Dogs R Dogs

13/07/2025

Useful information about exercising your dog in the heat. Lets not overreact and make our dogs miserable by not exercising them at all when it gets hot. If we educate ourselves with facts, observe our dogs and use a bit of common sense, then we can find the right amount of exercise for our dogs whatever the temperature :)

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122101152602446899&set=a.122100670130446899

THERMOMETER vs PANT-O-METER:
MONITORING DOGS THAT COULD EXPERIENCE HEAT STRESS

A burning question at the start of another warm day: Do we need to use a thermometer to monitor dogs for early signs of thermal stress?

A thermometer will give an objective and measurable reading of the dog's core temperature at the time when it is checked.

Reading our dogs' behavioural signs will however provide us with a continuous stream of feedback how hot the dog FEELS, and how much effort they are having to put into keeping cool.

We know dogs pant to keep cool. And just like the different settings of an air con system, dogs will adapt their panting pattern and intensity to meet their thermoregulatory needs.

Let's look at Digger's panting patterns:
🟢 When he feels cool, he is not panting
🟡 When he feels a little warm, he is panting with a slightly open mouth, barely showing his tongue
🟠 When he feels very warm, he opens his mouth wide and his tongue becomes longer
🔴 When he feels hot, he opens his mouth very wide, his tongue is long, floppy and looks the shape of a paddle (paddle tongue). In some dogs, the tongue may curl up
🟣 When dogs feel too hot and hit their limit of their own cooling capacity, they pant uncontrollably and cannot be disrupted, e.g. with food or a toy.

Panting patterns are a livestream of thermoregulatory information that we can watch carefully, and that we can monitor continuously even when dogs exercising.

When we observe that a dog begins to climb the ladder of more and more intense panting, that progressive change provides us with an early warning system that the dog is starting to feel too hot 🔥 ⚠️

The key message here is very simple, and particularly for those of us who care for high-drive dogs with barely any sense of self-preservation:

Dog begins to feel too hot 🔥
Stop all physical activity immediately ✋️
Cool the dog down 💦 🌳
Monitor panting until the intensity decreases / panting stops

So do I need a thermometer to keep my dogs safe on a hot day? No. Thankfully their Pant-o-meter tells me all I need to know about how cool or warm they feel 👍

11/07/2025

Exciting News!

Edited to add

Sorry but we appear to be having a problem with the payment page. Please bear with me. I'll update once it's fixed.

🎬 The PGTC 2025 Videos Are Here! 🐾

Missed the Positive Gundog Training Conference or want to revisit your favourite sessions?

You can now buy the full video series and watch at your own pace!

📚 What’s Included:
✅ 24+ hours of seminars & workshops
✅ 17 sessions with top trainers: Sarah Fisher, Helen Phillips, Collette May, Gwen Johnson, Leanne Smith & Vicky Payne
✅ Step-by-step demos, fieldwork, observational skills, & more
✅ One year of unlimited access

💡 Learn how to train with clarity, kindness, and science-backed techniques. Build better communication, boost your skills, and deepen your bond with your gundog – the positive way.

🎯 Buy now & start learning today!
🔗 https://www.dogsrdogs.co.uk/online-shop/pgtc-2025-videos/

05/06/2025

Another kind client has sent me a review to share with you all: -

Sue and Islay

This is the reason why I needed to find a gun dog trainer:
When I got my new puppy , she received her vaccinations and off we went.
I decided to to take her to puppy training classes so joined a group of owners with a trainer learning the basic skills a young pup needed. I realised that quite soon that Islay was spending more time watching others and little time working on the skills ,when it was her time to show she was able to show the particular skill she was frustrated and just ran around the hall might complete the task or not. I had owned 2 dogs previously so I thought I knew what to do and how to train Islay. my first mistake of many.

Why did I choose Dogs R Dogs?
I then needed guidance from a professional who understood gun dogs and I was told about a Gun dog Trainer called Leanne Smith who owned DogsRDogs. I got in touch and booked our 1st session.
When I met Leanne for the first time I saw a magnetism between her and Islay and Islay wanted to please her. Leanne started on Islay's focus, so she looked at a cone and after a while Islay touched it with her nose, Leanne ,used a clicker and Islay was given a reward, then it was my turn to try! I focused on the cone and after a long time Islay touched the cone. I clicked at the wrong time, I didn't have the treat ready, I was stroking her but all she wanted was the treat, I was not always sending the same messages.

It became evident that I would need patience. focus and listen fully to what Leanne was saying and drills she was showing me. After each session I was tired from learning so much but Islay was very tired from all the focusing and thinking she had to do in the session.

What I have really enjoyed is understanding how a dogs learns and some of the techniques can be used in other settings eg clicker training could be used in a PE lesson (I trained as a PE teacher), One winter Leanne put on a course that highlighted how dogs think and learn a variety of skills, this inspired me to try and learn more about dog thought processes but also how an owner can get the best out of their dog.

Then Covid happened stopped me training with Leanne.

Finding a good Dog Trainer can be very difficult to do. A Good Dog Trainer needs to be able to build a repour with their client and dog so that a working environment is built up for all sessions. '

Leanne, when working with the Client and Dog shows she has a good sense of humour, sets high standards for both but she always shows compassion towards the dog and does not except any harsh treatment by the owner of the dog. She has the following qualities:
Explanation: so the owner knows what is going to happen. She breaks down each stage into little components.
Demonstration: she shows what the dogs has to do and repeats it until the dog understands what they have to do. As well as the owner
Rewards system: she always has treats available. Treats of a variety of rank new skill higher the reward.
Clicker Training: she uses Clickers as a means of telling the dog they have done well and links that with a treat.
Watches: when the owner starts trying to teach the same skill will guide them slowly through either by another demo or verbally explains.
A very Good Listener: does not mind going over and over the skill we are learning.

I felt and still feel I have struck GOLD finding Dogs R Dogs owned by Leanne Smith. I have had 1 - 1 sessions as well as group sessions. I have learnt so much about Islay as well as dogs in general.

One of the many things I have learnt is PREPARATION if taking a dog out for a walk or a training session or both combined the owner must take everything they need from Poo bags, treats ,toys, water, but also know what an owner wants to achieve during the time with the dog. one of the surprising elements of owning a dog is they need REST and have time to themselves. but also when out with your dog they must learn they are not always the centre of attention.

04/06/2025

All Group dates are now up to date on my website.

Courses and Group Training Dates 2024 Bi***es in Season are allowed to attend group sessions, please let me know. GROUP SESSION BOOKING CHANGES Groups will need to be paid for at the time of booking, once your place is confirmed, and will be allocated on a first come first served…

04/06/2025

More Wednesday Managing Arousal Group dates: -
2-4pm
9/7
23/7
6/8
20/8
Max 6 dogs per session
Cost £50 per session per dog
Payment due on confirmation of place
Payment for groups is non refundable but you can transfer your place to someone else
Book your place via email - [email protected]

25/04/2025

Dates for the groups to teach dogs to manage their arousal: -

Wednesdays - 2-4pm

14/5

28/5

11/6

25/6

Fridays - 1.30-3.30pm

23/5

6/6

4/7

20/6

18/7

1/8

15/8

29/8

Max 6 dogs per session

Cost £50 per session per dog

Payment due on confirmation of place

Payment for groups is non refundable but you can transfer your place to someone else

Book your place via email - [email protected]

Cheers,

Leanne

15/04/2025

Another lovely client left me a review that she is happy for me to share here too.

Siobhan and Keeva.

Leanne is a fabulous reward based gundog trainer. She has taken the time to learn her craft and share it with people so they can train their high drive working dogs in a kind and compassionate way.

I came to Leanne tearing my hair out with my young working cocker spaniel. As a novice owner I underestimated the knowledge and skills needed to train and live with this breed of dog who also has issues with fear and anxiety. Leanne shares her knowledge with you so you understand your dogs needs and motivations. Sometimes this means you do a lot of listening but it's all valuable key information.

My girl has learnt how to relax at home, in her crate and be left alone as a result of the skills Leanne shared with me. She's also passed her grade 1 Gundog Club test due to dedicated gundog workshops we've attended. I travel from Plymouth to train with Leanne and I am not sure I ever will stop training with her as I just love her approach to things because they work!

11/04/2025

A very kind client sent me this review so I thought I would share it with you.

This is from Mira with her Lab puppy Louie.

Leanne is a truly amazing trainer.

We are a first time ‘parents’ to a Fox Red Labrador Retriever. When we started training sessions with Leanne, our pup had just turned 7 months and was full of energy, bounce and exploding puppy hormones. We were inexperienced and had little control over him, especially on walks when he would basically pull us to the park!

After three months with Leanne, the situation couldn’t be more different. Leanne’s input into training this 31 kg boisterous pup, has been beyond amazing. She has been an absolute godsend. With Leanne’s guidance, every single step of the training process has been so easy to achieve.

Leanne’s training style is perfect, stressing positive reinforcement with no harsh treatment to the dog. We often ran out of treats during the initial sessions, so now I end up coming over prepared.

One of the many great things about Leanne’s training is that she focusses entirely on you and your dog and their individual needs. Leanne’s approach is to teach you to train your dog effectively.

We wish we had started training our pup with Leanne as soon as we had him at 9 weeks. This would have got us off on the right track much sooner.

To sum up, Leanne is a professional, highly qualified and very knowledgeable gun dog trainer. I would highly recommend Leanne to anyone.

10/04/2025

Important Announcement for Agility Handlers!

Edited to add - if you are too far away to attend the group sessions I am available for 121 online coaching sessions to address the same issues. Email for details: [email protected]

Does your dog lose it's mind at shows?
Does your dog struggle with start line waits?
Does your dog miss contacts and/or drop poles?

All of these things can be a result of your dog not being in the right head space to be able to concentrate.

More self control training is not the answer. We need to teach our dogs how to self regulate their own arousal.

If you are interested in learning how to help your dog learn to regulate their own headspace so that they can remain cognitive in high arousal situations then please get in touch - [email protected]

I am running groups aimed at teaching dogs how to self regulate in challenging situations. These groups have been very successful at showing my clients how to help their dogs to be less reactive to distractions and to be able to remain cognitive in more challenging situations.

I run the groups in Silverton, usually on a Friday afternoon 1.30-3.30pm but I can also put groups on a Tuesday or a Wednesday afternoon if there is enough demand. Max 6 dogs, £50 for the two hour session.

31/03/2025

Talking sense.

Why do trainers seem to have the wrong of the telescope on so many issues? Let's take the once again issue being raised of how bad it is for dogs to play fetch, or get excited and run and jump and play hard. This concept has been around for ages, and it drives me batty.

Long ago, I grew weary of the argument that running and jumping and fetching etc were bad for dogs, caused blood cortisol levels to spike, created stress, etc. It's been around a long, long time. Calm walks only, no chasing, etc. What's the grain of truth at the heart of such advice?

Do some dogs have problems self-regulating? Yep.

Will some dogs play till they keel over? Yep.

Do some dogs have a tendency towards compulsive behavior? Yep.

Do some dogs have physical limitations that mean long-term certain activities will cost them dearly? Yep. But *they* don't know that and so delight in a game is not a matter of informed consent - hell yes that's true for so many dogs.

You know, dogs are just like people in so many ways. Like us, and for so many reasons including human interference and selective breeding and appalling raising practices and unnatural lifestyles and god awful structure and obesity and poor conditioning and crazy expectations, dogs can struggle with making healthy choices that support adaptive and functional behavior.

Imagine if the whole discussion was reframed in terms of functionality - can the dog self-regulate even in the presence of exciting stimuli? is the dog physically capable of doing X at that level of intensity? how does this affect relationships with others?

My GSDs are strong and sound. While they love their games, they can also stop when asked. They can adjust themselves to take a break as needed. The same activities they enjoy were inappropriate for my Lab/Chow cross with crappy structure and bad hocks. One of my dogs long ago did not have the sense to know she needed to rest when playing fetch. Thankfully, she had 2 black spots on her tongue that were perfect markers whatever the temp -- first spot showing meant she was nearing her healthy max; second spot showing meant STOP. Wish all dogs came with such clues.

Oh wait - all dogs DO have such clues! It's called behavior. It's called movement. Always available for us to see, if we have developed the observation skills that let us see what dogs are telling us.

Perhaps most critical in this "no fetch" or "fetch is fine" discussion: does the *handler* know how to make those assessments? Can the handler recognize the shifts in fine motor control or balance or cadence or gait or recovery?

Further, does the handler know what to do with the information gained from those assessments? Do they know how to take care of a dog so to promote healthy interactions, play, and activities that support the dog's mental, emotional and physical well being.

That's our job: to be caretakers, which includes quite literally taking care when a dog is not able to be self-protective or self-regulate or when the dog's lack of understanding about long-term consequences means fun in the moment may create harm further down the line. We have to take care that our encouragement or requests or expectations are within healthy limits for that dog, and that means getting our egos out of the way, always seeking more understanding of the dog as a whole being, developing greater observation skills.

When we start to understand self-regulation its importance for any being to function well, we can make recommendations that are appropriate for each individual dog instead of stupid blanket rules.

Being disregulated is good for no one, that much is true. But what healthy arousal and fun looks like varies for each animal.

While I was teaching in Warsaw at a conference, there was a pretty hot argument about horses, racing and jumping. One person claimed horses only ran or jumped because they were forced to, and it was awful for the poor beasts and so stressful. "No horse would jump just for fun." The knowledgeable horse people were outraged by the stupidity of this statement, as their lived experience with horses echoed mine and was utterly counter to the dumb remark.

Likewise, my lived experience with dogs has shown me that some dogs self-regulate beautifully, others do not, and still others have clueless handlers. What matters is the individual dog. SEE THE DOG.

I've watched handlers who bought into the no fetch advice - and you know what? Some had major problems in their relationship with their dog because they listened to stupid humans rather than their dog. Ditto for handlers who listened to trainers telling them to exercise their dog for hours or pack weights or ... fill in the blank of exercise of choice. They had problems too.

What is almost always a problem for the human-dog relationship is this: opinions of humans vs the facts straight from the dog. Blanket statements automatically exclude listening to the dog.

KNOW HOW TO ASSESS your dog mentally, physically and emotionally so you can support them and enjoy what is good and healthy for them! SEE THE DOG. Always. First. Forever.

18/03/2025

New Handler places available for the Positive Gundog Training Conference.

Arena 1 (Outdoor) with Helen Phillips at 15.45 through to 17.15

25/02/2025

There are a couple of spaces left for the advanced group this coming Saturday if anyone would like to book - aimed at handlers and dogs, working towards The Gundog Club G3-5. Shot possible.
1.30pm to 3.30pm
cost £50 max 6 handler and dog partnerships.
Drop me an email 🙂
[email protected]