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Always Loyal

Always Loyal was started to offer modern dog training solutions based on science and the welfare of

20/09/2024

Let's talk about multi dog households.

We have 4 dogs in our home, I have lived in a home with 12 at one stage. Our current dogs are two Dobermanns, a Jack Russell terrier and a Chihuahua. Having multiple dogs is always going to be a lot of work (as well as heavy on the wallet 🤣🙈). Every dog has it's own unique set of needs and personality. Breed and gender also play a role.

I will start off by saying the Jack Russell Terrier was inherited, he came with some significant issues, anxiety around strange people and dogs as well as severe resource guarding. This is not a breed I would ever choose to own at the best of times; they are hyper active determinant rodent exterminators (they were bred specifically for ratting). Whilst they are smart, loyal and very sporty, the Jack Russell Terrier is also like a drunk young English lad in a bar looking for a fight. A happy Jack Russell is one that can either do its job or be given a substitute outlet for its fiery energy. When LG arrived he was put on Prozac to help him cope with the trauma he had been through and help him adjust to his new life. I had Levi at the time ( My previous male Dobermann), Levi was fixed and had no issues with small dogs of either gender (he was raised around a Mexican cartel of chihuahuas, Levi did not particularly like large males which is quite typical of the breed). LG took an immediate and long lasting dislike to Levi. Asia ( my female Dobermann) he didn’t like in the beginning but quickly fell in love with the brown long legged beauty.

After about a year of living together LG attacked Levi over a morsel that fell off the braai, LG would not relent and like the good terrier he was bred to be went in without any regard for his safety. Levi had him around his neck and was trying to hold him still, this obviously terrified my boyfriend who is not as dog savvy as I. My boyfriend had forgotten to watch LG around a valuable resource and LG had done what we knew he would do especially as this was not his beloved Asia but the other male in the house, Levi.We made a trip to Bryanston vet on a Sunday afternoon for the gash in his neck he got from squirming around like a honey badger in Levi’s jaws. The Vet that saw us just said “ah a Jack Russell in a fight with a bigger dog, of course.” LG returned home high on op**te painkillers and confused. Levi tried to lick him and seemed equally confused.

This is the moral of my story: if you can avoid having two breeds that might have the tendency to fight or guard resources then please do it. There is nothing worse then having to have eyes on the back of your neck when you do have the misfortune of having two dogs (or more) that don't get along with each other. Choose your companion based on what fits your lifestyle, if you have current dogs make sure they are not at risk of not getting along with the new dog. Most terriers, guardian breeds and some other working breeds do not get on well with other dogs or dogs of the same gender (females can fight worse then males!). If you do land up in a position where you need to either manage the situation or rehome a dog remember its a very difficult place to be. Lastly whatever dogs you have or plan on getting make sure you can meet all the requirements of the breed. Feel free to message me with any questions.

Pictures below our current dogs: Asia, Idris, Belle and LG.

14/09/2024

Summer class times! We are closed the first week of October as I will be on a short holiday ( we all need them sometimes 😎). Please note puppy classes are on a Sunday morning and adult teen classes on a Saturday afternoon. If you would like more info either DM the page or call me on 071 287 8280.

Ps it's highly recommended you start puppy class as soon as possible with your puppy please refer to my posts on socialisation.

10/09/2024

Idris' is now 19 weeks and past the critical socialisation window. Besides two different puppy schools, Idris went to many different environments as a young pup, many car rides and lots of exposure to the world. On Saturday we attended the sniff South Africa workshop. Idris had no issues adjusting to the new environment, different instructors and even took to the work immediately all because of the foundation that was created during the critical socialisation window.

If you look on my page you will find an article on how to safely socialise young pups and trust me this is in your and their best interest. Socialisation should ideally start at the breeder and continue with you. There are so many 4 to 5 month old pups that I have seen that show signs of behavioural issues that could easily have been prevented by early and good socialisation.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions. Prevention is always better than a cure.

04/09/2024

Another positive story from Cecily

Kashan has been a tremendous source of inspiration and encouragement since we first met. Katya, who was very reactive to other dogs due to a traumatic experience at 4 months old, seemed like she would never be able to work with other dogs again. However, Kashan and Levi gave me hope. I learned that Levi had also been attacked by another dog when he was younger but had become so stable. Kashan also introduced Scooby-Doo into Katya's life, and now they are inseparable. Although I couldn't attend training with Kashan due to the distance, her inspiring video clips on Facebook kept me motivated. Kashan is always open and willing to assist and provide advice.

30/08/2024

A happy client story from Thyla and her lovely young Dobermann, Roman.

Roman:

We got Roman as a 2 month old puppy, and being first time Doberman parents, we started with a well known puppy school right away. Needless to say, not all puppy schools understand the Doberman breed. As hard as we tried over the next couple months, doing everything our puppy schools taught us, Roman just got more and more reactive towards other dogs, bicycles, runners, etc., and walking him on a lead was a nightmare.
We finally found Kashan when Roman was 10 months old and since working with her in private lessons, Roman has made amazing progress in every aspect. We are incredibly grateful to Kashan for her guidance and understanding throughout this journey.

Thyla and Antonio thank you for your dedication and we look forward to having Roman in our group classes now, this was a team effort from all of us. I remember the first day I met him and he just wanted to lunge and pull towards Levi (RIP). Look at him now and he's even better than as this a video is a few weeks old. So proud of you guys

27/08/2024

A beautiful success story from Liezel de Villiers:

We picked up this little boy on our way 2 Brits where he was kept in a chicken coop in the blistering heat, no food, no water and completely shut down and scared.

We loved him from the moment we held him but we knew there was a long road ahead for this little man to become a well adjusted and confident individual considering the rough start he had.
He was extremely fearful of dogs and people and he did dish out a few fear bites to well meaning friends so help was most certainly needed.
From the first time he met Kashan he was at ease. That was a huge start since he was extremely distrusting of strangers, but it was love and friendship at first sight.

We started taking him for training and before we knew it he just took to it like a duck to water. Loving the sessions and of course seeing Kashan. He would not have been the awesome young lad he is today if we decided to go with different training methods or a different trainer. He went from shut down and distrusting to engaging and enthusiastic.
Dogs are always worth giving a chance and positive training never fails in bringing out the natural zest for life and the amazing bond between a dog and their human.

There is a video of Yuki in the comments from the day they found him.

Thank you Liezel and Rona for your dedication to this special little guy ☺️❤️

26/08/2024

A focused puppy

I get complimented on Idris’ focus often, whether it's at training, the park or at a coffee shop. Idris is my 17 week old Dobermann puppy. Of course people don’t get to see the consistent work I put in to achieve this. I use a combination of treats, toys and games to create a handler focused dog. We have a flirt pole I take to parks to help maintain focus. I play the proximity game with him and I have tried to practice our training in all sorts of environments and situations with multiple distractions. It's really important to practice your training and play your training games in multiple environments as dogs are contextual learners (they will learn a behaviour in one environment and not necessarily make the connection to perform that behaviour in a different environment). I take puppy training foundation very seriously as it shapes the future dog you will have and can have life long consequences. It is much easier to socialise a puppy than it is to desensitise an older dog.

Idris thinks being focused is fun and rewarding which is why he will sit and stare at me in a puppy class or a coffee shop. That's the key to success setting up the desired behaviour to be rewarding for your dog. I think a lot of people also expect their puppy to just get what they need to do or choose a rather boring behaviour for any young animal (sit still, be quiet and watch me, is very tedious for anyone really). If you can make that behaviour desirable for the dog, bingo, the dog will start to offer that behaviour without being asked to and that's really what I mean when I talk about teaching your dogs to make good decisions rather than focus on obedience.

26/08/2024

Happy international dog day 🎉

13/08/2024

Why I choose positive reinforcement.

I am on my 4th Dobermann and 10th dog as an adult. I started out as what one would now call a balanced trainer. I used choke chains and slip collars in the past, I am ashamed to admit that I even alpha rolled my very first dog (a GSD mix). I grew up with a vast menagerie of dogs of different breeds, one was rescue American Pitbull Terrier. We used to walk her on the heaviest choke chain we could find but she would still pull till blue in the face and overreact to any animal she saw outside our house. Eventually we gave up walking her as it was embarrassing and none of the tools my family had seemed to work with her. I did not know about dog behaviour or addressing the cause/ triggers that lead to undesirable behaviour, I only knew about suppression.

I love dogs and always have, I was totally oblivious that there was another way to work and train dogs up until 2014. I believed that one needed to be a pack leader and be dominant. Once I started researching and reading I realised that there was a different way backed by science. I learned that alpha theory had been debunked by the very researcher who wrote the original paper on it. I began to implement a different approach on my first Dobermann, I removed the slip collar, swapped to a harness. I began to actively praise any desirable behaviour and redirect unwanted behaviour, I soon had the dog of my dreams. Layla was happy to work with me and became the reason for me to open my first dog school, she is also the Dobermann in the Always Loyal logo. I then got Levi ( my second Dobermann) who I started off with a far more positive reinforcement approach. I learned about enrichment, meeting the dogs needs and creating a learning environment conducive to active learning. Levi was even better then Layla when it came to training. Layla sadly passed in December 2020 just before I got Asia ( my 3rd Dobermann). Asia was my first ethically bred Dobermann. Asia is extremely drivey and active. I had some great mentors raising her and she is a wonderful dog who loves to work. She has been worked on a harness since day one. I know have Idris, my second ethically bred Dobermann, he is 15 weeks as of writing this and has benefited vastly from journey as a handler. I wish I could go back and apologise to my GSD mix for my behaviour towards him but as they say we can only do the best we can with knowledge we have.

To further expand on my positive reinforcement choice its important to note that I have achieved more with my dogs ( professionally and personally) when I swopped training methods and overall approach. I also want to clarify that positive reinforcement is not the throwing of treats at a problematic dog and hoping for the best. R+ training is a more skilled, more learned approach which takes far more understanding of the dog overall ( body language, what drives behaviours, understanding a dogs needs, great timing, PATIENCE and CONSISTENCY). I have a wonderful relationship with all my current dogs and the joy they live life with is priceless too. Trust me they have boundaries and its not all rainbows and unicorns, however we aim to to have more rainbows and unicorns then anything else.

I am not here to judge or dictate what others do, simply to share my experiences and journey. I know many are doing the best they can with the knowledge they have and on the journey they are in.

I continue to read, watch, practise and grow as both a trainer and a handler. I have met some wonderful people on my journey and also been taunted by some not so wonderful people ( unfortunately common in the dog world) for my choices with my dogs. I will continue to do my best for my dogs and advocate for them always, after all its about their happiness, fulfilment and general experience.

07/08/2024

Why is a bond with your dog important?

There is large focus on training your dog and making sure its obedient, this however is really step number two in the process. Trying to train a dog that has zero bond with you is like trying to have a relationship without getting to know the other person.

Puppies in particular need to feel safe and secure before an form of active learning can take place. Yes you can force a puppy to do something that you want but is the young dog learning or just trying to avoid negative force? Research has shown that dogs learn best through positive association and not through avoidance. However this can be explored in future post. Today we are focusing on the human canine bond and why its important.

A dog that trusts you is more likely to take direction from you, they will see your direction as something positive in their life and most likely do what you ask eagerly and happily. I watch social media posts on what people claim are well trained dogs, I study the dogs body language carefully to see if the dog is doing the behaviour out of active choice or force. Why is this important?

A dog that is closely bonded to its handler and is confident that their handler is trustworthy will perform behaviours with confident and relaxed body language. Things to look for: a fluid relaxed body, mouth slightly open tongue relaxed, possibly lolling to one side, ears in a neutral or slightly back position, tail held in line with the body, tail may wag slightly. Dog is relaxed in its surroundings with a generally open body language.

Some important exercises to do with puppies to build trust and confidence are the following:

Exposing them to new environments in a positive and rewarding way ie do not overwhelm the puppy or force them into situations they are uncomfortable with. If your puppy is very uncomfortable in a crowded coffee shop do not proceed to flood them with many visits to coffee shops. Instead think about how to slowly build positive experiences around loud environments and strange people. Maybe start off by introducing them to one or two new people, maybe stand outside the coffee shop with your puppy and reward them when they move forward towards the noise and show healthy curiosity.

Play training games with them, teach them that training is fun and a great way for the two of you to learn and play together. Yes play and training are not mutually exclusive. There are some wonderful training games you can Google. One of my favourite starter games is the proximity game, your puppy stand/sits in front of you. You throw a treat a few meters to either the left or right, puppy goes towards treat, as the puppy turns around to look at you, you mark it with either a marker word (I say Super!) Or a clicker and then as they come running back to you throw a treat to the opposite side and repeat. This game teaches your dog all the good stuff happens when they come to you and stick around you. It pays off when they are older as my dogs never wonder far from my side and check in with me on their own accord.

When I work with my personal dogs they want to work with me, they are eager to learn new behaviours and even offer new behaviours on their own accord (which is wonderful for trick training). The aren’t afraid to make a mistake because they have not been punished for it. They know that I will guide them into shaping the behaviour I want as team mate and partner not as dictator. I build them up not break them down. This helps in all realms whether its a visit to the vet or a session on the protection field.

I hope this short piece helps you and your puppy or dog. Remember their is no perfect dog and their is no perfect handler, their is growth, development, joy, learning and understanding. Finally always advocate for your dog!

Below is an example of a happy and relaxed expression on my recently departed boy Levi.

06/08/2024

Two months ago one of my original Dobermanns was lost to a massive heart attack. Levi was used extensively by me to demonstrate training techniques and proof of concept in classes. Levi was also used to desensitise reactive dogs. Levi was perfect for this because he was so dependable and honest. I have been so heartbroken by his sudden loss, he succumbed to a heart attack a mere two weeks after his dcm diagnosis. Levi had his gold CGC, his working aptitude test as well as being a beast in personal protection. Levi and Asia (our brown Dobermann girl) were inseparable and she missed him dearly. Idris our new boy was supposed to meet his big brother and learn from the best but sadly that did not happen. Idris has helped lift all our spirits after the legendary Levi's passing. Some pics of Levi below 🌈🐾💔❤️

18/07/2024

Puppy raising tips:

Idris is my fourth Dobermann puppy hence I believe I am well versed in raising needy, active, often described as destructive and stubborn ( not in my personal opinion) breed. Here's a quick list of 7 very important tips for a successful and happy experience for you and your new member of the family no matter the breed:

1. Be consistent! If there's something you don't want your puppy to do, for example chewing shoes, never ever allow him to do so or even worse give him an old slipper to chew and think he can make the distinction between that and your other shoes. Being consistent also means using the same words to communicate something. I use it's not a toy when Idris has something he's not supposed to have. I don't change it up and suddenly start saying that's not ok for example. This goes for commands like sit or down too, be consistent with the words and the hand signals.

2. Offer alternative behaviours. Let's go back to the shoes. If I stupidly allowed him to get to my shoes and I catch him chewing one besides removing said shoe and saying it's not a toy I also need to offer an alternative behaviour that is ok. I follow up the removal of the non toy item with an actual toy and engage him in a little bit of play with the toy reinforce what is ok to chew.

3. Never ever engage in any form of play that is not cute after 4 months. This means do not use your hands as toy/game for your puppy or engage in wrestling with your puppy and then expect him not to want to rough house with you when he's 40kg plus.

4. Potty training is easy if you follow my first tip: be consistent! Read your pup too. Take them outside as soon as they wake up, after they have eaten or after they have played. Use a cue like go potty or go wee-wee just make sure it's the same every time!

5. Training is not just something that happens in class, it's the ongoing communication you have with your puppy for the rest of its life. Everything is a learning/teaching opportunity and you need to make sure the puppy is learning what's excepted from them in the kindest fairest way. This is a continuous feedback loop.

6. Provide age appropriate mental and physical stimulation. Invest in a variety of toys, socialise your pup and make sure its physical needs are met but not overdone, remember to look after those growing joints. There are great DIY mental stimulation options available online too.

7. Management! This one is so often overlooked by puppy guardians. You don't want your puppy eating up your shoes, pack them away out of his reach. You don't want your puppy getting into your pantry, put up a baby gate. You are the responsible adult in this relationship and will be for the rest of your puppy's life.

Lastly enjoy them, they grow up so fast and remember whatever you put in now will help shape your puppy into a successful member of your family and society. 🐶🐾❤️

11/07/2024

Puppy socialisation before they are fully vaccinated and why it's important:

Idris is getting his third shot on Friday and on his left is the movie star Asia 🤣 On a more serious note, let's talk about puppy socialisation before all their shots are complete. Their is a critical period in puppy development that starts at 6 weeks and ends around 16 weeks. During this critical period is when socialisation needs to happen. This means that it is important to safely and effectively socialise your puppy before their shots are complete.

Socialisation one can do with a puppy that's not fully vaccinated include carrying the puppy in different environments ( shops, streets, pet shops etc), taking a mat with for them to sit on in public spaces and introducing them to fully vaccinated dogs in safe places such as a friends home or a good puppy school. What you should stay away from are dog parks, allowing your puppy to walk on the street or anywhere where there is no control with what roams there ,(Ie. open veld, nature reserves and high traffic public spaces).

Socialisation you can do at home include: introducing your puppy to variety of people of different backgrounds, ages, genders and wearing different clothing ( eg sunglasses, hats, hoods etc). Introducing them to different sounds like a hairdryer, thunder recorded on speakers and pots and pans clanging. Don't forget different surfaces like tiles, carpets, bricks, wood and more.

One can also introduce them to bicycles, driving in the car and anything else you might want them to accept later in life during this period

Remember to keep interactions positive and rewarding for the puppy as a negative experience during this phase could result in a life long fear.

11/03/2024

There has been a huge request to get our personal protection classes up and running again, so we have with the help of Tame The Beast Dog Training. Please see details below, also please note dogs are strictly worked on harnesses and all dogs will be evaluated before they start.

07/03/2024

Both breeds get a bad rep, one is a handbag demon apparently and the other is just a big aggressive dog. These stereotypes are damaging to both the Chihuahua and the Dobermann. My chihuahua is treated with the same respect and both are trained force free, both are lovely, happy confident dogs that are wonderful breed ambassadors.

04/03/2024

We are launching our amazing raffle today, Elite K9 has sponsored a wonderful custom collar and leash set as well as a food and toy hamper included! All proceeds go to Dobermann Rehoming Society to help us continue our goal of responsibly rehoming Dobermanns across South Africa. We need funds for vet bills, transportation, kennelling costs and more. Please support this worthy cause.

27/02/2024

Pepper has become a confident curious girl, she now does not bark and pull mom all over the show , even when confronted by a teeny tiny chihuahua she's never seen before. A combination of up down games, patience and mom's dedication to pepper have paid off💪

23/02/2024

Meet cooper, another young and loveable Goldie. He has shown a lot of improvement in the two lessons we have had. Cooper gets very excited on leash about life, but especially other dogs, yesterday he showed us he is capable of focusing on his mom and not on other dogs. Good boy cooper ❣️

22/02/2024

Cooper, a 9 month old playful Goldie has been attending private classes with his dad to help him overcome his on leash excitement especially about other dogs. Today he was a champ and he even gave us a little wink at the end.🥰

08/01/2024

Come join us for a wonderful group training environment where everyone gets individual attention and you and your dogs happiness is paramount. Starting this Sunday for 2024.

25/12/2023

Season greetings and a merry Christmas to all our client and friends that celebrate 🌄🎄🎁

29/08/2023

I am feeling really despondent at the moment about the dog training world. I am fortunate that my main source of income is not training dogs and I do it purely because I love it and hope to help people and their dogs. I want to encourage people to form bonds based on trust and joy with their dogs, I love seeing happy dogs. This is not the norm sadly it seems.

There is this neverending rise of abusive and barbaric dog trainers on both social media and mainstream media. Ones that spit in the face of scientific research and empathy. Ones that choose fear and bullying rather than an understanding of how dogs actually learn and dog body language. It appears the public confuses shutdown robotic dogs with well behaved dogs. Or maybe they don't care, maybe that's what they want? A broken dog that exists like a prisoner of war in your home. Too scared to do anything.

What is the public's obsession with a dog that obeys blindly. Where is the joy of the human dog relationship? Adversive tools like E collars and prong collars are actually not allowed to be used in South Africa but people still get away with it because it's so much easier to break a dog, invest no time in learning to understand it and destroy its spirit till all it can do is comply. Some dogs will comply for a while until they truly just can't anymore and that's when they bite and maul. Suppressing a dog into a robotic state is not training, however does the public care? In today's world of instant gratification, instant fixes are required and of course bite sized videos of seemingly fixed dogs in record time get all the attention for our Tiktok length concentration spans. I am not sure how to approach any of it anymore as common sense, decency and humanity seem to have left the building.

I do love my dogs though.

PS she is titled and no her being allowed on the bed will never cause behavioural issues, dog behaviour is far more complex than dominance and submission.

25/08/2023

Hey guys we are now stocking these fantastic high quality droewors treats from Emmarentia Raw. They are R56 per a 500gm bag. You can freeze them for extra long storage or keep them fresh in your fridge for a few weeks. All my dogs go nuts for them. Smells and looks good enough for me to eat too. They are made from human grade meat.

Emmarentia Raw

27/07/2023

Levi assisting my COAPE colleague ( The Dog Link ) and I help a reactive German shepherd overcome her dog reactivity through the use of pattern games and working below threshold. A slow and not very exciting process but when that magic does begin to happen it's wonderful to see.

25/07/2023

Come join our forward thinking science based approach that will create happy, optimistic dogs that will want to work with you and for you.

10/07/2023

A 10,5 year old game bred American Pit Bull and a chicken coop special 8 month old rescue pup with one of my favourite students and assistant trainers, Lieze,l learning some basic back yard agility. Positive reinforcement is not the simple act of only using one quadrant, it is quite literally a completely different approach to dog training. It is the one most rooted in modern science, the one that is kindest to the dog, it does require a more advanced understanding of a dog's body language, psychology and triggers however it works and it works with no risk of ruining your bond! It also will not cause the suppression of one behaviour which will then trigger another often worse or unexpected behaviour. If your trainer claims positive reinforcement doesn't work that's purely because they don't have the toolkit to train a dog in a humane modern way. If you know how to motivate the dog in front of you and can use that reinforce a desired behaviour with consistency then you are on the right track 🫶🥇👏

27/06/2023

Why do I love Kusa trick dog? Because it's fun, it's easy to set up for and practice and it looks cool 😎😁 looking for a fun time for you and your dog in your back yard give kusa trick dog a try.

Ask us how.

26/06/2023

Every Sunday we have puppy class. Some of our new puppies are in the pics below. We strive to create a happy, confident youngster who wants to learn and bonds with you. We give our handlers the skills they need to navigate puppyhood and beyond.

Contact us to find out more [email protected]

This past week I have had a lot weighing on my mind. There are quite literally trainers out there trolling Facebook pa...

26/06/2023

This past week I have had a lot weighing on my mind. There are quite literally trainers out there trolling pages looking for vulnerable people and scaring them into using their services. There are also board and train facilities that convince their clientele that sending their dogs away is the answer to their dog training. Think carefully where you spend your hard earned cash. Most dogs will not benefit from board and train. The reasons are so simple, dogs need to bond with their handlers, part of this bonding is training. When sent away to a strange place for board and train, the handlers learn nearly nothing, dogs are often abused or mistreated at such facilities (not their dogs, they want results at any and all costs), dogs often revert back to old behaviour or worse behaviour after a period of time of being home from the facility, the handler's have no dog training skills as nothing was taught to them, so guess what dog needs to go back to facility, what a wonderful business model.

Then the scare mongering trainers, this is quite mind blowing for me. The fact that these people exist and are getting traction by scaring individuals into believing their dogs are going to turn into killing machines is really quite frightening and exceedingly unethical. If your trainer is using guilt and fear to keep you coming to their sessions I would look for a new trainer. Find a trainer that is in it to help you and your dog be where you want to be, who charges a fair rate based on their experience and qualifications, who uses modern and scientific methods, who does not resort to quick fix methods which may cause even bigger behavioural fall out down the line, this is also great for them when they can manipulate you into believing the fall out was actually your fault not the adversive tools and techniques they use and you come back and give them more money. Do not buy into scare tactics from seasoned salesman. Remember your dog needs to create a bond of trust with you, that you need to be working on your handling skills, that dogs like humans take a while to learn and adjust. That young dogs do eventually grow up.

Address

Johannesburg

Opening Hours

Monday	13:00 - 18:00
Tuesday	13:00 - 18:00
Wednesday	13:00 - 18:00
Thursday	13:00 - 17:00
Friday	13:00 - 17:00
Saturday	09:00 - 13:00
Sunday	10:00 - 11:00

Website

http://www.alwaysloyalk9.wixsite.com/alwaysloyal

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Videos

A happy client story from Thyla and her lovely young Dobermann, Roman. Roman: We got Roman as a 2 month old puppy, and being first time Doberman parents, we started with a well known puppy school right away. Needless to say, not all puppy schools understand the Doberman breed. As hard as we tried over the next couple months, doing everything our puppy schools taught us, Roman just got more and more reactive towards other dogs, bicycles, runners, etc., and walking him on a lead was a nightmare. We finally found Kashan when Roman was 10 months old and since working with her in private lessons, Roman has made amazing progress in every aspect. We are incredibly grateful to Kashan for her guidance and understanding throughout this journey. Thyla and Antonio thank you for your dedication and we look forward to having Roman in our group classes now, this was a team effort from all of us. I remember the first day I met him and he just wanted to lunge and pull towards Levi (RIP). Look at him now and he's even better than as this a video is a few weeks old. So proud of you guys

A beautiful success story from Liezel de Villiers: We picked up this little boy on our way 2 Brits where he was kept in a chicken coop in the blistering heat, no food, no water and completely shut down and scared. We loved him from the moment we held him but we knew there was a long road ahead for this little man to become a well adjusted and confident individual considering the rough start he had. He was extremely fearful of dogs and people and he did dish out a few fear bites to well meaning friends so help was most certainly needed. From the first time he met Kashan he was at ease. That was a huge start since he was extremely distrusting of strangers, but it was love and friendship at first sight. We started taking him for training and before we knew it he just took to it like a duck to water. Loving the sessions and of course seeing Kashan. He would not have been the awesome young lad he is today if we decided to go with different training methods or a different trainer. He went from shut down and distrusting to engaging and enthusiastic. Dogs are always worth giving a chance and positive training never fails in bringing out the natural zest for life and the amazing bond between a dog and their human. There is a video of Yuki in the comments from the day they found him. Thank you Liezel and Rona for your dedication to this special little guy ☺️❤️

Who says you can't train a chihuahua. Our 9 year old rescue who's been with us for 3,5 months. #chihuahuas_of_instagram #chihuahuas #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogslife #dogsofinstaworld #dobermandogs #dobermann #jackrussell #jackrussellsofinstagram

I am feeling really despondent at the moment about the dog training world. I am fortunate that my main source of income is not training dogs and I do it purely because I love it and hope to help people and their dogs. I want to encourage people to form bonds based on trust and joy with their dogs, I love seeing happy dogs. This is not the norm sadly it seems. There is this neverending rise of abusive and barbaric dog trainers on both social media and mainstream media. Ones that spit in the face of scientific research and empathy. Ones that choose fear and bullying rather than an understanding of how dogs actually learn and dog body language. It appears the public confuses shutdown robotic dogs with well behaved dogs. Or maybe they don't care, maybe that's what they want? A broken dog that exists like a prisoner of war in your home. Too scared to do anything. What is the public's obsession with a dog that obeys blindly. Where is the joy of the human dog relationship? Adversive tools like E collars and prong collars are actually not allowed to be used in South Africa but people still get away with it because it's so much easier to break a dog, invest no time in learning to understand it and destroy its spirit till all it can do is comply. Some dogs will comply for a while until they truly just can't anymore and that's when they bite and maul. Suppressing a dog into a robotic state is not training, however does the public care? In today's world of instant gratification, instant fixes are required and of course bite sized videos of seemingly fixed dogs in record time get all the attention for our Tiktok length concentration spans. I am not sure how to approach any of it anymore as common sense, decency and humanity seem to have left the building. I do love my dogs though. PS she is titled and no her being allowed on the bed will never cause behavioural issues, dog behaviour is far more complex than dominance and submission.

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We 💖 dogs and we know that each dog is an individual just like you. Let us help you achieve your goals with your dog in the best and kindest way Email [email protected] #dogtraining #dogschool #dobermanlife #lovedogs #dogstagram #doglover #positivereinforcement #dogs #doberman #puppyclass #Groupclass #adultclass #teenclass #foundation #bond

Our little rescue girl Luci working really well on her reactivity. Her handler didn't realise how much his tension and anxiety was working it's way down the leash and affected her. She worked really well around 4 different dogs today and her handler learnt the importance of a loose relaxed leash. She used to be so worked up she wouldn't even take treats now she is eating them with gusto 😊🍾🐾👌 Always Loyal #positive #dogtraining #rescuedog #dobermanlife #dobermandogs #dogstagram

Join us on Sundays for our adult and teens class. We work with all breeds of dogs but we specialise in working breeds. We are 100% positive reinforcement and evidence based and as you can see it works 😁💕🐾

Our pups learning to use those noses. Such wonderful enrichment and confidence building work. Join us on Sundays with your pups. #puppy #puppyclass #dogtraining #dogstagram #nosework #fun #foundation

After building up solid positive reinforcement banks on their cues it's always a good idea to proof the cues in different environments and without treats or toys. We did on the bridge over the main road joining the east and west wilds as well as in this parking lot of the wilds. Dont worry they will always get lots of treats and toys we were just proofing behaviour and cues today 😁🤗 PS look in comments for second vid

What would happen if your goal wasn't an obedient dog but a dog that wants to be around you? A relationship built on mutual trust , respect and yes love? A relationship full of meaningful communication and understanding? A relationship where a dog gets to make guided decisions? What would that mean? Here after a training session my dogs have free time and this is how they choose to spend it, close to me and interacting with me. I don't have to force them to be with me. They choose to be.

Last year May, after very unfortunate circumstances, we inherited this little guy! A then 7 years old Jack Russell Terrier who was never socialised or trained. LG (the JR) was stressed and depressed when we got him. He bit my mom; who was devastated because all she wanted to do was comfort his poor sad soul. LG went for both my Dobermanns in a fiery jack Russell way. He was stressed though and acting out. We decided some Lorien would help, it did, he began to settle and adjust. After 5 months of Lorien and gradual desensitization to the world we decided he was ready to be weaned off. He completely stopped Lorien at the end of September. We coupled all of this with lots of management and enrichment activities. Now he plays with the Dobes, his resource guarding is not as severe and he switches off far quicker. LG is also far more optimistic about the world in general and now loves adventures. We couldn't be prouder of our little fiesty boy. Below is a short clip of Asia my Dobermann playing with him. 🫶😍🐾💪 PS LG was also put on diet he came to us at 12,5kg and now weighs under 10kg. Slowly but surley he's getting there.

I used not be able to let Asia off leash near birds. Her recall would disappear and she would spend a long time chasing the birds, she even cut her leg open doing this. This was all incredibly embarrassing to me. I decided to work on her emergency recall more. My emergency recall words is "bye". I spent time practicing and re-enforcing this with her favourite treats ( Vienna's and chicken polony as well as liver treats) and now that I have built the best associations with recall she will do it for no treat too, like in the vid. I chose this video because it's not perfect ( I can't say her emergency word right the first time and she does a big circle back) but she comes back. Yesterday there was an incident at the club house involving loud big fighting dogs ( we were less than 10m away.). Both my dogs started to run towards the fight sounds I turned around and started running the other direction calling their names and saying bye. Both came running back towards me. My recall training, emergency recall training and proximity games all paid off, my dogs were safe.

What makes you proud of your dogs? I am proud that my dogs feel comfortable in almost every situation, that they are confident and happy. Sure we enjoy earning ribbons and certificates but my proudest moments are when they do life brilliantly. a group of strange teenagers asked to take photos with my dogs. I can confidently allow them to knowing that my dogs will handle the loud strange group with no issues. That they trust me; yesterday it was pouring, of course we went to the vet just before it started. The sudden downpour caused an above the ankle pond like puddle outside the vet surrounding my car. It was hailing too. My dogs trusted me to get them through the water and hail (as well as lighting and thunder) into the car. There is a deep bond between us based on mutual trust and respect. Not only does it make me proud but it makes me happy. I didn't get here by forcing my dogs into situations they were unhappy with or by using obedience to try to cultivate a behavioural trait. We got here by careful management of their experiences ( positive experiences as opposed to negative), real socialisation during the socialisation window, respecting my dogs for the individuals they are and consistent positive reinforcement for desired behaviours and choices they offer. It also doesn't happen quickly, nor does the cultivation of your bond ever stop or the reinforcing of desired behaviour or choices.

Often I get told how good my dogs are and how well behaved they are. Sometimes I get the comment which I most prefer: your dogs are so happy. There is no secret in the fact that a happy confident dog is an easy dog. I spent a lot of time ensuring my dogs are happy. I never push them over their thresholds, I carefully manage their experiences of the world, we aim for happy positive experiences. I don't expect them to be perfect or put them in situations I know they can't cope with. I watch their body language carefully for cues on what they like or don't like. I give them options. Both my dogs have their triggers which I am well versed in, I am prepared to quickly remove them or distract them when necessary. The best part is because of all of the above my dogs can cope with a lot and work well under distraction, due to having maintained an optimistic attitude to life. The focus in training your dog should primarily be on understanding your dog and forming a cooperative relationship. If you find yourself and your dog not enjoying training you are doing something wrong. My dogs' happiness comes before my ego. Watch Asia's body language below, this was her first run ( man trialing) ever in a mall, notice how much she is enjoying this.