Bright Hounds Dog Training

12/11/2025

High quality and all natural chews.
These guys are great and local to Boston

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🎄🐾 CHRISTMAS DOG BOXES ARE HERE! 🐾🎄
Make this Christmas extra special for your furry best friend with a Willows Natural Dog Chews gift box! 🎁💚
Each box is packed full of 100% natural dog chews & treats – no nasties, just tasty goodness your Dog will love! 🐶✨
🎅 How it works:
1️⃣ Tell us your dog’s favourite treats 🦴
2️⃣ We’ll handpick and pack the perfect Christmas box just for them 🎁
3️⃣ Collect from us at Boston Market (Wednesdays & Saturdays) or have it posted UK wide! 📦🐾
💚 100% Natural
💚 Tail-waggingly tasty
💚 Customised for your dog
📍 Find us at Boston Market – Wednesdays & Saturdays!
📬 Posting UK wide – order yours now!
👉 Message us today to create your dog’s perfect Christmas treat box! 🎄🐾

11/11/2025

Great training session with Bolly and his mum today.
We looked at leash handling and timing, setting appropriate criteria for optimal learning and improving focus.

We also discussed understanding different situations from a dog’s perspective, what drives certain behaviours, and how changing our behaviour can make a huge difference.

His confidence has come on leaps and bounds from when we first met! He was such a nervous boy, and most situations outside of the home were too much for him.

The improvements are in no small part down to his mum’s dedication, consistency and understanding.

Well done Deb and Bolly (who sent me this lovely photo after our training session today) 🐾

09/11/2025

Puppy training… when should you start?

My answer is always the same… as soon as possible!
Puppies don’t wait to start learning, and picking up lots of habits. Their inquisitive little minds are like sponges, and are already absorbing so much information.

I often hear:
Is my puppy too young?
Shouldn’t we wait until after vaccinations?
…No and no

Early puppy training is not only for the immediate challenges, it can also be preventative and reduce / avoid so many problems down the line.

So as soon as you bring your little one home on the first day, remember that your pup is busy taking in information. Watching everyone, learning about their new environment (sounds, smells, textures) and forming habits.

Whether you learn online or hire a one to one professional dog trainer (lots of training can be done in your home without vaccinations), the earlier you act, the better the outcomes will be for both you and your puppy.

🐾

05/10/2025

Puppy toilet training!!

This is something that I get asked about frequently.
Puppies typically gain control over their bladders between 4-6 months old. Larger breeds can take a little longer than smaller breeds.
There are also things that we can actively do to help the toilet training process along.

Journaling:
Yes, this is what your life has become now!
Jotting down the times of day that an accident / or successful toilet has happened will help you to understand the general pattern of when this happens over a number of weeks.

Also note that there are situations when accidents are most likely to occur, such as after a sleep, after drinking or eating or during excitement (play or a visitor arrives for example).

Look out for circling and sniffing behaviour.
Some pups also become quite mouthy or vocal prior to a toilet, especially if they don't know how to tell you that they need to go just yet.

How to clean:
This is so important. Bleach or general cleaning products won't be enough to eliminate the mess. In fact, bleach can cause your pup to become MORE likely to repeat the behaviour! Bleach also mixes with the ammonia in your pup's p*e, and releases toxic fumes!

Use an enzymatic cleaner and scrub thoroughly to destroy all traces of the accident.

Never tell your pup off for accidents!
Never scold your pup or worse still, rub their noses in it! Firstly, the pup will have no idea what this means, secondly the latter is obviously cruel, and thirdly, all it will at do, at best, is teach your pup that it's not safe to toilet indoors in your presence, you may find little hidden accidents behind sofas instead if you've managed to frighten your pup enough not to do it in front of you.

Night time p*eing:
A healthy pup, providing your house isn't a sauna, shouldn't require access to drinking water overnight.
Remove water at LEAST one hour before bed, and take your pup out for one final toilet beforehand. Don't pressure your pup when you do, just stand quietly and wait to see if he/she needs to go.

Restrict access to some of the house at first, this will help you to manage accidents and ensure that toilet training is a lot easier.

Praise your pup whenever he / she toilets in the garden, immediately after your pup has finished.

Try to set up a designated toilet area and take your pup there when you think he / she needs to go, and then praise when this is successful!

Hope this helps... and good luck!

19/08/2025

If you’re looking for 100% natural, healthy chews for your puppy or older dog then these guys are a brilliant business, and they’re local to Boston.
Great prices and excellent service. Can’t recommend them highly enough! 🐾

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We are a new upcoming business supplying lots of natural dog treats for your lovely four legged Babies.

03/05/2025

Lovely review from a very dedicated owner. Dora has come on leaps and bounds from the timid girl who was hiding in the corner of the garden when we first met, and also struggled with recall. Now she’s become so much more confident and sociable in such a short space of time, with so much credit going to her human, who I very much enjoyed working with 🐾

08/04/2025

Morning all. Apologies to anyone waiting for responses to their enquiries…I’m getting back to everyone as quickly as possible!

I’m now taking bookings for June.
Many thanks! Craig 🐾

07/02/2025

Predatory drift

Ever heard this term?

Predatory drift can happen for different reasons, but is particularly dangerous during play between a large dog and a smaller dog.

This is actually a normal, instinctive behaviour hardwired into all dogs, this can be triggered by a high pitched squeal or something fast moving (such as the smaller dog).

The sequence includes but is not limited to stalking, chasing, and biting.

Play should be balanced, back and forth. Not just one dog chasing the other the entire time. Play bows followed by chasing each other.

Healthy play behaviour is known as ‘mirroring and matching’.
Effectively mirroring each others body language and postures then chasing back and forth.

When one dog is chasing the other and it doesn’t bounce between them, then more often than not it’s not enjoyable for the dog being chased.

So monitor this, insist on regular breaks between play and ensure you have a solid recall and calming protocols.

Particularly with dogs who are unfamiliar with each other and there’s a size difference.

07/02/2025

Aggression

To create successful outcomes (more desirable and calm behaviours in the face of what triggers your dog to react) we first have to understand the 'why' and most importantly what outcome the dog is seeking.

Often dogs that are showing aggressive behaviours are usually trying to create distance. The dogs barks, lunges and violently thrashes about to warn off the other dog, and guess what... it "works" in their minds, therefore reinforcing that behaviour.

Take a postman as an example. Postman comes to the door, dog barks its head off, postman delivers the letters and then leaves. Barking soon stops after he's gone. What does the dog think that all that barking has achieved? Yep...sent that person away. So, in the dog's mind, it's worked! (in some cases it can also be excitement or alerting you to the presence of someone)

Another example: Your dog sees another dog on the other side of the road coming towards you...dog stiffens up, fixates, ignores your attempts get his / her attention, then BARK BARK BARK with lunging and pulling. Person with their dog keeps on walking by minding their own business, and after the other dog is far enough away or out of sight, your dogs behaviour stops. 'Great, it's worked. I feel safe again, I'll keep doing that'

There are lots of variables to consider with reactivity.
Does your dog ignore you when there are no triggers around? What is your relationship like with your dog indoors and outdoors?
Is your dog on good quality food?
What is their routine?
Does your dog have any underlying pain or health issues?
What environment do you walk in?
How often do these reactions occur?
Why is the dog doing the behaviour and what outcome is your dog looking for?
Desensitisation and counter conditioning is only PART of the equation. Several other factors come in to play as well.

All must be considered when working with an aggressive dog and building up a training / rehabilitation plan

20/01/2025

Hi All, I’ll get back to everyone who’s sent enquiries via WhatsApp, through my website or voicemail this evening. Thanks for your patience! Craig

11/01/2025

Hi all. I’m away until Tuesday, so I’ll reply to all enquiries when I return. Have a nice weekend and thanks for your patience. Craig 🐾