How dogs learn – building associations (positive and negative)
One of the main ways dogs learn is by forming associations - and this can be positive or negative associations. When you have a puppy and are working on "socialisation", it is important to build positive associations with a variety of people, dogs, environments,...
“How can I stop my dog from barking?”
Barking can be really annoying cant it! There is always a reason for why your dog is barking....and the first step in addressing the barking is to identify what that reason is. Barking is a normal behaviour and method of communication for dogs, and some breeds are...
Why online puppy training can be the best way to train your puppy
When we all went into lockdown in March of this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a very worrying time for the majority of the population, as we all tried to change our usual way of working to keep our businesses alive. A huge percentage of the population,...
5 of the most important things to teach your puppy
There is no denying that puppies are adorably cute.....but they are also hard work! Brand new little beings for whom we are now totally responsible. Like human babies, they dont know what we expect of them and it is up to us to gently teach our puppies how we would...
Helping your dog or puppy through fireworks season
2020 has been an awful year, and now with organised fireworks displays being cancelled due to COVID-19, there is the very real possibility that more people will be setting fireworks off from their gardens. This has the potential to be devastating and distressing for...
“Socialisation” – the myth Vs the reality
Online dog training has really taken off during the past few months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has shown how successful it can be. Until it is evident that it is truly safe, I have made the decision to continue all my classes and 121 services online,...
Preparing for life after lock down – dogs and masks!
While we are all looking forward to our lives eventually getting back to "normal", it is going to be a long time before we are at that stage, and as we start to move towards a more normal life there are going to be aspects of everyday life that are very...
The dangers of retractable leads
Retractable leads are probably one of the most widely used tools Everyone seems to have one. And on the face of it they seem to be a really useful tool - your dog can have a degree of freedom to run around while also not being able to run off or get lost. While I do...
The Dangers of Grass Seeds
At this time of the year grass seeds can be a really big problem. They are only small, and can easily become trapped in your dog's fur when on walks, or when rolling in the grass. Common areas for them to become trapped are in the fur of the paws, particularly between...