Let's Talk Dog

21/10/2024

It is with sadness that I post this, only to allow others to know, that my wonderful mum passed a few weeks ago at the great age of 92 years (actually 1 month short of her 93rd birthday).
I haven't much to say here, it's not the place.
Anyone who would like to attend Mum's funeral, it's on 22nd October at 11.30am at Craigton Crematorium, Berryknowes Rd, Cardonald, Glasgow G52 2DB (https://maps.app.goo.gl/QJaqHdbG35EG9uen9)
Elizabeth MacDonald (nee Brady), also known affectionately as "Wee Betty" (she was 4' 11" tall)
I haven't been contacting many people back, who have messaged me. For that, I apologise. I'll be back sometime this week and will get up to date as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your understanding.
God bless.

06/10/2024

Deny Entry to the UK for Ivan Balabanov due to Animal Cruelty Practices

18/08/2024

There are always choices.
The point is are you choosing for you or for you and your dog?

15/08/2024

With mypawfectk9 – I just got recognised as one of their top fans! 🎉

06/08/2024

Local on the Fylde Coast, well worth looking into for your pooch or 2 or 4....

01/08/2024

You and Millie will do just fine, an understanding and patient human is all she needs now.
Slowly and supportively allowing her to take on the world at a pace she can cope with.
I can't wait to meet her again.
Well Done Millie!

26/07/2024

Thank you The Perfect Puppy Company and I applaud your condemnation of these barbaric tools used openly by unskilled individuals masquerading as trainers.

26/07/2024

Just started working with the crew at Homeless Hounds - Dogs In Need.
There's a way to go, but the people they have there are wonderful and open-minded. Learning the dogs available to them to walk and help is not down to their physical strength but to the dog knowing what is required of them to have a successful walk.
Xena is a beautiful Belgian Malinois, I had never met Xena before today, and she was selected by the volunteers, as a more difficult dog to control.
Everyone saw Xena being in control of herself and offering beneficial behaviour for us both to move forward safely and under control. Not physical control, but she was controlling her behaviour to make our walk better.
The only accessory I took was a standard lead, no choker, no painful choking high-positioned garrot, no prong collar and no face harness. Just a standard fixed collar and a standard lead, and understanding between dog and handler.

I'm looking forward to the next one!
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/uw55fuNkVQweydED/

17/07/2024

I once read a trainer suggesting that she (a female trainer with no stupid pronoun preferences) wouldn't hire another trainer if that trainer's dog had issues!
I mean, how bloody stupid. My dog is with me because no one else can tolerate or accept his issues, he's with me because I believe I'm the best place for him. I don't have the peer pressure that others may suffer, and I don't get upset by little remarks like "Oh that's the one that doesn't go out on walks", yeah, stupid, that's the one.
Don't get hung up on the perfect dog, just love what you have and work on the bits that aren't as lovable.

A friend once said to me ‘you train out what bothers you, and ignore the rest’

This has really stuck with me, and repeat it to clients over the years.
We all have different priorities for our dogs, and as we are mere mortals and they are dogs somethings have to just slide. I always say ‘what are your top 3 that will change your life with your dog?’ The top 3 is where we begin, the rest will come in time.
For example, it does not bother me that my dogs lick the plates in the dishwasher, it’s the pre-collie cycle and I am fine with that.
It doesn’t bother me that my puppy likes to sit on the kitchen table and look out of the window when Im on my laptop.
It doesn’t bother me that Cooper will try to steal food off the kitchen counter given half a chance, and it doesn’t bother me that after a walk, Keeva will run and jump into the garden pond then come back into the kitchen to shake pond water, w**d and mud over the kitchen and then run off outside again!
These things I can live with and are not on my list of things that bother me – if they did, I would train an alternative and simply shut the kitchen door for Pond Gate!
So, please don’t try to be perfect, don’t compare your dog to another, don’t compare yourself to another, don’t allow family and friends to critise or put you down – Its not their home or their dog (s)!
Enjoy your dog’s quirks and cherish all that they do – you will miss it when they are gone.

16/07/2024

When there's so much to say and you find a fellow trainer who's already saying it concisely, just share.
It's good to share!

16/07/2024

Socialisation, isn't what you think it is...

🚫𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒂𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑷𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝑳𝑪𝑨 𝑫𝒐𝒈𝒈𝒚 𝑫𝒂𝒚-𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆….. 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒚!! 🚫

𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑫𝒐𝒈𝒈𝒚 𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒐 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒊𝒕 🙈

You must think that is a ridiculous statement for a Doggy Day-care Business Owner to make, and yes you are probably right. However, it doesn’t sound quite so ridiculous when it comes from a Dog Trainer & Behaviour specialist does it?

I will always prioritise the welfare of dogs over financial gain, so I am here to give you some of the reasons why we don’t accept puppies at LCA Doggy Day-care to help you make an informed decision whether day-care is the right choice for your puppy.

First of all, puppies need a hell of a lot of sleep, not just at night but frequent naps throughout the day. At least 18 hours per day in fact. This sleep is essential for physical growth as well as brain development, stress reduction, physical recovery, hormonal balance and much more. The noisy, chaotic atmosphere of a commercial daycare can be overwhelming and stressful for a young puppy, potentially leading to long-term anxiety issues - just ask any dog trainer, it’s what pays our mortgage.

Puppies can’t self-regulate, they are like little toddlers that constantly want to get into mischief. Have you ever known a toddler say “right then, I’m getting a little bit over tired now, I suppose I should just ignore all this exciting stuff going on around me and go and have a nap in that quiet corner over there” Oh how we wish it was true….but it is not. Your gorgeous little puppy would be the equivalent of a toddler having a meltdown in the middle of Lidl after only a short time at day-care, and we all know how stressful that can be for everyone involved.

“BUT my puppy needs to socialise I hear you cry”. NO NO NO, it doesn’t, not like you think it does. I hate that word socialisation, it conjures up images of letting your puppy meet and greet every dog and every person that they come across and that couldn’t be further from the truth.

What socialisation actually is, is pleasant social interactions with other animals, well-mannered dogs, women, children, and men (with beards, hats & wearing hi viz - I know how scary right?) as well as careful exposure to different environments such as crowds, traffic, public transport, the vacuum cleaner, the washing machine and any other sights & sounds that your puppy will have to cope with in every-day life. Now how is sending your puppy to run around with a load of other unknown dogs going to tick all of those socialisation boxes?

Doggy Day-care also comes with the risk of injury to your puppy. Larger dogs or more boisterous dogs can easily inadvertently or intentionally harm a young vulnerable puppy during play. Some older dogs have a low tolerance to excitable young puppies and may be a little too forceful in their corrections, again leading to anxiety issues in your puppy that can have long term effects.

If you don’t believe me, ask any other dog trainer. Around 80% of the reactivity cases that I have seen, have come from dogs that have had a negative experience at doggy day-care and it’s pretty much the same for other trainers that I have spoken to.

So why do I run a Doggy Day-Care if I hate them so much? Well, I like a challenge, and I wanted to make a difference, offer something a little different, and show that it can be done with the dogs welfare needs at the heart of everything.

At LCA Doggy Day-care we have a very strict entry criteria and we turn away at least 6 dogs for every one that we accept.

All dogs must be over 12 months old.

All dogs must pass a behavioural assessment where they are introduced to a dog that doesn’t enjoy playing with unknown dogs and they must be able to read that dogs body language and give them space.

All dogs must also be able to self-regulate and settle at nap time.

The reason that our entry requirements are so strict, is that we want every dog in our care to feel safe, secure and at ease whilst at day-care. Also, dogs NEED sleep and if they can’t sleep whilst in our care, then we aren’t meeting their welfare needs and we won’t accept them. It’s as simple as that.

So, before you sign your new puppy up to your local day-care, just ask yourself if it is in the best interest of your puppy. There are so many other alternatives, such as a dog walker, pop in service etc.

𝑷𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒚𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒗𝒖𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈, 𝒍𝒆𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒐 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒈𝒔 ❤

02/05/2024

A LETTER FROM A REACTIVE DOG

I’m confused. When I’m with my owners, and we’re alone, the world melts away. It’s just us. They tell me, while framing my face in their hands and stroking my ears, that I am “the best dog.”

I believe them. My tail wags furiously, and I smile up at them.

I AM the best dog.

But sometimes, I am not, and I scare them or frustrate them because I am scared, frustrated, anxious, and uncertain. Sometimes I am overwhelmed with fear or excitement. They are upset when I bark, growl, lunge, and sometimes snap. They are frustrated when I am anxious and sensitive to any sound or movement in the world around me.

I hear people, with their labels, tell them I am “reactive,” and they should do something about it, that I am ruling their home and their lives. Am I doing that? I’m just scared. I’m just not sure what to do. I just want to feel safe.

When I was younger, we went everywhere together, my owners and I. The world felt big and looming, invasive and frightening. People would pet me, and other dogs would rush up to me with their owners frantically yelling, “He’s friendly!!!”. At first, I was calm and quiet… but then I had to speak up! I had to tell the world to stop invading my space. Please, please leave me alone!

I want to experience the world. I want to taste all the things that my owners tell me I should “LEAVE IT”. I want to smell all the things, all the wonderful, amazing, and unique smells of grass, trees, and fox poo! I can’t help that; instead, I am hypervigilant, scanning the environment for the lurking people or dogs or other scary things that seem to constantly throw themselves at me.

I would give anything in the world to be THE BEST DOG all the time.

I don’t understand why, when I tell my owners that I don’t feel safe, they don’t understand. Sometimes, they comfort me. Sometimes, they get upset.

They’ve tried everything, so many training approaches, it makes my mind whirl. They toss my favourite treats and shove them in my face. I can’t eat right now, I’m surviving! The prickly collar that I couldn’t escape from… The clinking chain collar that made it hard to breathe sometimes… The stinging spray that made it difficult to smell, that would linger in my nose, after I would bark, “I need space! I am scared!”

I know they love me with everything in them, and they are trying so, so hard. I want to do this for them, I want to be the dog they want me to be. I want to will away the fear and the anxiety, the overwhelm, and I want to be perfect. I try so hard, just like them.

If you see a dog like me, can you give us space? Can you give us time? Can you give us compassion? Please don’t let your dog run up to me. Please don’t try to pet me. I am trying my hardest, I promise. I really, really want to be THE BEST DOG.

If this letter could be from your dog, get in touch with a Force Free and Fear Free trainer who can help you understand your dog and help you navigate your reactive dog to a better place and a better way.

02/03/2024

Please sign and share to ban electric shock collars in England! Full information here https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=957091392879981&id=100057373879884

Petition link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Ku9Hrnfmo9fzynFX/