Venture Dog Training

Venture Dog Training I help people train and modify behaviour in their dogs using effective reward based techniques.

Old-school myths die hard, but your puppy shouldn't have to pay the price. Seriously, why are people still trying this ...
31/12/2025

Old-school myths die hard, but your puppy shouldn't have to pay the price.

Seriously, why are people still trying this in what is nearly 2026?

Rubbing a dog's nose in an accident doesn't "teach them a lesson." It only teaches them to fear you and hide their messes.

Puppies can’t connect a past mistake with a present punishment. The secret to a house-trained dog isn't fear—it’s timing, routine, and rewards.

Stop the scolding. Start the training.

Christmas always feels like a good moment to pause and take stock.I’m genuinely grateful to everyone who trusted me with...
23/12/2025

Christmas always feels like a good moment to pause and take stock.

I’m genuinely grateful to everyone who trusted me with their dogs this year and the people who showed up, listened, questioned things, and put the work in. That trust is never taken lightly.

Training dogs properly means meeting them where they are, not forcing them into a mould. Seeing dogs grow in confidence and people grow in understanding is what keeps me doing this, even on the wettest, coldest days.

Thank you for supporting a small, force-free business and for being open to doing things differently. I hope you and your dogs get a bit of rest, a bit of joy, and plenty of walks over Christmas.

Here’s to more learning, less pressure, and happier dogs in the new year 🎄🐾

Different routines.Extra people.Food appearing from nowhere.Of course things feel a bit chaotic.Training doesn’t disappe...
22/12/2025

Different routines.
Extra people.
Food appearing from nowhere.

Of course things feel a bit chaotic.
Training doesn’t disappear — it just competes with turkey, visitors and excitement.
Lower your expectations, manage your dog's environment, and enjoy the break.
Normal service will resume.
🎄

📍 Donegal & North West Ireland

A bit of history behind the name.In 1912, my great-grandfather Robert Michael Reed and his brothers started a bus compan...
21/12/2025

A bit of history behind the name.

In 1912, my great-grandfather Robert Michael Reed and his brothers started a bus company in the North East of England.

That business was passed down to my grandfather and his brother and cousin and grew into Venture Transport — known for connecting people and helping communities move, one journey at a time.

Over a century later, I brought the name Venture back — this time with dogs instead of buses.

Venture Dog Training carries the same idea forward: clear direction, steady progress, and trust built over time.
Different work.
Same values.

📍 Force-free dog training in Donegal & the North West
📩 Message me to ask about training support

We still hear the word obedience used with dogs as if it means understanding, trust, or good training.But obedience ofte...
20/12/2025

We still hear the word obedience used with dogs as if it means understanding, trust, or good training.

But obedience often just means this:
do the thing, or something unpleasant might happen.
That doesn’t tell us what the dog has learned.
It only tells us what the dog is avoiding.
Real learning shows up when there’s choice.

When the dog understands what works, what feels safe, and what brings good outcomes — not when behaviour is held together by pressure or fear of mistakes.

At Venture Dog Training, we’re far more interested in optimistic, thinking dogs, not compliant ones.
Because behaviour that’s chosen is far more reliable than behaviour that’s enforced.




Try changing one small word: “walk.”When we say we’re going for a walk, we often focus on distance, pace, or getting fro...
18/12/2025

Try changing one small word: “walk.”

When we say we’re going for a walk, we often focus on distance, pace, or getting from A to B. But for dogs, the outside world isn’t a route — it’s a lot to take in.

What if it’s an outing instead?

Stopping to sniff a hedge.
Watching birds.
Investigating a pine cone.
Standing still and just noticing the world.

For many dogs, especially young or sensitive ones, everything outside is loud, fast and intense. Smells, sounds and movement all arrive at once. When that becomes too much, dogs react — not because they’re “bold” or “bad”, but because their brain is overwhelmed.

Progress isn’t about how far you go.
It’s about how much your dog can handle right now.

So next time, ask:
• What did my dog notice?
• What did they enjoy?
• When did they need a pause?

Slowing down helps dogs learn and feel safer.

Training and learning aren’t the same thing — but they’re always connected.Your dog is learning all the time.Not just du...
17/12/2025

Training and learning aren’t the same thing — but they’re always connected.

Your dog is learning all the time.
Not just during training sessions.

They notice what happens when you open the fridge.
What follows when you put your work coat on.
What comes next when the lead comes off the hook.

Those everyday moments teach your dog just as much as any formal exercise.

Training is where we intentionally teach skills —
behaviours we can put on cue and rely on in daily life.

Learning happens when dogs are allowed to notice patterns,
make choices,
and discover what works for them in safe, everyday situations.

Good training balances both: clear cues and space for dogs to figure things out.

That’s how skills stick.

📍 Force-free dog training in Donegal & the North West
📩 Message me to ask about training support

Hashtags:

16/12/2025

Training sessions don’t do the magic — you do.

An hour with a trainer can show you what to do.
The real progress happens in the moments between sessions.

A minute here.
A quick practice there.
Using the skills on real walks, real distractions, real life.

That’s what builds habits.
That’s what makes change stick.

Think of sessions as the map —
your practice is the journey 🐾

Gundogs and other working breeds weren’t created for aesthetics or trends.They were bred for focus, problem-solving and ...
15/12/2025

Gundogs and other working breeds weren’t created for aesthetics or trends.
They were bred for focus, problem-solving and purposeful work.

Without training, structure and mental challenge, they don’t “settle.”
They struggle — and then they’re blamed for it.

These dogs don’t need more miles.
They need engagement, guidance and a job that uses their brain.

Loving a working breed means respecting what it was bred to do —
not forcing it into a life that doesn’t suit it.

Dogs learn through consequences.When something works for them, they repeat it.Training is about setting dogs up to succe...
15/12/2025

Dogs learn through consequences.
When something works for them, they repeat it.

Training is about setting dogs up to succeed —
showing them which choices pay off,
and making the right behaviour worth doing.

Force-free training uses rewards dogs care about to build real skills —
loose lead walking, recall, calm behaviour at home.

No shouting.
No pressure.
Just clear, effective teaching that works in real life.

📍 Force-free dog training in Donegal & the North West
📩 DM me to ask about training

Training is about skills —walking nicely on the lead,settling at home,coming back when called.That’s the work I do — cle...
14/12/2025

Training is about skills —
walking nicely on the lead,
settling at home,
coming back when called.

That’s the work I do — clear, kind, force-free training for everyday life.

📍 Donegal & NW Ireland
📩 Message me to ask about training support

There's a big misconception about force-free dog training that I need to clear up.People think it means letting your dog...
14/12/2025

There's a big misconception about force-free dog training that I need to clear up.

People think it means letting your dog run wild with no rules. That you're just being soft and hoping for the best.

That's not what it is at all.

Force-free training still has boundaries. Your dog still learns what's okay and what's not. The difference is how we teach them.

Instead of punishing the things we don't like, we teach dogs what we actually want them to do. We use clear communication, stay consistent, and reward the good stuff. We look at behaviour as learning, not as your dog being stubborn or trying to dominate you (that's outdated thinking, by the way).

When a dog feels safe and aren't stressed or scared, they learn so much faster.
Remove the fear, and you'll see real behaviour change. That's just how learning works for all of us.

So yes, there are still rules. There's still structure. But it's built on trust instead of fear.

If you're in Donegal or the North West and want training that actually works without the force or intimidation, I'm here to help.

Drop me a message 📩

Address

35 Sessiagh View
Ballybofey
F93D5K3

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 5:30pm
Friday 9am - 5:30pm
Saturday 9am - 12:30pm

Telephone

+353873406158

Website

https://schoolfordogs.teachable.com/p/venturedogtraining-gooddog-level1

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