Clan Dog

Clan Dog Allan Ritchie MGoDT (MPDTI) offers advice with your dog's Behaviour & Training Online and In Person
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Allan Ritchie MGoDT (MPDTI)
Master Professional Dog Training Instructor, Allan Ritchie has been working with dogs for over 40 years. He began learning his trade in 1980 as a Royal Air Force Police Dog Handler. In the late 90’s he owned and ran a dog training school for ten years, but he now trains the other end of the lead....... You! ..........because when it comes to your family dog, you are th

e dog trainer – not him! Take a look at www.clandog.co.uk to see how Allan can teach you the skills you need to live in harmony WITH your dog.

30/06/2026

Online ‘Problem Solving’ evening.
Tonight at 7pm.
We will be discussing the importance of relationship building before ‘training’.
I’ll then throw the floor open to everyone who needs help and advice regarding their dogs’ training and behaviour.
See you at 7pm.
(Zoom link details on the Members Page.)
Allan

29/06/2026

Meet Scout, a 9-week-old Labradoodle who is staying with me for a short time.

I wouldn’t describe this as residential training. Scout is far too young for that kind of label. This is much more about foundation building.

Scout is destined to become a therapy dog and, in time, will be working around school children as part of the Kids Gone Wild team. His actual “work” won’t begin for a couple of years yet, but the preparation for that role starts now.

At this stage, however, there is no “special” training for Scout.

He will be brought up like all puppies should be brought up — with calm guidance, sensible boundaries, appropriate exposure, plenty of rest, and an understanding of what a young puppy can and cannot cope with.

The truth is, many of the behaviour problems people face later in a dog’s life do not appear out of nowhere. Some develop because important early stages were missed, rushed, misunderstood or not given enough attention.

That does not mean every puppy needs intensive training. They don’t.

But they do need the right foundations.

They need to learn that the world is safe.
They need to learn how to settle.
They need to learn how to cope with normal sights, sounds, people and places.
They need to learn that humans are consistent, fair and trustworthy.
They need to learn good habits before unwanted ones become established.

With Scout, the aim is not to create a perfect puppy or rush him towards his future role. The aim is simply to give him the best possible start.

Because the dog he becomes in two years’ time will be shaped by the foundations being built today.

Stay tuned for more about puppies, what to expect, and how to deal with typical puppy behaviours before they become bigger problems later in life.

Allan Ritchie MGoDT (MPDTI)

This is, 'Scout', our newest Clan Dog student! 🐕😍Got a new puppy? Or getting one soon?Those first few weeks can be amazi...
11/06/2026

This is, 'Scout', our newest Clan Dog student! 🐕😍

Got a new puppy? Or getting one soon?

Those first few weeks can be amazing… but they can also be hard work.

Toilet accidents, biting, chewing, jumping up, sleepless nights and puppy chaos are all very normal — but how you handle these early stages makes a huge difference to the dog your puppy becomes.

I’ve written a new Clan Dog blog all about puppy training and how to give your puppy the best possible start in life.

It covers:

✅ When to start puppy training
✅ Toilet training tips
✅ Why puppies bite and mouth
✅ Puppy socialisation
✅ Recall training
✅ Common puppy training mistakes
✅ How to build a better relationship with your puppy

The early weeks are where the foundations are built.

With the right guidance, your puppy can learn to feel safe, listen more easily and grow into a confident, happy dog.

If you are raising a puppy just now, or you know someone who is, this will help.

Comment 'PUPPY' below and I’ll send you the link to the full blog.

Allan Ritchie MGoDT (MPDTI)
Clan Dog

Meet Bear – Socialisation is About Preparing Dogs for Their Life 🐾Bear is an 8-month-old Dachshund who has just arrived ...
10/06/2026

Meet Bear – Socialisation is About Preparing Dogs for Their Life 🐾

Bear is an 8-month-old Dachshund who has just arrived at his new family home. He’s only been with his family for a week, but he’s already settling in brilliantly and beginning the next chapter of his life.

Today marked the start of something important. Bear’s humans are professional gardeners, which means he’ll eventually be accompanying them to work. Rather than simply expecting him to cope with this new world, they’re introducing him to it gradually, in a controlled and carefully managed way.

This brings me to something I often talk about when it comes to dog training and behaviour…

What Does Socialisation Really Mean?

Many people think socialising a dog means introducing them to lots of people and letting them play with as many dogs as possible.

Whilst those things can sometimes form part of the process, socialisation is actually much broader than that.

For me, socialisation is about preparing a dog for the life they are going to live.

Every dog is an individual. Every family is different. Every lifestyle is unique.

The experiences that one dog needs may be completely irrelevant to another.

Think About It…

A dog living in a busy city and accompanying their owner to an office every day will need to become comfortable with:

Traffic and busy streets
Public transport
Elevators and office buildings
Crowds of people
Urban noises and distractions

Compare that to a dog living in a remote rural location who may need to learn about:

Livestock
Wildlife
Farm machinery
Open spaces
Different environmental challenges

Neither lifestyle is right or wrong.
They are simply different.

Bear’s Socialisation Journey

For Bear, socialisation means learning about the sights, sounds, smells and experiences that come with life alongside professional gardeners.

The sound of machinery.
Wheelbarrows moving around.
People working.
Different locations.
Vehicles.
New surfaces.

Changing environments.

All introduced at a pace that allows him to feel safe, confident and successful.

That’s the key.

Not flooding a dog with experiences.

Not overwhelming them.

Not ticking boxes on a socialisation checklist.

But carefully exposing them to the things they’ll encounter throughout their life and helping them build positive associations along the way.

Socialisation Isn’t About Quantity

It’s not about how many dogs they meet.

It’s not about how many people stroke them.

It’s not about how many places you can take them in a week.

It’s about quality experiences that build confidence, resilience and trust.

The best socialisation plan is always the one that’s designed around the individual dog and the life ahead of them.

Bear’s journey is just beginning, and his family are already giving him the foundations he needs to thrive in his future world.

And that’s what great socialisation looks like. ❤️🐾

What does your dog’s everyday life look like? Have you thought about the specific skills and experiences they need to be successful in their world? Let us know in the comments below.

09/06/2026

A great ‘day in the office’
🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕

Relationship Before ResultsThis photo was taken in a quiet moment with Otto.No commands.No training session.No treats.No...
08/06/2026

Relationship Before Results

This photo was taken in a quiet moment with Otto.

No commands.
No training session.
No treats.
No lead corrections.
No talking.

Just two friends enjoying each other’s company.

Many of you followed Otto’s journey through this page and saw the places we went together. Busy towns, country walks, kayaking rivers, training fields, cafes, events, long road trips and countless everyday adventures.

People would often ask how he was so well-behaved, so attentive and so easy to take anywhere.

The truth is that the answer wasn’t found in a training technique.

It was found in our relationship.

Don’t get me wrong, training matters. Dogs need guidance, structure and clear communication. But training becomes far easier when it is built on a foundation of trust, understanding and connection.

Too many people chase results before they build the relationship.

They focus on the sit, the stay, the recall or the loose lead walking.

Those things are important, but they are outcomes.

The relationship is the cause.

When your dog genuinely wants to be with you, when they trust your decisions, when they understand your communication and when you understand theirs, something special happens………
The training starts to flow naturally.

Your dog pays attention because they value the connection.

They come back when called because being with you is rewarding.

They follow your guidance because experience has taught them that you’re worth listening to.

Over the years, one phrase became central to everything I teach:

“Relationship Before Results.”

Not because results don’t matter.

But because the strongest, most reliable and most enjoyable results come from a great relationship, yeah?

The irony is that when we stop obsessing over the outcome and start investing in the bond, the outcomes often arrive much faster.

Looking back at this photo, I don’t see a perfectly trained dog.

I see a relationship that was built one day, one walk and one shared experience at a time.

And that’s what I’d encourage every dog owner to focus on.

Because one day you’ll realise that the greatest achievement wasn’t the obedience, the tricks or the certificates.

It was the friendship.

And that’s something worth building every single day.

Relationship Before Results. Always.

— Allan Ritchie MGoDT (MPDTI)

07/06/2026

“Why can he walk nicely for you, but not for me?”

It’s one of the most common questions I hear when working with dogs who pull on the lead.

In this video, you’ll see a frustrated owner being pulled all over the pavement by his dog. You’ll also see me walking the very same dog, on the very same collar, using the very same lead, on the very same pavement.

The difference isn’t the equipment.

The difference is the emotional state and behaviour of the person holding the lead.

Before we can teach a dog to relax, we must first learn how to relax ourselves.

Dogs are masters at reading body language, tension, breathing patterns, movement, and emotional energy. They are constantly gathering information from us, whether we realise it or not. If we’re anxious, frustrated, rushed, or anticipating the next pull on the lead, our dogs often mirror that state of mind.

Many owners unknowingly begin a walk already tense. They’re expecting their dog to pull, lunge, react, or ignore them. The lead tightens, their shoulders tense, their breathing becomes shallow, and the dog immediately senses that something isn’t right.

The result?

An excited, anxious, distracted, or over-aroused dog that finds it difficult to switch off and focus.

When I begin working with a dog like this, I don’t start by teaching loose lead walking.

I start by teaching relaxation.

I help the handler understand how their own emotions, body language, timing, and energy influence their dog. Once the human becomes calmer, clearer, and more consistent, the dog often begins to relax too.

A relaxed dog can think.

A relaxed dog can learn.

A relaxed dog can make better choices.

Lead pulling is rarely just a lead pulling problem. It’s often a symptom of excitement, frustration, anxiety, poor communication, or a dog that has never learned how to settle and regulate its emotions.

Training isn’t simply about controlling behaviour.

It’s about creating a dog that feels calm enough to make good decisions.

When you watch this video, don’t just look at what the dog is doing.

Look at what the human is doing.

The lesson isn’t that I have some magic technique.

The lesson is that dogs respond differently when the person at the other end of the lead changes.

If you want a calmer dog, start by becoming a calmer handler.

Your dog is always listening, even when you haven’t said a word.

I hope this helps?
Allan

When you open Google to search “how to train my dog” and 4 hours later you’ve watched 17 videos, joined 3 Facebook group...
06/06/2026

When you open Google to search “how to train my dog” and 4 hours later you’ve watched 17 videos, joined 3 Facebook groups, questioned all your life choices, and your dog is still lying there like this…

Dog training can feel overwhelming.

One person says “do this”.
Another says “never do that”.
Your dog says, “I’ll just take over the whole couch, thanks.”

That’s exactly why I created the Clan Dog online membership.

Inside, you’ll get simple, practical training guidance without the confusion, including:

50+ on-demand training videos
Premium dog training courses
Live Q&A sessions
Members-only support group
Help from Allan Ritchie MGoDT (MPDTI)

So instead of feeling like this dog looks, you can start making progress with confidence.

Try Clan Dog free for 7 days here:
www.clandog.co.uk/trial/

Puppy Training CourseBringing home a puppy is exciting… but it can also feel like chaos in a tiny fluffy body. Toilet ac...
05/06/2026

Puppy Training Course

Bringing home a puppy is exciting… but it can also feel like chaos in a tiny fluffy body.

Toilet accidents, mouthing and biting, chewing, barking, first walks, socialisation, children, recall, boundaries — there is a lot to get right early on.

The Clan Dog Puppy Training Course is designed to help you build the right relationship from the start, so your puppy grows into a confident, happy, well-rounded dog.

Inside the course, you’ll learn how to:

Set your puppy up during the crucial early weeks
Build kind, fair and loving leadership
Understand puppy body language
Handle the first 24 hours at home
Toilet train effectively
Deal with mouthing and biting
Introduce children safely
Start socialisation the right way
Prepare for first walks
Teach early commands and rewards
Begin recall training

You can buy the Puppy Training Course on its own for £68.99, or get it included inside the full Clan Dog membership from just £23.99/month.

As a member, you’ll also get access to every other Clan Dog course, plus ongoing help, support and advice for as long as you need it — and you can cancel anytime.

Give your puppy the best possible start here:

https://www.clandog.co.uk/dog-training-courses/puppy-training-course/

HELPING THE FEARFUL DOG Is your dog barking, lunging, freezing, hiding, or reacting because they’re scared? Fearful beha...
05/06/2026

HELPING THE FEARFUL DOG
Is your dog barking, lunging, freezing, hiding, or reacting because they’re scared?

Fearful behaviour can be stressful for both ends of the lead.

You may feel embarrassed, frustrated, worried, or even helpless — but your dog isn’t trying to be “bad”. They’re struggling to cope.

The Helping The Fearful Dog course is designed to help you understand what’s really going on and support your dog through their fear issues, so they can begin to feel safer, calmer, and more confident again.

Inside the course, you’ll learn about:

Why your dog is reacting
Stress stacking
Avoiding triggers
Muzzle training
Safe use of tools and equipment
Why distance is your friend
Focus and fun
Loose lead walking
Building confidence through controlled situations

This course is force-free, practical, and designed to help you become the calm, kind, fair leader your dog needs.

You can buy Helping The Fearful Dog on its own for £48.99, or get it included inside the full Clan Dog membership from just £23.99/month.

As a member, you’ll also get access to the rest of the Clan Dog courses, support, advice, and guidance for as long as you need it — and you can cancel anytime.

Start helping your dog feel safer in the world today:

https://www.clandog.co.uk/dog-training-courses/fearful-dog/

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