Dog Training at Home: September 2016

What is the attraction of snow to a dog

Bobby, my first residential training guest of 2015, loves trying to catch snowballs. This 9 mth old Border Collie is a model pupil and is really learning fast, although he still needs to let off some steam.

Like any dog that stays with me, play is always controlled, with boundaries never being that great and no dog being allowed off lead without proving to me that sheep and other livestock are not seen as an attraction !

But while I can teach a dog many things, Ive not found the secret to tell a dog when to catch a snowball - sorry Bobby !

Next time you have a bad nights sleep, ask yourself, "is it the bed ?". Annie, my 18 month old Clumber Spaniel, hasnt realised that her favourite beds were actually bought for Honey, our Chihuahua !

Aha ! So this is where Honey goes when the lights are off and she cant get in her own bed. Seems sensible to me !

Short stay boarders Milo, Jenna and Halo have no objection to being photographed - in fact I think Milo may be getting a little too comfortable !

Puppy Training Tips

Leash Walking

Most of us need to walk with our dogs on leash, at least occasionally. And if walks are your dogs primary outlet for exercise, youll be taking your dog out on a leash every day.

For this reason, when training a puppy its important to train your dog to walk safely and calmly while leashed. The goal is a loose leash, meaning that during leash walks, your dog doesnt pull or strain. Here are some tips to help.

Getting used to a collar

Before you can begin the basic puppy training tips, your pup first has to get used to wearing a collar and being on a leash. Dogs generally become accustomed to this quite quickly. In the first instance, buy a soft collar - one made of woven nylon or soft leather, for example. Do not buy a collar for the dog to grow into, but buy one that fits now.

Put it on for an hour at first and gradually increase the time. It is a great help to put the collar on just before you take the puppy out or, if your dog is sensitive to this, just before you give it its food. Your puppy is then so busy with eating or playing that it will forget the collar.

How to train a puppy to walk on a leash

Once your dog has got used to its collar, you can fasten this to a leash. Do not pick up the leash yet, but allow your puppy to walk around with it, so that it can get used to this. When it is acclimatized, take the puppy outside and encourage it to walk with you. Do not pull on the leash, but coax your dog with kind words or a tasty tidbit. Some puppies react very strongly when they notice that their freedom is being restricted and they keep trying to struggle free. Praise the dog lavishly when it does not resist.

Reward the right position

The main thing you need to do to train a loose leash is reward your dog for staying in a position that is close enough to you that the leash isnt taut. Food treats are a great tool for this: anytime your dog is walking nicely - the leash is loose - say, "Yes" and give your dog a treat.

If your dog puts pressure on the leash, stop and wait for her to look at you and come closer to you again. When she does that, say, "Yes" and give her a treat.

You can also use the yes/treat combination when your puppy glances at you during the walk. Doing that is a nice way to reinforce her "checking in" to see where you are.

Everyday Opportunities

One day last week I was strolling through the park with my trusty sidekick Hayley. Although I usually try to take in the walk as Hayley does (enjoying the present moment, unconcerned with past events or future obligations), this day my mind would not be quieted and I was lost in thought as we ambled around the bendy paths of the park. Because my focus was far from our walk, I didn’t notice the squirrels until we were about eight feet from them.

There were two of them: one sitting on the concrete path in front of me and the other was on Hayley’s side but just off the path. Although I just saw them, I’m sure Hayley had been following their activities for a number of steps. I slowed my pace just slightly and gave Hayley a quite, “shhhh – shhhhh – shhhh,” to remind her that I was still here and would prefer that she did not obey the terrier instincts screaming at her.

Hayley’s facial muscles relaxed at the sound of my voice and her ears moved back from an alert position to a relaxed one. We got to within about five feet of the little guys before they decided to bolt off toward the trees. Hayley noted their retreat but didn’t give chase.

I couldn’t help but smile as we continued on our walk, thinking back to when I first adopted Hayley and how she would charge after any woodland creature within on hundred yards. Wow, how far we have come.

What I find most impressive about Hayley’s impulse control is that I never formally worked with her on her squirrel addiction. I didn’t set out at specific times with the goal of working with her around small animals, but instead took advantage of everyday opportunities. I walked with Hayley two to five times a day, every day. And whenever we happened by an area where squirrels were active, I would take a moment or two to work with her to change her state of mind in their presence. I wouldn’t spend more than five minutes each time, but did it consistently.

Step by step, day by day, she got better and better. Squirrel chasing was not high on my training priorities since it is an easily manageable problem with the use of a leash. So I never went out of my way to work on it. When the situation presented itself, however, I always took advantage of it and used it as an opportunity to teach her instead of adding on yet another high arousal chase repetition.

In our daily life, we have so many similar opportunities to teach our dogs a little something. It doesn’t take long; it only takes a little initiative. Take a look at the time you spend with your dog and see where you’re missing easy chances to improve your dog’s behavior. The simple everyday tasks like giving your dog his food, to going out the front door for a walk are perfect places to take five extra minutes and help shape your dog’s behavior. Over time, those simple little training snippets can have a real long term effect.

Playtime at Cumbria Dog Training

At first glance, the photo of Tilly showing her teeth will never encourage owners to home board their dogs with me. But things are not what they seem, Im pleased to say ! My 2 year old working Clumber Spaniel Tilly was enjoying a real run around with Jake, Frans young Springer Spaniel, when Paul managed to get this expressive shot!

And this is playtime !

This photo shows a little hero worship going on ! While Honey is on my chest, Lucy is by my knee while Jussi, the black Lab looks on. And the other two dogs in the picture ? Tilly and Jake !

STOP ! I dont want to be the Alpha anything !!

Great dog food

I have run the gambit of dog foods with Jasmine since I got her six years ago. I first started with foods loaded with grains and corn and a ton of food colorings. Then buying food that had a picture of a German Shepherd Dog on their bag. Finally discovering something that has really been great for her.

I will admit that this food is the right food for her but may not be exactly what works for your dog. So the food that best suites Jasmine is Wellness Core. There are several things I enjoy about the food. The first several ingredients are actually meat. Note some by product, real meat. Then the fat is not some mysterious "animal fat" but actually fish and chicken fat. When I think about fat for the dogs, I try to remember that my dogs are like athletes and need a great source of fat to keep them working hard. Then they have probiotics and antioxidants. I want my dogs digestive system to work well and want its immune system fighting stress.

If you are looking for a great dog food, try searching for something with actual meat at the top of the list, a good source of fat and carbs, and finally some probiotics and antioxidants.

Be a Good Parent to Your Dog

Today was the first day of school (ever) for my little twin girls. They are just about two and a half years old, and my wife and I were both excited and nervous to see how they would do. When we picked them up this afternoon we were very pleased to hear that they had a fun time and were very respectful and also showed good manners (as good as you can expect for two year olds). All the time and work my wife and I did teaching our girls rules and boundaries, going over what is and what isn’t appropriate, and detailing exactly what is in fact edible, seemed to really make a difference. They are good kids and I think it shows.

The behavior of our children is a direct result of our parent skills, and the same hold true of our dogs. Now that I have kids I realized how raising kids and dogs very similar. Go to any playground and find the one kid who is totally out of control. I’ll bet you cash money that if his parents also have a dog, he’s out of control too. Come on, think about people you know who have kids and dogs. Odds are the dogs and the kids share good or bad behavior.

The reason this is always true is because both children and dogs require a similar structure of rules and boundaries to grow up well. It’s all about leadership. Over the last few years the word leadership has gotten somewhat of a bad connotation because some people misunderstand what leadership really is and apply it incorrectly. Make no mistake, leadership is imperative to having a good relationship with your dog and is the foundation of helping your dog develop into a well-balanced adult dog. If you don’t like the work “leadership,” than use parenting - it’s all the same thing.

Unlike children, our dogs are a totally different species with completely different innate tendencies, which makes leadership even more crucial. Dogs crave structure and guidance to figure out just how to fit into our wacky human world. We need to be their teachers, showing them just what’s right and wrong, what’s appropriate behavior, and what is indeed edible for them. It takes time, patience and understanding, just has parenting does.

I’ve been lucky, in that working with dogs has always come easy to me. Kids, not so much. The first year with my twins was not that fun for me. I’m ashamed to say I did my share of screaming and losing my cool, which never had any positive effect on my kids. Then one day my wife told me something that changed my world. She sat me down one day when my kids were being particularly difficult and said, “Sweetie, please just pretend they’re dogs.”

I thought about that strange sentence for a moment, and then the epiphany hit me. What would I do if instead of two screaming (then) one year olds, I was with two barking, misbehaving dogs? I would remain in control and calmly address the situation. And that’s what I did from that day forward, and the change was instantaneous. My kids responded better and our relationship improved greatly. Many parents realize that yelling and screaming at their kids is counterproductive, but fail to see that the same holds true with their dogs.

So be a good leader and parent to your kids and your dogs. Give them the structure and boundaries they crave and they will all grow up to be healthy, well-balanced adults.

Ive gone back to school

Annie is now 5 months old and being a Clumber Spaniel, shes been blessed with a wonderful sense of smell.
With the help of two members of the mountain rescue Ive opted to put this to good use by training her to track, rather than the alternative gundog. These are still early days and as a young dog with alot of growing still to do, distance is limited but so far things look really promising.

Paul lets Annie sit on the front seat while Ive popped into a shop !

Seeing four dogs of the same colour and size looks contrived but trust me its not.
I caught these four sharing one bed in front of the Aga. Now if this is not cosy then what is ??
Paul tends to leave his camera in the kitchen which allowed me to use it without any disturbance, although on reflection I doubt anything or anyone could have made these four move !

l to r: Charlie Maddie,Nellie and Cash

Meet Swift, a sevn month old Vizsla who decided to show me his serious and scary look ! But these looks do not portray his character, which is that of a lovely soft lad.

Swift without ears ........

........ and with ears.

I see beds of all shapes and sizes, but sometimes its not the actual owner who sleeps on it - just ask poor Milo. The only time he would have fitted onto this bed would have been for the first few days of his life !
Given how the lad may have been feeling Paul felt that the "red eye" problem (from the flash) was very apt.

"DONT TALK TO ME !!"

And these are the dogs claiming squatters rights on Milos bed.Its obviously not a guilt that keeps any of them awake !

Charlie Tilly and Cedar

Yet again Charlie is more than happy to doze off anywhere - and use anything as a pillow.Pity HRH withat big head on her !

5 Tips For Doing In Home Behavior Sessions

Private in-home behavior sessions are what I do most and what I most enjoy as a dog trainer. They enable me to better assess the situation, see the dog in its natural world and get a sense on how everything going on at home. These sessions are very different the obedience and require you to do think outside the box and consider a variety of things.

http://makedogsyourlife.com/5-tips-for-behavior-sessions/

DogTraining Classes

BIPDT Security Dog Handlers Course

We offer two routes towards achieving the British Institute Of Professional Dog Trainers Security Dog Handlers Course. We offer individual lessons of an hour per session, or we offer an Intensive 1 week course. The course provides an excellent foundation for a career in the Security Industry. Candidates are required to pass an assessment to gain the aforementioned qualification.

We also offer continuation training for Security Dog Teams who already hold their B.I.P.D.T Security Dog Handling qualification to maintain and improve the teams operational standard.

For further details contact us.

Group Classes

We offer group classes for dogs aged 28 weeks upwards. We have classes for beginners through to advanced. All classes are kept small to ensure everyone gets the attention they need. Classes are held during the day as well as nights.

We offer a friendly and relaxed club environment. We aim to help you get the best from your dog and to enjoy the whole experience.

We do not believe in elitism and encourage a warm, friendly atmosphere as we believe that this allows you to work to the best of your ability. We have a wide range of areas and facilities available to us, allowing us to teach a wider variety of exercises and preventing dogs from becoming complaisant.

Agility

We have a well equipped agility field and we offer agility tuition to beginners through to advanced level. We insist on at least two induction lessons, to ensure you and your dog are confident with the equipment. Once the induction lessons are complete. You are more than welcome to visit and use the agility field

Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

Sat and Sun 10am-4pm

We also operate evening sessions during the summer months.

Contact us for more details.

One to One Training

One to one training is available as an alternative to group lessons, if you are more comfortable working on your own or want to work on a specific part of your training then why not choose this option?

Contact us for further details

Residential Training

Why not take advantage of our residential training courses. Leave your dog with us at our fully licenced boarding facilities and we will train your dog for you. We work on the areas that you highlight as problematic. Upon collection of your dog, we will give you a demonstration of how your dog is performing, as well as show you how to proceed with your dog to ensure he/she maintains their trained standard. We also offer ongoing advice and support.

Puppy Classes

Puppy training classes are an excellent way to socialise your puppy in a controlled environment. Training classes hone a puppys social skills and provide countless behaviour shaping and basic obedience opportunities.

We run two Puppy Group Training Classes. The first is for puppies aged 10-16 week, the second is for 16-28 weeks. We also offer a one to one puppy training service. This is suitable for all ages, including under 10 weeks.
The second class for dogs of 16 weeks upwards is designed to teach more advanced exercises and training situations.

If you are hoping to partake in dog related activities as your dog gets older, let us know. We can start to introduce the foundations early on. For example; you may wish to compete in Working Trials, Schutzhund, UK Patrol and Protection Dog Association Trials (UKPPDA), Search work (People, Drugs, Explosives), Tracking, Security Work etc.

Tracking

We teach various tracking disciplines, from Police/Service dog

tracking, to Schutzhund and trailing. These lessons are suitable for those wishing to compete or for pet owners who want to try something different. This can be an extremely fun and satisfying activity.

Personal Protection Dog Training

We train Personal Protection Dogs (PPD) for customers who require a dog for their own/family protection. We are able to supply this kind of dog, but can also train an existing family pet. We can only do this if he/she possesses the correct temperament and qualities required for the aforementioned discipline.

Because of the training this type of dog undergoes, we will not undertake this kind of training or allow one of our dogs to go to anyone until we carry out vetting.

Contact us for further details.

www.hkdogtraining.co.uk

Paul has found the kitchen

My blog has been quiet for a few days due to me being struck down by a virus which confined me to bed for the better part of a week. In truth I cant remember the last time such a thing happened to me.
Paul cancelled all my training in between exercising the dogs and cooking dinner. He doesnt cook very much but when he does hes not too bad - fresh ingredients, no cans or packets.
But today the sun is out, the skies are blue (in between the clouds) and Im back to work.

Janet

Puppy Training Socializing With Other Dogs

Image by Nemos great uncle via Flickr

Now that your Puppy is growing a little, its time to go out into the world, and walk your new Puppy. A trip to the local park should be an exciting time, and not one that worries you, because your not sure how your new Puppy is going to react.

From the start, its important to have good control over your new pet, you have to show him whos boss. A lot of Dogs grow up protecting their owner, and this might not be a bad thing, but it can cause problems, when a friend of yours comes close, and your Dog becomes aggressive. I have been in this situation before, but with some training from the local Dog School, my Dog, is now calmer around people.

Watch this video on Puppy Training - Socializing.

This is a simple video, giving out a few tips.
Lets take a look at another video. This is highly rated, and offers more great tips. Its only short, but it offers some great info.

The “He’s a Rescue Dog” Syndrome

The first thing I say to anyone who is inquiring about my services as a dog behaviorist is, “tell me about your dog.” All too often the first sentence I get back is, “well, he’s a rescue dog . . . blah, blah, blah” They usually then go into this long, dramatic story explaining how he was found chained to tree outside in the cold; or they detail the abuse he received at his first home; or how he was found emaciated, wandering the streets until the rescue was finally able to catch him. The stories are all different, yet exactly the same. They tell of the great misfortunes the dog has suffered and the tales are usually told with a slight quarter head tilt and/or a slow nod of the head to show their deep empathy.

If you are one of these people with one of these dogs, I have a big piece of advice that will greatly help both you and your dog: lose the sob stories – pronto.

Now don’t get me wrong, I agree that all those things that happened to your “rescue dog” were sad and unfortunate, and you are doing a really great thing by choosing to adopt a dog with a less than peachy past. However, you are negatively affecting his present by not letting go of what happened to him previously.

Your dog does not need your pity or your sympathy. What he really needs is your stability. Constantly recounting your dog’s tales of woe only prevents him from moving on. The great thing about dogs is that they live in the moment and don’t really care what happened to them in the past – they only care about what’s happening right now. Yes, their behavior is affected by the past and their present behavior may have been shaped by past events, but they are ready to move forward. They may need our guidance to get over those issues created by their past, but you will never be able to help them if you are emotional about what may have happened to them before they made it to your house.

So I want you to pretend that you have no idea what happened to your dog before he came to you. His life began the day you picked him up. Give him your love and understanding but never your pity or sympathy. Work him through whatever issues he may have with an open mind and strong heart. Be the confident, stable leader he is craving. Being emotional only feeds your dog’s anxiety and uncertainty, when what he really needs and wants is someone to say “who cares what you went through, you’re in a rock-solid home now.” If you show your dog that you’re not stuck on his past, he will be more likely to take those brave steps toward a better future.

The Little Things

Life moves at the speed of life. It doesn’t wait for you to catch and won’t give you more time if you haven’t finished everything you need to get done. There’s no way to slow it down and there is little chance of getting more hours added to the day.

Getting to everything that needs to get done on a typical day can be a big challenge and you’re forced to prioritize your tasks to want needs your immediate attention and put the rest off. When you’re faced with work, kids, spouses, and a long list of daily obligations the one thing that usually gets pushed aside is the dog.

For me, with twin girls, my business, my nonprofit, and my wife there is little time for myself or my dog. Those are the two aspect of my life that I have prioritized last, which means they usually get little or no attention.

I’ve recently come to realize is that, not only can I take care of both myself and my dog at the same time, but it doesn’t have to take too much time out of my busy day. Both me and my dog love spending time together, so by taking care of her, I’m also taking care of myself. Even on the busiest of days, I can feasibly take small increments of time throughout my day to spend with my dog, which can make a difference for both of us. Little things really do go a long way. If you take a few minutes here and there throughout the day, it can add up to a decent amount of time.

So here are my recommendations for you to get more out of your day with your dog.
1. Whatever time you currently get up, set your alarm for 15 minutes earlier and spend that time with your dog. Make your morning walk longer or spend that time playing with a toy.
2. Do some simple obedience or tricks (whatever your dog knows) 3-4 times throughout the day for five minutes. I like to do these before meal times or before we go out for our walks.
3. Before you go to bed at night, spend 5-10 minutes of quite time petting and loving your dog. Don’t do this while watching TV or talking to someone else – instead really spend the time with your dog enjoying and appreciating him/her.

When you do have the extra time (like on your days off from work or when the kids are at school) go for that long walk or some more lengthy playtime and interaction with your dog. Although we would love to spend an hour or two walking and playing with our dogs each day, it’s just not always possible. We can, however, carve out short periods of time throughout the day, which can greatly improve our day and give your dog some much needed (and deserved) attention.

So, get away from you computer right now and start your first five minutes with your friendly neighborhood Fido.

Now where did I put that tennis ball

Lucys place on my residential training course has been taken by Darcy, a Weimaraner.
Darcy is in for a month and joins Bonnie and Millie, who arrived a few days ago from Staffordshire.
Training and walks over with for the day, there is always enough time for some play. There are few things which seem to make Bonnie - a 10 yr old who doesnt know it - happier than chasing after a tennis ball.
And judging by this catch, its not all about running to retrieve it !
Janet

"Great catch Bonnie"

Millie in a typical comedy pose

Its been rather wet

The recent weather has dominated things at Toddle Cottage, as the photograph further down shows. The rain and floods are one thing but when the winds become gale force for hour upon hour, it sadly restricts the height Paul can walk the dogs at. However, road walks ensures that heelwork is kept up to scratch !

However, meet anxious looking Arthur, who has travelled up from Bristol to spend a few weeks with me.
This little lad has plenty of behavioural issues, but given time Im confident that Ill be able to sort most of them out and give him a new lease of life.
One concern he arrived with was a sudden need to bite one of his legs when out for a walk. Its wondereful that the little dog seems to have forgotten about this and is enjoying being out ..... now for the next problem !

Arthur

Two photographs featuring Honey, a lovely young Lab whos also just arrived for residential training.
The first few days showed me that I had a rather stubborn youngster on my hands but weve now gone past that stage and are now working on the basics with very satisfying results.

Honey


....... and again

Its hard to imagine that only 4 hrs before this photograph was taken I was in the field training one of the dogs. At the time, only the far end was flooding, but as you can see, things changed rather quickly !


Its been raining !

Paul took this photo of Annie as she sat on my lap (dog trainers do have a soft spot!), looking at me turning the light on. He always seems to have his camera close at hand and noticed just how much my 6 mth old concentrating.


" Watch what happens when I pull this !! "

And finally, Paul was very pleased with the new bed I bought for his young lad Sumo. Unfortunately his dog viewed things differently and proceeded to treat it as a bone ! But his loss is anothers gain - though quite why Charlie thinks "his" new bed needs a peep hole is beyond me!

Meet some fantastic guests!

Tilly

Tilly is a fabulous litte dog, who, after a nervous start, has really come out of herself .
And her best friend ? A certain Chihuahua !

In full flow

Coming round the bend is my Choccy Lab guest Cleveland, followed by a Jet.

I thought Id also post these two pics of Honey and Jaffa.

If ever there was a child / grandma relationship between dogs, this is it !

On walks, they are almost inseperable - well for Honey at any rate !


Honey and Jaffa after a rather long and wet walk !

Sharing

Janet

Its All Fun and Games

To your dog every single second is a chance to have some fun. For a dog, life in general, is really all about fun. That’s all your dog wants, and most of his daily agenda is geared around finding cool stuff to do. Once Rover wakes up in the morning and shakes off the night’s sleep, he’s ready and raring to do anything exciting. If he can’t find anything entertaining enough, he’ll make his own fun (often at the expense of your furniture).

The good news is that we humans are looking for some good times as well. Hey, who out there doesn’t want to have fun? So why not have some with your dog. Isn’t that the reason you got a dog in the first place? You wanted a companion to share some fun with. I doubt that anyone would go out and get a dog thinking it would be no fun. So, fun it is!

Let’s never forget that having a dog is fun. In spite of whatever issues or minor problems you dog may have, he’s still fun to be around. Let’s never forget that. I know that I often get caught up in life and lose sight of that simple fact. No matter what kind of day you’re having, fun in your grasp (literally). Reach down, pet your dog and guess what? You’ve got a big hunk of fun in your hands.

I think it’s important to take some time every day and have a moment of fun with your furry pal. Lighten your day, lift your spirits and make your dog very happy. Make up games with your dog, be silly, run around in circles, laugh and be merry with your dog. Be creative and come up with cool, little ways for you and your dog to have a fun moment each and every day. That’s what life is supposed be for a dog – fun. And it’s what life can be for us to . . . lots and lots of fun.

So go have some fun with your dogs right now!

Here is Hayley and I having fun playing one of her favorite games.

Have I got Chihuahua blood in me

A strange question I know but the last few days Ive felt a little like my Chihuahua Honey, who suddenly goes round and round trying to catch her tail. I feel like Im on the go all the time, not that Im complaining.
The light provided by the longer summer days means I can spend more time outside with the dogs, be it training or simply enjoying walks with them.
Added to that, Ive decided to enter a number of shows as a stall holder and Im in the process of getting all my leaflets etc etc designed and printed.
Confirmation will be shown on the homepage of http://www.cumbria-dog-training.com/index.htm but I expect to be at the following :-

Penrith            -    Saturday 23rd July
Lowther          -    Sat & Sun 13th & 14th August
Brough            -    Thursday 18th August
Appleby          -    Saturday 20th August
Westmorkand -   Thursday 8th September

If you see me looking hot and flustered, dont be put off - come and have a chat !!

Janet

ps.and with Paul back from his jaunt to Barcelona and Spain, I expect some new photographs to be taken very soon !!

How To Stop Puppy Biting Training Puppies Not to Bite

Still here !

Ive not posted anything for a surprisingly long time so thought I better sort myself out !
Needless to say Ive been very busy with training and home visits.

A recent guest has been Isla, a 4mth old Lab. The photo is of her and Basil, who came for just an afternoon to socialise with other dogs. Looking at this, it was rather successful.
Young Isla was a real little charmer and the photo below sums her up very well !


"Are you sticking your tongue out at me ?"

At the moment I have a lovely Labradoodle staying with me called Roxy. Shes having a great time socialising with the other dogs and its a real pleasure to see that happening. At the moment she is still on the lead until Im confident that we have really bonded. This Sunday I am going to introduce her to my flock of sheep, with the intention that any temptation to chase will be stopped. This will then allow her owners much greater freedom with her.
Having given Roxy a good walk earlier on, I chose to drive to the Eastern Fells with returning guests Stella and Molly. These two are real characters. Stella has developed so much since she first came here earlier in the year. Then, she was scared of all the dogs and tried to hide away in the corner ........ but with Honey about, do you really think she would be allowed to !
My walk was rather wet !! However, I thoroughly enjoyed it and judging by the pics below, I wasnt the only one !!

Janet

Stella and Roma

At the top - but no view to be seen

Molly - proving that you only needed one eye open in the rain

NOW theres a view

zzZZZZzzzzzz...rain.... mist ..... hills ..... Jaffa....Roma......fun....ZZZzzzzZZZZ

One of the best ways to get more clients for your dog training business

Want to see how $60 continually gets me clients year after year? This simple and inexpensive advertising pays off regularly for me [VIDEO POST].

http://businessofdogtraining.com/the-best-60/

The Lowther Show as seen by Paul

Having been given a ticket for the show, I arrived with my camera to take a couple of photos of Janet, expecting her to be busy giving out her leaflets and free advice.
On inspecting the photographs, it soon became clear that Janet is no "dog whisperer", but a very passionate lady who gets straight to the point !
As such, I thought I would post a sample of photos as shot.
I hope you like them.
Paul

"I suggest you do this, this and this ....... or else !! "

Honeys happy in the sunshine

Meet two dogs who were happy over very different aspects of the weather today.
Honey is a sun worshipper while Chester adores water. He is therefore in his element at the moment with so many puddles about.
In a momentary break in the clouds, I snapped this pic of the little dog as she charged towards me, her face beaming ............ if ever a dog smiled !

Meanwhile, Chesters enjoyment in all things wet and muddy is evident as he plays. But this surface mud was soon washed off with the hose before he was allowed back in the house !
My final pic is again of Chester, who decided to have a mad dash in a field! He returned as soon as he heard my whistle, and I couldnt help but think he looks a little lost in the waves of barley being blown about.

Training Kids and Dogs

To get the perfect family dog you need train both your dog and your kids. This post shows you how.

http://ferndogtraining.com/family-dog/

Labrador puppy training

One of the reasons why you need to start Labrador puppy training as early as possible is because it may be harder to train a grown dog not to do something that he has done on the daily basis over the years. I dont even know why some people think that its better to train a grown dog rather than a puppy. When your puppy is born he is brand new in this world and doesnt know the difference between right and wrong yet. While a grown dog has picked a few bad habits over the years and you will probably have a really hard time trying to convince him that what he is doing is wrong. With that being said, training your Labrador while he is still a puppy simply makes sense.

Keep in mind that your puppy is still a baby so dont put too much pressure on him. Basics such as knowing his name, when to sit, and come to you when called upon are best to start with. Also, tasty treats work a lot better than fear. Dogs do not speak English, so they learn by our hand movements, the tone of our voice, and even the expression on our faces..Try to reward him whenever he has done something right, and that behaviour is guaranteed to happen over and over again. So always have a treat handy, and start your Labrador puppy training right now.

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Sadness comes in many forms !

With Rachel being away for a few days, its fallen to me to look after her lovely lad Charlie, to keep him happy and make him forget the temporary separation hes having to endure. But is that sorrowful expression due to his best friend not being with him ...... or the grouch aka me, not wanting to play ball with him for the umpteenth time ??

One Sad Little Dog

The Deadly Duo of Fraser and Molly have returned for a few days boarding, creating mayhem wherever they go These two Yorkies are wonderful little characters as this photograph demonstrates.

Fun fun fun !!

Now where is Honey ? Our big dog is more than happy to constantly keep an eye on the decorating ..... even if she has to go undercover!

Honey has been discovered

The first photograph says so much more than two dogs playing. Its taken weeks for Dodger (L) and Frankie to be at the stage whereby both can play together without need for a lead, safe in the knowledge that they respond to a recall. Although theyve not completed my residential training, such behaviour shows that both these young lads dont have much more to learn. And instrumental in their training has been Rachel who has worked tirelessly with me to turn these two into lovely dogs. Thank you Rachel!

Dodger and Frankie

Two weeks ago I met Milo for the first time. When he arrived he was very hyper and unfocused, but that initial lesson and the subsequent training his new owners have put in place are really paying off. Today he was much calmer and I know that with his owners, this rescue lad has really landed on his feet and will have a great life. Well done Milo.

The lovely Milo

Meet Dodger, a rescue Doberman whos just turned a year old. Hes staying for residential training and its very satisfying that this youngster is now off lead altogether in my field, listening to commands. Now for some open ground work where I have full confidence that hell not let me down. Well done Dodger !

Dodger

Chesters back again ....... making everyday feel like a Sunday afternoon ! No need to rush, no panic, no stress ....... just take it easy and relax. Now you know why this beautiful lad has been accepted as a Pets for Therapy dog.

Chester

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