MeeraPuppins Puppy Training

21/11/2024

All I want for Christmas is...

for someone to adopt these gorgeouses!

Rescue doesn't mean damaged.
Purchasing a puppy doesn't always mean perfect.

Arriving in December…..

19/11/2024

Did your puppy experience their first snow yesterday / today?

How was it?
Was it an expectation vs. reality moment?
Got any pictures / videos? ;)

Hope you stayed upright whilst out on your walk!

I did a fantastic performance of Bambi on Ice this morning - minus the cute looks, elegance, and ability to make people go "awww" as I trudged across the pavements, sweating in my big coat.

P.S. If it was your puppy's first snow, it's well worth wiping their paws down with a damp, warm cloth after a walk - especially if you've been walking on a gritted road, as the grit can actually be really harmful to their tootsies!

If you want a break from the cold weather, on Saturday morning I'm hosting a Teething Terrors puppy workshop for all things bitey puppy. The class will be held in an indoor location, with a non-slippy, sandy floor. If you bring a gin glass, and shove a hot water bottle up your jumper, we can even pretend we're on holiday. Booking link in the comments - last couple of spaces left!

15/11/2024

This is how our conversation went:

"Sorry!
So sorry!
He's just a puppy, I am sorry!
I saw you coming and I just wanted to apologise in advance.
He's a naughty little monkey!
Sorry if he jumps up.
Sorry if he nips you.
Sorry if he chews your hair.
Sorry if he gets your clothes dirty.
Oh. Are you sure you don't mind?
I really am very sorry.
I've tried training him, but he didn't listen.
You're a puppy trainer?
Ah you'll be used to it then!"

I was walking home and spotted an absolutely gorgeous 14 week old puppy on a little stroll with his dad.
The sorry-ing started well before I'd even asked if I could say hello.

It's perfectly normal to apologise for your puppy, but wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have to?
What if you didn't need to say sorry all the time?

If you're a "sorry, he's just a puppy!" owner, worried that the only thing your puppy is learning is how to embarrass and ignore you in public, I've got a few spaces left on my small-group puppy training workshops later this month.

23/11 – Teething Terrors – puppy biting class.
30/11 - Jesus Christ, Fenton! - puppy recall class.

All classes will be:
⏰ Held on Saturday mornings, 8.50a.m. – 9.50a.m.
📍S8 8BG – Sheffield, secure indoor location, with parking.
🐾 Your puppy must be fully vaccinated.
Suitable for pups aged up to one-year old.
🐶 Maximum 6 puppies per class.
💑 Maximum 2 adults per puppy.
✅️ Gentle, positive training only.

At the end of each class, you won't be saying sorry ;)
Booking link is in the comments.

09/11/2024

Weekend to do list:
Caffeinate
Pet dogs
Sleep
Go outside. But forgot the dog's jumper at home.
Repeat.
Minus the forgetting of doggy clothing.
Infinitely worse than forgetting your own clothing.
Although it is November and absolutely acceptable to be just as hairy as your nekked dog.

Don't know where I'm going with this.

Oh and, don't forget, cause I nearly did just thinking about Mexican hairless dogs during a Sheffield winter, to book Meera Puppins puppy classes.

Should really get that printed onto a jumper.

I'm hosting 2 small-group puppy classes in Sheffield, in November:

23/11 - Teething Terrors for all things bitey puppy.
30/11 - Jesus Christ, Fenton. Puppy recall training.

Full booking details in the comments.
Go go go!

Meera

P.S. I forced my work- bestie to take this photo. She (somewhat reluctantly) gave me permission to share it. So please give her a ❤️ because being friends with me has very little benefits, but social media likes are dopamine generators, and we all need a little d***y heart every now and again.

P.S. Will you go and book your puppy's space on my classes now please?

06/11/2024

Are you being served at the all-you-can-eat-puppy-chew buffet?

Feeling upset or worried about your puppy's biting?

Looking for help?

I've got a couple of spaces left on my Teething Terrors puppy biting workshop, on Saturday 23rd November, 08:50-09:50a.m.

In this one hour workshop, you'll learn how to tame your teething terror, following gentle and positive training techniques only.

Maximum 6 puppies per class - suitable for pups up to one year old.

To find out more, and to book, have a nosy here: https://forms.gle/8i2piTSZBTBMXRgj7

31/10/2024

Behind the scenes:
Gomez had just gifted Morticia an 8 week old puppy.

Truly terrifying stuff.

Especially because it was their first time raising a puppy, and they'd picked a Doodle.

Wednesday and Pugsley had practically raised themselves.

Why couldn't the puppy do the same?

Why was it so difficult to have this creature in the house?
Why wasn't the training working?
Why were they arguing so much over it?
Did they make a mistake?

Puppies can be unpleasant, and it's normal to feel miserable about yours.

Why am I saying this?
As an accredited puppy training specialist, you guys ring me when things are going wrong with your puppy, and you're ready for some help.

Over the years I've had SOS calls with puppy owners who were ready to return their pup on day 4. Relationships that had never been challenged as badly as by a puppy crying at 3a.m. People who had waited years to get a puppy, and were not loving the outcome.
No shame, it ain't easy!

The less scary news is that, unless you love being miserable, tickets for my small group puppy biting workshop & recall training class go on sale on Monday 4th November.

If you need help with something else, I've got 2 private spaces left for November, where you get to work with me on a 1-2-1 basis.

Helpful links in the comments.

yorkshire

30/10/2024

Friendly reminder that:

a) I'm currently stuffed full of Belgian beer, waffles & frites, and regret my decision to wear non elasticated clothing on this girlie trip to Bruges.

b) I'm going to be hosting a couple of small-group puppy classes and workshops between now and the end of the year.

Early bird tickets will go on sale on Sunday 3rd November IF you're a member of Meera Puppins: Sheffield Puppy Club

There are only six spaces per workshop / classes.
Suitable for pups aged up to one year old.
Positive training methods only.

General sale tickets will be released on Monday 4th November.

Classes will be held at S8 8BG
Secure indoor location with ample parking and no slippy flooring!

29/10/2024

Have you had any "Jesus Christ, Fenton!" moments whilst trying to teach your puppy a decent recall?

Watch the video (with the sound on!) if you're not sure...

It's not easy trying to teach your pup that coming back onto the lead is fun, when they've decided that the real fun is ignoring you!
Or in Fenton's case, chasing deer!

On Saturday 30th November I'm teaching a "Jesus Christ, Fenton!" puppy recall training class.
Yes, that really is the name of my class!

- Suitable for pups up to 1 year old.
- Maximum 6 pups in my class.
- Positive recall training methods only.
- Safe, secure, indoor location.
- We won't bring the deer out ;)

📍 S8 8BG Moss Valley Tails
🕑 08.50-9.50a.m.
🎟 Tickets go on sale on Monday 4th November

Fenton the Labrador, not Benton, chasing red deer in Richmond Park, London.Buy Fenton merchandise now at the official Fenton webstore: http://fenton.firebran...

28/10/2024

Spooky season is well and truly upon on us - I just watched the credit balance on my utilties account ghost me whilst I was thinking about switching my heating on.

Something else that's scary is a teething puppy.
Specifically, their seemingly feral teething and biting.

It's relentless, painful and definitely feels personal when they get to the point of breaking skin and drawing blood. At this point, lots of puppy owners panic and believe their puppy is an aggressive hell demon.

Honestly though, there are so many reasons why your puppy is biting:

Sleep - often a lack of.
Stress.
Fear.
Pain (not just causing it!).
Diet.
Witching hour.

Teaching your puppy to have mouth manners (horrible phrase, I know) is really hard when they are biting everything in sight, nothing is working and you're tired, angry or upset (or all three!).

Unfortunately, puppy biting often doesn't just go away by itself. Your puppy needs you to help them through the ouchy, chewy, bitey, ragey phase.

Which is why on Saturday 23rd November, I'm hosting a one-off puppy workshop for Teething Terrors.

You will:

Get my expert help and guidance as to understanding why your puppy is a bitey gremlin.

Get some actual help on making it stop.

Be supported so that your relationship with your puppy isn't as awkward / damaged as watching Married At First Sight.

Learn what, and how, to teach your bitey puppy through play - which might sound stupid, but you'd be surprised. And no, we won't be swapping your limbs for toys.

There are ONLY 6 spaces for this workshop.

📍S8 8BG Secure indoor location, with parking.
🐾 Your puppy must be vaccinated.
💑 Maximum 2 adults per puppy.
✅️ Gentle, positive training only.

Unfortunately not suitable for children aged under 16.

📧 Tickets go on sale on Monday 4th November - first come, first served.

27/10/2024

Don't tell the puppies, but the kittens where I work need your help please!

It's spooky season, and our newly rescued kittens have heard some terrifying news...

We told them that we're running low on kitten milk, and they immediately demanded a trip to Tesco to stock up on their much-needed supplies.

We explained they can't have regular milk as it will make them poorly. They also can't have plant based milk. We're not sure if they believed us, which is why we need your help please!

We're wondering if any of our amazing supporters could help us and our kittens by donating some kitten milk and food for them.

Please see the link to our Amazon Wishlist - https://www.amazon.co.uk/registry/wishlist/3KZJS8UOAKI4L

Unfortunately, our kittens are not quite ready for rehoming just yet and we aren't able to accept application via Facebook. Please keep an eye out on our website in the next few weeks if you would be interested in offering any of them a home. We do have a number of cats and kittens available who are ready for their new homes now!

Thank you 💙

24/10/2024

It's happening!

Meera Puppins does small-group puppy stuff in Sheffield.

Tickets will go on sale on Monday 4th November.

- Maximum 6 pups per class.
- Positive training techniques only!
Leave your prongs / shock collars / slip leads / whatever you thought you learnt from the telly trainers / broomsticks at home.

23/11 - Teething Terrors.
Puppy biting workshop.

30/11 - Jesus Christ Fenton!
Puppy recall training class.

14/12 -
How organised do you think I am?

More details coming soon.
For now, swipe --》and save the dates

Moss Valley Tails
Petpals GC dogs in Sheffield for adoption

P.S. The epic references are Sleepless in Seattle & you really need to Google "Jesus Christ Fenton!!" and watch the video for it to make sense.

22/10/2024

There's blood and broken skin.
A feeling similar to standing on a bit of Lego in your bare feet.
Crime-scene like bite marks on the walls and table legs.
Your ankles have been skinned.
Threats of rehoming have been made.
You've cried over your kitchen sink whilst mainlining gin.

Your teething puppy is horrible.
A feral- beast.
A hell goblin.
They stopped being cute twelve bites ago.

You've Googled. Sworn. Cried. Sworn some more.
Tried yelling NO!
Shoved toys into their demonic mouth - they just spit them out in a cloud of brimstone and fury.
You've told your partner you can't do this anymore.
Dangled your thumb over the breeder's number.

You shut the crate door, just for a minute, just for a break, just to stick a plaster on the bleeding bite.

The guilt knocks you for sick (not a typo) and you wonder a) what you're doing wrong; and b) how to make it stop.

Here's what I know:

- It ain't your fault. But there are things you might be doing that aren't going to be helpful. As puppies teethe, biting is a form of pain relief. But from the temperature of their food, changes to their (often disturbed) sleep and even the way you play with them, what they do with their mouths has a lot to do with you.

- To make the biting stop, download the Sheffield Puppy Owners Survival Guide and get my help now.
All you need to do is download it, read it and do the things I've outlined in the Guide. Yes that does make everything seem overly simplistic, but I reckon you've got about 18 seconds before the chomping starts again.

Link in the comments.

Meera Puppins: Sheffield Puppy Club

17/10/2024

Did you get the memo?

Raising a puppy can be a bitey, ouchy, stressy, messy, ragey, jumpy-uppy, shouty 6-12 months of your life.

That's a long time if you've found yourself on the puppy owner struggle bus.

I was reminded of this when I saw a post from a newly qualified dog trainer - with reputatable creditations, not some half-wit with a slip-lead on TikTok, or the infamous tw@t in a cravat.

In their post, the freshly qualified dog trainer, was in a reyt old panic.

Over what?
Over their puppy.

They were absolutely knackered. Massively overwhelmed. Really embarrassed. They thought they were well prepared. They'd done everything correctly. And yet they were agonising over everything. Feeling like a failure. Resenting their puppy.

The comments section was full of help for this person, but what they actually wanted, was to know that:

- It ain't easy, because puppies ain't easy.
- Other people have been through the same hellish few months that you have.
- There are *others* out there who are struggling through puppyhood. There is comfort in this!
- It takes a village. And no one wants to be the idiot.

There is power in community, especially when it's run by an actual expert (or team of) who properly get what happens at both ends of the lead.

Sometimes you don't want help.
You just want to have a whinge and a moan about your pup and for someone to go "Yep, they're feral little hell beasts."

Other times, you do need help.

For these times, I created Meera Puppins: Sheffield Puppy Club

Run by moi.
The IMDT Accredited puppy training specialist.

I wrote a book about the reality of getting a puppy- it's called Practically Perfect Puppy & Other Lies.

And I love helping puppy owners to navigate puppyhood with a lot less of the bitey, ouchy, stressy, rage stuff.

Wanna join our club of happy puppy owners?
Go on then.

Link (hopefully) in the comments and above.

📷 of puppy Rocky. The boy for whom butter did not melt ;) I will share Rocky & Pippa's story soon.
And yeah, the adorable irony of the "I love my cat" bed is not lost on me.
Or anyone who has a puppy and a cat.

17/10/2024

Did you get the memo?

Raising a puppy can be a bitey, ouchy, stressy, messy, ragey, jumpy-uppy, shouty 6-12 months of your life.

That's a long time if you've found yourself on the puppy owner struggle bus.

I was reminded of this when I saw a post from a newly qualified dog trainer - with reputatable creditations, not some half-wit with a slip-lead on TikTok, or the infamous tw@t in a cravat.

In their post, the freshly qualified dog trainer, was in a reyt old panic.

Over what?
Over their puppy.

They were absolutely knackered. Massively overwhelmed. Really embarrassed. They thought they were well prepared. They'd done everything correctly. And yet they were agonising over everything. Feeling like a failure. Resenting their puppy.

The comments section was full of help for this person, but what they actually wanted, was to know that:

- It ain't easy, because puppies ain't easy.
- Other people have been through the same hellish few months that you have.
- There are *others* out there who are struggling through puppyhood. There is comfort in this!
- It takes a village. And no one wants to be the idiot.

There is power in community, especially when it's run by an actual expert (or team of) who properly get what happens at both ends of the lead.

Sometimes you don't want help.
You just want to have a whinge and a moan about your pup and for someone to go "Yep, they're feral little hell beasts."

Other times, you do need help.

For these times, I created Meera Puppins: Sheffield Puppy Club

Run by moi.
The IMDT Accredited puppy training specialist.

I wrote a book about the reality of getting a puppy- it's called Practically Perfect Puppy & Other Lies.

And I love helping puppy owners to navigate puppyhood with a lot less of the bitey, ouchy, stressy, rage stuff.

Wanna join our club of happy puppy owners?
Go on then.

Link (hopefully) in the comments and above.

📷 of puppy Rocky. The boy for whom butter did not melt ;) I will share Rocky & Pippa's story soon.

15/10/2024

Build it...and they might not come, heck, they might not even notice!

On Friday I'm heading over to Moss Valley Tails to check out their indoor venue, which looks perfect for me to host small group puppy classes / workshops / social meets locally in S8.

But before I start planning an elaborate class schedule, what kinds of things would you like to attend with your puppy?

In Sheffield we're literally spoilt for choice for things to do with our pups, so as an accredited puppy training specialist, I want to offer something a little different, and only for small groups of maximum 4-6 pups.

For me, puppies = up to 12 months

A little further down the line, I'll be looking at offering things for teenage dogs too.
Teenage dogs = 12 months - 20 months of age (this is a rough guide, different breeds / sizes of dog will turn into teens at different ages)

So, my question is, what kinds of small-group classes / socials / workshops would you like to attend for your puppy?

- Workshops on how to stop your puppy's painful biting?

- Small-group puppy socials (note: this is NOT puppy socialisation whereby they all run riot and wind each other up, that's actually called a recipe for disaster).

- Workshops tailored for your end of the lead - maybe you need a hand figuring out your puppy's behaviours?

- Something else?

A penny for your thoughts in the comments...

Meera Puppins: Sheffield Puppy Club

P.S. Sorry but, no actual pennies for your thoughts. Maybe one of those really nice chocolate coins if you come to one of my classes.

14/10/2024

This is the second entry of Could it be a career? – jobs I’d like to do, if I wasn’t MeeraPuppins - Sheffield Puppy Training Specialist. Nobody panic though, it’s just for fun.

Je Ne Sais Quoi literally translates as “I know not what.” It’s often used to describe something pleasing that you can’t quite put your finger on, but it makes you smile and you keep going back for more.

I’d like to think we all have a je ne sais quoi - I’m nosy, would love to know what yours is! Mine is raiding the bakery counter at Tesco. Makes me smile, plus I have a Clubcard and elasticated jeans - which both trick me into thinking I can keep going back for more.

On one such early morning raid, clutching my bag of freshly baked croissants (two pack, all butter) I had an idea for an alternative career.

Opening up my own bakery, called
“Je Ne Sais Quoi(ssant)" with the USP of serving “pastries for the indecisive”.

You know when you want a little something to eat, but you don’t know what you want, but nothing that is offered / suggested / mentioned / plated down in front of you actually hits the spot?
Many a fight has been caused by this feeling. See also: your partner not buying you chips when you said you weren't hungry. Even though they should know better than that.

Serving a delectable range of plain, sweet, moreish and build your own croissants, there’s something for everyone. Not build as in like a Lego build, but you could buy a croissanty base and then pretend you’re in an episode of Bake Off by carefully loading it with a bunch of delicious tasting, pretty looking things – also conveniently sold in the shop, with razor thin profit margins, because how do you charge per pitted green olive or pink-pony shaped sugar star?

Of course the shop would be dog friendly, and I’d even do little doggy croissants made out of ingredients that (probably) won’t give them diarrhoea. Rescue dogs would eat for free.

The queues for Je Ne Sais Quoi(ssant) would likely be massive. Initially, probably not because of soaring demand and fame-loading levels of popularity, but because I’ve effectively created a solution for those of us who are hungry, but don’t know what we want to eat.

11/10/2024

"If it really was a once in a lifetime opportunity, nobody would bother flying to Iceland." - My friend - on not seeing the Aurora Borealis in the UK.

Did you see it, or did you miss it?
I slept through it, although I do feel like I saw it, just from the gazillions of photos in the papers (and by papers, I mean endlessly scrolling through social media).

Now that the furor has died down (the furora?) What else have you missed recently?

Have you missed out on training opportunities with your puppy?
Not spotted the subtle signs that actually they might not be feeling 100%?
Missed chances to reinforce your pup, so they keep doing those nice behaviours that you do actually like?

We immediately notice when:

- Our puppy isn't listening to us.
- The lead feels like a chainsaw ripping through the palm of your hand.
- Our puppy's biting feels like we're being chomped alive, whilst being licked by a bajillion mosquitos.
- We've not realised our puppy needed the toilet, and now we have wet (or brown) socks.
- We're stuck in a big sludgy swamp of non-progress.
- We've tried everything, but nothing works - except we haven't actually tried getting help from an accredited, puppy training specialist...

Your puppy won't be a puppy forever, but they might grow up to be a bit of a terror - and that's not their fault.

Puppies do not have the ability to pre-meditate.
They do not have the gift of foresight.
And they are not able foreplan (had to be careful with my spell check there) - just as much as they don't have the ability to book themselves fancy holidays on your credit card. Reykjavik, anyone?

As a puppy training specialist, I often see the things that you can't. I can see the connection between what your pup eats and how they behave; between risk and reward; reinforcement and inadvertent punishment (you, not me, my training methods are exclusively kind and gentle).

I then gather up all my insights and turn them into stuff you can do with your puppy to make things easier, simpler, more enjoyable.

Ready to see what you've been missing?
Link in the comments to help you get started!