Rachel Trains Animals

03/06/2024

Here is the lovely Yoshi - a young cocker spaniel, who is absolutely smashing learning some cafe settle skills!

Image Description: a tan coloured showline cocker lies on the floor outside a cafe. A lead is hooked around a chair leg. He's looking up and lightly panting (on a warm day).

25/04/2024

Today we nearly had an unpleasant situation which could have easily been much worse - but was avoided because of the quick action of our local
As we were about to leave the store after shopping two off lead dogs came in the door immediately in front of us, and their owner was drunk and very confrontational. One of the dogs was pretty neutral but the other had very very stiff body language, and got right up in Lily's face in a very tense way with a lot of posturing. The sort of body language I'd be concerned to see anywhere, let alone in an off lead dog inside a supermarket towards my on lead assistance dog who couldn't fully move away .
(Also shout-out to Lily who offered a couple of calming signals and then came back away when I started to back off).
The dog's owner then started to shout at me and Lily and she and the dogs kept coming towards us.

The staff immediately surrounded us and made a barrier between us.

I was pretty stressed at this point and a member of staff guided me and Lily into the backroom.
The person and dogs were asked to leave, but were still in the carpark.
So the staff waited with me, brought me water and kept me updated as to what was happening, until Sam was able to collect me.
They let me and Lily out the back and escorted us to the car.

I'm really grateful for how quickly they reacted, and how much they were able to support me through a bit of a panic attack.

Lily is mostly grateful that I bought her treats.

15/04/2024

Yesterday we went to see the last day of the "Concealed/Reveal" exhibit at
This home made wheelchair really stood out to me. We don't know loads about it, but it's from the mid 1900's and it's made from a kitchen chair. And it's painted red. And it was painted red after it was made into a wheelchair. It wasn't just a red chair that the person happened to have, it was an intentional personalisation. It makes it so visible.

In a world that wants us hidden, exist loudly.

Image Description: Lily Schnauzer in the foreground, with the home made wheelchair in a museum display case behind her. The chair has two big pram wheels on the front, and one small on the back. The wooden chair and a wooden push handle are painted bright red.
Lily is wearing an assistance dog vest which has the disability pride flag on from .gear and a yellow lead slip.

11/04/2024

About 12 years ago I heard this song about Caroline Herschel and was fascinated by her. Today we got to visit the which was her home. This picture is taken in the garden where the Herschel's discovered the planet Uranus.

Image Description: picture taken from behind Lily, who is looking up at the sky. In front of us is a row of old Bath stone terrace houses, and there is an archway with a climbing plant growing over it. Lily is wearing a star print collar from (because I like a relevant outfit)

07/04/2024

Supermarket carparks can be excellent training locations.

They're often busy, with a lot of noises, sights and smells. But because they're open you can usually make space between you and anything you need to pretty easily.

I've got into the habit of taking Lizzie for a training session for 10-15 minutes once a week whilst Sam does the little top up shop.

Today we practiced walking next to a trolley for the first time, and she absolutely smashed it. A lot of the cues we'd been working on in Rally classes with really nicely fed into it.

So, if you see someone with a gangly Schnauzer puppy, walking around Tesco carpark with a trolley and never actually going inside the shop - that's probably us!

What are your favourite non-traditional training spaces?

10/02/2024

Say hello to Lizzie! 🦎

I've had a little bit of time off, and it's been quite eventful!
We went and collected this little (actually huge) puppy from a wonderful breeder, and she's been settling in brilliantly.

I'm looking forward to sharing our journey together.

Image Description: a pepper and salt Schnauzer puppy sits in a garden. She has a little pink breakaway collar on. She's moved her head to one side and one of her ears is flapping up

17/01/2024

Livvy ( ) and Julia ( ) just completed their Public Access Testing training!

This means that when I've worked closely with a client for a long time I can refer them to these guys for their public access test, to help reduce bias in testing, or mine and Lily's presence affecting the test dog's behaviour!

Image Description: Livvy and Julia stand in a shopping centre with Lily doing a middle with Livvy. Both are white with medium length brown hair. Livvy has a yellow coat and an orange beanie on. Julia has a long red coat and a dark green beanie.

18/12/2023

I'm sorry for the lack of posts. Every time I open this app with something to post I see photos depicting some of the most horrific scenes I've ever seen, and then I feel my pictures of dogs and points about training and everything else just feels somehow irreverent.

But here is Sol the poodle with Lily, staring at each other and being lovely silly friends.

I don't have a more important point than that.

Image Description: Sol, a brown standard poodle and Lily, a pepper and Salt standard Schnauzer sit in front of a Christmas tree and look at each other. Lily is actually trying to sniff him in the mouth.

16/10/2023

What do I do when I get an access refusal?

What I would like to share with you is a practical guide to access refusals.

But an honest answer to that question today was to have a medical episode with many people watching then to go cry for a bit.

It's cold out today, which means there's a big temperature difference between the street and inside a shop. This means that entering anywhere at all puts me at higher risk of fainting, which I mitigate by having my medical alert assistance dog with me and by making sure I don't stand still under heaters.

But when a security guard stops you, they often tell you where to stand. And this shop had a big heater pumping out warm air right over the door. And it is increasingly difficult to verbally communicate when you're aware you're probably about to faint.

So I'm pointing to the words on Lily's assistance dog vest, and her lead sleeve, trying to communicate that it's the law, and ask for a manager as well as communicate that I need to leave this very warm spot and sit on the floor before I pass out. To a person who's treating me like a criminal.

Access refusals: a practical guide.
(This applies to in person access refusals in places like shops)

This is the usual pattern of escalation I take:

1. I state that she's an assistance dog/ she's working. Point to the many places it says that on her vest.

2. State that it's the law (I don't usually go into too much detail) just that legally assistance dogs are allowed to accompany their handlers into places that pet dogs aren't.

3. I ask them to get their manager. (In my experience this is usually the level I have to escalate to on regular access challenges, the manager then usually does confirm that we are absolutely allowed access.)

4. If I have any type of law card or information card I hand it over.

5. If this hasn't worked and I don't need to access the service right then, I usually ask for an email address so I can raise a complaint in writing.

6. If there's a serious and ongoing issue that I need support with, I would contact somewhere like Policies for Assistance Dogs.

But it really does feel rubbish.
Image Description in comments

21/08/2023

Sometimes training sessions don't go to plan. Especially if you have slightly unpredictable health.
That's ok.
Adapting your training plan to meet your own health needs is often part of assistance dog training.
Even if you didn't get to work on what you wanted to.

Take it from the dog trainer sitting on the floor of the shopping centre.

Learning is still happening, and you can do that other thing another day.

Image Description: Lily Schnauzer is sat on my lap as I'm on the floor. She's wearing a vest that says "medical alert/ response dog"
In the background .poodle is about to get a treat.

14/06/2023

Out Of Office!

I'm on my summer holidays, and will be back Monday 26th June.

Image Description: Rachel cuddles 'Chunk' the chicken whilst lying in a blue and green striped hammock. Chunk is mid cluck and looks a bit annoyed she doesn't have the hammock to herself.

16/05/2023

It's not a new article, but it's a nice one 🙂

Reading to a dog leads to more improvement than reading to a person.

02/05/2023

Everyone say 'Hello Daisy'.

I don't think I've ever covered quite as much in an initial session. This dog arrived ready to learn!

Image Description: a black cockapoo sits looking up at the camera. She's wearing a pink floral harness and a black and pink collar. Her fur is quite long and you can't quite see her eyes right now. She's waiting for me to give her her little fish treat.

22/04/2023

A common response I get given when asking for reasonable adjustments to be made is ‘why do you deserve special treatment?’

Adjustments exist so people can access something that would otherwise be inaccessible to them.

For something to be adjusted, it must exist to begin with.

To some it may appear that changing something for a person to be able to access it is treating them favourably, but when that thing is created intentionally to be accessible to the majority to begin with, they are unlikely to understand that asking for accommodations to be made is not something we enjoy doing.

Inclusion isn’t some kind of special treatment that you have to earn or justify getting. There is nothing special about accommodations being made to ensure you are also able to access The Thing, my friends.

Please ask for them when you need them, please know you are not a burden for doing so, and please remember you add so much value to the world even when people try to exclude you from it

[image description: Storm, a medium coated black and white border collie cross, sat in a supermarket smiling at the camera]

01/04/2023

Muzzle training - what is it for?

For me personally, it fits into the wider category of cooperative care - I want to be able to teach things like this before I ever need it.

And it could be for a dog who's a bite risk towards people or dogs.
Or a dog who scavenges food in a way which can pose a health risk.
Or for first aid purposes for keeping everyone safe in a medical emergency.
Or a dog who needs a veterinary procedure but it can't be done in a cooperative care based way right now.
Or a dog who is coming on the ferry with you with one of the many companies that require them to wear a muzzle on deck.
Or if you want to take them on public transport in parts of Europe.

So I feel muzzle training is for all dogs.

Next Wednesday I'm running a "Muzzle Masterclass" for with that exact ethos.

ID: A large brindle doberman cross sits on a green raised dog bed and sticks his nose in a teal plastic muzzle.

17/03/2023

I'm so excited to see this project launch. I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather have as an advocate than Sian.

Welcome to P.A.D, where we believe Assistance Dogs should always be an opportunity and never an obstacle!

We want to help you exceed, not just meet, your legal obligations to disabled people and their Assistance Dogs.

Get in touch to find out more about what we do, and the work we offer!

[image description: a cartoon mastiff sitting next to a pile of books wearing a dark brown guide harness]

09/02/2023

"I SAW that!"
It was said in a way that implied he'd caught me out, accompanied by a smirk.

I gave the man a confused look back. So he clarified what he'd caught me doing.

I'd been stood up, Lily had given me a nudge on the knee which let me know I was at risk of fainting. So I'd sat down, she lay across my lap, and I gave her a treat as I stroked her ears.

He let me know he'd caught me giving my assistance dog a treat!
Shock horror!

(This could have maybe been a an educational moment for him, or for me to have a proper good vent at him, but I didn't have the social energy right then so I continued to stare silently at him whilst feeding Lily more until he left.)

The idea though, that somehow I absolutely shouldn't have given her a treat, even for literally preventing me hurting myself, is such an alien mindset to me.

Should she work because I have some sort of dominion over her?
Because I'm a human and I said so?

Take away all the ethics of the situation and that's just straight up bad science.

But, to pull the ethics back in -
In all areas of dog training I want to see joyful dogs. But especially for assistance dogs.

I want a dog who is confident to try new things without being afraid of making a mistake.

I want a dog who loves doing these silly tricks I've taught her which also happen to keep me safe.
Who thinks public access work is just the best game.

I want a dog who is thriving in this life we have together.

So yes, the reinforcement will continue, liberally.

(And each time a stranger makes a weird comment like that, Lily's going to get a treat for doing absolutely nothing at all.)

Image Description: Lily, a salt and pepper coloured Schnauzer looks up at the camera. Her face is in focus, but the rest of the picture is blurred. Her eyebrows have fallen over one eye like an emo fringe. She's wearing a red assistance dog vest. A double lead is attached to a harness and flat collar (which you can't see behind her beard). We're in a lift (which are one of her favourite things)

19/01/2023

I don't know how to put into words how proud I am of and .poodle . I know how hard they've both worked and it really really shows.

We just had a fantastic session with them working in close proximity, doing some lovely public access work and practicing task work.

Image Description: Two assistance dogs and their handlers in a DIY store. Closer to the camera, a brown standard poodle wearing a green assistance dog vest stands looking at his handler (a white person with blue hair wearing a green fleece crouched on the floor). Further back a yellow Labrador wearing a red vest looks at his handler (a white person in a red hoody sitting in a wheelchair).

15/11/2022

For November and December only - Puppy Tuesdays!
An indoor puppy 1:1 training session at £15 less than the regular price!

Ideal for:
- Getting a head start before you start puppy classes.

- Handlers for whom a whole class environment isn't accessible

- Deep dive into one specific issue

- After puppy class top up

- Foundation behaviours for your assistance puppy prospect

Sessions will be held in the training room BS14 0LL - which has parking and step free access (and as always, we're happy to talk about specific access needs).

If you have a friend with a puppy - you're welcome to come together and split the cost between you!

To book - you can message me here or email [email protected]

Image Description in comments

07/11/2022

Individual 1:1 sessions -
These are suitable for both pet dogs and assistance dogs

Image Descriptions:
All slides show a graphic of a piece of paper taped up over a pale green background. There is black text on each image.

1.
How to work with me:
Individual 1:1 sessions

2.
How to work with me:

In Person 1:1 £80 - out & about
or
£85 - in the training room

3.
Individual 1:1 sessions

Locations

The training room - St Augustine's, BS14 OLL

Other locations - certain areas of South and Central Bristol

4.
Individual 1:1 sessions

How To Book

Email [email protected] or send me a message

26/10/2022

Something which I didn't think of as a specific service until recently is the quick 'can we just talk through this' zoom call.
Since I do these pretty regularly now, I figured I should advertise it as a specific service to let people know it exists!

Image Descriptions:
All images have a pale blue background with a graphic of a piece of paper taped to it, and black text, which reads;

1.
How to work with me: The "can we just talk through this" Zoom call
30 minutes call
£30

2.
Perfect for if you're stuck on some part of a training situation and could do with a fresh pair of eyes on it.

3.
You can send me an explanation of the issue beforehand (and if it's too in depth for this format, I'll let you know)

4.
Due to the nature of these sessions, I can usually fit them in on the same day, and if not usually next day. (Health allowing)

5.
How to book: Message me on Instagram or WhatsApp, or email [email protected] *

*I'm most likely to see WhatsApp or Instagram messages first

26/10/2022

Assistance Dog Subscription Plans are the most common way that people work with me. They allow us to get really into the training plan and map progress.
Some people pay for this themselves, and others fund it through their care plan.

Image Descriptions below:

All slides have a light purple background with a graphic of a piece of paper taped to it. There is black text on each image, which reads;

1.
How to work with me:

Assistance Dog Subscription Plans

2.
Assistance Dog Subscription Plans

Session Formats:

- At the Training Room
- On Location
- Online

3.
Assistance Dog Subscription Plans

In the Training Room - (Includes room hire)
Weekly -£70 per session
Monthly -£80 per session

4.
Assistance Dog Subscription Plans
On Location -
Weekly -£60 per session
Monthly -£70 per session

5.
Assistance Dog Subscription Plans

Online -
(Both weekly and monthly)
45 minutes - £40
30 minutes - £25

6.
Assistance Dog Subscription Plans

Sessions will be held on the same day and time for each month's booking. For example - every Monday, 1pm-2pm.

7.
Assistance Dog Subscription Plans
Locations
The training room - St Augustine's, BS14 OLL
Other locations - certain areas of South and Central Bristol

14/10/2022

The look your medical alert dog gives you when you're climbing trees and she knows that it's a bad idea.

I've had a lovely couple of weeks holiday, and will start wading through my emails again from tomorrow.
(Please feel free to give me a nudge if you're waiting on a reply from me, especially on messenger which I'm convinced hides messages for fun).

Image Description: the camera looks down on Lily Schnauzer from above. She has one paw on a tree trunk. There is some holly growing on the tree and orange leaves cover the floor. Lily is wearing a burgandy hoody with floral sleeves and a floral harness (from ). The hood is covering one ear.

26/09/2022

I really like having an equipment change as a "working cue" for assistance dogs (By which I mean something like the lead attached to a different point on the harness or collar).
Partly because it's really nice and clear for the dog, and partly because it means you can always do some of your training "undercover".

Both these dogs are in "work mode" - in a pet friendly shipping centre. Sometimes it's much easier to train without a big assistance dog vest on - because the public are far less likely to try and interact with you!

You can practice your engaged walking without a stranger commenting on how they think you're doing, how they "had a dog like that" once, that they " donate to guide dogs" (lovely, but I'm actually not GDUK and these aren't guide dogs), or the many other things people like to say.

Side note- this is .poodle who has just matured into the best boy, and his human should be so proud of them as a team.

Image Description: a standard Schnauzer and standard poodle are in a lift. The Schnauzer is looking at the camera. She is wearing a blue fleece with yellow lightning bolts, a black harness with a grounding handle attached. (She's also wearing a lead attached to a flat collar, but you can't see that). The poodle is a chocolate brown, and is looking at his human. He has a green lead attached to a green collar.

28/08/2022

Bank Holiday Fun - thought I'd get a nice selfie with Chunk wearing her bandana. Chunk has stronger selfie game than me.

Image Description:
1.
Rachel (a white woman with purple hair) holds Chunk (a Silver Partridge Brahma Hen) on her shoulder. Chunk has put her wing over Rachel's head like it's a hat and is holding it there. Chunk is wearing a yellow bandana that says "good egg" on it.

2. The same set up, but Chunks wing is covering most of Rachel's face now. It's not getting better for the selfie attempt.

10/08/2022

What do you do when it's too hot for training in your usual venue?
Hold your session in the freezer aisle at Asda of course!

As usual, Sol & his human absolutely smashed it. Working around lots of people, many children (who you can really tell were in summer holiday and it's too hot mode!), Lots of trolleys, and shop workers, and obviously the distraction of me and Lily right behind them!

Image Description: A grey Schnauzer and a brown (is it latte?) Poodle lie on the floor in the freezer aisle in Asda. The Schnauzer is wearing a burgandy assistance dog vest and the poodle is wearing a black and green assistance dog vest, and has a yellow lead slip that reads "training". Due to the perspective of the photo, it looks like the Schnauzer is as big as the poodle, but I promise he is actually bigger.

09/08/2022

["Chaotic Good" - a term from alignment charts which started as a D&D thing but are also a meme.
The name suggests that rather than just having a "Good Dog" your dog's alignment is "Chaotic Good"]

Assistance dogs can be life changing. The things they can enable you to do, the freedom they can give you. In law they are a type of auxiliary aid- they mitigate a disability in some way. But they also have the ability to be one of your closest relationships.
And people have this image of this beautiful dog, a good dog, who never puts a paw out of place. A pure angelic being of light.

However, it's not this simplistic "I got this amazing dog and now all my access issues have melted away and life is great".
Especially if you're training your own assistance dog.

Puppies- pure chaos beings. Will definitely chew something you love at some point.
And on top of all the regular habituation and socialisation work you'd do with any puppy - there's an extra pressure with your prospect. There's an underlying level of panic that you might do it all wrong and they won't make it as an assistance dog because you accidentally stood too close/too far from the bus station.

But you work through all that, and the training is going great!
And then you hit adolescence. Deep joy.
So now you have a dog who you have successfully taught many tasks which make your life so much better but they themselves are currently having the mood swings of a hormonal teenager.

Then (and I'm actually stealing this from Hannah Branigans podcast on teenage dogs) - then you start to see glimpses of the lovely adult dog through the teenage mess. And those glimpses get more and more frequent until one day you look back and realise you made it.

So, you've now made it through all the complicated early life developmental stages .
But, they're still a dog. The chaos is still always there somewhere.
Because other auxiliary aids don't eat something they found in the woods when off duty and then get the poops just as you need to go to Asda.
Because they take care of you, but you also take care of them.

So yes, it will probably always be at least a little bit chaotic. But it will also be good.

01/08/2022

"Quick Ginger, not a moment to loose!"
- Sir Digby Chicken Caesar (and also this Digby the spaniel, who is an excellent embodiment of his namesake)

Image Description - a liver & white Springer spaniel looks up at the camera. His tongue is hanging out the side of his mouth and he has seeds stuck on top of his head from some high speed spanieling

21/07/2022