The Training Academy

19/11/2023

Lovely morning walk 🐾

01/11/2023

If anyone is looking for a reasonable treat provider - Faithful Friends are a great local provider of natural chews 🐾

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091580231665

Pet Service

22/10/2023

Fun social this morning 🐾

21/10/2023

Would you like to have fun whilst training your dog?

We have classes that cater for all breeds and training needs - contact us on
📲 07534386155

Our next course of classes will be starting 5th November 🐕

25/08/2023

Those who train together, stay together 🐾

08/08/2023

Exciting news 🎉

Cedarlily Gundogs are holding pet gundog classes here! Fun, non pressure and knowledgable trainer at hand to give you and your dog the best start into gundog training.

Class information is attached, please text or call me on 07534 386155 to secure your places!

20/07/2023

A HUGE shout out to Ruby today 🎉

Ruby worked exceptionally well alongside our dog in a session today. She read the other dog perfectly, gave the space needed and didn’t pressure for engagement at all.

Exactly what our dog needed. By the end of the session… both dogs were happy to engage in sniffs and existence of eachother side by side 🎉

Well done to both dogs today, a superb session 🐶

04/07/2023

Small snippets of her socialisation done in a calm/relaxing way. Pet shop at a quiet time of day, meeting different breeds of dogs (calm adult dogs), school run (at a distance and no crowds), strange items and textures to explore. Don’t overwhelm your puppies, take it slowly and let them absorb all the sights/smells/noises at a distance they can cope with 🐾

Don’t be embarrassed to say ‘sorry she’s in training’ when people ask to say hello - it’s your puppy!

21/06/2023

DONT MAKE FOOD AVERSIVE 😱

The most common mistake I see people do is use food to make their dog do something they don’t want to do.

If you use food to lure a dog into the car or to get them to take medication or to get them to come in from the garden… you are breaking trust EVERY time you ‘trick’ your dog into doing something they don’t want to do. Dogs aren’t stupid, they know you are trying to trick them. Please just wait for the dog to come in from the garden and then REWARD with the food! Wait for them to jump in the car, then reward them with the food. Put the medication in a pate type food, in a bowl and just let them eat it. No fuss, no bribery, no tricking.

In the picture below - this particular dog doesn’t like to do obedience in an open field… I waited for a ‘sit’ and rewarded it. Didn’t bribe with the food infront of his face, didnt force him to do it, didn’t use the food as a lure… just waited for him to connect with me, think about what I would want from him. Sit is a behaviour he knows he needs to offer as a part of his role as an assistance dog, I rewarded it, HEAVILY.

17/06/2023

‼️ SECURE FIELDS ‼️

Why I love them

Secure fields seem to be popping up everywhere now. They are a wonderful idea. These fields are a space to go too if you have a nervous/reactive dog or a dog in training. They usually have natural equipment like huge logs to explore, tyres, sandpits, water access.

I love secure fields for the pure fact that you have sole use of a space to be with your dog. You can exist, train, connect and enjoy watching your dog be happy. Bonus if you have a dog that needs a space away from other dogs, there is always the guarantee that you won’t have that random dog flying across the fields at you and your dog with no recall!

Why I hate them…. 😅

If you have a dog in training, a dog that’s easily distracted in public or a dog that has no recall - in my opinion this is the worst place you can take them and just let them run free. Even in a secure field, an untrained dog should still be on a long line.

If you take them to a secure field and let them run around and don’t ask for anything… you are setting your dog up to ignore you under the LOWEST distractions. A field and some equipment isn’t a high distraction.

If you are using the secure field for a quick day off for your dog where they aren’t actively training or aren’t under socialisation/environmental training… of course let them be free BUT I wouldn’t personally be letting my dogs do whatever they like for a whole hour getting hyped and learning self reward behaviours.

🐾 My advise for anyone reading this would be… YES, use the spaces available to us but absolutely look at what your dog does for the time you are there 🐾

I use secure places to do sprinkles of food, tracking, Scentwork, hide and seek games, training, connection work, enrichment and calm exercises. I don’t let my dogs find their own excitement in an empty space - you are setting your dog up to fail completely if you do this. Use your time wisely, USE THEIR BRAINS!!!

09/06/2023

You will hear me talk A LOT about connection and engagement when we are walking/training. Here is why 👀

If you are struggling with recall or your dog is not ‘paying attention’ to you - I’m afraid to say it but your dog finds you boring.

You need to strip their training and connection back to basics, take away all the fun stuff they have like other dogs/toys/rewards for free.

I train with all of my dogs on a daily basis, not necessarily outside. 15 minutes of basic training like targeting, scent games or tracking is enough to keep my dogs engaged with me when we go out for a walk. They know I’m fun, it’s reinforcing to be around me, they know that they get rewarded around me.

You don’t always have to be the most fun and exciting thing in their lives, of course they can interact or play with other dogs… BUT get that connection and relationship in there first!!

If you are interested in an engagement workshop - give me a shout. All you need is you, your dog, the environment & some food or toy 🎉

06/06/2023

Happy Birthday to the beautiful Rita 🎉
We all hope you have had the most fantastic day full of joy and happiness 💞

I would like to thank Rita for making our social walks the most fun walks ever!!! X