Mallory Bergman, Dog and Assistance Dog Trainer

Is your dog this comfortable when doing deep pressure for you? Doing and training deep pressure is so much harder than just giving treats for them settling, I find that actually this way, they learn to settle independently and without a flow of treats. I've always rewarded her initial settle but then I will pick my mobile up (can be anything, even a book or magazine) as scrolling on that looking busy the dog starts to learn I may as well get cosy cos mum's busy now. When I get to that point, I will only then reward when done, but I wud end earlier than the amount of time I knew she cud do, so she is successful everytime. Small bot about deep pressure. (Dpt) Dpt, is used to help with anxiety (can be other conditions but this is how it helps me) when she lays across my lap it's actually alot more than that , she's actually adding weight to the pressure points near knees which in turn ground and start to settle the nerves (from experience it works with nerve pain too). There's many trigger points in your body and therefore deep pressure therapy can look different for everyone. #dogtrainer #assistancedogtrainer #hertfordshiredogtrainer #working lab #dpt #triggerpoints #painreleif

Recently had 2 rotties come join the training gang, via a recommendation by a previous client. They are siblings and close in age so naturally bounce off each other and wasn't listening to what their owners asked. So I was messaged to ask if I could come and help make their walks more enjoyable by getting them to heel and not drag the owner but also for a lovely spot on recall, after they bounded over to another dog to say hi, let's play, which unfortunately the other owner of the other dog, did not like. These dogs are the most lovable and friendliest of dogs, but if you don't know rotties (and no about the rottie grumble) then these 2 big dogs coming over can be scary to some. We've been training them separately to stop them bouncing off each other and instead listen to what's asked of them. In only 2 sessions, this video is the 2nd lesson after I set homework from the first one, just look how incredible this one is already after just those 2 sessions. It's also a testament to the owners because it shows they have put the effort in with them between our sessions. So I'd like to say a HUGE well done to them as well. (P.s if your set homework by your trainer, we can ALWAYS tell who's practiced and done the homework simply by how your dog is behaving) #dogtrainer #assistancedogtrainer #hertfordshiredogtrainer #heelwork #recall #rotties #rottiegrumbles

In this video, ignore echo. What I'm filming is the lab behind who is working on her focus on her handler despite a dog she knows playing ball, which like echo, is this other dogs cryptonite to. Well done! That's not an easy task for this ball happy little lady. #dogtrainer #hertfordshiredogtrainer #assistancedogtrainer #focuswork #distractions #ballobsessed

Some lovely work here being done by this goldie who actually developed a ptsd response to certain surfaces from previous trainer. Here we are working on her awareness of her feet, she wears shoes on her front feet as she gets more scared of textures when she slips, as golden can have hairy feet, these give her more confidence. Surfaces obviously feel different in shoes so by working on getting her paws to target each step it stops her overthinking the surface and focusing on what her foot placement is doing. What I love is wa5 hing her really trying to work it out and doing slowly so as not to end up jumping the whole step. #dogtrainer #assistancedogtrainer #Hertfordshiredogtrainer #pawplacement #workinggoldie #dogshoesforgrip

Echos been waiting for her friend annie (collie) to be recovered enough to play properly together. They've met on lead walks, and been out on mats having a long lasting chews together, but this is what Echo been waiting for. As you can see we had 2 ball orientated dogs and 2 very much foodie. #dogtrainer #assistancedogtrainer #playmate #matchingplaystyles

Working on heelwork but with a ball for his reward, and then working on his instant drop when asked. Drop is a different cue to putting in my hand and would be used for things like if your dog got hold of a dead animal and you don't want to argue with them for it. It means just drop exactly where you are and I will reward you. This video shows a combination of both heelwork reward with a toy and then getting his toy back by giving the drop cue, not bad for his first day introduction to drop. #dogtrainer #hertfordshiredogtrainer #assistancedogtrainer #heelwork #toyreward

A little something me and echo worked on over the last month. Thinking about how I could further proof my basic positions other than turning around with my back to her I thought where next can I take this.... Sooo I recorded on voice notes me saying, sit, down and stand and over the month proceeded to work with her. Initially she looked confused as to why she heard my voice but my mouth wasn't moving but with the help of hand signals as a prompt to start we did it. I did play the sounds to fast initially so she began to guess, but when I slowed it down and allowed her to think, here are my results.... Aren't dogs impressive creatures? #dogtrainer #assistancedogtrainer #hertfordshiredogtrainer #proofwork #posistionwork

This lovely goldie came to.me from another trainer who said she had floor aversion and to just "flood" her with surfaces. Having been sent videos by the owner i could actually predict when she wud hit the floor, and it was everytime their was a surface change or something different on floor, such as a door frame or floor sticker. So initially we worked on this, then returned to shops where her body language wasn't fear now but more like she thought she was going to slip and was bracing herself (think when humans walk like penguins in ice) so lastly I showed her owners how to introduce some grippy socks/shoes to her and then next session we returned to shops and as you can see her demeanor is completely different, her body is upright and confident and she doesn't look like she's trying not to slip anymore. Well done to these owners for not only seeking a 2nd opinion but for getting this lovely golden back on track to being a fab assistance dog in training. NOTE: I only got them to initially introduce to her front feet as ideally if back wasn't needed I didn't want to introduce so that she can still sweat through her back pads if needed. Luckily in this case it was all she needed. #dogtrainer #assistancedogtrainer #hertfordshiredogtrainer #behaviourwork #2ndopinions

Funday... A lovely video of isla having a go at a turn/curved corner in hoopers. This was before I stepped in and got isla handler on the other side so she didn't have to run so far, I felt they were doing so well I didn't want to interrupt! #dogtrainer #assistancedogtrainer #hertfordshiredogtrainer #funday #hooperspractice