The CollieAcademy

13/02/2022

Tomorrow is the official launch of The Collie Academy!

We are busy finishing off making sure all the videos are where they should be and the site will be easy for you to navigate.

We have videos in there on teaching your collie puppy evrey theh need to learn from the day they come home. This includes thier name, focus and getting used to wearing a collar and harness right through to walking on a loose lead, recall and some cool tricks to teach which will help build your relationship and tire out them never ending brains!

There is also guides and help on toilet training, food and nutrition, crate training, socialisation, confidence building and more.
It's the one place for all your collie needs in the first year together!

Easy monthly payments, just like a gym membership and you get access to all the above (and more) for 12 months. You can ask me (the expert) questions and send videos for feedback and help as much as you want. No limits of only 1 question a week or day. Ask as many as you like and they will be answered. It may not be there and then, we need to sleep at some point! But we aim to answer withing 24 hours, 48-72 hours at most over the weekend and holiday periods.

Even better, if you sign up this month (FEBRUARY) you will get a discounted rate!

For more information and to sign up visit our website www.thecollieacademy.com

07/02/2022

Did you know there are ways you can tire out your collie puppy without walking them miles?

Have a read of our blog to find out more about mentally tiring out your collie puppy www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/enrichment-for-collies

Enrichment is something that all dogs can enjoy no matter their age, level of training, breed or how much they have done before.

06/02/2022

Collies have strong instincts and breed specific needs that are very different to what a pug normally needs but often would be put into the same puppy class.

Have a read of our post about the pros and cons of typical in person classes with your collie.

www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/pros-and-cons-of-a-typical-puppy-course

05/02/2022

We want our collies to get off to the right start but we often compare them to children. But should we be doing this? Should we expect them to be almost paw perfect after a 6 week course or is this unrealistic?

Have a read about ways we compare our collie puppies to children and ways we should and shouldn't compare them.

www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/collie-compared-to-children

30/01/2022

We will be talking to Sally at The Canine Dietitian in a few weeks in our free group CollieAcademy - support and help for owners. If you have any questions about food or treats then drop them in the comments below and I will be ask them for you. You can also ask in the group too when we are live, I will post a day and time once we have confirmed. The live will be left in the group after so you can watch at a later time if you cannot make the live.

29/01/2022

Not two dogs are the same and you need to train the puppy in front of you.
You also need to take into account your lifestyle when training them. If you live in a built up area where they will be walked on lead more than off lead then you want to focus on loose lead walking more as that is what will make your life with them easier.

Read more here about training the dog in front of you https://www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/train-the-dog-in-front-of-you

27/01/2022

Last week Buzz my 3 year old collie dropped his ball down a rabbit hole. He tried to go in after it but was a little unsure to start with. I let him try to get it back, I couldn’t see it so knew there was a good chance it was gone for good.

After a good 10 minutes of trying I called him away and carried on our walk. That 10 minutes got him using his brain on how he could squeeze into the hole to try and get the ball back. He could smell it and knew it was there but couldn’t quite get it.

He didn’t get it back but it got him using his brain and wore him out more than if he was running for the 10 minutes he spent trying to get the ball back.

Yesterday we went back past the rabbit hole he lost the ball in. He ran straight over to the hole and stuck his head in and the next thing I know I could only see his butt sticking out of the hole.

I let him have another attempt even though I knew it was long gone. After about 5 minutes I called him away and we kept going on the walk. On the way back he bolted back to the hole for another attempt, this time he was further in and couldn’t see him from where I was so had gotten right in there this time. I called him back and he came out but hesitated coming back so asked him to find it, 30 seconds later he comes running back with a ball in his mouth.

The same ball he lost down the rabbit hole a week ago. This definitely helped him want to sleep all evening yesterday as he was thinking and and working out how to get to the ball.

By getting our collies to search out their ball, it will help them be a little more mentally worn out and calmer.

Now, you don’t have to hide it down a rabbit hole like Buzz, you can make it easier and build up to a harder find like that where it is out of sight and them having to really think about it.

Think about how you use their ball. Are you just throwing it for them or giving it to them? You can hide it for them to sniff out which will getting them thinking about where it is and calmer.

23/01/2022

Do you have a crazy collie puppy?

Want to know some ways to tire them out whilst they are limited on how far they can go for walks?

Sign up below for free below to find out how you can tire out your crazy collie puppy mentally which means no long walks and a tired puppy!

https://mailchi.mp/cc02fbb50da7/how-to-tire-out-your-collie-puppy

15/01/2022

Remember we have our free support group CollieAcademy - support and help for owners where you can ask any collie related question and we will be doing FREE training over the next couple of weeks on areas you are struggling with.

15/01/2022

Toilet training collies.

Toilet training doesn’t happen overnight and will take a lot of patience on your part. That and getting to know all the signs that they need to go before they need to go. You will have some days you will be freezing, some days you are soaked, days you feel like you aren't making any progress and days you feel like you have made loads of progress and then the next day you find they have had an accident.

How long it takes to get your puppy toilet trained will depend on your puppy, how consistent you are on taking them out regularly, how much you reward them for toileting outside, how quickly you pick up the signs they need to go to the toilet and how you deal with any accidents.

There are 10 stages that we recommend to follow to toilet train your puppy. Follow them and minimise accidents and avoid it taking 2 years to get a fully reliable, toilet trained dog.

You will notice that I do not include the use of puppy pads, this is because it is an unnecessary step in 99% of cases. If they are used then you are effectively rewarding them for toileting inside, even if it is on a pad. So, I would ditch the pads and just brave the cold, rain, snow or whatever the weather is out there.

15/01/2022

We spent yesterday afternoon and evening uploading loads of the videos and guides onto the collie academy membership and is looking set for the official launch on 1st February!
So far we have videos on teaching puppy their name, loose lead walking, recall, brain games, 5 tricks as well as guides on socialisation, toilet training and crate training. We will be adding more videos in tomorrow as it takes a while for them to upload and be added to the right section of the membership so it is easy to find.

We will be talking to a canine nutritionist in the coming weeks so there will be more in depth information on food and we will talk specifically about the needs collies have as they are super active and often need more calories than other breeds that weigh the same as they are so much more active. There will be videos and written guides on this so you can take the information in however you find easiest!

Remember, if your intreasted, we have our pre-launch offer where you can sign up for just £10 a month rather than £15 a month. That will save you £60 over the years membership!

There is so much more we still have to add in the coming weeks and you will get loads of support during the first year with your collie including being able to comment on the different videos in the membership as well as a membership support group where you can talk to other collie owners and ask questions and post videos of your training for feedback. We will also be doing fortnightly live q&as where we will answer questions you have at the moment in time where we can talk through your issues together without having to wait for me to get back from a walk to reply.

We will also have regular guest trainers that are experts in thier area, from nutritionists to groomers to assistance dog trainers to trick dog trainers and more (so if you want to know more about how to train a certain skill then ask away and we will do our best to make it happen and you get it all included in your membership at no extra cost!).

12/01/2022

Did you know the treats we use can affect our collies health and behaviour?

Have a read of our post below on what to look at when choosing treats for your collie.

www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/what-to-look-for-in-treats-for-collies

11/01/2022

The Collie Academy is officially launching on 1st February but we are offering a special pre-launch special all of January!

This means you get all the benefits of The collie academy at a lower cost.

The Collie Academy is a membership helping collie and owners through the first year together. We will cover real life skills you will want with your collie like walking on a loose lead and coming back when called. Also being able to walk down the road without trying to chase cars like a lot of collies do.

We will also cover other topics a lot of typical in person classes won't cover or just briefly cover such as toilet training, crate training, food and treats, different types of equipment such as collars, harnesses and leads and what are good features and not so good features as well as channelling the collie drive and traits.

All this and more including fortnightly calls where we will go through any problems and common questions that have been asked.

We will also have sessions in the academy with experts on specific subjects such as grooming your collie at home with professional groomers, feeding and nutrition from a canine nutritionist, assistant dog trainers so you get fun activities you can get your collie to do as well as loads of other experts.

We also have section to comment on each video to ask questions as well as a support group where you can talk with other owners in the academy that are also working through the content and post videos of your training sessions for feedback or to ask questions on any problems.

The membership is designed for you to be in for 12 months and normally £15 a month, so still works out cheaper than a lot of classes if you went on a standard puppy course and follow on classes/121s.
But, as the pre-launch special we are offering the membership in the academy for just £10 a month. We will be adding all that sign up a week before the official launch so you get an extra week in the academy free of charge and your membership start on 1st February, meaning your membership finishes on 31st January 2023.

For more information visit our website and for information on how to get the pre-launch offer.
www.thecollieacademy.com/

10/01/2022

We have a FREE enrichment course for you to sign up to for helping tire out your collies brain. Perfect for puppies that are waiting for injections and when they are still growing and developing and not able to go on long walks as well as being perfect for extra fun for your collie and if they are injured and not able to go on walks.

the-collie-academy.teachable.com/p/enrichment

09/01/2022

We are looking for some collies (any age but a mixture would be great) to help with a project.

We are looking at adding to stock of photos for our website and social media.

I am arranging with a photographer to take these photos (they took the ones of Buzz below) and will be a range if types I'm looking at from posing in a sit to some action shots of them running and some with owners/me in (may just be legs in the shots) in a range of places including fields and woodland type places.

We will be looking at Stevenage or surrounding areas to do this.

If you do not want these photos then all charges will be covered by myself or if you wanted copies of the photos without watermarks then we ask for £10 (£15 if more than 2 dogs) to cover these costs, which is highly discounted from the normal £50 so you are still getting an amazing deal.

At the moment we are looking at either Friday 21st in the afternoon or Saturday 22nd but subject to change.
Please comment below or send a message to book your spot, please let us know how many dogs, ages and times that work for you.

09/01/2022

Do we really need treats to train a collie?

Find out more about what treats and understanding a bit more about what ones to go for whilst training.

www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/training-treats-for-collies

08/01/2022

We are looking for 5 collies and owners that want some amazing photos for an amazing deal!

I am looking at adding to my stock of photos of collies for my website and social media. I am setting up a session with a photographer to get some.

We are offering collie owners sessions for just £10 (£5 per additional dog as we will allow additional time). This is to cover cost of the imagines you receive with no watermarks etc.

You will get slot on the day where we will take photos and you will then receive the photos too. We will aim to send as many as possible depending how many good shots turn out.
We will be allocating around 15 minutes per dog (more if you have more dogs). Normally these are £50+ so you will be getting a good bargain by coming on a day we are splitting sessions into smaller sessions and allowing us to also use the pics on our social and website for the Collieacademy.

We are currently looking at Wymondley woods between Wymondley and Hitchin.
All ages of collie welcome as long as they are allowed on walks and please be careful letting your dogs off as it is a public place. If your collie doesn't have the best recall please use a long line for safety and to allow us to get as many shots as possible otherwise you will spend the whole session getting your dog back and not getting photos.

Please comment below or send a message if intreasted and we will let you know once we have a date and times.

08/01/2022

A common question I see from owners is about ball launchers and what one to get for their collie.

Did you know these aren't the best thing to get for a collie? Have a read of our blog to find out why?

www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/ball-launchers-for-collies

07/01/2022

Do you want to be able to take your collie to different walks and places?

Often this means going in the car with them. Have a read of our blog to find out the safest ways to travel with your collie and how to get them used to the car.

www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/traveling-with-a-collie

06/01/2022

Did you know socialisation with a collie is more than just meeting other dogs?

have a read of our collie socialisation blog to find out more about socialisation with your collie and what it should entail.

www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/socialising-a-collie

05/01/2022

We are slowly adding all the content onto The Collie Academy offical membership page.
We will be officially launching 1st February BUT have a special offer running this month in the lead up to the launch.
You will get early access to the academy whilst we work on adding all the lessons, information and guides so you will be able to see what is included and start working your way through.

The launch offer is just £10 a month down from £15 or £90 if you pay for the year up front down from £160.
The collie academy is a year long membership to help and guide new collie owners through the first year of life. We will go through socialisation, enrichment, toilet training, separation anxiety, crate training, walking on a loose lead, recall and much more.
We will also be having guest trainers and speakers, the first confirmed being The Canine Dietitian helping with what to look for in food with your collie at different stages. We will also be inviting a groomer to help you with how to groom your collie at home and what equipment will be useful for this and how often you should see a groomer.

All this in easy to pay monthly payments or if you wanted a bigger saving you can pay for the year up front. Normally membership will start the day you enrol and end 365 days later but if you sign up in January, we aim to add you within 48 hours as this is being manually done until official launch day and you will have access to the academy until 31st January 2023 so you will receive a bonus month free of charge and at a discounted rate!

Now is a good time to join at the discounted rate and get a sneak peek of what's to come and you will also see content regularly added as we finish quality checking videos and documents we put up.

Visit the website to find out more and to sign up: www.thecollieacademy.com
Any questions send us a message

05/01/2022

Ever wondered why collies nip at ankles?

Have a read about why and how it can be avoided in our blog.

www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/why-do-collies-nip-2

04/01/2022

Furever Friends and Collieacademy will be hosting the fun dog show again at broadwater day 2022. There is even a bonus day for the jubilee in June which we will also be at to run a dog show.

Friday 3rd June (officially a bank holiday!) 12-6pm

We are hosting the dog show again and after last years feedback we are adding even more categories!

New for the Jubilee caravel is - child and dog friendship, best rescue, oddest family (2 or more dogs that are an unlikely pair eg. a pug and a german shepherd) and of course coolest Corgi seeing as they are the royal breed.

We will start judging at 3pm and are allowing approximately 15 minutes per category but may be slightly longer or shorter depending on entries.
The proposed timings are below:
3pm Cutest puppy (12months and under)
3:15 pretty ladies
3:30 handsome boys
3:45 golden oldies (8 years+)
4 Best rescue
4:15 child and dog partnership
4:30 Dog family
4:45 Coolest corgi (or cross)

There will also be a special prize for best dressed dog - this could be an outfit, collar, bow tie, bandana or other accessory - please bare in mind it will probably be warm or hot in June (we hope!) so please nothing that will make them overheat.

5pm best in show - all first places from the categories will go through to best in show as well as the best dressed dog.

Top 3 in each category will win a prize as well as best dressed and the winner of best in show and reserve best in show will win goody boxes.

We will also have a stall where you can come and register for the dog show and talk to us about other services and have a look at some treats and chews we have available.

If your thinking of ideas of best dressed check out Cloud Nine Collars as you can grab yourself a nice new fancy collar so your dog is in their best outfit on the day!

04/01/2022

Enrichment is an amazing way to mentally tire out a collie, especially when they are puppies and limited on how far they can walk with their growing and developing bones and joints.

Have a read more about enrichment for collies in our blog
www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/enrichment-for-collies

03/01/2022

Have you ever wondered what owning a collie entails?

Have a read of our blog to find out more if your thinking of adding a collie into your family.

www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/what-are-collies-like-as-pets

02/01/2022

Crate training your collie as a puppy is one of the best things to do and one of the first things I do with my new puppies.

A lot of people that don't use one think they are cruel and not right for locking them up. But they are a useful tool to have.

Read our blog to find out more about crate training your collie puppy
www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/crate-training-a-collie

01/01/2022

We are looking for owners of puppy collies to help us with our new and exciting project.

What we are looking for:
Ideally puppies under 16 weeks (4 months) but this can be a little flexible.
Must be collie (any type - border collie, bearded collie, rough collie, smooth etc.)
Must be Stevenage or nearby (Hitchin, Letchworth, Baldock etc)

What we will need:
We will be looking at borrowing puppy for some training sessions for a brand new collie course we are launching and want to include videos of puppy collies as part of the course that are still learning.

You will need to be happy for us to use videos of puppy in the course and as promotional content.

In return for this, you will receive these training sessions for FREE, I expect probably around 3-4 sessions per puppy based on 2-3 puppies. This would normally cost you £120+ for this training with us but it will be totally free (any additional sessions you wish to book will be charged but will give a small discount).
We will also send you plans of what we have done in the session and how you can follow on with this.

That's it, you get free training for your puppy and plans on what you can do to follow on and we get the footage for our new course.
And as an additional thank you we will be offering you the membership at a discount too, which will be discussed when we meet you and pup for training.

About the training - we will work on common life skills such as recall, loose lead walking, confidence building with different surroundings, impulse control and crate training. Depending on interest will depend how many pups I have for the videos and that will also depend what each puppy focuses on. My aim is that I will have enough pups to do a couple of areas with each of them, but may be just one area we work on but may be more.

All training will be positive, reward based training. What reward we use will vary between puppies as they will all have their own favourite to be rewarded with but will be a mixture of high value treats (allergies allowing) and toys.
I have been awarded Hertfordshire's best puppy advisor in 2021 in the LuxLife pet service awards under my main company that I run - Furever Friends Pet Services I have videos on there of training I have done with other dogs recently for you to go check out - I will also link some in the comments so it is easy for you to find.

Please comment below, send us a message or drop me an email on [email protected] if interested or have any questions

01/01/2022

We all love a puppy, especially a collie puppy. Well I may be a little bit biased! But I think we can all agree that the toileting accidents aren't quite as lovely. If anything, we could do without them.

We all want the cute and fun parts of having a collie but unfortunately we can't choose not to have just the nice bits, we have to take them with the not so nice bits too.

Read our latest blog to find out the 8 steps to toilet train a collie puppy.

www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/8-steps-to-toilet-train-a-collie-puppy

31/12/2021

Welcome to the collie academy page!
I'm Katie, I also run Furever Friends Pet Services in Stevenage.
The collie academy is a training academy for collies and thier owners where you can learn all about setting in your collie and life together in the first hear (and beyond!). We help make training fun and breed specific to help with the traits collies have and use them to our advantage in training so it's super fin for them and we get the desired results - win win!

We also post free educational information about collies so you can make informed decisions if your thinking about getting a collie and don't regret it down the line.

The collie academy is designed as a years membership where you pay a monthly fee to learn more about your collie and how to train them as well as fun activities you can being doing whilst they are puppies.
In the membership we also do fortnightly live q&as so you can get any burning questions answered as well as us going over any common themes that have come up. We also have gues trainers lined up to do training videos and q&as for academy members so you can experience different types of training and fun with your collie, but even better you don't have to pay extra to try as it's all inclusive of your membership.

See our website for more information or send us a message.

www.thecollieacademy.com

31/12/2021

I have spoken to a lot of collie owners over the years, and a common thing I hear is that they where surprised how much training they have to do as they thought they would train themselves.

To find out if this is true, go read our new blog, you may be shocked at the answer!

www.thecollieacademy.com/s/stories/dont-collies-train-themselves-2