Midlands Puppy School -Howick

27/10/2025

Fit your training into your life, keep it fun. It mustn't become a chore.

14/10/2025

🐾 Last Puppy Class of the Year! 🐾

Don’t miss this final chance to join our fun, confidence-building puppy training session!
Let’s end the year by strengthening your bond and improving communication with your pup. 💕

📅 Limited spots available — book now to secure your place! Sat 25 October
📍 Dargle Dale Kennels and Cattery

Let’s make your puppy’s training journey a positive one to remember! 🐶✨
Contact Rachel on 079 605 8474

13/10/2025

⚡🎆 Keep your pets safe this thunderstorm & fireworks season! 🐾💕

With Diwali and Guy Fawkes just around the corner, those loud bangs and flashing lights can be overwhelming for our furry friends. 🐶🐱✨

At Dargle Dale Kennels, we offer a safe, calm, and secure space where pets can feel relaxed and cared for while the celebrations are in full swing. 🌿🏡

📞 Book now and give your pets the peace of mind they deserve. 💜

08/10/2025

26/09/2025

We have a few spaces left in our new Pmb class. Please contact Sandra Inggs to book your spot. 082 330 6636

06/09/2025

Should I crouch down?
Some will say "Yep", it makes us less threatening.
I tend to say "Nope".
Worried, anxious, stressed dogs can react in ways we "can't" predict.
Those sweet puppy dog eyes, yearning for love.
They are more than likely yearning for space and for this situation to be over with.
When we push them, want to hug them and take away their discomfort we can come from a place of wanting desperately to make things better for them.

We tend to rush this.
We also tend to look at them through our human rose tainted glasses.

Crouching down in front of or in the vicinity of a stressed dog puts your centre of gravity off balance.
it's another second or two before you can react to anything that may be about to occur.
We also tend to crouch way to close.

So for me.
I keep actions slow and deliberate (without being unnatural).
Lot's of space is given (where possible)
I make sure I give them options to leave (I don't block the exits).
Weirdly, I tend to mimic others movements in the household (wee thing that I notice works well over the years).
I offer calming signals to them.
No direct eye contact and I don't approach.

This is the fastest way I know to help anxious dogs.

I don't want confliction.
It's connection I really want.

06/09/2025

It’s a really good question and the short answer is no. Treats are a powerful tool in training, but they are not meant to be something you rely on endlessly or in every situation.

Why We Use Treats in Training

Clarity: Treats make it crystal clear to your dog when they’ve made the right choice.
Motivation: Food is a natural reinforcer for most dogs, which helps them learn faster.
Positive association: Especially for fearful or reactive dogs, treats can change how they feel about a trigger, building safety and trust.

Treats are like training wheels. At the start, you need them consistently so your dog builds understanding. But once your dog knows a behaviour, you don’t have to reward every single repetition.

We begin with continuous reinforcement (treat every success).
Then we move to variable reinforcement (reward some of the time, unpredictably).
Eventually, behaviours become habitual and are maintained by life rewards: access to play, praise, freedom, sniffing, your attention, etc.

Where Training Can Go Wrong

If it feels like you need treats all the time, forever, a few things may be happening:
The behaviour was never fully learned before rewards were reduced.
The environment is too distracting, and your dog is struggling to focus without extra help.
Treats are only being used as a bribe (“look what I’ve got!”) rather than as a reward after the behaviour.
Alternative reinforcers (play, praise, sniffing, freedom) haven’t been built into the training plan.

It’s important to remember: dogs don’t do things “just because we say so.” Every behaviour is motivated by something whether that’s food, play, comfort, or avoiding something unpleasant. Treats are just one way of paying your dog for their effort.
Over time, you can replace food rewards with other things your dog enjoys, but rewards never disappear completely. Just like us, dogs like to know that their effort is worthwhile.

26/08/2025

26/08/2025

Come and join us for a new round of puppy classes. Starting Saturday 6 Sept. Let's get our puppies on the right track. Rachel 079 605 8474

23/08/2025

Our dogs need both mental and physical exercise to be happy.

If you don’t physically exhaust them… they just won’t stop.
Whoa there.
Let’s look at the bigger picture.... not just a quick “fix” for today.

I get it, I really do.
Running them longer..... throwing the frisbee for another 10 minutes, chucking that ball again and again, because if you don’t, they’ll pace, whine and struggle to settle.

Here’s the tough question.
Is it helping your dog… or just creating a cycle where they crave more and more?

Their stamina climbs higher.
Their demands increase.
Their adrenaline is off the charts.

Then "suddenly" the amount of exercise you need to give them is unsustainable .
There just aren’t enough hours in the day to “satisfy” them.

What's the solution?
Do less… but carefully.
Reduce that high energy exercise, while adding enrichment in its place.

Low arousal activities that tire them in a different way:

Scatter feeding
Scent walks
Enrichment games
Puzzle toys

Still not convinced?
Try it.... really try it , for a few weeks.

You’ll never look at “tiring them out” the same way again.

11/08/2025

My pooches get Hills dental food added to dinner each night

04/08/2025