Brainwork for Dogs

24/04/2025

RETRACTABLE LEADS

I chuckle to my self when I see trainers bashing on them or when clients apprehensively show me their flexi lead.

There is nothing wrong using this piece of equipment. However there are ways to be sensible with it! Tools aren’t dangerous until there is the intention to use them that way.

A hammer used correctly is an effective tool. A hammer used to bash someone’s head in is dangerous. The tool remains the same but the intent of use depicts the outcome. Same with these.

I personally prefer the Flexi Brand Giant Tape 8m. That’s my go to and they are around £40, give or take where you get them from.

I bought two three years ago and they’re still going strong 💪🏻 You get what you pay for.

When do I use my flexi leads?

🚗 Travelling : p*e breaks and to let the dogs stretch their legs at the service stations.

🐶 Puppies : I don’t care about lead walking for puppies, I want them to explore, be brave, inquisitive and I can practice recall.

💤 Rest Days : My personal dogs get rest days where we go out for a meander and they get the freedom of the flexi lead to trot about. No expectations - just mooching around. If they are injured and are on reduced exercise I will also use it then.

🐕 Initial Sessions : Often I’ll stick a dog on a flexi lead on the beginning to give them some space and work on building some engagement through food work and play.

🏃‍♀️ Recall Practice : I will either walk a dog down to an open space on a fixed length short lead working on lead walking. Get to my destination and then swap the lead over to the flexi to start recall practice. When the dog understands it I will move them on to a long line to reduce the feedback the dog receives from the lead.

Don’t get me wrong, I see retractable leads being used poorly often. But I often see flat collars, slip leads, halti’s etc being used poorly on the daily.

Like everything in life - there is a time and a place for equipment. Some dogs aren’t ready for a retractable lead and some are. That’s okay!

When people are quick to bash them - it screams “I don’t know how to use these and instead of asking for help I’m going to slate and demonise them”

So next time you want to criticise someone for using a flexi lead - it’s not the lead that’s the problem, it’s the human on the end of it!

24/04/2025

DOG FOOD ORDERS

I will be ordering food on Tuesday the 29th of April, if you’re needing food ordered please send me a WhatsApp.

Kindly ask that invoices are paid asap for your orders 🧡

23/04/2025

Check out our Day Trains from today 🤓

It’s been a busy day at the unit but a very successful one, all dogs went home happy and fulfilled! Each day train is tailored to your dog and exactly what they need 🧡

There is still availability for day training left in May - Wednesday the 7th and Wednesday the 14th. Don’t wait around and message us today to get booked in 🤩

22/04/2025

DAY TRAINING

7th of May - 2 more spaces have opened up!

14th of May - 3 more spaces available!

If you are looking to book your dog in for Day Training and want some earlier dates get in now before they go! These can also be booked as an adhoc day!

WhatsApp me to get booked in 🧡

21/04/2025

“What qualifications do you have?”

I have 5 highers from school but that’s it! I haven’t paid to go on one of these courses that I can put fancy letters behind my name and show off a certificate in my office.

Instead I have invested thousands of pounds into going to shadow other trainers, go to workshops and be vulnerable by handling in front of people and hear the positives and negatives about myself at that point in time. I’ve paid for trainers , who are at the top of their game, online memberships and put the work in and paid to go see trainers to work on my own dogs and to learn and develop.

Dog training is science and art all combined into one. Learning theory is important, but being able to handle and have a feel for a dog is something that can’t be trained in a 5 day course because you’ve decided one day to be a dog trainer.

I’m good enough to know I can help people with their dogs, but I’m also humble enough to know that I don’t know everything. Hence why I’m always skint as I keep going and learning from people I trust and respect!

I will always keep reinvesting in myself to improve my knowledge and experience to ensure I can help as many owners and dogs as possible.

I’m only just getting started 🧡

20/04/2025

🐣 Happy Easter 🐣

Hope everyone has a lovely day however they are spending it! Remember to keep dogs away from the chocolate!

🧡

19/04/2025

ADD AT BOTH ENDS OF THE LEASH

Inside every human, and underneath a relatively thin gloss of civilization, is the ancient genetic code of a social pack predator that is not so very different from that of a wolf.

The evidence is written on our face. Predators have eyes that face forward in order to judge the striking distance to the prey. Prey animals, however, have eyes located on the sides of their head in order to see backwards as well as forward.

The very shape of our face informs us of what we are: a predator.

Why does this matter in the world of dogs? Simple: the mind of the dog and the mind of man are not so very different.

Just 20,000 years ago, we were both living wild and close to the bone. A snapped stick could mean either opportunity or danger.

A predator's brain is incredibly fast and robust as it has to judge velocity and distance, angle and size, probability and potential, and do it again and again in order to eat.

Neither dog nor man are well built for this modern world.

The sp*ed of external change has eclipsed that of internal evolution.

What happens to a predator's brain when it is dropped into a world of Happy Meals and all you can eat bagged kibble? Does it stop firing off?

Not hardly.

The predator brain is constantly on the alert for clues and stimulus; the sound of a can opener, the click of a door, the scent of perfume, the rattle of a cup, the swish of a skirt, the greasy smell of a hamburger, the chime of an elevator.

As a consequence, both people and dogs seems to have epic levels of Attention Deficit Disorder.

What happens when the ADD mind of a dog meets the ADD mind of a human?

Often a great deal of misery!

When distracted people interact with distracted dogs, the result is inconsistent and poorly timed feedback. Connections, if made, are poorly reinforced. Frustration grows. Both sides get bored and begin to question the intelligence of the other.

What can be done?

From the beginning, dog training tools have been about conquering ADD both up and down the leash.

Oddly, two modern dog training tools, often set in opposition to each other, work in very similar ways.

One tool is a clicker, the other the e-collar remote.

The clicker's canine focusing mechanism is the promise of food.

The modern e-collar's canine focusing mechanism is an electronic tap on the shoulder.

One signal is saying "give me a little more of this."

The other is saying “pay attention” and “give me a little less of that."

In both cases, however, what is being shaped is not just downward to the dog, but also upward to the human.

Look what happens when someone has a clicker or an e-collar remote in their hand.

Suddenly, they are focused. They are no longer flailing with their hands. They are no longer simultaneously talking and drinking while watching TV.

Instead, for at least a few minutes, the human is focused and sending just one signal to the dog rather than half a dozen.

And the signal that is being sent is both calm and assertive. You have the dog's attention, and they have yours, and you are both tuned to one channel without a lot of static.

A predator's brain is not built for too much of this. At least not at first.

Experience has shown that two or three 15-20 minute training sessions a day works better than one one-hour training session.

If asked to focus for too long, the ADD brain of both the dog and the human starts to drift off and edit out. Training both up and down the leash starts to degrade. For every two steps forward, the dog or the human may end up taking one or more steps back if an early training session goes on too long.

So what's the difference between the proper use of a clicker, and a well timed and properly delivered e-collar correction?

Not much, other than the obvious --- one signal is saying "give me a little more of that," and the other is saying "give me a little less of that."

There is place in the bag for both signals of course; something every dog trainer understands in theory, if not in practice.

But when it comes to both tools, too much attention is probably placed on the mechanics down the leash, and not enough on the mechanics up the leash.

It is not just the dog's ADD that is "trained away" with a clicker and an e-collar remote; it's the person holding the device as well.

Calm assertive dog training, with focused attention and consistency, combined with a daily exercise regime, cures quite a lot in the world of dogs. But it's not just the dog that is being trained with the tool, but the human as well. The ADD is on both ends of the leash.

17/04/2025

NOCA 🤝 CANICROSS

Tonight some of us from NOCA were fortunate to get to try out some canicross equipment and do a small run!

What a bloody hoot we all had and the dogs absolutely loved it!!!

It was so nice trying something different and it’s safe to say, I am hooked!

Thank you very much Tina for organising Katherine to come along tonight 🧡

16/04/2025

LIFESKILLS

Week 2 and we headed to Asda car park which is always a distraction rich area. People, cars, trolleys, traffic and I won’t even mention the smells!

The dogs handled it perfectly - a bit distracted to begin with but settled once they started their training drills 👏🏻

We don’t do anything fancy, we just show them how to exist in our crazy world.

If you’d like to join our next block, we’re starting on the 3rd of June!

15/04/2025

Perfect example of Sonny being exactly who I trained him to be 🤣

When he was young I encouraged him to be bold, confident and no f*cks given because I wanted solid nerves for detection work.

That is exactly what I got 🤣

Note to self, don’t leave natural treat bags where the mountain goat can climb 🤣

15/04/2025

15/04/2025

🐣 EASTER GROUP WALK 🐣

Client group walk on Sunday 20th of April at 9am.

Meeting at Letham Grange Hotel.

Remember this is an on lead walk! No on lead meetings please 🙏🏻

Book in through the booking system to secure your spot!

14/04/2025

👏🏻 SMALL WINS👏🏻

This is a small video, and smaller than I had anticipated because I thought vallah was going to have a much harder time with the exercise than she did. Once again, this dog proves me wrong in the best way!

She reacted badly to my dad the other day after jumping up for cuddles and when he touched her paw- she intimated there was an issue. There’s been no limping so I was a bit stumped 🤔 She has never been a fan of being handled for examinations and it’s something I’ve been working on and it very much depends how on her emotional state at the time to how she handles it. Again, something I’m working on.

But this is an example of a dog being stressed and not enjoying the experience but it’s something she has to learn to overcome, with my help of course. I can’t leave her not being okay with being handled or needing to be sedated for me to look at her paw.

We have a much better relationship now but she still has conflict. But here is an example of the progress we’ve made. I was able to check her front paws safely and she didn’t choose violence to avoid the situation. I cut the video because she nudged my phone onto the ground so I missed the footage of us playing with her tug toy after this.

Both dogs are muzzle trained for this exact reason. When dogs are in pain or discomfort they are acting rational. If I’m in pain and someone touches the sore spot I’d likely hit them 😂 So an animal wanting to use their teeth when in pain and discomfort is a reasonable response. But having a dog muzzled means you can be much more confident in your approach whilst simultaneously showing the dog that it is okay. Because if you are scared. The dog will pick up on this.

And no, don’t wait till you need a muzzle to muzzle train your dog. Do it before so they are prepared!

14/04/2025

‼️UPDATED ‼️

I just have 5 x £5 Treat Bags left

Those who I have replied too, they are yours!

-

The Easter bunny has been busy 🐣

I have 4 x £10 Munchie Boxes and 6 x £5 Treat Bags available for people to purchase! All filled with natural treats 🫶🏻

The Easter Baskets are SOLD OUT.

Comment below if you want to grab an Easter treat for your dogs!

13/04/2025

My sister is doing a raffle on her business page for a great prize! Get entering to win an absolute bargain!

☀️ ITS RAFFLE TIME ☀️

The sun is shining so I thought why the hell not!

This is a BIG one!

All you have to do is;

share my page (yes free advertisement but we all have bills to pay 🤣)

And it’s £8 a ticket

All for this amazing bundle

£149 worth of million dollar products that consists of the;

💋nourishing balm (to be used as a hydrating mask or cleanser)
💋Retanight - nightly moisturiser
💋The top to toe tonic
💋daily toner
💋and the lovely SPF50 with tinted moisturiser

💋AND the luxurious million dollar facial worth £100.

Draw will be done when the numbers 1-49 are taken 🥰

Just message or comment to enter!

13/04/2025

Sadly this is the reality with dog rescues because they are full to the brim with dogs that their training ideologies are failing.

I get it, it sounds bloody wonderful to advertise yourself as “force free” or “positive only”. However, I don’t really see what is “positive only” about putting a healthy dog to sleep.

Big rehoming charities are brilliant at doing business. Their marketing techniques are flawless to be honest because the amount of people who proudly, yet blindly, support them is wild. But it is easy to stay clueless and not go digging for the real information.

Rescues are full with dogs who require specific homes, i.e an owner who works from home, no children or older children ideally, a garden, 6ft fence, no pets. However, there is a lack of these kinds of homes. These charities would rather lie and put a healthy dog to sleep than use aversive training tools because their cookie cut throwing food at the floor training doesn’t work for every single dog. I wonder what the dog would choose 🤔 Life, freedom, a home to live in but is walked on a slip, prong or ecollar? Or death?

These charities lie to the government and the public about how these methods do not work and how the dogs that they rehome respond brilliantly to their FF methods. Because the dogs who don’t respond, get put to sleep. So they aren’t added to the data to say that their method didn’t work.

Obviously in this case I don’t know the reason why they chose to put this dog to sleep, but this is often the reason why.

You’ll find that more and more charities won’t take dogs with a bite history or aggression because they don’t have the skills to handle it because sometimes, it isn’t pretty, and it isn’t positive only. But it’s bloody reality when dealing with unpredictable animals.

It’s disgusting watching ‘trainers’ ripping people off with their ideological training that either takes the dogs whole life of avoiding triggers to train out of them or it doesn’t work, leaving people helpless of where to turn because they how to market them selves.

Again, I get that without the knowledge or experience it’s really easy to bash some dog training tools. They don’t look pleasant. Or if you’ve never owned a dog that required these tools, I’m really happy for you, but there are dogs out there that do require them and that’s okay.

Don’t be so quick to believe everything big, powerful and influential charities say. They have people dedicated to marketing to ensure you keep filling their pockets and paying the higher ups lovely wages.