Thursday Morning Focus

“Why don’t we use the time for a training session for our own dogs?”

Last week’s disgusting weather forecasts had led to a client’s planned training session being postponed and we were throwing ideas around about what to do with the booked venue (because when you’ve got a session booked at the Paw Park already, it seems a real shame to waste it!).

What started as a throwaway suggestion turned out to be the best idea I (Laura) had all week.

 As trainers’ dogs, our canine families spend a lot of time waiting while we help other people train with their dogs. At home while we teach classes, in vehicles while we run training sessions or settled on mats waiting to be demo dogs for a particular skill or technique.

Their own training time tends to get slotted into the gaps in our days – two minutes while the kettle is on, five minutes during a walk – but location and convenience limit what we can work on and, on particularly busy days, it might get neglected entirely.

Setting aside that dedicated time – just us and our dogs in a field, with no other distractions – gave us the space to work on the things we really wanted to work on.

There were no other dogs to make friends with (Seamus), no deer to chase (Laird), no floor snacks to steal (Brian) and no squirrels to stare at (Freya).

We could work multiple dogs at once, set up the session in the ways that work best for us and, most importantly, we could just have fun spending quality time with our dogs.

Honestly, it went so well we’ve made it a weekly thing.

Whether it’s a structured class, a trainer-led individual session, or time that you put aside to spend with your dog, these longer training sessions are a great opportunity to introduce new skills, or remind yourselves of long since forgotten skills (think of something you learnt at school that you haven’t practised since – I bet you can’t remember how to do it!

Our dogs aren’t really any different so it’s always worth going back to some of those old habits to make sure we’ve still got them).

If we take that time to lay the groundwork, we can reinforce those new skills during those two minute tea-break sessions.

This week, I challenge you to think of something you’d really like your dog to be able to do that they can’t already.

This might be one of those essential life skills (like walking nicely on the lead) or one of those cool tricks (like playing dead).

Then (and this is the harder bit), find yourself a timeslot in the week to start working on it.

Try it for three weeks and let us know how you get on with learning your new skills!

Happy training time!

Laura, Brian and Seamus (#teamsmallbutmighty) 

PS If you think you need something more concrete to help focus your training time, why not book a practical coaching session or take a look at our summer class schedule?

We know holidays can make for disrupted summers, so we’ve reworked things to offer shorter classes which will hopefully fit with your summer breaks! All classes run on a Monday (except the special Reactive Dogs Life Skills sessions)

Just click on the class you're interested in for more information!

Monday classes	18:30 - 19:15 (with Clare)	19:00 - 19:45 (with Morag)	20:00 (with Morag)	20:30 (with Morag)	20:30 (with Laura)
15 July	Husbandry & Cooperative Care STARTS	Advanced Bodywork STARTS	Mind Your Manners Level I STARTS	Baby Come Back FASTER Level II STARTS	Canicross 3 week Intensive: This way, that way
22 July	Husbandry & Cooperative Care	Advanced Bodywork	Mind Your Manners	Baby Come Back II	Canicross 3 week Intensive: This way, that way
29 July	Husbandry & Cooperative Care	Advanced Bodywork	Mind Your Manners	Baby Come Back II	Canicross 3 week Intensive: This way, that way
5 August	Husbandry & Cooperative Care	Sniffing School Level II: Get Tracking STARTS	Baby Come Back Level I STARTS	Stay by my Side LONGER Level II STARTS	Canicross 3 week Intensive: Get on by
12 August	Husbandry & Cooperative Care	Sniffing School Level II: Get Tracking	Baby Come Back	Stay by my Side II	Canicross 3 week Intensive: Get on by
19 August	APDT Good Companion Award STARTS	Sniffing School Level II: Get Tracking	Baby Come Back	Stay by my Side II	Canicross 3 week Intensive: Get on by
26 August	Bank Holiday	Bank Holiday	Bank Holiday	Bank Holiday	Bank Holiday
2 September	APDT Good Companion Award	--	--	--	--
9 September	APDT Good Companion Award	Bodywork Introduction STARTS	Stay by my Side Level I STARTS	Mind Your Manners EVERYWHERE  Level II STARTS	Canicross 3 week Intensive: Descending without death
16 September	APDT Good Companion Award	Bodywork Introduction	Stay by my Side	Mind Your Manners II	Canicross 3 week Intensive: Descending without death
23 September	APDT Good Companion Award	Bodywork Introduction	Stay by my Side	Mind Your Manners II	Canicross 3 week Intensive: Descending without death

The unanticipated side-benefits of training (or, why you should just listen when Morag tells you to do something…)

So last week Laura sent me a draft blog article.

It's always nice when I get a wee break from writing, and it's even nicer when the title is basically - do what Morag told you to in the first place!

And though I might claim otherwise, it's not really because I have all the answers. But it turns out some of the core skills that are important to me actually help with a whole range of other potential challenges.

For background, remember that the first dog all of my very own that I adopted (Finn) was a beautiful but troubled border collie. We had to work through baring and lunging at dogs, biting people and children, and much more.

So it was essential that we had good lines of communication, Finn needed to be able to focus on me and respond quickly, plus my sciatica meant that walking nicely was non-optional.

Does loose lead walking and obedience training solve everything? Heck no!

But when your dog understands

• it's important to check in
• that dragging you down the street isn't a good choice
• calm behaviour pays dividends of cheese....

then suddenly life in general can become much easier to deal with.

Read all about how some simple training games helped Brian and Seamus cope with seeing other dogs AND two cats on their walk two days after the session - it's the closest we can get to a magic fix!

I have to start this blog with a small confession – I have never really got round to training my dogs to walk nicely on the lead.

This isn’t to say that it hasn’t been on the training list but, fundamentally, I have small(ish) dogs who I do like to pull for some activities and the fact that they pull at other times hasn’t really bothered me.

So it keeps getting pushed back behind other priorities.

Recently though, Brian and Seamus have been getting quite barky on walks when they see other dogs – Seamus just wants to be friends with everyone and Brian has had some unfortunate encounters this year that have left him a bit suspicious of bigger dogs that he hasn’t personally vetted.

To combat this, we’ve been working on switching their brains on at the start of walks with a combination of nice lead walking and focused attention.

Today, we went for a twenty minute toilet walk and used our strategy as usual, with the result that we were able to be calm with all 10 (!) dogs that we met on route.

Then, as we left the little nature reserve that we walked in, we saw a cat dart across the road.

Seamus and Brian’s usual response to cats is best described as horrendous.

They forget anything else exists and it involves a lot of barking, squeaking, scrabbling and straining on the lead because WANT TO HUNT THE CAT - it is deeply obnoxious.

So, I steeled myself… …and they both just stared.

Intent focus, yes, and a little bit of squeaking from Seamus, but with their brains pre-switched on, there was none of the usual cat-related chaos.

They were both able to check in with me (ish) and even walk almost-nicely past the spot where the cat had run into.

Then we turned the corner and I watched as Brian saw a second cat ran away from us down the street and just sat down, while Seamus stood next to him and visibly shook with the effort of holding himself back.

A few more check-ins and we were even able to carry on walking nicely all the way home.

Self control is a muscle, not just for our dogs, but for us as well. It would have been so easy for me to just not bother with the training regime this morning (“eh, it’s only a short walk for toileting and I’m tired, what harm can it do?”).

But then I doubt we’d have been anywhere near as calm with the many dogs we met on our way round, so by the time we met the cats Brian and Seamus would have been wound-up and already frustrated.

I guarantee we’d have had all the usual chaos, and I’d never have had the chance to see how calm and controlled my boys can be if I set them up right.

And really, if that’s not motivation to carry on with the training plan, I don’t know what is!  

Laura, Brian and Seamus

 

What’s on at Well Connected Canine in York?

New 5 week class blocks starting on Mon 8th and Wed 10th April covering sports foundation skills, good companion obedience, sniffing school, parkour AND bodywork plus relaxation.
You can see the full programme here:
grab a weekly class!

And if you’re not sure what’s right for your dog just email me to chat it through (morag@wellconnectedcanine.co.uk)

Or if you’d rather opt for a short, sharp focused set of lessons, why not try a three week intensive to concentrate on nice walking (Stay By My Side), coming back (Baby Come Back), and polite behaviour (Mind Your Manners).

These have been really popular so make sure to book on early or you might miss your chance!

3 week intensives here


Want to try out a new sport?

Why not check out our evening Taster Workshops in Parkour (urban agility for dogs of all ages and breeds)

Getting Started with Parkour


Or enjoy running with your dog as a team!  Canicross really is for any breed (over the age of 1yr)

Canicross Introduction (evening)

Are you ready to dip your toes into breed specific training?

Try our half day workshops (Gun Dog Games or That’s Not A Sheep – for herding breeds)

Gun Dogs and Herding Breeds - Oh My!

Do I need a puppy training class?

Puppy classes are one of my favourite classes to teach, I enjoy getting to know the individual characters of each dog, I love to see the owners joy when their dog learns something new and I also like the support that working in a group provides “yes, my puppy grabs at clothing too!” 

I think that well run puppy classes are a great way to get your puppy off to the best start, but they might not be right for everyone. 

Benefits of attending a puppy class 

You should receive plenty of support from your trainer, we know how difficult raising a puppy can be, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows…more like needle teeth and endless supplies of kitchen roll! We want our puppy classes to provide a safe and supportive environment, where owners can ask questions and discuss how to deal with some of the challenges they face. 

Your trainer should provide you with on-the-spot coaching and feedback while you are training your puppy in class, adapting and progressing exercises throughout the session. The trainer can give advice on timing and when to reward your puppy. 

Trainers are really good at reading dog body language and they will help you learn about your puppy’s body language and behaviour in class. They can help you to recognise when your puppy may be feeling scared or worried or when they may be starting to get over excited and give guidance on what you can do In these situations. 

It can be difficult to set up situations in real life to practice some of the skills you puppy needs to learn, like greeting people without jumping up. Classes can provide great opportunities to practice these skills in a controlled way so you can feel more confident practising outside of class. 

Puppy classes come with a whole host of distractions, other dogs, people, noises, food etc. Your puppy class should be set up so that your puppy can be exposed to these distractions, but still able to learn and eventually settle around all these exciting things. A valuable skill for our dogs to learn! 

Classes are a great way to provide safe opportunities for socialisation, especially if your puppy is still waiting for their final vaccination. 

Owners are often concentrating so hard on training their puppies that they can’t remember everything the trainer talked about in the session, so to make sure you get all of the relevant information handouts are provided in class and we we’ve created an online teaching area full of extra resources and information.   

Classes aren’t for everyone 

Our puppy classes run for six weeks and we recognise that can be a big commitment for some families who are often busy with other activities or plans. 

The timings of our classes do not work for everyone, some owners work evenings or have small children who need to be in bed early. 

Sometimes being in a group situation can feel overwhelming for some owners and also for some puppies 

In these cases classes may not be the best solution and working with a trainer on a 121 basis may be a better option. 

Puppy classes aren’t compulsory and may not be for everyone, but they can be beneficial and get you off to a really great start. 

If you want to know more about our classes or recommend them to a friend just click on the image below 

Happy Training 

Clare and the gang 



P.S. We still have two places left on our upcoming Baby Gundog Mini workshop next  Wednesday 920th) evening 

 Open to any gundogs and gundog cross puppies

Baby Gundog Workshop