Wild Side Dog Training

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.

29/12/2023

Dogs who are scared of thunder and noise can benefit from masking, "canceling," with fans, noise machines, or certain types of music.

04/11/2023

02/09/2023

01/09/2023

Muzzle training is something that should be done with every dog.
Vet visits can be stressful, and the best way to make an injury less stressful for your dog is for them to have positive associations with wearing a muzzle.

Ragnar here is being investigated for joint pain in his front legs, so we’re working on getting him comfortable wearing one for when the vet wants to examine him. It’s the best way to keep both your dog and your vet safe and happy during a visit!

Here, we used our scentwork indication skills as a foundation for getting comfortable having his face inside the muzzle. Over time, we’ll work on fastening the straps and incorporating games into conditioning so that the muzzle = fun and pleasant things!

15/08/2023

23/07/2023

23/07/2023

Same goes for the Trustpilot reviews. Source your trainers through Yappily to find trusted, educated and ethical professionals. ✌🏻

This so applies to dog trainers…

22/07/2023

Gotta make that recall cue a good one!

11/07/2023

We are seeing a lot of 'successful' dog training videos online at the moment.

Often men and often forcing a dog into being quiet and moving quietly around other dogs or through busy areas.

To the untrained eye this can look impressive, especially if you are desperate for change with a highly aroused dog.

Comments like, "my dog behaves better than ever after being trained by beardy bloke"

"Baldy bloke is the only person who could stop my dog doing this and that"

"Muscly man is the best dog trainer in the world ever"

To the trained eye though, it's not impressive, it's horrible.

Training without considering how the dog feels is dismissive of the dog as a sentient being, of their emotional state and their needs.

Training without empathy is dismissive of a dog's need to feel safe, heard and considered. And we all need that don't we?

It's evidence of a dog being pushed around and not listened to by a stranger.

It's someone fuelling their own ego by bullying a helpless animal.

Being pushed around causes stress, trauma, anxiety and depression, in people it's classed as abuse.

To the trained eye we see a worried and suppressed dog who is being forced into submission by a bully who calls themself a dog trainer.

I can't bear it.

I can't bear this influx of silly, uneducated men calling themselves dog trainers (I'm sure there are women too but all I'm seeing is the men at the moment)

Forcing their will on poor dogs who simply can't escape them.

Dogs who look scared, stressed, cowed and suppressed.

I can see how a dog feels in a split second. That's what education does, it teaches you to see reality. The facts.

I wonder, can these people see what they are doing to dogs they claim to be training?

There are one of two possibilities:

They recognise the looks, the licks, the head dips and carry on anyway because they don't care how the dog feels.

They don't recognise the creeping, the half moon eye, the dropped tail because they don't educate themself because they don't care how the dog feels.

If you don't care about how the dog feels - why do you call yourself a dog trainer?

That's fraud.

17/06/2023

"For instance, one client watched a TikTok video claiming that a dog trying to cuddle on the sofa was displaying dominance. This misinformation panicked the client into using alpha rolls whenever the dog sought affection, a tactic recommended and demonstrated in the TikTok video"

Read more on Holly's latest blog:

https://www.canineprinciples.com/blog/is-social-media-endangering-canine-welfare

12/06/2023

It’s bloody hot right now and even though we want to enjoy it with our canine pals, this can sometimes be fatal for them.

Your dog’s natural body temperature hovers around 39°C, by 41°C they are entering heat stroke. A 2°C variance in body temperature can be fatal.
So please avoid exercising (by walk or out in the garden) your dog during the peak hours!

SIGNS YOUR DOG MAY BE SUFFERING HEAT STROKE:
- Heavy panting & heart palpitations.
- Excessive drooling.
- Dark red, sticky gums.
- Lethargy/Drowsiness.
- Confusion/Collapsing.
- Vomiting.
- Seizure.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR DOG IS SHOWING SIGNS OF HEAT STROKE:

- DO NOT pour very cold/icy water over your dog, this may induce shock.

- DO move your dog to a shaded area as soon as you can.

- DO NOT pour water over your dog’s head, they may aspirate the water.

- DO push up the fur on the back of your dog’s neck and pour tepid/cool water on them.

- DO NOT cover them in a wet towel; this soon warms up and traps the heat.

- DO allow your dog to drink small amounts of cool/tepid water.

- DO NOT allow them to drink lots of water in one go, they may get water intoxication.

- DO always get your dog checked out by a vet as soon as possible if you suspect heat stroke! No amount of first aid is a replacement for professional medical care!

17/04/2023

If I could empower every one of you out there whose dog is struggling with reactivity to say “thanks for your opinion but no thanks…” ANY time someone tries to blame or shame you.

One tactic I keep seeing out there is to tell the guardian they are to blame, your “energy” and lack of leadership have created this problem. And then charge money to punish the dog or slap a device around their neck.

Nope.

You aren’t too soft.
You don’t need to go against your instincts that a heavy hand will do more harm.

Don’t fall for it.
Thanks but no thanks….

16/04/2023

Our website is now fully up and running! Lead trainer Kat has spaces available for 1-2-1 sessions at extremely competitive rates.

Here’s what just £45.00 will get you…

• x1 60 minute 1-2-1 session with Kat (mileage up to 10 miles from the Burton area included)
• observation of the dog and friendly advice given on the day of the appointment- no appointments just for observation needed!
• tips, tricks and helpful ideas to keep you in tune with your dog
• advice on behavioural and training issues
• bond building exercises for dog and owner
• breed specific advice
• trick training (should you just want to have a bit of fun!)

Dogs of all ages and breeds welcome! If you’ve just had a new puppy, we can offer new puppy sessions too.

Book now via our page 🐶 🐾

08/04/2023

ENRICHMENT

How many times have you taken your dog out for a two hour walk and your dog is still a bundle of energy upon their return home? Probably quite a few times.
These are a few options for what we call “canine enrichment” which basically means providing appropriate outlets for your dog to utilise their natural talents.
Firstly, we have a Kong. Most dogs LOVE a Kong. Kongs can be filled with various wet treats (dog-friendly peanut butter, soggy biscuits, pâté etc) with a different flavour on each level and frozen to provide the perfect long-lasting food puzzle.
The bowl-shaped item is a lickimat, which has the same sort of concept as the Kong but is better for putting toppers like berries and chicken on.
The third option, is a sniffle mat. With a sniffle mat, you hide food (maybe their dinner or some stinky treats!) in the different compartments and let your dog utilise his nose and problem-solving skills to access the reward.

Both sniffing and licking have therapeutic qualities for our dogs. Using just a couple of these daily with your dog will see your dog grow in confidence, as well as obtaining the mental stimulation they crave so much.