Ruby’s owners.
On a side note, Teddy’s first session is booked in for Tuesday evening and I cannot wait to get started on his short lead work and to address his slight levels of anxiety around loud, intrusive noises. Busy times ahead! ☺️

30/08/2020

With immediate effect.

30/08/2020

As of immediate effect, all consultation and training sessions will be secured with a 50% deposit.

The deposit becomes non-refundable if any meeting or session is cancelled within 36hrs of the time arranged.

I appreciate people have issues within their personal lives but I too have to plan my time efficiently.

I have sacrificed what has become quite precious time with my parents this weekend to be able to attend pre-planned training sessions tomorrow only to have them cancelled today.

Therefore, from now, 50% of any total fees will be required to secure your sessions.

Stay safe, keep your dogs safer.

Thanks,

Mark.

28/08/2020

Today I went to meet this little lady and her owners over in Mexborough! A really honest and positive discussion allowed me to dig down into the roots of the behaviours she is currently displaying which helps to build the foundations of her new learning that will soon follow. I’m excited to get to work with Ruby both in the home and out on walks! She’s a star in the making and I’m sure it won’t be long before she will be joining her family member, Teddy, for some sessions too!

27/08/2020

Why, oh why does the Editor hate me so?! What’s a guy got to do to get 100% on these things? 😒 Teddy’s consultation write-up is complete and is being emailed to Adam as of now!
*On a side note, I have to say just how impressed I am with Adam And Rosies ownership of Teddy. They show incredible breed knowledge and provide him with great mental stimulation, too. A real standard that all dog owners should offer for their breeds.
Can’t wait to get out with the scamp and crack on with all the fun!

26/08/2020

Im off to see this little scamp and his owners tonight for the first time! Teddy is an 18mo Cocker Spaniel and is having some issues walking on his lead. Can’t wait to go for a fuss! Give him a follow ☺️

17/08/2020

96%! Definitely getting better at this 😂 Yuki’s consultation write-up is complete and is off to her owner now! (Might read through one more time 😬)

15/08/2020

A Big Dog Adventures first this evening! A video consultation with an international follower! (is Scotland classed as international?) 😂 Nearly 4 pages of A4 scribbled down with so much information about Yuki and her life thus far. All of which will help to structure my write-up. This is quite a complex case with lots of different aspects to take into consideration when proposing behaviour training for both owner/family and canine. Another exciting journey begins ❤️

15/08/2020

Yesterday afternoon, Tasha and Arlo had their 2nd session together.
It’s so encouraging when dog owners want to play such an active role in their canines learning. I absolutely respect that and guiding Tasha through the sessions is a breeze. As a self-confessed perfectionist, it was important to spend a little time in yesterday’s session to discuss the reality of canine behaviour training and how to not expect excellent results straight away. It can take time to perfect behaviour and Arlo learns incredibly quickly.
They’re both doing such an amazing job.
In our first session, we covered the first phase of Arlo’s walk which begins in the home. We nailed down some excellent behaviours from initiating the walk and collecting his lead to sitting nicely by the door, awaiting his walk; and so yesterday we focussed on leaving the home where Arlo shows lots of high energy and walking nicely to heel. Its all about the baby steps and addressing each individual phase of the routine. What impressed me the most, genuinely, is that Arlo has not worked for food once. No edible treats - just his favourite ball!
I can’t wait to continue working with Tasha and Arlo. Lots and lots of potential!

*See in the comments to watch Arlo walking off lead to heel. So good to see!

10/08/2020

*Charlie Update
Around 4 weeks ago I spent just two sessions with Charlie (and his owners) who had, on 4 separate occasions, attacked their 9 year old daughter, Ruby.
We laid the foundations to his training a few weeks prior by creating boundaries, altering his routine and restricting treats.
In the double session, I trained Charlie’s owners, not Charlie, how to get him walk to heel, better his recall and how to incorporate some important family time with both Charlie and Ruby.
Some weeks later, here is Ruby with Charlie walking to heel and I could not be prouder. She is confident and he is doing great, too! Incredible work from Charlie and his whole family ❤️

09/08/2020

A really productive Sunday today with Bennies consultation and Arlo’s first training session!

Through some in-depth discussion with Bennie’s owner, Sophie, I was able to make some really important correlations between particular triggers and his reactivity which helps to build the foundations that will outlay his training that will follow.

Arlo’s first session was incredible! His owner was experiencing really high levels of excitement from Arlo when retrieving his lead for a walk. By addressing each stage of that particular routine, within 40 minutes Arlo was sat waiting patiently for Tasha to collect his lead and follow her calmly to the front door where he would sit again for her to attach the lead.
I guided Tasha through the whole session that she lead. She was patient, persistent and this paid dividends with Arlo. So encouraging moving forward - and not one single piece of food was used!

It’s been fairly quiet on the whole business front lately but it’s really rewarding when I get to help other dog owners understand why their dog is behaving a certain way and then eradicate those behaviours from their routines.

We continue...

06/08/2020

Say hello to Bennie! A one-eyed, 20 month old Border Collie that a work colleague rescued 😍 We think that Bennie might just be cross-bred with those massive pointy ears ☺️ Anyhoo, Bennie has become reactive to certain males he’s been coming into contact with so he’s booked in for Sunday afternoon consultation to see how I can help!
Anyone want to suggest what Bennie could be crossed with?

05/08/2020

Arlo’s post-consultation write-up. I don’t know what this Editor thing is telling me but I’m sure it should be 100%! 😬 Sent off to his owner to review and then we can move forward with beginning his sessions. It’s always so encouraging when the owner wants to play a proactive part in canine training and not solely rely on a behaviouralist to eradicate certain behaviours. In a majority of circumstances, it’s the owner that requires some guidance and direction in their own practices rather than only training out negative behaviours in the dog. I can’t wait to meet up with Arlo again. He is such a great dog and so fluffy 😍

03/08/2020

Meet 7 month old Goldendoodle, Arlo! His owner contacted me yesterday regarding some behaviours he’s displaying that she would like help with. He’s booked in for a consultation tomorrow tea time and I cannot wait to meet him! 😍
*Update regarding Morgan who I met with a few weeks ago* Morgan has sadly suffered a niggling leg injury that needs some attention from the vet before we can engage in any training so I’m in contact with his owners about this and fingers crossed, he will be right as rain in no time and we can then get to stuck in to some solid, productive sessions with him and his owners. Get well soon, Morgan! 🐾

21/07/2020

Say hello to Morgan! A near-eight stone 18 month old American Bulldog x Staffordshire Bull Terrier and he is a beautiful boy! His owner contacted me today to enquire about some dog walking. After some brief conversation it turns out Morgan has had a bit of pants time during lockdown and has developed some reactivity towards other dogs and his recall has disappeared too. I will be going to meet Morgan on Thursday for a consultation and I cannot wait to give him some fussing! 😍

16/07/2020

A little write-up from Charlie’s owners. It was a pleasure to meet them all and work with them on their journey to provide a more stable, safer living environment and advising them on how they can begin to truly enjoy their family home all together ❤️

08/07/2020

This is Charlie, a Lhasa Apso x Shih Tzu. Charlie’s owner contacted me around three weeks ago due to an issue with him biting their 9yo daughter for the fourth time. During our hour-long consultation, we discussed Charlie’s routine, his current lifestyle and typical behaviours and of course how to address his moments of aggression toward Ruby, their daughter. Through some very honest, deep and Frank discussions, we began to scratch the surface of why these moments of reactivity were most probably displayed. This meant I could implement necessary changes to his whole way of living that would improve Charlie’s family’s quality of life and eradicate that anxiety of him biting again.
Charlie’s consultation was two weeks ago and after putting in place my suggested changes, his owners have been delighted with the changes they’ve seen with both Charlie and their own lives. We had a double catch up session where I showed his owners and Ruby how to work on walking to heel, how to develop his recall and how to build on the the changes they’ve made thus far. I am so pleased they’ve seen such a positive swing in everything around the home. It gives me a really good feeling to hear of such great news. I don’t think I’ll need to see Charlie again but me and his owners will stay in touch into the future. Sometimes, dog training isn’t always about teaching good dog behaviours, it’s about teaching the humans in their lives how to become leaders, show them how certain behaviours can have a negative impact on a dog and most importantly how to make the right changes to bring a new lease of happiness into the home. Charlie is an excellent companion and it was a pleasure to help him and his family ❤️

05/07/2020

Boundaries? Completed it, mate! Today was my 6th overall session with Milo and our 2nd where we focused solely on boundaries. When I met Milo for the first time he would jump at the door, jump over the gate and run off, he would dart out of the gate as soon as it was unlatched and simply did not understand that his place to be safe and wanted when the gate is open, is on the patio. He worked really hard today. It was by far our best session and as you can see, the gate is wide open, he has the added distraction of his own owner walking to and from her car and he shows incredible obedience to sit, stay focused on me and sit by my side where I asked. We stayed in this position for over 4 minutes and in that time he stood up twice. I was so proud of him!!
We worked on the same behaviour but inside the house in the kitchen where Lisa will often welcome guests. He responded well to distraction and knocks on the door. I was even able to have an imaginary conversation with the door wide open and Milo sat to my blind side. Our next session will be in the garden working on his reactivity towards the neighbouring cats!Excellent work, Milo!!

04/07/2020

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02/07/2020

Effortless. It might sound a bit sad, but seeing dogs do this just massively excites me! I love that they can bound around, jumping and climbing on things around them. Milo showed a love for exploring and navigating all the rock formations over Surprise View yesterday evening ☺️

01/07/2020

A D V E N T U R E T I M E with Milo! This evening, me and Milo headed out to Padley Gorge, over Owler Tor and up to Surpise View for alllll the agility and fun! This was brilliant opportunity to build even more trust with my new mate, engage in some serious mental and physical stimulation and just unwind in the beautiful Peak District! Milo’s agility is excellent to witness and I was super proud of him. Tonight wasn’t about intensive training but we did make effort to utilise the whistle recall and also it was a great chance to watch him socialise off leash with other dogs. We approached a fairly excited pack of 4 dogs and Milo was superb. He showed good discipline to say hello and continue his walk on with zero fuss and zero reaction. This was our fifth session together and from welcoming people to his home to walking to heel, the improvements he has made gives me a sense of real pride. His owner, Lisa is doing a marvellous job of continuing with his progression and it really shows. Team work makes the dream work. I feel like we are starting to wind down with the severity of the work required and I’m confident that soon we will see a very well established final product of our efforts. You were such a good boy today, Milo! Thank you for giving me tonnes of fun! ❤️

01/07/2020

A busy few weeks ahead which I’m looking forward to getting stuck into!

Milo has 5 sessions booked in with a few of those being us getting out for Adventures together so stay tuned for pictures of those!

Charlie has a double session tomorrow evening and Friday will see me visit Skye for the first time for an hour consultation on her reactivity ☺️

Please drop me a DM to check my availability for the next few weeks ☺️

29/06/2020

Just a gentle reminder that as of July 1st, there will be new “Services” additions to Big Dog Adventures that covers Dog Training specifically.

Please visit the page and familiarise yourselves with them from Wednesday onwards ☺️

Although there has been lots of enquiries into me visiting your dogs for specific training sessions, I am and still continue to be available for Adventures with your dogs!

I’m all for hiking with four-legged company!

Thank you all for your continued support. It means so much.

I look forward to working with you and your dogs in the near future 💙

Stay safe 🌈

Mark.

28/06/2020

Yesterday I continued to introduce a whistle into Milo’s training. He had tonnes of fun bouncing through overgrown terrain, getting soaking wet, dragging twigs and leaves about with him! 😂 The whistle recall still needs work but he responded well. After spending time discussing Milo’s development with his owner, we agreed that getting him out for an Adventure would be a great opportunity to spend some quality time together and really focus on his social etiquette and obedience. We have completed 4 sessions together now and there’s been a really encouraging improvement in his demeanour when welcoming people into the home which is great to witness!
There is due to be some changes in his home life soon with a garden make over which will help to reinforce his boundaries and allow us to really utilise the huge garden space to train in a safer, more secure environment.
We continue...

27/06/2020

Ready for a wet Saturday session with Milo! Whistle ready 🙌🏻

26/06/2020

Hey Supreme K9 UK!

I’m going to need to put in an order for those scummy Ocean Fish & Tapioca treats by tomorrow!

My clients absolutely love them 😬❤️