Torquay Dog Training

26/08/2024

19/08/2024

04/08/2024

The importance of control.

When we struggle with our dogs behaviour in some way. We often feel like we don't have control.

When we feel like we don't have control of something in our environment, especially something that is our responsibility like our dogs, that can trigger further feelings of anxiety, frustration, anger and general stress.

So it's normal to want to regain a sense of control over your dog in order to ease those uncomfortable feelings.

This can sometimes look like:
👉 shouting at the dog or squashing their behaviour with other punishments
👉 making their lead very short
👉 using equipment that makes it easier to control them like a head halti or other things designed to stop dogs pulling
👉 Telling the dog to do stuff like sit or look at you when they start behaving in the way we don't like

Our foster dog Batman is quite the barky boy.

He will bark at ▪️noises from our neighbours ▪️my partner when he unintentionally invades his space or sometimes when he walks through a gate ▪️dogs on walks that get too close to us ▪️strangers that get too close when he's inside the car.

When I was reflecting on the things that clearly bother him the most, there was a clear theme.

The thing they all had in common were that he had no control over them.

He doesn't understands that we live in a flat. When we hear noises such as our upstairs neighbours walking up the stairs that go over out hallway, he doesn't understand that those noises aren't from inside our home. He just knows that something is happening outside of his control.

When a dog invades his space on a walk, not only can he not control what comes into his bubble of percieved safety, but he's also on a lead which limits his ability to communicate, defend himself or get away.

When a stranger passes him in the car, he is trapped in a small space and cannot control how close they get.

How we feel when we are not in control: anxious, angry, frustrated,stressed,
is probably not all that different to how our dogs feel when they are not in control. Which is why we see some big, over-reactive behaviours.

But scroll back up and look again at the list of things we often do to our dogs when we want to regain control of their behaviour.

All of them take even more control away from the dog.

If loss of control was contributing to their behaviour in the first place, taking even more away from them isn't going to make them feel, or act better.

I'm not saying that you should let your dog do whatever they want all the time. That wouldn't be safe.

But we can be mindful of how we treat our dogs and respond to their behaviours.

Next time you find yourself in a situation where you feel the need to control your dog's behaviour, instead of just taking away the control of the dog, think what can you do that will make them feel safe enough to not need do that behaviour anymore.

16/07/2024

**PUPPIES**
Puppy classes should and need to be fun for you and your puppy. Here's a sneak peek into puppy classes with Torquay Dog Training

24/06/2024

🐾Socialising Your Puppy 🐾

Building confidence and optimism in your dog goes beyond simply socialising them with lots of other dogs, people, and children. It's about teaching them that new experiences are positive and nothing to fear.

For every 100 good experiences your dog has, it only takes one negative experience to potentially undo all the progress. That's why carefully introducing novelty and creating positive encounters are crucial in shaping your dog's outlook.

Rather than focusing solely on socialising, which can sometimes imply mere exposure, building confidence and optimism involves actively nurturing your dog's perception of the world. This can be done by introducing new environments, sounds, objects, and interactions in a safe and controlled manner.

Novelty for our dogs is so important as they either learn that novelty is good or potentially something to worry about. Anything new to your dog—whether that's another dog, person, child, animal, sound, or different environment—is nothing to be concerned about.

Rather than taking them outside and potentially exposing them to things that may scare them, you can do so much at home to build their confidence and optimism. Safely expose them to novelty and engage with them in your own space.

Try introducing novelty boxes, sound boxes, or letting them walk on unfamiliar objects. These simple activities can make a big difference in helping your puppy feel secure and excited about new experiences.

When your puppy encounters new experiences in a safe environment, it’s a wonderful opportunity to show them that these are good things. Creating these positive experiences helps your puppy grow into a confident and happy dog.

At home, you can set up activities like introducing novelty boxes or different surfaces for them to explore. These exercises help your dog learn that new things are not only safe but also enjoyable.

By emphasising building confidence and optimism, you're ensuring that your dog develops a resilient and positive attitude towards life's varied experiences.

13/06/2024

Stubborn Dogs

The word stubborn is always used in a negative way. I’ve never heard anyone say ‘I love how stubborn my dog is’. For a dog to be labeled as stubborn, two things are assumed.

1. That the dog has heard and understood your request, and
2. That they are intentionally choosing not to do it.

Lets say, that in a specific scenario, both of those statements are true. Why is that such a bad thing?

What does it say about us, that when another sentient being has a different opinion to us on how they think they should behave, we think negatively of them?

The things we ask of our dogs, sometimes make no real sense.

It’s very common to see a guardian of a dog-reactive dog, tell their dog to sit, and look at them when other dogs are near. Sitting can be part of communication for dogs, and wanting to keep an eye on things you’re concerned about is natural for every species, so that request might feel completely wrong and unnatural for the dog. Yet we think we know best and that they should do it anyway because we said so.

For a long time, we have been preached that well-trained = good dog. But how much of themselves do dogs have to give up in order to become completely obedient to our wishes.

Next time you notice yourself thinking your dog is being stubborn, remind yourself that it’s ok if they have a different opinion from you. Ask instead, why might they not agree with what you want them to do? What might they prefer to do instead that also works for you?

It’s ok if they have a different opinion to you. It’s not an argument, it’s an opportunity to get to know your dog a bit better.

This can work wonders for your relationship, and build cooperation rather than obedience.

11/06/2024

"Hide and Seek Fun"
Using a ball for search games is not only mentally stimulating but also physically beneficial for your dog 🧠💪

See how long it takes my experienced dog, in action, as she hunts down her favourite ball! 🐶❤️

Hint: It took so long that I had to cut and speed up the video! ⏳⚡️

10/06/2024

🐾Unlock Your Dog's Full Potential with a Simple Dog Ball!🐾

If you're used to just throwing a ball for your dog, it's time to discover a more enriching and beneficial way to use that same ball! 🎾✨

🚨 Did You Know? Just throwing a ball repeatedly can be detrimental to your dog's physical health. The sudden stops, sharp turns, and high-impact jumps can lead to:

**Joint Injuries: Especially in breeds prone to hip dysplasia.
**Muscle Strain: Overworked muscles from repetitive motion.
**Behavioural Issues: Overstimulation can lead to hyperactivity and anxiety.

In this video, I show you how you can dive into the art of the search game — an activity that not only keeps your dog physically fit but also gives their brain a fantastic workout. 🧠💪

🌟 Why Should You Try This?
Stimulation: Engages your dog's natural hunting instincts and sharpens their mind.

Exercise: Encourages active movement and helps maintain a healthy weight.

Time: Strengthens the bond between you and your dog through fun, interactive play.

Physical Strain: Unlike repetitive ball throwing, which can cause stress on joints and muscles, especially in high-energy dogs, the search game promotes safer, varied movements.

Don’t miss out on making your dog's playtime more exciting and beneficial! 🐾🎥

Share your experiences and tag me in your search game videos. I’d love to see your pups in action! 📸🐶

04/06/2024

🐕‍🦺Recallers & Loose Leaders Course🐕
If you have struggles with recall and or calm lead walking then this is the course for you.
No matter the age of your dog you can have the walking freedom you want
My Recallers & Loose Leaders course will show you how to understand YOUR dog, why he behaves the way he does when outside and give you the confidence to take control of how and what to do and enjoy your walks together again.

What is included:
*1 x hour Theory & Q&A Session with tea & coffee(No Dog)
*4 x 1.5 hour group sessions
*Weekly Homework Booklet
**Spaces available starting Sunday 9th June**
For more information or book your space visit www.torquaydogtraining.co.uk/recallers-looseleaders
or Tel: 07548805261
Get ready for fun summer time walking🌞🌞

26/05/2024

The Unnecessary Recall

The unnecessary recall.

Have you noticed that the only times you use your recall, are because…

1. Your dog is doing or wants to do something and you want to stop them
2. The walk is over and you’re going to take them home

Essentially, the recall is a big old NO.

No wonder so many dogs don’t buy into it!

If these are the only times we use our recall, our clever dogs are pretty soon going to realise that recalls are just us being a buzzkill, and all the effort we put into training their recall will start to unravel.

What can we do about this?

One solution is unnecessary recalls. Using your recall when you don’t need it and they aren’t doing anything, waaay more often than when you actually NEED to use it.

This way, as long as your recalls are fun and rewarding, you can make sure that coming back to you is going to be a positive, enjoyable experience for your dog 99% of the time.

So when you need that recall in a real life scenario, they won’t automatically think that you're ending their fun and blow you off, but offering an opportunity to have fun with you.

You might find that the more fun your dog has with you on walks, the more they want to stick around you anyway!

19/05/2024

Do recall words matter?

28/04/2024

22/04/2024

🌟Puppy Superstars 🌟

Congratulations to these young puppies and their hoomans passing Puppy Lifeskills.

These pups are awesome!! Training and playing at the same time and choosing to pay attention to their human. Such an amazing skill.

Great team work🥳

21/04/2024

How slow can you go?

I have found over recent years, that given the choice, most dogs will choose a slow walk over a human paced walk.

I've always been aware of the importance of sniffing, and a big believer of dogs having choice on walks.

Over the years I've always thought I embodied these core things into walks. But on reflection, I've definitely evolved to get better at it. And as a result, virtually all my walks, with my dogs and my dog walking clients, have gotten dramatically slower.

I thought one day, when I had a full day of dog walking ahead of me, that I would try to walk behind each of my doggy companions at all times, never overtaking them, and letting them set the pace.

I was genuinely surprised at just how slow those walks were. We had familiar, local routes which would generally last around an hour. But by matching their speed, we weren't be able to complete the full walks in time. And this was true in varying degrees across the breeds I was walking.

This showed me just how much our behaviour, and our speed influences our dogs. Even if they are off lead, or you wait for them when they're sniffing.

If we are dictating the pace of a walk rather than the dog, not only are we removing some choice, but as they try to keep up with us, we are affecting how they might naturally use their body.

They will be more likely to trot or run. While these gaits aren't bad in moderation, if our behaviour encourages them to use then more than they would naturally, they will tire faster, become more vulnerable to injury and general wear and tear, and restrict which muscles they are using due to more straight line walking rather than curved.

It can be hard for us to really slow down. Walking is very automatic for us so we need to start becoming more mindful of our own speed.

Top tips:

Try not to overtake your dog. Either stay behind or beside them.

When they are on lead, don't let it get tight. Keep it smiling.

You may have read that and thought, no chance, my dog is always go go go.

There's a number of reasons this could be.

1. They may have adapted to your speed, so by slowing yourself down, they will eventually start to slow down too.
2. Something else could be going on. They may be overstimulated, worried, be in pain, etc.

These things would need to be addressed separately to help them relax enough to slow down.

It's not uncommon nowadays for me to get friendly comments when out about how slow we are. I'm quite pleased with this and my response is simply, 'what's the rush?'

21/04/2024

Help, my dog pulls on the lead!

It can be very easy to get frustrated, angry and stressed when you're dog pulls on the lead.
It can also be uncomfortable, painful and just not enjoyable taking your dog for a walk.

Dog's pull on the lead for many different reasons:
**Excited to be out
**Nervous or anxious about their environment
**Frustrated because they can't greet every person/dog or sniff
**Discomfort or pain
**Length of lead
**Not having the skills yet of how to walk calmly
**Our skills using the lead

It's important to understand YOUR dog and that they are not being bad or naughty they are just communicating with you how they are feeling emotionally.

Once we get this we realise it's not bad behaviour, it's not personal it's just your dog doing the best they can with the skills they have in the moment.

14/04/2024

Waiting is a big part of all my dog walks, whether it’s my dog or a clients. Just hanging around, while they get ALL of the information from a sniff spot, or sniffing the air or observing something.

But I was thinking today how uncomfortable I can get if I’m just stood around waiting when there are other people around.

Not so much when my dog is sniffing as thankfully awareness of the importance of sniffing for dogs has grown.

However, there are many other reasons dogs like to stop on walks and I like to honour them as much as I can. On today's walk alone, my dog stopped because…

She was air scenting

She was taking time to decide which direction she wanted to go

She wanted to watch the person walking on the opposite side of the road

There was another dog walking towards us and she needed time to decide how she was wanted to handle the situation

All of these are perfectly valid reasons to stop. But I’ve found that just waiting around makes me feel a bit embarrassed. I assume that onlookers must think how silly I look, just standing around.

While I know I’m giving my dog time to do what she needs to do, I suspect to others that it just looks like my dog is also just standing around doing nothing. How odd that must look.

Sometimes I let my self-consciousness get the better of me, and encourage my dog to move along before she’s ready.

I know all of these beliefs I have on what others must be thinking are just my own thoughts and not fact, but I figure that if I feel this way, there’s probably others that do too.

Time to stop on walks is super important for our dogs. We live fast paced lives and we tend to sweep our dogs up in our rush to keep moving forward. But I suspect that losing the ability to stop, take in information, and take a moment to decide what they want to do with it, could be the source of many behavioural struggles for many dogs.

I encourage you to watch your dog on your next walk when they stop, and stop with them. If you haven’t paid close attention before, it may have looked like they stopped for no reason, but there’s always a reason. Consider what information they might be absorbing and allow them time to do it.

It probably wasn’t all that long ago that it was less common to see people patiently waiting for their dogs to finish sniffing on walks, but now it’s encouraged and normalised.

So I’ve decided that instead of worrying about how strange I look when I’m pausing on a dog walk, instead I will think about how I'm advocating to others that it's ok to just stop and wait with your dog, and play my part in normalising it.

Please join me in doing the same. We’ll be leading the way forward by standing still.

07/04/2024

Is your dog friendly?

What do you say when someone asks this?

While it’s a seemingly simple question, it’s also a loaded one for us to answer. Because what they are really asking, is 'if I pet your dog will they like or at least tolerate it?'

Unless you have one of those rare dogs that truly does love nothing more than saying hello to everyone, strangers included, then knowing how to answer becomes tricky. I mean, even for us humans, being friendly isn’t something we either are or aren’t. It’s something we choose to be based on the situation. You may consider yourself a friendly person, but that doesn’t mean people can say or do anything they like to you without consideration or your consent.

Majority of dogs, just like us, are selective in who they want to interact with and how. And some really would not like any part in interacting with strangers whatsoever. So this makes it hard to answer just a yes or no to ‘Is your dog friendly?’. If we were all truthful, the answer would most likely be ‘it depends’.

Many of us don’t want to say no, my dogs’ not friendly, because often that comes with some sort of stigma. Not friendly = bad dog. And we don’t want people to think that our dog, who is wonderful in so many ways, is a bad dog.

Saying yes, however, will generally be followed by the stranger approaching and wanting to stroke our dog. Majority of dogs will tolerate this at best. It takes the dog’s choice away, and they become subject to direct, head on approaches, which is not how most dogs would choose to interact.

Many dogs will tolerate this, but I don’t they should have to tolerate things if it isn’t necessary.

The other alternative is answering with the yes, but. Yes, but they are anxious, or yes, but they are nervous of strangers. Although, I have found that for some reason, this isn’t much of a deterrent for keeping people away.

So what’s the right answer. If you’re comfortable with saying No, then great! Otherwise, I recommend having a short and snappy reply that you’ve thought of in advance, so you’re not left trying to think something up on the spot or end up just saying yes because you weren't prepared to be asked.

Personally, if I feel like the situation is appropriate, I go for something like, ‘she likes to interact on her own terms’. Then I will say they are welcome to ask her if she’d like to come over. It’s then up to my dog if she would like to engage or not.

You can say whatever works for you and your dog. You are your dog's voice. If they would rather not engage with strangers, they shouldn’t have to, it doesn’t make them bad dogs, and you are allowed to say no.

31/03/2024

Dogs at the dinner table! 🍽

Pup likes to sit at the table with us when we eat. If she isn’t sat with us she will usually whine or bark for our attention or put her paws up on our legs. Anything that will get our attention. So as a trainer, why aren't I doing anything about it?

First, here’s WHY I think this behaviour is happening.

Eating at the table is only a recent thing for us. We moved into our home about 6 months ago, and this is the first home we’ve had where we have been fortunate enough to have space for a table. So for the last 10ish years of Pup’s life before the move we have sat on the sofa to eat, with her by our side.
We never minded her sitting with us because she never tried to steal from our plates and we enjoyed sharing our space with her.

But now we eat at the table. And here’s why I think this has become an issue for Pup.

1. This is a big change to the routine. A routine she’d been accustomed to for 10 years.

2. Her tiny size means she becomes excluded from all the goings on when we sit high up at the table.
As social beings, just like us, I think many dogs just want to feel included with goings on in the home. For me, it feels important to eat dinner together with my partner. I might become frustrated or sad if after 10 years together, he chose to start taking his meal into the other room and eating without me.

So when Pup started showing attention seeking behaviours when we started to eat at a table, I could easily have thought how annoying or inappropriate it was. But instead, I considered her experience of what was going on, and took this into account when I thought how best to address it.

I could have decided to train her not to do it. I could have taught her to go to a mat when we eat. Spent time building her value for the mat. Increasing the duration of time she can stay on it until we could eat a whole meal while she left us in peace.

If we didn’t appreciate the dog stare (you know the one) while eating, this might have been a valid option.

However, for us, it’s a welcome opportunity to spend quality time appreciating her beauty, so it’s never been an issue. So instead, we pulled up a chair and invited her to join us. Problem solved. No more whining and barking.

There are many people that would not appreciate a dog at their table, and that's fine. There’s also many dogs that wouldn’t want to sit at a table, or wouldn’t be able to resist temptation if they did. But for us, this simple solution works very well.

However, there will also be lots of people out there that will also say things like, 'you should not tolerate attention seeking behaviours because your dog is trying to control you', without considering any further WHY they are happening in the first place.
Or they might make a blanket statement of 'you shouldn't let your dog sit on the sofa or at the table when you're eating because (insert outdated piece of advice here)'.

There is no one right way to live with your dog.

A dog’s behaviour is only a problem if it's a problem for you, or your dog. If you’re both happy, don’t let someone else tell you it’s wrong.

(PS. Despite what the picture might suggest, she does get her dinner before we eat ours, otherwise inviting her to watch us eat would feel like sadistic torture)

24/03/2024

Does your dog hate visiting the vet?

Stressful vet visits are something I’m very familiar with. It’s painful to see them struggle.

But just because they or you have had bad experiences before, doesn’t necessarily mean you're doomed for future visits.

Training can be helpful, but there are some actually quite simple things you can do to make your vet visit a little easier on everyone involved.

I took my dog to the vet this week and here are the things I did to ease (as much as possible), both mine and my dog's anxieties.

1. I left my dog in the car while I checked us in.

2. I requested that the vet see us outside for as much of the consultation as they could. (there’s all sorts of sights, sounds and smells inside veterinary practices that our dogs can find unsettling, as well as feeling trapped inside the room)

3. We stayed outside while we waited to be seen and played ‘find it’ with treats in the grass.

4. I let our vet know at the start that I wanted to minimise stress where possible so we were on the same page with our approach before jumping in.

5. I handled my dog rather than the vet to show her the issue.

6. I vocalised when we needed to pause to help my dog relax before continuing.

This is just my experience on this particular visit and not all of these things will always be possible depending on the vet or the reason for the visit.

But if you are concerned about visiting the vet, rather than focussing on all of the things that are out of your control, ask what you CAN do. You can even voice your concerns with your vet before your visit, and discuss what options are available to you.

17/03/2024

Don’t harnesses make it more comfortable to pull?

That’s something I’ve been asked on multiple occasions. And I find it really intriguing that that’s the thought many people go to when talking about harnesses.

Because what if I shifted the perspective?

What if instead I asked, ‘doesn’t my dog have to be uncomfortable when they pull, in order for them to learn not to do it?’.

It’s the same thing, and yet I don’t think any of the people I’ve had this conversation with, ever intends to use pain or discomfort in order to teach their dog.

Firstly, what is the answer, do harnesses make pulling on the lead more comfortable for the dog?

I can't imagine either the pressure of a collar or harness to feel particularly comfortable when pulling.
And if a dog is constantly pulling, that's going to be changing how they use their muscles. Think how your body would feel after dragging a heavy weight behind you for the length of your dog walk, regardless of which part of you it was attached to.

A collar may well be less comfortable, due to the added restricted breathing, the smaller surface area in which pressure is applied, the sensitive skin of the neck and the delicate structures within it.

I opt for well fitting, comfortable harnesses, because in the event that the dog does pull, or in an emergency I pull them, I see less risk of serious harm.

Neither harnesses or collars alone will teach your dog to or not to pull. And they don’t pull solely because it’s comfortable to do so.

Before we question how to change any behaviour, including pulling on the lead, the first thing we should be asking is, ‘Are all of their needs met?’. To be free from unnecessary pain or discomfort is one of the most essential needs.

I want to stress, I don’t believe any of those who have asked me the original question, ever intended to cause unnecessary discomfort to their dog. They clearly loved their dog.

I do, however, think there’s lots of myths that have been accepted as fact and normalised by popular culture. Or perhaps things that were once told to us by someone with authority or our trust, so naturally, we didn’t really question them.

It’s a great reminder that we should always be questioning where our beliefs come from, and do they fit with what we actually hold as important.

04/03/2024

Easter Eggstravaganza Party
I'm excited to invite you and your dogs to come and celebrate Easter with us on Saturday 30th March.
You and your dog can expect:
**Easter Egg Hunt
**Games
**Easter Parade
**Easter Dog Buffet
**Coffee/tea & Cake for the humans
**Prizes & Goodie Bags
There are 3 sessions:
10.00-11.30am
12.00-1.30pm
2.00-3.30pm
You can find more information and book your slot at

https://www.torquaydogtraining.co.uk/easter-eggstavaganza-party

19/02/2024

Massive Congratulations to Luna, Brian & their Hoomans completing Puppy Lifeskills 🎉🐶🌟

17/02/2024

🐾 Join Our Puppy Lifeskills Class! 🐾

🌟 Start Date: 18th February
🌈 Duration: 6 weeks
📍 Location: Torquay

Are you a proud puppy parent looking to raise a well-behaved and happy canine companion? Look no further! Our Puppy Lifeskills Class is designed just for you and your furry friend.

What to Expect:
✨ Fun Training Sessions: Engage in enjoyable and effective training exercises that strengthen the bond between you and your puppy.

✅ Socialisation: Help your pup build positive relationships with other puppies and people. Socialisation is key for a confident and well-adjusted adult dog.

🔴 Recall & Lead Training: Ensure your puppy's safety with effective recall training. Learn the tricks to bring your pup back to you every time and enjoy happy lead walks

🎩 Manners Matter: Teach essential commands like sit, stay, and leave it for a well-mannered and obedient pet.

Enroll Today! Limited Spaces Available.
📅 Reserve your spot for this life-changing experience. Don't miss out on creating a strong foundation for your puppy's future.

📧 For more information or to register, visit www.torquaydogtraining.co.uk/puppyclass

🐶 Join us in shaping well-behaved and happy pups! 🐾