Purely Positive Training Alliance

03/05/2022

Proximity training > recall training

02/05/2022

We want to give a big shout out to the amazing team over at DeliverChew!

They made a difficult decision to say goodbye to a brand rep who uses aversive methods (on a puppy), difficult only because of the backlash they have now received from the community of people who support these methods.

Often force free trainers are targeted for speaking out against aversive methods when more often than not it has come from a place of love for our pets.

We support the decision DeliverChew has made and praise them for taking a stand against these methods of training.

The more companies that speak up and act on these things, the more dogs we can save from aversive training.

Go and give DeliverChew all the support they deserved!

(Not a sponsored or supported post)

25/04/2022

Collar pops are arguable one of the most common aversive methods used, with many people not realising the issue with this method and the possible damage they could be causing!

member and Pro Dog Trainer Jo Town from Active K9 Wirral has written a very informative article on our website about the danger of collar pops, head over to our site and have a read and share it to your dog owning friends!

Purelypositivetrainingalliance.com/post/stop-the-pop

06/04/2022

Wise words from Dr Ian Dunbar!

03/04/2022

So many wonderful things can be achieved through play!

How do you play with your dog?

02/04/2022

Today is created by Pup Talk

Walking our dogs seems to be an obvious thing that we all do. Our dogs need to be walked every day right?

They get to sniff, get some exercise, toilet and socialise.

However for some dogs their daily walk can cause lots of stress due to various triggers - dogs, people, cars.

For some dogs a simple scent game in the garden or tricks session in the living room is enough enrichment and helps to reduce stress.

Not every dog needs to be walked every day, yes exercise is important but there are other ways to give your dogs the attention and enrichment you think they get from a walk.

It’s ok to not walk your dog every day!

Keep an eye out on our website for new blog on things to do instead of a walk!

01/04/2022

Who doesn’t love a bit of terminology to finish the working week!

What corner/corners does your training fall into?

30/03/2022

No quick fixes used in the !

08/03/2022

Happy international women’s day to all our fellow force free pet professionals!
As a core team of solely women, we want to work together to encourage force free training across the dog training world. By working together we can achieve so much more than putting each down!
We hope you will join us in the to lift up force free trainers and show the world the power of purely positive!

02/03/2022

When someone says they are a 'Positive' Trainer....do you know what that means??

A Positive Trainer works with you and your dog without making your dog uncomfortable or shut down and will not use equipment to hurt your dog.

A dogs natural instinct is to avoid pain.

If a Trainer uses a method you are uncomfortable using ... speak up! Tell them they are not the right trainer for you.

06/02/2022

Did you know that in the UK that Dog Training is an Un-Regulated industry? Which means anyone can say they are a Behaviourist or Trainer!!!! That’s right – ANYONE!!!!

So, which one is the right one for you?

There are lots of terms banded round in the training world – Force Free, Positive, Game Based, Reward Based, Aversive, Balanced. We believe whole heartedly that training dogs (and all animals) should be done ethically, humanely and with kindness – the terms which we fall into are - Force Free, Positive, Game Based, Reward Based.

Between us (Tori, Heather & Jo) we have over 30 years’ experience with varying breeds, UK rescue dogs, Overseas Rescue Dogs, we also have 21 dogs between us!!! We also have lots of trainers we are friends with, are our colleagues and we would refer work to when needed. They are also promoting the Purely Positive Training Alliance with us.

So, when looking for a dog trainer…
Where do you start?
Who do you want to train your dog?
Can the person in the park or on Facebook who gave you a suggestion / tip / advice be right??

Ask yourself these questions about the person –

Do they support you as an owner?
Do they show YOU how to train your dog and help to strengthen your relationship?
Do they take your dog and work with your dog, are you involved with the training or are you a bystander?
Do they use tools that you are happy with on your dog? Ask yourself am I ok with using a Prong Collar / E-Collar / Slip Lead / Treats / Toys with my dog? If not, that trainer is not the right trainer for you!
Do they have any qualifications? What experience do they have, some may not have formal qualifications but are the best in their field!
Do they stay up to date with training styles or does their style seem very outdated?
Do they have a solid network of trainers that they can refer to for advice?
Would they refer your dog to someone else if they are out of their comfort zone?
Are they using jargon or do they explain what they mean?
If someone has recommended them – are they the right trainer for you and your dog?

Once you have thought about what style of trainer you would like, then you can choose your trainer!

30/01/2022

Meet the team 🥰

JoJo Town at Active K9 Wirral
Tori Smith at Facebook.com/merlindogtraining
Heather Jones at SpoiltRotten

We are like minded trainers with a goal!!

We are working together to show how using Force Free, Positive, Game Play Training is the best way to train your dog 🥰

Over the next few months we will be promoting positive training and asking all local Positive Trainers to get on board and help spread positivity!!!

26/01/2022

There are so many things we could say about this show, but we’ll focus on the most recent episode.

Having all had experience with old arthritic dogs we know how important it is to keep them comfortable and make changes to our routine and lifestyle to make sure they’re happy and loved. It’s such a shame to see someone with a huge platform use that platform and supposed wealth of knowledge and not use it to share important and valuable information

You are your dogs voice, please make sure you’re using that for good and seek professional advice from the right people when needed!

Tori, Jo & Heather

2024 update -

This post was made two years ago and has recently been getting attention again. The sad thing is that actually nothing has changed. This program is still being made. There is ( as far as I know - and very happy to be corrected if I am wrong) no veterinary involvement with these dogs prior to filming.

How many more dogs are going to be labled as awkward, difficult, stubborn or just lazy when actually there is an underlying pain issue?

We have so many wonderful trainers and behaviourists that could fill this man’s shoes and provide far more valuable advice and training. Stop giving people like this man air time… pick someone who actually cares about the wellbeing of the dogs they work with instead of the cash going to line their pockets…

-

Some phrases used on this particular episode of ‘Dogs behaving (very) badly’ where 8 year old Ruby would only get off the sofa if the rug was over the laminate flooring, and would sit down and stop on walks…

‘being a madam’

‘Controlling the diva’

‘Indulging her with rugs’

‘Thinks she’s in charge’

OR

Is this actually a dog in pain, a dog scared of slipping and hurting, a dog trying to tell everyone that she’s uncomfortable?

It’s not indulging her with a rug, it’s making sure her own home is accessible and safe for her. She’s not ‘being a diva’ and refusing to walk, she’s telling you it hurts and she’s uncomfortable.

I’m very glad that the owners realise that this dogs weight is having a significant impact on her life but there are other things that need addressing here. I have no doubt they absolutely adore their girl, that is very clear to see, but I desperately wish they had the right kind of support for Ruby, not just let’s force her to walk and walk on a floor she’s is scared

Dogs Behaving Very Badly and The Dogfather (Graham Hall)… I’m afraid the blame falls to you on this occasion. You have a massive platform with thousands of dog owners watching every episode. How about talking about signs of pain? Indicators of discomfort? When behaviours actually tell us somethings wrong? Ways to adapt houses for older dogs and those that struggle with mobility? You could educate SO MANY owners but no, it doesn’t happen. Instead we just see an uncomfortable dog being forced to walk when she doesn’t want to, and live in an environment that she is scared of.

Dogs need us to advocate for them, to realise when we need to do more and to learn the ways that they tell us something isn’t right. Owner education is the key to this and this could have been a brilliant opportunity to do just that.

20/01/2022

Are you going to pledge your alliance to the ? 🐾
Tell the world you’re by sharing the pledge to your social media’s and don’t forget to tag us!


Facebook.com/MerlinDogTraining
SpoiltRotten Active K9 Wirral

01/01/2022

Happy New Year to Everyone!!!

We have some exciting news to share with you all!! 🐾

We are excited to announce that Merlin Dog Training, Active K9 Wirral and SpoiltRotten have joined forces to promote Positive Game Play Training Methods to everyone! 🥰

We are so excited to be joining forces to help everyone understand how Positive Game Play Training has now been scientifically researched into; and the results showed that through positive interaction we can help our dogs learn (faster too!), understand more, develop better relationships with their owners and become a confident companion 🐕

We want to show you guys’ how training with “Love not Force” enables you to become THE best dog owner your dog could ever wish for!!

Throughout 2021 we have had so many ideas and got in contact with lots of local Positive Trainers to get on board. These ideas are being developed and will be implemented very soon!!

** We were just so excited we had to let you know!!! **

“Love Not Force!”

Tori, Merlin Dog Training

Jo, Active K9 Wirral

Heather, SpoiltRotten