Lead On Dog Training

04/06/2025

2026 Trial Dates now on the TDR Website for our mainland friends wanting to book accommodation......🤩🐾

22/05/2025

Some of our fabulous club members with their rosettes from the weekend!
The first pic is 13 year old Gertie.....loving life & smashing Rally obedience!🥰

19/05/2025

A few more pics from the weekend....🥰

18/05/2025

Day 2 done!💪🤩🐾
What a fabulous weekend of Talking Dogs Rally!
Thank you to our judges, Jacky Ruddock, Tanya Butler & Rhia Butler for giving up their time to judge this weekend.
Thanks also to Ginny Gibson for her very efficient secretarial skills & to Sarah Sheppard for assisting Ginny & sorting everyone's well earned awards & rosettes!
This is a huge team event! Thanks to everyone who helped to set up, ring steward, cook or bake for the buffet, tidy up & clean the hall......all of these things make the trial run smoothly!
Well done to everyone who took part! Hope you had fun & enjoyed time well spent with your dogs...🤩🐾
See you all again in September.....xx

18/05/2025

Day 1 of our Talking Dogs Rally trial done!
Let's do it all again today!🐾🤩

07/05/2025

🐶 Let Your Dog Sniff! 🐾

Sniffing isn’t just a fun pastime for dogs – it’s essential! 🐕‍🦺 Scent is their primary sense, and exploring the world through their nose is how they gather information. Yet, too often, dogs are rushed through walks without the chance to stop and take it all in.

This week, I saw two dogs at different stages of life not being allowed to sniff:

🐾 A young puppy being marched through the woods at a pace too fast for even me to keep up with! This poor pup had no time to stop and investigate, and I can guarantee they went home wired rather than tired. Puppies need slow, sniffy walks where they can take in their surroundings at their own pace. Forget the route – let them explore!

🐾 An older rottweiler walking perfectly to heel, only to be corrected the moment they lowered their nose to sniff. It was heartbreaking to watch. Walking to heel might look impressive, but for the dog, it’s restrictive. Walks should be about movement, interaction, and allowing dogs to express natural behaviors – sniffing is one of their 5 freedoms!

Why is sniffing so important?
🐕 It’s their only time outside to investigate their environment
🐕 Sniffing actually tires dogs out more than walking!
🐕 Prevents frustration and helps keep dogs happy and engaged
🐕 Supports their mental well-being by allowing them to take in the world around them

In short – let your dog sniff! Their walk should be about them, not just about getting from A to B. And if you need a quick-paced walk, do one without your dog! 🚶‍♂️🐶

Let’s give our dogs the walks they deserve! 🐾💛

20/04/2025

TERRIERS, HOUNDS and HUSBANDS

by Sally Bradbury

Why did we choose the dog that we have? What was it about that particular breed or cross or mixed breed that attracted us to him?
Often our choice is governed by size, their looks that please us, type of coat, shaggy, smooth, colour.

How many of us choose a breed because we actually like the behaviour that they have been specifically bred for over the generations?

Not the behaviour that we can read about in the breed club description of them:
Border Collie - excellent at herding sheep.
German Shepherd - great guard dog.
Chihuahua - fabulous lap dog.
Beagle - great at following a scent.
Bull Terrier - particularly good with people.

No not those behaviours, these ones:
Border Collie - will herd and nip the children when they are running about, will be sound sensitive and not cope well with traffic and busy households.
German Shepherd - will bark ferociously at all of your visitors.
Chihuahua - will resource guard your lap.
Beagle - will follow a scent to timbuktu and not hear you calling.
Springer Spaniel - will resource guard anything he picks up if there is the slightest chance that you have previously taken items from him as a puppy and especially if that was accompanied by a stern telling off for taking it.
Cocker Spaniel - will resource guard anything he picks up if there is the slightest chance that you have previously taken items from him as a puppy and especially if that was accompanied by a stern telling off for taking it.
Cockapoo - will resource guard anything he picks up if there is the slightest chance that you have previously taken items from him as a puppy and especially if that was accompanied by a stern telling off for taking it.
Golden Retriever - will resource guard anything he picks up if there is the slightest chance that you have previously taken items from him as a puppy and especially if that was accompanied by a stern telling off for taking it.
(No prizes for guessing what we get posts about the most)
Labrador - Should be the same but they are a bit goofy so less likely to.
Sighthounds - Saluki, Borzoi, Greyhound, Lurcher et al - will chase small furries that they spot in the distance. When playing with other dogs will bring them down either by grabbing back legs or the back of the neck or the back.
Terriers - will dig, will go down rabbit holes, badger sets, drain pipes.

And then the breed temperament descriptions and what they really mean ..
"Aloof" won't like strangers
"Wary of strangers" won't like strangers
"Naturally independent" won't be eager to please
"Loyal to his master" won't like strangers
"very protective of owner" won’t like strangers
"particularly good with people" not good with dogs

We can also group dogs into those that work with man and those that work independently.

Gundogs, herding dogs, guard dogs mostly tend to take instructions from us and often hang on our every word.
In contrast the independent breeds, sighthounds that hunt by sight, scent hounds that hunt by following a scent, terriers that go down holes, stock guarding breeds that live with the flock. We just leave them to get on with it because their skills far outweigh ours. They don’t need us.

These are the breeds that are often labeled as stubborn but of course they are not stubborn, they are just not designed to follow instructions and take orders.

The secret to a successful partnership with all dogs but particularly the independant breeds is to always let them think that it was their idea, that they have trained you to give treats for checking in, for lying on their bed when you are busy. And that by pretending to be thinking of going hunting you will produce a toy and play a great game with them. This line of thinking works well with husbands too.

There are always exceptions and we know that with appropriate training and socialising these traits can be channelled effectively but please always do your research before buying a breed that you like the look of.

14/04/2025

Why do some people/trainers criticise management?
It isn't forever.
It is often a very temporary (and MUCH needed) reset.✅
For some it allows new behaviours to be put in place.
For others it helps lower those leaps, screeches, lunges and barks from being over excited/frustrated so they can start to view their triggers calmly.
If we keep putting dogs in the exact same situation and expect a different result....we are unlikely to get it.
Emotions take time to change.

This dog training graphic (and over 130 more!) available through
https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-nz-practicing-behaviour-dog-training-printouts

12/04/2025

Pawsitive Animal Care Ltd are now taking bookings for their July puppy course.....🤩🐾

Our May puppy group is now fully booked. However due to an increased demand we will now be taking bookings for our July course.

The course will take place at the same time and place, every Thursday at 6pm at the Countrydogs.uk paddock in Brading from the 10th July.

Early booking is advisable. Drop us a PM to book your space.

09/04/2025

Dogs behave the way they do for many reasons. They don’t act out of stubbornness or a desire to be ‘naughty,’ nor do they try to take control to be the 'pack leader.' Old myths and outdated training approaches harm their well-being and strain the bond between dogs and their caregivers.

🧬 A dog’s breed and genetics shape certain behavioural traits. Genetic predispositions and breed-specific tendencies play a role. Some breeds lean toward behaviours like herding, hunting, or guarding.

The neonatal period and the environment a dog grows up in can impact and influence their emotional responses. Early socialisation period—appropriately exposing puppies using reward-based methods to diverse people, animals, and settings during their key developmental window—builds confidence and shapes emotional regulation, adaptive behaviours, social skills, and reduces fear or aggression later on.

Overstimulation triggers unwanted behaviours by overwhelming a dogs senses. Not enough sleep, loud noises, crowds, or constant busy activity can lead to hyperactivity or erratic/impulsive responses. For example, a dog might jump, bark, or pull on the leash when flooded with too much daily input.

Past experiences and learned consequences shape behaviour. Trauma, especially, can spark fear, anxiety, or aggression.

How caregivers interact and guide their dogs shape their emotional responses and behaviours. Empathy, prevention (environmental management), consistency, and positive reinforcement methods build a more stable and confident dog. Punitive correction-based and intimidation methods can create unpredictability, confusion, and fear, which may lead to aggressive defensive responses.

A dogs health—physical and mental—affects their behaviour. Pain, illness, or discomfort can shift how they act.

Emotions that cause distress, like fear, anxiety, or excessive excitement, drive behaviour or a ‘lack thereof.’ Responses are instinctive and depend on how the dog perceives a threat. They might react defensively (fight), flee to hide (flight), freeze in place, or fawn by showing submissive, appeasing behaviours to de-escalate conflict—like excessive licking or cowering. Some may shut down entirely into learned helplessness after prolonged stress, while others display excessive, out-of-context behaviours (fidgeting), like random ge***al checks, eating grass, scratching, or ‘shaking off.

Unmet mental or physical needs lead to frustration and destruction. A dog with pent-up energy or boredom might chew furniture, dig up the yard, or bark nonstop to release stress.

Diet influences behaviour, too. High-quality nutrition supports steady energy, good mood, and well-being. Poor food choices can cause irritability, hyperactivity, or gut issues.

As dogs age, canine cognitive decline can set in as well as the loss of hearing or eyesight. These changes can lead to increased confusion, disorientation, and altered social interactions in older dogs.

Every dog is unique, and behaviour varies within context, experiences, breeds, and life stages. Dogs express needs, emotions, and intentions through body language, vocalizations, and other signals. Reading these cues gives you insight into their behaviour and how they are feeling, which can help you prevent unwanted situations from happening or help you adjust your approach to challenges.

I’m not humanising dogs—they are sentient beings with emotions (Cambridge Declaration, 2012). Their feelings and needs may not be as layered as ours, but they’re real!

Thanks for reading and learning more about them🐾💜

04/04/2025

For those of you waiting for puppy classes....get in touch with Pawsitive Animal Care..😊🐾
Unfortunately, we just don't currently have the capacity to fit any puppy classes in. Hopefully that will change but we can't say when.....😬

ONLY 3 SPACES LEFT

22/03/2025

Entries now closed for our May trial!🤩