Bang! Yes, it's fireworks season yet again...

What does your dog do when they hear fireworks?

1. Sleep through them soundly? 
2. Quiver, shake, drool and try to hide away from the dreaded fireworks?
3. Or take dreadful offence at the invading noises, and bark to scare them off?

Unless you answered with option 1, you're going to need a survival strategy to put in place fast.

And if your young puppy hasn't experienced fireworks yet - you will want to be prepared to make sure it's fun for them.



Noise fears and phobias are some of the most insidious behaviour problems I see in my clinical practice, and years of living with sensitive collies has given me more practice experience than I ever wanted!

Yes, you should have thought about fireworks before now.

But life is busy, and suddenly it's nearly November *eeek*

Fireworks Fears? Online Help for just £5

Friday 25th October, 7.30pm

 with Morag K Heirs PhD, Clinical Animal Behaviourist

You CAN stop the fears getting worse this year AND make a plan to help your dog cope better next year too.

The session includes evidence and experience based techniques to support your dog, when to talk to your vet for extra help, and the chance to ask questions about your own dog.

SESSION WILL BE RECORDED - you can attend live or send in your questions in advance


If you are dreading the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th of November (and the weeks before and after!) then you NEED to attend this webinar.


Fight the Firework Fears





However in some unexpectedly good news, Sainsbury's have announced that they will no longer stock fireworks. I can't tell you how delighted I was to hear this! Let's keep pushing the other supermarkets to step up to the mark.

Enjoy the peaceful evenings while you can, and I'm looking forward to seeing some of you online later this week.


Morag, the Collie Girls (one deaf, one much braver than she was) and the Big Yin (what noise?)

What's on in WCC Land?

We're starting to make plans for the annual WCC Xmas activity evening at Yorkshire Museum of Farming.


It turns out the WCC family have some amazing hidden skills including how to make snuffle mats, seriously tough tug toys from old clothes and more.

So we're hosting a festive "come and craft" evening where you can bring your own materials, and we'll help you transform them into amazing canine gifts.

• PLUS the ever popular "bring and swop" table for all your unwanted dog-related items, with anything left at the end going to local rescue organisations
• AND Gina will be running the raffle again with all monies going to local rescues.
• Morag will be baking (for your dogs!) and could be persuaded to bring some recipe sheets?
• Clare will be in charge of mince pies and gingerbread of course
• and we might just persuade Laura to bake for you too.

DATE COMING SOON! 

Adapt or die – a terrifying lesson from January 2019! (Love Your Business)

Without wishing to traumatise any of you lovely folks reading this missive, I am going to have to mention the B***** word…

Because this January has been more challenging than normal for my business.

And when I started writing these emails and blogs, I promised to be honest about the ups as well as the downs.

The beginning of the year is definitely a weird one for trainers and behaviourists.

There’s often an influx of new puppies for classes, or struggling puppies for 121 sessions.

And we tend to get a lot more enquiries about behaviour help for the dogs who bit relatives over the festive period.

What’s less reliable is the uptake in weekly classes - sports, activities and other progression stuff.

It can be a tough time of year financially, but this year feels even harder.

And I really do think we’re finally feeling the Brexit effect. Uncertainty is at an all time high, and that means people are less likely to spend money especially if that’s on a perceived luxury.

The good news is that we could see this coming because

• We monitor enrolments and enquiries weekly - which gives us scope to make last minute changes where they are needed rather than panicking at the end of the quarter 
• If people don’t sign up for classes they’d expressed an interest in earlier, we gently but persistently ask why – we need this information to be able to adapt 

What are we doing as a result?

• Making changes to our class schedule so courses are a bit shorter (and therefore cheaper without cutting the price) 
• Offering more half day themed workshops (require less commitment from owners) 
• Concentrating on promoting our core earners (puppy classes and behavioural work) 
• Making sure we monitor enquiries, follow-up and conversion rates for puppy and behaviour categories 

Have you noticed the Brexit Bite hitting your business yet?

What steps are you taking now? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Morag 

UltraCaniCrosser, Firewalker, Clinical Animal Behaviourist

PS Thanks for the feedback on the webinars, I’m so glad you enjoyed them but I know not everyone managed to book on for the whole set.

If you want to catch up on any of the webinars that you missed from last year, or go back through them and start taking action, they are all finally uploaded and available!

Choose a single webinar + resource pack (£15+vat each), or grab the whole set of 6 for just £80+vat

You have access to these for as long as Teachable exists, and I’ll add extra resources to each pack as and when I think of them.

https://wellconnectedcanine.teachable.com/p/the-business-of-behaviour-training 

But I have soooo much to do, I can’t possibly stop and plan… (Love Your Business)

Yeah, we’ve all been there.

Sometimes I’m still there too.

But we also know that

Which is all very well, but it’s still hard to take time out from your busy day.

This month I’m mostly concentrating on planning ahead for 2019 with my awesome wee team. It might seem a long way off, but it will be January before we know it.

Last night we sat down together, drank tea and talked about our top four for next year:

1. What do I want to do more of? 
2. What do I want to do less of? 
3. What do I want to learn or do that’s new? 
4. What am I doing now that I feel fairly indifferent about? 

And that threw up some really interesting answers, even for myself.

I can already see how there are possible collaborations (like between me and one of my puppy trainers who is also an amazing RVN for fear free handling clinics).

It’s easier to see who might need to be rotated off teaching the puppy programmes before they burn out too. No one really wants to do the same thing every day or week for eight years!

Even if you don’t have a team, I’d strongly recommend that you try out these questions for yourself.

It could be about the type of 121 clients you see, behaviour cases you take on, or classes that you teach….

And if you’re a little bit curious about what it’s like working in a team versus flying solo why not join me for the next Love Your Business: Webinar. 

We'll look at the practical challenges of bringing other people into your business, the legal implications (self employed, zero hours contract, or ???) and how to negotiate working relationships.

Thursday 1st November at 7pm: Team versus Solo working Book the last Webinar!

It’s the last one in the current series!!

I’m taking a wee break from the webinars to put all the recordings together as one resource, plus it looks like I have a couple of books to crack on with writing.

There WILL be more webinars because I love running them, and I want to hear what you want from me!

Suggestions so far have included

• Communicating with vets and insurance companies 
• Creating “compliance” with clients 
• Writing clear, effective coaching emails for clients 
• Developing a behavioural or training speciality – finding your niche 

Tell me what you want help with and I will do my best.

Have a great weekend, and don’t forget to sign up to the last webinar in the current series….

Book the last Webinar!

Morag 
UltraCaniCrosser, Firewalker, Clinical Animal Behaviourist

Relentless follow-up with a side order of caring compassion - why you should be providing it (Love Your Business)

Do you know why clients vanish rather than replying to your emails, texts or phone calls?

Did you send out an amazing training plan, but heard nothing back?

Was the person super keen on the phone, but hasn’t actually booked their session yet?

*pssssst secret coming up*

It gets in the way – even if it’s not a major crisis. But often big stuff happens and replying to your email or call slips off the list.

And then it's been weeks since they spoke to you.

Instead of making assumptions about why that client didn’t get back to you 

(Were you too expensive? Did they not believe you could help them? Has the dog bitten someone?)
just keep following them up until you find out!

When do you stop following them up?

Well, that’s up to you. For me, if it’s a behaviour client then I’m going to follow-up until they

• reply to tell me why they don’t want to continue
• book the follow-up call

And after three months I send my very final closing email and text that lets them know I’ve taken them off our active client list.

Am I annoying? Maybe a little!

But it’s done with humour and kindness. 

Because I know life gets in the way, and I promised to help them and their dog.  And follow-up is one of the ways I help people.

Today’s happy follow-up story

 

I just came off a really positive Skype call with a behaviour client. Since I hadn’t heard from them in over two months, I wasn’t sure how it would go.

I saw them back in June 2018. We went through the usual phone consult and vet referral process. A face to face assessment was provisionally booked in but I had to chase several times by email to make sure it was all confirmed with payment.

The session was brilliant, everyone made so much progress and the dedication was clear to see. The detailed plan went out by post and email, with the link to book a follow-up call as part of the package.

Absolute silence…

My heart used to sink at times like this. 

Had something really bad happened? Were they disappointed with the session? Had I given them too much homework?

I sent out my usual follow-up reminder emails about three weeks apart (and yes, I have a template for those too!)

And then suddenly I saw they had booked a follow-up call.

Tonight, they told me that things have been going so well they were able to take their dog on holiday with them. He enjoyed visiting local shops and spending time at the seaside with his precious family – and wasn’t worrying about strangers! Even the vet had commented on the big change in the dog’s attitude and confidence.

And now we have a wee plan to work on the other problems, and I’ll chase them in a friendly way to make sure the follow-up calls get booked in.

As for the follow-up emails and texts – they loved them. Between job stress, family stuff and lots of hospital appointments it was too easy for them to lose track of things. They said thank you for the regular reminders and chases.

Can't imagine spending all that time or effort?

Did you just read this whole email thinking “yeah that’s fine for you, Morag, but I can’t afford to spend my time following up clients…..”

Really? Because that’s an important part of what we do. And it should be reflected in your pricing.

If pricing is a dirty word for your brain, why not book onto the next Love Your Business webinar all about setting your prices, how to estimate costs, and when to discount.

Thursday 30^th August 7pm

Each webinar is recorded and available for 30 days BUT you must book on to get access! 

Just click the bold date in the calendar below to grab your space, and don't forget your discount code if you are an APBC or APDT member.

Report writing: love it or loathe it?

"I hate writing reports."

"I've got strategies and templates to make report writing faster, but it's still my least favourite part of my job."

"I wish I could just train the dogs and the humans!"

Does any of that feel familiar?

Whether it's a plan for loose lead walking, or a full behaviour report - writing up the session is rarely our favourite part of the job!

I don't know about you, but my training didn't give me much in the way of report writing skills...yet I genuinely love writing action plans for clients. Last week I managed to include three pictures of Jack Nicholson from "The Shining" in an action plan to help a dog cope with visitors!



Why do you write "reports", and who are you really writing them for?

• Is it notes and records for your own files? We do have a responsibility to keep notes on our sessions, log observations and concerns, and progress.
• Are you writing a "report" for a vet so they know what we've found, recommended, and what the owner might ask them about?
• Is it an assessment that evaluates the animal's behaviour, and offers the owner a range of options?
• Or is it an action plan setting out exactly what you and the owner have agreed to do, how often and in what situations?

These are all very different beasts, and they shouldn't look the same!

If you feel disheartened about writing a report, it might mean you've lost sight of what you are writing, and who is going to benefit.

Personally, I think report writing is really important. My clients only have a couple of hours with me initially, then I need to them to get cracking on their own before our catch-up call and practical sessions. Even if I see them regularly, they'll still need a reminder to refer back to.

That "report" could be the inspiration that keeps them going between sessions, and provides the answers when they are struggling - all of which saves me extra emails and phone calls if I did a good job.

Some of you have asked about the different layouts and styles I use in my reports, and how I've made them fast and easy to write while still being effective.

So I'm delighted to announce the first in a new series of webinars designed to help you love all aspects of your job in behaviour - all about report writing.

We'll look at different types of reports, balancing content with ease of use and client buy-in, how to present them and learning to love the process.

Thursday 2nd August @ 7pm
(It will be recorded but you need to sign up to be sent the link afterwards)

Book here (don't forget to use your special discount coupon if you are a Penguin)

Book your space for happier report writing

Morag

Ultra-Canicross Runner, Firewalker, Clinical Animal Behaviourist

PS this is the new, revised version of this webinar, but here's a wee selection of what the last attendees had to say about the content
 

Would you recommend the webinar? Yes, definitely because it was very informative. The quality was good and I enjoyed seeing you in addition to the slides, it made the presentation more personable.
What was the most valuable part of the this webinar for you?  All of it!!
Would you class yourself as an experienced or novice behaviourist?  An experienced behaviourist, but I am not an organised person and I struggle with the running side of the business.

PPS I've committed to a whole series of webinars - there's sure to be something that would help you love your job a little more!
Click here to see them all

Jets, sheep and grouse - oh my!

or What happened on my holidays, and why I love resilience

Hello!

Well that was an exciting holiday week to say the least.  Wales was beautiful of course, and the hills were satisfyingly high.

I hadn’t bargained on the level of distractions at the “idyllic” cottage though.

• Grouse breeding pen in the garden
• No secure boundary (three exits, two leading onto roads)
• Randomly increasing numbers of ewes and lambs appearing in the garden (7 on the last day)
• Mach loop flight path (half hourly low-level flyovers from 9am into the night)

And for context, we already knew it might be a challenging week since it was the first time everyone in our group had been on holiday since all the additions. Our party had a total of 8 adults, one baby and five dogs (baby and two of the dogs are new). 

What did I learn from my holiday?

That my dogs are bloody amazing. And I probably don’t give them enough credit. 

Yes I was sensible, and they were largely on leash in the garden but certainly not all of the time. 

My beasts coped beautifully with Ellie the baby (Laird and Ellie are rather smitten with each other), no one chased anything, and Freya barely flinched at the jets!

We did have a bit more bad luck on the narrow roads requiring an emergency stop (blind bend with road works and a red light but no prior warning). Freya was understandably upset, but she recovered after a day or so – which is amazing given what she’s had to deal with in the last year.

The secret to our success?

Resilience.

The ability to bounce back and cope even in difficult situations.

Freya’s resilience is hard won – we’ve had to work damn hard with training, confidence building and drugs to support her.

Laird on the other hand seems to have the benefit of a super solid temperament from both his genetics and early life. He really is one of the easiest dogs I’ve ever lived with despite the black eyes and adventurous eating habits…

And that made me think of the lovely people who have just booked a phone session with Clare. They want to find the right puppy for their family, and they’ve asked us to help them!

If you’re thinking about adding a puppy or a rescue dog to your family, or you have a family member who might - why not talk to us before you fall in love. Get expert advice on what to look for, and the red flags to run away from.

It’s okay to have a wish list for your next dog, so long as it’s realistic. The perfect dog (or human!) simply doesn’t exist. But you can stack the odds in your favour if we help you to sift through the pages of possible second chance dogs, and resist the new puppy smell when you meet a whole litter of adorable puddings.

I met several potential dogs before I brought Laird home. I’m not just lucky that he is amazing, I had a clear idea of the essential characteristics needed to enjoy living with me. 

Book your “new family member” chat with Clare and start off in harmony: booking link

What’s going on in WCC Land?

Quite honestly what’s not – we’re back from our holidays and super motivated to spread the word about positive training and awesome relationships.

Workshops for your dogs

• Canine Activity Foundations  (Sun 9th Sept) – a one day taster workshop to find out your dog’s secret super power

• Helpful Hounds (Sun 21st Oct) – a foundation workshop to teach your pooch the skills of an assistance dog

Workshops for you

• Dog Training Fundamentals  - 29th & 30th September - a practical weekend for anyone interested in learning more about effective teaching methods for people AND dogs.

• Teaching with Confidence - 17th & 18th November - understand how to create successful learning experiences for both humans and dogs in a class environment. Plenty of practical teaching and videoed feedback sessions

Webinar programmes

• Deaf dogs – from getting started with recall to dealing with aggression and shadow chasing (starting 31st July)

• Professional dog trainers and behaviourists – learning to love your business (starting 2nd August)

PS The winner of our impromptu competition from the last email/blog was Alex with Super Cooper. They were the first to reply with Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” and have won a tennis ball bungee tug toy!