Rachel Brown - Dog Training

22/09/2023

XL BULLY BAN: FREE WEBINAR ON SUNDAY AT 3PM

We have more than 250 people booked onto this Zoom chat already but we do still have more spaces available. Please sign up using the link below and we will send you a link. Our panel will aim to answer as many of your questions as possible and we can confirm it will consist of:-

Trevor Cooper : Solicitor
Mel Rushmore & Andrea Phillips : Deed Not Breed
Michelle Ikin : Dog Warden
Mike Webb : Battersea Dogs' & Cats Home

Thanks to everyone who is giving up their time for free to help with this important event. The panel won't necessarily have all the answers but will give you their best guess of what is likely to happen based on their experience.

If you are unable to attend, we will aim to upload a recording onto YouTube next week.

https://forms.gle/59EfhUbiyZPNstxJ6

14/09/2023

Dogs do no not digest rice very well. White rice in particular has a high glycemic index, meaning it will cause a rapid spike in blood glucose levels. White rice is too starchy to be part of any dogs diet, especially when suffering from GI tract inflammation.

When your dog is unwell or suffering from a stomach upset whether it's in the form of vomiting, diarrhoea or IBS, it is essential to look at the diet as the first cause of the issue. Diet can also be first point to help cure the problem. The most common causes of vomiting and diarrhoea are from either something your dog has eaten, a virus or a food intolerance.

It's important that your dog gets onto a bland diet to help them recover from their gastrointestinal illness. The most common recommendation for a bland diet for a dog is boiled rice and chicken. Rice is suggested as it's classed as a carbohydrate and therefore a starchy food that is supposed to help bind the stools together, reduces diarrhoea and not irritate the stomach, 𝐁𝐔𝐓..

White rice is probably one of the worst foods to feed your dog! Why? White rice has very little nutritional or hydrating benefit for your dog. It's processed into sugar by the body. It's a refined carbohydrate which means it has been stripped of it's nutrition. It's been calculated that 97% of all white rice is genetically modified food.

Another option that's recommended is using brown rice instead of white as it has more nutritional value and takes longer to digest but a dog's digestive system hasn't been designed to digest rice in any form so the nutrients in brown rice aren't available to their body. If you're dog is unwell, it's digestive system is already compromised so adding a hard to digest food into their diet at this stage is likely to cause more irritation and inflammation.

Your dog requires a clean, high quality diet that helps naturally replace lost fluids, electrolytes, nutrients, to help them quickly recover.

06/02/2023

Sharing this survey on behalf of Emma, a registered veterinary nurse studying at the Royal Veterinary College, who is doing a research project for her BSc on importing stray cats and dogs from abroad.
https://rvc.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/importing-cats-and-dogs-from-abroad-into-the-uk-do-uk-own-2

24/11/2022

Great first day on the new Easy Peasy Puppy Instructor Course with Steve Mann.

We never stop learning, and this will take my Puppy Packages and classes to the next level ⭐️

New and exciting classes will be coming to Pembrokeshire in 2023. Keep a lookout on this page for details 👓

Have you read the book yet?

25/10/2022

Now you know 🤣

14/10/2022

🐶 “Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.”– Orhan Pamuk 🐶

Ain't that the truth!

We can learn so much about our dog's wants and needs purely from their body language. 🥰

Everyday they're trying to communicate with us. But there will always be a disconnect in the relationship if we don't take a moment to pay attention to what they're trying to say.

There's a brilliant app called the Dog Decoder that teaches you how to read your dog.

👉 I highly recommend checking it out here: https://www.dogdecoder.com/

Give me a ❤️ if you've grabbed the app or used it before.

13/10/2022

🍐 I try to add fresh fruit/veg to my dogs meals each day because there are proven health benefits.

Some can be fed raw, while others need to be lightly steamed or blitzed in a blender (eg leafy greens).

Do you add anything to your dog's meals?

https://www.mypetnutritionist.com/post/fresh-food-to-add-to-your-dogs-bowl

11/10/2022

🐶 Today is Pet Obesity Awareness day. 💖

We all care deeply for our pets, but in recent years pet obesity has become an epidemic.

Reports show more of our pets than ever before are considered overweight or obese.

This special day serves as a reminder to keep our pets healthy - to make a commitment to ensure we give them the right nutrition and regular, appropriate exercise. 🐾

I'd love to spread the word, so please do share this.

09/10/2022

I would love to know whether my dogs think I'm competent or incompetent!
Does this ring true with your dog/s?

Dogs are highly sensitive to human behavior, and they evaluate us using both their direct experiences and from a third-party perspective. Dogs pay att…

08/10/2022

Fact or fiction? What's on your shelf?

Some of my fave factual books:
🐶 The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson
🐶 Meet Your Dog by Kim Brophy
🐶 Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt
🐶 BAT 2.0 by Grisha Stewart
What I'm reading at the moment: Canine Behaviour In Mind edited by Suzanne Rogers

Some of my fave fiction books:
❤️ anything by Victoria Hislop
❤️ Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
❤️ A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
What I'm reading at the moment: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

I'm always looking for good book recommendations.

So let's hear yours in the comments!

06/10/2022

💕 Love this quote... 💕

“Animals have come to mean so much in our lives. We live in a fragmented and disconnected culture. Politics are ugly, religion is struggling, technology is stressful, and the economy is unfortunate. What’s one thing that we have in our lives that we can depend on? A dog or a cat loving us unconditionally, every day, very faithfully.” – Jon Katz

Hands up if you can relate? 🤚

03/10/2022

🐾 It's National Walk Your Dog Week! 🐾

Join me in celebrating this nationwide event to highlight the advantages of walking your furry best friend.

You don't need me to tell you that walking is great for both you and your dog's health! ❤️

So whether you decide to mix things up and take a hike around your local beauty spot, join an organised dog walk in your area, or just play outside, enjoy yourselves!

And don't forget to let me know what you get up to this week. Share those pics of your adventures in the comments below. 👇

30/09/2022

People often come ask me for help socialising their dogs who are barking and lunging when they see other dogs.

Unfortunately, socialisation for dogs who behave like this usually has the opposite effect.

We all know that Practice Makes Perfect, so if you keep exposing your dog to other dogs and they bark and lunge at them, they are practicing this behaviour and getting better and better at it!

The scientific term for this is "long-term potentiation".

So what should we do instead?

The most effective way to help your dog to cope with seeing other dogs is to carefully re-introduce them to other dogs in a way that they can cope with, to teach them what to do when they see other dogs, all while managing their anxiety carefully.

Just remember that randomly exposing your dog to lots of other dogs won't usually fix their behaviour and is likely to make it much worse.

02/09/2022

😎 I'm on holiday until 15th September.

My phone will be off so if you need any info please see my website: www.BrownDogTraining.co.uk

Or you can email or message me and I'll get back to you when I'm back in the office.

Email: [email protected]
Text or Whatsapp: 07307 894515

31/08/2022

We all have those moments when life gets on top of us.

You're working hard in your job all week.

All you want to do is get home and put your feet up, but the kids are screaming for your attention.

Then you need to take your dog for a much needed walk.

Then you realise it's gone 9 o'clock before you can sit down with your partner for dinner.

Life is nothing short of chaotic most of the time. I get that.

And that's ok.

We're only human and you're doing the best you can.

Just remember to stop and enjoy every special moment when they come.

That's the stuff that really matters. 💕

Save this post for when you need to it hear it again.

30/08/2022

This is terrible.
Do you have a foreign rescue? Did they have these tests before travelling or did your vet test them after you adopted them?

26/08/2022

😍 It's National Dog Day! 😍

Today is the day to celebrate everything about our loveable furry friends, no matter what breed or age they are.

This awareness day also exists to help us recognise the sheer volume of dogs that need to be rescued each year from shelters.

So hold your pooches even closer today, my friends. And give them a big smooch from me! 😘

For cuteness, let's see your dog in the comments below. 👇

23/08/2022

💕 5 habits pet parents need to let go of today: 💕

❌ Walking the same route with your dog every. single. day.
❌ Rushing your dog around the block and not letting them have a whiff of their favourite tree.
❌ Expecting your dog to understand that shouting their name when they're off lead means "come here".
❌ Taking them out without carrying treats and toys on your walks.
❌ Interacting with your phone instead of interacting with them.

✅ Mix up your walking routes to add more variety and enrichment for both you and your dog.
✅ Let your dog sniff! Give your dog time to check out the scents around the neighbourhood.
✅ Train your dog so that when you call a certain word it means "the fun starts when you run to me".
✅ Take their favourite treats and toys on walks and reward them for checking in with you, and play with them when they choose to be with you to encourage them to stay with you and ignore distractions.
✅ Put your phone on silent and leave it in your pocket. Then have fun with your dog instead!

You're doing your best by your furry friend. I get that! And I know it can be easy to slip into these unhelpful habits.

But now you know what to do instead, I hope you'll give them a go!

Which habit will you be trying first? If you have anything to add, please do pop them in the comments below. 👇

17/08/2022

I had a great day out at the Pembrokeshire County Show today although there were a few disappointments.

Firstly, here are my views on the many dogs I saw:

✅️ The overwhelming majority of dogs had their leads attached to harnesses. Yay!
✅️ The majority of dogs looked happy to be out and about with their caregivers.
❌️ I saw quite a few dogs pulling on slip leads and one pulling on a choke chain.
❌️ I saw a lot of dogs displaying stressed body language just by being in an unfamiliar/crowded/noisy environment.
❌️ I saw many dogs who were wearing head collars that tightened when they pulled (ie a choke collar on the most sensitive part of their body: the nose) who were visibly displaying unhappy/stressed body language.
❌️ I saw several dogs on extending leads walking in crowds with caregivers struggling with the big, cumbersome handles of the lead, with their dogs getting in the way of other people due to the length of the lead.
❌️ There was NO WATER for dogs anywhere we went despite organisers saying there would be bowls all around the showground. Even the dog charities didn't have any visible water bowls.

If you're going tomorrow and intend to take your dog, please consider whether they will actually enjoy being there or whether you are taking them for your own benefit.

On a personal note, I was disappointed that there wasn't a food hall. I was looking forward to buying local wines, cheeses, biltong, gin, rum etc. but i came away empty handed.

The queues for hot food were really long, I think the show would have really benefitted from more vendors, and it would have been great to see street food served there.

Luckily I only paid £12 to get in, but had it been any more I would have questioned the value for money.

27/07/2022

Happy 13th birthday to my Denver (Den, Dennie B, Denver Dudie, Dennis). Thank you for filling my life with joy, barking and stinks 🤢🤣
His birthday treat was a trip out to Doggy Depot where he chose some toys and chews, and then on the way home he had a very special treat of chicken "nuggies" from McD's.
❤ U Den!

16/07/2022

🕘 By 9am this morning it was already too hot for my dogs to be outside, let alone walking.

I have seen lots of facebook posts in the last few days advising that the way to test if it's too hot for your dog to go for a walk, is to touch the pavement with your hand. This is a great way to see if the ground will hurt your dog's paws, but it doesn't tell you if the environment is too hot for them. Over the last week I have seen many people use this test as reason to take their dogs out on grass or the wet sand on the beach (cool surfaces). But it's STILL TOO HOT in these environments.

And here's why...

Dogs are adapted to low-intensity exercise found in exploring the environment. They can't pant and sniff at the same time.

They have evolved to get food through scavenging rather than hunting like their ancestors. Even when they can't find any food and have to fall back on hunting, they sprint for a minimal time, spending much more time stalking.

So... dogs have a lack of sweat glands because intense or prolonged exercise isn’t part of their repertoire, which means that they can only reduce their body temperature through open mouth breath breathing (panting).

Breed matters …
Chow Chows, Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Dogue de Bordeaux, Greyhounds, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Pugs, English Springer Spaniels and Golden Retrievers were identified in a recent study (Hall et al 2020) as having the highest risk of heat-related illnesses.

The study also showed that dogs under 10kg and brachycephalic dogs (squashed face breeds) are more at risk from heat related illnesses, as are those dogs with high levels of muscle or fat, because muscle and fat increases heat production and “traps” heat more effectively.

❗️EXERCISE AND AIR TEMPERATURE WORK TOGETHER TO INCREASE THE RISK OF HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES.

️❗️A PANTING FACE IS NOT A HAPPY FACE. IF YOUR DOG IS PANTING, THEY ARE ALREADY OVERHEATING.

❗️MORE DOGS DIE FROM HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES DUE TO EXERCISE THAN IN HOT CARS.

24/06/2022

Not all dogs want to play

"Just let them play"

Contrary to popular belief, just sticking an anxious dog with a pack of dogs is not a good method of socialisation.

In fact in any dog, socialisation is not simply letting them play.

Just 'letting them get on with it' can have serious consequences.

An anxious dog running off.

A puppy becoming overwhelmed.

The dog shutting down.

Or even a bite.

Try to think of socialisation as 'confidence building'.

Confidence building.

If you were scared of heights or scared of clowns, just think how you'd feel if I made you go to a circus or climb the Eiffel Tower.

Perhaps we could start with a video of a clown, a clown at a distance. Climbing a one storie flat.

By forcing yourself or your dog into situation it feels uncomfortable with this is often referred to as 'flooding'.

Dogs need to be given a choice, an option. I'm not saying avoid every dog but gradually introduce, at a distance with lots of positive associations.

Your dog may look like it's ok, but often it's just shut down or 'quietly coping'.

Silence is NOT always golden.

Look out for signs of avoidance, a fixed stare, frantic sniffing on the floor...

If you don't step in or continue to put them in a situation they are not comfortable with they may step up the ladder of aggression.

First avoidance.

Then the fixed stare.

A low grumble.

An air snap.

A full on bite.

These sequences of events can happen so quickly and 'playtime' can escalate. Especially in a large group of dogs.

Start small.

Work things up gradually.

Parallel walking, watching from a distance. Quick may seem good, but often will lead to deeper rooted issues down the line.

Thanks for reading,
Helen Motteram

Social Paws - dog training and pet behaviour Gloucestershire

09/06/2022

I'm doing a little research and would love some help from all of you in my community. 🤔
So please can you do me a massive favour and answer this question in the comments. 🙏
When it comes to teaching your dog to walk nicely on the lead, what's your biggest challenge?
Please share your answers below. 👇

02/06/2022

🎆Remember there are likely to be fireworks this weekend 🇬🇧

🐾Make sure your dog's microchip details are up to date
🐾Walk your dogs before dark
🐾Make sure all your dogs are safely inside before dark
🐾Make sure you have prepared your home for your dogs: hidey holes, loud music, medication, etc

🇬🇧Enjoy the celebrations but keep your dogs safe 🐕

22/05/2022

This sounds like something Fidget would say!
🐕 What would your dog say?

20/05/2022

💖 Today is National Rescue Dog Day. 💖

We've all heard about the rise in the number of dogs in rescue centers over the last year.

So let's take a moment to raise awareness for the rescue dogs across the world that deserve a second chance in a new forever home.

If you're the proud parent of a rescue dog, please do share a pic of your dog's gotcha day in the comments below. 🤩🐶

I'd love to see them!

16/05/2022

🤔 Ever wondered why some dog trainers charge way more than others? 🤔
The truth is, anyone can set up shop as a dog trainer or behaviourist. Anyone. It's not a regulated industry, which is a very scary thought.
But there are those of us that spend hundreds of £s on getting qualified, truly love what they do, pour their heart and soul into regular professional development and are educating themselves all the time on up to date research. 💖
So if...
🐾 You're looking for the cheapest
🐾 You don't care about kind, ethical practices
🐾 You're not worried about getting lasting results
🐾 You want a quick fix
Then Mr Joe Bloggs trainer that set up shop a few months ago down the road could be for you.
But if you want...
🐾 Someone that has you and your dog's best interests at heart
🐾 Someone who doesn't mind you asking about their qualifications
🐾 Someone who won't lie to you and say they can guarantee you quick results, fast
🐾 Someone who uses kind, up to date methods based on the latest science, then an experienced, accredited, force-free trainer is the way to go.
If you have any questions or want to know more about choosing a trainer/behaviourist, drop a comment below... 👇

13/05/2022

💖 Check these out... 💖

These are my 5 non-negotiable dog training habits I follow every day:

🐾 Chewing opportunities every day to help with excess energy
🐾 Play time every day, to help strengthen and maintain our positive relationship
🐾 One form of enrichment every day to help keep their brains active
🐾 5 minutes of training every day to reinforce the behaviours I like (and to teach new ones every so often)
🐾 Cwtches and snuggles 🙂

Hope these help...

Which of my 5 non-negotiables will you try first?

Let me know in the comments...

27/04/2022

😍 It's National Little Pampered Dog Day! 😍

Every dog deserves a little pampering now and then.

And today is the perfect excuse to give your dog - whatever their size- all the love and attention they deserve. 🐶💕

So go on... Give your pooch a special treat.

Then pop back here and let us know what you get up to in the comments below...

26/04/2022

I'm definable a Pocket Stuffer! Which one are you?

06/04/2022

I've been thinking about organising some workshops or short courses concentrating on teaching your dog to either:
🐾 walk nicely on the lead
🐕 come when you call them

Just wondered if there would be any interest?

Let me know if it's something you'd be up for, or if you have any ideas for anything else!

30/03/2022

This.

𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗥𝘂𝗻?

Lets look at the school run from your dog’s point of view.

Your dog is walked along a busy road with lots of strange noises and activities going on around them such as kids running around and screaming and strange people coming up to them and touching them.

Some dogs are walk alongside a pushchair and unable to sniff or gather much needed information about the environment they are in.

This can be a 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫 especially when the dog is lunging and barking at the cars or children, or even refusing to walk out of pure fear.

This is often mistaken for stubbornness or the dog being naughty.

The dogs are not reacting in this way because they are being naughty they are reacting like this due to the stress in this environment.

If your dog had a choice they would rather stay at home than go on the school run.

The school run is not a substitute for your dogs walk and could create your dogs anxiety and stress levels to increase which can lead to undesirable behaviours such as

• Barking
• Lunging
• refusing to walk
• pulling on the lead
• Hyperactivity
• Jumping
• Biting the lead
• Spinning on lead
• Cowering
…to name just a few.

Worst case scenario they may even lash out.
This can be easily avoided by not putting your dog in these situations in the first place.

I would highly suggest leaving your dog at home rather than take them on the school run.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝟭𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗿𝘂𝗻.

Believe me your dog will thank you!

The only time that a dog should be taken on the school run is if the dog cant be left alone due to anxiety.

28/03/2022

No, it's not ok to leave your dog's poo bags hanging from gates, trees or thrown in the bushes.🙄

🌳 For one, it's damaging to our environment and wildlife

🤮 Two, it's disgusting to see

🥱 And three, it's just plain lazy

I saw this recently when I was out walking my dogs. I used to think it was people who were going to collect it on the way back from their walk, but when it's been there several days it definitely isn't!

Your dog's mess is your responsibility. Put it in a bin or take it home with you.

Hands up if you agree. ✋

23/03/2022

Your dog's reactive behaviour could be caused by pain.

I ve had several conversations with caregivers about responses to pain medications in dogs and cats in the last week.
A couple of comments really stood out.

One caregiver’s elderly dog had been put on a pain medication trial as she had slowed down, seemed to be resting a lot, wasn’t interacting with her family so much anymore. She said “it’s been like magic. She’s literally skipping everywhere”

Another caregiver commented that
“It’s like we ve wound back the clock 5 years. If only we d done it sooner”

Recognising pain can be tricky. Particularly when you live with an individual, as it’s hard to notice changes when they creep in gradually.
Look out for changes in their favourite activities.
Watch out for increased anxieties, more attention seeking or perhaps more independence/ avoidance (it can go both ways depending on the animal).
Are there movements they used to be able to do that they no longer can? Perhaps getting in or out of the car, or up and down stairs seems harder. Are you having to lift them onto the sofa? Are you modifying walks because they don’t want to go so far?

We re all likely to get changes in our bodies as we age, and not just in our joints either. Pain can be in teeth, in the ears, in the liver ….
We will need to modify activity levels and types, the environment…. But diagnosing and treating pain cannot be underestimated. There are a host of medicines and procedures (think physio, hydro, dentals, ear flushes) that can reduce or even resolve pain. And there’s the big picture of how improving sleep, getting the right exercise, providing positive social support, the right diet and boosting gut health all play a big part in pain management too.

As an advisor to Canine Arthritis Management I highly recommend caregivers take a look at the resources available to learn more about recognising pain and methods of managing it in all dogs (lots is applicable to other species too!), not just the elderly of course.

Two weeks ago i saw a 2.5 year old dog with significant pain which was noticed by his caregiver because he wasn’t so keen on running around and was getting snappy with dogs and people approaching. He s had some investigations and he s got hip dysplasia so we re now in the process of choosing the best treatment paths for him. He wasn’t being “naughty” he was reacting to pain.

There’s still time to join my upcoming
“A pain in the neck: links between behaviour and pain in the dog” webinar. Which launches next week. Two weeks access to prerecorded material (which looks at pain recognition but has a much larger focus on pain management through sleep, exercise, other activities, social bonds, and how medications can influence pain & behaviour AND is packed with real case studies) You can then submit questions and receive a recorded Q and A session too.

As I watch my almost 11 year old dogs every day, I know how important pain recognition and taking appropriate action is. Why not join me to understand this essential topic some more?

https://michellevrolijk.nl/workshops-en-lezingen.html?fbclid=IwAR0CGOX0R1LjuGWx4LMFUArP-kS-OH6h89tdUtQFjSP_4utbshkRAhoqj3M

The contact email to book a place is in the link 😊

As Canine Arthritis Management say

“Your dog, more years”

https://www.facebook.com/CAMarthritis/photos/a.623890717731051/4929999930453420/?type=3

17/03/2022

Happy birthday to my best spaniel Fidget,
4 today 🎁🎉

17/03/2022

🐶 Every day I work with pet parents to help them stop their dogs barking, growling and lunging when they see other dogs on a walk. 🐶

And there are a few common mistakes I see crop up time and time again.

So you don't follow in their footsteps, here's a breakdown of what they are and how you can avoid them.

❌ Mistake #1: Believing your dog is BAD dog. Barking/growling/lunging are some of the ways your dog expresses their emotions. If I get upset, it doesn't mean I am a bad person and it's the same with our dogs.
❌ Mistake #2: Socialising your dog. Have you ever heard the phrase "Practice Makes Perfect"? If you keep exposing your dog to other dogs, the growling/barking/lunging will get worse as your dog practices it over & over again.
❌ Mistake #3: Correcting the behaviour. Telling your dog off, jerking on the lead or using slip lead/choke collar corrections are counter productive when you're aiming to change your dog's emotional response to other dogs. Instead, your dog is likely to make negative associations with the other dog - seeing another dog will predict to your dog that you're going to be angry with them and/or hurt them by jerking on the lead.
❌ Mistake #4: Training your dog when they're already stressed or when you're stressed. When we're stressed it's much more difficult to teach/learn new things.
❌ Mistake #5: Training IN the situation instead of FOR the situation. When you learned to drive, did you practice somewhere quiet first before heading to a city centre? Our dogs need to learn new skills in a stress-free environment before practicing them near other dogs.
❌ Mistake #6: Tiring your dog out so they're exhausted. They may be too tired to bark/growl/lunge on that day, but they still FEEL the same way so the issue isn't fixed at all.
❌ Mistake #7: Having unrealistic expectations of your dog. Dogs, like us, aren't happy & joyful 24/7, they have moods, they get tired, they get "hangry", they may have aches & pains which make them grumpy and they won't love every single dog they meet... This is normal for dogs, as it is for us!

I hope you'll consider these tips the next time you're walking your barky, growly, lunging dog.

Let me know in the comments which mistake you've been making and let's chat it through. 💕

15/03/2022

Here's Denver's photo for the 
Let's see yours!