Dog Nerd Training

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Dog Nerd Training

Dog Nerd Training is a small West Sussex dog training business run by Emily Talmadge CTDI PDT.
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At Dog Nerd Training we want to inspire our clients to truly learn about their dogs and how to help them succeed throughout their life, and we aim to be with them every step of the way. Our small business model allows for the 1-2-1 attention and ongoing assistance our clients need in order to succeed long term. Making our service a true partnership between the client and myself. I, Emily, am a ful

ly qualified dog trainer, puppy training specialist, and certified trick dog instructor (CTDI) with 5+ years of experience in the industry. I am also well known for my educational dog training graphics, which I use to proudly spread up-to-date training information across the web. When training I use science-based, force-free training methods alongside games-based training. I also focus on good habit-building for both dog and owner using worldwide recognised habit-building methods, this allows owners to keep motivated with their training so they can get long-term results they need. My focus and hope for my clients is that they will gain a true love of learning about their dogs and through their time with us they too will also begin to call themselves a 'Dog Nerd'.

08/11/2024

"My dog won't do what I ask unless I have a treat!" 😧
"I don't want to be bribing my dog with food!" 😠

Have you heard or said either of these things before? We have heard them a lot, and there is something that can be done about it - you just need to make sure you 'fade out the lure'!

To fade out a lure all you need to do is:

🔹 Lure the behaviour with food or another lure, until they have successfully done it 3-5 times in a row.

🔹 Lure the behaviour with an 'invisible treat'. This means you have no treat/lure in your hand but your dog may think you do.

🔹 When they have done the correct behaviour, then show your dog there was no treat/lure in your hand BUT still, reward from the other hand you did not use for the lure.

🔹You can then make the lure behaviour itself smaller and smaller until it becomes a subtle hand signal, or add in a verbal cue.

🔹Once the dog can do the correct behaviour, you can gradually reward them less frequently.

This teaches the dog that even if they do not see a treat on you at the moment you ask for a particular correct behaviour, it does not mean one isn't coming, (getting rid of the need to 'bribe' the dog in order for them to do the behaviour).

This doesn't mean we stop rewarding our dog, to maintain a behaviour; rewards still need to occur, albeit less frequently, however, a reward is not a bribe as the dog doesn't know when it will be coming. These rewards do not always need to be food, but they do need to be rewarding to the dog, otherwise, they are not rewards!

It is also important to note that, as with any training, we shouldn't be forcing our dogs into any situations they are uncomfortable with using the luring technique. If you are ever unsure if your dog is comfortable, contact a professional for help. 💕

06/11/2024

What a mix of cuties from this past weeks 1-2-1 sessions! We have seen some amazing progress and I am very proud of everyone in their follow up sessions. 😍

If you are interested in booking any future 1-2-1 sessions you can email me at: [email protected]

05/11/2024

Remember, remember the 5th of November... 🎆

Earlier last month I sent out a FREE handout to help clients prepare their dogs for fireworks night (or season as it seems to be now) to my email subscribers. But if you aren't on that list, and want future free training tips and handouts, you can sign up here: https://www.dognerdtraining.co.uk/contact

But otherwise, I hope these simple tips can help you keep your pup safe tonight 🥰

03/11/2024

A break for our Thursday classes as a new set is starting next week, so all these pictures are from our Friday classes!! We had both sets of classes adding distractions to the skills they have learnt with us so far, and one of those distractions was dancing! 🕺 ✨

We also went over appropriate puppy play in our puppy classes and practised recall from other dogs.

If you are interested in joining us for classes in the new year, or want 1-2-1 sessions before then, you can contact me at : [email protected]

31/10/2024

Happy Halloween everyone!! 🦇

I hope you all have something you will enjoy planned today, but I also hope that you will think of your canine pals during this time too. Here are a few safety tips for you and your pooch, to help avoid any actual scary 'tricks' occuring...

🎃 Keep your dog inside.

It is best to not take your dog out during the evening festivities, or for the trick or treating itself. Dogs do not understand all the costumes, lights, sounds and decorations, and will likely be quite unsettled by all the strange activity going on. Even the most placid dog could be spooked into acting out of character. You can instead let them celebrate inside with an extra tasty chew, or even cook up some healthy pumpkin for them to try!

👻 Don’t let your dog greet trick or treaters.

Strange people, plus costumes, can be very unnerving. As far as your dog is aware that really could be Satan knocking on the door! Even you, and people the dog knows, could be misconstrued when dressed up. So DO NOT tease your dog with masks and costumes. It is not fair on them and someone could get hurt. It also is best to keep your dog away from the door whilst you answer it, the last thing you want is for them to slip out in all the hullabaloo. Remember, you can even get ‘no trick or treaters’ signs if you feel you need to.

🎃 Don’t dress your dog up.

Dogs tend to find dressing up very uncomfortable, meaning it can make them more likely to react, or act out of character, as they do not understand what is going on. Costumes can cause their movement to be restricted, some have dangly distractions the dog can’t escape from, and the fact the dog doesn’t look like a normal dog could set off other dogs in the household too. If you really want your dog to get into the Halloween theme, buy them a simple spooky themed bandana to wear - so they look suave, but stay safe too!

👻 Be aware of the extra sweets and chocolate.

Remember, there are lots of extra sweets and bits around the house at this time of year, so be sure to keep them well out of reach of your canine companions, due to the dangers of both chocolate and the sweetener xylitol. Similarly, there will likely be litter around, and sweets dropped outside too, so watch where you walk in the aftermath of Halloween, so your dog doesn’t sn**ch up something dangerous by mistake!

Stay spooky, and safe! 🧡

30/10/2024

A few less pictures this week as we’ve been out in the dark so much!! But we still saw plenty of wonderful doggies for our 1-2-1s this week. 🐕🍂

If you are interested in booking any future 1-2-1s you can get in touch via email at: [email protected]

28/10/2024

Such a great post from Pawfectly Behaved on what NOT to do with your puppy! As a puppy training specialist I am aware that often these things surprise new owners, so it’s always worth repeating and reminding everyone that puppies are BABYS and we need to consider that in training and living with them. 🐶 💕

27/10/2024

What amazing classes this week! Firstly a huge well done to our Thursday graduates. It’s been a pleasure to see you all progress over the 6-week course. 👨🏾‍🎓 👩🏻‍🎓 👏🏻

And we also had some amazing work at our Friday classes, our puppies started working on their ‘stay’ skill and our older class had a go at some fun recall games.

If you are interested in booking onto our LAST set of the year starting November 7th please get in touch ASAP so you don’t miss out: [email protected]

25/10/2024

In the age of the internet, we are lucky to have so much information available to us right at our fingertips, and this means that a lot of people choose to forgo in-person training when they feel that they can get the same content from a quick google search. There is no point, they think, in spending the money when they can just figure it out for themselves! 🤷‍♀️

To an extent this is true, you can teach 'sit', 'down' and 'stay' at home if you like, but puppy classes are SO MUCH MORE than that.

🐶 A good puppy class should give you a huge variety of useful information, not just basic training - we cover basic first-aid, nutrition, and confidence-building in our classes (to name but a few).

🐶 The trainer will know you and your puppies as individuals and give ongoing personal support - something that no online video, or google search, can do.

🐶 They will know a wide variety of tricks of the trade from working with so many different dogs on a daily basis. These can be revelations to new, and old dog owners alike.

🐶 The class gives you the opportunity to meet other local puppy owners at the same stage as you, and make friends and a support group for both you and your puppy, for life.

🐶 You can practice behaviours your dog may already know in a distracting but controlled environment - something which is key for 'proofing' cues, whether learned in class or at home.

The fact is good, scientifically endorsed puppy classes have been scientifically proven to have a positive effect on the development of your puppy, something that is not worth missing out on!

You can check out the study mentioned in the graphic for yourself here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248578004_Training_engagement_and_the_development_of_behavior_problems_in_the_dog_A_longitudinal_study?fbclid=IwY2xjawGDUVRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHd4kxguSqP0rzGOmctj0_CK-ClCfBlnezQPWCg2plHxj2tiHds0dU_nPAQ_aem_zWE2wErI8600XRzaXBVM0g

23/10/2024

I feel incredibly lucky to have had yet another busy week! As a self employed person you never know what will happen from one week to the next, but thanks to so many of your lovely recommendations these past weeks I have been able to work with so many amazing dogs and owners, and I am so grateful. 🥰

If you are interested in booking any future sessions, or know someone who would be interested, you can contact me at: [email protected]

21/10/2024

It was so lovely to see this review pop up on our Google reviews page a few weeks ago! 🥰

So many times owners want to do the right thing and have somehow ended up with a dog that challenges them even though they are trying their best, I am always honored to be chosen as someone to help them get towards where they wanted to be with training. As training only goes as well as the practise and time put in by the owner between sessions, so these owners who want to do what's right and put the time in are wonderful to work with as we find solutions to any struggles together. 💕

20/10/2024

We did so much in this weeks classes!! Our Thursday puppies had some off lead play and recall practise, our Friday puppies started work on their leave skill and our all-ages classes continued perfecting their ‘side’ cue for heelwork amongst so many other things. 🤩

If you are interested in booking our FINAL sets of the year they are due to start November 7th, after that we won’t be starting any new classes until the new year. To inquire you can email me at: [email protected]

18/10/2024

💚 POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT, we LOVE it! 💚

Yet we often get owners worried that it will mean they will ALWAYS need to have treats on them in order to get their dog to do something, or that it will make their dog fat, or even that their dog is NOT FOOD MOTIVATED so how can they positively reinforce them in the first place ⁉️

However, there are actually many different ways you can positively reinforce your dog, not just via food, so we have made this handy graphic to help you remember the 3 F's of rewarding your pooch.👍

✅ FOOD - Yes food is still at the top of the list, it's handy and easy to use and ALL DOGS are motivated by food to a certain degree as they need it to survive. You can always up your dog's motivation for their food rewards by feeding them their daily allowance of food throughout the day as training rewards, instead of just dumping it in their bowl, so they learn they only get the food if they work for it!

✅ FUN - Some dogs are more motivated by interaction with you than they are by food, so consider rewarding them with their favourite toy or game. Fun is particularly good for recall as it makes coming back to you a game rather than purely the end of their time out adventuring.

✅ FREEDOM - Your dog is bound to love doing something which isn't always acceptable to you but is a totally natural behaviour for them, so instead of denying them the opportunity to ever do it consider using it as a reward in situations where it can be appropriate. For example, you can get them to sit and look at you and reward them with greeting a new dog or reward attentive loose-lead walking by allowing them time to sniff their favourite spot.

Remember any time you choose to POSITIVELY reinforce your dog you are not only upping the likelihood of that behaviour increasing, you are also developing a stronger positive association and bond with you! 😍

16/10/2024

Wow! I really have been busy this week - and what a variety of wonderful pooches. It’s always exciting when you get to work with a different breeds and ages. 😁 🐾

If you are interested in booking any future 1-2-1 sessions you can email me up at: [email protected]

14/10/2024

⚠️ PUPPY CLASSES - LAST SET OF 2024 ⚠️

Do you have a new puppy, or plan on getting one soon? Would you like THE BEST start for your new family member? Well, we have the service for you!

Our next set (and LAST of the year) of puppy classes are starting November 7th at Coolham Village Hall. These classes run for 6-weeks, giving ample time to cover all the vital skills your new friend will need.

So, why should you choose us?

✅ Our classes are run by a fully qualified puppy training specialist.
✅ We provide our clients with exclusive handouts even when they miss a training class.
✅ We offer lifetime online support for you and your new addition.
✅ We keep our groups small, so each client and their pup can get the individual attention needed.
✅ We have been rated 5-stars on Google and Facebook.

If you are interested in booking you can contact us via messenger, or email us at: [email protected]

We very much look forward to hearing from you 🥰

13/10/2024

So many doggies in classes this week, we had two puppy classes AND an all-ages set running! Hugely impressed with some of the practise being done between classes so well done to you all. 😍👏🏻

If you are interested in booking any future classes you can email me at: [email protected]

11/10/2024

A common excuse for certain tools and human-to-dog punishment techniques is 'it's mimicking what the mother dog would do' but is that actually a good thing? 🤔

Two of the common techniques/tools that get explained as a variation on 'what another dog would do' are the alpha rollover and the pinch/prong collar, and there are fundamental issues that come with both of these.

The alpha rollover comes from the idea of physically putting a dog in a position of submission. This has shown to not actually happen in the wild with wolves which, although they are not dogs, a lot of these myths do stem from. In fact, any time a wolf rolls over onto its back in this way it is done voluntarily and isn't forced by another wolf putting it in its place. Furthermore, true alphas are actually parental figures in natural wolf packs and part of being successful in this is shown by the fact they do not need to rule over others with some kind of iron fist. Aggression and squabbling in wolves tend to be seen in insecure packs in captivity, not well-established functioning packs in the wild.

The pinch/prong collar is often attributed to mimicking the idea of the mother physically grabbing a puppy with their mouth 'correcting' them with the pressure of the teeth on the dog's neck. However, yet again this is not accurate to reality. Normally there are many steps a mother dog will take before an inhibited bite is used on her pups, and being able to defuse the situation and teach her pups how to do so without resorting to aggression is part of what is seen as being a successful mother. It has also been shown that mothers who use more of these aggressive behaviours to wean their pups end up with pups who are less social with people, which is not an outcome we are usually looking for!

At the end of the day, we are not dogs or wolves and our dogs know that, but even if they didn't these techniques do not hold up to scientific scrutiny. It is so important that we look into these claims rather than taking them for a fact. So NEVER just do something because someone told you 'it's what another dog would do'. 👍

You can find out more about the study mentioned in the graphic here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/016815918490056X?fbclid=IwY2xjawFvR85leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbHPCAU599ALeTt9_JkhjGBTrSdPHsuUDuVy9kUeJMuaf9j8Xv-Hgksm7Q_aem_SPq5ND-CcCFQrBsgvFbCVg

09/10/2024

Some of the gorgeous doggies I saw this past week! We’ve been doing lots of work on heelwork, excitability and nervousness as of late and we can’t wait to see how all these cuties progress. 😊🐾

If you are interested in booking any 1-2-1 sessions you can email me at: [email protected]

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Videos

Two years of Dog Nerd Training!

And just like that Dog Nerd Training is already 2 years old!! 🤩 🎈 I have to say that running your own business is hard, so hard, and so full of stress 😅. But it is also so full of joy too! I really am so grateful to have had this business as something that is mine and that I can take pride in, in a year with so much loss and strife. It is certainly odd to be a dog trainer without a dog, after loosing my Suzi earlier this year, but seeing each moment of progress with each of your dogs has given me a purpose I wouldn't have otherwise gotten. I hope that through working with you all, I can give you the moments of joy and accomplishment in your relationship with your dogs that I had working with Suzi. As if I could give anything to you all through Dog Nerd Training, it would be even a part of that companionship that I had with her. I am also so proud of you all for all the hard work you have put in this year, I wouldn't be able to do any of this without you, and I am yet again forever thankful for your patience as I have navigated this year and all the loss it came with. Woofs and love to you all from your friendly neighbourhood Dog Nerd ✌🏻 💕

Despite the sad situation I have found myself in this Mother’s Day, I still want to wish you all a happy Mother’s Day for pooch parents and human parents alike. Here is a cute video memory of my own mother with my dog Suzi who loved her so very much. 🩷🐾 I am also sending love to those of you who find this time of year difficult also x

Dog Nerd Training 2023

🎆 HAPPY NEW YEAR 🎆 Thank you all for such an amazing year, we managed to achieve so much this year with your help, including raising over £400 for Battersea! I am hopeful we will be able to set and achieve even bigger goals in 2024. 🤩🎉 I am forever grateful, particularly to those of you who take the time to recommend us on social media as that is so, so helpful to a small business like ours. I also want to thank my wonderful girlfriend for being such incredible support this year through the ups and downs of being self-employed, and my family who without whom I wouldn't be able to do this. 💕 It has been truly wonderful working with all your dogs, and I can't wait to see both old and new faces in 2024, so I hope you appreciate this slideshow of some of the pictures taken this year...

It’s lovely to see a clients training paying off!! 🤩 👏🏻 I particularly love working on recall as it’s an excellent opportunity to make training FUN - no one wants to hang out with a grumpy gooseberry, so if you are a good time your dog is more likely to come back to you 😉 *Video shared with owner permission* If you are interested in booking us for recall on a 1-2–1 basis or for any other training struggle you can email me at: [email protected]

Wow!! It has already been a year of running Dog Nerd Training!! 🤩 🎂 There has been so much joy and support this year, but also a whole lot of struggle as well. Many of you know that I have been dealing with a lot in my personal life, meaning I haven’t been able to put as much into this business as I would have wanted to in an ideal world. But from the incredible support of you all and those behind the scenes I have been able to keep working on this project to inspire even more people to work with their dogs instead of against them, which is something I truly love to do. I have treasured every moment that I have been able to help people who want to learn to help their dogs this past year be it their first ‘sit’ or the first time they have managed to pass a dog without barking! All these moments are precious, and I look forward to many more this next year. Thanks again for everyone’s support and patience as that is what has made this even remotely possible. Woofs and love to you all from your friendly neighbourhood Dog Nerd ✌🏻 💕

With the new year on the horizon I wanted to share some of the really wonderful memories we have had as Dog Nerd Training during 2022. I truly am over the moon to be able to already be able celebrate so many of these memories with you all, despite only setting up the business this year. 🥰 Thanks so much again everyone who joined us for classes, had a 1-2-1 or in general supported us via the page or other means. It all means SO MUCH, I couldn’t have got this far without you all, and I very much hope to have your continued support in 2023. Have a very happy new year!! 🥳

Book Of The Month - Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy

📚 BOOK OF THE MONTH 📚 Hello everyone, we are back to inspire you all to learn a little bit more outside of your usual training with our 'Book Of The Month', this is extra reading that will help you make your dog's life even better! 🤩 This month we have a book by one of my top books for puppy training tips for both new and experiences owners 'Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezey' by Steve Mann of Steve Mann Dog Training Page and The IMDT . Here are some things I LOVE about this book... 🐾 The humourous down to earth style of writing, making it really easy to get into and understand. 🐾 That it covers some important topics and language that most puppy books don't cover such as proofing and mutually exclusive behaviours. 🐾 That it covers important skills such as eye-contact, reflex to name and nose targets which aren't often seen in most training books, on top of the more traditional topics such as recall, loose lead walking, puppy biting/mouthing and socialisation. 🐾 The AMAZING section on the rucksack walk, which, is well worth checking out for all dog owners. I also have to say this is an excellent listen on audiobook, so well worth getting if you want something to listen to on a drive to work or struggle to concentrate sitting down and reading. I listened to this first on audiobook, then purchased the book as I enjoyed it so much! And you can purchase the book here (this is an amazon affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3iq5VAp

📚 BOOK OF THE MONTH 📚 Hello everyone, we are back to inspire you all to learn a little bit more outside of your usual training with our 'Book Of The Month', this is extra reading that will help you make your dog's life even better! 🤩 This month we have a book by one of my favourite educational book authors Canine Communication: The Language Of A Species by Sally Gutteridge. Here are some things I LOVE about this book... 🐾 That it uses both text and clear illustrations to ease you into understanding the basics of canine body language. 🐾 That it includes photographs that it breaks down and explains to show you some of the more subtle signs of communication in action (including one taken by myself!). 🐾 That it goes into understanding the dog as a whole and how you need to be aware of how physical differences between breeds will change how their body language is perceived, this is described wonderfully as their 'accents'. 🐾 That it breaks down the different types of communication such as voccalisation and the different reasons for behaviours such as aggression and what are behind them. If you are interested in learning more about dogs and want a reliable course provider Sally also runs Canine Principles, which is an easily accessible education provider for those of any level and offered fantastic support and feedback to students. And you can purchase her book here (this is an amazon affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3SJ9SwL

📚 BOOK OF THE MONTH 📚 Hello everyone, we are back to inspire you all to learn a little bit more outside of your usual training with our 'Book Of The Month', this is extra reading that will help you make your dog's life even better! 🤩 This month we have the fabulous book The Original Rocket Recall: Teach Your Dog To Come by Lisa Lyle Waggoner, CPDT-KA, CSAT, PMCT2. Here are some things I LOVE about this book... 🐾 That it covers the science and reasons behind why we do certain training the way we do in the first part of the book. 🐾 That it includes the vital basic activities such as check-ins which are commonly skipped over in training. 🐾 That it makes training fun with 'games' rather than boring with commands and instructions. 🐾 That it not only affirmed the way I teach, but it also gave me some new skills I can include in the future as well! If you are interested in learning more about Lisa and what she does you can do so over at her business Cold Nose College. And you can purchase her book here (this is an amazon affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3RhFwkh

Book Of The Month - Canine Enrichment by Shay Kelly

📚 BOOK OF THE MONTH 📚 Hello everyone, to inspire you all to learn a little bit more outside of your usual training I am starting a 'Book Of The Month' to recommend extra reading that will help you make your dog's life even better! 🤩 This month we have the fabulous book Canine Enrichment by Shay Kelly of the Canine Enrichment group here on Facebook. Here are some things I LOVE about this book... 🐾 That it covers the five elements of enrichment and isn't just focused on food based enrichment. 🐾 That it troubleshoots some of the obstacles that may make people hesitant to start enrichment activities. 🐾 That it gives lots of amazing options of enrichment ideas to try with your dog both food-based and non food-based. 🐾 That it goes into depth on how to introduce your dog to certain activities and why your 'not food motivated' dog may be struggling with them. This book really does have something for everyone, new and old dog owners alike, and if you can't purchase the book right now you can also join the FREE Facebook group for plenty of enrichment ideas as well. You can check out Shay's FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/137561280156280 And purchase his book here (this is an amazon affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3z9IobC

Hey, hello! It's me, Emily, your friendly neighbourhood Dog Nerd 👋 I just wanted to say 'hi', introduce myself, and let you know a little bit of what Dog Nerd Training is all about. It seems 'passionate' is the word of the day so here are some of the things we are passionate about... 🌟 Making training fun for you and your dog, so you actually look forward to training together. 🌟 Setting you up with good habits you can keep up, to improve follow-through and long-term success. 🌟 Inspiring you to catch the learning bug, so you get just as passionate about training as us and really want to understand your dog's world and how to make it better for them. If that sounds like the sort of training you are interested in then what are you waiting for, get in touch! We would love to hear from you so drop us a line either here on messenger, or via our email at: [email protected] You can also find out more at: www.dognerdtraining.co.uk