Relaxing Ralph!

I just wanted to show that if you are consistent and treat your dog like a dog and not a human, then they can start to relax and balance themselves out!

Ralph the dalmatian came to us to be home-boarded and for three days he paced and whined continually in the house, mainly because he wasn't allowed to climb onto us and on the furniture and he did not know what to do with himself! Ralphs owners love him and only want to do the best for him but this love can be confusing to a dog who mistakes it for weakness!  After a week of reinforcement, daily strenuous walks in a dog environment and clear rules and boundaries, the result was a dog that was happy to be on his own and sleeping peacefully! A great result!

Your dog does not think in the sense that we do, he / she reacts to situations without considering others and will do whatever his DNA tells him to do! So if you let him jump on the seats that humans sit on and let him climb over you, don't be suprised to see a dog who will not do as he is told or in some cases who becomes aggressive and dominant!

Ralph here can go straight back to how he was before, it is up to his owners to treat him as a dog and to not encourage the behaviour that will lead to him being hard work to control and not a great companion that he can be!

Steve

Taming Ralph!

This is Ralph the challenging dalmatian that I'm currently looking after! He is a typical dalmatian from all that I've gleaned and not being funny but in dog terms, he is not the brightest star in the sky!

Ralph is only 15 months old and still very immature. This has been compounded with his owners allowing him to much freedom and not setting rules for him to follow. He is not a nasty dog and after encouragement from me the family have had him castrated which has helped massively with his behaviour! He has a number of very challenging issues which are stopping him from fulfilling his potential as a really good family pet!

On the plus side he is a loving, happy and non-aggressive dog who is a pleasure to walk and doesn't stray to far away which is great! He plays lovely with other dogs and in the video on the right, he met a Weimaraner who was a similar age and they had the time of their lives, like two land sharks so no worries there!

His issues are:

1.  Stealing food and any other items to hand including TV remote controls
2.  Jumping up and with his claws and size this is not a good habit to encourage!
3.  Chewing especially his bedding
4.  Whining continuously with an inability to relax
5.  Poor discipline and lack of knowledge of commands

So from day 1 he has been challenged with commands of sit and wait before going out or receiving his food and this has proved very challenging indeed for Ralph who will not sit and wait for longer than a few seconds before having to be corrected. He is not allowed into the kitchen when food is being prepared and this again has resulted in Ralph being challenged to the extreme as unlike other dogs, he doesn't relax and just watch from the door, but just waits and tries again and again to see if anything changes. The response to this has been to up the consequence for entering the kitchen and a short spray from a plant sprayer has the desired effect with Ralph reacting to its presence on most occasions and accepts his place.

The chewing is a work in progress as this bowl will testify!  and will need to be carried on by the family, with his being offered acceptable alternatives and challenged over any attempt to take anything that he is not allowed! This coupled with him being secured when they are not able to watch him should result in a more reliable response in the future and allow him to be given more freedom as he grows up and matures.



The commands and discipline need to be kept up from now on so that they become ingrained and "NO" means no and "SIT" means sit until you are released as does "WAIT" which means to stay but on a casual basis whereas "STAY" is a firm command to not move until specifically released! I would use "WAIT" before getting into a car and when offering food, that sort of thing whereas "STAY" is a more formal command for not entering somewhere or whilst doing something to the dog that he may not want!

The behaviour in the house needs to be permanently addressed, so that every whine is challenged (Unless as I found out it means I want to go to the toilet!!) and the dog is encouraged to sleep on the floor for the next 6 months at least, so it learns to be around the family without being on them and demanding attention constantly. Couple this with a good exercise regime and plenty of time in the garden by himself and the separation anxiety  issues that he has will go away!

Steve

Ralph the unruly Dalmation!

Ralph is a young medium energy Dalmation dog who has a past history of hooliganism before his owners made the correct decision to have him done!

The owners except that they have a problem with his behaviour and have no remotes in the house because Ralph has eaten them all!

I went to their house and as I walked in I was met by an excited dog who immediately stood up on his back legs and put his front legs on my chest. This is classic of him trying to claim me and as I pushed him down he repeated this 4 or 5 times more until I finally got my message through to him!

I asked to sit down as the next trick he would try is to mug me and to claim me and my space! As i sat down a very rude dog took 10 times of being moved away before he went and jumped straight on the sofa and lay with his paws on his female owners lap and demanded fuss which he promptly got!

I took him home and after a run on a training line in the paddock I used a lead to bring him into the house and took him calmly round the lounge before allowing him off lead. He continually tried to jump on the sofa and this is not something we allow and is always an issue with dogs who are tolerated on furniture. He soon got the idea and lay down once or twice but never settled. He whined and whimpered continuously like a spoiled child! Dogs like Ralph who have no rules and boundaries are not at fault as they don't know any different, but it's our job as the brains of the outfit to ensure that they understand the rules and more importantly abide by them!

Anyway that was day one with Ralph who I can see even at this early stage is a nice dog but with no manners and I think with consistent leadership and my formula for a happy dog we can make Ralph a great dog and a lovely pet to have in the house!

Happy training
Steve

Bailey and Riley

Bailey the Golden retriever spent a couple of weeks with us recently and as lovely a dog as he potentially is, two things stood between him being a great dog and him being hard work! Yes my soap box subject of castrating male dogs! Right from the start I realised that it was irrelevant what I did as until he had those hormones removed from him, nothing was going to work!

Granted he was being treated for mange and so he had to be kept from other dogs which didn't help, but even so he displayed all of the usual traits of the non neutered dog, being headstrong, difficult to recall especially when he sees something he wants to investigate, gets involved in spats with other dogs due to his hormones and attitude and when out he ran ahead without looking back and had to be on a long line as I just couldn't trust him to come back, which has only happened to me twice with over 60 dogs that I've cared for!

that said he could be a top dog and all it would take is a small operation to solve the problem, within weeks he would be a different animal and training would start to take effect. In the house Bailey was always looking and thinking, he took a long time to relax which is typical of a stressed dog! After this operation he would settle much more quickly and be more relaxed!

Riley waiting patiently for his dinner!

Riley the Springer Spaniel is a lovely dog that had issues until he was castrated and most have now gone, particularly the humping of other dogs which was quite an issue at one point! He is typical of Spaniels in that they display an amazing joy of life which is infectious. They will explore everything and go anywhere, Riley would have made a fabulous police sniffer dog with his drive and motivation he could have been a cracker!

I was walking him in the woods the other day when I saw that he was stuck by his ear, something that is not uncommon with them getting trapped in Stingers etc. As I got nearer I realised that he was stuck by the ear on barbed wire! After 10 minutes of trying to unravel him and with no tools on me and no help around, I checked that it was only hair holding him and not through his ear, so I decided I to chew it off and spent a pleasant few minutes biting through ear hair and spitting it out! Anyway job done and Riley freed! The moral of the story is to perhaps consider bringing a leatherman or Swiss army knife with you on the run so at least you have the option to do something if your dog is trapped!

George is here!

George the old English Sheepdog is here for a week before he moves onto Mark and jaymies for a further stay. A lovely dog he is only young and shows the classic "teenager" attitude with a little bit of stubbornness and some expected attitude; but overall a lovely dog!

This is another dog that needs clear leadership to flourish. He is not mentally strong enough to be a leader or alpha and so if he feels he has to take this position it will stress him and cause issues of aggression and dominance. The dog will start to try to frighten people or dogs away by acts of aggression so he doesn't have to deal with any further contact.

Watch some dogs as they walk, going ballistic when they see any other dog, that is what they are telling you! I'm frightened and I'm expected to look after these weak humans but I don't want to! If you step up and show your dog that you are in charge the relief from them is obvious and you can see them de-stress in front of your eyes!

Bailey finds his Mojo

Bailey is a Springer X Cocker Spaniel who has learned to control his human family by biting, growling and snapping. I have just had him for a week and for the first few days he was slightly depressed and a little bit unpredictable if he felt under stress at all.

In order to sort his mental state out he needs to be happy and relaxed and the way to achieve that is to ensure that you walk and play with him/her everyday and burn off a lot of the excess energy that can be destructive. Ensure he/she understands that he/she is a dog and their wishes and desires are unimportant when it comes to house rules and discipline. If you want to do something that involves the dog, DO IT! it is irrelevant what the dog wants to do and if you give in to a dog demanding to do something you are putting yourself at risk of creating a dominant dog that will be difficult to control!

I don't allow dogs into the kitchen whilst I'm cooking or preparing anything because it is dangerous to have a dog under your feet. I always ask the dogs stopping at ours to stay in the dining room and not to cross the line into the kitchen. Now this serves two purposes, firstly it keeps everyone safe and secondly it shows leadership to the dog and gives rules and boundaries for him/her to follow.

Bailey decided to dance around me and didn't want to comply with this rule and this would normally end in a stand off and him biting. Picking up a tea tray to place in front of me to deflect any bite, Bailey was ushered out of the kitchen and instructed where to stay which he duly did! By repeating this every time you are schooling the dog in rules and discipline and showing leadership over him/her.

When you let the dog out in the morning you must ignore them whilst they perform their crazy routine around you! Bailey went home to his owners and immediately jumped up each member of the family, entering their personal zone without permission and being very rude! He did not do that to any member of my family because this is never encouraged or tolerated! Your dog has to know that he is not the leader and that he is bottom of the pack in the family. This is not cruel, your dog is happy to have that position and is looking to you to exert leadership over him/her. How can he respect you if he doesn't see you as a leader!

Show your dog leadership by giving clear rules and boundaries of behaviour and being strong and in control and most of all enjoying being with and interacting with your dog!

Happy training!

Steve

Elvis after training!

This was Elvis after a week with us during which he was exposed to daily walks in Sutton park and schooled on how to meet dogs correctly and encouraged to behave accordingly! These are the results!

Time for a breather

Poppy left the building yesterday afternoon with her owners very happy to see her and she happy to see them! After a discussion about her diet and some suggestions as to how to proceed she was driven away and I have a dog free house for the next couple of weeks and time to catch up on somethings and maybe take a short break!

The business is now a company called lookafteryourdog Ltd or just lookafteryourdog to us! I was advised that this was the right way to go with the business and I have had to navigate through the commercial maze to sort it out! I have been on a steep learning curve since I began this venture a couple of years back and everyday I have to learn or do something new which is great!

I will continue to post my meandering thoughts and hopefully search the web for any interesting information out there!

Cheers Steve

Feeding the dog!

A couple of issues have come up over the past few days in relation to feeding your dog and the problems it can bring! Firstly the idea of leaving food down for your dog to graze on whenever it wants it. This idea generally works and the dogs don`t seem to gorge themselves, eating only what they require but I have a few issues with it myself!

Firstly, feeding your dog is of significant importance to him/her as it is a life essential for them. This gives you the opportunity of being the great provider and showing clear leadership over your dog by your sharing the gift of food with him/her. This can help in dominance issues, insecurity etc.

Secondly, if your dog helps itself, how will you know when the dog is unwell. You may never see it eat, so you would not see it not eating its food. A dog that doesn't want food may be poorly and it can be a clear sign of ill health which you could miss!

The meals are a time you can reward your dog for good behavior and can also be a great training time, using the food to reinforce certain behaviors for reward. So take some of the kibble and ask your dog to sit, stay stand, down etc. and reward it with the food and then a double reward of the bowl!

Your dogs overall health can be gauged by its poop! Horrible I know, but if your dog is solid and healthy then it is a good guide that it is in overall good health. By feeding at set times and maintaining a healthy regime, your dog will have less problems with its poop and will be in good shape, plus its easier to pick up and bag!

My advice, always feed a proper complete dry dog food to an amount that doesn't cause the dog to become loose, whatever that amount may be and to add a few teaspoons or for big dogs a bit more of pilchards or Tuna as a flavour enhancer and added Omega 3 from fish oils. This is cheap to do and allows the biscuit to clean the dogs teeth without being boring, as dry kibble is!

Hope this helps! Cheers Steve

Lovely Poppy

Here she is Poppy the Chiuhauhau all 10 months of her. With her purple harness and red lead I must look a right sight with my little handbag dog! Joking aside though, she is a lovely little lady and I know that there is a syndrome that makes humans love small dogs, but you can see why people make the mistake of turning these pocket dogs into substitute children! They don't answer back and they are always pleased to see you and when they do see you they don't ask for money! Result!


Anyway, every dog has issues of some sort or another and this little lady has a couple. Firstly she whimpered and whined at everything and I mean everything! If she walked she whimpered, if you let her out and she was at the door she whimpered, constantly! Instructions to the family were only to acknowledge her if she was quiet, if she whimpered she was either ignored or shushed!


Within a day or so the whimpering has tailed off to virtually nothing and she is being treated like any other dog that stops with us and you can see the dog coming out in her! She was dominant at her home, dictating the pace like most small dogs do, but if you reverse that behavior and encourage her to follow your leadership, you create a happier less stressed animal that knows and is confident to do things without the baggage of leadership around her shoulders!


When Poppy was playing in the garden she was hesitant to go out at first and constantly barking if she heard a noise. By stopping that behavior and by assuming the leadership role, you can allow your dog to play safe in the knowledge that you will defend and protect it and alert it if you think something needs its attention!


Her other issue is around food, if you are eating then she will mug you and be all over you to try to get something! This is rude and a dog that enters your personal space like that is not respecting you or your personal space and this can lead to dominance issues in certain dogs! My advice and what I have done with Poppy is to enforce the distance around me whilst I eat, which is again another signal to the dog that you are in charge of the resources and you decide when to share them which makes you powerful!


So if you want your dogs respect, go ahead and show it some leadership and see the results!


Cheers Steve

Poppy arriving today!

Poppy the Chiuahauhau is arriving today! At 6`3" I`m a little unsure as to how this will leave my image but heh one of the joys of this business is the diversity of dogs that you get to look after, so bring it on Chiuahauhau!

New Home Boarders / Pet-Sitters

Its been a mad few weeks with customers desperate to have their dogs boarded for their summer holidays and me in the middle of a recruitment campaign to get some extra help to provide a better service! Anyway I think we made it through with three great people and their families to help us look after your dogs!

Welcome to Gail Evans, Terry Pritchard and Sharon Griffiths! You are all chosen as you are people who I know will provide warm loving homes to our customers dogs and judging from the feedback already received; I know I`m going to be happy with you all!

Don't jump

Hi, just a quick post about a common problem that many owners don't see as an issue but can be quite serious, jumping up! Its great fun to have your dog leaping up to get affection and i'm sure it makes us feel loved and wanted, but the problem is when you are 8 years old and 3 feet tall its not such fun!

Bosco gave his usual whole-hearted greeting the other day to the little girl and when a slab of beef with a head the size of a cow stands taller than you and scratches you with his claws, then naturally you may scream out and cry! So its not such a good idea after all as the adults may be OK, but what about the kids, disabled people or the elderly!

My advice, stop it at every opportunity, tell the dog no! Fuss it only with all four legs on the floor and if its excited walk away until it isn't! Just a thought!

Happy training

Steve

Bosco after a morning walk spark out in the sun!

Bosco with other dogs

I thought I'd post this video and show what can be done when the dog is corrected and also has had some energy drained, but this will not always be so as long as the dog has his bits! Bosco here would be bomb-proof if he was castrated and I could train away any sillyness with ease, but its really hard when the hormones are present!

Cheers Steve

Bosco and his big head!

I first saw Bosco the Staffordshire Bull terrier and I could only stare at his extremely large head! A beautiful brindle coloured dog, he is like a slab of beef. You just have to slap (In a nice way!) Staffies like Bosco. They are so solid and powerful, but very easy going and very gentle to people.

Anyway the dog can't be perfect, like there is no perfect human being, but Bosco is 95% perfect except for one thing! Well two actually and they hang down at the back of him! Yes my old touchy subject of non-breeding dogs not being spayed. Bosco has had at least two scraps a day because of it and as a young dog he oozes hormones and attitude when other dogs approach and many of them have a go at him!

Today I have had him in Sutton Park and trained him around a couple of dogs where he puffed up and had a go. Using a long line I corrected him before he went into fight mode and made him be submissive near the other dogs! After that and draining some energy, we walked with Tammy and Foley the Springer and met other dogs and he was fine! But the danglies will always rear there ugly head and he is a ticking time-bomb with either himself or another dog or someone who tries to stop them; getting hurt! My advice CASTRATE him now! No question!

Cheers Steve

Hello Cassie

Cassie has arrived for her second visit with us! A small slightly tubby border terrier (sorry Cas) she is very sweet and doesn't play up and is very good off lead on the walk! No issues with her yet but I'll keep you posted!

Steve

Catching up

I'm still trying to honour my promise to write regularly but failing miserably! Anyway where are we now? Well after George and Mia came Bailey and then chip.Both had their issues, firstly Bailey the springer/cocker cross is a lovely fella but due to some issues at home he has learned to snap at people if challenged. Bailey is a classic case of not leading your dog and allowing them to dictate to the owners. Advice here was to make sure he did as he was told but to wait for the correct response before rewarding it. So an example was him taking an item of owners clothing and becoming aggressive when they tried to retrieve it! By holding their ground and showing him they wouldn't back down he eventually gave it up without a struggle and although it took a while, the next time will always be quicker until the issue goes away!

Chip the working springer is a lovely dog who like Bailey was a pleasure to walk and have but his issue was whining and howling which he did for England! It seems his owners crate him when they go out which is not a problem except the dog is allowed to howl unchecked and becomes a habit and although they've never heard it the neighbours have!

Here I always disagree with the behaviour and use distraction and a water bottle to snap him out of it. Always reward the quiet if you can! Had he gone in the crate 10 minutes before the owners left and settled perhaps with a chew or stuffed kong he'd be less likely to howl!

Cheers

Steve

Welcome to George and Mia!

George on the left and Mia on the right, she has different color eyes!

Old english sheepdogs George and Mia are stopping with us. Lovely intelligent dogs they need firm handling and leadership to stop any silliness. Mia has a dangerous habit of chasing things namely a Sutton park ranger in a land Rover and a goods train! I wasn't aware of her little habit until she ran the length of a field chasing the train, very worrying!

I think this is an example of not satisfying the breed of a dog! As a Sheepdog she has an innate instinct for prey drive, or in layman's words chasing things! If this is not satisfied then the dog will create it for themselves.My suggestion will be to try to train her onto a toy so that this side of her is fulfilled. Failing that there are other remedies that we can consider but ill cross that bridge if we get to it!

George is only a Puppy really and still growing. He is painfully thin due to his tickle stomach. If his diet is changed or he is slightly overfed as he was, then he gets the trots and this affects his ability to process the food correctly! I have reduced his food and kept him on just his Royal Canin food and this seems to be working, but we will have to see if he puts on the weight!

Hamish has left the building!

Hamish has gone home, his owners were chuffed to see him and had missed him whilst they were away. We had a chat about how much he had improved and what steps could be taken to get him to be a brilliant family pet!

Hamish asleep all arms & legs!

Firstly, it was evident as I had mentioned before; that Hamish was used to play fighting with his owner and he was always mouthing at you when he got excited. My advice was that this should be replaced by a tug of war game under the proviso that the owners controlled the game and the toy in order to stop it becoming a challenge! (Click here to buy tug toys at dog-shop.co.uk )

NEVER should your dog bite you in any way, play or otherwise! This is a recipe for disaster and when your dog mouths a child, don't be surprised if it has always been encouraged to behave this way!

Secondly, Hamish was not used to running free as he is very quick and not that good at returning. My advice is to line train him (Click here to buy training lines at dog-shop.co.uk) a 15mm 30ft line will give you confidence in knowing that you can always get your dog back as you can catch the line, not the dog! This means you can be calm and encouraging when schooling your dog how far to run and to come back when you call his name. This should always be to a reward of some kind which eventually may be just affection!

Anyway, just an update on an earlier post about hamish still trying to hump dogs even though he had just been snipped, since the last episode which was his learned behaviour in the first day or so he was with us, I can report that Hamish does not even try to hump dogs now and is officially cured! So having had the snip and ensuring that they treat Hamish firmly but fairly will see him become a fabulous pet for years to come!

Cheers Steve

Wipe your feet Hamish!

After a good walk with Hamish up in the woods where he played nicely with the other dogs and only once looked to get over the top of another dog so that's progress, we arrived home and he went for a drink which he dribbled and then stood in! The dust in his paws turned to mud and he left dirty prints on the kitchen floor.

The point of this blog is that I decided to pick him up and put him in the study where dirty paw prints can be vacuumed away easily. As I tried to pick him up he got aggy and went to bite my hand. I put him down and corrected him and he immediately backed down so no dramas. The point here is all dogs should be used to being handled from an early age. You should be able to check every part of your dog and most certainly be able to pick them up in case of emergencies etc. Also how will your vet fare if you don't handle your dog and he / she has to what will happen!

So my advice, every day use treats to distract/reward your dog whilst you groom and touch all parts of your dog! Start off by looking as if you are cuddling your dog and build up to slightly moving them off the floor and quickly back down again. You will know how to progress it by naturally feeling your dogs energy and stress until you can pick he or she up and carry them round.

Carry them by putting your left arm around the chest of your dog as it faces to your left and your right arm behind the upper legs before gently squeezing so as to support the whole body!

Any problems give me a shout!

Cheers, Steve

Ziggy out Hamish in!

No sooner had Ziggy left the building then Hamish arrived. His owners going for a great trip to America lucky sods!

Hamish is an Airedale terrier, the king of terriers no less! A fine looking animal you can see why they were used as police dogs years ago! They take a little getting used to at first as they are very different to a lot of dogs. They stand and walk straight and they have large mouths which can be a bit intimidating when they bark or growl!

Hamish has been with us before and I admit I wasn't so keen on him then as he was entire (not spayed) and he was a bit arrogant! His owner always wants to do the best by him and we had a discussion about having him spayed and she had been put off by some daft talk by others about having him done at 18 months when he had settled down! I hear all this rubbish and it amazes me that they don't see the harm that it does to certain dogs!

There are loads of un-castrated male dogs that are perfectly fine and don't have any issues at all. However there are great many dogs that exhibit very bad behavioural issues because of the hormones flying round their bodies!

I recently lost a good customer over this issue as their dog was one of the most stressed I've ever encountered! He slept with his eyes open when he gave in to sleep that is and he hunted for towels or blankets to hump with a determination that was scary to watch! He also had a terrible habit of eating dirty tissues but that's another story! The owners said that they had contacted his breed society and they stated that they had bitches that hump and they didn't think castration would make any difference! What utter crap! You see an animal come into adulthood and you allow him to get sexually aroused on a frequent basis but never allow him to do anything and that makes sense! My god, what planet are they on! Have your dog done at the earliest your Vet advises and remove a terrible curse from him! Tell a teenager they cant mix with the opposite sex and see what happens!

Anyway, Hamish was booked straight in and done before he came to us and I am amazed at the difference in him! he is calmer and more lovable and i have really bonded with him! He is very mouthy but i suspect his Dad play fights with him and so this isn't Hamish's fault and perhaps we can get that unwise activity to stop!

Other than that he is settling down nicely and on his walks he is still trying to hump other dogs but this is learned behaviour from not being done earlier and we will try to calm this down! I will let you know how we get on!

Cheers Steve

Ziggy's eating competition!

Ziggy must have grown tired of eating vacumn cleaners and his delicate palette needed something softer! So this morning when I went to let him out I found two sick covered items on the floor! On closer inspection they turned out to be two pairs of socks!!

I can only presume that he took them from the tumble dryer when he knocked the door open with his tail and took the opportunity!

On a serious note, it's typical lab behaviour and typical of most young dogs but it can prove deadly and a springer spaniel I trained later died on the operating table after eating a bag!

A dog we looked after recently called Dexter used to find every dirty tissue in Sutton park which was not nice! Training this away involves setting up items on the floor in a controlled environment and deterring the bad behaviour and rewarding the dog when it doesn't take the item.

Leaving toys, chews and boredom busters also helps and draining excess energy through vigourous exercise and work also helps!

Ziggy is in the building!

Ziggy has arrived! 11 months of daft loveable Labrador dog! Not the brightest star in the sky but without malice and desperate to be with you and an insatiable appetite for play!

I particularly enjoyed him eating my mouse mat and chewing on the vacuum cleaner attachment! My bag though. I didn't put any toys in with him and I hadn't drained hardly energy from him due to having to go out early!

Ziggy will be with us for a few days yet and I'll post his picture so you can share the love!

Cheers Steve

I'm back!

Hi, I'm going to officially try to find 10 minutes every day to update this blog! I failed miserably to keep it going before and I had just started to get my customers to view it, so I must try harder!

I'm going to use this blog to record the daily goings on with the dogs that we board at lookafteryourdog.co.uk and link the trials and tribulations of looking after our customers dogs and all the problems that come with it!

I'll also review dog related products, dog training tools and dog food and link that into our daily life with the dogs and dog behaviour and training issues we encounter!

Please feel free to contact me for any help, advice or information I can give you!

Cheers Steve

Elvis update

Early days yet, but for anybody who is seeing this blog on a regular basis, then you may have read about Elvis the devil dog Staffordshire Bull terrier that was a "dangerous dog" and "should be put down!" Well after his training he was in Sutton park with his owner and walking with three other dogs and met about 10 unknown dogs on his walk! Elvis passed with flying colours and is now well on his way to a happy and balanced life! Just thought you might like to know!

Any questions, comments or suggestions please feel free to leave them here. If you want information help or advice about home boarding your dog with us in the Streetly area of Sutton Coldfield, then you can go to my website www.lookafteryourdog.co.uk or to buy dog leads, dog food, or any other dog related products you can go to my other site www.dog-shop.co.uk where you can buy everything for your dog in one place and see articles relating to dog training, dog care and dog health! Steve

Roxie is here!

I haven't had chance to post as its been so hectic but I wanted to share with you the experience of a dog we had staying with us recently.

Roxie the Weimaraner arrived whilst her owners went to Berlin for a welcome break. A little overexcited and  covering up some anxiety she is a bit nuts when she first sees you and has a bad habit of jumping up to greet you. She is very tense and does not settle which is not unusual in the first day or so of a dog boarding with us. As the days rolled on, she did not relax which is highly unusual. She would pace about and only start to settle right at the end of the night.

Food was guarded and a menacing growl given if you approached within the smell of her food. A treat she had been given was ignored, but when my lad went to stroke her she growled and moaned at him and I had to remove it.

Lovely on the walk, a little tense with some dogs with her hackles up she was not a problem and I enjoyed being out with her. A habit of rolling in strong smells was not unusual but not welcome and she needed watching for signs of bathing in Sutton parks finest!

So here's the thing, it turns out the owners teenage son loves to wind the dog up and she is acknowledged in the house whilst she is in an excited state. The learning from this is, don't wind your dog up, lie on the floor, fight or generally tease them if you want a calm and balanced animal! You must show your leadership and that includes acting like a leader and not a child! Your dog cannot understand the difference between a bit of fun and a serious confrontation. If your dog is tense or excited, ignore it! Let it deal with it and realise that that state of mind is unacceptable to you and that you will only acknowledge a calm and controlled state of mind!

We only had 6 days with Roxie and she was slowly calming down but really needed another week to fully give into relaxation!

The food issue I deal with by holding the bowl with her food in! Remember its your food that you are sharing, dont put it on the floor and then wander why your dog is warning you to go away! Offer her a few kibbles in your hand and then gentley stroke her head very briefly at first so as not to wind her up to much! If she grumbles I lift the bowl UPWARDS not sideways and stop the feeding. By going up you take the aggression out of the situation and prevent a bite!

Keep offering kibble and stroking, building up more and more as the dog desensitizes. You will know when you are winning but be patient don't rush! I then put the bowl down but stand almost on it whilst the dog eats, so that it knows you are not afraid and wont back off!

Work on this and you will find that your dog will go back to being accepting of your role at meal times, but you must back this up with firm and consistent leadership at all other times!

Any questions, comments or suggestions please feel free to leave them here. If you want information help or advice about home boarding your dog with us in the Streetly area of Sutton Coldfield, then you can go to my website www.lookafteryourdog.co.uk or to buy dog leads, dog food, or any other dog related products you can go to my other site www.dog-shop.co.uk where you can buy everything for your dog in one place and see articles relating to dog training, dog care and dog health! Steve

Come Back!

I have watched in horror at dog owners in my local parks whose dogs are running free with a red or purple faced owner screaming at them to come back! Never, never fight a battle that you can't win! If you are not in a position to reinforce your wish, then you are actually training your dog to not come back and to be able to disobey you!

If you are faced with this situation I would say nothing until you can finally get hold of your dog and just hook him up and take it on the chin! Do not scold or punish because cause and effect will be lost on him and you will just look like a bully in a foul temper for no reason and then he'll be twice as determined not to come back to you next time!

So, once you have hold of the little sod, here's what I'd do! Buy a training line from a reputable supplier, I have brought mine off Amazon who we recommend and also a good supplier off eBay but there are plenty of other places that sell them. The lines are flat webbing with a different width depending on the size and strength of the dog and have a handle at one end and a clip at the other.

There are different lengths of line, I have 30 feet and 50 feet lengths and even a 100 feet depending on the dog and where I am, preferably a wide open space. If the dog is fast and determined then use the 50 foot one. Hook up your dog, his collar will do, if he is particularly strong willed and determined a choke chain will do but just ensure there are no sudden pulls on it to cause discomfort!

Simply hook up and let the dog move away from you to walk freely. If you are nervous then hold onto the end of the line, the dog will not be aware of it as it will be dragging, but it allows you to relax as you know he cant get away! At appropriate times; when he is just about to turn to you or is on his way back, call his name and when he arrives offer a tit bit or some fuss or play a game and then release without a command and just walk on. Quite soon you will be calling even if he is distracted and he will fly back to you. If he makes off and ignores your call, hold onto the end of the line and if he is running or you are not strong, walk or trot forward to gradually slow him down and then stand your ground. DO NOT send your dog into a back flip or jar him to a halt, you may hurt or damage his neck or back in the process! Simply move forward acting as a spring to take the jolt out of the stop and then concentrate on using all your energy and encouragement to get the dog to WANT TO COME BACK! Remember, this is not about force, it's about a trusting, respectful relationship!

Call again and if he ignores you give a tug on the line and proceed to guide him back with tugs and not pulling! If you pull he will pull against you, the moment he begins to return, call again with arms spread wide and encourage him into a big reward! After a time, you can use the shorter line and if it's an old one, you could even cut it down a length at a time until it is little more than a very long lead.

That's it! keep it up and you will have a recall in no time! Eventually you can let him off when you trust him, but don't be afraid to use the line again if he falls off the wagon!

If you have a particularly difficult case and you can't get your dogs attention, then consider using a remote spray collar to get the dogs attention and then use rewards to get him back to you! Consider professionally help if you do not feel competent to do this on your own!

Too busy to post!

Its been a busy few days which have meant that some of my tasks have been put on hold, namely writing this blog. Anyway Bailey is still with us and still proving to be a lovely dog, very calm and respectful around the house, but quite sparky on his walks with a love of life which is always good to see!

Did some more training with Elvis the Staffy the other day, he is very tense around other dogs because he was nor properly socialised and so he wants to meet dogs but doesn't know how!

We had him on a long line and walked him behind our test dog Foley the Springer Spaniel and then gradually alongside with no problems. The dogs were then allowed to run free with Elvis on a dragging long line supervised by me. If Foley came running past this elicited the prey / chase response in old Elvis and that had to be corrected. When we stopped to speak that was when the explosion occurred as his brain stopped focusing on other matters and went back into habit mode of aggression as a form of defence.

So homework for his owners is muzzle training for his next session so we can let him be more relaxed around strange dogs without worrying about them getting injured. This requires them to use a clicker to reward the dog when the muzzle is around, before slowly building up to him wearing it! I'll post this phase separately as it is important that this is done correctly or the dog wont accept the muzzle and will try to remove it!

Happy training!

Bailey the Teddy sucker!

Bailey arrived on Thursday morning. A big headed good looking golden Retriever and the most laid back dog we've looked after! He doesn't fuss, jump up or run around like an idiot, he looks at you hopefully and if you don't acknowledge him he just lies down and sucks his teddy bear! A little obsessive with the bear in his mouth for an hour before he keels over and goes to sleep; but not the worst obsession I've seen!

Bailey epitomises the Golden retriever as a breed, big, lovable and friendly. I don't think he has an aggressive bone in his body! Anyway, I wanted to just point out what happened last night when Bailey was having a mooch in the garden. He picked up all the wood and sticks he could find and had a picnic in the middle of the Lawn! very nice but after i had gone out my lad found him drooling and then he threw up brown sticky nastiness on the kitchen floor.

No harm done this time, but sticks are a nightmare for dogs and can cause a 101 different injuries and problems and so my advice is Don't be throwing sticks for your dog and clean them up from your garden, or you may have a serious health problem!

If you use a toy for your play whilst on the walk, then you will have a better relationship with your dog and a sure fired way to get him to return to you on command. I looked after a Border Collie called Beau and she had a horrendous stick obsession that meant she couldn't walk 10 feet without grabbing a stick, throwing it at your feet and then shivering with stress waiting for you to throw it. By never throwing a stick again and simply discouraging the ones that were approached and ignoring any that were presented, we swapped the ball for the sticks and made playtime at certain points of the walk to break the constant stick throwing cycle!

The dog recovered quickly and the relationship between handler and dog improved with the more relaxed environment.

I have cleaned the garden of sticks today but after all this I let him out and what did I catch him settling down to nibble on but a stick from god knows where! So moral is, change the toy to a proper one like a ball on a rope and never encourage the stick thing again.

Calm Your Dog (and yourself!)

Some practical and commonsense tips to help you to achieve a calm and balanced dog!
Exercise your dog! - This subject is covered by our walking the dog page, but it is the most fundamental thing that you can do to calm your dog down! If you do not burn off the dogs energy, particularly high and working energy type dogs, then you are asking for trouble. You must MUST always exercise your dog' every day without fail unless you have an issue to prevent you doing it and then someone else should do it for you!

Calm yourself down! - Before you can ask your dog to be calm you need to be calm yourself! In fact, the worse your dog gets, the calmer you need to be! When your dog gets stressed or over excited, if you start shouting and puling at the dog, it can be interpreted as you joining in with the dog, so if another dog is approaching, your dog starts shouting, you start shouting at the dog and the bad energy that is flying around just fuels the fire. So, hard as it is, calm down, take a deep breath and think about what you are going to do to get your dog to concentrate on you and defuse the situation.

Ride the wave! - Your dog may explode in a wave of anxiety, fear or even aggression when you ask it to do something that it may not want to do! As stated above, calm down and ride the wave letting your dog expel the fear or anxiety whilst you plan your next move. You should aim to correct your dog before the episode occurs, so the moment your dog thinks about getting anxious or aggressive, that is the time to put in a correction to get your dog to focus on you and curb that behaviour.

Corrections - When we talk about corrections, this can be anything from a mild rebuke to a spray collar and everything in between. You need to understand your dog and find out what makes them tick! I was having my hand nibbled by an Airedale who was barking and confronting me in front of his owner and did not respect a hand correction to his side and so I asked the owner to put the lead on and the dog instantly became docile and compliant, so the lead was all the correction that that dog needed. Don't go over the top, use whatever is needed to get the job done and refocus your dog. It might be a favourite toy or a food reward. It can be a physical correction or a verbal one. Do not stop though or you will allow the dog to succeed in what it is doing. If every time you confront the problem with corrections, eventually the dog will understand that the behaviour is unwanted. If you correct early and then reward, you will solve the problem without fuss and it will quickly disappear.

Confront the fear! - Use every opportunity as a training opportunity. The classic is to say my dog doesn't like other dogs and then never go anywhere where other dogs are! If your dog doesn't like other dogs, enrol him in a class with lots of other dogs, seek out opportunities to allow your dog to play with other dogs or at least be around them without fear. Don't run away from a problem, solve it. A Border Collie I was looking after would almost crawl on its belly when lorries or even fast cars went past. I took the dog to a busy junction near the house and stood away from the pavement but near enough to the road to get a reaction from the dog. Ignoring the anxiety we stood for 20 minutes during which time the fear became less and less. Repeat this regularly and involve treats or even a game with a favourite toy until the dog becomes desensitized to the irrational fear! Don't ever give affection whilst the dog is under stress or you will reward that behaviour and the dog will worsen and never improve.

Tools to help! - There are a number of products on the market which can support you if you have problems with your dog whether through anxiety or aggression. See our herbal treatments page for information on what they all do! The products on this page are all designed to help quieten the dogs mind and allow you to carry out the techniques we have discussed above. Firework and loud noise CDs can be used to de-sensitise the dog from the fear of loud and unexpected noises. Use them as instructed at a low volume and then gradual raise the volume whilst the dog is feeding or doing something pleasurable. Also make sure the dog is out and about in situations where loud and unexpected noises may be so that it realises that there is nothing to fear! A dog that is under severe stress will not be acting rationally and can explode in fear, anxiety or aggression as it panics. Use whatever tools you need to ensure that you always succeed when dealing with your dog.

Seek professional help! - If you don't feel able to deal with the issue you always have the option to seek professional help and there are many people who can help you! Please feel free to contact me about any problems or issues you may be having and I can point you in the right direction if i can't help you myself.

Kennels or home-boarding?

Bookings are starting to fly in after the Christmas break with most people telling me that they really don't want to put their dogs into kennels. I think that kennels are the only option for some dogs whose energy and excitement would not suit home boarders who have families and their possessions to consider.

I have had some very challenging dogs to board but thanks to my training background I can usually calm them down using my formula for a balanced dog which I am putting onto this blog as and when I'm able! Other boarders rely on the dogs being suitable for their environment and that is where I have to select the dogs accordingly.

Returning to the original point, kennels are the best environment for this type of dog until appropriate training can calm the behaviour. I also think that the odd day here and there around other dogs and noise and confusion can give your dog a little more mental experience and allow them to accept things they may not have experienced before!

If you want a recommendation for kennels then I will happily recommend Ninestones kennels at wishaw. Jane will Walk your dog twice a day and they will be kept in clean and safe accommodation. Call Jane or steve on 01675 470274

Foley wants to have fun!

Working with Foley a one and a half year old Springer Spaniel and his owner today! Foley likes to wander far and wide when on his walk and i was asked to offer some advice to his owner to get him to stay a little nearer!

We had a walk in Sutton Park and I lent a 50 feet long training line so that we could work on giving Foley a 100ft circumference around us which is more than enough! We made steady progress and slowly but surely he got the idea that he shouldn't stray to far but was still pushing it.

We did some play and some obedience with him to break it up and try to make it fun but the dog was having none of it! It then dawned on me that Foley's owner is keen to have a controlled and obedient dog and he takes an obedience class and is on his silver award! This was the problem, the dog was always being asked to sit or to do some obedience work even for a treat! I advised that the obedience work be shelved on the fun walks and only a lower level of control used for the sits and stays that are routine when walking through gates, crossing roads etc.

The obedience would be at a specific location or time when the dog was clearly advised of the purpose of the training by use of a routine that the dog could link to a period of work related play! On the way back the owner relaxed and began to enjoy some gentle and relaxing time with her dog at which low and behold, he decided of his own free will not to travel quite so far away!

Not cured yet but a work in progress, the moral of this story is, don't spend more than 20 to 30 minutes training your dog at a time and do it in a way that the dog understands he is training. When you are out walking, relax, enjoy the scenery and the company of your dog, reward with a game, the odd tidbit or just some good old affection and they will want to be around you and do your bidding! Any problems feel free to contact me or comment on this post.

Elvis has left the building!

I was asked to visit a lovely couple to see their Staffordshire Bull terrier Elvis that was dangerously out of control! The dog was born in a shed and the bitch removed at 6 weeks, but the pups kept together in the shed for a further few weeks until sold. Obviously they were teaching themselves how to behave and fighting for food as the bitch should never be removed that early as she will teach them how to behave correctly within the pack.

On bringing the dog home it began biting everyone and was taken to the vets. The dog was immediately labeled as dangerous by the vet and they were told to get rid of it back to the breeder, but the breeder was having none of it and took the dog back for two weeks of "training" after which it no longer bit! God knows what the training consisted of but I can guess!

A trainer told them to get rid of the dog and it was basically written off by everyone! The owners could not do this to the dog and having made the worst mistake they possibly could of falling in love with the runt of the litter and the weakest dog, they persevered with it!

The dog by now was nervous around strangers but was otherwise good in the house, but changed into a demon when outside the home, attacking bikes, cars and the local dogs with a passion! After 5 years and with the vets telling them that they had a dangerous dog and could not sell it on because it was so dangerous, they gave me a call and asked me to go and see them!

I visited them in their beautiful home and was greeted by a largish white Staffy who was quiet and calm. I threw him a tidbit from a bowl that i asked them to provide and then ignored him totally. He lay in his bed and watched us and after 15 minutes he came to check me out. He was gentle and respectful and at this point I gave him some fuss which he was happy to take!

Throughout the dog was a gent and so I wanted to see the walk and witness the carnage! Elvis had a padded collar and lead clipped on. This is a real no-no with a dog like this as they are bred to pull and allowing a powerful dog a padded collar or harness can be a recipe for disaster depending on the dog! I showed them a better option of a rope lead and I instructed the owner how to use it and what to get the dog to do!

We left the house and walked down a beautiful lane with the sun shining, Elvis trotting alongside his owner and enjoying the walk. A car came by and I was shown how he lunges at anything that moves by, so I gave instruction on how to correct him at the right moment before he escalates into the attack. Cars and bikes with ladies then passed by with Elvis happily trotting along. I was told usually that he would be in front pulling them along and attacking everything that moves, to the point that he strained his owners shoulder! I asked to visit the park so we could see the interaction with other dogs and whilst there a local man and his Lab were walking free. The lab unusually I'm told, came to play with Elvis and as he approached I saw the explosion of an anxious dog frightened on a lead and using attack as defence. We rode the wave and retreated a few feet to calm him down and waited until his brain switched back, before doing a circuit of the dog on the lead, thanking our stooge for his help; we allowed Elvis to stretch his legs and relax on a long line for safety!

After a nice walk home during which the only car he lunged at was after the owner paused slightly and became hesitant, allowing the old Elvis to surface. We nipped that in the bud and moved on with no further incidents!

At home he was again a gent, sleeping peacefully and relaxed! So day one was good and the owners have some homework to do over the next week, practicing the lead walking, training their visitors to respect Elvis's space and buying a muzzle for the next part of the training and familiarising him with it!

Ill let you know how it goes on now that Elvis has left the building (Safely) and we will prove to the get rid brigade, that Elvis is a great dog after all!

Happy training
Steve

House Rules!

This year we have looked after dogs of all types, shapes and sizes, from Lhasa Apsos to Flat Coat Retrievers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. The following information is based on our experience dealing with these dogs! I will keep things simple and deal with what I consider to be the essential house rules when having a dog in your house! If you are thinking of using our home-boarding service lookafteryourdog.co.uk then this will be a massive help, as your dog will understand exactly what is expected of him and will fit in even better to our homes.

Wait to be invited in! - This one is very common and sets the tone for everything else that happens in the house, the dog digs in using its four wheel drive and literally drags the owner to the door and then drags them into the house! So thinking about it, what does this say to the dog? Firstly it says the dog is in charge! You will do as you are told and follow me because that is what I want to do! Secondly it say's the dog will charge around the house in an over excited out of control way because that is how it entered the house in the first place.

Walk in quietly and respectfully! - So acknowledging the bad way we enter the house, lets do it properly from now on. Get a grip of your dog! You must have control of any size dog and be the leader of it! (See our walking the dog post later for guidance!) Approach the house with the dog walking under control at your side or behind you! NEVER AHEAD of you!

Make it sit at the door and be calm, when the door is answered, wait as long as you need to make the dog calm. Never enter the house until the dog is a calm state. you can accept a half sit or attempt at first and reward the effort, whilst seeking an improvement next time around. Don't expect a miracle first time and be prepared for months of work if needs be, but be sure it will come good when the dog understands the exercise and that it doesn't get to go in until its calm. Using a food reward inside the house will improve the behaviour faster and I would consider a chew reward, so that the dog can be led to an area and lie down calmly whilst it chews.

Don't be rude - Never let your dog charge around a house coming and going as it pleases. The dog should be under your control and led to the areas you want to introduce it to. Only when the dog is calm and relaxed should you let it off the lead and even then, confine it to the room you are in.

Because we have a number of dogs stopping at the house, excited behaviour may also encourage your male dog to mark (Pee to mark his territory after he smells another dogs scent!) inside the house. Fen the Border Terrier decided to Pee on my wife's new leather sofa, then I get it in the neck! As a side issue, this also means that you will have no control on the walk but that is covered by a later post!

Don't accept bad behaviour - An example of this was two Police Officers visiting a mansion to take a statement. As they were invited in the dog that was outside joined them and they all sat in the magnificent lounge with the deep white luxurious carpet. After a while, the dog got up and left a large deposit in the middle of the carpet before settling back down! Nothing was said by anyone and everybody ignored the steaming pile! The bemused Officers hurriedly finished as the smell was a bit rich! Both looked at each other thinking how accepting the family were to let their dog get away with that behaviour and as they left the householder said "Officers, you've forgot your dog!" True story, but it shows the unwillingness of both parties to acknowledge very bad behaviour, for fear of upsetting the other!

Wait for things! - Your dog should not expect things to be given them whenever they want them! Your dog should learn to wait until it is told it can do the activity or have the item, whatever it may be! Examples will be food (Dealt with in our feeding the dog post!) or treats. Your dog should do something before receiving these rewards and this is where your dog can be trained without it even knowing what you are doing! Even asking it to sit is training, so get out of the notion of having to do formal training sessions, use what you have and ask your dog to work for whatever you give it! Be creative, high fives, downs, a bit of heel work with the object in your hand to guide the behaviour, whatever you like with the item given as a reward for the behaviour!

Don't demand - Do not tolerate your dog walking up to you and staring at you, barking at you to do things for him, nudging your hand or biting you, pulling you somewhere, in fact anything dictated by your dog! You are in charge and it is you who decides what happens and when! If your dog comes to you to ask to go to the toilet that is different and to be encouraged, anything else NO!

Freedom! - Another example is the door. An open door should signal the dog to sit calmly and relax knowing that the walk is coming. I know it doesn't to most dogs, it means leap around like a nutter and crash into everything, but if you use the walk as the reward and the dog doesn't get it until it sits calmly you will find that it cottons on very quickly and will do as you ask. It will then be better behaved on the walk. (See walking the dog post coming later!)

Don't shout at people or dogs! - Your dog should be under your control and you are the leader. As the leader if you shout and get excited at people or dogs then don't be surprised if your dog joins in! If you are quiet and calm however, why should your follower dog be rude to other people and other dogs? I recently looked after a Cavalier King Charles called Molly and she is lovely, but she has got into a habit of barking incessantly at other people and dogs, even though she is approaching with her tail wagging and I am chatting happily with them! This behaviour has never been properly challenged and although improved, I have to correct her every time she meets people or dogs as it is rude behaviour on her behalf!

To correct it, always calmly disagree with the behaviour, don't get into a shouting match or she will think you are joining in! Touch the dog where you get a reaction, so some dogs might be sensitive on their neck, others their stomach or ribs, do something to distract the behaviour and then reward the quiet! Use the lead to give small corrections by tugging to the side to pull the dog off balance (Not upwards) or turn the dog around to face the other way. If this fails, then still do it every time to show your disapproval, but consider a higher correction; such as a spray collar, or an anti-bark collar. (See later post on training collars)

Don't beg! - Food to a dog is a very powerful thing along with mating! To a dog food is survival and if you allow the wrong association you could be in trouble. (See feeding the dog post later!) We often eat with our meals on trays on our laps and the new dogs cannot understand why they are not allowed to sit under our legs drooling and waiting for scraps. It is quite funny to watch my wife and children eating away whilst one by one, their leg raises and the dog is gently guided away until eventually it gets the message and goes and lies down! How powerful is this signal to the dog, that any ideas that you had about being the leader are totally misguided as you are not sharing food with the leaders! If you are thinking that this sounds cruel, watch your dog with its food or a really tasty treat or chew, does it come to you for affection now? No it lies down quite happily away from you until the treat is gone! Use food as a powerful tool and make your dog work for it but never let it beg from you or your guests!

Be the boss! - Whatever you may feel towards your dog and however much you want to treat your dog like a little child, you must always remember to be the boss! Everything happens when you say and how you say! Never let the dog nudge you into fussing it! Never let the dog jump onto your lap uninvited and never allow your dog to choose where it sleeps or when and how it eats! Never allow it to pull you round on the lead and never allow it to ignore you when you tell it to do something! NEVER!

That said, if you follow the above house rules, then when you decide to give your dog love and affection, it won't be misunderstood by the dog as weakness that it will need to protect, but exactly what it is, a chance to enjoy some quality time with no hidden agenda! Please feel free to contact me about any problems or issues you may be having, or have your say good or bad by commenting!

Picking a dog

So you have decided to have a dog in your home and now should come the serious bit where some really important decisions are made. The issue here is that you will have this dog for the next 8 to 16 years and during this time you may move, get married, have kids, get divorced and get married again after moving twice more! The choice of dog is a big issue and there are some fundamental decisions you should make!

What type of energy level is your dog? -

I bet you thought the first decision would be what type of dog do you want? The truth is until you understand what type of energy your dog is, and then what energy level you and/or your family are, you can't know whether you are compatible or not! Dogs are low, medium, high or working energy in my experience.

Low -

The dog that plods along and greets you with a gently swishing tail and waits for a bit of fuss. If he is ignored he will go and lie down without drama and if its raining will probably look outside and go back to bed.

Medium -

An average happy go lucky dog that loves to go out and wants to play at every opportunity. He greets you with a lot of excitement and probably jumps up and generally throws himself about. This dog gets up every time you do and thinks they are going out every time!

High -

Mad as a hatter. Leaps up and goes demented when they see you and takes a lot to calm down. Runs forever and see everything as if it is for the first time! Never seems to fully settle and if not exercised does some daft thing which involves chasing a body part or spinning like a top!

Working -

I include this category as some dogs are high energy but not like the dogs above. They are bred for work and need to be exercised and challenged every day or their natural selection will mean that they are going to be difficult to deal with. Springers can fall into this category and Huskies etc. They are by nature active beyond a normal dog and this needs to be taken into account.

So as a human being, which category do you and/or your family fall into?

Low energy human -

Are you someone who likes to read books and listen to music. Do you enjoy the Theatre or watching Television. Do you like to go for a little stroll and have a coffee. Do you have young children and have lots of visitors. Do you have cats or other pets that need your attention. Do you have a career that means you have little free time and sometimes can only give a quick walk to your dog? In this instance you should match yourself to a low energy dog and it will work like clockwork!

Medium energy human -

Do you enjoy a normal active and busy life with you and your family constantly on the go. Are there always people rushing in and out and up for a bit of a play with the dog. Do the kids love to take the dog to the park with their friends. Do you go for long walks or spend time in the park as a family. Maybe you do a little bit of exercise jogging or cycling and you can take the dog with you, then a medium energy dog is ideal!

High energy human -

Are you a runner as opposed to a jogger. Do you train for the fun run or a marathon. Are you a mountain biker who flies along through the park covered in mud and with flies on your teeth! Do you love the great outdoors and at every opportunity go for a hike in the hills for hours at a time. Do you have a frenetic lifestyle where everything you do is at the double and you live the thrill of a fast paced existence, then you will love and need the high energy dog to match your hectic lifestyle.

Human into outdoor pursuits -

Obviously if you are into dogsled racing or hunting then your choice of dog is more obvious and the issues will present themselves less, as you are satisfying the DNA of the working dog you will find that their high energy although not necessary high energy behaviour lifestyle is perfectly suited to yours and that by fulfilling their in-born genetic needs, you will have a contented dog that compliments your lifestyle.

So to sum up, when picking a dog, the first and most obvious thing you need to understand is yours and your families energy level and what it is you hope to achieve by having a dog, matching his energy level with yours. In that way you will not be disappointed by the behaviour they exhibit!

What breed of dog? -

Now we can address the breed and this should be considered with what category of energy you are and the energy level of the dog you want. Ask questions and google the breed or look it up in a book and do your homework. What was the dog bred for? What are the characteristics of a good example of the breed. Speak to people who own that type of dog and ask them for their opinions of what you want out of that breed and see whether they confirm that the dog is the right match or a definite no-no!

How to choose the dog -

Speak with the breed if it is a puppy and explain the type of energy you are looking for. Don't accept the one that comes straight up and claims you if you want a low energy dog, as this is likely to be an alpha and a higher energy level.

If its a rescue or a gift, speak with the owner/handler and seek their views as to the nature of the dog. Watch how it behaves and whether it is calm or flies at you like a whirlwind. Take it for a walk and see if it pulls like a dervish or whether it trots along contentedly.

If you have the option, can you look after it for a few days to see whether you bond and it matches your family or home lifestyle.

Be honest! If you think you may have got it wrong, then say so and look elsewhere. Don't be sorry for the dog or the sob story you have been given. The owner may just want shot of it and then you will have to carry the can for the next decade or so!

Finally, when picking a dog, don't be tempted to have one because you feel sorry for it! You are picking an important part of your lifestyle for sometime to come and you need to make your decision based on sound thought and judgement. If you pick well you will have no regrets and will enjoy your dog whatever the situation you find yourself in!

Good luck! Please feel free to view my other pages on dog-shop.co.uk to help with any other issues you may have. If you do get the dog of your dreams, maybe i will look after it for you when you go away. Check out lookafteryourdog.co.uk for further help and information. Please pop back regularly, as new pages are being added as and when I can do them!

Happy training
Steve

Dog Food update

The morning has been taken up with the British Gas Engineer coming to fix the Tumble dryer which decided to spin round and round blowing cold air for some reason! Seems that washing Vet beds and drying them in the dryer leaves loads of fluff that gathers around the thingy and stops the machine working! That went down well with the other half who had a pop in front of the Engineer who just laughed!

Anyway, the rest of the morning was well spent putting the dog food page onto the dog-shop website. 37 brands of food with hundreds of different types for all ages and size of dog! I haven't been able to do the research which I started into the dog food that we give our pets. When I do, I will put it on these pages and on the website I will recommend the best ones that I find in all different categories and price ranges!

Happy training
Steve

Exciting Technology

Not having a dog for a few days has meant that I can concentrate on adding some pages to dog-shop which, since I launched it a few weeks ago is starting to take shape.

Today I added some pages for Treats, Books and DVDs. The pages all have a selection of great products from each category and a link to our Amazon store for each section, which I have to say are brilliant; with hundreds of quality items all at a good price.

Anyway, what I added today which was great was a page dedicated to the Kindle, the wireless reading device from Amazon. This is just amazing with some pretty impressive features. The new 3G version doesn't even need wireless anymore, it uses phone type technology so it can download books anywhere in the world that it can connect on 3G! It has a better screen that you can read in bright sunlight, it has a 21% smaller body but still with the same ^" viewing area, amazing! It weighs less than a paperback and the battery lasts for up to a month! You can have a massive 3,500 books on it with a download time of 60 seconds anywhere with free 3G technology. No annual contracts or extra payments! With built in Wi-Fi you can log onto hot spots as well as the 3G. They say the page turns 20% faster than the old one!

The reason I have added it and featured it here, is that it has a vast selection of dog related Kindle Ebooks, with subjects like dog training, health, agility, breeding, breeds, clicker training, Puppy training, tricks to do with your dog and health, awesome!

Feel free to check them out by clicking on the links, they are brilliant and I have spent a lot of time organising them for you so you don't have to mess about searching for them yourself!

Sorry to go on, but I was bowled over by this device and will definitely be buying one shortly (When Ive got some money after Christmas!)

Happy training
Steve

Sunday off

Thats a laugh! I haven't got a dog boarding with me today. Mollie went home on Friday after 5 days with us whilst her owners went off to get married! Congratulations to them I hope they have a long and prosperous one.

Meanwhile I am sitting here blogging (I don't really know what I'm doing but I'm sure I'll work it out!) and then there are the website updates and new pages for another website I have set up called dog-shop.co.uk

dog-shop is to provide a single site where a dog owner can get everything they need for their dog at great prices. You can compare the different products on offer and read customer reviews as well as our own thoughts and comments; before deciding whether to buy! The site is in its infancy and is a work in progress, but I know it will be very useful to dog owners as it develops.

Anyway I'm going to go and make tea for my dearly beloved so I will speak soon!

Hello I'm Steve

I set this blog up to help people with their dogs. Whether it be to provide help and advice on problems or behavioural issues, or to just help to choose a suitable tool for training or a product to buy.

I have been working, caring and training dogs for over 25 years and in that time I have been involved with hundreds of dogs of different breeds and personalities, from the smallest lap dogs, to working and biting dogs. I have competed in working dog trials and have experience of all aspects of training a dog.

With the help of my family, we volunteered to run on puppies from West Midlands Police dog section breeding scheme. Three German Shepherd Puppies and a Springer Spaniel later we provided a disciplined but loving environment for the dogs, with one German Shepherd Guy now a fully fledged police dog working in Birmingham.

This experience was perfect for my desire to look after and train as many different types of dog as I could, which obviously meant I couldn't own them all! This was when I realised that I could fulfill my need to own and train loads of different dogs and also make some money at the same time. I set up a small but growing business home boarding dogs whilst people go away on business, holiday or to get married! lookafteryourdog.co.uk was set up to cater for all those people that don't like to put their best friend into dog kennels while they go about their lives.

This year we have had 30 dogs stay with us and it has been very tiring but also very rewarding providing a safe and loving environment, but also training the dogs to be calm and controlled, when unfortunately many were not!

This blog will follow me looking after the dogs in my care and the issues and problems that we deal with on a daily basis. I will also link everything to my own formula for having a happy and balanced dog.

I think that's enough of an introduction, I will try to be disciplined and keep posting, as I was to busy setting everything up last year to do it!

Happy training! Steve