Mad4Mutts

25/08/2024

Bailey is your typical Labrador. High energy, excitable and extremely loyal and loving, but Bailey can be reactive to dogs and people he is unsure of while on the lead so we're working with Bailey's Mum & Dad to reduce his reactivity and bring out the loving boy that he is when in the company of the things that trigger him. Bailey is doing well with his new routines and we're looking forward to the new improved dog that this clever pup is more than capable of being! Well done Team Bailey!

21/08/2024

Frank is one of the friendliest dogs we’ve ever met, so friendly in fact he wants to pull and say hello to every person and dog he sees to give them some love! It’s really lovely of Frank to be so friendly but he seems to forget that there’s someone on the other end of the lead which can be very stressful. A lovely relaxed walk along Torquay seafront today put a great big smile on Franks Mum’s face and it was lovely to see them both relaxed and enjoying their walk together. Well done Franky boy, you’re doing great!

21/08/2024

Say hello to Stumpy. Surprisingly several trainers that his owner contacted for help declined to work with Stumpy as he was being very antisocial toward both dogs and humans, and could potentially display quite severe aggression, but the motto we live by at Mad4mutts is that we never ever refuse any dog no matter how severe the case as every dog deserves a chance in life, and Stumpy is no different. After a few sessions getting to know Stumpy and building some trust, we walked him on Babbacombe Downs and he was the perfect gentleman, and even sat quietly with other dogs just a few feet away while we chatted with their owners. Many people who know Stumpy of old commented how calm he was being, and it was really rewarding watching him enjoy his walk and being so calm and well behaved. Is Stumpy turning over a new leaf? It's early days but he's got off to a cracking start!

10/08/2024

We rarely advertise as a company and most of our work comes from recommendation from the Mad4mutts family and we are always very grateful for all your kind words and how you sing our praises so a heartfelt thank you to all of you! Rocky’s Mum contacted us because a lot of our followers had recommended us on a Facebook post. Rocky is a lovely girl but she displays some really quirky behaviours when people go out through doors or when her food is being prepared. Lots of uncontrollable barking screaming and running all over the house and it was driving everyone crazy. This sounded like a really tricky case so we agreed on 3 sessions to get to grips with Rocky’s outbursts but she responded so well to our routines that I don’t think we’re going to need them as Rocky’s crazy behaviour seemed to fade away in front of our eyes as we worked with her. I’ve seen some great results in my time but Rocky’s immediate improvement was truly astonishing. Well done Rocky. You’re our Mad mutt of the month!

07/08/2024

Duke the Dachshund is a sweet boy and loves to say hello to hoomans, but he can get very barky at dogs he doesn’t know while out on his walks. Well we are delighted to say that after his initial training session last week, we walked Duke along the busy Babbacombe Downs with lots of doggos around and Duke did not utter one single bark and was the perfect gentleman. Congrats to Duke’s Mum Mel who has obviously been working very hard with him. What a superstar! Top of the class!

28/07/2024

26/07/2024

Join our puppy school and you are guaranteed to learn some great new skills, make lovely new friends, and have a lot of fun! Our weekend classes are held at a Torquay Venue, and fill up very quickly, so get to the front of the queue and book your place now! Let us help you create your perfect canine companion! Call 07979 758149 or email us at [email protected]

20/07/2024

This absolute gem is the gorgeous Waffles! Waffles is a super friendly excitable boy. So much so he want 's to bounce all over the place with excitement and run and say hello to everyone he sees regardless of what happens at the other end of the lead with Mum and Dad being pulled in every direction. He's definitely a real life Tigger with a T_I_double grr err and doesn't everyone know it. Between our first and second sessions, Mum and Dad have been putting in some sterling work, and it seems Mr Waffles is turning over a new leaf and becoming very calm and well mannered, on the lead and lovely to walk again. Well done Team waffles your superstars!

16/07/2024

I’d like to introduce you to the perfect dog trainer When Bella had her 7 pups, she was the perfect mum. She fed them, she cleaned, them and when she did leave them to go to the bathroom outside she cried to get back to them. As her pups Teddy and Buddy matured over the next few months, they thought it great fun to pester their mum climbing all over her and just generally being annoying. Bella took this for a while and then erupted. It was loud, it was fast, and it was ferocious. The puppies screamed and ran. I didn’t correct Bella because she did exactly what needed to be done. Within 30 seconds the pups were back to playing except now they were not pestering Bella.
Even though this sounded and looked bad it wasn’t. Bella didn’t harm a hair on them, but she did apply a perfectly timed correction with the right amount of intensity to stop the behaviour and prevent it from ever happening again.
Dogs practice perfect dog training. Bella didn’t turn her back or offer the puppy a treat for presenting a different behaviour. Dogs know what to do but yet there are still trainers out there that think they know more than Mother Nature.
In dog training there must be reward for doing right and there must be consequences for doing wrong. Unfortunately many trainers now think corrections or consequences are abusive and unnecessary. This lie causes hundreds of thousands of dogs to be put down every year.
The first thing the puppies did to Bella the following morning was run to her and give her a kiss. Imagine that, no damage to their relationship for being corrected by their mum. Astonishing, but you can expect no less from the perfect dog trainer.

16/07/2024

Ronnie is a Belgian Malinois cross rescue from Spain, and probably up there with some of the toughest dogs we've ever had to work with. She is wonderful with her family but cannot tolerate any other humans or dogs which makes walking her a difficult task. To stop her being triggered by our presence, and help her to concentrate we supplied an earpiece and a two way radio so we could guide her owners through the training from a distance, and it worked amazingly well. Ronnie is a challenging dog, and not many people would do what her Mum and Dad are doing, and we are full of admiration for them, which is why we are fully committed to help them find a way forward for Ronnie to live her best life. Ronnie isn't going to be easy but then nothing worthwhile in life ever is. We'll keep you posted on Ronnie's progress.

27/06/2024

Rusty is the most lovable Doby Labrador cross you could ever wish to meet but his insecurity means he can be unsure in certain situations which makes him nervous of people he doesn’t know. This results in being a bit barky so we’re working with Rusty and his Mum to build that confidence and transform Rusty into the lovable engaging pup he’s capable of being. Watch this space another Mad4mutts superstar in the making.

24/06/2024

Lets talk balls! We received this message from one of our clients regarding tennis ball size foam balls. These are not great for dogs as they can be chewed and broken and swallowed in large pieces. The fibre on the surface of tennis balls is also very damaging to dogs teeth. The message read - "We have had a difficult 48 hours, our boy had been under the weather for a couple of days so we took him to the vets on Friday. After lots of investigations and different possible causes he was sedated and x-rayed. Nothing showed up but the vet could feel a large mass in his stomach. Emergency surgery found the remains of one of these foam balls. Somehow he must have managed to get hold of it ripped it up and swallowed a large chunk. He is home but very sore and still not 100% out of the woods as they had to cut his bowel open so a possibility of infection" Please avoid foam balls and tennis balls they are not the best option for our dogs! We hope pup is ok and wish him a speedy recovery!

20/06/2024

Nellie the Frenchie is a sweet sweet girl, but she struggles with unknown dogs and can turn into a snarling snotty mess very quickly when she comes across them out on her walks. We're really please to say that she has been the perfect student, and is making rapid progress, and we love this little pup to bits. Well done Team Nellie! Great effort and great result!

18/06/2024

Little Theo the Whippet is a real treasure but he could not stand being away from his Mum which resulted in lots of barking crying and whining.....literally all the time she was away from him. We put some strategies in place and some new drills, and we heard today that little Theo is a much calmer pup and making swift progress. Brilliant news and we are really thrilled that he is doing so well. Well done Theo and family, Fab effort!

17/06/2024

We have been working with the beautiful Bella for a little while now and she has come a long way on her journey to neutrality. When we first met Bella she would explode into barking and lunging on seeing a dog 500 yards away. Bella is now happy to view dogs from ten feet away while out on her walks through Cockington, and although not completely neutral, she has made huge progress, and walks are a lot more pleasant these days. Well done Princess Bella, you're a star!

17/06/2024

We would just like to say a huge Thank You! to all our followers for all your support and recommendations. It blows us away the way you recommend us both on Facebook and in the real world and we are so grateful for your kindness, and loyalty. If it wasn't for the Mad4mutts Family we wouldn't have the success we are experiencing so a very heartfelt thank you to everyone. We really appreciate it!

13/06/2024

Say hello to the lovely Nala! Nala is a real softy and such a loving pup, but she pulls on the lead like a freight train, and gets very excited when any humans or doggo's appear because she just can't resist saying hello. We worked with Nala and her Mum yesterday, and we heard on the grapevine she was a very well behaved girl on the school run this morning so she's off to a fab start. Well done Nala! Yet another Mad4mutts superstar in the making!

06/06/2024

This cheeky chap is Mali the Collie cross. He's a friendly, rambunctious excitable boy but he can be a little unsure around unknown dogs which means barking and lunging so we're working with Mali's Mum to help him to be a super well behaved pup and he's off to a great start. Well done Mali! Keep up the good work! 😉

28/05/2024

If you are struggling with your dog's behaviour regardless of the issue, join us for our live Q&A call on Thursday 30th of May at 7.30pm on our whatsapp chat where you can get answers to your questions in real time. We have nearly 100 members who help advise and support each with their dogs challenging behaviours day to day in our chat and its a very supportive, positive, informative and fun atmosphere. So if you are struggling with your dog, drop in and chat. It's a lot of fun, its totally FREE and we promise we won't bite! Come and join the Mad4mutts family, you'll be glad you did! Please email your name and mobile number to receive the group joining link to [email protected] See you soon!

27/05/2024

Say hello to Emi the Podenco Canario. As the name implies this breed hails from the Canary Islands, where they are used in packs for rabbit hunting. There is widespread abuse of these dogs if they don't make the grade and they can be abandoned at the end of the season to fend for themselves or worse. Emi is a rescue from Tenerife, and is a lovely affectionate boy, but struggles with interacting calmly with other dogs so we are working with him to create some calmness and manners, and help him make some new doggo friends. Welcome to the UK Emi and welcome to the Mad4mutts family! ( Please note: while the Podenco can be a lovely and loyal dog, they need a huge amount of exercise, and can be challenging for inexperienced dog owners due to a huge prey drive, so please only consider this breed if you are fit enough to give it the exercise it deserves, and have experience of high drive breeds)

20/05/2024

If your dog pulls, jumps, barks, and refuses to come back, this is the course for you! A hugely popular series of four classes designed to increase engagement and responsiveness, and fine tune those all important handling skills for only £80.00. So join the mad4mutts Pooch Improvement Programme and lets get your dog in good shape!

17/05/2024

Say hello to Missy and her new sister Nala. Missy can be a nervous girl which results in her being reactive toward other dogs and also people. After working with Missy and her Mum and Dad, she is a much calmer girl and more tolerant of both dogs and humans and even enjoys some fuss from strangers without getting upset or barky. Well done Team Missy. What a brilliant transformation.

10/05/2024

***JUST ONE SPACE LEFT*** Would you like to improve your handling skills? Need help with Lead walking? Recall? Reactivity? Our series of courses are spread over 4 weeks and are just the ticket, whatever the issue. Our next series starts on the 26th of May, but at only £80 per course make sure you book early as this event always sells out very quickly! See you there!

05/05/2024

If you have a reactive dog, we understand how stressful it can be and how much anxiety just going for a walk can create. Your dog is the perfect pet at home, but a monster when it comes to seeing other dogs or people, Its frustrating that most people don't understand what having a reactive dog is like, or how hard you work and try to make things better, People can be very judgemental and even rude which chips away at your confidence even further. But what if a percentage of your dog's behaviour is down to your confidence, and your ability to lead and help your dog navigate the world calmly? Yes of course we work on your dog's behaviour by equipping you with exercises and routines that really do work, but a huge part of what we do is building the human too. We build your skills and your confidence so that you can become the calm confident leader that your dog needs and desires. We love to help dogs but we need to help the humans too.

02/05/2024

Would you like to improve your handling skills? Need help with Lead walking? Recall? Reactivity? Our series of courses are spread over 4 weeks and are just the ticket, whatever the issue. Our next series starts on the 26th of May, but at only £80 per course make sure you book early as this event always sells out very quickly! See you there!

30/04/2024

Krispy the Pocket Bully is looking for his forever home. He's a lovely lad but can be reactive to dogs and will need some help and support with that. Krispy would do well in a home that can invest time in him preferably without children. If anyone is interested in finding out more about Krispy, please get in touch. mad4mutts will offer free training support if he is rehomed within the Torbay area. Please share!

30/04/2024

This is the lovely American Bulldog Kiyah. Kiyah is such a sweet girl around humans but she struggles with interacting with other dogs, and being alone at home, so we are working with Kiyah's Mum to help build Kiyah's confidence both outdoors and at home, and she's made an amazing start. Well done Kiyah! Superstar!

24/04/2024

When it comes to reactive or aggressive dogs, two out of three clients who contact us have already used at least one, sometimes two trainers / behaviourists without success. Some have been advised that “the kindest thing to do” would be to euthanise the dog because there is no hope of improvement. Sometimes the clients vet has given the same verdict. We love our vets, they do an amazing job fixing our dogs and keeping them healthy, but they are generally not dog trainers they are health care professionals.

Lola’s owner was advised by two behaviourists and her vet that due to Lola’s very thin nerves, and reactivity toward both people and dogs, she struggles to cope with her emotions and would never have the life she deserves and recommended she be euthanised.

When I first met Lola she was a snarling snappy mess because she doesn’t do well with strangers in her home, but within an hour we became bezzy friends and she started to trust. Yesterday evening, we walked along Babbacombe Downs with Lola and her owners, (her first public walk around dogs and people in a long time) and she not only coped with passing dogs and people at her comfort distance but she actually really enjoyed the walk! Tail up, lots of good energy and a great learning experience.

Did it push her out of her comfort zone? Absolutely! Did she have the odd grumble? Of course she did, but 95% of the time she walked past dogs and people at her comfort distance without any reaction, and you can guarantee her next walk will be even better.

So the moral of this story is if you are being told by canine professionals that there is no hope for your dog, and the kindest option is euthanasia, get a second third fourth or even fifth opinion because we turn these lost causes around on a regular basis, so much so that we are compiling a study of 100 lost cause / condemned dogs that have successfully overcome these challenges and are living their best lives. Lola is a living example. It begs the question, how many dogs are euthanised unnecessarily. We dread to think. Food for thought

23/04/2024

Hey mad4mutts family We need your help! This lovely lad is still looking for a new home to call his own. Louis is a very friendly boy, but can be a little nervous, and will need a kind confident person to help him move forward. We are happy to provide free training support to help him settle in, so if you live in the Torbay area, and you could give this boy his forever home or know someone who could, please email us at [email protected] Thanks! PLEASE SHARE!