tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21444044309834436012011-12-19T09:38:25.708ZMorag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-33044073823473402402011-06-08T11:31:00.000+01:002011-06-08T11:31:19.907+01:00

Some information on our forthcoming events below. I would also like to thank the fourteen very kind people who responded to our request for puppy socialisers with York RSPCA - you know who you are!  We are exploring the options for more outdoor classes including groundwork and socialisation opportunities to be held on weekends and I will keep you updated! Wednesday 29th June 2011: Fun

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-86589458011988046132011-05-04T13:53:00.003+01:002011-05-04T13:56:51.230+01:00

Wednesday 11th May 6pm Beyond the Basics - Getting Started (ideal class for those who have completed basic training)7pm Beyond the Basics - Rally-Obedience (for fun and competition, working Level 1 and Level 2 exercises)8pm Confidence Course II (for dogs who have been assessed and/or completed a set of classes with us previously, suitable for dogs who wish to learn competitive dog sports but

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-13339800652440211562011-04-21T08:23:00.002+01:002011-04-21T08:29:48.652+01:00

This is a place holder - based on some experiences at Crufts 2011 and reading "remote collar training" websites (i.e. shock collars) I've been doing some thinking about why these methods can appear to help, and why sometimes they do. This does NOT mean I advocate their use!I'll be back to write more shortly, but one of the key concepts that keeps popping up for me is that we have selectively bred

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-70138033699069987602010-12-03T16:35:00.005Z2011-04-21T08:30:14.314+01:00

An all too common phrase used when people decide to give up a family dog for re homing. I understand it can be difficult to juggle family/work/dogs and other commitments, and maybe the perfect family does exist for your dog somwwhere. But, there are literally thousands of dogs looking for homes right now, and many of those will be put to sleep before the year is out. So think again, could you

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-34956991867935712912010-10-29T21:18:00.002+01:002010-10-29T22:03:50.702+01:00

SeminarsWednesday 10th November: Fun Rally-Obedience competition starts 7.00pmSpectators and competitors are very welcome! Dogs should be happy to remain in cars or lie quietly on the stage area when not working.Location is Acomb Parish Church Hall, Front Street. £10 per competitorThursday 11th November: Understanding Clicker Training starts 7.00pmA seminar looking at how best to use this

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-6642574320883090612010-07-26T10:46:00.001+01:002010-07-26T10:47:50.439+01:00

Wednesday Classes (starting 22nd September) 6.45pm Perfect Puppies and Beginners 7.30pm Confidence Course I 8.30pm Confidence Course II Thursday Classes (starting 23rd September) 6pm Beyond the Basics (Rally-Obedience) 7pm Beyond the Basics (Heelwork to Music) October Seminars Wednesday Advanced Clicker Training Thursday

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-441099842720108902010-06-23T09:09:00.004+01:002010-06-23T09:18:23.780+01:00

The Well Connected Canine classes are going really well, we're having great fun and seeing some really great changes in the dogs (and humans!). A few people have asked about assessments and things like the Kennel Club good citizen tests. Although we cover all of the material anyway I know its nice to have something to show at the end of a course, especially when things were difficult to start

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-48758810754461151232010-05-13T22:11:00.001+01:002010-05-13T22:13:01.692+01:00

Get Connected (2007) Brenda AloffThis large format book with accompanying DVD had sparked my interest when discussed on the DogRead Yahoo discussion group. From the title and sample pages it seemed like a really interesting proposition – a training text which explicitly included focus on the relationship between handler and dog. Some of the exercises are interesting, and as always Brenda’s

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-32341187356602599212010-05-13T22:07:00.002+01:002010-05-13T22:11:45.302+01:00

Pamela Dennison “Bringing Light to Shadow: Diary of a dog trainer”This relatively slim book is well written, comprehensive and quite honestly helped to change my entire relationship with Finn – my troubled rescue collie – at a time when I felt we were totally out of options. Part confessional, part narrative and part educational resource, this book talks the reader through the journey to

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-64084598125813267432010-05-10T20:10:00.005+01:002010-05-10T20:13:18.946+01:00

Wednesday 26th May 7.00pm – 8.30pm Acomb Parish Church Hall, Front Street, York. “Canine Nutrition and Feeding Choices” £5 including refreshments This informal evening will include an introduction to some of the varied ways to feed your canine companion from home cooked food to high grade processed food to raw feeding. We have invited experienced owners with

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-47100660883428801892010-03-16T14:33:00.003Z2010-03-16T14:39:59.027Z

Just a place holder to remind me to come back and post properly on this topic. I have an enduring interest in learning theory and methods from the perspective of a lecturer/supervisor at postgraduate level, as a dog trainer who works both with dogs and their humans, and also as a work colleague who seeks to improve communication in my academic environment.There seems to be a well established '

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-12909155322898165462010-02-19T22:55:00.002Z2010-02-19T23:01:00.797Z

Currently we're running two sets of Confidence Courses, a Perfect Puppy class and a very active Beyond the Basics course which is focusing on heelwork to music. In an effort to be more organised I'm posting up the details of the next seminars and classes!Seminars: 17th and 18th of March 20107pm Loose lead walking - problem solving and refresher session8pm Massage and TTouch for your dog -

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-27878671073830162712009-11-03T14:54:00.004Z2009-11-03T15:03:49.849Z

The next block of classes is filling up fast - fewer little puppies this term but plenty of 4 - 10 month old youngsters looking to learn good manners! We are still looking for dogs and handlers to come to the Beyond the Basics class on a Wednesday night though - learn Rally-O, heelwork to music, advanced clicker training and much more! Beyond the Basics runs from 11th November at 7.30pm and we

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-71813502234564977572009-10-26T08:57:00.003Z2009-10-26T09:07:07.290Z

This isn't a full blog on the subject, though its a topic very dear to my heart! Just a collection of postings that I've been putting up on various forums, most importantly to discourage the use of ACP as a 'treatment' for noise sensitivity.ACP does not 'calm' them down, its a basic muscle relaxant which appears to leave the brain fully functioning and worrying. If you have given enough and the

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-30654024758782249202009-10-21T13:05:00.004+01:002009-10-21T13:25:18.236+01:00

Attending a recent seminar with the APBC, and explaining the joys of clicker training (and therefore learning theory) to recent classes has sometimes made me wonder if I am in the grip of a clicker obsession - and more to the point, is that such a bad thing?Experiences at seminars and with other trainersI am always surprised when other trainers feel the need to make it clear that they "are NOT

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-44008026780668930302009-09-22T11:29:00.004+01:002009-09-22T11:54:44.259+01:00

As readers of this blog will know, I have a special interest in fearful and/or reactive dogs since being introduced to this by my own Finn. A chance conversation with a friend over the weekend raised the possibility that simply by exposing a dog to their fear-inducing stimuli, they would "get used to it" or in more technical language "habituate". We can see how this is unlikely to work when the

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-7309923272041311822009-09-11T16:22:00.004+01:002009-09-11T16:49:50.762+01:00

At the suggestion of some of our students (thanks folks!) we are offering bi-monthly seminars. These provide a little break between each block of classes, but also allow us to go into interesting topics in more depth.Anyone at all can attend, there is a minimal fee to cover the hall rental and you do not have to have attended classes with us already.For some seminars you may be able to bring

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-4584047374005015752009-09-11T16:09:00.003+01:002009-09-11T16:20:09.160+01:00

So the first week of classes is over and I can honestly say it was fantastic - an amazing group of owners and dogs with some amazing breakthroughs already, and a brilliant attitude in every single session!This week we ran week one of all four class options:perfect puppies - started with a session of no dogs, much easier for everyone to concentrate, ask questions and ease those first training

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-46539162112697290702009-08-25T17:09:00.001+01:002009-08-25T17:10:24.038+01:00

Bringing kind, fair and effective training classes for dogs to York! All ages and breeds of dogs are welcome. Location: Acomb, York on Wednesday and Thursday evenings Classes: All classes run for 7 weeks and cost £60 per block. If you feel your dog would benefit from an introductory assessment or some one-to-one coaching we can arrange this before you join a class! You are very welcome

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-74369341005584412032009-06-03T19:17:00.005+01:002009-06-03T19:23:30.366+01:00

The Confidence Course:Training, TTouch and Bodywork to create a calm focused canineMorag Heirs, trainer and bodyworkerJanet Finlay, trainer (APDT) and TTouch practitioner 1This weekly course offers you the chance to work with your dog in a controlled environment. We use motivational training methods incorporating toy, food and environmental rewards alongside reward marking/clickers. We will not

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-53637481335672462072009-06-03T19:07:00.007+01:002009-06-03T19:15:28.939+01:00

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-17808878854801845002009-05-21T22:25:00.003+01:002009-05-21T22:52:26.677+01:00

(sorry I missed out on week 5 - its been hectic!)Pics to come later - can't find my camera cable at the mo.Tonight's goals were to increase Max's levels of relaxation while also increasing activity and movement. I suggested that Trish work through the Relaxation Protocol (Karen Overall) stages right from the beginning of class, and whenever he was getting too hyped up to return to their mat and

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-29337690039430628562009-05-19T15:35:00.003+01:002009-05-19T15:45:52.617+01:00

Today I went home for lunch as usual, time for a quick training session with my dogs. Farah had great fun doing some freeshaping but Finn just couldn't work with me. Standing and staring, panting a little, tail curled under and moving from place to place.Why?Because it's raining today. Yup, it's raining. Heavy showers so a little like pre-thunder rain which unsettles him (although he loves being

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-83719371634313577942009-05-14T16:15:00.003+01:002009-05-14T16:19:15.716+01:00

I'm sort of starting this thread because I've been thinking a lot about it recently. From ending up in a discussion about choke chains with a woman who attended a clicker training workshop (she thought 'check chains' were really good if you knew how to use them properly) and then following up comments/discussions online about using e-collars and the like, I feel like my brain is going round in

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-43262055038462355552009-05-12T14:41:00.005+01:002009-05-12T15:32:52.396+01:00

(note to self: also need to blog about Finn and Farah's amazing achievements this morning and at training class!)We started the car work today with Finn, just a short 10 minute session.Finn sitting on folded down seats in back of car - means I can reach to treat himclick and wads of food for just being calmclicks and wads of food for choosing to lie down nicely, no pantingnose touch and paw touch

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-7222463962677194032009-05-11T08:49:00.002+01:002009-05-11T08:55:52.451+01:00

Back at work after a fab day out at the Fun Clicker Training Day yesterday.I am the proudest dog mom in the world right now, Farah was perfect, utterly attentive, super keen depsite having to work off lead in front of an audience (has been a problem lately) and Paddy said she thought we could crack the formal retrieve in just a few sessions. In the afternoon she learned to nose a football toward

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-84181187852913755242009-05-07T22:13:00.007+01:002009-05-07T23:09:19.856+01:00

Our goals for this evening were to introduce Mirri (reactive lurcher) to the parallel games, work on group relaxation and find a way to help Max with being less distracted around dogs and other excitements. Both Mirri and Finn find it difficult to cope when other dogs are being excited, moving quickly etc and typically would bark/lunge in varying degrees of intensity. We are hoping to use the

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-37222507692318469082009-05-05T21:49:00.009+01:002009-05-05T22:22:17.372+01:00

Meet Farah - my very special little girlie! She is about 3 and a half years old and came to me via Wiccaweys Border Collie and Working Sheepdog Rescue. Farah was originally handed into a pound by her family (her collar tag read "My name is Farah and I am a good dog, but very hard of hearing") and unfortunately was due to be put to sleep (PTS) at just 4 months of age. Thankfully a small Irish

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-14408405821687022092009-05-02T20:55:00.009+01:002009-05-02T21:29:07.888+01:00

We were a little smaller for this session since Janet (TTouch trainer) and Mirri couldn't make it. However that did mean we could try out some more demanding exercises because Max is pretty familiar with both of my dogs.We revised look at that and the 'leave' game - Max is happily ignoring several treats even when thrown past his face so we're starting to add in the verbal cue now. Farah is

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-87816404004769238832009-04-30T16:35:00.000+01:002009-04-30T16:36:32.885+01:00

PLEASE EVERYONE CROSSPOST : SPREAD THE WORD : PUT UP POSTERS IN ANY AREA : THESE DOGS COULD BE MOVED ANYWHEREAngela Briggs van was stolen with her two dogs; Chester and Drift inside - this is from Angela:It happened outside Bierley Community Centre, Bierley, Bradford at 10.20pm Tuesday 28th,I have been up all night searching for them, I or the police haven't a clue where the van is or where my

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-86419692804747775122009-04-30T14:54:00.005+01:002009-04-30T15:04:53.492+01:00

So how often does Finn need to travel and how necessary is it...to see our specialist vet in Leeds (about 45mins each way) usually every 6 weeks for acupuncture and homeopathy follow-ups but can be less oftenonce a week or less to go with our dogwalker when I am out of town at meetings etcMonday evenings 15mins trip to dog training classesonce or twice a week to go for longer walksusually every

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-27290361326932513292009-04-29T21:21:00.007+01:002009-04-29T21:51:36.320+01:00

Tonight's gentle walk turned out to be more of a training exercise than I planned, but thankfully I grabbed a treat bag and clicker before we headed out! As usual there was me + sensitive fearful Finn + deaf wannabe-traffic-herder Farah. Usually on these walks I can focus on Farah's training while Finn bimbles along taking in the smells. Tonight we ended up doing some good work instead! I've

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-88413414115424480412009-04-28T09:39:00.004+01:002009-04-28T10:01:57.523+01:00

My older collie Finn came to me with a lot of baggage, fears and outright phobias which in some cases we have had to use medication to cope with. To put it into perspective at one point he had become so fearful of overhead planes that I had to seriously consider having him put to sleep as his quality of life was so appalling. Thankfully we have largely moved on from that dark place, although he

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-382094059312378662009-04-25T14:29:00.003+01:002009-04-29T21:35:21.065+01:00

I came across Leslie McDevitt's amazing book "Control Unleashed" (or CU) last year and, like reading Pam Dennison's books,its been a life changing experience for me and hopefully my dogs too. CU is both a programme, a set of training games and a philosophy all in one. It seems to draw its roots from non-confrontational training principles that build communication and trust between dog and handler

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-67608629316828402522009-04-24T10:58:00.002+01:002009-04-24T10:59:05.256+01:00

Finn, short for Finnegan, who is now around 9 years old and was adopted from Bothwell SSPCA near Glasgow in 2004. Finn's history suggests he was owned by a gentleman with mental health and alcohol problems who repeatedly left him out to stray. The dog warden picked him up as a 'problem stray' and Finn ended up with the SSPCA for several months during which time he contracted very bad kennel cough

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-57582448028996351212009-04-21T14:55:00.000+01:002009-04-21T15:08:49.680+01:00

The dogs and I went on a fairly stiff walk on Sunday (Pen-y-Ghent in the Yorkshire Dales) as part of our training for tackling the Three Yorkshire Peaks at the end of May. My dogs always wear limited slip collars which prevent them backing out, and with no buckles that could accidentally pop/release or break. Very strong collars that carry all the necessary ID (I love these ones http://

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2144404430983443601.post-80206739380925373172009-04-16T16:14:00.000+01:002009-04-16T16:18:34.397+01:00

So this is my first time blogging per se, I use livejournal to keep up wih friends around the world but hopefully this blog will give me an outlet for all those thoughts and questions about the canine world.The Well Connected Canine is going to be my new business venture, to be officially launched once I have completed the dreaded PhD (homeopathy for ADHD in children for anyone who might be

Morag Heirshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10496569621515338512noreply@blogger.com0