Of rainy days and modern technology…

One of the greatest tools we have to improve our relationship with our dog is the amazing smart phone – because now you can video things without masses of forward planning.

I suspect you, like me, aren’t keen on being photographed let alone filmed.

Yet the power of working with a good trainer is when they spot all your little habits, and point them out.

Watching back videos of your own dog and your training sessions will give you that outside perspective.

That’s why we so often encourage you to send us videos of the problem situations, and ask you to film your homework between classes!

You can read Andrea’s take on having rediscovered a year’s worth of videos across behaviour consults and training classes at the end of this blog…. (Andrea submitted this blog back in the middle of the June rain storms - remember them?!)

I especially love the way Andrea uses the videos to spot where she gets things right not just as a way to critique their performance - top marks!

We have Co-operative Care/Handling and Advanced Bodywork coming up on Monday 15th July.

You'll be able to get so much more out of these classes if you can video between sessions - it lets us give you much more detailed feedback plus your dog may be more relaxed at home.

Drop us a wee message if you want to check the suitability of either class for your dog - we have space for one more student in each class or you can attend as a spectator.


More information and booking - click here

It has been a little rainy recently, restricting outdoor activities to a point and providing you with plenty of opportunity to tackle all those jobs you always intend to do, but feel too guilty to attempt if the weather is outright gorgeous.

One mammoth tasks is keeping your digital photos and videos organised and delete unwanted footage. It is so easy to create all that footage and before you know it, warning signs are flagging up that your storage is almost full and you wonder how the hell did this happen AND more so, what are all these videos off???

Without realising, I created a bit of a documentary of Nate’s journey since his return home and him starting rehab sessions and classes with WCC. 

Watching the videos made me realise how far our little man has come.

During rehab sessions he has learned to cope better around other dogs and to communicate how he feels in his body language. I, on the other hand, learned to spot the cues and interpret his body language better.

Now, looking at some of our early videos, I see cues and signs in his behaviour and body language which at the time I did not “see”, but now, whilst reviewing the videos, are blatantly obvious to me. I see all the work we have done in classes and workshops and the subsequent homework we completed and, you guessed it, videoed diligently.

I now realise how much of a valuable training tool videos can be, as so many times I think we completed a task badly or it feels unstructured and chaotic, but when reviewing the video I spot so many things we did right and what we need to work on to get it done even better.

The progress we both made amazes me and I realise how differently I now handle situations with him, using all the tools I acquired along the way.

I can see how Nate responds more positively to my requests, is more attentive and how we communicate better with each other.

Of course, every day is still a school day (love that phrase) and we have good days and not so good days, but without all those videos, I don’t think I really realised how we have improved together and are working as a little team.

What a morale booster!

Thank you Morag, Clare and everyone else at WCC.

Three tips for surviving an enthusiastic canine running partner (canicross)

Canicross is all about your dog running with you as a team.

So it seems almost madness to complain when your dogs are really strong pullers!

But the truth is your dogs have the potential to run a lot faster than you and if your dog has enough muscle mass and determination, they can make a big difference to your running pace.

This is all very well when they’re pulling you up that hill, but it’s a lot less fun at the beginning of a race. Especially if the start is on a downhill!

Today one of our canicross group members asked

My male is incredibly strong on a general lead and can pull me off my feet almost with me in a harness, what is the best way to get him into canicross without risking life and limb?

 My answer is one of those it depends…

Because it does. It depends on the size of your dog, the strength of your dog, the ground underfoot, and the situation!

My preferred option is to go with what the dog is offering you. That means if you can learn to run a little bit faster, even just to begin with, so that you can take the power your dog is giving you rather than trying to hold them back or worse still heel strike to stop yourself going forwards too quickly so much the better.

But since living and running with Laird (36.4kg of muscled GWP), I’ve learned that just going with the pace isn’t always a safe or feasible option. Let’s face it. Laird can definitely run a lot faster than I can and it hurts when I try to sprint with him.

So instead here are my top three tips when one of your dogs is a superstrong enthusiastic canicrosser:

1. Make sure you have a clear distinction between the equipment that means running and racing versus walking calmly to the start line or walking by your side when the ground is tricky. For example, with Laird if I click the line to his collar then I’m asking him to walk beside me and under control. Rather than when the line is on his harness and he expects to be out front and working hard.
2. Create your own management plan that helps your dog to relax, stay calm and be attentive. You might choose to teach your dog some specific attention games or ask them to do simple behaviours like nose targets in exchange for very small treats. I also like to teach a conditioned relaxation cue that can be used to help bring those excitement levels down to something that is more bearable.
3. Lastly, I’ve recently discovered that it’s important to find the right balance of pre-running exercise or pre-race preparation. Often we might find that we’re running our dogs and that’s their first big bit of exercise of the day. Or we might both have been tapering down in preparation for a race. In my experience this works with some dogs, however, sometimes we need to include some pre-running exercise or prerace warmup etc in order to take the edge off that first really powerful sprint. So far I’ve had the best races with Laird when he’s had up to 2 hours of free running and hunting the night before a race and at least a 2 mile warmup before the actual event - he still has plenty of energy for running but he is also able to listen to my commands and back off if he’s pulling too hard 

My last little tip is also to look at the equipment and the kind of line you run your dog with. I love the non-stop full bungee lines because they make canicross feel smooth and connected. But, I found it easier to manage a big powerful strong pulling dog on a line that has slightly less elastic so that the dog can feel when they’ve actually reached the end of it.

The hints and tips above are based on my personal experience and from teaching canicross workshops for the last two years.

However as the Americans would say, your mileage may vary!

I’d love to know what’s worked for you and your dogs so please do post on our Facebook group hit reply to this email or comment on the blog post.

There are plenty of race events coming up and you’ll find those posted in our little Facebook group here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/140034202734285/

If you know of any events that allow canicrossers to join in please do let me know, post them up in the group and let’s spread the word and build awareness of our amazing sport.

Getting started or need a refresher?

If you’re just getting started on your canicross journey or you’d like to refresh on some of the core techniques our last introduction to canicross workshop of the season is running on Sunday, 10 March

Book your intro workshop here

 

Want to try something a bit more adventurous? 

Why not join us in the North York Moors on Sunday 31st March for an improvers workshop to learn how to descend without death, power up those challenging hills, and create a super focused canicross dog.

Location: The Cycle Hub, Fryup Dale YO21 2AP 

Book your adventure here!


Happy running!

Morag with #BeautyAndTheBeast

When is your puppy not learning?

Hey, it’s Clare, I’ve taken over the puppy blogs!! 

I’m going to use my experience, what the research shows us and input from our amazing clients to give you regular tips to help you with raising your puppy or preparing for a new addition. 

 Question: When is your puppy not learning? 

 Answer: NEVER…even when they are asleep their tiny brains are processing everything they’ve just learnt. 

 What does that mean for you as your puppy’s guardian? 

•  It means you’ve got to plan ahead and know what you want your puppy to learn, if you want them to greet people with all four feet on the ground you need to know how and when you're going to practice 

• You'll need good management strategies, remember your puppy is learning all of the time, make sure it's the stuff you do want them to learn. 

• You’ve got to know what floats your puppy’s boat, you need to be able to reward them for making those good choices 

Week 3 in our Puppy Foundations class is all about helping your puppy to learn good manners. One of the biggest problems new puppy owners bring to class is that their puppy wants to jump up at people to greet them and they would like their puppy to keep 4 feet on the ground, because it’s more polite and much safer! 

In last week’s class Juno the Labrador puppy was learning that she was much more likely to get attention or food rewards if she sat in front of people rather than jumping up at them. While her dads were learning how to manage situations so that Juno wasn't practising the unwanted behaviour.

Calling all Puppy Class graduates...


Are you a recent puppy class graduate and keen to discover your pups hidden talent? Could they be a Super Sniffer? a budding Agility Addict? a Parkour Ninja that loves climbing on things? or a Canicrosss Champion? 

Our 10 week Canine Activity Foundation Class gives you and your dog an introduction to a variety of different dog sports, teaching you some of the key skills required and discovering what you are going to enjoy doing together. 

 Classes start on Monday 21st January at 7.30pm 

 Book Canine Activity Foundations  

Having trouble with manners, recall or lead walking? 

Our three week intensive might be for you! 

These short focused courses allow you to practice on the one thing your dog struggles with, so rather than trying to learn lots of new skills all at once we'll just give you what you need to work on the main thing you need help with. 

 Book your class  


Happy Training 

Clare 

Why sciatica has been a blessing for this dog trainer

Rosie is a gorgeous, enthusiastic young labrador.

Life is unbearably exciting, and Rosie can't wait to be over there already.

Which means she pulls on her lead.

A lot!

Rosie's mum came to "Stay by my Side", our three week intensive training class to work just on getting Rosie to walk more calmly.

We cover three core skills in these classes, and help our dedicated teams really put them into practice.

Since there's only ever two students per class, you get plenty of personal support and feedback.

Which is how we learned that sciatica may just have been the secret advantage in my own loose lead walking programme!

In case you don't know, sciatica is a nasty kind of nerve pain that tends to shoot from your bum down the back of your leg.

It is seriously horrid, and tends to be made worse by bending, or sudden jerking movements. So a dog that pulls on their lead is about the worst thing ever.

I put a lot of effort into teaching my dogs to walk nicely, but don’t forget I also want them to pull when in running harnesses and helping me up hills.

That kind of distinction takes consistency, and short micro training sessions.

It means that we need to make sure that pulling doesn’t “work” for our dogs.

Look at the picture below – can you see how even though the handler hasn’t stepped forward the dog has still gotten at least two feet closer to what they wanted?

Bending at the waist, leaning forward, stretching out that arm…

I am NOT in any way suggesting we use the lead to correct or pull back the dog – but being mindful of where our hand is (by your side or belly button) and your body position (relaxed and upright) can help our dog to understand that pulling DOESN’T get them closer to what they wanted.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this simple tip – try it out and let me know how you get on!

Happy Training

Morag and the beasts 

What’s on in WCC Land 

Wed 21st November 6.40pm Stay By My Side 

Aching shoulders, sore hands and feeling like a power lifter after a walk? Want to try something different?

Last three week intensive for Loose Lead Walking this year starts 6.40pm, Wed 21st November at Murton

Half day workshops to learn new games to play with your dog before the winter really sets in

• Saturday 1st December: Gun Dog Games with Clare (just two spaces left)
• Saturday 8th December: "That's not a sheep!" Herding Breed Games with Morag (one space left) 
• Saturday 15th December: Terrier-tastic Training Games for your little hunter! With Morag (six places available

*just click the blue links to see more information or book your space 

Shhhhhh Xmas really is coming!

We’re planning a Festive Snifftacular on Wednesday 19th December with party games, challenges and scentwork fun. Even if your dog might not enjoy the party, you are very welcome to come along to join in the fun – there’s plenty for humans to do!
£15 per family

Tell us if you want to come here, and we’ll send you a special invite very soon!
Already replied? Don’t worry, you are on the guest list!!

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