More For Dogs

04/08/2024

📕 More For Dogs' Puppy Classes are a 7 week course with an extensive handbook to keep, plus a dedicated WhatsApp group to ask questions and give updates between sessions (aswell as asking questions during & at the end of sessions in person) 💬

👩‍🏫 Practical obedience teaching includes down, stay, recall, lead walking, leave, hand signals and much, much more! 🎓

️✅️ ️️Behaviour training includes prevention of chewing & mouthing, jumping up, stealing items, toileting accidents...And teaching you how to better understand your dog 🧠

🐩 Plenty of socialisation and training around distractions 🥎

💙 All whilst having loads of fun and bonding time with your new four-legged family member!! 🥰

02/08/2024

🐾 Last 3 places remaining on the next Puppy Class starting Thursday 15th August at 6pm in Staincross 🐶

Research shows that it is vitally important to properly socialise and train your puppy from a young age to create a happy and well-rounded adult dog, so it's never too early to start!

Puppies need to be under 6 months old to join this class, as by this time they are moving to adolescence which is the equivalent of an 18yr old human!! 🫣

So if you think your pup is too young, get in touch and I can organise the best solution to ensure we start you off on the right track from the most opportune time! 🐾

16/07/2024

I had to share this BEAUTIFUL snuffle mat that the lovely George's mum made for him 🧡💛💚💙💜🩷❤️ this has to be the best one I've seen so far!!

Does anyone else have a pretty snuffle mat for their pup?!

If you don't, they are super easy to make simply with a rubber mat (the ones with lots of holes!) and any kind of soft material such as fleece, old towels, old clothing etc, cut into strips and tied through the holes! Then scatter with dry food and let them snuffle and sniff it out! A great form of mental enrichment for your pooch and keeps them entertained for much longer than a simple bowl of food!

24/06/2024

📢 LAST remaining space on June's Puppy Class! 📢

21/06/2024

More For Dogs Puppy Classes focus on more than just bog standard obedience...I love doing different things each week to make sure your pups are set up for the real world and not only can ignore distractions in training but also experience strange things so that they grow up to be confident and unafraid of new things!

So, for the last session, I always ask puppy parents to bring something unusual for the pups to experience and this week had to be the best one yet!! Ziva's mum brought her beautiful tortoise to class for everyone to meet and the puppies had a blast giving her a good sniff!! 🐢🐶 My job is crazy and brilliant 🤣💚

21/06/2024

Congratulations to Sully, Ziva, Taz, Rossie, Norman, Lola and Penny on completing Puppy Class this week!! 🥳 They have all done fantastically learning new skills and all made friends too! All the best to you all with your continued training and I look forward to hearing updates! 🐾

18/06/2024

Just 🐾 2 places 🐾 remaining on Puppy Class starting next Thursday (27th June) at 6pm for puppies under 6 months old! Feel free to get in touch with any questions or if you'd like to book 😊

08/05/2024

May's Puppy Class is fully booked - I can't wait to get started with another lovely group of pups and their humans 🐶🐕😃 If you have a young pup or are due to bring one home soon - feel free to get in touch about the next class (starting in June) 🐾

03/05/2024

As I realise I haven't really done this before, I thought I'd write a little bit to introduce myself to anyone who hasn't been here before!

I'm Vikki, and I know it's a cliché to say, but I really have wanted to work with dogs since being tiny!! I remember thinking to myself in maths lessons at school 'I'm never going to need this as a dog trainer!'

I studied Animal Behaviour at the University of Chester and gained my BSc degree in 2014. Since then, I have volunteered and worked with professional dog behaviourists & dog charities, including being a dog trainer for Dogs Trust. All along though, I knew I wanted to work more closely with dog parents and be able to tailor training to their individual needs. So, I set up More for Dogs in 2019.

I believe that dog training should always be kind and understanding, and that it is never a 'quick fix' as this only leads to problems later. Ultimately, your dog is your family member so I teach *you* how to work with him/her so you can understand him/her and have a happy relationship together.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to meeting you and your furry family member soon!
The photos of are of my dogs Bella & Molly! 🐾🐾

02/05/2024

I've had a cancellation which means there are 2 places remaining on Puppy Class starting 6pm on Thursday 9th May 😃🐾

Having never had any real length of time off from Puppy Classes since getting my Animal Behaviour degree 10 years ago, it has felt very strange having 8 months off during my maternity leave and I'm very much looking forward to being back to teaching puppies and helping dog parents 😄🐶

22/04/2024

Just 🌟3 places🌟 remaining on Puppy Class starting Thursday 9th May in Staincross 🐾

What your dog will learn:
🐶 Sit, Down, Stand, Stay & Wait with both voice and hand signals
🐶 Drop & Leave items
🐶 Recall
🐶 Lead Walking
🐶 Socialisation around other people, dogs, sounds and things

What YOU will learn:
🐶 How your dog thinks & learns
🐶 How to prevent problems in the future, and how to change any current problems, with an understanding of why it's happening so it won't happen again!
🐶 How to choose the healthiest food for your dog
🐶 Understand why we use rewards in training and how to use them
🐶 What NOT to do and why!

All leading to a happy relationship with your new family member for years to come! 💚

10/04/2024

GREAT NEWS! I've had the go ahead for Puppy Classes to return on Thursday 9th May 🎉🎉

I can't wait to get my fix of puppy cuddles back after my maternity leave!!

Spaces on this are already booking up fast from a waiting list so please get in touch soon if you would like more information or to book your place.

WhatsApp is the best place to get me - 07719 616911
Or email [email protected]

Looking forward to meeting more lovely puppies soon! 🐶🐾

12/02/2024

🐾 It's so difficult missing out on working with lots of dogs & puppies whose humans have been getting in touch during my maternity leave, but I'm planning to get back up and running with Puppy Classes in May!

* One-to-one work will also be available again soon *

Thank you for keeping in touch and I'm looking forward to meeting more lovely pups soon!!

I will update this page when bookings are open - feel free to get in touch for any info in the meantime 🐾

02/08/2023

Congratulations to Bingo, Sully, Rosy, Pippa (plus Maggie, Bear and Bruno who couldn't make the last session) for graduating from Puppy Class last week! 🎉 They have been a fab class and all the pups have got on so well together!

I am now on maternity leave, so things will be quiet on the More For Dogs front for a little while! However, both puppy classes & one-to-one sessions will be back up and running as soon as I feel ready to! 🐾👶

16/06/2023

All Puppy Classes are now fully booked, as the end of the current class will mark the start of my maternity leave! I plan to start them back up again as soon as I'm able to 🐾

09/06/2023

Mickey learning how much fun a tunnel is at Puppy Class! ❤️

03/06/2023

🐶🐾 Just a couple of places left on Puppy Class starting Thursday 15th June at 6pm in Staincross 🐾🐶

02/06/2023

I have posted about this before, but I think it's a really interesting topic so I'm posting again 😂
It's a great example of how a study has been misinterpreted/misremembered and yet the incorrect information spreads like wildfire!

This is a very common occurance in the dog world and I often meet dog owners who are really worried about something they've heard, that in reality has no truth to it at all!

Other examples off the top of my head inclue 'dominance theory' (in which Dr Mech, a wolf expert, initially wrote about the idea of dominance theory, and then later wrote that infact this was completely incorrect after further research) and also the idea of only being able to walk your puppy for a certain number of minutes per month of age (of which is flawed logic for a number of reasons, including that every breed and individual dog is completely different!)

Unfortunately misinformation such as these examples can cause a number of real problems for both dogs and their owners, where things are either followed or avoided which don't need to be

https://www.facebook.com/100064749486468/posts/642997294535248/

❌ MYTH: Dogs can't eat garlic
✅ BUSTED: Yes they can!

Garlic is good for dogs! But many veterinarians and websites say that even a small amount of garlic can kill your dog.

Here's how the myth started ... There was a study in 2000 when the equivalent of 20 heads of garlic were given to 4 dogs over 7 days. Now that’s excessive by any standard.

You see, the researchers wanted to see if garlic affected the hemoglobin in red blood cells. These four dogs were INJECTED with concentrated garlic extract DIRECTLY INTO THEIR STOMACHS for 7 days. And nothing happened.

The study states: "However, no dog developed hemolytic anemia." But the recommendation to avoid garlic in dogs is what everyone remembers.

So here's why you should feed garlic to dogs:
✅ It's antibiotic, antifungal and antiparasitic
✅It been shown to repel fleas and ticks
✅It has anti-cancer effects

👉 Click here to read about more of the benefits of garlic for your dog. https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/garlic-for-dogs-poison-or-medicine/

01/06/2023

📖👀 Did you know that research shows that dogs who attended puppy classes early on are less likely to experience fears, have fewer problematic behaviours and are overall less stressed as adults?!

TL;DR - Puppy classes are FUN, INFORMATIVE and teach you how to teach your dog to be a well-rounded family member ❤️

It's common to picture a puppy class as somewhere to simply teach a dog how to walk up and down a hall on a lead or sit and lie down when asked, but More for Dogs puppy classes focus on much MORE than this - things I believe to be even more important.

Of course obedience is important to keep your dog safe and to ensure a harmonious relationship between dog and owner, but puppies have so much to learn about the world, that making sure their learning and socialisation is carried out properly from early on is absolutely imperative.

More For Dogs puppy classes focus on not only how to teach your dogs useful skills, but also:
🐾 How to avoid common problems such as resource guarding and recall difficulties, and how to deal with puppy habits such as chewing and mouthing!
🐾 How to properly socialise your dog with other people, dogs, sounds and things to ensure he grows up to be confident and well-rounded family member
🐾 How to identify what your dog is trying to tell you, and why they act the way they do
🐾 How to know what's best to feed your dog to aid both his health and his behaviour in a world which is full of dog foods that cause problems!
🐾 Being able to talk to the other puppy owners both at class & in the dedicated WhatsApp group, so you can see that what your puppy is doing is actually quite normal!

My clients often tell me that being armed with this range of knowledge means they know what to do if they face any difficulties with their dog along the way (such as that pesky teenage phase!!), and of course they always have me to speak to if they are unsure.

And they also tell me how much FUN they had at class and how they and any family members they bring with them (including children) enjoyed coming each week! Afterall, we bring dogs into our family to enjoy and love them! ❤️

If you would like any more information on puppy class, please get in touch and I'd be more than happy to have a chat! 🐶

27/05/2023

🌟 Next Puppy Class start date is Thursday 15th June at 6pm in Staincross 🌟

This week we've been practicing different movements whilst pups are in 'stay'! Rather than always walking in a straight line away from them, it's important that dogs are also able to stay when we walk away in different directions, turn our backs, go out of sight and other distractions are involved. This is why we build up these exercises (aswell as so many other types of learning!) in class, along with the distractions of the other puppies around them of course! Clever puppies!! 🐶❤️

27/04/2023

🐶 Spaces available on Puppy Class for puppies from teeny-tiny to 5 months old! 😄

22/04/2023

Congratulations to Toby, Rocky, Muffin, Teddy, Ernie, Luna, Millie, Teddie, Bowie (and also Lenny, Sandy & Mabel who couldn't make this week) on completing puppy class this week 😁
I think the pups have made friends for life and everyone has done brilliantly in teaching them all sorts of vital skills! 🏅🎉🐾

16/04/2023

🐾 Next Puppy Class start date is Thursday 27th April at 6pm in Staincross 🐾

19/03/2023

Happy Mother's Day to both human mums and dog mums 😃💐

07/03/2023

There are a couple of places left to join Puppy Class starting 🌟tomorrow evening🌟 in Staincross! Please get in touch for more info 😊

06/03/2023

Just because it made me laugh 😂

06/03/2023

Really lovely reviews from the most recent Puppy Class - thank you so much 🙂🐶🐕

04/03/2023

A massive well done to this week's Puppy Class graduates Ragnar, Ernie, Daisy, Luna and also Marley (who couldn't make this week) 🥰👏

They've all been a pleasure from week 1, and it's been fantastic to see them all progress and achieve so much over the weeks! Great work and keep it up 😄

27/02/2023

📣🐾 Extra Puppy Class time added! 🐾📣

This is a 7 week course for puppies up to 5 months old. Takes place at indoor venue in Staincross on Wednesday evenings. Please get in touch for more info 🐕

Topics covered include:

🐶 Food & Feeding

🐶 How to kindly and effectively train with rewards for the best relationship with your dog

🐶 Mental stimulation

🐶 Sit, down, stand, stay, recall, lead walking, hand signals, leave and more

🐶 Socialisation with people, dogs and new things

🐶 How to avoid common problems and deal with puppy difficulties such as chewing/mouthing, toileting, leaving dogs home alone, jumping up and more

🐶 Puppy agility and lots more fun!

07719 616911
[email protected]
www.morefordogs.co.uk

24/02/2023

Puppy Class Wednesday 8th March at 6pm is fully booked, so I will be looking to add an additional start time. Please get in touch if you would like more info 🐾🐶