Laura Pitcher - Dog Training

18/09/2024

Walk with me; don’t just walk me. Slow down and see the world as I do. I know you’ve got things to do, places to be. But out here, with the ground beneath our feet and the sky above us, there’s a whole world worth noticing.

The autumn chill is in the air today, crisp and full of new smells. It’s different from yesterday, and different from the day before. Every day is new. The leaves crunch under my paws, and I stop to breathe in the rich, earthy scent of them. To you, it might just be a pile of leaves, but to me, it’s a story—one I can’t help but dive into, nose first.

There’s a squirrel somewhere nearby, I can sense it, darting up a tree, its tiny heart beating fast. And the wind carries whispers of things far away: a family cooking dinner, the trace of a cat that passed by early this morning, and the faint perfume of flowers holding on to their last bit of summer. It’s all here, swirling around us if you just take the time to notice.

You tug on the leash, eager to move on, and I can tell you’re thinking about something far away from here. But when we walk, truly walk, you and I can be in this moment together. Feel the cool air brush against your skin, let it wake you up. Notice how the sun filters through the branches, casting shadows that dance on the pavement. Hear the crunch of the leaves beneath our steps, like a secret rhythm just for us.

To you, it might be just another walk, a daily routine to tick off the list. But for me, every step is an adventure. Each scent is a clue, each sound a piece of a puzzle. When you walk with me, really walk with me, you’ll see it too. The world is bigger than what we’re rushing toward. It’s right here, in the small moments, in the quiet spaces between your thoughts.

So, slow down. Breathe. Let the chill fill your lungs and the colours fill your eyes. Walk with me, don’t just walk me. See the world as I do, if only for a little while. It’s all waiting for you, just beneath the surface.
Natalie P
2024

11/09/2024

God I love this dog!!

Trying to correct my c**k up with my heelwork working hard to get him to drive up instead of drive forward is never ending but he keeps going and never gives up.

Thank you Kerry Kennel Shernaa for the videos😘

31/08/2024

Kit made a good choice on his own when he saw something he knew he wasn't allowed to chase 🥰

31/08/2024

Distance down when Kit spotted a deer

31/08/2024

Coming to heel off lead

25/08/2024

Clients sometimes ask me how I stop a dog from barking. When I tell them I fix it by teaching them to bark on command they always look shocked. However once explained that if I put a command to the bark then I can easily teach a command for the Quiet😉. Simples😁

Kit demonstrating it perfectly 🥰

24/08/2024

15/08/2024

This is why I love doing what I do. I met a lovely young lady today who was struggling to walk her adorable dog, Buddy, because he was lunging and barking at other dogs. They had been advised by a previous trainer to muzzle him and walk him early in the morning and late at night to avoid seeing other dogs. He's just a misunderstood dog who's worried about being near dogs he doesn't know. Changing his perception of 'foreign' dogs is what he needs and we had success in a very short time. I know Amber will put in the work and will have success because he's a cracking little dog that just needs a bit of guidance🥰

"I would like to say a big thank you to Laura for visiting me today and helping me understand a lot more about my dogs behaviour when outside and around other dogs! Laura listened to the problems that we have and helped me to understand how to overcome this and showed me what to do in the situation! There is still a lot of work to get buddy to be calm around other dogs but from meeting Laura she has helped my confidence and made me see that there is hope!X"

Amber & Buddy

A little update:

Hiya thought I’d let you know we brought a collar and new lead and we have been going out with buddy every other day and you can already see a big difference he’s listening more and I am starting to be able to get his attention and calm him down quicker than before when he sees people, dogs or bikes x

15/08/2024

12/08/2024

Nice 'call out' today😊

12/08/2024

So pleased with this dog. When he was young he absolutely detested with a vengeance anyone including me doing anything 'medical' to him including simple things like ear, teeth checks etc including me. After a lot of counter conditioning I can do pretty much anything now🥰. Don't worry, it didn't take nearly 4 yrs🤣

04/07/2024

I feel it won't be long before this reaches the UK.

Please read and sign the petition if you wouldn't mind, thank you.

This is the sport I do with my dog. It's my passion. It brings out my dog's natural instincts to the full and creates the most incredible bond between us. Some people think the Protection phase is training a dog to be a danger to the public, in fact it couldn't be further from the truth. Yes we train our dogs to bite the sleeve, but only the sleeve. The amount of control you have to have over your dog whilst it's in an extremely high arousal state is crucial. The dog has to be 100% under control and do exactly what the handler commands, the dog makes no decisions for himself whatsoever.
This very high level of training during the Protection phase of the sport makes my dog a safer dog in public due to the level of control I have over him and his impulse control he's learnt in the process.

Our dogs are required to have very good nerve to compete, a weak nerved dog is a dog more likely to bite unprovoked.

Schutzhund (German for "protection dog") or IPO (for Internationale Prüfungs-Ordnung — German for "International Trial Rules") is a Dog Sport that was developed in Germany in the early 1900s as a breed suitability test for the German Shepherd. The test would determine if the dog displayed the appropriate traits and characteristics of a proper working German Shepherd Dog.
Today it is used as a sport where many breeds other than German Shepherd Dogs can compete, but it is a demanding test for any dog that few can pass.

Schutzhund tests dogs of all breeds for the traits necessary for police-type work. Dogs that pass Schutzhund tests should be suitable for a wide variety of tasks: Police Work specific odor detection, Search & Rescue and many others. The purpose of Schutzhund is to identify dogs that have or do not have the character traits required for these demanding jobs. Some of those traits are:

Strong desire to work
Courage
Intelligence
Trainability
Strong bond to the handler
Perseverance
Protective Instinct

Schutzhund tests for these traits. It also tests for physical traits such as strength, endurance, agility, and scenting ability. The goal of Schutzhund is to illuminate the character and ability of a dog through training not by force. Breeders can use this insight to determine how and whether to use the dog in producing the next generation of working dogs.

The German Shepherd was developed from working herding dogs around 1900 as an all-around working dog. Within a few years it was clear that the dogs were losing their working ability. Schutzhund was developed at this time as a test of working ability for German Shepherds. Only German Shepherds that had passed a Schutzhund test or a herding test were allowed to breed and thus have their progeny registered as German Shepherd Dogs, his is true in Germany to this day.
It is only by testing the working ability of every generation that the strong working characteristics of the GSD have been maintained.
Dogs of any breed, even mixes, can compete in Schutzhund today, but the most common breeds are German Shepherds, Belgian Mallinois , Boxers, Dobermann, Cane Corso, Dutch Shepherd and various other working breeds.

There Are Three Shutzhund Titles :

IPO1 (SchH1), IPO2 (SchH2), and IPO3 (SchH3). SchH1 is the first title and SchH3 is the most advanced. Additionally, before a dog can compete for an SchH1, he must pass a temperament test called a B or BH (Begleithundprüfung, which translates as "traffic-sure companion dog test"). The B tests basic obedience and sureness around strange people, strange dogs, traffic, and loud noises.
A dog that exhibits excessive fear, distractibility, or aggression cannot pass the B and so cannot go on to schutzhund.
The Schutzhund test has changed over the years. Modern Schutzhund consists of three phases: Tracking, Obedience, Protection.
A dog must pass all three phases in one trial to be awarded a schutzhund title. Each phase is judged on a 100-point scale.
The minimum passing score is 70 for the tracking and obedience phases and 70 for the protection phase.

IGP Dog Sport is not attack dog training.

31/05/2024

Took Kit into town today for a bit of a mooch. I hardly ever do this because I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by so much countryside to walk in. However I think it's a good exercise.

He did me proud😍. It was very busy, loads of little dogs yapping at him, kids on scooters, kids screaming, big lorries, the list is endless.

We got a few lovely comments, two separate people stopped and just stared at him saying they were admiring my dog😇.

27/05/2024

18/05/2024

Travelling With Dogs In Cars
Did you know?
• 34% of drivers don't use a dog Crate/ car seat or belt when out on the road with their furry friends. That's over a 3rd of dogs travelling in a dangerous manner.
• 1 in every 10 drivers let their dogs sit in the front passenger seat.
• Transporting your dog/pet without a car seat, seat belt & harness or a crate could leave you with 9 points on your licence.
• Transporting your dog/pet without a car seat, seat belt & harness or a crate could also lead to a fine of up to £2,500!
• 64% of drivers are unaware of the above!
• Driving with your pet that isn't in a car seat, harness, crate or seat belt can invalidate your car insurance!

17/05/2024

The external extraction technique. If your dog loves the like mine do remember this technique it could save your dog's life one day.

13/05/2024

What a lovely testimonial from such a nice couple😊. This is why I love doing what I do😁

Our springer spaniel is 5 years old and very obedient other than he will pull when on the lead. We attended socialising / puppy classes when we first had him but unfortunately Covid prevented us from progressing. Following this I had some serious health problems which put a big strain on my wife and Digby’s training took a back seat. He behaves very well off the lead and his recall is commendable but as soon as he is att@ched to the lead he could pull a steam train. We were concerned that he was too old to learn new habits but after 15 minutes with Laura instructing us, it was as if somebody had switched Digby’s light on. By the time Laura left we were confident that with regular , short training sessions,we would be proud to walk him out on the lead .Thank you so much Laura we are both so grateful to you and Digby enjoys his romps in the forest and walking with us round the town without panting so much.
Would you recommend Laura to your friends?
Yes