Bells and Whistles

07/12/2024

Outdoor classes cancelled today. Bit breezy!!

26/10/2024

Dog Club and agility classes are now live to book for November and December. www.bellsandwhistlesbehaviour.co.uk

16/10/2024

We unexpectedly have two spaces available on our next reactive Dogs course, starting on Saturday October 26th near Chinnor.

If your dog does not get on well with other dogs and you’d like to help them feel more confident or less frustrated (and therefore show less barking/lunging/cowering/bolting), please get in touch.

A vet referral is required to join this course.

16/10/2024

Slightly belated congratulations to Cece, Phoenix, Brodie and Bea for graduating Puppy School on Saturday. Looking forward to seeing you all at Dog Club soon.

Our next Puppy School class starts this Saturday (19th) at Bledlow. There is currently one space left.

04/10/2024

Tomorrow's classes; please be aware I won't have a working phone.
At Henton, if the gate is shut, please honk!

16/09/2024

Over the last few days, it feels like a firestorm has been unleashed. It’s clear that outdated dog training practices will no longer go unchallenged.

The release of a study using shock collars (cited below) has sparked unprecedented backlash and even made national headlines, and triggered a major reckoning within the dog training community. The study, seen by many as politically motivated, appears to have put dogs in harm's way to prove a point.

Professionals across the field agree that it should never have been approved by the ethics committee - and their fears were substantiated, given that every single dog in the shock collar group is documented to have yelped in pain while receiving shock collar “corrections”.

The outcry continues to build as more people in our field demand accountability and transparency. Reputations are being hit hard, institutions are facing scrutiny, and balanced trainers like Ivan Balabanov have been fully unmasked, revealing the harmful and outdated methods still being promoted under the guise of expertise.

This glaring evidence underlines what we’ve known all along: pain and fear have no place in professional dog training.

Let this serve as a stark reminder to those in our field who continue to promote outdated methods and deny the overwhelming scientific consensus. The community will no longer remain silent. The evidence is clear and we are moving beyond these harmful practices. Trainers who continue to use pain, fear, and intimidation in their methods do not deserve legitimacy in this field.

Ivan Balabanov, once considered a leader among "balanced" trainers, now faces intense scrutiny following his involvement in this study. It is now scientifically verified that 25% of the dogs he and his mentee worked with in the shock collar group could not be trained effectively, and 100% of those dogs yelped in pain.

This once again undermines the narrative propagated by many trainers who use shock collars and falsely claim that their methods "don’t hurt."

The reality is, the tools they promote rely on pain as a teaching mechanism, and better alternatives exist that teach dogs to comply enthusiastically without the need for fear or discomfort, and without the risks associated with using pain and fear to change an individual’s behavior.

For too long, the welfare of dog trainers has been placed above the welfare of dogs and the public. This has got to stop.

The campaign to expose outdated training methods, like those Ivan Balabanov will likely promote in his upcoming UK workshop, is gaining momentum. Even members of his own community are stunned by the facts that have come to light in this study.

This is not an effort to embarrass an individual but to stand up for the public and make it clear that the propaganda surrounding shock collars is just that — propaganda.

Below is a newly published article from Psychology Today that lays out the facts on the recent shock collar study. For those who think this is about social media “clout” or personal opinions, this article should clarify that our advocacy is rooted in concern for public and canine welfare.

I’ve always said, don’t take my word for it—look at the evidence. This article does just that: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/animal-emotions/202409/is-balanced-training-fair-to-dogs-or-is-it-a-cop-out

And here is a link to the study in question: Johnson, A.C., & Wynne, C.D.L. (2024). “Comparison of the Efficacy and Welfare of Different Training Methods in Stopping Chasing Behavior in Dogs.” Animals, 14(18), 2632. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14182632

Based on the reaction to this study, another major domino has fallen in support of aversive dog training methods. This so-called "landmark study" will likely be remembered not for the efficacy of shock collars, but for exposing the unnecessary use of pain in dog training as a legitimate strategy.

We are prepared to provide support and education to those willing to update their methods in the interest of public health and safety. But make no mistake—those who refuse to be unequivocal in rejecting pain-based methods will face increasing scrutiny.

The livelihood of trainers promoting harmful practices is not our concern when it comes at the expense of dog welfare and public trust.

The time to end the misrepresentation of science-based training and to uphold welfare and ethics in dog training is long overdue. We are standing together for a better future for our industry, our dogs, and their guardians.

24/07/2024

Sorry for the swears, but …
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1rUsdMQSQ7hzqvcw/?mibextid=WC7FNe

The News Today

We’re a satirical newspaper, right? So we’re trying very hard to find a comical spin on the latest news about yet another high level horse person treating a horse like s**t.

But oh my god, it’s never ending. We have run out of new takes because it is just all the bloody time. How many different ways can you comedically say that yet another famous equestrian unexpectedly made an error of judgement? These jokes just write themselves, you don’t need us.

And why is everyone still feigning surprise? It’s what happens throughout the industry. By definition. We learn how to hit horses from the moment we start learning to ride. We are taught that upping the pressure is always the answer. Except when someone gets caught, then we are supposed to be kind and consider that maybe it was a unique situation. Another one.

So yeah, write your own jokes. We are off to lie down….

19/07/2024

A very belated congratulations to the last group of Bledlow Puppy Schoolers; Gino, Evie, Petra and Bertie. They all came on so well throughout the course.

The next Puppy School course starts tomorrow at 9am in Bledlow. Suitable for all vaccinated puppies under 20 weeks old.

13/07/2024

Thank you to everyone who entered today! Good turn out, especially for the ‘dog the judge would most like to take home’ class.

Thanks so much to Suzie Davies of Hands on Hounds for judging.

13/07/2024

The view from the dog show ring. Come and join in!

13/07/2024

Come and join us at Holmer Green today!
Dog show entry from 12.30, classes start at 2.15pm.

1. Best Trick
2. Dog that looks most like their owner
3. Best rescue dog
4. Dog the judge would most like to take home
5. Best child handler

Entry just £1 per class.

23/06/2024

Looking forward to another day of the Puppy School conference!

It’s so important to be able to keep up with the latest thinking in dog training and behaviour (love a good bit of CPD). Plus meeting other trainers from all over the country. Great to see some old faces and meet new ones.

I’ll be coming home raring to go (Dog Clubers in particular will find a few new things added!).

15/05/2024

Bouncy Dogs restarts tomorrow! Perfect for dogs that are friendly with others, but can’t recall, walk past or greet other dogs politely.

28/02/2024

This is a very good reminder. Sometimes, previous trauma rears it’s ugly head at what seems like nothing, for our dogs as well as ourselves.

"𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶" Dr Gabor Maté

What is a trigger? A trigger is something which involuntarily evokes memories of a previous traumatic event or experience. The trigger itself may be benign - a place, a smell, a piece of music, a name - but its result id to produce feelings of fear, panic or distress.

Today I was talking with a friend and something was mentioned which triggered a response from me. I felt uncomfortable and anxious and within moments my sports watch warned me that my stress levels were high. I was perfectly safe...I was sitting drinking tea with someone I know and trust in a relaxed environment but my body was having a physiological response which, in that moment, was out of my control.

A dog who has experienced previous trauma may react to seemingly innocuous situations. They may display reactions which seem disproportionate or inappropriate. They may kick off at what appears to be 'nothing'. But it's worth remembering that their behaviour may (not always) be an expression of involuntary physiological responses to triggers which take them back to a traumatic past. We have the cognitive ability to rationalise our way out of these situations and develop strategies to calm ourselves. Our dogs need our help to do the same.

Being safe and feeling safe are two very different things. For humans and for dogs.

23/02/2024

Do you have a puppy under 20 weeks old? Have you been looking for a group class for training and socialisation? Want a highly qualified tutor with loads of experience? Look no further! We have two spaces left on our Bledlow class starting tomorrow morning at 9am.

Check the comments for the booking link.

10/02/2024

Congratulations to this mornings graduates at Bledlow! What a super group. I look forward to seeing you at Dog Club soon.

Our next Puppy School group starts on Saturday Feb 24th at 9am. Book via www.bellsandwhistlesbehaviour.co.uk

23/12/2023

A timely reminder! In the New Year, when you decide it’s time to finally do something about your dog’s problematic behaviour - you’ve got to spend the time and money ruling out any physical issues that might be contributing to it first. It can be subtle, but it’s waaaaay more common than you might realise.

07/12/2023

Have a vaccinated puppy under 20 weeks old? Want to get cracking with some training? Like a bargain? Half price course starting this Saturday Dec 9th at 9am in Bledlow.

Puppy School is a six week course (2 week gap over Christmas), one hour per lesson. We use only reward based methods and are highly qualified.

This course is usually £150. It’s now available at just £75. Please see our website www.bellsandwhistlesbehaviour.co.uk to book.

Photo of Nanook just for attention. Ain’t he gorgeous?