Paws to Think NZ

Paws to Think NZ Positive reinforcement based dog training to achieve your dreams with your canine team-mate

The basics.In my view there are just four things you need to keep your dog safe whilst allowing independence, and I teac...
30/10/2025

The basics.

In my view there are just four things you need to keep your dog safe whilst allowing independence, and I teach these from 8 weeks old, with masses of play and treats.

*Sit
*Stay where you are until I say you can go
*Leave it
*Come to me

I love teaching and training all the fancy stuff too - but if you work really hard on those four things and nothing else, you will still have a lovely pet who enjoys living with you and keeps well and safe.

Those four skills mean that doggie can have an exciting and enriched life with freedoms, because they will come back to you and they not eat nasty stuff.

Last week at the Nationals, the exercise area was full of sheep p**p. My puppy kept picking it up, so I asked her to Leave it, which she did, and gave her a treat instead. MUCH nicer for everyone 😂 My high drive dog was suddenly loose next to an agility ring (I dropped the lead accidentally!) where a dog was running but came back to me as soon as I asked. MUCH better for everyone 😂

29/10/2025

I'm starting to teach Jenny to listen to verbal commands because all being well we will do agility when she's old enough.

I'm mixing in a lot of play too, and also I'm not moving so that she really has to listen to words without any help from body language from me

When you bring a new puppy into the house you actually have no idea how the other dogs will react. I always use a lot of...
15/10/2025

When you bring a new puppy into the house you actually have no idea how the other dogs will react.

I always use a lot of management and make sure the puppy is safe and separated behind baby gates and things like that at first. One of our other dogs is prone to a little bit of resource guarding of me, so I was extra specially careful to make sure that she had a fabulous experience with the puppy and it wouldn't interfere with a relationship that she has with me.

She and the puppy have become best friends!!! Even I am slightly surprised 😂

No resource guarding here - she is extremely happy to share my lap with baby Jenny

For more information on positive training and achieving results like this please feel free to send a PM

07/10/2025

I whistle train my collies.

Today I had to use that training because two small noisy terriers ran across a field to come and see my dogs - which they really did not appreciate.

The whistle recall worked perfectly. My dogs stopped being freaked out by the terriers immediately and came back to me. I'm very proud of these three - especially Jenny who's only 19 weeks old.

If you're interested, the whistle is an Acme 211.5

06/10/2025

When I get a new puppy I make sure they have plenty of time just with me and not with the other dogs. They need to find me the most exciting thing in their lives, not their furry friends 😂

But I do let them learn from the others as well. Jenny age 19 weeks is learning that a whistle means come back and you will get a delicious treat. Lexi aged nearly four is teaching her 💜

25/09/2025

Reward everything you like. Everything. You keep rewarding it - it will keep happening 💜

Even when we are just walking off lead I still practice recalls - whatever age the dog.

And I REWARD them for coming back. That means I take treats with me everywhere I go!!!

The little collie is only 17 weeks old 💜

I’ve started working with the flirt pole with little Jenny. She has to wait until released before she’s allowed to chase...
04/09/2025

I’ve started working with the flirt pole with little Jenny. She has to wait until released before she’s allowed to chase and play.

She amazed me with her self-control when faced with the moving toy. What a wonderful girl ♥️

03/09/2025

I've started doing place-based training with young Jenny.

I've gradually been using the cue "on your mat" when she is on the bed. A few days ago I started asking her to do it instead of just marking it. I throw food away from the mat so that she can get herself back to it.

It's getting pretty solid now as a behavior

My lovely puppy 💜

I’m sure at some point we will go through a normal teenage “I’m going to do nothing you ever taught me” stage 😂 , but I ...
29/08/2025

I’m sure at some point we will go through a normal teenage “I’m going to do nothing you ever taught me” stage 😂 , but I am loving this amazing amazing puppy ♥️

27/08/2025

Training forward focus with Jenny 💜

26/08/2025

Of course this behavior is much better inside 😊 but I thought I'd bring it outside. This is our third day of sitting and waiting for a release word Break and I think she's getting it.

However sitting in front of a dead toy is definitely work in progress outside 😂.
I'm loving this puppy 💜

It’s never too young to start. Jenny is 13 weeks.I built up a Stay from doing platform work, then yesterday I took it ou...
24/08/2025

It’s never too young to start. Jenny is 13 weeks.

I built up a Stay from doing platform work, then yesterday I took it outside.

This is her foundation work for a start line wait in agility, and also a verbal cue - Break - to release and in this case she gets released to the toy.

Note she will not be asked to actually jump anything until she is 12 months old.

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