Stay & Play Dog Training

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Stay & Play Dog Training Friendly. Reliable. Affordable. Insured, DBS checked and Pet First Aid Trained
DTC and ADTB Approved
(22)

From working at my local RSPCA rehoming centre as my first job out of college, to being a Veterinary Nursing Assistant at a busy Specialist Referral Hospital, I have worked with dogs in a huge variety of settings. The roles I've been privileged to work in have given me special interest in working with rescue dogs as well as co-operative care in a veterinary setting for any and all pet dogs. I have

extra interest in large breeds, the "scary" breeds; owning a Rottweiler myself. However I'm not "breedist" and love to work with breeds of all sizes and dogs of all ages. Whether you're looking for help with the first few months of bringing home a new addition, struggling with a teenager tearaway on and off the lead, or need help with a nervous rescue, I am here to help you. I offer 121 consultations within the Newbury, Thatcham and Hungerford areas. I believe in force free, relationship building methods for a dog that is happy and confident with what life throws at them.

šŸ’„Pet Sitting Services!šŸ’„šŸ¾ Evening and weekend availability in Newbury and surrounding areas.šŸ¾  Going away over Easter and...
27/02/2024

šŸ’„Pet Sitting Services!šŸ’„

šŸ¾ Evening and weekend availability in Newbury and surrounding areas.

šŸ¾ Going away over Easter and need someone to pop in on the animals?

šŸ¾ Need someone to walk the dogs over a weekend so you can attend a social event?

šŸ¾ Horses, Ponies, Goats, Sheep and other small holding animals catered for.

šŸ¾ Small furries as well! Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, Ferrets, Mice and Rats!

āœ… Insured
āœ… DBS checked
āœ… 10 years experience in animal care (Dorset based until 2021)
āœ… Level 3 Extd Diploma in Animal Management
āœ… Qualified and Approved Dog Trainer with DTC and ADTB
āœ… Previously worked at local RSPCA rescue, within a specialist veterinary referral hospital and currently as a full time assistance dog trainer

Well... that was a busy weekend šŸ˜“ Back in Dorset again and it was no rest for the wicked.In a twist of fate, I was asked...
01/08/2022

Well... that was a busy weekend šŸ˜“
Back in Dorset again and it was no rest for the wicked.

In a twist of fate, I was asked to spend the weekend looking after Tuppence and Lady šŸ¦„šŸ¦„ soon they will both be jetting off to new homes, so to get a final chance to spend time with them was much appreciated šŸ„° if it isn't clear from the photos, Tuppence and I are particularly fond of each other and I will miss her terribly.

The bulk of my working holiday was spent with Duke and I housesitting one of his besties, Ernie the frenchie, and Xena the cat.
Ernie is recovering from recent spinal surgery, so no big walks for him, and Duke is awaiting X-rays himself, so it was a weekend of mostly snoozing for those two with the odd short spin around the block.

However, I got my walking fix with the working sheepdogs; Bee, Kea, Jack, Blaze, Bear, Bud & Archie. šŸš€ šŸš€

I even had to rescue one of the extremely naughty goats who had her head stuck in the fence šŸ™ˆšŸ˜‚

All in all - a lovely weekend spent with some of my favourite animals šŸ„°šŸ¾

9th - 16th July Duke and I did our annual week's housesit with Andy, and we couldn't have picked a better week - what a ...
19/07/2022

9th - 16th July

Duke and I did our annual week's housesit with Andy, and we couldn't have picked a better week - what a scorcher! ā˜€ļø ā˜€ļø šŸ„µ

As you can clearly tell by the photos, the boys spent the majority of the time snoozing away the boiling hot daytimes, and the evenings were filled with some walks in some of our favourite places.

We were even joined by an otter in the river at Eyebridge! šŸ¦¦

- Delph Woods
- Eyebridge
- Lake Pier
- Didlington
- Canford Magna

As always, it was a lovely working holiday for Duke and I and we look forward to the next time šŸ–¤šŸ§”

16/07/2022
I don't normally do posts like this.. because there's plenty of content out there and I don't normally have to.I'm in my...
12/07/2022

I don't normally do posts like this.. because there's plenty of content out there and I don't normally have to.

I'm in my home town for the week housesitting, so I thought I'd take the dogs to one of my favourite dog-friendly beaches for the evening.

We'd been having a lovely time and had taken a little, slightly overgrown side path to elongate our walk - when from behind us a dog come charging at us barking at Duke and I, in a defensive manner; hackles up, stiff posture. No owner in sight.

Duke is well socialised and is well versed in diffusing situations so it is generally best to leave him to speak dog.

However as the owner appeared round the corner, so did more dogs. Five or six in total. Thankfully Duke was still handling it like a pro, whilst I kept Andy next to me.

The owners weren't apologetic in the slightest about their dogs crowding mine and ended up blaming me for "hiding in the bushes" as to why their rescue dog had charged at Duke barking in the first place because I'd "scared" them.

If your dog is going to go out of their way, to leave the path that you're on, to go and bark at another person and their dogs, they should NOT be off the lead and you should certainly not be saying "It's OK, they're friendly". That was not the behaviour of a friendly dog in the slightest.

However, I was then told that I was neurotic for asking them to recall their 6 dogs, in particular the one that was still barking right in Duke's face. I was then also told that one of their other dogs is used for behavioural work... yet none of them would recall away from me and mine. One blow of the whistle and Duke came away with me.

There's been many client dogs over the years, who if they were who I had with me, that would have got nasty quickly, had a dog charged up into their face from nowhere.

I'm always cautious with Duke. As well versed as he is - should he have decided that 5/6 dogs crowding him was too much and he'd reacted, I would have been the one in the wrong for having an "aggressive dog" even though we were minding our own business and we were cornered.

Control your dogs people. Put them on the lead or have a decent recall.

Accidents happen - but apologise if they do. Don't call someone on the receiving end neurotic for simply advocating for their own dogs.

02/06/2022
Itā€™s been about 10 months since the last time we housesat for these guys - but it felt just like yesterday šŸ„°Extremely sa...
21/05/2022

Itā€™s been about 10 months since the last time we housesat for these guys - but it felt just like yesterday šŸ„°

Extremely sadly, just before I arrived, we lost the most incredible little working dog unexpectedly - Ghost šŸ’™ the youngsters have big shoes to fill šŸŒˆ

Bee, Kea, Jack, Blaze, Bear, Ziggy, Busta, The Goats, The Lambs and The Chickens šŸ• šŸˆā€ā¬› šŸ šŸ‘ šŸ“

Over the years Duke has got used to a plethora of animals being in the paddock behind the house (sheep, goats, horses and cows!) but this is the first time that weā€™ve actually had lambs next to and/or in the house! šŸ™ˆ he adapted incredibly well and Iā€™m so proud of him for taking everything in his stride, as per usual!

Never a dull or quiet monent, but this always feels like a little holiday for me! Especially when the weather is like this! ā˜€ļø

See you in a couple of weeks guys! šŸ„³

6th-8th May 2022 šŸ–¤šŸ§”Duke and I have had a lovely weekend spending a couple of nights housesitting Max.We enjoyed some lov...
08/05/2022

6th-8th May 2022 šŸ–¤šŸ§”

Duke and I have had a lovely weekend spending a couple of nights housesitting Max.

We enjoyed some lovely weather, facilitating some lovely walks through bluebell woods and swimming in some beautiful lakes. They even had a go at some ā€œcross countryā€ jumps in honour of Badminton horse trials šŸ˜‚

Duke and I have both missed housesitting! Looking forward to some more bookings in the coming months šŸ§³

23/04/2022

Interesting point about the inflammatory properties of Omega 6ā€™s šŸ¤“

It was a training kinda Thursday šŸ¾ Today was my 3rd session with the absolutely STUNNING Enzo.He is a 7 month old White ...
31/03/2022

It was a training kinda Thursday šŸ¾

Today was my 3rd session with the absolutely STUNNING Enzo.

He is a 7 month old White Swiss Shepherd and he is divine šŸ¤©

We took Enzo for a ā€œfield tripā€ to the garden centre to work on settling in busy environments, as he gets quite excited meeting new people.

Initially we started in a quiet corner before working our way round various spots, each time bringing out his settle mat to cue to him thatā€™s what we wanted him to do.

Enzo cleverly managed to chill on his mat right at the front of the pet shop section, whilst his mum did the most important task of the day - browsing for and paying for new treats and toys!

We finished in the garden centre cafe, though I was enjoying my coffee too much to remember to take a picture ā˜•ļø

Enzo definitely deserves a gold star šŸŒŸ

Later in the afternoon I had a second session with a darling little Cairn terrier puppy - but I didnā€™t take any photos as we were outside and the weather was snowing! ā„ļø šŸ„¶

A fascinating article on the insight into the dog DNA tests available.3 dogs from the same litter, tested with both Emba...
20/03/2022

A fascinating article on the insight into the dog DNA tests available.

3 dogs from the same litter, tested with both Embark and Wisdom Panel, all throwing up differeinh results BUT with the same prominent breeds in their genetic makeup šŸ§¬

https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/blog/interesting-dog-breed-dna-test-results-on-my-foster-puppies/?MailingID=1643&sc=BL20220317-101RescuePuppies&st=email&utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Interesting+Dog+Breed+DNA+Test+Results+On+My+Foster+Puppies&utm_campaign=20220317-101RescuePuppies

Whole Dog Journalā€˜s mission is to provide dog guardians with in-depth information on dog food, training, behavior, health, and more.

11/03/2022
26/01/2022

2024 update -

This post was made two years ago and has recently been getting attention again. The sad thing is that actually nothing has changed. This program is still being made. There is ( as far as I know - and very happy to be corrected if I am wrong) no veterinary involvement with these dogs prior to filming.

How many more dogs are going to be labled as awkward, difficult, stubborn or just lazy when actually there is an underlying pain issue?

We have so many wonderful trainers and behaviourists that could fill this manā€™s shoes and provide far more valuable advice and training. Stop giving people like this man air timeā€¦ pick someone who actually cares about the wellbeing of the dogs they work with instead of the cash going to line their pocketsā€¦

-

Some phrases used on this particular episode of ā€˜Dogs behaving (very) badlyā€™ where 8 year old Ruby would only get off the sofa if the rug was over the laminate flooring, and would sit down and stop on walksā€¦

ā€˜being a madamā€™

ā€˜Controlling the divaā€™

ā€˜Indulging her with rugsā€™

ā€˜Thinks sheā€™s in chargeā€™

OR

Is this actually a dog in pain, a dog scared of slipping and hurting, a dog trying to tell everyone that sheā€™s uncomfortable?

Itā€™s not indulging her with a rug, itā€™s making sure her own home is accessible and safe for her. Sheā€™s not ā€˜being a divaā€™ and refusing to walk, sheā€™s telling you it hurts and sheā€™s uncomfortable.

Iā€™m very glad that the owners realise that this dogs weight is having a significant impact on her life but there are other things that need addressing here. I have no doubt they absolutely adore their girl, that is very clear to see, but I desperately wish they had the right kind of support for Ruby, not just letā€™s force her to walk and walk on a floor sheā€™s is scared

Dogs Behaving Very Badly and The Dogfather (Graham Hall)ā€¦ Iā€™m afraid the blame falls to you on this occasion. You have a massive platform with thousands of dog owners watching every episode. How about talking about signs of pain? Indicators of discomfort? When behaviours actually tell us somethings wrong? Ways to adapt houses for older dogs and those that struggle with mobility? You could educate SO MANY owners but no, it doesnā€™t happen. Instead we just see an uncomfortable dog being forced to walk when she doesnā€™t want to, and live in an environment that she is scared of.

Dogs need us to advocate for them, to realise when we need to do more and to learn the ways that they tell us something isnā€™t right. Owner education is the key to this and this could have been a brilliant opportunity to do just that.

Yaaaaasss šŸ‘ 100% THIS. šŸ¾
18/12/2021

Yaaaaasss šŸ‘

100% THIS. šŸ¾

ā€œItā€™s all in how you raise themā€

If I had a penny for every time I heard that phrase, Iā€™d be sending my own shuttles up into space. But since I donā€™t, I simply have to grit my teeth and roll my eyes.

Itā€™s usually applied when a dog bites a person or other dog, by owners who got lucky with their ā€˜friendlyā€™ dogs, and therefore believe they champion perfect puppy-raising. Itā€™s also sometimes used as an excuse for people not attempting to manage or counter condition their rescue dogs, because they were raised ā€˜wrongā€™ originally, meaning theyā€™re now fixed the way they are.

Saying that everything our dogs feel, how they respond to their environment and behave is down to how theyā€™re raised is a gross oversimplification of how this really works.

When I take my three dogs out for a walk, you can see this in motion. All three dogs were raised in almost the same way, Iā€™ve had all since a young age, and all were brought up in the same household.

My border terrier will be sniffing the ground, looking down rabbit holes, digging and crawling through the brambles to find creatures.

My mountain breed mix will be climbing. She will climb rocks, trees and banks, even when it seems physically impossible to do so.

My sheepdog will be herding the other two. She will get low to the ground, run around then, crawl and pounce.

The terrier has never been taught to hunt, the mountain dog has never been taught to climb and the sheepdog has never been taught to herd. At face value, if all behaviour is down to nurture, each of them should display the same repertoire of behaviour with little divergence, so why are they all so different?

Genetics play a big role in behaviour expression. As do epigenetics- inheritable memories. So does the environment in-utero, the ratio of males to females in a litter, the number of pups in the litter, how easy the birth was and much more.

I could teach my terrier the behaviours required to herd sheep, but it would never be as fluid and natural as it would be to my sheepdog. I could teach my sheepdog to catch rats, but her inherent response would never be as rapid as the terrier.

And I can, and have, taught my terrier to disengage from (and not kill) rabbits, Guinea pigs, chickens, cats and hamsters. But that instinct is still there, and itā€™s a lot harder to get that disengagement from her than it is from the sheepdog.

Out of my three dogs raised in the same way, one of them is reactive to unknown dogs and people. She was not taught to be that way, she was never handled harshly to get that response, but she was still reactive. With a lot of management and counter conditioning training, her level of reactivity has significantly reduced, however it is still there. She will always be more sensitive and hypervigilant than the other dogs, itā€™s just the way she is. I didnā€™t do anything wrong with her, and I didnā€™t do anything exceptional with the others to make them more social.

Thatā€™s not to say that bad experiences canā€™t make dogs behaviour change. But there are dogs that an owner could beat daily and they will never show aggression, and there are dogs that could be treated perfectly and still be a nervous wreck. It certainly isnā€™t all down to how they are raised.

When I see an owner with a reactive dog, or a dog displaying undesirable behaviours, I donā€™t immediately assume that the owner is the problem. In fact, an owner managing a reactive dog is doing a lot better in my books than an owner allowing their ā€˜friendlyā€™ dog to run out of control.

Similarly, Iā€™ve seen people allowing their rescue dogs to run riot and attack other dogs because ā€˜theyā€™re a rescue and were abused in their previous homeā€™, which apparently translates to ā€˜thereā€™s no point trying to help this dog live a more comfortable, less destructive lifeā€™. Of course, itā€™s hard when our dogs have had bad experiences, but behaviour is never fixed and management is crucial.

We donā€™t get to choose the cards we get dealt when getting our dogs. Yes, knowing the temperament of the parents and family can help us, but that still doesnā€™t guarantee our own dog will be behaviorally sound. All we can do is work with what we get, and manage in the best way we can.

And remember- itā€™s NOT all in how you raise them!

13/11/2021

This is incredible šŸ˜

Jasper - Session  #3With Jasper, our first two sessions were at home, working on his reactions to, and acceptance of vis...
03/11/2021

Jasper - Session #3

With Jasper, our first two sessions were at home, working on his reactions to, and acceptance of visitors at home.

Today was our first session ā€œon tourā€ and first session with another dog in the equation. He did very well considering the exciting, new environment too!

Duke played his part of stooge dog very well and I think he was happy to be working again. šŸ¾

02/11/2021

What else are you supposed to do with the empty box for a new pair of shoes?! šŸ¤·šŸ»ā€ā™€ļøšŸ¾

Kept him busy for over 5 minutes! ā°

20/10/2021

Do you own any of the following breeds? Would you like to help contribute to our study?

The BOAS Research Group in Cambridge is undertaking a study into whether other short-muzzled breeds have any of the same breathing problems that can affect some pugs, French bulldogs and English bulldogs. We are also collecting data for research into Chiari-like malformation/syringomyelia. The study involves a free of charge BOAS (breathing function) assessment and physical examination.

We are studying 13 different short-muzzled (brachycephalic) breeds in total and will be recruiting them in different phases; if you donā€™t see your breed listed today, please watch this space!

Not all brachy breeds are the same and our research will study the differences between the those that affected and those that are at a reduced risk. This will help us to improve recognition and treatment options for those affected and improve breed health schemes to secure the future health and welfare of these breeds.

Please email Fran Tomlinson if you would like to take part or for further information: [email protected]

19/10/2021
19/10/2021

STOP PRESS: The RSPCA reporting log has gone live. Please use it to report any problems you have with fireworks/animals as the government need facts and figures before they take any action. Up to now there have been no official figures because no one is collecting and collating the information. This is an official RSPCA initiative to provide government with the information they need.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/TKWMJJC

Although it may look like a one off survey it CAN and should be completed EVERY time an animal is affected by fireworks. You can complete it as many times as you need.

We understand that you may want to check it is bona fide before completing so you can find it on the RSPCA website. From their main page https://www.rspca.org.uk/ go to the menu and select:

* Get Involved
* Campaign
* Fireworks

Then Scroll down the page until you see the green box with "share your story" (almost at the bottom of the page). Click on the "share your fireworks story" button to begin.

You can see the RSPCA privacy notice at the bottom of their page.

Okayā€¦ these look pretty cool! šŸ¤“ šŸ¾
10/10/2021

Okayā€¦ these look pretty cool! šŸ¤“ šŸ¾

Gift for dog lovers/puppy

Productive, yellow Labrador puppy filled day! šŸ’›Catch up session with 14week old Tilly - recapping on recall, lead walkin...
09/10/2021

Productive, yellow Labrador puppy filled day! šŸ’›

Catch up session with 14week old Tilly - recapping on recall, lead walking and leave/drop. Clever as ever! šŸ¤“

Then I whizzed straight over to meet 7 month old Jasper.

Jasper has some fear related reactivity towards people and other dogs. Initially he was on the offensive when introduced to me, but after some free work in the garden, he was holding my hand šŸ„° I look forward to helping him overcome his fears in the future.

07/10/2021

Sudden onset blindness and dilated pupils are just two of the symptoms your pet could experience if they lick or eat even a small amount of equine worming product.

šŸ¶šŸ±To help keep your cats and dogs safe when worming your horse:

ā€¢ Keep them out of the immediate area you are worming in
ā€¢ Prevent access to stables until they are mucked out afterwards
ā€¢ Clean up any spillages or any wormer that your horse spits out
ā€¢ Dispose of used worming syringes in a sealed bin
ā€¢ Store wormers securely.

Be aware that some dogs belonging to certain breeds, for example Collies, can be more sensitive to ivermectin-based wormers and these dogs can show signs of poisoning even when a small amount is eaten.

If you ever suspect your pet has eaten equine wormer or they seem unwell having been around your horse at the time of worming, contact your vet for advice. Following early veterinary treatment, the dog in the photo did make a full recovery šŸ‘©ā€āš•ļø.

To learn more visit: https://www.bhs.org.uk/advice-and-information/horse-health-and-sickness/worming/worm-treatment-and-control

Advice provided by: Christina Kuhl, Veterinary Surgeon, VetPartners


šŸ“øRed Bluff Veterinary Clinic

07/10/2021

Why Donā€™t You Listen? is a beautifully illustrated story book, teaching children how to recognise when dogs are in pain. It's a must read for all families that share their lives and homes with our four-legged friends to give
Order now on https://www.camonlineshop.com/why-dont-you-listen-book/

03/10/2021
03/10/2021
Another gorgeous Labrador puppy for training! šŸŽ‰14 week old Murphy šŸ˜An absolute little geek! šŸ¤“ His pawrents have already ...
03/10/2021

Another gorgeous Labrador puppy for training! šŸŽ‰

14 week old Murphy šŸ˜

An absolute little geek! šŸ¤“
His pawrents have already nailed a fair few tricks/cues.

Today we just worked on some desensitisation, boundary work and talked about typical puppy biting and ways to remedy that. šŸ¾

Looking forward to working with this little boffin some more!

Follow up training session with the absolutely adorable Tilly a few days ago šŸ˜šŸ¾Now 12weeks, we started proofing her loos...
01/10/2021

Follow up training session with the absolutely adorable Tilly a few days ago šŸ˜šŸ¾

Now 12weeks, we started proofing her loose lead walking and recall out and about in the real world!

Such a gorgeous little madam and I canā€™t wait to watch her grow! šŸ„°

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