Wild Side Dog Training (2026)

13/07/2024

‘British War Dogs: their training and psychology’ - Edwin Richardson (1920)

If any trainer tries to tell you that rewards based methods are a new invention, feel free to show them this 👌🏻

28/06/2024

🚩DOG BREEDER RED FLAGS 🚩

❌“KC Registered” - Any purebred dog can be KC registered, this statement means nothing about health or temperament!

❌“Health checked” - Sounds good, right? Well, a simply visual check at the vet counts as a vet check. Your breeder should be conducting extensive health tests (eyes, elbows, hips, knees etc) on the parents to reduce the likelihood of health issues in the future. They should be able to provide proof of these tests from the get-go.

❌Charging more for or breeding specifically for “rare colours” - Believe it or not, coat colours can be closely linked to health issues! Check the breed standard for the dog you’re after, does the standard specifically exclude Merle coats? Ask yourself why a breeder would deliberately breed against a standard.

❌No wait list/“Available now”/online advertising - 99% of ethical breeders have wait lists, and the people on these wait lists are vetted by the breeder to ensure they will be able to provide the correct lifestyle and care for the dog. The chances are a breeder found of Pets4Homes or Facebook isn’t breeding their dog ethically.

❌ No return clause in a contract - Ethical dog breeders know that the puppies they produce are effectively their family, and they will do their best to ensure none of their dogs end up in a shelter/rescue. If there’s no return clause in your puppy contract, your breeder probably has no intention of supporting you throughout the lifetime of the puppy.

❌ Thinking “raised in family home” is socialisation - A great breeder will be socialising their puppies from an early age. This doesn’t mean being grabbed by the kids and family friends, but introducing them to new texture, smells and sounds in a controlled way. If your breeder can’t explain the process they use to socialise the puppies, the chances are they’re simply not doing it.

These are just some very basic things to look out for, but they could mean the difference between taking home a walking vet bill or a dog genetically predisposed to nervousness and taking home a physically and mentally sound dog that will slot into your life seamlessly.