Ben Griffith Canine Training

04/04/2024

➖️The price of over socialising➖️
▫️First, what does socialising even mean?!?
Well, in basic language, what socialising your dog or puppy should mean is to expose them to the world around them. For example, exposing them to...
✅️people and children
✅️dogs
✅️other animals
✅️traffic
✅️surfaces such as sand, leaves, water, etc
✅️noises such as the hoover, hairdryer, the tv, lawnmower, traffic, etc

And teaching them that these are all things not to get overexcited by or to be scared and worried about, to simply be able to coexist around them. The aim when it comes to socialising your dog or new puppy is teaching them to be calm and neutral around things and able to happily interact and engage with you when asked.

▫️Now, what is over socialising?!?
Examples of over socialising your dog or puppy would be...
❌️letting every single person pet and play with them
❌️ letting them 'greet' every dog they see or other dogs to come over and 'greet' them
❌️letting them interact with anything they want with no real rules or boundries being set

▫️These are all the quickest ways for your dog to become over socialised and to potentially lead you both to issues down the line. It may lead you to a dog that can not control themselves, let alone listen to you, when around these distractions such as other dogs or people, and that would make life pretty difficult. So instead, lets focus on teaching them to be calm and relaxed while out and about, this way we can focus on teaching our dogs to have fun with us rather than searching for fun in everything other than us.

04/12/2023

Molly sadly passed away last night in my arms where she belonged and how I wanted it to happen.

"Molly, you meant the absolute world to me. You've been my best friend since I got you many moons ago. Since the day I met you, I was obsessed with everything about you and how your little brain worked, and that has led me to chase my dream of becoming a dog trainer. We had nothing but great times together, and you were right there by my side for 16 years. From a child obsessed with dogs to then bringing you out with me a handful of times to help with training others. Thank you for everything, and rest easy now. Your job is done. I love you."

"Meas do mhadra"

25/08/2023

When it comes to baking a cake, you need ALL the ingredients.

If you are in a rush and don't bother putting the right amount of flour in, then the cake is not going to turn out how you want it to, is it?

If you are being impatient and take it out of the oven too early, then it's not going to be ready to eat, is it?

"Ben, what does this have to do with dog training????"

Well, apply that same principle to raising a puppy or even just overcoming a behavioural issue with your dog.

-If you rush ahead and skip a few steps........
-If you aren't really bothered with the basics..........
-If you are pushing your dog into situations they aren't ready for........

Then the finished product is not going to be what you are looking for, especially when it comes to dealing with a living breathing animal with its own complex emotions and mental capacity.

So take things as slow as you need, put in the work, and work with your dog instead of against them.

[Featuring MrMacc, who, alongside his owner, are absolutely reaping the rewards of smashing the basics😉]

16/08/2023

Everyone meet Beau.

Had my first session with Beau and his owners yesterday, covering a few things such as...

-doorbell and phone reactivity
-teaching a place command
-structuring his daily life better

Beau and his owners smashed it and now have a great base to work up from.
Keep up the great work!

11/08/2023

Everybody, meet Bailey, the 4 month old boxer pup.

We had our first session this morning laying the foundations to set him and his owner up for success down the line covering
-Crate training and strategy
-Toilet training
-Teaching his name
-Building value in engaging with his owner

At this age with puppies, the main focus is exposing them to new environments and situations, all while building value in interacting with his owner.

When it comes to training your puppy, dont complicate things, keep it simple, and most importantly, keep it FUN

24/07/2023

Step by step.......

Generally, in dog training, things take time.

People are quite often looking for a quick fix or some tips and tricks to help with 'X' behaviour or teach their dog how to do 'Y', and this isn't really the case with dog training.
Sometimes, a small change in what you are doing can have a massive payout within your training and relationship with your dog, but quite often, quick results don't always hang around for long.

So, instead of chasing them quick tips and trick in search of the quick results lets slow things down and trust the process.

Let's take everything step by step. Work through things as they come at you instead of trying to rush ahead to final steps in which you may skip over being super clear with your dog and probably not have laid the foundations correctly.

➡️For example, when you get a new puppy or even just a new adult dog, in this case, Im not concerned about loose lead walking or recall in the beginning...........at all.👇

Starting off, the main thing to focus on is building up a solid relationship and teaching your dog or puppy the value in engaging with you and then the ability to engage with you despite a distracting environment. After we have a solid foundation built up there, you can move on to teaching loose lead walking or reacll, etc.

17/07/2023

You can't tell a story reading from different books........

So this is a very relevant statement that I say all the time, but what do I mean by it??

➖️So basicly, it means that if you have decided on X rules and boundaries for your dog within the house and not everyone in the house is sticking by these rules then in reality, all thats being done is confusing your dog.

➖️The same principle even goes for the words you use with your dog. If you say 'down' meaning, lay flat on your belly, but your partner for example says 'down' meaning stop jumping on me, then it is easy to for our dogs to not undestand what we really want from them.

➖️Now, if someone in the house does not want to be involved in training, then that's fine. Once they're still happy to at least follow the guidlines of general house rules that you have set out for your dog.

Remember, consistency is absolutely key within dog training!

So within your household, make sure that everyone is aware and agrees on.....

✅️The commands you use.
✅️The boundaries you set.
✅️Appropriate behaviour around house guests.
✅️Daily plan of how the dogs' day should look.

10/07/2023

A tired dog is a happy dog........right?!?!

So I'm sure we have all heard or said this line, myself included.

But when I think about this properly, it's not exactly correct...

Let me explain 👇

So yes, of course, a tired dog is going to be easier to deal with and will most likely be in need of some well-earned rest, but the aim of purely just trying to tire your dog out is actually going to get harder and harder as time goes on simply because if you are just taking your dog out for a run around then they're going to get fitter and fitter and therefore require more work to tire them out........this may be a never ending cycle.

So instead of looking to tire your dog out in search of the "a tired dog is a happy dog" end goal, how about we swap that mindset for "I want to fulfil my dog both physically and mentally".

This change in mindset and your actions, because of it will actually be a lot more beneficial to your dog and to you too.

So things like
-training✅️
-structured play✅️
-seeing new places✅️
-find out what your dog loves and teach them to work for it✅️

These are things to be doing with your dog that will help you to work both your dogs brain and their body.

And as a "by-product," you will also end up with a tired dog, so it's a true win-win 😉.

04/07/2023

Happy birthday to the O.G. of BG Canine.
You're not as lively or bouncy as you once were, and sleeping is now your No.1 hobby, but growing old disgracefully suits ya.

26/06/2023

Walking your dog can be so much more.......

➖️So picture this, you come home from work, grab the dog lead, and you are about to head out for a walk with the dog. He/she is bouncing off the walls, excited to go. You leave the house and walk down the road to the local park. They have been pulling the whole way down, but "it's okay, he/she is just excited," then you let them off lead to run around and burn off some energy. 20 minutes later, you have to bribe them or catch them to put them back in lead and walk home. They're no longer pulling because they're tired, perfect. Go home and repeat the same again tomorrow, right??

➖️How about we flip this, and instead of just tiring out our dogs, let's actually make our walks more beneficial and more exciting for everyone involved.

➖️ Let's work on teaching them to loose lead walk first of all, this is the key to opening up waaaay more opportunities for you both.

➖️Now, let's look at building up a solid recall so that they can be off lead safely.

➖️Right now that we have some progress made on both. You have now opened the gates to so many more opportunities, so much more freedom, and now being able to take your dog new places rather than just the same old route you always take.

➖️Now let's add some fun stuff to your walk, too, throw in some playtime with a ball or a tug, get them jumping up on obstacles or just sit around in a distracting environment and work on relaxing together.

The mindset of just walking to tire out your dog is boring for both you and your dog.

Changing your mindset to actually fulfilling, teaching new skills, and most of all, having fun will be undoubtedly more beneficial and will absolutely skyrocket your relationship between you and your dog.

19/06/2023

Coin's in a piggybank:🐖💰

Think of this for a minute; Does anybody go to the gym and lift a weight once and become an athlete???
Does anybody save a few euro once and become rich???

➖️Imagine you are trying to save money, putting in 1 euro every day into your piggybank doesn't seem like much, but if you consistently put 1 euro in each and every day, then after a year you have 365 euro.
Now imagine you are putting in 5 euro every day, after a year you have 1,825 euro.

➖️ In dog training, similar to going to the gym, repetitions are important.

➖️Now, repeating the same thing over and over again and getting zero results is pointless, but repeating a behaviour or an exercise with your dog and making slow progress is absolutely the right way to do things.

➖️Going out with your dog and working on loose lead walking for 2 minutes and then just expecting your dog to always walk this way with no more communications of right and wrong is unrealistic
or
exposing your puppy or even a reactive dog to a new stimulus or an already existing overstimulating stimulus alone is not going to really be of much benefit to you or your dog.

➖️What will truly benefit you and your dog then???

Putting in the work, doing the reps, and putting coins in that piggy bank!!!

➖️So when I say putting coins in the piggy bank, I mean getting out with your dog and putting reps in with them working and whatever new behaviour you are trying to teach or unwanted behaviour you are trying to diminish.

Dog training doesn't have to be 5 hours a day doing boring work, but getting out and putting the work in, little and often, will help you and your dog can move onto the next level as a team.

30/05/2023

Bouncy Finn the golddoodle

🔶️Quick update on Finn🔶️

Now I don't have a before of Finn, but he is a super bouncy 8 month old bundle of excitement who would previously ping around the end of the lead like a lunatic.

But here you can see Finn and his owner happily walking together in harmony.........how???

Finn's owner is now the leader he needs and is guiding him through life with love and making it clear to him what she wants from him, and the results speak for themselves.....

Super work is being done here by this hardworking team. Keep it up!

13/05/2023

Everyone meet Finn the goldendoodle.

Finn has some good obedience behind him, but when it comes to walking on lead and being neutral around distractions, he needs a little work.

Great first session this morning with Finn and his owners covering...
-engagement
-building value
-loose lead walking
-building neutrality

06/05/2023

VALUE...

Value in dog training can be seen or used in a few different ways.
-Are you of value to your dog?
-Is engaging with you valuable to your dog?
-Is the time you are spending with your dog valuable and truly beneficial?

◾️For example, is engaging with you valuable to your dog?

Yes, it should be anyway. By engaging with you, what are you going to provide them with??
-a reward
-leadership
-guidance
-love

◾️Now, time with your dog should be made as valuable as possible, meaning you make the most out of every interaction and every second you spend with your dog.

So if it's time to go for a walk, rather than just going for a boring walk around the block, try something else....
-go somewhere new
-work on something new
-practice some loose lead walking - practice some time spent doing nothing in a distracting environment.
-play around with your dog

These are all many better things to do to make your time spent with your dog more valuable and much more beneficial to both of you.

Playing or teaching/learning and other interactions with your dog do more for your relationship than cuddling on the couch watching netflix......this has its place too, but it comes after all the above.

And remember, every minute with your dog they are learnin something, so make sure it's something good😉.

#

24/04/2023

Does breed matter ❓️❓️❓️

"No sure, its all how you raise them,"
👇👇👇

This is a super common and heavily incorrect statement, and heres why.....

Every dog breed in the world was created for a certain purpose, be that guarding, herding, hunting, or just companionship.
Nowadays, most breeds are just kept as pets, and that is okay, once you accept the characteristics that come with each breed and are willing to fulfil their needs.

Now, why am i saying that "its all how you raise them" is incorrect
Ask yourself, if we created so many different breeds for different jobs, then surely they are going to be different dogs, right???

YES, they are different‼️

Different breeds have different needs and will suit different families or households.
If you want an active dog to take hiking and are happy to do a higher level of training, then something like a german shepherd or a collie may suit you.
If you are looking for a dog to chill out with you and watch netflix all weekend with only shorter walks and some low-level training, then maybe a cavalier king charles or a whippet may suit you better.

But going out and getting yourself a high-energy dog and you don't want to be active with them or put in the time needed for training, then you are just asking for a headache.

Research the breed, find out what they were bred for, find out the best ways to fulfil their needs, and think honestly. Would that breed suit me? Picking a breed solely off of looks or because you saw someone else's dog or in a movie without any research could be setting you up for a headache.

Do your research, and if you need help with that, reach out to any decent trainer. They should be able to help you out.

15/04/2023

Got to see some Irish dog history today.
A certificate of Micheal Collins' kerry blue terrier being registered into the Blue Terrier Association of Ireland, which was the forerunner to the IKC back in 1920.

11/04/2023

A great post about free feeding by KD Mattews

Trainers, veternarians, competitive dog handlers, ALL avoid free feeding their dogs, so why do you still do it?

27/03/2023

Stop letting your dog run up to other dogs.

24/03/2023

Everybody meet Kima.

Kima is a 1 year old mini schnauzer who Ill be working with alongside her owners to cover some loose lead walking and some general house manners all with the aim to make her and her owners life a little easier.

25/02/2023

Everybody meet Mac.
Mac is a working line springer spaniel who I think we can all agree is absolutely gorgeous 😅😂....and he knows it.
First session today with Mac and his owner working on building up his engagement, confidence and relationship overall.
Super smart pup who's dieing to work, definitely expecting great things from this hardworking pair!

21/02/2023

Just finished up my first session with Jett the labrador cross.
Now Jett has great general obedience but got a major fright around halloween just gone and since then has been struggling with noises outside the house and would just freeze up and or try to run home.

So today we went through some engagement work and how to handle the situations in which she would freeze up and how to use the right tools for the job to guide Jett through these stressful situations.
Super session with some super progress already!

Our session today was the longest walk Jett has had since her incident and that alone makes me happy to be a trainer👌

29/01/2023

Well what a day its been of travelling from Dublin to Derbyshire to meet and other approved trainers like myself.
Been a great day meeting like minded people and ofcourse my mentor, Will.

21/01/2023

Everybody meet Milo, the 5 month old beagle puppy.
Milo and his owners are setting themselves up to win by starting out training nice and early so as to start as they want to go on.

Looking forward to seeing this handsome little fellah grow and progress onwards!

09/01/2023

Chewie

Just finished up a refresher session with Chewie and her owners. Her heel walking, recall and general engagement with her owners has come on leaps and bounds since we first started.

Really great work being done by this hard working trio!

They've even gone off now to enjoy the fruits of their labour by having a well earned coffee with chewie peacefully chilled out at their feet.

25/12/2022

Molly's 15 year gotcha day and she's enjoying some squeaky teddies😅

25/12/2022

🔴🟢 Merry Christmas from myself Buddy and Molly, I hope everyone has a great christmas, enjoy some time to relax with your families and your dogs🟢🔴

20/12/2022

Another little proud moment today realising that I am the first and only approved trainer in Ireland. I have learnt so much from my mentor Will over the past year and look forward to learning more.

Well over a year now since I decided to jump headfirst into dog training and loving every minute of it! Constantly still learning all while helping dogs and owners to understand eachother better.

Thanks to the big man himself as well as , , and for all the stupid questions asked and advice given along the way😅.

19/12/2022

🔴Should I put my dog in daycare??🔴

My personal answer is NO.

Now, firstly I ask why? Why would you put your dog in daycare?
Because you are at work all day? Because you have a busy lifestyle? Because you want to tire your dog out?
Because you want to socialise your dog?

If you answer yes to being busy and working longer hours then how about teaching your dog how to relax in the house while you are working? How about crate training your dog so as they are able to decompress in their crate and you know they are not able to get up to any mischief in the house while you are not able to supervise.

If you answer yes to wanting to tire your dog out there is 100 and 1 better ways to tire your dog out both physically and mentally that will actually benefit them more.
The best ways to tire your dog out that benefit you and your dog are things like training, nose games, playing fetch, playing tug and actually walking together and working as a team. These are all ways in which you and your dog are working together and further building your relationship and helping your dog to learn that working with you is the best thing ever.

If you answer yes to wanting to socialise your dog then I definitely would not recommend daycare for this as more than likely not every other dog in daycare is as well balanced as you want your dog to be. Your dog can and will easily learn things from other dogs and they may not be behaviours that you want your dog to learn.

Now this isn't a post to bash daycare as there is some good ones out there but the vast majority of them are just a free-for-all for dogs in which your dog can easily develop a number of unwanted habits or behavioural problems such as over-excitement by other dogs, general lack of engagement when dogs are around and even some dog reactivity.

Also daycare can be fairly expensive and after your dog has developed some behavioural issues because of daycare your are going to wish you had that money to put into training your dog and shaping them to how you actually want them to be.

Picture of Buddy looking majestic just to catch your attention😉

16/11/2022

Had a great session yesterday with Tessie and her owner checking in on heel walking and going over recall. Keep up the great work
...And yes Tessie is a big fan of hugs!

14/11/2022

Smashing session with Marney the olde english bulldog today, checking in on heel work, recall and laying solid foundations for her place command.
Great work being done by this hard working pair.
Keep it up