London Dog Trainer

04/02/2024

SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT ON ….. RECALL!

Do you dread the thought of letting your dog off-lead, knowing you’ll invariably witness your canine companion tear off uncontrollably into the distance? Are you tired of repeatedly calling your dog, embarrassed that they choose to ignore you and just keep doing what they want? Even worse, has your dog’s inability to listen to you put them in the path of danger?

Then you’re not alone! If you take just a moment to observe the off lead behaviour of dogs in the park, it will soon become clear that other owners struggle with exactly the same issue as you!

There are many reasons why puppies and dogs fail to return when called, ranging from the euphoria of freedom, distractions (dogs, people, birds, deer, water, smells etc), inherent traits of chase or scent driven breeds, fear of end of fun (leash going back on) or perceived punishment for late return, the list goes on.

However, in our experience one of the key reasons for poor recall which is missing from the above list is TRAINING ….. the art of teaching your dog this crucial skill rather than just hoping it will happen, see below:

Owner expectation - HIGH
⬆️
➡️ EFFECTIVE TRAINING ⬅️
⬇️
Dog’s ability - LOW

The good news is that poor recall CAN be improved! Our “Come Back Fido!” intensive recall training course is designed to bridge the gap between your expectations and your dogs ability, to build on your relationship with your dog, motivate you both towards success and instil the vital skills and techniques designed to help you achieve your recall goals!

“London Dog Trainer is professional, experienced and friendly and offers training solutions for puppies and dogs of all ages, abilities and breeds, with all training methods being positive, force-free and kind.”

Course examples include:
-Precious Puppy Best Start In Life
-Teenage Tearaways Adolescents
-All Grown Up Adult Dog Training
-Come Back Fido Intensive Recall

For more information on recall, puppy and dog training, call Debbie on 07976 976485, or email [email protected]

15/01/2024

Expectations v reality!

😂

03/01/2023

PRECIOUS PUPPY BEST START TRAINING - East Village / East London

Do you have, or will you soon be welcoming a new puppy into your home? Would you like your puppy to be well trained from the start?

Are you struggling with toilet training, socialisation, sleeping, mouthing/nipping behaviour etc and would like our advice .... no matter your needs we’re here to help!

We never underestimate the challenges a new puppy can bring - puppies are adorable but they have teeth like needles and know how to use them, can run like the wind and don’t come with a full command of the English language!

Training is positive, kind and force free, which means that your puppy will enjoy their training experience from beginning to end - and you will too!

So why not message, call 07976 976485 or drop an email to [email protected] and get started on your training journey to having that well behaved puppy!

We are local, professional, experienced and friendly and offer training solutions for puppies and dogs of all ages, abilities and breeds, with all training methods being positive and kind.

28/09/2022

A wee reminder below of the training services we offer in East/Central London:

“The London Dog Trainer is professional, experienced and friendly and offers training solutions for puppies and dogs of all ages, abilities and breeds, with all training methods being positive and kind.

So if you want to get your new puppy well trained from the start, add to your adult dog’s existing skills or you have specific issues you need to address, we’re here to help!

Training includes:

- Precious Puppy Best Start In Life
- Teenage Tearaways Adolescents
- All Grown Up Adult Dog Training
- Come Back Fido Intensive Recall

Why not drop us a message and get started on your training journey to having that well behaved puppy or dog!”

17/07/2022

- Watch out for pavements being too hot for paws
- Don’t walk your dog in hot weather … no dog ever died from missing a walk
- Never leave your dog in your car even in mildly warm weather
- Ensure your dog has access to water and shade when outdoors in warm/hot weather

08/09/2021

Q: What is “proper” puppy socialisation?

From time to time we receive enquiries for training classes to “socialise” puppies, but what is true socialisation and is a puppy training class the best forum for this?

True socialisation is so much more than a puppy class - it is about exposing your puppy to a wide and ever expanding variety of new things ….. sights, sounds, environments, smells, textures, other puppies and dogs, animals, people, children, the list goes on and on!

When we first bring a new puppy home the expectation is that they will live in our world and so it is OUR responsibility to teach them how to do this by gentle and systematic exposure to the everyday experiences which are our norm, but which are completely new and alien to them - THIS is socialisation.

Now consider a group of puppies together in an indoor space - puppies are all of a similar age, none have developed social skills, they are not yet able to accurately read each other’s body language, some may be large or boisterous, others fearful, small or shy and the possible “free for all” of inappropriate interactions can teach the wrong type of behaviour all round. For this reason, puppy socialisation groups should be well controlled so that no puppy is allowed to bully another, which runs the risk of leaving a shy, fearful puppy potentially less able to cope in the long run.

So puppy classes are fine but are scratching the surface of our puppies’ socialisation needs, especially in teaching appropriate interactions with other dogs. Have a look at the image below - here are our girls Willow & Daisy being joined by a puppy on the beach - the owner first asked if it was ok (allowing us to confirm that our dogs would be happy to play) - and this open space interaction helped teach the puppy good play behaviour from sociable adult dogs who were able to give clear body language signals, from which the puppy could then learn.

The conclusion - yes of course attend puppy socialisation classes if you feel your puppy would benefit from these, but do your research first (ensure all classes are positive, kind and well controlled) and NEVER be afraid to be your puppy’s advocate - if you’re uncomfortable for any reason, remove your puppy from a potentially negative interaction and don’t apologise for doing so! Above all, see puppy classes as a small part of an overall plan of socialisation, which will in time help build solid social skills and your puppy’s ability to grow into a well rounded adult dog, thus increasing their ability to live comfortably alongside us in our crazy human world!

London Dog Trainer “Precious Puppy Best Start” Training. For information and to book email [email protected]

04/09/2021

Puppy sitting this little cutie today, past client and now friend 💕

17/07/2021

*HEAT STROKE WARNING*

As temperatures climb over the next couple of days please take extra care with your pets. It's tempting to head out for long walks and spend hours outdoors given how little we see the sun in Scotland but heat stroke can develop far faster than most people realise and is often fatal, even with prompt treatment.

Be aware when leaving dogs indoors that they are not confined to areas which may overheat e.g. conservatories and are able to seek out cool areas if they wish. Do not leave them in cars, even with the windows left open and in the shade the car will rapidly heat up.

Take extra care with elderly, overweight, ill or brachycephalic (flat faced) dogs as all these dogs will struggle more to regulate their body temperature.

If you think your dog may be developing heat stroke seek veterinary care immediately.

Provide shade and plenty of water for cats too and don't forget your small pets, avoid having hutches in full sun, keep water topped up and check your companions regularly.

04/05/2021

“BEST START PUPPY TRAINING”

Do you have a new puppy? Would you like your puppy to be well trained from the start?

Or are you struggling with toilet training, socialisation, sleeping, mouthing/nipping behaviour etc and would like our advice .... no matter your needs we’re here to help!

We never underestimate the challenges a new puppy can bring - puppies are adorable but they have teeth like needles and know how to use them, can run like the wind and don’t come with a full command of the English language!

All training is positive, kind and force free, which means that your puppy will enjoy their training experience from beginning to end - and you will too!

So why not drop us a message and get started on your training journey to having that well behaved puppy!

07/02/2021

Experienced, caring dog training for puppies and dogs in East London (with other locations considered depending on distance).

Do you have a new puppy you’d like well trained from the start?

Do you have an adolescent or adult dog who would benefit from revisiting past skills or gaining new skills?

Are you struggling with recall or excessive lead pulling?

All training using positive and kind methods.

Why not get in touch and get started on your journey to that well trained puppy or dog!

Message me here, look forward to hearing from you!

14/11/2020

13/11/2020

Try giving your dogs a moment to process what you’re asking them to do!

Give your dog a minute to think!

Reposted from Often dogs get labelled things like stubborn because we expect that they "know" what we want and so, should do it immediately.
But what if she doesn't really know? What if we slowed down a bit and embraced the idea that sometimes dogs may be processing information and trying to determine the best response?
Slowing down and giving a dog time to think can provide us with more opportunity to reward the correct response, rather than jumping in prepared to punish - and one of the benefits of this is that if we are timely in our reward delivery, response time will improve and we'll begin to see more of what we want and with more enthusiasm.

11/11/2020

Love a bit of CPD!

29/10/2020

Lovely review from a recent client.