ReBa Dog Training

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ReBa Dog Training IMDT Accredited Dog Trainer
Passionate about teaching people how to train their dogs using rewards (food, toys, play etc) to reinforce good behaviour

13/04/2025

Spot on

30/03/2025

📣📣Run don’t walk…..intro announced for Mantrailing.
Do the training your dog loves…Teach your dog to find a specific person with Detect and Find Mantrailing. Great sport for you and your dog. Suitable for all dogs over 16 weeks. Builds confidence and teaches your dog to problem solve. Based on European search and rescue methods and uses positive reinforcement methods. Fully certified and insured trainers.
Book by clicking below

https://bookwhen.com/burrenschoolfordogs

30/03/2025

Scent work is back with a focus on developing a searching system to ensure accuracy and speed for the next 6weeks. join our level 1 class to improve your dog handling skills and learn strategies to do an area search starting with an indoor room and moving to an outdoor area.
Join us!

Do you practice the Art of Doing Nothing with your dog?
25/03/2025

Do you practice the Art of Doing Nothing with your dog?

The Art of Doing Nothing: Why Teaching Our Dogs to Switch Off is Essential

In the world of dog training and ownership—especially among those who work with high-drive or working-line breeds—there’s an all-too-common oversight: we teach our dogs everything but how to do nothing.

We focus heavily on obedience, recall, agility, tracking, nose work, stimulation, enrichment, and endless exercises designed to challenge their minds and bodies. And while all of this certainly has its place, there’s a vital skill missing from most routines: the ability to switch off.

Dogs Aren’t Meant to Be On All Day

An average adult dog naturally sleeps or rests for 18 to 20 hours a day. That includes deep sleep, light dozing, and periods of general inactivity. Yet, many modern dogs—particularly those with working bloodlines—are living lives filled with overstimulation, near-constant arousal, and the mistaken belief that they must be doing something all of the time.

Where does that belief come from? Us. We’re the ones constantly throwing the ball, initiating play, offering treats for every behaviour, or unintentionally reinforcing hyperactivity with attention, even if it’s negative. We’ve created a culture of ‘busy dogs’—and in doing so, we’ve neglected one of the most critical life skills: stillness.

Switching Off is a Skill

It’s not enough to rely on exhaustion as a form of calm. A dog that is physically tired but mentally wired will not truly settle. What we want to foster is a dog that can choose to be calm. A dog that can toggle between states of arousal and relaxation, excitement and stillness, activity and peace. This isn’t natural for every dog—especially those bred to work—but it is absolutely something that can be taught.

And must be taught.

Without this skill, we’re left with dogs who pace, bark at every noise, react to the slightest movement, or constantly seek stimulation because they’ve never been shown an alternative.

Our Failure as Humans

We’re poor at doing nothing ourselves. We live fast-paced lives, filled with phones, screens, deadlines, and distractions. It’s no surprise that we impose that same lifestyle onto our dogs. But dogs thrive on predictability, routine, and calm energy. They reflect us.

When we fail to teach them how to relax, we raise dogs that become restless, reactive, anxious, and sometimes even aggressive—not because they’re bad dogs, but because their nervous system is constantly in a state of alert.

Teaching “nothing” is not a lack of training. It is training.

What Does “Doing Nothing” Training Look Like?
1. Place Training – Teach your dog to settle on a bed, mat, or designated space and remain there for extended periods without constant input from you. It’s not just about staying in one spot—it’s about learning to relax there.
2. Enforced Rest – Just as athletes need rest to recover, so do dogs. Even high-drive working dogs need time off the clock. Make rest part of your training schedule, not an afterthought.
3. Reward Calmness – Rather than constantly reinforcing action, start reinforcing inactivity. Catch your dog lying quietly and reward that state with a gentle “good” or calm praise. Over time, they learn that relaxation is not just allowed, but desired.
4. Do Nothing Sessions – Set aside time each day to simply exist with your dog. No training. No play. No stimulation. Just be. This is where true bonding happens—and where your dog learns that your presence doesn’t always mean something exciting is about to happen.
5. Avoid Creating Patterned Hyperactivity – Dogs are pattern-seeking animals. If every time you come home means a wild greeting, or every time you pick up a lead means frantic excitement, you’ve unintentionally created hyperactive habits. Break those patterns. Teach neutrality.

The Benefits of Stillness

Teaching a dog to do nothing creates a calmer, more emotionally balanced animal. It reduces anxiety, prevents burnout, and makes dogs more reliable in high-pressure situations. A dog that knows how to be still is also a dog that can choose to focus when asked. It improves impulse control, builds resilience, and fosters maturity.

For working dogs, this balance is especially important. We don’t want a dog that’s constantly “on” and unable to switch gears. We want a dog that’s steady, composed, and able to reserve its energy for when it truly counts.

Final Thoughts

Stillness is a skill—arguably one of the most important we can offer our dogs.

Whether you’re a dog owner, a trainer, or a handler, it’s your responsibility to teach your dog that life isn’t a constant rollercoaster. Teach them that it’s not only okay to do nothing—it’s healthy.

We’re not trying to switch off our dogs permanently. We’re simply teaching them that they don’t need to be switched on all the time. That doing nothing is not a void—it’s a state of peace, presence, and contentment.

And when a dog learns that, life becomes easier. For them. And for us.

www.k9manhuntscotland.co.uk




03/02/2025

One place has become available on the scent detection course which takes place every Thursday evening in the Burren Nature Sanctuary & Botanical Collection at 6.30pm. Suitable for all dogs over 16 weeks. Dogs work one at a time so also suitable for fearful or reactive dogs.
Builds confidence, resilience and develops problem solving skills. Send a whatsapp 0858890100 to book.

It was great to get out of the city today and enjoy the beauty of nature.
31/01/2025

It was great to get out of the city today and enjoy the beauty of nature.


How exciting is this ?We finally have agility classes in our locality.
29/01/2025

How exciting is this ?
We finally have agility classes in our locality.

✨ It’s finally happening! ✨

Our 5-Week Agility Foundations Class is kicking off this Friday, 31st January, at 12 noon in Meanus, Co. Limerick!

This class is perfect for dogs of any age, as long as they’re physically fit and healthy. Training will be tailored to make it puppy-safe and appropriate, so everyone can join the fun!

🐾 Details:
📅 Starts: Friday, 31st January
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM (1.5-hour class)
📍 Location: Meanus, Co. Limerick
💰 Price: €190 for 5 weeks

🌟 Limited spots available! Book now via the link in bio or visit dogscouts.ie.

I’m so excited to bring agility to Limerick and can’t wait to see you there! 🐕💨

26/01/2025

STORM EOWYN
Its with regret that we announce that the 12 O'Clock Hills Hiking Trails are littered with fallen trees and branches. Our small voluntary team are currently working to clear the trails. This could take a few days, so best avoid a visit until we make a further announcement. Appreciate if you would share this message with your contacts, thanks a mill.

❤️ those eyebrows 😍
25/01/2025

❤️ those eyebrows 😍

Had another session with this guy during the week. He is coming on in leaps and bounds.He is such a happy lad and loves ...
24/01/2025

Had another session with this guy during the week. He is coming on in leaps and bounds.
He is such a happy lad and loves to train.

Happy
21/01/2025

Happy

Totally smitten  😍
16/01/2025

Totally smitten 😍

13/01/2025

Scent Detection for beginners! Get your dog searching and finding gun oil! Develop your dog handling skills and learn to do car searches, route searches and area searches like a pro. Great for increasing confidence in dogs. Suitable for all breeds over 16 weeks.
Each dog works one at a time so reactive dogs are welcome.
5 week course
Limited places. Book by sending a WhatsApp to

(085) 889 0100

Love at first sight ❤️
10/01/2025

Love at first sight ❤️

09/01/2025

Get your puppy training off to a good start!
Join us for 4 interactive puppy training sessions.
Topics include:
🐾 loose lead walking
🐾 recall
🐾 settle
🐾 toilet training
🐾 enrichment
🐾 socialisation

Socialise with other puppies and learn the skills to having a well adjusted happy dog and household

Fully qualified IMDT and Easy Peasy Puppy Instructor.

Dates of course: 23rd, 24th, 30th, 31st January
Indoor and outside location in the beautiful Burren Nature Sanctuary & Botanical Collection.
Toilets and Parking

Places very limited
Book by WhatsApp (085) 889 0100

Great advice in this post.Have a read, especially if your dog has a a busy few days over Christmas
26/12/2024

Great advice in this post.
Have a read, especially if your dog has a a busy few days over Christmas

⚠️ BOXING DAY : EXTRA CAUTION REQUIRED ⚠️

Your dog or puppy may be over stimulated, tired, sore and irritable 😠 🥱 😩 😵‍💫

Take extra care today, please keep in mind that sometimes the first symptom of a dog or puppy being too tired, sore or over stimulated is behaviour change. Behaviour change which, in some instances, can appear to come from nowhere.

‼️ A dog’s usual levels of tolerance may be at risk of lowering.
‼️ Their startle responses may increase.
‼️ Their sensitivity to stimuli, including being touched, may heighten.
‼️ Their ability to recollect prior learned information (their training) may decrease.
‼️ Their social skills may become compromised, which may result in them failing to read the room or being more irritable.
‼️ They may be quicker to fatigue on walks.

Nick and I travelled to see my step mum on Monday. Christmas Eve, we spent the first part of the day cleaning the house and Christmas Day we travelled to see Nick’s parents.

My dogs don’t sleep deeply in the car and despite taking their beds to both family homes, they didn’t sleep for as long, nor as well as they would have at home. They were understandably easily disturbed by the activity and were even following me to the bathroom each time.
Our cleaning related hustle and bustle on 24th would have also interfered with their usual sleep quality.

Yesterday Amigo also dedicated a good hour of his day on his feet putting pressure on kitchen door activity - hoping for a management slip up that would get him access to the food being served and the plates being cleared away from the dining room. You can take the stray off the streets…… 😆

So all in all, across three days- I would guess that my dogs are about 15 hours in deficit (of sleep).

During sleep, stress hormone levels are lowered, the brain’s toxins are removed, cellular repair across the body occurs, and the immune system gets a boost. The body is given an MOT that helps regulate its responses to stimuli the next day.

This includes regulating the perception of pain and of course, quality rest supports the reduction of any inflammation.

My dogs were on their feet - getting up and down more than normal - across the past three days. Any muscular or skeletal pain can become heightened- especially for my senior dog Kanita.

Additionally, during sleep information is processed and stored. Whilst relevant for all dogs, those with young puppies should be especially considerate to the fact that there’s only so much sensory stimuli the young brain can process. A high intensity of stimuli (noise, sights, scents, and touch!) parallel to compromised sleep can lead to an over stimulated puppy- this usually results in a puppy that jumps and mouths more!

Lastly, most of us humans get tired from all of the activity. The usual level of management and ‘tolerance’ of our dogs and puppies may start to slip.

Contexts in which to be cautious:

☑️ Visitors arriving to the home- caution letting dogs greet them at the door or in narrow hallways!

Also be cautious of your dog accidentally escaping out the door or gate left open. Stay vigilant and remind guests to keep the usual doors and gates closed.

☑️ People touching your dog or puppy! Does the dog WANT to be touched? Have they asked to be touched? Is touching the puppy leading to them jumping and mouthing? Is the dog and puppy being touched and/or picked up too often?

Make sure everyone, especially children, leave a resting puppy or dog well alone and that there's understanding of what 'no thanks' looks like (they don't approach to interact when asked, or look away, move away or tense up when being interacted with).

☑️ Monitor anyone playing with the dog/puppy very carefully. Normally, it's the humans that struggle to regulate their behaviour intensity or duration - and the dog/puppy simply responds to that.

☑️ People (including children) behaving in an animated way (loud noises and sudden or unusual movement).

☑️ How WE humans respond to undesired behaviour. Are we appearing confrontational? Are we intensifying the level of stimuli or calming things down?

☑️ Leaving dangerous foods and items around. Keep things out of reach of your dog or shut them away from your dog.

If your puppy or dog 'steals' an item that they 'shouldn't have', trade it for treats. Don't rush to grab things off them and ensure everyone present knows to do the same (or better yet, alerts you to do it). You'd be suprised how many bite incidents happen towards people who aren't the dog's primary carer and who go to take things off the dog/puppy.

☑️ Interacting with unfamiliar dogs on walks (or even their buddies!). Dogs who are tired or in pain may be more quick to be defensive, over stimulated dogs and puppies may be more likely to socialise inappropriately- which may result in them being the target of defensive behaviour.

☑️ The walk itself! Pay attention to the environment, something that’s harder to do when walking in a group!
Be aware and considerate of others, but also towards livestock and wildlife if you’re walking somewhere different to usual.

Keep your dog on lead if you’re not sure their recall is up to the usual standard! Remember, memory recollection AND sensory processing is compromised when dogs are tired.

Lastly, if your dog doesn’t normally go on epic, long hikes, then stick to a distance similar to their usual walk duration. Please don’t exhaust your dog by taking them on an endurance hike they’ve not built the fitness up for, or that they may be too old or less physically able to enjoy.


Today we are meeting my brother, his wife and my two young nephews at the pub for lunch. Kanita doesn’t like children too close and Mohawk gets a bit nervous of their excitement- so we have opted to meet away from the home so my dogs aren’t put in a situation they may struggle with more than normal.

It’s just not worth the risk! I’d rather be labelled as too cautious than there be a concerning or serious incident. My dogs will be happier at home resting.

Be your dog's advocate ❤️

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