๐ฝ ๐ฆ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐'๐ ๐ฝ
A ๐ฆ๐ป๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ is a scent-based exploration walk where you allow your dog to take their time, sniff where they choose and learn about the world around them.
The idea of a ๐ฆ๐ป๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ is for your dog to choose the pace and ideally where to go (as long as it's safe). Sniffing a scent on the ground or on a tree or lamp post etc, is your dogs equivalent of us humans watching a favourite movie or reading a good book ... it's our dogs social media time!
This is Bluebell, one of our current SuperPup's. She won the SUPERPUP MISSION OF THE WEEK for this video submission of her ๐ฆ๐ป๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ.
If you want to learn more about a Sniffari and how how it can benefit your dog, have a read of my blog https://www.happy-buddies.co.uk/blog/sniffari-a-scent-based-exploration-for-your-dog. ๐ถ
It's the 1st day of December ... that means I can officially be Christmassy and so here's a little video of the Happy Buddies resident dogs getting into the Christmas Spirit and preparing for the office Christmas pawty!
Feat. Amanda's dogs Buddy and Fudge; Bella's dogs Stanley and Sienna and Liz's dog Chilli ... boy have they got some moves! ๐๐งโ๐๐
๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐
Barking is entirely natural for a dog. It's a way that they communicate. A dog might bark through fear, to get attention, to alert you to something, because they are excited, frustrated or bored. There's always a reason behind a bark!
A little bit of barking shouldn't be problematic but if your dog constantly barks in the garden this can cause issues, particularly with neighbours!
When addressing excessive barking, it's really important to consider why the dog is barking before deciding how to address it. Excessive barking can be a complex behaviour and needs a thorough investigation into the motivations behind it.
I was contacted by Rolo's mum a few weeks ago. She was worried about Rolo's constant barking in the garden. As soon as the back door was opened he would charge into the garden, run around it's perimeter and bark. The first video, taken by his mum was typical of his behaviour.
During my first 121 appointment we worked out that this behaviour initially started because Rolo heard something nearby (we think it was either someone walking on the pathway the other side of their fence or another dog in the neighbourhood). However, it's now become habitual. He will do this behaviour at any time, whether there's a noise to be heard or not.
Rolo's training therefore, was two-fold. We had to help him understand that he didn't need to be scared or feel the need to alert his family when he heard something. This was achieved through building positive associations with his trigger noises and encouraging him to move away from the noise.
We also needed to change the way that Rolo entered the garden. He was getting very excited about his new game of perimeter barking and it had become an enjoyable habit so we needed to change that.
First, we introduced a little impulse control when the door was opened and taught Rolo to patiently wait to be invited out. This puts him in a calmer
๐ฅ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฃ๐๐ฝ ๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ข๐ณ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐ง๐ผ ..... ๐
At the end of each of our SuperPup classes, we set our puppies a Socialisation Mission ... well you can't have a SuperPup with no mission to complete can you!!!
The best submission receives a SuperPup of the Week certificate!
Our Week 1 Socialisation Mission was to find the most inventive/unusual place to practice a 'sit'!
Aaaaaaand the winner was ...
๐ Bluebell ๐!!
Mind you, I'm not sure if she's completing the mission or just trying to stop her mum from going on holiday without her! ๐
Fudge is avidly watching Eight Below! Can't take his eyes off pretty Mia working hard on a rescue mission!!
#husky #malamute #eightbelow #cockapoo #dogwatchingtv
๐พ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐พ
We have 2 SPACES LEFT on our next BEGINNERS Canine Hoopers course starting next Tuesday, 29 October 2024!
๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ ๐๐ช๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐, ๐ซ๐๐จ๐๐ฉ ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐๐จ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค๐ค๐ ! This will be the last Beginners course until March 2025!
Hoopers is a low impact sport making it suitable for dogs and humans of all ages, fitness levels and abilities. It's also suitable for dogs of any size and breed.
Puppies from the age of 5 months old, older dogs who have perhaps retired from agility, dogs that have suffered injuries and disabled dogs that are otherwise fit and healthy but who still want a job to do can enjoy Hoopers.
It really is a fun, inclusive canine sport for all โ dogs and their human handlers!
Visit https://happy-buddies.co.uk/canine-hoopers to find out more and to book! ๐ถ
I really love it when I get sent homework videos.
This was one I got sent from a current Canine College student, Nala. Isn't she a beaut ๐!
Her mum had been working on the beginnings of her 'leave' training and wanted to ask if she was doing it right.
She was doing a great job but there was a little tweak I wanted to make.
You'll notice in the first video, after being presented with the leave item, Nala nose targets the hand first. She does this each time. This is likely to mean that she thinks she has to touch the hand first before moving away.
And this is why I love being sent homework videos and why I love our handler's asking questions about how their homework practice is going!
All this training needed was a tiny improvement to ensure Nala fully understood the exercise ...
Nala definitely has a good understanding of the leave cue but she was adding in an unnecessary step - she didn't need to touch the hand first. My advice for their next training session was to cue "leave", then present the leave item but delay the timing of the marker word until a couple of seconds after she moved away, to make sure it's the leave that is being marked/reinforced rather than the touch. Duration of the touch can then be built upon by marking the behaviour slightly later each time.
After a couple more home practice sessions, I was sent the second video and the touch of the hand was no more!
Well done Team Nala! โญโญโญโญโญ
Last week, our Canine College students were introduced to the Send to Bed exercise. We started this training by standing close to their bed (or mat in class) and encouraging them to go onto their bed and into a down position, adding a cue when the behaviour becomes reliable.
Through positively reinforcing this behaviour, our dogs start to associate our verbal cue of "bed" with 'go to my bed and lie on it'.
So this week, we started working on the actual 'sending' to bed. This is a gradual progression which involves us moving slightly further away from the bed and then giving the cue.
As you can see, our students are really getting it and some achieved quite a few steps away. Here's Nala, Juno, Jerry and Rumble showing us their skills so far ... next, we'll start to build duration! ๐ถ
#caninecollege #dorking #brockham #reigatepuppytraining #positivereinforcement #rewardbasedtraining #puppytraining #reigate #lowerkingswood #dorkingpuppytraining #tadworthpuppytraining #brockhampuppytraining #tadworth #puppytrainingreigate #dorkingdogtraining #puppies #reigatedogtraining #tadworthdogtraining #sendtobed
I'm a bit late to the party here as our current Hoopers Beginners are actually about to do their Week 5 class and I've not posted any pictures of them yet!
But here they are and what a bunch! They are SO good and proving to be real naturals!! I'm loving every minute of their course and so are they! ๐ถ
#caninehoopers #caninehoopersworld #dogsportsurrey #dogsportreigate #reigatedogs #dorkingdogs #reigate #dorking #lowerkingswood #thingstodowithyourdoginsurrey #havefunwithyourdog #hoopersreigate #hoopersdorking #hooperstadworth
After a very short notice change of venue from the field to the sandschool to escape the rain, we had a fantastic Hoopers Tasters session this morning!
These doggo's learnt so much so quickly and loved every minute! A huge credit to their handlers too who did a great job!
I expect all the doggo's have had a good sleep this afternoon with all that physical exercise and mental brain work!
Our next Beginners course starts on Tuesday 29 October at 6:30pm in Dorking! Go on ... you know you want to! ๐ฃ๐พ
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น: ๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ช๐๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐!
My dogs, Buddy and Fudge are aged 11 and 9 and I've never been lazy in rewarding their recall and this is why!
Today we went for a lovely walk in the woods and came across this beautiful family of 4 deer. Before I explain what happened, let me take you back to the beginning of our walk ...
Buddy and Fudge love training and doing little jobs for which they are rewarded for. So, as we walked through the car park after arriving, I did a little 'close' and 'heel' work and yes, they got rewarded for it!
Once out of the car park, I let them off lead and we walked a little way before doing one of my favourite games with them Treat Trees (hiding treats in fallen trees and asking them to find them), they love it!
I then sat on a tree with them, told them how much I love them and we had some cuddles (I still feel guilty for leaving them last weekend ๐คฃ).
Doing things like this on our walks isn't unusual, we often do training and other fun things together whilst walking.
Connection, relationship and focus had been set and my boys were enjoying being with me because I was providing the love and fun!
Then ... we came across the deer and they were close ... very close ... and whilst I was in awe watching them, I knew it was only a matter of time before they ran and although I know my dogs have great recall, this really was their ultimate distraction and instincts to chase were highly likely to kick in (my heart was in my mouth)!
Fudge saw them while I was videoing them but I remained calm and gave Fudge his recall cue. No shouting, no aversive methods or techniques, just his recall cue.
You can see his response was โญโญโญโญโญ and he was HEAVILY rewarded with lots of tasty treats afterwards ... but then he knew he would be as that's what he has learnt to expect when he comes back after hearing his recall cue!
For the rest of the walk, I continued to prais
We've just arrived home from the Peak District after a wonderful holiday! The Peak District is really dog friendly and provides some beautiful scenic walks.
We've enjoyed walks by rivers, over heathland, around rocks, up hills and even into a cave and then enjoyed relaxing and recovering each evening in a gorgeous little cottage called Clough Brook.
I love our holiday adventures and making memories. Hope you enjoy a little snapshot of our break away!
(Please note that although we are back from our holiday, I don't return to work until 10 September so messages will be responded to after then). โบ๏ธ
#peakdistrict #holiday #makingmemories #cloughbrookcottage #happytimes #cockapoo #lhasaapso #holidayadventures #dogfriendly #dogfriendlyholidays
