Teddy Bear's Picnic, lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy / John W. Bratton
*and yes, that is Laird temporarily back on a long line in very exciting places. All part of my plan to give him more freedom later in the year*
In case you need to drive out the earworm, listen to the whole song here! I hope you've been able to find something better than muddy floodwater in the woods this week? All fingers crossed here for better weather in March, not least because we have all sorts of workshops and events planned.
Social Skills (for dogs that sometimes struggle)
Safe spaces for your dog to practice their conversational skills with other dogs or people. These sessions are ideal if your dog is ready to get closer, learn how to make friends or build tolerance levels. Maximum of two spaces per session
When: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays - there will be evening sessions from the spring
If you missed out on booking in to try Hoopers, we have one more workshop running before regular classes start. You MUST have attended a taster session or a 121 intro with Clare to be eligible for the classes!
That's not a sheep! Herding Dog Games (with Morag)
Does your dog crouch, stare, fixate or chase stuff? Ever feel like you've just been herded round a walk? Are other dogs puzzled by your herding dog's behaviour?
During this half day workshop we'll be learning about the special quirks of the herding dog brain and incorporating games designed for them into your training to help build focus, steadiness, recall and the start of control at distance...plus more! Open to all breeds of dog, not just collies!
Yep, it's that time of year again when the world seems full of good ideas and shiny resolutions. Not to mention the fields are full of dogs suddenly being walked more than usual.
I'm (Morag) a big fan of setting goals, tracking actions and reviewing progress.
But I'm NOT a big fan of the whole new year/new you shenanigans.
The trick is to figure out your goal, and then break that down into the daily or weekly actions that will get you closer.
Rather than tracking your success each week, just make sure to record what you actually did. You can control what you take action on even if the results are variable!
For example
I can make a point of practicing attention games with Laird at least twice on every walk in dense woodland.
Does that guarantee that he will have been paying attention?
Heck no!
But it massively increases the chance that he will be paying more attention as the days and weeks go past...
We can give you the games, techniques and tools - you just need to put in the consistent effort.
We're officially back in the office from Monday 6th January, and bookings are already open for our January classes (start 15 Jan) if you want some support in taking those regular tiny actions!
Morag, Clare & Laura
Well Connected Canine
What’s going on in WCC Land?
Weekly classes are moving to Wednesday evenings from 15th January 2020
Games for Gundogs Multibuy Gift Certificate: Book Here
Social Skills for Dogs That Struggle are running in smaller groups, more often! See all your options for January, there's at least four sessions per month now: Book Here
Parkour really is the activity for all occasions and we have an introductory session in January plus a brand new Parkour Challenge in the Wild workshop in February
Multi-dog harmony was a popular request last year so we’re offering a webinar in January to introduce the core skills, AND a practical workshop in February to put it into practice. BOOKINGS OPENING SOON!
There are fewer places on most workshops so you can get more focused, individualised help!
“How did you get your dogs to do that?” someone shouted over at me in the park yesterday.
I looked over, wondering what he meant.
Freya as usual, was insisting on training and doing tricks at me while Brontë wimbled happily by my side. Laird was thundering back towards us.
The chap wanted to know how I managed to get my dogs to come back when I called them. He had a little Lhasa apso who was very definitely staying on lead.
“With cheese and balls” was my mostly serious answer!
We had an interesting conversation about making sure we give our dogs a good reason to come back to us and how we might start training it.
And then, I came home to open my email and found a message from Jane and John (not their real names) who have been working hard to stop
their big retriever crossbreed from charging off to greet other dogs and
ignoring any suggestion from the owners that she might want to come
back.
Your training works!
It was busy with dogs today so it was a good test for her. She did
very well and we were really chuffed. We then met some friends who have
3 dogs. They kept remarking about how calm she was compared with when
they’d last seen her 2 or 3 months ago. She was almost laid back with
the other dogs!
Recall, or coming back when asked to, is one of those essential life skills.
It can turn walking your dog from a tiresome task into a pleasant enjoyable experience.
And when we talk about recall, I need your dog coming back promptly when you call or whistle them. Not just coming back at the end of a play session or after chasing the rabbit!
It’s a deceptively simple process, but you have to be consistent in your training and only take tiny little steps forward when your dog is really ready.
The not-so-secret Secret Recipe for Recall
start playing games that encourage and reward your dog when they pay attention to you (parkour, scentwork, tracking, hand targets, and anything else)
stop letting your dog run off and ignore you (long lines are your friend)
start teaching a brand-new recall cue (a word or whistle pattern) and link it with the best ever reward for your dog (find their crack cocaine)
practice the new recall in very low distraction places to begin with (inside the house, in your garden, in a secure field and so on)
gradually build up the level of distraction and always be willing to drop back a stage if your dog is struggling
If you're reading this email or blog, and have an nagging sensation that your dog's recall is not as good as it could be, why not commit to recall being your summer training project?
It’s never too late to sharpen up or introduce a reliable recall.
It really can save your dogs life.
And it will improve their quality of life and yours!
We offer level I and level II Baby Come Back courses to sharpen your skills, and you can ask us for a private course too!
Happy recalling
Morag, the big Yin (it’s nearly his one-year gotcha Day) and the collie girls
P. S. Our recall is a bit of a work in progress. Freya is pretty reliable except if she gets too far away and finds a real bunny, but Project Squirrel has been a great success. Laird is pretty amazing unless he is actively on the hunt for something, and deer are our personal nemesis right now. But I promise we are working on it, and I’m using exactly the same techniques that we teach you in our courses!
P.P.S. yes, it has been a while since I emailed and blogged to you all, sorry about that! I've been a bit poorly lately and am still recovering so don't be surprised if it takes me a little longer to reply to emails or messages
"Hi Clare, I need to go into hospital today, can you look after Laird for a couple of days?"
Those words initially filled me with dread, not because I don't
love the giant GWP goofball that is Laird, but because I didn't know how
Spencer, my reactive German Shepherd, would cope with a strange dog in
the house.
"Yes, of course, that's fine, no
problem"
was my response, though inside I was slightly panicking!!
I
knew my other dogs would be fine, Poppy and Summer would just ignore
him and Scout would just want to follow him around, imagining he was
herding him.
Spencer was my big concern, he's
fine meeting tiny puppies but introductions to new adult dogs are done
over several session usually taking a few months.
I'm
pleased to say that all my panicking had been for nothing and Spencer
coped amazingly well with his new giant cousin, even having a few sneaky
sniffs here and there!
And here's the proof by day 2!
Spencer made me feel
very proud of how far he has come and that all our hard work has paid
off!
One of the things that really helped our training was being able to
practice our skills in real life situations, having set-ups that
allowed us to progress and build Spenders confidence in a safe
environment.
Clare and the slightly less scaredy GSD Spencer
Rehab Sessions
Our
Rehab sessions give you the chance to practice your skills around other
dogs in a safe environment, with additional coaching and support.
Choose from Tuesday afternoon or Sunday morning sessions, in York (with Morag) or South Cave (with Clare)
*NEW* Scentwork for Reactive Dogs Sat 2nd February 2019
Does your dog struggle to be calm around people or other dogs?
This half day workshop introduces scentwork and how it can benefit your dog, including practical coaching, individual coaching and looks at how you can incorporate searches into your training and walks.
Held at the Paw Park, Sand Hutton, York. Please note, dogs will need to be able to settle in cars when not working.
