The Pet Behaviourist - Vanessa Ward

05/11/2024

The biggest lies most people believe about dog training!

1. Your dog isn’t food motivated - if a dog can’t take treats, it’s probably because they are too overworked or over stimulated. Very few dogs are truly not motivated by food. If your dog can take treats sometimes then the situations where they won’t are too hard.

2. The right tool will fix your dog pulling - I maaaaay have mentioned this before, but this is not true. Training, wellbeing and the right emotional state will help with dogs pulling.

3. Your dog is too stubborn to train - honestly dogs don’t really do ‘stubborn’ that’s a very complicated human emotion. If a dog isn’t training it’s probably because they don’t want to right now, don’t understand what you’re asking of them, are too distracted by the environment or aren’t motivated enough.

4. Using treats means you’re bribing your dog - in good training we actively avoid bribery! If the reward comes after the behaviour it isn’t a bribe, it’s payment. When using the training technique called ‘luring’ it can look more like bribing, but again the reward comes after the behaviour.

04/11/2024

Time for a game! Guess the breed 🥰

This is Dave, who is absolutely adorable! I met him this week to help him bond with his new sister- but what breed is he? 🤔

I’ll let you know on Friday!

01/11/2024

Happy Friday everyone and thank you to all my wonderful clients doing the most for their pets this week 🥰

This week I’ve seen:
🐾 a new rescue Pomeranian for reactivity
🐾 Collie for reactivity
🐾 2 French bulldogs, one is a new tiny puppy to help introduce them
🐾 Collie cross who’s learning to settle in cafes
🐾 French bulldog who pulls on his lead in certain situations

Yet its Bear who gets to snooze on the sofa this afternoon 🤣

If you need help with your dog, cat or rabbits behaviour send me a message and we can have a feee chat about how I can help 📩

31/10/2024

Here’s how a dog or pups should look and behave during a training session:

• Engaged
You want your dog or pup to be looking at and interacting with you.

• Confident
If you’re dog or pup seems timid or fearful, you’ve probably progressed too quickly in your training and their not quite ready for this bit yet.

• Focused
If they can’t focus on you, you’ve probably progressed too quickly and they’re not ready for this level of distraction. Opting in a listening to you is what we want.

• Willing
You want them to be trying things and giving it a go! Good rewards help with this.

• Bouncy
This actually depends on what you’re training! In general though bouncy and loose body language means a dog or pups happy and having a good time.

• Enthusiastic
It’s important that they want to train! If they don’t seem enthusiastic stop and try another time. Keep sessions short to maintain enthusiasm and avoid frustration.

Message for info about my next puppy classes, adult classes or for 1:1 help 👇

30/10/2024

This is a shame it’s a lovely place to walk!

⚠️Blue-green algae warning at Pen y Fan pond

The algae produces toxins which can be harmful to both humans and animals. Residents are advised to ensure pets, particularly dogs, do not enter the water of the Pond.

Signage has been placed around the pond and regular inspections of the body of water will continue to take place.

⚠️Rhybudd am algâu gwyrddlas ym Mhwll Pen-y-Fan

Mae'r algâu yn cynhyrchu tocsinau sy’n gallu bod yn niweidiol i bobl ac anifeiliaid. Mae trigolion yn cael eu cynghori i sicrhau nad yw anifeiliaid anwes, yn enwedig cŵn, yn cael mynediad i ddŵr y Pwll.

Mae arwyddion wedi cael eu gosod o amgylch y pwll a bydd archwiliadau rheolaidd o’r dŵr yn parhau i gael eu cynnal.

30/10/2024

All the skills I chose to teach in my dog training classes are essential life skills, or incredibly useful for helping your dog become a happy confident dog - and you to develop into a happy confident dog guardian!

Recall is one of these! 🐕💨

It’s always a really fun lesson too🤣

✨ It’s useful to be able to call your dog to you in the house or in from the garden
✨ It’s a joy to be able to let your dog off lead and be confident they’ll come back
✨ If they slip their lead or get out the house it’s essential to be able to call them back to you

If your dog ignores you I can help in 1:1s, remotely or in classes. The next round of my popular life skills dog classes is starting next week, spaces are limited to keep class size small

Any questions just ask ⭐️
Booking link in comments 👇

Next round of life skills classes info:
🐶 fully vaccinated dogs over 6 months old
🐶 4 weeks consisting of 4 hour long classes in person
🐶 Trainer in your pocket - message me with questions
🐶 Limited spaces to keep class size small - lots of 1:1 attention
🐶 Training handouts and support throughout - refer to if problems arise in the future and no need to note take in class

Location: Tredegar
At: 1915-2015
Dates:
Mondays starting 4th November

29/10/2024

A growl is one of the best and misunderstood forms of communication!

Never 👏 punish 👏 a 👏 growl 👏

Growling isn’t ‘bad’ it’s a form of communication. Normally a growling dog is expressing a dislike of something they’d like to stop or would like more space from. A growling dog is telling us they’re upset, it’s a warning that a dog is needing the situation to change and if it doesn’t they might have to escalate their communication further.

A dog who’s been punished or told off for growling, may stop growling all together. You haven’t changed how they feel about the situation, you’ve just removed the warning. They still feel equally as bad about it, if not worse because now they feel they can’t growl, so they may bite without growling.

I wish humans could growl 🤣 it’s such a clear and simple way of saying “I don’t like what’s happening please stop or give me some space”
Much easier than having to explain yourself!

More on this in my blogpost! Including a scary story time 😳 Click the link in bio 🥰

28/10/2024

3 Reasons your dog would love me as their trainer! 🐶🐾

1️⃣ My reward based training is backed by science
2️⃣ I’ll listen to them and wont use fear, punishment or force
3️⃣ I’ll help them feel better and they’ll have fun along the way!

I also bring the good treats… 🤣

Services I Offer:
📝 1:1 Training Sessions for dogs, cats, and rabbits.
🆘 1:1 Behaviour Consultations for more serious or complicated problems.
🐶 Puppy Classes and Adult Dog Life Skills Classes
📚 Downloadable Courses: Perfect for mastering loose lead walking, recall, and more at your own pace.
☕️💻🍲 Specialty Course: Does your dog need help settling in cafes, restaurants, or workplaces? I’ve got a course just for that!

Whether you’re dealing with a tricky behaviour issue, have a new puppy, or just want to strengthen your bond with your pet, I’m here to help you understand your pet and make positive changes so you can live in harmony together.

About Me:
🎓 I hold a BSc in Zoology and a PGCert in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare.
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 I’m based in South Wales and cover Rhondda, Gwent, Caerphilly, and Torfaen.
🌍 Don’t worry if you’re further away—I also offer remote sessions for clients anywhere in the world!

📞 Contact Me:
Get in touch - the best way is to message me directly on here, some other options are:
• Call/Text: 07469957715
• Email: [email protected]
• Visit: www.thepetbehaviourist.com where I also have a blog and a freebie ❤️

🐶🐱🐰🆘

24/10/2024

• pull on the lead
• not listen
• need to calm down
• doesn’t recall
• counter surf
• bark excessively
• pester you whilst your busy
• jump
• eat things they shouldn’t
(or any other less fun dog behaviour!)?

Then these classes can help you both!

I focus on both ends of the lead and operate with 0 judgement. Sharing your life with a dog that you don’t feel in control of can be very hard!

Any questions just ask, to book a space message me or click the link in the comments 👇

Info:​
🐶 Weekly hour long classes for 4 weeks
🐶 Starting Monday 4th November 1915-2015
🐶 Tredegar
🐶 £100 for the 4 weeks
🐶 Limited spaces to keep class size small
🐶 Access to my Training Hub for all handouts
🐶 Support throughout

23/10/2024

I became a Dog, Cat & Rabbit Trainer and Behaviourist because it’s the closest I can get to talking to animals! 🤣

I always wanted to work with animals so I studied Zoology at uni where I specialised in Ethology, I then earned a PGCert in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Online Postgraduate Programme in Companion Animal Behaviour and Welfare

The more I learnt the more I saw the need for trained professionals in this industry who can spread accurate welfare advice ❤️ Given the prevelance of misinformation out there for the 3 species I work with - make sure you seek behaviour help from someone qualified!

🐶🐱🐰🆘

22/10/2024

This is a hard one 🤣

Dogs have GREAT hearing, so presume they heard you the first time. Repeating your cue again and again will lessen its effectiveness!

They’ll actually learn to ignore you - not what we want!

You want “sit” to mean sit down, not “sit sit sit” 🤣

Of course if you think they genuinely didn’t hear you say it again, but if your dog only responds after you’ve said your cue multiple times it probably means:
• you haven’t proofed the cue enough in this situation
• your rewards aren’t worth your dog listening
• they don’t want to!!

Now that last one’s a bit controversial, but remember they’re sentient beings - not robots. For most cues it’s ok for your dog to opt out of performing them - for life saving cues it’s a different story. I refer to life savings cues as sacred cues. Recall or an emergency stop are examples of these. When training sacred cues I do everything possible to make your dog always want to respond. When trained correctly it almost becomes automatic for them! It’s a more time consuming process than less serious training and has some strict rules which is why it’s often only used on these life saving sacred cues.

21/10/2024

My popular Life Skills for dog classes are starting soon!

Whether they went to puppy classes or not, have stopped listening to you in their teenage years, feel too big to handle or you have a new dog you’d like to bond with. Maybe you want to brush up on training before 🤫🤫 Christmas 🎄 🤫🤫

Join me for 4 weeks off classes where your dog will learn how to:

• listen to you
• leave presents alone
• not jump on guests
• lie down calmly whilst you’re eating
• enjoy walking off your meal without pulling
• settle with all the festivities going on
• recall
And much more!

These skills are useful year round, but I thought I’d scare you all with how late in the year it is 🥶😂

Classes are limited to a maximum of 6 spaces so that you get lots of individual support throughout. You will receive handouts for everything covered and be added to a WhatsApp group for any questions between classes.

Request a space now to get all the support you need so that, in just 4 weeks, things will be very different for you and your dog. You will feel confident, know what you are doing and how to make progress. You will be improving (and maybe repairing) that wonderful bond with your dog, whilst meeting like minded owners also doing the very best for their dog.

To request a space click the link in the comments or message me 📩

Details:
🐶 Weekly hour long classes for 4 weeks
🐶 Starting Monday 4th November 1915-2015
🐶 Tredegar
🐶 £100 for the 4 weeks
🐶 Limited spaces to keep class size small
🐶 Access to my Training Hub for all handouts
🐶 Support throughout

17/10/2024

I am running another owners only reactive dog event on Monday 28th October in Tredegar 1930-2000.
​
In brief - it’s a chance to learn about reactivity, understand why your dog, meet others in the same boat as you and find out some ways to help. I want you to start enjoying walks with your dog!

​
If your dog barks, lunges, growls or stiffens around other dogs come along. They’ll be plenty of time for questions so come armed!

It can be very lonely and you can receive a lot of judgement as a reactive dog owner, but you’re not alone. I polled dog owners and it’s the most common problem.

I’ll dig into the causes of reactivity, prove to you it’s unlikely to be your fault, show you your an excellent dog owner, explain the emotions driving the reactions, explain the different stages of a reaction, how to spot a reaction before it starts, what to do once it’s started and discuss ways to support you and help your dog.

Both ends of the lead matter here at The Pet Behaviourist and owning a reactive dog can be stressful. One of the worst parts I found was people thinking my dog was mean - which just wasn’t the case!

Tickets are just £15 per household. Tea and cake included. To request a space comment below or message me. A minimum number of people is required so payment links will be sent out when this is met.

If you can’t make this one but would like to come let me know ☺️

16/10/2024

Don’t get me wrong; I regularly help noisy barking dogs! 🐶 ‼️⚠️

The ONLY way to do this is by addressing the reasons they are barking.

Here’s why I don’t just train them to be quiet:
• Barking is a natural form of dog communication, and a dog needs to feel like they can bark.
• A dog will bark to express a need or an emotion. Simply teaching a dog not to bark does not help them fulfill their needs or lessen the emotions they are feeling.

Yes, barking can often be excessive, and that’s where I can help ❤️ If the trainer or behaviorist assisting you with your barking dog isn’t examining the emotions or unmet needs causing the barking, it’s time for a change! 🥶

Teaching a dog to be quiet 🤫 without addressing the underlying cause still leaves them with the emotions that prompted the barking.

In a barking consultation, I will identify the cause and then work on minimizing, while helping the dog learn to cope and teach a different way of communicating in that situation. Notice how I haven’t actually addressed barking itself? 🤔

For example, if a dog barks every time someone rings the doorbell:
- Lessen: Use a smart doorbell with the volume turned off or significantly lowered, and place a note on the door asking people to ring rather than knock.
- Cope: Reduce the dog’s alertness and arousal toward the door, the noise, and visitors.
- Teach: Perhaps you want your dog to go to a specific spot when the bell rings or come to you?

One aspect of addressing your dog’s excessive barking might involve changing their diet, and we mustn’t overlook the possibility of pain either! Sound sensitivity in dogs, which can result in alarm barking, is correlated with the presence of pain.🩺

📣 If your dogs barking is getting you down send me message!
📣 Now’s the time to get help in order to have a bark free Christmas 🫣

11/10/2024

Well wow 🌌

10/10/2024

Simply because - we don’t own them, they’re sentient beings who we share our lives with 🐶❤️

As a trainer and behaviorist, I use the word “guardian” rather than “owner”. This is because “owner” implies possession, like an object, and our pets are so much more than that. They’re our companions and our partners in life, with their own personalities, thoughts, likes and dislikes!

Using “guardian” emphasises the care and responsibility that comes with having pets. It reminds us that our role is to guide, protect, and nurture them!

09/10/2024

Can we acknowledge that walking your dog at this time of year isn’t always enjoyable? ⛈️🌚🌧️

I would prefer sunshine or crisp winter day walks any day! ☀️🩵 Instead of dark, wet, and cold strolls around the block after work—honestly, it can feel like a chore to meet your dog’s needs during this season.

I’m sure we’d sometimes all prefer a cup of tea in front of the fire after a long day, instead of heading out into whatever welsh weather hell awaits… but sometimes it has to be done and the dog needs a walk, but it should be nice for you too!
Once I’ve dragged myself out, I’m always grateful I have, but if they’re pulling like a train and you feel out of control you probably dont get the same sense of accomplishment.

I can’t help with the weather but I can teach you and your dog the skills you both need to be able to walk together, side by side. Whilst you’re out braving the cold dark nights, at least make it a beneficial walk for your dog so they come home ready to chill! 😴

If we start now, we can get ahead of the weather so that by the time the snow (sludge) arrives you can feel a bit smug knowing you’re not going to be dragged off your feet 🤣

Let me help - get in touch now 👋
Drop me a message 📩
Tag a fellow ‘dragge’ 👇

09/10/2024

3 spaces left - set them up for ✨success✨

Covering prevention and management of common problems so they can grow into happy confident adult dogs!

We'll look at socialisation, handling, body language, listening, nipping, toileting, recall, loose lead walking, calmness, useful cues and more 🎉 

Training is all done at your dogs pace with a focus on their well-being and yours ❤️

Large bouncy puppy?
Small timid puppy?
All are welcome!

All the skills I chose to teach in my puppy classes are essential life skills, or incredibly useful for helping your puppy develop into a happy confident dog - and you to develop into a happy confident dog owner!

Any questions just ask ⭐️
Tag a puppy owner below 👇
Booking link comments ☺️

Next round of puppy classes info:
🐶 fully vaccinated puppies under 10 months
🐶 4 weeks consisting of 4 hour long classes in person
🐶 Trainer in your pocket - message me with questions
🐶 Limited spaces to keep class size small - lots of 1:1 attention
🐶 Training handouts and support throughout - refer to if problems arise in the future and no nStocktonville Halln class

Location: Stocktonville Hall Stocktonville Hall, Gelli Road, Tredegar (opposite Lidl)
At: 1915-2015
Dates:
Mondays
14 October
21 October
28 October
4 November

Here’s what Ceri said about attending:
Highly recommend Vanessa, Willow my Cocker Spaniel and myself learned allot in the puppy classes. Gave good lessons in recall, wait, sit and to lie down to mention a few. Very patient lady who has lots of knowledge and is amazing with pets and people alike