Dawn Carnell Dog Training

08/08/2023

Dawn Carnell Dog Training has relocated to
Cornwall.

04/07/2023

Averroes.
Yesterday I said goodbye to my boy, and it left yet another huge hole in my heart. Averroes was so special in many ways. Averroes came to live with me as he had a bite history, he was very reactive towards men and children, he also went for me, but that was my fault. I was told if he ever did anything again I was to have him PTS. Well we lived together for years, with no trouble.

Averroes to me on many journeys with his fears, but we were a team and he trusted me to keep him safe and to listen to his needs.
He slept at my feet or on my feet on the bed, he loved his cuddles and tummy rubs. He showed lots of affection and kisses. He was a best friend to me and he had a special bond with Lanaras, they were play buddies.

I would love to thank Averroes for being such a wonderful teacher and for sharing his life with me. He will never be replaced. I am going to miss him dearly.

Run free my boy ###

03/06/2023

I have joined this amazing group. The ethics are fantastic and it is all about how to help your dog by doing less. We put so much pressure on our dogs to be perfect, we constantly put them in situations that they are not happy with and expect them to cope. This group looks at how we as owners, trainers etc can help our dogs to build their own skill sets and to learn how to watch and listen to their communication/body language and to slow down. I learnt a hard lesson about stress levels that included both me and my dogs. The stressors were out of my control I had a few breakdowns and then I lost Medea. I blame what we went through for her loss as she suffers when I do and she went into acute heart failure one of those causes is high stress.

Please take a look at this group, I know I am learning loads and starting to change many things with me and my dogs.

https://www.slowdogmovement.org/?fbclid=IwAR1gmk2mk-xLFjLRLboipvJfKsj7W9hpIGNyu-xMGSKhOHnNxT5bsARPWI8

https://www.facebook.com/groups/slowdogmovement

11/04/2023

Medea
I have lost my best friend this morning. I have had my heart torn to shreds. Medea was taken ill suddenly, late last night but it became an emergency this morning.
I have had the honour of sharing my life with Medea. I can honestly say she was one in a million, she had taken me on many journeys in our short time together. She shared my pillow and made the top of the bed hers. She would remove my duvet and pillow. Lie on my head when I had a migraine. She tried to eat a frozen pizza and was caught on the worktop in the caravan with a sandwich in her mouth.
She hated the clicker, but she then loved it. Loved her tug toys and frisbee.
Would like people one day and not want to know them the next, a very complex little lady. But I adored everything about her.
My life will never be the same without her, she was my shadow.
Thank you Medea for coming to live with me, please never leave my side or heart. I will miss you so much it is going to be so empty without you here.
Run free my little one

08/04/2023

17/01/2023

10/01/2023

Proud to belong to Associations that are Members of such a great Organisation

24/12/2022

Wishing everyone a very Happy Christmas, from Dawn, Socrates, Averroes, Theia, Medea, Electra and Lanaras xx

14/12/2022

My new puppy/ dog will not settle?

I have been there many times with my dogs and yes it is hard. But think about this we might have lived in our homes for a while, we are able to talk to someone who will listen, we are used to certain noises.

Our new dog/puppy does not know us, our routines, our home, the other members of our family, visitors, noises that we make or are in our outside our home. They do talk to us but do we as owners understand their communication. Should we not make it our priority to learn about it.

Now there is a Rule of 3 that I see posted on social media. But is it doing our dogs any favours as people like to work to time lines. I also see many posts on so many pages where people are asking for help as their new arrival is barking, growling, not listening, hiding, wont walk, lunges, whines, wont sleep in the crate, or is having toileting problems and they want the dog/puppy fixed asap.

Wow! what a lot for a new arrival to have to be good at as soon as they walk in through the door. It is so important to allow your new arrival time to settle. Now I will probably get some bad remarks on this, but here I go.

1. Your dog/puppy is an individual
2. Your dog/puppy has emotions and feelings
3. Do not do everything at once.
4. Allow your new arrival time to get used to you and your family before venturing out into the big wide world.
5. Start to listen to your dog/puppies needs. Growling, showing teeth, air snapping, hiding, whining, lack of appetite and toilet accidents are forms of telling you they are worried.
6. Sleep beside your new arrival, whether that is downstairs, upstairs. Remember some dogs/puppies have never seen a crate of could have bad associations with one.
7. Do not stand over them when they are eating and never, never try to take away their food bowl until they are finished and moved away.
8. Time scales will be set by your dog and their ability to build trust and develop their problem solving skills.
9. Do not rush to take them out for a walk, get them used to your garden, then go to a quiet area so you can get to know your dogs behaviours.
10. Allow your new arrival to get used to your routines and their new routines. Some might have been allowed access to food all day and you are now changing that.

Time will be your best asset in welcoming your new arrival. Remember that your dog/puppy will need to work at their pace.
Allowing your dog/puppy to settle is more important than training, Now that is a statement that I know people will not take too.
Why not training! well your dog/puppy is learning as soon as you pick them up, they are learning all the time, so give them a break, This is a stressful time for them and you so be kind.

13/12/2022

Responsibilities

Now this is an odd title for a dog trainer but it is so needed for so many reasons. Its about having a dog and meeting their needs.

Now I have long term depression, migraines, arthritis, anxiety, lack self worth etc, and I find some days are just way over my head. I don't want to get out of bed, see people, can't see due to migraines or lift my head off the bed. I want to shut myself away, keep the world away from me. It is a constant battle to do the easiest of tasks such as making a drink, eating, washing, getting out of bed you name it I can struggle with it.

I have a family of 6 dogs so I have to look after them, it is not their fault I am not coping, not well etc. They know I am not right I can see that in their behaviours which makes me sad and feel even worse because this is having an impact on them too.

Now I might not be in a good place, but I have to and must meet their needs. They have to have as normal a time as possible. I have to get up at a reasonable time and take them out to the toilet, it is after all a basic need. They have to be fed and I keep to a routine that they are used to, it might not be what I want to do but it is meeting their basic needs. There is no excuse for me not to do this, after all I took them on and made a commitment to look after them. They have to go out for walks, now mine love to sniff so that makes it easier for me as I let them do what they should be doing. We sometimes don't even walk that far, after all it is their walk not mine, they guide me to what they want to do. Take today Socrates wanted to sit and watch the birds and air scent so we did, even though it was cold I stood with him and watched too. the ground was not frozen today so all of mine took to sniffing the grass, leaves, branches, air they loved it.

Now my dogs are pets not working dogs so they do not have the added pressure of supporting me officially although they do anyway. When you have a dog that supports your needs whether you have sight, hearing, any health related issues, they deserve consistency and support back. They have added stress levels in their designated jobs. If these needs are not met this can affect your relationships and their abilities to do their jobs. They have ways of showing you they are not coping such as switching off, changes in behaviour, digestive disorders, changes in sleep, reactivity, looking at ways to cope, sniffing, chewing, avoidance of working, when working not being involved and distant.

So if your dog whether a pet or working dog has changes whether subtle or extreme, look at what affect your health and behaviour is having on them. There are always 2 sides to every story and we need to look at and investigate and not pass the blame onto one party. So even if you are in a bad place make sure that your dogs basic needs are met for their wellbeing.

09/12/2022

Preparation for Christmas

Now this time of year is fun, expensive, stressful, full of changes in our routines, more visitors, trees, decoration and new food.

Have you also remembered your pets. They are used to routines, and they find change hard.

Look at how you can help them

1. Provide them with a quiet area to go away from all the noise and people.
2. Keep to their routines as much as possible.
3. Advocate for your dog, don't allow everyone to stroke or pet them it should be your dogs choice to interact.
4. Listen and watch your dog for signs they are not coping, such as showing their teeth, walking away, over excitability, unable to relax, barking, pacing, sleeping less, growling. These are not things to be punished but a cry for help from your dog.
5. Put your presents out of reach, dogs like to investigate.
6. Chocolate is poisonous to dogs
7. Christmas cake, mince pies are dangerous.
8. Decorations such as tinsel, glass decorations, cables from lights can be dangerous.
9. Watch your drinks.
10. If they don't like the door bell, get people to message you on arrival.
11. Don't allow children to play with their toys
12. Don't allow anyone to interfere when they are eating, give them a quiet area.
13. Don't leave your dogs and children unsupervised.

I want you all to enjoy Christmas but just be mindful of your dogs

06/12/2022

Here at Dawn's Dog Training, things are changing. A new start for 2023 is on the cards. New bespoke services, website. Education being the key, I am not just a trainer but an educator. I am a mentor to an up-and-coming new young trainer, Josie and her dog Mars. Watch this space for more news

06/12/2022

NEW PUPPY

Are you thinking of purchasing a puppy for Christmas?
Do you want help to prepare?
Do you want to know how to support your new family member?
Set yourself on the right track.

This is a bespoke private education programme designed around your individual requirements.

For more information, please contact me for more details

04/12/2022

Watch, learn and listen

Now this is about taking it slowly and getting to know your dog.

Dogs are amazing! I love them and working with them, I learn so much each and every day. Now I don't have a magic formula, no one trainer, behaviourist does, not one size fits all. We have guidelines and a good trainer, behaviourist will take into account emotions, physical and mental wellbeing.

Anyone working with or owning a dog needs to take a step back and do less and watch more. We can learn so much from looking and observing. We can notice changes in our dogs from eating, sleeping, behaviour, toileting, carriage of body, changes in coats, movement issues, the list can go on.

Now I will admit when you live with a dog all day everyday it is easy to overlook things, put it down to a bad day, a change in situation, for example. But is there more to it than that. How often do we as owners, pet parents, trainers, behaviourists stop and just look and observe.

Like us dogs can have injuries, pain, upset stomachs, stress, tiredness, over excitability etc. But do we put that into our equation of the situation. As dogs age like us their bodies, minds, health change, again do we forget? Let's be honest we don't want our dogs to age it is hard as we already know that their lives are shorter than ours and their ages are so different to ours, a 7-year-old dog can range from 44 to 56 years of age depending on size.

I would like you all to take a step back and watch your dogs, get to know them from head to tail, look for those subtle indicators that things are not the same. Then you are in a stronger position to help sooner should things be changing.

08/11/2022

Help me please!
Another good title is it not! made you look didn't it.
This is about the stigma of using medication for our dogs. It is a subject that can leave us feeling as a failure as we could not solve our dogs problems. Also we could be using human drugs such as anti depressants. That is hardcore or is it?
Now lets be honest here there is still a very wide difference of opinion on mental health issues. It can not be seen so there for it does not exist. We still have the divide where we get the reaction of "oh your having an off day well, pull yourself together".
Now having been a long term sufferer myself I can assure you it is not at all like that. On days it is a challenge just to get up, let alone go out, making a cup of coffee can take ages as I just do not function like a normal person. Now we need to take a look at what is normal. My depression is part of me and always will be, so that is my normal.
Now lets talk about our dogs, I have always believed that dogs have emotions, after all when we are down, crying, they offer their support by being with us and offering their paws, a snuggle. I saw them as very special as I did cats when growing up. I loved each one for being them. They were my best friends.
Now to a story about another one of my dogs, Medea. On our meeting she did everything to avoid contact with me she kept her distance, my treats were not good enough. She did not want to know me, I accepted that. Every thing about her body language told me she was very unhappy.
I knew she had been in the rescue, out to a home and back to the rescue and now there was me. Wow I would be in a mess after all that rejection and I bet you would be too. Your confidence gone, the art of trust and love thrown out the window.
Now I did my normal and fell in love with Medea, she has 2 different coloured eyes and a shortened tail and lovely markings. I knew that I would have work to do, but I was prepared to do it and I knew that she would not be every ones first choice because of her nervousness, anxiety.
Medea being the madam that she is decided that Austin was to be her companion, she jumped into the boot of my car with him, she had decided that she was coming back with us.
On arrival home, I was to discover her true behaviour, she was shut down. She did not want to come out of the car, when she did she went straight underneath it, Her body language was very low to the ground and her rear end was so curved her tail disappeared under her body.
In the home she sat away from me looking in the other direction, no eye contact, but close to Austin. This was to continue for many weeks. Also Medea decided that she could not walk outside to go to the toilet unless Austin was with her, she would hurry then pull to go back in. The slightest noise or movement of grass, a leaf in the tree she would be flat to the floor and pulling to get back into the home. Medea was talking to me all the time and I was listening. Life was just to stressful, In her own time she realized that I was ok and not going to harm her and everyday I told her she was staying and never again moving.
Now I am not a qualified behaviourist but I have had many dogs in my life and I knew that Medea needed extra help. Now this meant going to the vet. I already had DAP infusers and collars on my dogs. But her emotional state was not in a good place. I cried for her internally as I understood that emotional place where each day was a challenge, life was not good.
So vet here we come. Now I know going to a vet is not easy but to admit that your dog needs meds to cope with life is hard. In pops that word stigma. Surely we as an owner can sort this with training. Well sorry to say NO. If your dog is in a bad emotional place no amount of training will alter that, you are glossing over the underlying feelings, emotions and welfare of your dog.
The vet trip was interesting, I went in and said I will need help to bring Medea in as she would not go into new places and I knew I would have to carry her as if I let her down near the car she would be underneath it. The vet was great came out held the doors, shut the boot of my car. We went straight through to the consultation room. The vet could see very quickly that Medea was not in a good place, and could see why I was asking for meds to help her.
The consult was informative and I was able to talk openly about Medea and how she lived day to day and it was heart breaking to me. We decided on a course of action and I was given the name of a behaviourist to work with. We left with an appointment to go back in 28 days as the meds should have taken effect by then and for a review.
I did leave feeling good that meds were agreed, but upset that the Vet did not think I had the knowledge to work with Medea, after all I am a trainer not a qualified behaviourist. I spoke to a colleague who assured me I could do it.
Well meds were started and within 5 days I noticed a big change and that was my indication that things were now going to change for the better. I started my training plan with Medea and wow she soared.
28 days later we were back at the vets, I was able to walk Medea in, sit in the empty waiting room, walk into the consultation room. The vet did not believe that this was the same dog. I said once I saw that window of opportunity we starred working together and she is so much happier. Now don't get me wrong Medea still has her odd days, is still spooked by some noises, and will only meet people when she is ready too and the ones she knows some days she will some days she wont, but that is Medea. No 2 days are the same, but she loves life, loves to go out and about, cause chaos, sleeps at the top of the bed and on my head when I have a migraine. She is a true character and I would not have her any other way.
So the moral of the story is "ditch the stigma" on medicating your dog. I has it uses and to see your dogs emotional state improve and life becomes less frightening and they can start to function like a dog should, is worth its weight in gold.

31/10/2022

Halloween is a fun time for children, but it can be frightening for your pets.

Remember to keep chocolate out of reach

There will be knocks on the door and bell ringing, not good for nervous or noise sensitive dogs

Costumes can be scary

Flour and eggs thrown can be threatening

What you can do

Keep your dogs in a safe place, reassure them if they don't like bangs on the door or the doorbell.

Don't take them to the door to answer it, you never know who or what might happen.

Nice relaxing music, a chew, something positive to do.

27/10/2022

Why does my dog?

This is a very open question; it can have so many avenues and answers. It is not black and white there are many shaded areas. Dogs do what dogs do! they are living creatures with emotions just like us. I know that that statement will not go down well with some as they will say that I am humanising dogs. Sorry to say but any living creature has emotions, if they did not why would they show empathy to others. All animals have the ability to think and act, there are studies on bees, goldfish, elephants, dogs, cats I could go on.

Dogs do things for a reason, whether it is play, fun, excitement, anxiety, empathy, destructive, barking, howling etc. It is a form of communication, and expression of emotion.

In all the dogs I have met and will meet I am always learning. I see them all as individuals with their own unique skill sets. I am not looking for dogs who can perform, I am looking for a dog that can communicate its needs and wants. That to me is the most important thing a dog should be able to do. If a dog can communicate and I listen, I can support and help. I said it I need to listen, any owner, trainer, behaviourist anyone who works with animals needs to be able to listen.

Listening, builds trust and respect and should be a two-way process. The idea of me being the only one in a conversation and being the one who stipulates the protocol is so wrong. That protocol might work, but does it build trust and respect, or does it cause a break in the relationship and cause a temporary reprieve in the behaviour only for it to manifest later on and with more intensity.

I just love working with behaviour, hence why I have some of the dogs I do. They are not the same although the same breed. In owning 16 collies so far not one has been the same as the other, none of my cats were the same either. Each one had their own way of communication and behaviours. Each one was or is a teacher. All I will say is that time and building trust, listening to that communication has built the most amazing relationships, allowing my dogs to show their emotions whether good or bad is key to that relationship. I could not even contemplate what would have happened if I did not, some might not be here today.

Emotions are real and should always be included in working with your dog and a professional.

23/10/2022

Wishing my little munchkin Medea a very happy 9th birthday, where has the time gone since you came into my life a scared little girly who is now a little cheeky monster. Never change love you so much even when you jump on my head during thunderstorms ♥️♥️

10/10/2022

Does your pup/dog not come to you when you call
Would you like to develop those skills
Recall can be life saving

Limited to 4 places

Bickington Village Hall, Newton Abbot

email [email protected]

04/10/2022

Work for my food? But why!

There is a growing trend going through the dog training community and it has me thinking and questioning the reasons why. I can so no logic in how it works or what the benefits are for the dog, but for the owner I see control.

It is suggested that you make your dog work for its food, not treats, but its breakfast, tea, or whatever time you feed your dog. The food is used for training purposes. You ration it through the day and train your dog and then they get fed for performing.
Now it is a legal requirement that dogs are entitled to food, it is for welfare. Should they have it with held for the purposes of making them work for it.

Now I know that I have my meals at set times through the day and so do my dogs. They look forward to their meals, they eat all that I provide. I never make them wait for it either, it goes down they eat. I would not wait if my food was on the table so why should they. It is a necessary part of our lives.

I already have control of when my dogs eat as I have to prepare their food and place it where they are to eat. Now why would I want more control by withholding their food and making them work for it. How would this improve my relationship with them? how must they feel emotionally in not having set meals? do they suffer with hunger as the food is given in small quantities over a day? Does this make them resent me? Does it build a bond and trusting relationship?

I can see that I would have more control over them, but I have that already as I tell them when and where they go out, eat, sleep, groom, what they wear such as collars, leads, harnesses, coats.
If I want to train my dogs, I want to make that experience emotionally exciting and rewarding so we have treats, and a variety of them. The treats are a special reward for the amazing things they do. I can tell you now my dogs would and have got fed up with using their normal food. Look at it from this point of view, if you were given the same thing every day to work for such as a dry biscuit would you not get bored. If I do something special, I like to be treated to something nice and yummy like a cream cake, I want my experience to be positive and worthwhile.

So, where I stand is food is for eating at mealtimes and treats are for training.

03/10/2022

Foundation Programme for dogs aged 20 weeks and over.

Has you puppy become a bit of a terror, forgetting the basic skills. They could have reached that teenage stage.
Do not panic it happens to them all.
Do you feel that all of your hard work has gone out of the window.
This stage needs guidance and support.

I have a new class starting on a Friday evening at 6.30pm.

Places limited to 4 working spots, so training can be developed around your individual requirements.

Training at Bickington Village Hall, Bickington, Newton Abbot.

Please message for more details

30/09/2022

A Walk On The Wildside

Now this is about how life with a dog who is not so good on social skills, can affect what should be a wonderful experience of walking not so easy. I could label it "reactive/nervous" etc, but I find that labels are too easily used, and everyone's interpretation is different, even amongst dog trainers, Vets, behaviourists. If you look words up in a dictionary it's down to one person's choice of description.

When you live with a dog who finds life difficult for one reason or another, you find that your world changes too. You have a dog, and you want to go out and about, enjoy the outdoor world, explore and learn together, and one huge curve ball gets thrown at you. Now this can take many forms, from refusal to move, running away from the lead, lunging, barking, showing of teeth, circling, pulling, eating the lead, air snapping, biting. I could go on; it will be whatever your dog thinks to get your attention.

Now as you can see, I said "whatever your dog thinks will get your attention". It is not bad or naughty behaviour to the dog, although we label it as such, it is communication, a cry for help, a plea to be supported and listened too. But do we listen, or do we use those wonderful things "labels". It is so easy to put a label on for us, it makes sense, it gives us a word to use to try to explain our dog's behaviour, or to use it as an excuse.

Now I have had dogs from all extremes in behaviours and my walks have changed so much so I know how you must be feeling. It is hard, stressful, what I wanted to do with my dogs went out the window. I had to adapt my life so support theirs and that is a major commitment for life.

I had to stop, listen, learn develop my abilities, look at the emotions that were underlying in my dog's communication. I had to learn to slow down, take things at my dog's pace. I had to alter when and where we went. I had to start looking at how I could set my dogs up for success, so that they started to gain confidence, stop practicing the behaviours that got my attention, the more they were able to practice them the harder it would be to reduce them. My dogs' walks were and still are for their benefit not mine. They set the pace, the activity, sometimes we hardly go anywhere, but that is because they are sniffing, especially after rain, dusk and dawn, new areas.

The dogs that lunged and barked are calmer, the ones scared to go out have confidence and can take things more in their stride. They don't all go out together that would not be suitable because of their individual needs, unlike my first family, but then I cannot compare them, they are all so different. I have to do what is needed to support them, and not put my needs first, it would be so much easier to take them all out together for me. I have to say though that the way things work is actually really nice as I learn more about them all the time.

If you find yourself in this position, take a deep breath, look at your dog and ask what can I do to support you, how can I help you through the emotional turmoil you must be suffering. People will judge you, which is hard, I have been there, and it cuts deep, but you are amazing, you have made a commitment that is outstanding. Things will get better. Look for support, there are many of us out there in the same boat, who understand and can listen.

If you get the help of a trainer, make sure they understand about emotions, communication, work using positive methods after all if you were suffering you would want a positive experience. Positive methods do work, and they work really well, they allow your dog to develop skills and problem solve. It has been proven that positive methods give better results. There is no such thing as a quick fix, they only mask behaviours. Behaviours are personal and need to be treated as such.

Love your dog for who they are and be kind to yourself.

28/09/2022

Well preparing for winter and the shorter days. Classes are going to be running on a Saturday afternoon, from 2pm to allow for the outdoor class and then into the hall we go

27/09/2022

Well, what a busy couple of weeks. We have moved. Averroes, Socrates, Theia, Medea, Lanaras and Electra are finding their feet, and seem to be happier. I am on a road to recovery of my health as I was under such strain at our last home. The wildlife is doing me the world of good; I went bat watching the other night, I see buzzards on a daily basis, have seen the sheep being herded, Electra discovered a shrew, have only seen 1 rabbit, have seen a wren, blue t**s, great t**s, finch, robins, we have a new set of pigeons behind the van. Averroes has decided that every time he goes out, he needs a reward of a blackberry, which is a bit difficult as they are so small and dying, due to the lack of water last month, but we will keep looking.

I am having great trouble with the Wi-Fi and a telephone signal which is a big downside, but I am trying to get it sorted, have a new system arriving, in the hopes it will sort this out.

12/09/2022

I spot a fly mum, need to watch it, then I might just chase it and woof at it, Socrates

12/09/2022

Happy 8th Birthday Averroes, sorry a day late, but been a bit busy