The Dog Squad

17/11/2024

SUPAW proud of our mini mean sniffing machine, Sprout, who competed in her first Nosework Games this morning and placed FIRST in Go to Source and fourth in the others! Very well done Sue and Sprout!

Looking forward to more of the Scent Squad getting involved in the Nosework Games. They take a slightly different angle on competition and dogs can potentially do them in the same venue making them ideal for our environmentally sensitive dogs.

Want to get started in scentwork? Book a Bronze course starting in January! linktr.ee/thedogsquadofficial

16/11/2024

Putting my money where my mouth is! Charlie and I have come such a long way in our reactivity journey but I am still pushing on! 😅

Despite having knowledge and skill, as well as hours of training and consolidated practice and drills in place, I tend to stick to the same, safe places with predictable outcomes for our walks.

Partly it’s convenience and habit and partly due to genuine trauma from reactive incidents that happened years ago when I knew nothing about him. I think this is where I relate so well to reactive dog owners, because, I get it! I have been there. It’s traumatising, especially for people like me who take out responsibly as dog owners so seriously.

Lately I’ve felt challenged. I need to proof my work with him in NEW places. I need to trust my training and start putting him in more challenging situations so we can get positive reps on those trickier spaces, places and situations.

So off I went to two busy parks this week. My legs were like jelly for the first ten minutes today. The entrance was like picadilly circus for off lead dogs. I let him acclimatise. I laughed at myself and took some deep breaths. I told myself we had this and even if he did react, it’s not the end of the world right? Progress not perfection.

Well, we passed loads of dogs, he did not put a paw wrong. That’s not to say he wasn’t triggered, he was by some…but he knew the drill and he made good choices, because we have practiced those ‘choices’, behaviours and patterns many, many times.

The thing he was most triggered by was not a dog but a passing train! If it’s not one thing eh… 🥴

One thing you yellow dog handlers need remember. Although your every day challenges might be greater, so will be your everyday wins! 👊

11/11/2024

L👀KING AHEAD…. Winter Courses are open for January 2025!
If you’ve been lingering on the edge of our community, take the leap and get involved. Get those dates in the diary now and prioritise your training plan for next year!

🔺Scent Squad for dogs who love to sniff!
🔺Retrieve Team for dogs who love to work!
🔺Hoopers Troop for dogs who love to run!
🔺Dog School for teams who need to train!
🔺Puppy Club for pups who love to learn!

Head to linktr.ee/thedogsquadofficial to view the schedule so far… 🐾

10/11/2024

The PDSA Dickin Medal for gallantry is recognised world wide as the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross and is the highest award any animal can receive while serving in military conflict.

It was instituted in 1943 by Maria Dickin, founder of the PDSA, inspired by the ‘devotion to man and duty’ shown by animals on active service, and acknowledges devotion to duty and outstanding acts of bravery shown by any animal serving with either the armed forces or civil defence units in wars across the world.

To date the medal has been awarded seventy-five times since 1943. Thirty-eight dogs have received the honour, along with thirty-two pigeons, four horses and a cat.

We will remember them.

Source: Clare Balding, Heroic Animals

09/11/2024

SCENT DETECTION, the one thing I wish ALL pet dogs had the chance to enjoy!

UK Sniffer Dogs courses now open for January, from Bronze (Beginner) to Gold. Get it in the diary now and prioritise your dog’s mental stimulation for the rest of their life!

If you’ve completed the UKSD Programme, message me about our continuation courses, in which we prepare for trial, extend area searches, get technical and really level up the challenge for each dog!

linktr.ee/thedogsquadofficial , head to Scent Squad! 🐾

08/11/2024

BEAR! 😍 Handsome dude or what? He really is a gorgeous boy and very sweet natured too.

Bear doesn’t get to socialise much as people see him coming and think better of it so he’s going to join some group classes in the New Year to make some friendly connections. However, his recall is unreliable and he is strong on the lead, so his Mum wants to work on those areas first.

It’s no coincidence that dogs whose recall is poor are often pullers. You see, if there is no engagement when the dog is attached to you and in your bubble then there is zero chance of engagement when they’re half a field away and on a scent. If the dog is taking access to the space ahead when they’re on the lead, then how much more access are they going to take when off?

Loose lead and recall are often intertwined issues and we need to work on the first before we can reliably change the second. PLUS Bear would really like us to get him out of the head collar!

I’m looking forward to seeing more of this gorgeous lad!

06/11/2024

C A T S and dogs living together in harmony is a beautiful thing when it happens but sometimes it takes a bit of work, especially where puppies are concerned!

I’ve shared my home with cats all my life. They are as much a part of my family as my dogs are and their welfare is of equal priority. Dog people don’t always ‘get that’ as cats bring a different something to the relationship table. I love them both and have worked through the challenges of introducing kittens to adult dogs, puppies to adult cats, adult dog to adult cat and more recently two kittens to three adult dogs, one of whom was very prey-triggered by their presence.

Today I was able to assist the purrfectly named, Belle, who’s new family addition thinks she is great fun for chasing and pinning! Not anymore Belle, not anymore!

Training and management plan in place, I am confident this family will be able to help their new puppy build a more respectful relationship with Belle. And from what I saw from Belle today, they could become content companions. 🤞

04/11/2024

Thank you for the break folks, it’s been a busy but fun time with the kids and now I’m back on all things DOG! 🥰

Starting with Hoopers Foundations! This six week beginners course starts tomorrow at 10.15am at Ryarsh Paw Ground. Head to my stories to see a little of what Hoopers is all about and grab one of this last spaces if you fancy it! 🐾

01/11/2024

Education precedes change. Please share!

🐾 EDUCATION POST 🐾

We can’t stop others letting fireworks off but we can help spread the awareness.

🙏🏻 Please be kind. X

27/10/2024

Happy Half Term! It’s certainly been a busy one kicking off with Paws in the Park and then our First Aid course plus our Bronze Trial and NNA trialling on top of all the usual classes. Well done and thank you to everyone who has taken part.

I am taking this week off in person training to spend some time with the kids, catch up on a few webinars, maybe finish a book and start another!

Do check out our January schedule so far if you’re keen to book a sport course; more dates will be added for Retrieve Team and Hoopers.

We have a few spaces for Hoopers starting on the 5th November. And you can now book a one to one via my online calendar, click on One to Ones to see what’s available!

linktr.ee/thedogsquadofficial 🐾

26/10/2024

Well this has been fun!!! What a fabulous group of learners, both canine and human variety!

Congratulations Ian and Max, Lee and Athos, Steve and Whitby, Sally and Willow, Jane and Wren, Tracy and Sparky and Kayleigh and Apollo on successfully completing The Positive Puppy course! 🤩

Today you and your dogs demonstrated excellent understanding of our foundation behaviours. The real challenge has yet to begin, with adolescence just around the corner, but if you are consistent and use your new communication skills effectively, you will go from strength to strength.

I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have. There are not many things I would get out of bed for on a Saturday morning but this group has made it super worthwhile!

I look forward to seeing some of you in Puppy Progression and our sport streams next year!

25/10/2024

DREAM TEAM, RETRIEVE TEAM! Very well done to these three handlers who have put the work in over the last six weeks and seen a massive improvement in their dog’s engagement and obedience on and off the lead.

Retrieve Team covers a lot of life skills and I’m consistently told it’s the course that makes the most difference to every day life and pleasure with dogs. Recall, loose lead, impulse control and of course, fetch!

Retrieve Team will be back in the New Year, head to the booking site for details: linktr.ee/thedogsquadofficial 🐾

24/10/2024

Super proud of The Doof today as he earned his first badge in a Focussed Trial with the The National Nosework Association.

The focus trial allows you to work on an area your dog finds difficult and exteriors are hard for Charlie because he has conflict over local roads and traffic. This venue provides a quiet exterior away from passing traffic which allows his brain to focus on the job better.

I was kicking myself after his first search in which we found two out of three hides. He did actually knock the missing hide in the first five seconds but he didn’t commit. I saw the head flick, he looked up at me but trotted on. Perhaps he was surprised to have found something so soon or didn’t want the search to end, I don’t know why he didn’t commit. I didn’t want to task him straight on to it (need to get my head in competition mode, not training mode!) so I tasked around it and he showed no change of behaviour so we moved on. Five minutes and two hides later I had completely forgotten about that early head flick and neglected to revisit it. So close. Frustrating but learning was accrued nonetheless.

The second search however was an absolute dream. An early find boosted our confidence, I had a plan and tasked appropriately but also followed his nose which led us straight to number 2 and 3 in under a minute!!!!
3 hides in 59 seconds on an entry trial is no mean feat. A very well earned tennis ball for Charlie and his first badge!

Back in April I dropped Charlie in the deep end by entering him for an Entry Trial and expecting him to pick up where Elsa left off despite having not had the training foundations! I vowed not to do that again and we have gone back to basics, almost eliminating a lot of the frustration barking, replacing his ‘down’ with a ‘freeze’ indication (although it was somewhat diminished today!) and building up his search stamina. He did me very proud today. And if this is the only badge we ever get, it will be a historic one for Charlie, because the Judge called that search ‘a Masterclass’! What a Good Boi! 🖤

24/10/2024

CONGRATS to Lorna & Lottie and Julie & Mollie on passing the Foundation ORT with The National Nosework Association.

This technical challenge is the entry ticket to NNA Trials and it’s a lot harder than it looks on paper, especially for the handler. Well done guys!

23/10/2024

Welcome to The Dog Squad gorgeous puppy Willow and her young handler. Doesn’t she look like a Disney Dog?! 😍

I absolutely love to support children and young people on their pet dog journey and when a child starts a question with “I read that…” and “What’s your top tip for…” you just know it’s going to be a winning partnership from the day dot!

Cracking dog, cracking family, exciting times ahead! 💞