Polly Big Paws

06/04/2022

Polly Big Paws is now called Polly Pom Pom 😂😂

28/01/2022

Come and get involved shihpoo lovers!

Do you have a Shih Tzu or Shih Tzu cross?
Then this is for you!

On Sunday I am running a free masterclass specifically for Shih Tzus (and their crossbreeds)!

Secure your space here! https://mailchi.mp/66b5eb603334/free-masterclass

28/12/2021

Is your New Year's resolution a calmer dog?

If so, this workshop is for you!

And from now until midnight on the 1st Jan, save £10

Message the page to book your space!

Happy Boxing Day!

What a busy few days! And it's still going! Have the festivities made you realise you really need some calm in your lives, or more importantly that your dog does! Flo has the answer!

⭐️The Calmness Workshop ⭐️

The new year is the perfect time to start your training transformation! It's time to grow some calmness so that this time next year you can chill as your dog sleeps through the chaos, stays on their bed whilst you prepare the turkey and ignores the guests! Just imagine! It is possible!

Join us from the comfort of your home on Friday 7th January at 7pm GMT (recording available)

And from today until midnight New Years Day, save £10!

Email [email protected] to secure your space!

22/12/2021

Happy gotcha day Polly!

I can’t believe she’s been in our lives for a whole year! And what a fabulous year it’s been 😍🐩❤️

16/12/2021

Only 6 more days until it’s Polly’s gotcha day! How fast has a year gone?!

10/11/2021

A little while ago I posted about teaching Polly a down. She found it really hard, we were in the midst of adolescence and it just wasn’t the right time to teach it so I stopped.

This week I tried it again and viola! She picked it up super quickly!

Once I have it reliably on a visual cue, I’ll add a verbal cue and will then start an instant down.

Here she is showing off her new learnt behaviour with Flo and Violet

05/11/2021

This is Polly’s first fireworks with me. She would have been 8 weeks old this time last year, still with her mum and siblings. I’m hoping that was a positive first experience. It certainly seems like it was as she’s asleep and so far not phased at all. She’s usually quite barky at noises so this is good!

I do have pirates of the Caribbean on… it has so many bangs, it helps give the bangs in the distance a meaning, an origin.

So here’s to the rest of the evening going this well.

How are your little pups doing? 🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆

04/11/2021

🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆🎇🎆
With Diwali and fireworks upon us, here are my mum’s Train with the Flo top tips for getting your dog through fireworks…

🎶Classic FM are playing music found to help dogs settle Friday/Saturday evening.

🍿If you’re looking for a film to watch, get Pirates of the Caribbean or a Marvel film on before the fireworks start. The loud music and shots help drown out the fireworks but also give the bangs a place to come from.

💤It’s okay not to walk your dog! If you can’t walk in day light, skip the walk instead and play some training games before the 🎇 start! It’ll tire your dog!

👅Remember all things licking, chewing and sniffing and calming! Help your dog be calmer by having lots of opportunities for this! Kong, licki mats, long lasting chews. Use your dog’s daily food allowance!

❤️You cannot, I repeat CANNOT! reinforce fear!! If your dog seeks comfort from you, give it to them, just like you would a child! Equally, if they want to be left along that’s okay too. Read their body language.

🪟Shut doors, blinds, curtains, windows. Create a safe space for your dog. Listen to them. If they prefer being in a certain room, let them, no need to coax them out of anywhere.

⚽️No pressure! No training when fireworks are going off, this could poison your training. If your dog does want to do something, have some no rules, no pressure, all fun play!!

🆔🏷More dogs are lost on firework night than any other night. Check your microchip is up to date! Make sure your dog is wearing an ID tag with up to date information.

🚪Check garden fences for any holes or weak spots they could get out of. Make sure back gates/ doors etc are locked. When opening the front door, ensure your dog is safe inside and can’t get out.

😌And finally… you must remain calm too! I know a lot of people, especially first time puppy owners worry about fireworks. You will share that worry, so treat it as any other night.

24/09/2021

This weekend I’m on a mission to teach Polly a down. I have to lure her under my leg. At first going underneath was a bit unnerving for her but she confident with it now and running back to me.

This evening I’ve had a go at adding a hand signal and she’s getting there! The leg is slightly higher too.

Once we’ve mastered the down, I’m going to add it to the bed and then add 2 more behaviours to get a chain, so that when I send her to bed she goes and lays down.

Watch this space for updates 🙂

31/08/2021

Have you heard the news? The Shih Tzu Inner Circle closes today! And yes, all you shihpoos are welcome 🙂

Mum says it’s going to be pawsome! With a monthly masterclass, personalised training, lives, Q&As and videos of the puppies training (I think that includes me! 🤔)

So what are you waiting for? Without boasting, the training worked wonders for me 😍😉 AND get a FREE 1/2 hour online 1 to 1 session too 😱

Come inside and be part of the fun!

https://mailchi.mp/6dd39a652c30/shih-tzu-inner-circle

13/08/2021

We all know the shihpoo is a fantastic dog! Intelligent, beautiful and loyal, but they can have their struggles!

Which is why I’m running a FREE, online, 7 day training challenge specifically for shih tzus and shih tzu cross breeds.

Starting Monday 16th August

Register for the challenge here http://eepurl.com/hukTuf

05/08/2021

Socialisation is always happening for our dogs, even when they’re past the ‘socialisation period’ so yesterday we took a trip out to another pet store. She hasn’t been to this one for a while and so a non reaction was what I wanted. I want her to be calm in new situations, not scared or over excited, just a calm non response and that’s what she gave me! 👏😍🥳

Remember when you visit different places, reward calmness, it’s the best thing you can do

04/08/2021

Polly’s now a big sister to these little munchkins!
Top right is Stanley, another shihpoo and bottom right is Dolly, a shihuahua 😂

Polly wasn’t keen on them to start with. Being the youngest, she struggled. Lots of distance between then, rewarding her calm good choices around them and ensuring she was still getting attention, 11 days on and they’re friends 😍

11/07/2021

It’s been a while since I’ve posted.

Been busy training other people’s dogs. Despite that, Polly is coming along nicely.

Yesterday, I took her to a new garden centre. She hasn’t been anywhere like that for a while so lots of smells, noises and distractions, but she was awesome! The trolley was quite possibly the noise at trolley in the world, she didn’t even blink at it. She saw people and happily went past them, staying at my side the whole time. When it was time to pay, she sat next to me without even being asked.

A very successful trip 🥳👏
She’s 10 months old now and the next stage of her learning is agility and being in a training class. I’ll be updating the page more with her progress 😍🥰🐶

P.s the photo is Polly, she’s had a hair cut 😂

30/03/2021

I am unbelievably proud of my little pup! This was her first time off lead, in an open space, with many real life distractions and she aced it!

✅boundary games meant she stayed in a place without me having to keep saying stay

✅proximity - she values being close! She hardly left my side. I walked, she followed. I stopped, she stopped! I ran, she ran 💪

✅ calmness - in all of this novelty she remained cool, calm and collected = good choices

Very proud of her! 🥰🥰

25/03/2021

When Polly came to live with me, I dreamed of her being my demo dog when I teach classes. It never crossed my mind that she could in fact one day be my agility demo dog 😱

Look at her go! First introduction to the tunnel and she did so well! 🥰

Although I hadn’t planned on using the tunnel, I had done lots of foundation work around surfaces, noises and objects.

Grab some objects with different surfaces, boxes, bath mat, rug, packaging appear, bubble wrap etc the list is endless. Scatter some food around and on it and let your dog explore! Gets them used to novelty, not just prep for agility

21/03/2021

What’s better than a recall? 😱 (there’s something better?!?)

Proximity! Choosing to hang out with us, regularly checking in and staying close. This is what dreams are made of. No need to be calling them from a distance, they chose to do this! ⬇️💪🥰🥳

So proud of Polly, this is her first off lead experience! Couldn’t have gone any better!

How’s your off leash freedom going?

13/03/2021

You will all know I’ve been taking socialisation slow and building Polly’s confidence and optimism. Well today she had her first proper encounter with another dog other than mine. She’s seen other dogs but has chosen to ignore them in the past - nothing wrong with that! 💪

Today she played with another puppy. She said hello, went for a sniff and at first disengaged. She wasn’t that interested. The other puppy understood her signal and left her alone. Slowly, she felt more comfortable until she was running around playing with the other dog. The key here is that the play was equal, especially as the other puppy was slightly bigger and more energetic.

Once she’d had her play she came and sat next to my leg. Off lead, she chose to hang out with me! What a super moment!

Waiting for this to happen and ‘missing’ the socialisation window has had no negative effect! In fact it’s done nothing but have positive results for Polly.

So here’s the thing, don’t feel pushed into doing things! Just like with children they all go at their own pace and sometimes we need to slow it down for them. After all they don’t always make the best choices!

No picture I was too busy enjoying the moment! But here she is chilling at home afterwards 😂🥳🐶🥰

23/02/2021

🐶🚿🧼🛁✂️Grooming! ✂️🛁🧼🚿🐶

Today, Polly has her her first puppy groom!

Since she’s arrived, she has been washed in my bath (she’s always filthy!) and she’s been getting used to being brushed (very slowly!) so it was time to get her puppy groom in! The fabulous Absolutely Pawgeous came and groomed in her van.

I could hear the little chatterbox having a whine and then being reassured by a calm, encouraging voice. It’s so important we give our pups positive experiences around grooming. Now I know next time she’ll be more confident! Have some homework to get her used to her eyes being trimmed and of course the brushing needs to continue, for her confidence and to prevent matting.

Would you just look at those beautiful eyes and how fluffy is she?!?😂😍🥰🐶 looking super smart, smelling gorgeous and feeling good! What more can you ask her?!

23/02/2021

Did you know we offer pre-puppy sessions? These are perfect to make sure you are ready for your new arrival, have games up your sleeve to get them off on the right start and have a plan for toileting, sleep and any other worries you may have.

When our puppies arrive they are learning! It’s up to us to make sure they learn the right thing 🙂❤️🐶

21/02/2021

Crate training hasn’t been a massive focus for Polly yet. She doesn’t sleep in one at night and she hasn’t been a fan of training in the fabric crate. Although to demo at my in person classes, I do need her to rest in a crate.

So I got this one out! Two 3 minute training sessions and she chooses to take herself in! 😱🥳She’s spent the last 45 minutes popping herself in, resting, walking out and then going back in!

This is already a calm, valued place for her! 🥳

How’s crate training going for you? Pop your questions in the comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️

17/02/2021

Yesterday this happened😱🥰⬇️ Polly’s first venture out on a lead 😍🐶🥰

Now I have gone against the traditional socialisation with Polly of meeting every dog and person. Instead, she’s had lots of confidence building games, been getting used to novelty and ‘none of my business’... all at home! We’ve been playing lots of 3 minute games and spending majority of her day in calmness. She’s had the odd car drive and been carried around Pets at Home...

And this is the result...

✅cars
✅a very fast car!
✅barking dogs
✅music
✅people
✅a van

And the most she did was look. Some calm feeding to create a positive association was all she needed.
😱💪👏😍❤️🐶

How’s your walking on lead coming along? Tell me in the comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️

And the best news.... You can absolutely have this with your dog!! Take a look at Train with the Flo and make today day 1 of your dog training transformation! 💪👏🐶

16/02/2021

Lockdown puppies... or any kind of puppies for that matter 🥰

Now’s your chance to become just like Polly! This is the exact training I’m using with her and it’s working wonders

Grab 30% off this week 😱 message Train with the Flo to book your space

🌟🌟🌟🌟NEW WEEKDAY CLASSES🌟🌟🌟🌟

Following the success of our weekend classes, I’m trialling a 6 week block of weekday online classes 😱🥳👏👍😍🐶 suitable for puppies and dogs alike

Starting Tuesday 2nd March with our free additional session 😱 (yes, you really get 7 for the price of 6!)

And as this is brand new... this week there’s an✨✨INTRODUCTORY OFFER ✨✨

✅6 week block of classes
✅1 free additional session
✅weekly live deep dives
✅private Facebook group for ongoing support

All with 30% off 😱😱 that’s £70 (£30 saving) for training that’s full of fun, games and incredible learning! 😱

Send the page a message or email [email protected] to book your space 🥳

13/02/2021

Lockdown puppies.... this is for you!!!🐕

Polly is a lockdown puppy and yet she is thriving! The secret... games! ⚽️

So here's your chance to give your puppy the best start... 20% off of online group classes and 1 to 1 sessions with Train with the Flo🥰😁

12/02/2021

Have you seen this fantastic offer over on Train with the Flo 20% off of 1 to 1 sessions and group classes. All online so you can join from anywhere in the world!

It's Valentine's weekend! Hands up who loves their dog?

Flo keeps telling me sharing is caring so we're spreading the games based love this weekend!! Until midnight on Monday, get 20% off of our services! That includes 1 to 1 sessions and group classes!

NEW weekday group classes starting beginning of March!

Weekend group classes starting March 20th/21st

Get 7 classes for the prices of 6 and ALL students gain access to our private Facebook group for ongoing support!

Visit www.trainwiththeflo.com for more info or send us a message to book!

Give your dog the gift of a happy life this valentines!

11/02/2021

Tomorrow at 7.30pm GMT I’m going live to tackle some training struggles🥳 Who’s joining us? Make sure you like Train with the Flo so you don’t miss this free teaching!

Polly may even make an appearance! 😱🥰🐶

03/02/2021

We received these two toys today from our friends over at Pooches and pearls boutique🥰

Polly loves a toy. It’s important to watch how our dogs like to play. What do they enjoy doing?

🦴tugging
🦴parading
🦴holding
🦴chewing
🦴squeaking
🦴dissecting
🦴chasing
🦴retrieving

Find out what makes yourself dog tick! Once you know this, you can begin to use it as a reward for other training.

How does your dog like to play? ⬇️⬇️⬇️

30/01/2021

A little bit of socialisation today... Polly has been out in the car for a trip to the pet shop. We needed some more food for her so used this opportunity to let her see the world some more.

I’m still carrying her as I don’t want her to get overwhelmed. At the moment she doesn’t pull on the lead at all so I want to keep it that way and bu carrying in busy, distracting environments I dont allow her to learn and then rehearse pulling.

I did place her on the floor while I looked at things. She stayed by me which is amazing. I tried to reward but she wasn’t eating which tells me she’s a little overwhelmed and her arousal level has increased. So no pressure, lots of praise, a couple of short sessions of being on the floor when no one’s around and then back in my arms. It’s so important that’s she gains confidence and doesn’t lose it in these situations. She did manage 5 steps behind me which is huge!!!! 🥳🥳🥳 her first time out and about actually walking on a lead, she’s only done it indoors so far! 👏💪🥳🐶💖

Lots of small positive steps today! She’s growing into an absolute superstar!! 🥰🐶😍

27/01/2021

Today we started some lead work. Polly has had a lead on when I’ve carried her outside, however she really doesn’t have a clue that she can move 😂

She’s been wearing her harness inside and getting used to it. I started by just clipping the lead on and feeding, clipping off and feeding. I don’t want the clip to signal anything but good food! Some dogs hear it and think FREEDOM!! Other’s can cower and are afraid of the lead.

Then I would guide her out in front of me with food and then dash backwards as soon as she turned to me. This was a slight adaptation of the game planned, as she would not go further away enough to create some tension on the lead. However that doesn’t matter. If anything it’s a good thing! She soon picked up that it was a better deal to be close to me than further away.

To finish I moved my hand slightly down her lead and fed. Then picked it up, fed. And repeated.

All of this was really short and she had breaks in between to chill out. Such a clever girly 🥳😍🐶

How’s your lead training going? ⬇️⬇️⬇️

26/01/2021

Is owning your dog causing you more stress than happiness?
Does your dog...

😈 Continually bark at the slightest noise?

😈Growl/ bark/ lunge on the end of a lead?

😈React to people and dogs?

😈Show aggressive behaviour that you're not sure what to do with?

😈Lacks focus, rehearses negative behaviour, shows frustration?

😢 Are you embarrased by their behaviour? 😢Worried where this is heading? 😢 Fed up of making excuses and feeling like a failure?

If so... this is the answer!

Absolute Dogs have released these brand new Naughty But Nice Bootcamps! And wow, are you in for a treat!!
Click the link for more info or share it with anyone you think may benefit from a 9 week intensive transformation!
https://nbn.absolute-dogs.com/nbn-bootcamps?prod=naughty-but-nice-bootcamp&ref=6

It's time to turn those struggles into strengths and make that dog owning dream a reality!! 😍🐕

TODAY, WE ARE INTRODUCING YOU TO THE RECIPE, THE FORMULA, THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE YOU AND YOUR DOG’S FUTURE TOGETHER.