LEAD Training

Labradors, renowned for their superb temperament, being easy to train and their biddable nature?! Yes, but, they can also be cheeky, strong willed and they do tend to take a while to mature.

The reality is, this goes for all breeds...

Some of the most common problems we get asked for help with from owners of young dogs (mainly during their adolescent stages) are jumping up, recall, attention seeking behaviours, pulling on the lead, running off with things they shouldn't have, chewing, counter surfing, nipping/mouthing, raiding the bin, scavenging, eating p**p, rolling in nasty things...and a whole lot more!

When working with these kinds of problems there are a few main approaches:
management, behaviour modification & training

A BIG thing that crops up is over tired/over stimulated/hyper behaviour

You see, puppies and young dogs, like children, can get overexcited and hyper.The easiest way to deal with this is a little quiet time or a sleep. Whatever you do, don't get stressed out

Hope you are all well and having a fabulous Friday.

How’s your training going?

I put Blue through his paces yesterday with Claire from Family Dog Services and had an amazing 1-2-1 session! X

1-2-1 sessions are brilliant for bespoke training and also building your own confidence if there is something you are struggling with that may not be covered in a group environment. I highly recommend these even if it’s once a month to touch base. 💙

Email [email protected] for availability and to get booked in.

Excellent advise from Family Dog Services don’t forget you can now contact them direct for up and coming puppy classes and any other training requirements you may have, the contact details are at the bottom of the post.😊

Fireworks season will soon be upon us.

If you have a dog who is afraid of fireworks,there are lots of things you can do to help.

It may be a little late to work through a full behaviour modification plan for this fireworks season but there's plenty you can do to support your dog and then put a plan in place to start training your dog to be able to cope in the future.

I thought I should share Indy's story to help those of you with sensitive or nervous dogs.

It started in May 2014 when she turned just 2. Her world fell apart in a matter of weeks, I describe it best as a kind of doggy breakdown. After being attacked by an off lead, out of control dog, she developed so many fears, and, to be honest, I thought I had lost my confident young dog forever. In fact, a few trainers told me she would never work on a shoot and probably never be ok around other dogs. One even told me she would have no quality of life.

Thankfully, I didn't listen and decided to work with the dog in front of me to help change her perspective on life.

The symptoms of her breakdown over a few weeks following the attack she developed severe sound phobias (including clapping, car doors, air brakes, dogs barking, fireworks, gunshot - anything loud and sudden) She wouldn't walk anywhere without jumping at sounds, cowering, shaking and freezing, she became increasingly nervous of dogs, especially small ones, and became reactive, showing increased fear aggression as a result. She also became wary of people and would bark at people she didn't know. It was horrific. She basically shut down.

I was at a loss, I was sad, and I felt as though I had let her down. I enlisted the help of our now very good friend Robert Alleyne, a fantastic behavioural trainer (and it was he who told John and I we should train dogs full time and become behavioural trainers - but that's another story)

We had to help her to relearn how to listen to me, trust me, and interact appropriately. Through a combination of a very thorough training program which started in the home, ensuring Indy was listening to me, finding an effective reward, rehabilitation, proofing the training, and, other supporting factors including Tellington Ttouch, body wraps, cranial treatment, and, desensitisation we successfully turned Indy around.

It took around 1 year - 18 months to get her to what I would class as some kind of normality, but, we enjoyed lot's of little wins along the way.

She lived to just over 12 years old. Imagine if she had lived for 10 years in fear! She would have been fearful, reactive, and her world would have got smaller and smaller. But she went on to live an incredible life, she appeared in adverts and promotional films, sat next to a shotgun and picked up on a shoot, until her retirement. She even competed in, and was placed at a charity working test, and, passed her KC working gundog certificate. Every dog is different. I am not saying it was easy (it wasn't) but it was definitely worth it. Every day I feel grateful for this dog and what she has taught me.

Factors which could contribute to your dog being fearful of fireworks or other sounds include pain, trauma, so do get this ruled out by a veterinary professional, like a vet, a Canine Physiotherapist, Chirovet or similar. It could be general sound sensitivity, association, trauma, or even a learned behaviour.

If your dog is fearful of fireworks there is plenty you can do to support your dog during firework season, but, better still, why not make a plan to desensitise and train your dog to cope better in the future. I'm not saying every dog can be miraculously cured but most dogs can be improved or at the very least be supported to be able to cope better.

Every dog is different and may need a slightly different programme which may include desensitisation, counter conditioning, effective reward system, rehabilitation, proofing the training, and, other supporting factors like sound therapy discs, phone Apps,
Tellington Ttouch, body wraps, thunder shirts, cranial treatment, bachs flower remedies, homeopathic remedies, pet rescue remedy to name a few. You may need to make minor lifestyle changes to support your dog, and, do create a safe place where your dog can settle.

I'd recommend always speaking to your vet before using alternative therapies or homeopathic remedies and seeking the advice of a trainer or behaviourist to help.

We are here to help:

[email protected] [email protected]

www.familydogservices.co.uk

Claire & John

Thank you so much for all of your kind words.

Hugo and I had a ball this afternoon doing what we both love doing.

So so proud of him. 💙

So

I am not sure where to begin this post, but after months of deliberation Lead Training is going to be winding down. I have been doing less and less over the last few months and although I’m already starting to miss the sense of achievement and working with so many lovely people and their dogs due to events coming up and changes to my working hours it is currently the right thing to do.

However I am still going to continue training in conjunction with Family Dog Services

As you may know I have worked and been friends with Claire and John for a number of years and love their training styles their passion and care for the dogs.

I have handed the hall over to them in East Farleigh and will be assisting them with their training classes on a Monday evening along with any other events and classes they require assistance with.

The Monday evening classes have already started and are filling up fast, so If you are currently looking I would not hang around and register your interest now or better still register in advance via [email protected]

So sadly and with a tear in my eye it’s goodbye for now from Lead Training. I would like to thank all my clients for your support Steve and I have had the best time. Please keep in touch as this page is going to remain open along with my emails. Im always happy to answer questions where possible so don’t be afraid to ask.

Best wishes
Laura and Steve

On a sadder note it’s now been two weeks since we lost our Millie.

I can honestly say it’s not getting much easier as she is still very much on both of our minds but….

Millie was my one and only, she was the one that set me on this path to doing what I do now and she has taught me so so much. I have met so many wonderful people because of her.

Most of all she taught me to enjoy the journey even on the days that were a little more challenging than others. It does not all have to be serious.

Let your hair down and have some fun today.. stay cool though…☺️

Xx

Sorry we have been so quiet..

We have been super busy in the background behind the scenes with lots going on, so my updates have lapsed.

I have so much to tell you.

The most exciting being Hugo and I took part in a cognitive two day training course with Family Dog Services and Endeavour Canine.

It was a fabulous two days exploring how dogs learn and learning more about a dogs ability to problem solve and to see how good their memories are and every dog was different. This highlights working with the dog in front of you is so important.

It was a real eye opener and I’m looking forward to putting the results into practice when it comes to continuing Hugo’s training.

An excellent read. With lots of easy to follow advice.

Our books 'The Life of Rose, training puppies the family dog services way' and 'The Life of Rose, Becoming a Gundog' are both available on our website

https://www.familydogservices.co.uk/shop/p/thelifeofrose-becomingagundog

https://www.familydogservices.co.uk/shop/p/a-life-of-rose

We also have a digital download available covering loose lead walking and recall training

https://www.familydogservices.co.uk/shop/p/loose-lead-walking-recall-training-digital-download

www.familydogservices.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/The-Life-Of-Rose-819251128435132/

We have been super busy with class completions the last two weeks, another one to complete was Tuesday evenings dog school.

Well done it was great fun training with you. Training should be fun and rewarding too so thank you. I really do hope you enjoyed the course and continue to put into practice all that you have learnt.

Amazing!🤩

The class of two have graduated, it was a lovely small group and I wish I could run more classes like this. There was some excellent training and some great developments. I really wish you all the best with your training going forward. Well done. 👏🏻

⚠️🐾 Hidden Dangers in Long Grass! Protect Your Pets from Grass Seeds! 🐾⚠️

'No Mow May' has increased in popularity over the years, but please be aware of grass seeds!! 🌾🌾

Those seemingly harmless grass seeds can cause BIG trouble for your furry friends! 😱 As they move through long grass, these sneaky seeds can lodge in their fur, paws, eyes, nose, or ears.

This can lead to painful irritation, inflammation, and even more serious issues.

Don't ignore these warning signs! Seek a Vet check if your pet is:

🌾 Shaking their head
🌾 Scratching their ears excessively
🌾 Constantly licking or chewing their paws
🌾 Sneezing frequently
🌾 Showing any sores, swellings, or signs of pain

How to be a Grass Seed Guardian:

🥰 Steer clear of long grass during walks.
🥰 Become a post-walk patrol! Inspect your dog thoroughly, from nose to tail, and remove any seeds immediately, especially around paws and ears. Thoroughly check cats over after they have returned home
🥰 Keep their coat trim, particularly between their paw pads.

As always, if you have any concerns please contact the practice on 01622 734555