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