Jenny Gould Sports Dog Training

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Jenny Gould Sports Dog Training Sports Dog Trainer. Reward based training. Available for private/group/online training

Mother & Daughter pics from a recent show...how similar are they???Yet they are also so different. Look closer at the p...
30/03/2025

Mother & Daughter pics from a recent show...how similar are they???

Yet they are also so different. Look closer at the pics, not necessarily at the aesthetics.... look deeper. You can see the difference in their characters in these pictures.

Always remember that your dog is an individual. My dogs are all homebred and all closely related. For sure I can see some familial traits but I can also see differences.

I embrace their individuality..in fact I love it. They bring varying challenges and triumphs and I thrive on each new relationship.

You may own one breed or you may own several breeds. ....still they are all individuals.

Train the dog in front of you and embrace that journey!

28/03/2025

Our Greatest Competition....

I was sat here with my cup of tea watching Queenie and her 12 week old daughter playing in the garden.

The games varied from bitey games to zoomies to tuggy but one thing was for sure and that is that they were having a fabulous time!

I am very lucky in that Queenie is an exceptional mother who literally adores all of her children from her 2 litters. Little Tove is from Queenie's second litter and was staying with us so their relationship is of paramount importance to me.

Tove was also likely to compete in dog sports in future so I was very aware that she also needed to find me rewarding to be with but this will not be exclusive. At that stage I could see her having so much fun with her mother. Their relationship was already cemented in that they are family and they absolutely adore each other.

My relationship with Tove was only just beginning.

So did I restrict her access to her Mother? No chance! Did I ensure she had regular play sessions with me? Absolutely. Play holds a pivotal role in relationship building. The science tells us that play is integral in our dogs building and evolving their social skills. So I had to up my game (excuse the pun) if I was to compete with the wonderful relationship she had with her Mother and her other doggy friends.

I have twice had littermates in the past, mad I know! Yet their relationships with me were incredibly strong. 3 of the 4 became Obedience Champions. My priority for my dogs is their home life first and their sports life second. I do not believe in keeping my dogs apart in the name of sport and to try to negate their relationships with the rest of the family.

So whether you are raising a family pet or a sports dog it is imperative that you learn to play with your dog, in whatever form they value. I utilise all forms of reinforcement in my training but play in some form is ALWAYS involved.

What did my individual sessions involve with Tove at as a puppy? You got it...play!

"Build the relationship and the training will come" ❤️

The price of progression.In order to progress a behaviour you will often find that you experience a step or two backward...
28/03/2025

The price of progression.

In order to progress a behaviour you will often find that you experience a step or two backwards. You mange to teach the dog the next step and then something else goes awry.

A common example is when you push for duration in an exercise. It could be a wait, it could be a hand touch, it could be stability at the back marker in the sendaway. All of a sudden your dog loses confidence. Your dog breaks the wait, your dog is slow coming to the hand, your dog no longer recalls from the sendaway.

Cue handler panic!! 'We have a problem Houston!' You don't have a problem...you simply have the transitional phase that you need to work through. If you have a dog who learns literally you will see this pattern regularly and most especially until you learn how to navigate through these stages effectively.

What then happens is that the handler wants to return to their fluffy comfortable state where everything is rainbows and stars. From a mental perspective it is a much nicer place to be! Let's face it last time you did A, B or C it all fell apart....it is understandable you will avoid going there again!

You have choices in dog sports. You either stay in your comfy zone or you learn to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and evolve as a trainer.

Find yourself a coach who can help you know when to push forwards and when to rebuild again. A trainer who helps you through those holes you have dug and then encourages you to look forwards.

Once you understand the process you will cease to worry about the transitional phase. You will stop panicking about 'but last time I did X Y or Z this happened'. You will stop worrying about the hole you clawed yourself out of previously. You will begin to learn that these phases are a normal part of progression.

Stop looking back and start looking forwards. Behaviour is fluid, it is always fluid and riding those waves is simply the path to progression.

photo courtesy of the brilliant Brian McGovern

27/03/2025

❤️❤️❤️ Look at that position!!!

Sports heelwork is suitable for all sizes and yep even small dogs can keep a tight heel position!

Great job Kerry and Rubble 🙌

Puppy PrivilegesPeople often talk about puppy privileges. A well known "license" afforded to puppies by well balanced a...
26/03/2025

Puppy Privileges

People often talk about puppy privileges. A well known "license" afforded to puppies by well balanced adult dogs. A license which allows them to behave in ways that would be inappropriate in an older dog. No different than in humans where we hold different expectations for a 2 year old compared to a teenager.

However we as humans are not so good at affording puppy privileges. We see normal puppy behaviour as something that needs to be trained, changed or dissected and analysed. This is a trait I see often amongst experienced dog owners and most especially amongst us trainers.

For sure we need to be mindful and proactive in encouraging appropriate learning but let them be puppies first and foremost! Whether you are rearing a sports dog or a family pet just let them be.....let them be the babies they are, let them take in the wonders of the world without us putting expectations and pressure on them. Just let them be.

It is not a race! Your puppy may need more time in some subjects than other puppies, so what? Do not rush integration with your other dogs if any party is unsure. Do not rush teaching them manners if your puppy is naturally polite. Do not rush to teach them sit and stay or retrieve or heelwork. Just let them be. Find out who they are first and start to build YOUR relationship. The other stuff will come and you will do a better job of it for letting them be puppies first.

Stop stressing about what you should or should not be doing with them. Just let them be.

This was my puppy Tove on a training course at just 11 weeks old and in the middle of a ring with sendaway cone .....just being a puppy.

24/03/2025

Do you need more accuracy in your turns?

Do you keep training them and see no improvement?

Dogs very quickly learn set patterns so consider serpentines instead...keep them guessing!

Start wide and make them tighter as your dog improves. You will soon see an improvement in your turns without directly tackling them head on.

20/03/2025

Arousal - good or bad?

We need some..we definitely need some! However over arousal can cause us no end of problems in dog sports.

This live was a video I did of Tove when she was around 12 months old.

I had to look at the bigger picture when she was young. She had all the attributes of a fabulous sports dog but she struggled with over arousal.

In order to be able to use her arousal to our best advantage I had to take a step back from her sports training and consider the whole picture.

Until Tove could manage her frustration there was little point in training exercises. We were only going to set ourselves up for trouble for future.

This is a perfect example of why I am never in a hurry with my young dogs. There is so much more to dog sports than teaching the exercises themselves.

Getting to know the dog and how best to work with them is the starting point.

18/03/2025

Does your dog understand when he is on 'free time'?

This is a vital yet much neglected exercise to teach your dog for both domestic life and also dog sports.

All too often dogs do not clearly understand when they are on free time which causes all sorts of grey areas when it comes to asking your dog to work with you.

The following is a great little exercise my dogs are all taught from young.

If you consistently give your verbal release cue simultaneously when you release the lead then your dog will learn to run when they hear the click.

Ensure your dog only runs when they hear your verbal cue. Let the second lead work its magic if your dog attempts to make a bid for freedom before you give permission. The less you say, the more powerful the learning in this exercise. The second lead will prevent your dog from leaving and allow them to learn that the freedom only comes when you give your cue.

Tove checks in with me to earn her freedom. Build up to this. In the early days of teaching this exercise if your dog just hesitates when the clip is removed quickly give the cue and then delay how long and wait for a check in before giving the cue.

Free time is of huge value to your dog, let them work out how to earn it...

16/03/2025

Day 1 was Back To Basics and especially so for the baby of my group .... 12 months old Chitta.

First up was the Article Grab game! I love this exercise. It teaches dogs that an article is simply a vessel to earn their reinforcement. No hesitating and no investigating... the quicker she grabs, the quicker she gets her ball.

This box of articles belongs to a friend. They smell of my friend's dogs and they were all articles she had never seen before.

Building the right foundations from the beginning sets them up for success when they reach the higher levels as opposed to unpicking a retrieve where the dog investigates, paws, hesitates or refuses to pick up a judges article.

Go Chitta

Today is the first day of 10 days of sports training camp!❤️ I have been so looking forward to this DIY training camp to...
15/03/2025

Today is the first day of 10 days of sports training camp!

❤️ I have been so looking forward to this DIY training camp to kickstart training with my girls this season.

Sometimes a block of time dedicated just to dog training is the jumpstart you need to set the wheels in motion for a structured training approach.

👀Keep your eyes peeled for some little snippets along the way....

Dreams, goals and aspirations are so totally personal to the individual.Any one individual's circumstances will dictate ...
12/03/2025

Dreams, goals and aspirations are so totally personal to the individual.

Any one individual's circumstances will dictate the path their journey takes them. What is a huge achievement for one person may be small for another.

Tao has been my most successful dog to date. Winning 9 tickets, joint Top Dog 2022 (the first GSD to have won this award) and placed 4th in the 2024 Obedience Championships. He was the first GSD to be placed at the Obedience Championships in almost 20 years.

Having suffered a ruptured disc in his back in 2021 I never thought he would walk again, let alone be able to return to competing. For me, the wins and the accolades are the icing on the cake. To have achieved this post injury is simply amazing. You absolutely can achieve when it seems all odds are against you.

So many people have contacted me to say that they missed seeing my GSDs in the Championships this year. Hell I missed working my GSDs this year.

Tao's last 'ticket' round was Crufts 2024 and what a round it was!

2025 is my first year in some time not competing in the Obedience Championships at Crufts. I am here today to support my...
09/03/2025

2025 is my first year in some time not competing in the Obedience Championships at Crufts.

I am here today to support my friends on the green carpet!

Good luck everyone!!!

Coming to Crufts today??? Come watch our demos 11.05 & 4.10pm
07/03/2025

Coming to Crufts today??? Come watch our demos 11.05 & 4.10pm

🎉🎉🎉 Huge Congratulations to our Sports Edition & GSD Club member Rachel on qualifying to work ticket with her gorgeous g...
05/03/2025

🎉🎉🎉 Huge Congratulations to our Sports Edition & GSD Club member Rachel on qualifying to work ticket with her gorgeous girl Hurry!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️Qualifying for the Championship class is no mean feat. It takes dedication, blood, sweat and tears....and then some.

Be proud of what you have achieved so far Rachel and have the best time in those big rings...get out there and show her off!!!

We are all so proud of you ❤️

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Sports Dog Trainer

“What if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?” - Erin Hanson

I am Jenny Gould and live in Bristol UK. I have trained and competed 3 home bred German Shepherd Obedience Champions and a fourth home bred dog now qualified for the Crufts Obedience Championships 2020. I believe that our dogs should have a choice whether they compete in sports competitions alongside us and that we owe it to them to show how wonderful it can be. The joy and love experienced throughout a sports journey is the most amazing feeling.....go take that leap!