30/08/2024
Scentwork with the Wednesday gang! š¤©
Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Sarahs Dog Training & Behaviour, Dog trainer, Tamworth.
(125)
Qualified Level 5 Dog Behaviourist and Trainer
Scent Detection & Tracking Instructor
Canine Hoopers UK Instructor
Over 9 years experience
Tamworth, Staffordshire
Scentwork with the Wednesday gang! š¤©
Send to bed training in class! š¤©My favourite training exercise because it is SO useful, especially in a multi-dog household or a household where behaviour issues are present.
Rosie is mad because sheās grazed the top layer of her paw pad off and wonāt stop licking it so Iāve bandaged it. Sheās even madder that I thought Iād just trim her nails and then caught her quick on the back foot so we have a very moody bloodbath.
Sheās currently trying to dial RSPCA with her remaining good front paw whilst balancing on her remaining good back paw whilst swimming in her own blood.
Top notch morning. 10/10.
Bella and Craig have recently joined us on our Wednesday group training class! She is a new rescue and is doing fabulous, building on her skills every week as she settles into her new home. ā¤ļø
āļøTodayās Training: Charlie and Molly the Dachshunds! āļø
I had the pleasure of meeting these two wonderful Dachshunds, Charlie and Molly, today. These two have been showing signs of reactivity both inside and outside the house, which can be challenging for them and their owners. To help reduce this behaviour, keep everyone safe, and improve their overall well-being, Iāve implemented a comprehensive training plan tailored specifically to their needs.
Really enjoyed this consult, fabulous family! š„°
In true dog trainer style, I used the wait time for my van MOT to practice Pabloās settle in public. š
ā¼ļøMISSING DOGā¼ļø
BUDDY THE DEERHOUND
Missing from Meadow View,Wood End
š¾ Exciting Changes to Dog Training Classes! š¾
Weāre thrilled to announce a new tiered system for our dog training classes here at Sarah's Dog Training! š On Saturdays, starting this September, we will be offering three distinct levels: Beginner (Puppy), Intermediate, and Advanced. This new structure is designed to provide clear goals and a pathway for you and your dog to progress through.
Hereās how it works:
ā”ļøBeginner (Puppy): Perfect for young pups or dogs new to training. We'll cover all the basics to set your dog up for success in our 6 week puppy course, complete with a comprehensive PDF training guide to keep.
ā”ļøIntermediate: Once you and your dog have mastered the basics, itās time to take on more intermediate skills and behaviours to further develop your dog's potential.
ā”ļøAdvanced: Entry to this level is by intermediate criteria completion only. In this class, we'll refine skills and introduce more complex training challenges, including dumbbell retrieves, send aways and off lead heelwork.
Why this new system?
By setting progressive goals, we help you stay motivated and give your dog a structured path to success. Plus, for those who complete the advanced class criteria, you will gain access to a FREE 4-week block of classes of your choice! š
This is all now available to book on my website, with the change fully taking place on September 14th. Scent and Hoopers classes will now only be held on a Wednesday.
š Contact us now to find out more and secure your place. Let's get training!
The beasts. š¤©
Stanley and George are two male Daschunds who when I first met them barked for approximately an hour at my arrival and decided to welcome me with an arm nip. Cheers Stan!
In a few sessions, the difference is drastic and I am so proud of their owners. When I arrived today, there was a normal amount of barking, then a happy welcome! They went to their beds when told and went on a walk together without constant barking.
Proud extended Aunt mode! š„¹š„¹š„¹š„¹
My exclusive Lead and Learn class is available only to existing and past clients. This walking, socialisation and training class is the perfect way for your dog to practice good behaviour in real-world settings, meet other dogs, and build confidence. Classes are held on Fridays at 1pm and Saturdays at 1:45pm. Itās a great opportunity to reinforce your dogās skills in a supportive environment! š¾
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Today I met Archie, a Goldendoodle with a great personality. Archie will benefit from some clear house rules, and weāll also explore a potential dietary adjustment to ensure heās comfortable and consistent in his behaviour. šā¤ļø
š„NEW!š„
Iām currently working hard on a comprehensive puppy training guide which will be included in all my puppy training packages and the 6 week course. This adds massive value to the service and is designed to fill in the gaps and provide well-rounded information all in one place. This will be available in online PDF for you to keep forever.
It will also be available to purchase separately.
šššš
Little noses hard at work today. ā¤ļø
š¹ Wednesday Life Skills Class for Dogsš¹
Looking to improve your dogās behaviour and confidence? Our Wednesday Lifeskills class is designed to help your dog navigate everyday situations with ease. š¾
At Sarahās Dog Training, we focus on practical skills like reliable recall, calm lead walking, and positive social interactions. These are essential tools for any dog, whether theyāre out for a walk or relaxing at home.
Why itās worth joining:
- Boost Confidence: Help your dog become more comfortable and confident in different environments.
- Strengthen Your Bond: Improve communication and understanding between you and your dog through effective training.
- Real-World Training: We work on skills that your dog can apply outside of the āclassroomā, ensuring theyāre well-prepared for the real world.
- Healthy Socialisation: Controlled interactions with other dogs to promote good social behaviour.
š§±Dog Training: Building Success One Step at a Timeš§±
When it comes to dog training, especially with complex behavioural issues, itās natural to want a quick fix. However, just like you wouldnāt expect to erect a building in one go, you canāt solve these challenges overnight. Imagine trying to build a house by throwing all the bricks together at once ā it simply wouldnāt work. Each brick needs to be laid carefully, one by one, until the structure takes shape.š
Dog training works in much the same way. Tackling a behavioural problem isnāt about achieving one grand solution in a single session; itās about breaking the problem down into small, manageable steps. By setting and achieving simple training goals, you gradually build up the skills and behaviours your dog needs to succeed.
Each small victory lays the foundation for the next, and before you know it, those individual accomplishments merge together, creating the bigger picture of a well-trained, balanced dog. So, whether itās working on recall, tackling reactivity, or reinforcing calm behaviour, remember ā the key is patience, consistency, and a step-by-step approach.
After all, the most stable and lasting structures are built brick by brick. šš¼
Play is key to building a strong bond with your puppy and making learning stick. š„°
Through fun games, your puppy develops trust and social skills, while also reinforcing training.
Never underestimate it!
Photos from Week 5 of puppy class, all of the little stars are doing excellent! š„
If you could ask your dog one question and get an answer, what would it be?
Comment below! ā¬ļø
šThe Connection Between Your Dogās Diet and Their Behaviour š„¦
Did you know that what you feed your dog can have a significant impact on their behaviour? Just like with humans, a dogās diet plays a crucial role in their overall well-being, including their mood, energy levels, and how they respond to training.
High-quality food provides the essential nutrients your dog needs to thrive. A balanced diet can help reduce hyperactivity, anxiety, and even aggression in some cases. On the other hand, low-quality foods, often filled with artificial additives, can contribute to behavioural issues such as restlessness or difficulty focusing.
When choosing food for your dog, itās important to opt for options that are as natural as possible. Foods that are free from artificial preservatives, colours, and fillers are more likely to support your dogās health and well-being. Natural ingredients are more easily absorbed by your dogās system, helping them maintain steady energy levels and balanced behaviour.
Itās also important to remember that every dog is unique. What works wonders for one dog might not be the best for another. Thatās why itās important to choose a diet that suits your dogās specific needs, whether they require a diet for high energy, sensitive digestion, or any other special considerations.
Photo credit: We Feed Raw
Anyone would think my Sheps like a ball. š¾ Because of this, I find it odd when I met a Shep who doesnāt. Like they missed a memo or something.
Whose dog loves a ball? š¾
German Shepherdās have my ā¤ļø.
šBoost Your Dogās Confidence with Short, Simple Training Sessionsš
Training isnāt just about teaching commands - itās a valuable way to build your dogās confidence, particularly if theyāre feeling insecure or nervous. Short, straightforward exercises done daily can help your dog feel more secure and focused. Even 5-10 minutes of consistent, positive training can make a significant difference.
Your dog doesnāt NEED to learn flashy tricks but the process of learning is important. The real benefit lies in the process, which strengthens the bond between you and your dog and rewires their brain for problem-solving, optimism and trust.
Early one before the shops opened this morning for a quick bit of training with Pablo before the gym. He got first pick of all the shop sniffs. šš©µš§”
Punishment doesnāt reduce anxiety - it often makes it worse. Our dogs need to learn how to cope with distractions, especially in overwhelming environments. Today, I worked with Mikey the Schnauzer around Ventura, focusing on new techniques to prevent trigger stacking and keep him calm. Itās all about teaching our dogs how to feel safe and confident, no matter where they are, and we use positive training to do that.š¾
Teaching your dog to manage their own behaviour starts with *you* setting clear boundaries and using effective management. By guiding them with consistent rules and structure, you empower your dog to make better choices on their own. Remember, a well-managed environment leads to a well-mannered dog! š¾āØ ā
Today, I had the pleasure of meeting Sasha, a gorgeous German Shepherd with a lot of spirit. Sasha is a classic example of a dog who, while full of potential, struggles with reactivity on walks. This behaviour is common in dogs that feel anxious, frustrated, or simply overwhelmed by their surroundings.
During our session, we worked on building her confidence and began introducing techniques to manage her reactivity. Itās important to remember that meeting Sashaās underlying needsālike mental stimulation, physical exercise, and a sense of securityāis just as crucial as training.
Tamworth
B781NB
Tuesday | 9am - 5pm |
Wednesday | 9am - 5pm |
Thursday | 9am - 5pm |
Friday | 9am - 5pm |
Saturday | 10am - 3pm |
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ā¬ļøā¬ļøā¬ļøLittle video discussing a common question I get off many many dog owners when I use food: āSo Iāve just gotta distraction them then?āItās a LITTLE more complex than that, because if done right, your dog will start doing it regardless of whether you have a treat or not. š„ But it has to be done right for however long it takes your dog to learn alongside the support of a trusted and qualified dog behaviourist. If you do it alone and you do it wrong, it can be very easy to dismiss it as a viable training method. āļøWatch the video for more!šš»šš»šš»#dogtrainingvideo #treattraining #rewardbasedtraining #dogtraining #dogbehaviourist
Unedited (apart from speed) video of the dogs training around each other in class yesterday. Dora, Lexi and Eric are all adolescent young large dogs who struggle to remain calm around other dogs because they just want to meet and play. Lizzy the Border Terrier used to lunge and bark at dogs because she doesnāt like them. Unedited to show moments the dogs struggle vs moments the dogs do well. Notice the times the dogs CHOOSE to recall to their owner or disengage from a dog. Notice when they remain lying down when a dog comes close. Training is never perfect, and sometimes online training videos are so over-edited you donāt see the reality of the process.
Iām Scentwork, Hoopers and Lifeskills are offered weekly and provide a fun, relaxing and safe environment to bond with and train your dog. Come along! š„°#scentwork #hoopers #dogtraining
In class we wanna improve without taking anything too seriously, we donāt train for competition, we just have fun! š„āŗļø #hoopers #obedience #lifeskills #dogtraining
A snapshot of Lesley & Skyeās lead training session today. Sheās a fab doggo and they have a wonderful relationship. ā¤ļøCan your dog do this with some treats on the floor?#dogtraining #dogtrainer #labrador #lab
Wally is a young retired police dog due to a medical conditions. Like most police dogs, he has the genetics for drive and work and when not harnessed properly, this can manifest in undesirable behaviour. Wally is intense and can display offensive reactive behaviour when frustrated or overwhelmed. Like lots of dogs I see (particularly Shepherds) this sometimes gets misdiagnosed as fear, but Wally certainly isnāt fearful and there can be a real danger labelling behaviour as fear when infact there is far more frustration and even predation at play. 90% of the time Wally is completely loveable and friendly but when he gets annoyed, he gets annoyed and all of that drive goes into reactive behaviour.This is why I am drilling Wally and his owners on close-proximity heelwork and focus that they can utilise when appropriate. Being in control of a powerful dog is ultimately the most important thing and luckily, Wally is desperate for a job to do and LOVES the training. This is his first session practicing heelwork and it was also in a new environment for him. Heās got so much potential. š„š#germanshepherd #gsd #dogtraining #reactivedog #heelwork
Every Friday me and Ted head out to get him used to the big bad world. An hour a week means for slow progress but it means I can expose him to things he wouldnāt normally see. It might look like a normal walk for most dogs but Ted lives a bit off-grid and is quite fearful of most things other dogs find a breeze. On these walks I aim to keep Tedās lead loose, which it 99% of the time is, and I allow him to investigate the environment in his own time so he can build his confidence up.
Loose lead walking is 50% training and 50% training relationship. If you only train loose lead, itās hard. If you train everything else too and have fun, your dog WANTS to walk with you. š„°#dogtraining #whippet #lab #labrador #puppy
We had lots of fun in obedience and puppy classes today, working on recall, stay and handling desensitisation. The pups even had access to a grooming parlour for desensitisation at Classic Canines during class. Wonderful work everyone! š„°#puppy #puppytraining #dogtraining #tamworthdogtrainer
#TeamMurphy #bordercollie #dogbehaviormodification #dogbehaviourist #carchasing #dogtraining #tamworth #imdtb
The most annoying but rewarding dog Iāll ever own. He excels at everything, the good and the badā¦ thatās the problem! Keeping him busy helps and thatās where home Scentwork comes in! #germanshepherd #gsd #rescuedog #dogtraining #dogtrainer #scentwork #uksnifferdogs
What kind of trainer would I be if I told my clients to train outside in all weathers if I didnāt do so myself? That would be pretty hypocritical! Itās bloody freezing! āļø This year I am setting myself a challenge to train Pablo for 10 mins in the street whenever I arrive home from work. Here is the unedited video, showing the good the bad and the messy side of training, though I think there is more bad relating to my on screen awareness than anything else. Pablo did a lovely downstay off camera š. The one edit I did do was when the wind decided to move my camera so I went back and refilmed what I did then. What we got up to (messily): š¹Heel walk š¹Downstay š¹Middle š¹Sustained hand touch š¹This way! I always hope some dogs will come by when training as this is what he really needs to work on, but we only had one, the lovely Morris who he had a pop at, so slim pickings! Heās getting there around dogs, but he likes to top up his twat bucket occasionally. One reflection on this video that I wouldnāt have noticed if I hadnāt filmedā¦ heās wagging his tail all the time. I LOVE that heās loving it. It all comes down to my relationship with him and the way I choose to train.
Offering a variety of packages and services to suit you, including Reactivity 101, Puppy Packages and Loose Lead Genius!