First Friend Dog Training Oxfordshire

28/11/2024

Having a foster dog that wasn't socialized as a puppy in the right way is hard.

Maisie is 18 months old and trusts only other dogs.

Yes I have fed and tried to get her used to me to no real avail. So I have now just left her. I don't go into her area very often and never give treats or stroke her in there.

Today I have been at work all day so let her out from the kitchen, she sat on the sofa and hunkered down. This time tho, instead of running off like usual, she stayed there and let me touch her.

I ALWAYS start touching her on the rear, back rump area, and then if she is willing I will stroke her head. Today she let me do both and, what is important, is that it was in the lounge out of her safe area.

I don't do it for long, and walk off without speaking to her overly. This gives her time to process what happened and realise nothing bad happened and she is still ok.

She has calmed down so much. It's a slow process but these little steps forward are just a joy to behold.

22/11/2024

Check out the new look website https://firstfriend.uk/

I have added new services on there too.

Spiritual Animal Healing can be done remotely and face to face.

I am shortly going to be offering a fantastic range of supplements To help your dog be it's best from the inside out. My 3 love them.

Transform your relationship with your canine companion with the expertise of a top-notch dog handling trainer. Our website offers professional dog handling training services to help you develop a strong bond, enhance communication, and address behavioral challenges effectively. Discover proven techn...

08/09/2024

I haven't posted about Maisie recently as she did regress quite badly about 2 weeks ago.

Dogs will do this to some degree at some stage in the learning process, puppies do it around 7 months when hormones kick in, rescue dogs do it once they decompress.

If a dog has had a lot of past trauma, like Maisie, it can happen at any time, sometimes multiple regression stages too, as they slowly come out of the trauma state and as they feel more relaxed.

Regression is a natural thing for dogs like Maisie, it's very frustrating for humans (in this case me) it's worth going through it as they start to show their characters more once they process what has come up for them😀

So my strategy over the past 2 weeks has been,

1. Leave her alone, let her just regress and feel safe again in her little den for as long as she wants.

2. Start offering her healing from afar, I do energy healing and acupressure so have been using a toy dog to do distance healing and acupressure on her, to help and support her healing process.

3. When I felt she was ready, (she started to look at me when I was in her vicinity - that never happened before) I then started interacting with her and feeding high value (to her) treats. As she are it, I would stroke her rear end telling her how amazing she was. I would also approach her with calming signals that are specific to dogs, yawning and licking lips. Always touch at the back of the dog when doing this kind of work as it's less of a threat.

I am now to the point where I can leave my hand where I left the treat and she will still eat it - sometimes it's a bit too much for her so I withdraw a little.

4. I always end the session on a positive - just giving her a treat without having to have touch with it.

It's a work in progress, she is such a lovely sweet dog ❤️

11/08/2024

This is Maisie, she is a very frightened, very shut down rescue dog, she was brought over from Bosnia about 3 weeks ago terrified and confused.

I offered her long term foster to help her to relax. She escaped from the house twice and the 2nd time had to employ bribe tactics to get her back. She has been inside now for 4 days.

Over the next how ever long, I will document her rehab and how I go about it. It will all be at her pace as I only ever work at the dogs pace.

Already she has started to decompress, it can take up to 3 months, she has started to process her anxiety and her levels have come down significantly so that we can start some gentle touch.

It has been a fraught few months for her but she is safe and being allowed to be a dog and working at her pace.

She's a sweetheart

1st picture is on the first day of being in, 3rd is yesterday's

08/04/2024

Excited to become Ayurvedic Animal Wellness Consultant (AAWC) Certified In the summer

Something else to offer in the coming months that will benefit the woofs and other animals 🤓

21/02/2024

I've just got the woofs new tags, its a small payable monthly fee but if they are lost all the vets and dog places in the area are notified automatically with their and your details when you report them lost

https://crumb.pet/refer/e8425b32-42cf-4909-a4c6-85b4ebf9923a

Have a look

Protect your pet with the smartest pet tag on the planet. Get instant GPS location alerts and an online pet profile from Crumb.

27/11/2022

Great session today with spot an elderly jack Russel who has taken to barking at other dogs and pulling after moving to the area.

A few tips to his elderly owners and a cup of tea and a chat later, left a very happy household with reassurances I can come back if needed

It's giving reassurance and the confidence back in owner and dog which I love doing

22/11/2022

Great session at the weekend with Bailey the lab, got his walking down to a t with no pulling and interested in his owners and what they want him to do, also helped with the over exuberant welcoming of guests to the house hold

Today started my certificate in dog law, another string to my bow

04/11/2022

Today's dog behaviour session was 2 young cocker spaniels who can't be left alone for too long or all hell breaks loose 🤣

Sunday 2 different young labs both with the same issue so should be quite easy sessions and quick changes in the dogs which I love to see 😁

21/10/2022

This is the cuddle mister that is Dylan

He was seized from travellers and Rescued from dogs trust by a lovely older couple

Off to Lambourn tomorrow to see how he reacts to other woofs. Dog trust says he is aggressive even tho he lived with and around 12 other dogs!

First session was making sure his owners can control him under any circumstances

Can't wait for cuddles tomorrow

It's clients like these that make my job so amazing 😍

I specialise in bull breeds and difficult rescue dogs

03/08/2022

Current client us a 9yr old pomeranian that has started having serious problems having his harness put on him and reactivity towards dogs and humans

The aim of any training I do is to give control back to the owners usually by giving them techniques that work quickly so they get confidence in what they are doing is working.

After the 1st session and a week of doing homework, Elvis is bossing it on the walk and meeting other dogs, even getting to the point where people in the village are mentioning how different elvis is now.

We have decided that he will never be happy with people fussing him or having the harness back on, so with agreement from his owners changed direction and got him a collar.

He didn't want it on though, and kicked up a fuss, biting his owner and being a right little s #&t to be honest. We got him tired by paying homage to his nose and making him find treats for 20 mins in the long grass and slowly getting him used to being near the collar, he let his owner put the collar on like it was a normal situation 🎉👍🎉👍🎉👍

His reward was loads of praise and a pile of treats that made his eyes bulge when he spotted them 😂

It's so heartwarming to see the change in a dog even after a week, with owners that want to see a change and do the work.

Some things we have to accept that won't change but change can happen

💪🐾

01/08/2022

29/07/2022

Had a busy summer so far with behaviour training

I love giving the dog it's power back to be a dog by training their humans to understand what they are trying to say

25/07/2022

Find out what the Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA) is and how it affects you and your dog. Visit the RSPCA to find more information and advice.

30/01/2022

2 puppy 1 to 1's this weekend. Love having playtime and puppy love and play but with no responsibility 🤣

15/12/2021

As Christmas is approaching please be aware of what your pet is picking up/ doing around the home. Many of our favourite Christmas foods,decorations and presents can cause harm to your pets if ingested. 🎄

If you have any concerns or worries that your pet may have ingested something they shouldn’t have then please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01235 831800