Whiteacre Dog Training Centre

05/06/2024

Just for information… some terrible people out there

🚨 Scam Alert 🚨

We want to alert our clients about a scam targeting pet owners.

Scammers are posing as veterinary practices and calling owners of missing pets, claiming the pet is injured and needs urgent treatment.
They ask for payment over the phone.

❗ Important ❗️
Do not give your details to anyone who calls you.
Tell them you will call back.
Look up the veterinary practice number online and call them directly.
Stay vigilant and protect your information. If in doubt, always contact us directly on [email protected] to verify.

Thank you! 🐾

22/05/2024

Puppy group recall practice

22/05/2024

Winners from this months progression group challenge. Longest send away to touch. Well done for all your practice 😊

22/05/2024

Lots of photos from last night fantastic group of puppy’s and team. They have all made so much progress in just 10 weeks on the kennel club puppy class. Well done to you all and hope to see you again 😊💕🐶

15/05/2024

Road closure tonight: Wednesday- from Elm Hall rounderbout A47 on A1101 to Emneth turning.
Alternative route From A47 down Wilkins Road and Lady’s Drove into Emneth Centre.

11/05/2024

Agility under the northern lights, did everyone see it last night ?

28/04/2024

Wordle 1,044 3/6

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13/04/2024

Training dogs whether for competition, domestics or the sheer pleasure for both dogs and handlers the way we advocate based on clicker training is really easy especially when started as young puppies regardless of breed. One of the concepts many struggle with initially is that we want our dogs to ask us, not us to ask them. I view this much the same as kids being taught manners and asking politely. With dogs, we do this with a simple calm sit in front of us without us saying sit or using any commands but rewarding the dog for choosing to do it. Obviously, the fewer distractions there are the easier it is for the dog, most puppies master it in the first week, but some handlers struggle with not asking or telling which in my opinion is as humans we tend to be controlling. The important thing for me is the dog sitting as a means of gaining our attention and reward from which it is then easy to go on and shape other behaviours as they are eager, and attentive to learn more with their focus on us as opposed to a dog who is first commanded to sit and sometimes made too by various means. It is very noticeable to me that merely grasping this principle generally results in a puppy being in tune and easy to train. The opposite also applies
I have always owned multiple dogs and all the dogs choose to interact with me rather than each other from the day they arrive simply because I ensure that I give them the time each day to earn rewards based on the above. After joining the household after 3 days this same training takes place in a variety of places nearly always off lead where again they are rewarded for their good choices including walking with me before a lead is put on so they don’t practice pulling.
As much as I enjoy competing, being competitive whether in a competition or in any other setting can be responsible for us forgetting these principles and result in us putting pressure on our dogs or worse.
Dogs generally will choose to do what they find most rewarding and for me the misguided notions about socialisation often seen on Facebook promoted by those who have rarely achieved anything with their dogs where dogs are encouraged to interact with every dog, they come across will often result in dogs choosing other dogs over their owners, often becoming a nuisance to others or barking loudly in frustration if they can’t get to the dogs. Sadly, it only takes a few bad experiences for some to become fearful where they learn that the best way to keep others away is to bark and snap. Can’t say I blame them. This of course doesn’t mean you don’t socialise your dog from a young age but that entails getting used to the presence of dogs, people, other animals, traffic and everything else they will encounter in their adult life as no big deal and definitely not taking much notice of every person and dog they see as well as choosing their owner in most cases. Just like us, they will develop friends along the way but never to the detriment of the relationship with their owner. The puppy class serves this purpose well especially if they are started young.I generally avoid having young dogs of the same age as I want them to bond with me not each other. Equally, all should be aware of litter mate syndrome which can be even more difficult and needs far more thought and input from us because of the above and proper mental development of each dog. I have done it once but don’t recommend doing it.
When training from observation I find those who put the time into training, especially in the early days of getting a puppy get the best results especially when they relax and follow set principles. Those who are driven and determined tend not to progress as well simply because the pressure can be felt by the dogs which impacts on the relationship we have with our dogs.
We find that puppies that have trained with us find progressing into achieving far more much easier simply because they have already learned the essential foundation of asking us. Whilst I generally welcome those that want to get into competition it would not be suitable for most adult dogs who have not got that essential foundation as of course all behaviours generally get stronger the more they are practised both good and bad. Dogs that have been poorly trained often by force and avoidance as well as what I call the sweety pie brigade will struggle to adapt and I assume their owners have chosen to follow this path but it can be turned around by those who really want to. But from my point of view most suitable to those who take on the principles, enjoy the training and don’t put pressure on their dogs so it is always the dog’s choice and is one of the reasons that most adult dogs are not invited along to the more advanced class if they have not got the basics and have been assessed. Many of course choose to get into other dog sports from this foundation but of course, our chosen sport is competitive obedience and all the training we do will make it that much easier for any that choose to take it up when they decide to.

11/04/2024

Due to our puppy classes being extremly popular we are offering an additional 10 week course commencing on Wednesday 17th April 7.30pm-8.45pm.

Limites spaces available, please contact us for more details.

11/04/2024

It’s National Pet Day so let’s share lots of happy smiley pet photos today in the comments 🐶💕

06/04/2024

Joe here and time for one of my blogs. Qualifications and abilities in dog training. When people say it is unregulated, they are right but of course. There are a number of self-appointed organisations that give out qualifications to those who partake. Suffice to say I certainly have one of these qualifications but my opinion of such things is that poor that it is not something I advertise. At the time I was teaching and competing at the highest level in competitive obedience with 3 dogs having trained with top successful trainers. I thought that maybe it was time that I got a paper qualification so enrolled in a residential course that certainly cost a considerable amount of money which resulted in both myself and nearly all others who attended from different parts of the world gaining our qualification. Did going on this course make me a better trainer in any way, definitely not, in fact after the first day it was obvious to me that those running the course had poor training skills. Most on the course had not trained their own dog to even rudimentary standards and despite now being a so-called qualified instructor with a piece of paper that said they were, they were no better than when they started the course and for me if they couldn’t train their own dog the thought that they could help someone else to train their dogs was ludicrous. I put it down to one of life’s experiences and had obviously wasted money on a worthless qualification. Shortly after I spent the same amount of time training with a top trainer where there were no qualifications at the end of the course but certainly not a waste of time as picked up many useful tips.
I have always had an interest in both training and behaviour keeping up to date with all the latest thinking and developments both to improve both success with my own dogs as well as their joy and enjoyment in what we do which for me is important which was recently demonstrated brilliantly by our good friend Lorna in winning the Dog Obedience Championship where both mechanical skills and consideration of how our dogs feel matters.
I remember attending a course on behaviour where most were already involved and initially impressed with the conversation as all were using the behaviour terms but less impressed later when we were presented with clients who brought their dogs with issues in where we needed to assess and come up with a programme to improve matters. The abilities to read the dogs was woeful in many cases but sadly is very prevalent in the dog world.
My main interest has always been in training and competing with my own dogs though maybe not to the same extent as I did in my younger days. I certainly spent some time helping people with behaviour problems as well as running courses but gave most of it up until Christine persuaded me to help out mainly with running the progress class come competition class where all have already got a good foundation from the puppy foundation where much more than is required in the Kc puppy foundation is taught. Both dogs and handlers are keen and committed to learn more, which makes it a pleasurable experience for me as well. I do help out with puppies and lovely to see them transform. When friends from around the country come and join us for get togethers is even more enjoyable where we train together including those in the progress class if they want to.
From next weekend the competition season starts where many of us will be campaigning our dogs travelling around the country and enjoying our dogs so only meet up in smaller groups.
But of course, the purpose of this post was to highlight that as far as qualifications are concerned that there aren’t any that I would give any credence to including the ones I hold but you only need to watch someone with their own dog to see the connection and abilities that they have which is normally evident. I even remember a time where a person presented a CV to a veterinary practice where I was dealing with behaviour work and setting up a satellite for an assistance dogs organisation that listed attending one of my weekend courses as though that was a qualification in itself. This is why what Christine suggests about sitting in and watching any training before committing to anything is always a good idea. Obviously to someone who knows little about training even the simplest things can look good. The combination of knowledge as well practical abilities and experience is a minimum, but above all else imo is the ability to train your own dog to an acceptable standard as without it the chances of teaching others are nil.

05/04/2024

We offer puppy training courses using positive reinforcement methods.

Our clients are taught how to train their puppies using clicker training methods. We want the puppies training with us to offer behaviours which they will be rewarded for. We do not use force or pain in any of the training we offer.

The training we offer has been used by us to train our own dogs to competition level. We know our methods work and are always happy to demonstrate how what we teach can be built upon throughout your puppies life to produce well balanced puppies.

We are quite often asked if we do 1:1 puppy training. Our question is why do you need 1:1 with a puppy. Puppies need appropriate socialisation amongst other dogs and people. They need to learn with distractions, so that they can cope with life but focus on you, their owner.

All puppies can learn in isolation or in familiar surroundings but when you take it on the road, it will fall apart. The puppy who has not learnt to focus with distractions will not focus when out in a stimulating environment.

We offer progress classes to competition standard using clicker training methods.

We have regular weekend training sessions for those who have continued to train with us.

When courses end our commitment to our clients continues, we are always available to help those who have trained with us.

All training offered at Whiteacre Dog Training Centre is provided by The Fens Dog Training Club.

04/04/2024

Well done to this amazing group of adult dogs, with perseverance gradually made steps forward with there training. Fantastic job teams now keep up the good work 🐶😊💕

04/04/2024

This little pup thought two legs were better than four…. “Look how tall I am “ 🐶

04/04/2024

Massive well done to our group of puppies and partnerships graduating from the kennel club puppy class last night. All the puppies done so well developing over the weeks and great focus on there owners 🐶💕😊

25/03/2024

On Thursday evenings we run a progress class where teams build on what they have already learnt.We also have get togethers as we did yesterday and here is a clip of members with different breeds enjoying some of the exercises we teach

23/03/2024

Joe here with some reminders and thoughts about our training.
Are you likely to choose to do something that you don’t enjoy? The same applies to dogs. It is why with puppies especially in the early days I would always choose to train in the same quiet room away from family, other dogs and distractions doing the exercises we teach regularly rewarding the dog for their good decisions normally with a treat but also with a toy once the toy game has been established and desired.
It doesn’t take long to see the desire, joy, keenness and connection with us especially if we let the dog ask us but not the other way round. Verbal cues have their place but would not introduce them to any behaviour until it is exactly how I would want it and perform eagerly. That way you get consistency and keenness. Clicker training where we mark what we want with a consistent non-emotional short sound helps indicate to our dogs when and what they have got right and a desired reward is coming, compared to a lot of meaningless babble that is often just noise to our dogs or even worse if we feel frustrated.
Personally, although my dogs regularly do their exercises in lots of different places. I still do lots of training at home in my special room usually daily. When we go to different places it is good to keep in mind the stages we went through and build up in the same way as the distraction levels will vary. So perfect what you want at home in your special room and master all the exercises we teach there and then think of doing the same elsewhere starting from scratch. It is lovely to see many teams have that special connection often quite quickly especially when we keep to these principles. This makes teaching and achieving whatever you want with your dog that much easier. Some get the training bug and may even go on to compete with their dogs. But far more important is to enjoy all our interactions with our dogs.

20/03/2024

We have two places become available for Fun Dog Agility, one on Saturday at 9.30am and one on Saturday at 11am , message us for more details… starting this week.

19/03/2024

What a fantastic group of puppies, all worked so hard and improved each week. Well done to you all for passing your kennel club puppy course. Hope to see you all again soon 🐶😊

15/03/2024

Very pleased to hear this news even more so with the bad publicity in the news about corporates taking over veterinary practices and only up the road and have no hesitation in recommending Hetty as a vet I would choose to take my own dogs to for best advice without pressure from practice managers to say something else.
https://www.facebook.com/independent.animal.clinic.ltd

Dental offer: 10% off from 12/5 till 13/6🐾

12/03/2024

https://youtu.be/vLHvQpaZnQw?si=WTy0TRzfwBp5EZ0I

A live replay of Obedience - Champion Dog and Reserve Dog Display from Day 3 of Crufts 2024. Subscribe to Crufts: http://bit.ly/CruftsSub ----------------...

22/02/2024

As a trainer, I always get a buzz when I see people who come to classes get that connection with their dog that we call engagement as it is the foundation on which we can build everything else we want to achieve with our dogs. But of course, what we manage in classes or at home whilst enjoyable in my mind is of little value if we can’t replicate it in the real world. It is why I encourage all especially those who come on Thursday to my continuation class to take their dogs to different places building up what they do in the same way so eventually their dogs are as good no matter where they are. Certainly, pleased that many do and join us on various get-togethers in various places. Nothing better in my view than meeting up with friends in pleasant places and doing things with our dogs as well as chatting and socialising, even better if the sun is out.
How we feel when training makes a world of difference to how easy it is for our dogs to learn. Being stressed, anxious, or even determined for me is an impediment to learning. It goes without saying our philosophy of training relies on rewarding our dogs’ good choices, choice being the operative word, not on compulsion. It is why many don’t need to rely on leads or any other devices to control their dogs as their dogs are engaged and choose to be with their owners by choice doing whatever activity has been taught this way simply because it has been heavily reinforced with what the dog wants and is addictive for both dog and handler. I confess to being a total addict.
Being human of course there will be times when we might become frustrated with things our dogs do or don’t do. But in nearly all cases once that frustration subsides, we will hopefully realize that either we have never truly trained or addressed the cause of our frustration and of course not the fault of our dogs who are a product of what they have learned, their habits and natural instincts. Just as stress can have a major impact on how we feel, learn, and our health, the same applies to our dogs which is why I will always choose to train this way which leads me back to how I started this blog about how pleasing observing that engagement in others is and an excellent foundation.

18/02/2024

18/02/2024

Someone left behind a pink hat on Friday I think… will leave on work top for you to collect this week… oh and still have an orange tuggy which was left a couple weeks ago!

14/02/2024

Training tonight please come in from village centre by shop end of Elmside as road closed from other end….

09/02/2024

We now have a New availability for a Fun Pet Agility session on Fridays at 6pm any interest give us a message 🐶😊💕 as now taking bookings and only limited places available !

02/02/2024

We have a few spaces on our Fun Pet Agility sessions on Friday evening and Saturday morning starting 9th / 10th Feb… booked in 5 week blocks. Message us for more information 🐶💕😊

30/01/2024

Few photos from some of last nights training 😊💕🐶