The Canine Coach

02/08/2024

I can’t believe I’m saying this but I have no more availability to take on new clients for my Home Boarding until November! Also having a few booked in for next year too!

Your dog(s) become part of our family, with lots of love and care, exercise and mental stimulation.

All new clients require a trial night before any stay longer than 2 nights. So if you plan on going away in the future and would like your dog(s) to have a happy holiday too, please get organised and get a trial night booked in well in advance of your holiday! I don’t have any nights spare for a trial until November, so start those holiday plans for next year now!

29/07/2024

Trying to achieve a loose lead whilst taking your dog on a walk can be hard work and sometimes it’s easy to fall into bad habits!

Having a good length lead means your dog can have some roaming space to be able to sniff about without pulling your arm off. Remember it’s their walk, so let them do what them enjoy!

Anytime you catch them looking up at your mark and reward this! You’re telling them that you like that behaviour and they get something good out of it. This means they’ll likely repeat it which increases the length of time your lead with be loose for!

If your dog does pull, once they’ve reached the end of the lead, slow to a stop . Dogs often pull because they’ve learnt it gets them to where they want to go. So we can counter this and tell them that it actually takes longer for them to get somewhere when they are pulling. Once they’ve slacked off the lead slightly you can mark this and encourage them back to you and then continue. Please don’t pull them backwards as they won’t understand why you are doing this!

When you reward your dog for having a loose lead, make sure you do so in the position you want them to repeat. So in this case, give them a treat when they are standing/walking by your side (or near enough). If you reward when they are in front and facing you, then you’ll unintentionally reward that position. Which will actually slow your walk down!

If you would like some help achieve a nice loose lead whilst walking, please drop me a message on here, or you can find my contact info on my website!

25/07/2024

Training walks are service that seems to be quite popular recently. These 4 are some of the beauties I take out for training walks, and they have improved so much!

What is a training walk? I come and take your dog out for a walk and implement training that you would like help with. This can be anything you feel you need help with, such as loose lead walking, recall, or even just settling in an outside setting!

Why would you need a training walk? Because life can get in the way! If you work long hours, I imagine the last thing your brain wants to do is some focussed work trying to help your dog with certain behaviours. Or perhaps you’re feeling under the weather! That’s where I can step in and do the work for you!

What do you get? 45mins or 1 hour training walk for your dog. They’ll want a snooze after for sure. You’ll get a detailed run down of what we did and how we did it, so that when you have more time you can implement it too!

15/07/2024

I use food rewards with my clients because it’s scientifically proven to increase behaviour when using them as positive reinforcement. Our timing needs to be correct but generally, giving your dog a tasty snack after they’ve performed a behaviour such as a SIT or not jumped up, means they will likely repeat that same behaviour again because it produced a result that they liked!

A common question I get asked is, “when can I stop using food?” My answer is simply never! We as humans get paid money for working, that is our reward for spending time doing a job. So if you went to work one day and your boss told you, they weren’t going to pay you, would you keep working for free? The answer is most likely no! And its no different for our dogs. If we stop paying them for things we like, they will choose to do something else that is rewarding for them. Now I’m not saying you have to give them a treat all the time for behaviours you like all day for the rest of their lives. We can FADE treats out and use verbal praise and touch too. But ultimately I would still use some treats here and there to keep reinforcing the behaviours you like.

If you have any training you would like to work on with your dog, or would like to start fading out treats, then get in touch and let’s see how I can help you help your dog!

26/06/2024

DID SOMEONE SAY FREE POWERBALL BUNGEE!!!

As a Tug-E-Nuff partner, I can share with you the power of play and save you £16.95!
Hit my invite link below and grab your free Powerball Bungee with any 2 toys and treat your pup to a new fun toy!
https://www.tug-e-nuff.co.uk/collections/offer?ref=thecaninecoach

If you need any help choosing the right toy combo for your pup, just drop a comment below or DM me and I'll help you out!

OR use Tug-E-Nuff's clever toy picker quiz and they'll help you sniff out your pooch's new favourite toys in minutes!

The PowerBall Bungees are a great alternative to those that might be a bit fetch obsessed and can be a great way to introduce games of tug. As well as being a new and fun reward for recall!

-E-Nuff

10/06/2024

At last my online puppy course is just about complete! So I am offering this course as a heavily discounted rate for the first 10 puppy owners to be! This course is designed help you prepare for your puppy coming home, and get them started off in life the best way possible. You can work through this course at your own pace, and revisit it over and over again. This will be going for £99 once all 10 spots are filled, but for the first 10 people that DM me the word PUPPY you’ll get it for £50!!! All I ask in return is some feedback on how I can improve it once you’ve completed it!

Hurry Hurry! Some spots are already taken!

04/06/2024

How do you deliver a treat to your dog?

Do they sn**ch? Nibble? Or even don’t take it?

When delivering a treat to your dog’s mouth, you should aim for your hand to be in a flat palm position like you would feed a horse (photo on the right) and deliver it under their chin.
The reason for this is so that your dog can take the treat when they are ready to take it. Whereas giving them a treat held in our fingers and pushing it directly to their mouth can come across as more force feeding them!

Some dogs are also a bit clumsy when taking treats, often using too much teeth which is uncomfortable for us. This then causes us to retreat our hand away from the mouth as they go to take it which actually encourages them to sn**ch it more or even causes them to initiating jumping up.

Changing our little body language may seem so small and silly, but it can make a big difference for your dog!

22/05/2024

Our dogs these days seem to struggle with doing nothing when out and about! This is often due to us not practising it!

Think about it, if we are always on the go out on our walks, it’s going to be alien to them to stop and do nothing. But by implementing short bursts throughout and rewarding calm behaviour we can start to instil relaxing when out and about.

Practising this skill helps improve self control in our dogs. It also allows you and them to actually take in the environment that’s around you. We often miss the beautiful things life has to offer us because we are always on the go! So just stop for a moment, take a deep breath in and exhale and enjoy what is around you!

Taking the time to pause and truly observe our surroundings can provide us with valuable insights and a deeper appreciation for the world around us. By honing this skill, we can learn to notice the beauty in small details, find inspiration in unexpected places, and cultivate a sense of mindfulness in our daily lives. So, next time you have a moment to spare, take a breath, look around, and embrace the art of observation.

14/05/2024

I always recommend taking treats out for your dog when you go out for walkies!

But what can you use? Anything your dog likes!
If you are concerned about their weight you can use a portion of their breakfast/dinner. This way you know your dog isn’t over eating! This is obviously easier if your dog is fed on kibble!

My favourite is chopped up pate! This has become a popular treat for dogs and there are wide varieties of flavours now too! I chopped up some rabbit pate this morning, but there is also duck, chicken, turkey, beef etc! The great thing about using pate is that you can chop it up into small little cubes so you don’t actually use a lot! You can also freeze it too so there’s no waste or risk of it going off!

There are also fresh options like chicken, or cheese. If your dog is a sn**cher, a great alternative is squeezy cheese! Save your fingers getting nibbled and teaches your dog to lick instead!

09/05/2024

New Services available at The Canine Coach!!

I am so pleased to announce that we have been granted a home boarding license by the Worcestershire Regulatory Service. To top it off, they awarded me with the highest rating possible for any new business!

So if you were thinking about planning a long weekend away, or maybe fancy jetting off somewhere sunny, now you’ve got no excuse! You can rest assured you’re dog will be in very capable hands here with The Canine Coach. My home will become their home and whilst you’re enjoying yourselves away, your pup will be having the best holiday too!

I already have 3/4s of June booked up so be quick to secure your pups slot! Drop me a message or take a look at my website and find my new services!

07/05/2024

This beautiful little girl is Poppy. She is a working line cocker spaniel who has come for some solo walks with the intention of moving her to group walks to help her socialisation skills.

However, after a couple of solo walks I noticed that Poppy seemed to be a little nervous of the outside world, she was overstimulated to the point she was unable to take a treat. This was a clear signal for me, because Poppy is actually a very food motivated dog!

So after chatting with Poppy’s mum, we agreed for her to come for some training walks instead. This means I can take everything at Poppy’s pace, listen to what she’s telling me, with the aim of showing her that walks can be fun and not overwhelming. The aim for Poppy now is for her to be comfortable in the outside world with the hopes to join my group walks!

This is a huge part in why I offer behavioural consultations, training walks and general walks. Having the knowledge to be able to adapt any service I offer is so important because the dogs health and welfare is my priority.

So if you are looking for a dog walker, who takes the time to get to know your dog for who they are. Learns their individual quirks and really listens to what they are trying to communicate, then drop me a message or visit my website - link in Bio. Allow me to help you help your dog.

29/04/2024

Have you ever considered how you handle your dogs lead?

Did you know that it can have a big impact on how you’re dog walks.

Often we anticipate our dogs going to pull, and when we do we prepare for this by either shortening the lead, bringing our arm closer to our body and bracing/leaning backwards. This is a completely natural response for us as humans. However this can mean we our the ones initiating the pulling on the lead - even if it is unintentional!

But what if I told you, relaxing may actually help your dog pull less? By changing how we hold the lead can help teach your body to relax. Now I’m not saying it’ll be easy to teach your body to do one thing when it’s been so used to doing things in a certain way for so long. But with practise we can train ourselves to relax more which in turn will help our dogs!

Changing your grip from a Pistol grip to a Trapeze grip will help you relax more. As well as being more secure for your dog.
Using a pistol grip uses smaller muscles that tire quicker, and when our arm tires, we bend it and raise it. Which leaves your dog with less space to move on the lead and initiates tension.

Give it a try and see if you feel a difference.
Drop me a message to let me know how you get on!

11/04/2024

It’s been another busy day here!

We’ve had 2 newbies start!

Handsome boy Spencer who’s working on his lead walking skills and dealing with the outside world.

Poppy who’s come for some solo walks with the hopes to join our group walks!

Rosie had her regular training walk today too and she really did herself proud today with lots of interactions with things she used to be terrified of!

A fab day all round and the sun even came out ☀️

10/04/2024

All about training walks today! The rain, wind and mud won’t stop us!

We welcomed new girl Indy to the crew! A beautiful rescue who is coming for some lead walking and recall work!

Mia was obviously getting tired towards the end of her walk.
And Skye discovered a big scary pine cone for the first time!

10/04/2024

Happy 4th Birthday to Maple! My first ever canine client and still with me now!

I hope you have the best day and no doubt Dad will buy you all the treats you desire 😍

14/02/2024

Will you show a rescue dog some love this Valentines?

For one day only Wednesday 14th February, Tug-E-Nuff are offering you the opportunity to treat your own dog to a fabulous tuggy and they’ll give a free toy to a dog in rescue.

Treat your dog this Valentines…

and Tug-E-Nuff will donate a powerball tuggy to a dog in rescue.
You pay no extra >>> buy 1 toy - give 1 toy (for free)

Double the love and show a dog in kennels some love today.
Just head to the link below and take your pick of tremendous tuggies.

Ready, set… LET’S DOUBLE THE LOVE
https://tug-e-nuff.co.uk/?ref=thecaninecoach

30/01/2024

Steer clear of dog trainers promising guaranteed results; such claims often lack empathy and a deep understanding of canine behavior. Dogs are individuals, and training outcomes can't be assured. This approach often overlooks a dog's emotional needs and may rely on outdated or harmful methods, lacking in proper education and respect for the dog's well-being.

24/01/2024

Choosing the right dog walker for your four-legged companion requires careful consideration. You want someone who not only enjoys spending time with dogs, but also follows high ethical standards. Here are the key factors you should consider ensuring that you're entrusting your canine friend to an ethical dog walker:

Understanding Your Dog's Unique Needs:

A considerate dog walker understands that every dog is an individual, with their own temperament, physical abilities, and personal comfort zones. They should be prepared to adapt their approach to suit your dog's specific needs, considering things like walking pace, distance, and any behavioural tendencies.

Considerate Group Sizes:

An ethical dog walker will limit the number of dogs they walk at the same time. This shows their commitment to offering each dog the attention and care they require, placing the welfare of the dogs above the potential to earn more by walking larger groups.

Commitment to Safety:

Look for a dog walker who prioritises safety. They should use suitable and secure equipment, such as robust leads and secure harnesses. Additionally, they should assure you that your dog will be safely fastened during transport and that they always follow road rules. The presence of a first aid kit is also a good indicator of their preparedness for emergencies.

Professionalism and Honesty:

A professional dog walker should maintain transparency with their clients. This means they're willing to discuss any incidents or issues that occur during the walk. They should also be clear about their services, fees, and any changes to schedules or plans.

Up-to-Date Canine Knowledge:

A responsible dog walker should keep updating their knowledge about dog behaviour, health concerns, breed-specific traits, and the latest developments in their field. This ongoing commitment to learning reflects their dedication to their profession and ability to provide optimal care for your dog.

By using these guidelines, you can find an ethical dog walker who not only provides a professional service but also genuinely cares for the well-being of your dog.

24/01/2024

I walk Skye (pictured) on a weekly basis. She has now been here in the UK with her new family for about 4months. On previous training walks we have walked past sheep with no reactions. However, a recent walk resulted in Skye barking. I was initially taken aback, and looked around as to what had sparked this reaction. The only thing that I could think of was the sheep - but we’ve never previously had an issue right? So what’s changed? What did I do in this situation?
I worked with Skye and listened to what she was telling me. I stayed where we were and simply asked Skye if she could sit for me. She couldn’t. So I walked away from the sheep and re-asked her to sit with her facing away from them. She completed this successfully and I rewarded her. By increasing the DISTANCE we reduced Skye’s stress response.

Next, we turned to face them, and build some POSITIVE focus on me. I let her look at the sheep if she wanted and rewarded her for doing nothing. Doing this sparked an engage-disengage game. Every time she looked over to the sheep and didn’t stress, I rewarded her - POSITIVE & CALM. Letting her know she is safe and we’re here for positive fun only! I didn’t walk nearer the sheep until I felt she was confident enough to do so. But I also actively walked away from them after every look over to help lower any stress she may have built up.
I didn’t do this for long just a brief positive encounter.

After doing so, my thoughts behind the sudden change in behaviour was simply down to her being confident enough to tell me how she feels. We’ve been working together for a while now building our relationship up and we are at the stage where Skye’s true personality is coming out. So instead of being worried about her barking at sheep in the distance, I was actually quite proud that she was able to tell me how she was feeling.

So over her next few training sessions, we will build up slowly to decreasing the distance between Skye and livestock whilst maintaining a positive and safe environment for her. Always make sure your dog is secure when working around livestock and that you work with a professional to ensure the best for you and your dog.

13/10/2023

This is your last day to grab a bargain! Go go go!

I’ve snagged you a special invitation…. But hurry, it’s about to expire - tick tock!

Go grab yourself 15% off ANY TWO Tug-E-Nuff toys with my exclusive partner discount code.

Just head here>>> https://offer.tug-e-nuff.co.uk?ref=thecaninecoach

Psssst…. If you splurge and treat your pup big style, you’ll also nab a FREE PowerBall.

Their PowerBalls are truly something special

Bright enough that you can find them anywhere

Made from natural rubber that wipes clean

That’s right - no more slobber, mud or soaking balls to carry home

Go grab your VIP access to the sale before it shuts down - and tell your dog I sent you!

Your VIP access link >>> https://offer.tug-e-nuff.co.uk?ref=thecaninecoach

10/10/2023

Just received this lovely review from the wonderful Mia and her mum!

Thank you 🥰

10/10/2023

Only 3 more days left to grab yourself a bargain!

I’ve snagged you a special invitation…. But hurry, it’s about to expire - tick tock!

Go grab yourself 15% off ANY TWO Tug-E-Nuff toys with my exclusive partner discount code.

Just head here>>> https://offer.tug-e-nuff.co.uk?ref=thecaninecoach

Psssst…. If you splurge and treat your pup big style, you’ll also nab a FREE PowerBall.

Their PowerBalls are truly something special

Bright enough that you can find them anywhere

Made from natural rubber that wipes clean

That’s right - no more slobber, mud or soaking balls to carry home

Go grab your VIP access to the sale before it shuts down - and tell your dog I sent you!

Your VIP access link >>> https://offer.tug-e-nuff.co.uk?ref=thecaninecoach

09/10/2023

I’ve snagged you a special invitation…. But hurry, it’s about to expire - tick tock!

Go grab yourself 15% off ANY TWO Tug-E-Nuff toys with my exclusive partner discount code.

Just head here>>> https://offer.tug-e-nuff.co.uk?ref=thecaninecoach

Psssst…. If you splurge and treat your pup big style, you’ll also nab a FREE PowerBall.

Their PowerBalls are truly something special

Bright enough that you can find them anywhere

Made from natural rubber that wipes clean

That’s right - no more slobber, mud or soaking balls to carry home

Go grab your VIP access to the sale before it shuts down - and tell your dog I sent you!

Your VIP access link >>> https://offer.tug-e-nuff.co.uk?ref=thecaninecoach

16/09/2023

Trying to achieve a loose lead whilst taking your dog on a walk can be hard work and sometimes it's easy to fall into bad habits! So here is a little dos and don'ts list for you.

If your dog does pull, once they've reached the end of the line, stand still. Dogs often pull because they've learnt it gets them to where they want to go. So we can counter this and tell them that it actually takes longer for them to get somewhere when they are pulling. Once they've slacked off the lead slightly you can continue. Please don't pull them backwards as they won't understand why you are doing this!

If you can change your walking directions frequently, it will keep your dog guessing and will result in them having to focus on you and where you are going. Don't just walk in boring straight lines - that's no fun for anyone! You could do some figure of 8's or simple 3 steps forward, 3 steps to the side, 3 steps back!

When you reward your dog for having a loose lead, make sure you do so in the position you want them to repeat. So in this case, give them a treat when they are standing/walking by your side (or near enough). If you reward when they are in front and facing you, then you'll unintentionally reward that position. Which will actually slow your walk down!

If you would like some help achieve a nice loose lead whilst walking, please drop me a message on here, or you can find my contact info on my website!

09/09/2023

Gundog Training!

Here, my client and his beautiful spaniel having their first gundog session. They’ve never done anything like this before so starting off with all the basics. Both did really really well and they’ve been hard at work ever since. Looking forward to our next one (when the weather is cooler) to work on some progressions!

If you and your dog would like to see how much fun gundog training can be then please drop me a message!!

27/08/2023

PLEASE READ.
This is such an important message for everyone.
When out walking your dog, please bear in mind that you may come across other dogs that are on leads. If you do, the best thing I can advise you to do, is simply change direction with your dog or put them on the lead. Just until you pass, and then let them off again (providing they won't just bolt back after the other dog).

WHY?
Simply because you do not know the reason behind why another dog may be on lead. They might be in training, and their guardian is trying to do some work with them. Or the on lead dog may not be very dog social. And they have every right to walk their dog in the same places as you.

In your interest, you also don't want to risk your recall failing if your dog decides to run over to say hello. Then not only do you run the risk of an unwanted situation, but also then de-valuing your recall. Your dog may then start to not listen when you call them back in future situations. It can also be an important lesson in teaching your dog that not every dog needs to be met.

When an interaction happens where one dog is on and the other is off-lead, greetings can often become a little tense and the on lead dog may feel restricted. If this starts to happen, then little scuffles can happen, which can have undesired effects for both parties.

Often the on lead dog is friendly, but it is safer to assume the guardian doesn't want other canine attention. There are usually plenty of other off lead dogs that your pup can interact with!

20/08/2023

COMING SOON…
I have been working very hard to get this together for all you new puppy mums and dads or soon to be.
Hopefully not too much longer but other work and 1:1 clients are keeping me busy too!

I have designed this programme for you to work through at your own pace.
Something you can read over and over and look back on for reference as and when you need to.
This will entail all the information you need BEFORE your puppy comes home to you. Something that is very often forgotten - things like scent swapping and a check list to ensure you have all you need for arrival day!It will also include topics such as crate training, toilet training, the first night, as well as useful cues and general life skills and handling.

This can be purchased on its own for a one off fee, or as part of a package. A variety of packages will be available such as combining the programme with some 1:1 sessions - because having someone there in person can make a big difference.
Or having 24/7 WhatsApp support to answer the little questions that you've been pondering.

My career as a Canine Coach isn't just to get your dog to sit or walk nicely on the lead.
My aim for all dog guardians is to help you help your dog, and ensure that you both can live happy lives together.
With this programme, I hope to help you and your puppy get the best start to your budding relationship.

04/08/2023

When working on your dogs skill sets we want to be focusing on 3 important progress factors.
The first is DURATION.
How long can they hold a sit position? Stand position? or whatever position is important for your relationship with your dog. Duration is the foundation for many cues we introduce to our dogs.
Some will often start to "creep" in position or get "itchy" if they nearing their threshold/capacity.
Once you build a good amount of duration for a skill, you can then start to increase another factor such as:
DISTANCE - how far away can you get from your dog and they still be able to hold the position you've asked of them.
DISTRACTION - what can go on in the environment around your dog whilst it's maintaining the position you've asked of them. This could be someone walking by, a dog walking by, balls being thrown, birds flying around etc.

It is important to note that when looking to improve your dogs skill capacity that duration comes first, then you choose either distance or distraction to work on. Without building duration, you're not going to be able to create distance or have distractions going on.

Avoid increasing distance and distraction at the same time, as this will likely be too much for your dog and potentially lead to failure. Personally I would focus on building a bit of distance before adding distractions.

If you'd like to learn more about increasing your dog skill set, drop me a message and let's discuss how I can help you, help your dog!