Merton Dog Training

24/08/2025

⭐️Lucy’s Sunday Canine Holistic Health Tips⭐️

🐕 Making sure the treats we give our dogs are safe and healthy.

If we are trying to make sure the diet we are feeding our dogs is healthy, then we need to also make sure any treats we give them are as well. Sadly lots of treats that are sold now days are just not good for our dogs and are very likely to make them sick.
Just like I mentioned with dog food, many of them can contain nasty ingredients that need to be avoided. We also need to make sure they haven’t been made in China.

Natural raw, air dried, dehydrated or single ingredient treats are the best however you can give them fresh things like blueberries as treats as well. The main thing with treats (especially with raw meaty bones) is to make sure they are the right size for the size of your dog.

🐾 Things to avoid when buying treats:

* Palm Oil
* Grain, cereals (including rice) and legumes.
* Meat, animal or vegetable derivatives
* Corn syrup / high fructose corn syrup or other sugars
* Xylitol, Birch Sugar or sugar alcohols
* Excessive salt
* Vegetable or seed oils
* Artificial colours and dyes (eg Blue 2, Red 40, Yellow 5)
* Brewers rice
* Preservatives like BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) or BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)
* Propylene glycol
* Nitrates or nitrites
* Rendered fat
* Wheat gluten
* “Natural” flavors (often made from MSG)
* Cooked or smoked bones
* Any type of rawhide (except for naturally dehydrated skins)
* Made in China

🐕 Here’s just an example of what natural treats are available:

🐾Chewing Treats (also good for dental)

*Pizzle or bully sticks
*Rabbit ears, feet and skin (with or without hair)
*Fish skin braids, straws, fingers or rolls
*Lamb, Beef, Goats, Camel or Venison skin, braids, ears, trachea/pipe
*Tripe sticks
*Chicken, duck or Turkey feet
*puffed Pig snouts
*Chicken, duck or Turkey neck
*Raw Meaty bones

🐾Training Treats

*Natural training treats in Ostrich, beef, chicken, duck, Kangeroo, lamb, rabbit, salmon, venison, goat, Turkey,
*Whole Sprats
*Dehydrated meats
*Liver treats (need to be given in moderation)
*Pate (can be cut up into small treats)
*Dehydrated Hearts

🐾Natural Treats

*Fruits including Blueberries, strawberry’s, cranberries
*Eggs (raw or cooked)
*Vegetable like broccoli, carrots (not potato etc)

🐾Make your own:

You can even make you own natural treats including frozen & dehydrated ones!

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/homemade-dog-treats/

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/cranberry-almond-cookies-dog-treat-recipe/

https://thenaturaldogstore.com/blogs/recipes/the-7-best-healthy-homemade-dog-treats

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/raw-dog-treat-recipes/

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/is-food-coloring-safe-for-dogs/

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/preservatives-in-dog-food/

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/msg-dog-food-can-cause-brain-damage/

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/dangers-of-xylitol-for-dogs/

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/rawhide-dangerous-for-dogs/

24/08/2025

Not long till our next dog show at Epsom Riding for the disabled. We really enjoyed the last show we did there and are looking forward to judging the next one. We've also sponsored the Best in show prize.

Can't wait to see you all there.

23/08/2025

🐕NEW CLASS ALERT!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ultimate Recall ⭐️⭐️⭐️

🐾 The Ultimate Recall class is a comprehensive course to teach you everything you need to know and do, in order for your dog to have a solid fast recall.

*Is your dog not coming back when called?
*Is your dog not focussing on you and finding everything else more rewarding?
*Are they coming back but very slowly or just when they feel like it?
*Are you fed up with your dog running off and disappearing?
*Is your dog ignoring you and running off over to other dogs or people etc.

Then this is the course for you!!!

*4 week course
*Starting Saturday 6th of September at 9.30am
*£80
*Max 6 dogs
*At Morden park.

To book and for more information please contact Lucy on 07795661970

22/08/2025

🐾 Group Social Walks 🐾

‼️ NEW TIMES FOR SATURDAY ADDED 9:30am ‼️

🐶 Would you like to perfect your dogs behaviour at the park?

🐾 Then these are the sessions for you!!

🐶 We will teach you park etiquette, as well as some basic training, like lead work, recall, and social skills.

🐾 These walks will have 1 behavioral trainer per 2 dogs

🐕 £25 weekday walks and £30 on weekends

‼️ Please note no reactive or aggressive dogs can book in without a 121 assessment first.

🏕 The location will be confirmed by email

🌟 AUGUST 🌟

30th 9:30am

30th 12pm

⭐️ SEPTEMBER ⭐️

1st 1pm

5th 1pm

6th 9:30am

6th 12pm

8th 1pm

12th 1pm

13th 9:30am

13th 12pm

15th 1pm

19th 1pm

20th 9:30am

20th 12pm

22nd 1pm

26th 1pm

27th 9:30am

27th 12pm

29th 1pm

🐶 £25 per dog WEEKDAYS, and £30 WEEKEND If you'd like to book in, please email Gina at - [email protected]

🐾 When emailing, please give your dogs name, breed, age, and a contact number.

🐶 Gina will then email you back with availability.

🐶🐕🦮🐕‍🦺🐶

21/08/2025

20/08/2025

🐾 Intermediate training Classes 🐾

*5 week course
*New start date: Saturday 30th August for 10.30am
*Maximum of 6 dogs
*Based in Morden SM4

⭐️To do this class you need to have at least done puppy/basic obedience classes.⭐️

This class is to advance all of your dogs training to an Intermediate+ level, including:

*Heel work (Loose lead walking)
*Training your dog to have a high level of focus & engagement.
*Training to get an advanced ‘Leave’.
*Training to get an advanced Stay, Wait, Back, Sit and Down including in the heel position.
*Advancing your dogs training beyond vocal commands.
*Impulse control.
*Return to handler and Recall.
*How to communicate more clearly with your dog especially via your body language signals.
*And much much more.

For more information or If you are interested in booking this course please contact Lucy on 07795 661970

17/08/2025

⭐️Lucy’s Sunday Canine Holistic Health Tips⭐️

🐾 Feeding the best diet you can and adding fresh to your pets bowl

It’s not always possible for everyone to feed their dogs a fresh diet, whether it’s due to affordability, time, sourcing or storage issues etc. So in those situations it’s important to help owners improve the diet that they are feeding their dogs.

Whether that involves help to choose the best dry or wet diets ect (and treats) within their affordability or how to add in fresh as much as possible.

🐾 When feeding a processed diet:

-The main thing when feeding a processed diet is to chose ones that are least processed or adulterated. Products with the highest amount of specified quality meat and the least amount of carbohydrates or fillers. Which includes starchy carb fillers like grains, cereals, rice, potato, legumes and peas.

🐾When adding in fresh:

-Make sure to do it slowly, one new thing a week to make sure your dog gets used to having it and doesn’t show any signs of intolerances. Start with a small amount and increase it over time, you could start at 5-10% and increase it up to 40% of their diet.

❤️’’A study done in 2005 found that ‘adding just 20% of fresh foods into the kibble bowl can decrease the chance of metabolic diseases such as cancer by 70-90%. The more variety of fresh foods you can add to the bowl, the better!’❤️

🐾 Mixing balanced diets:

-Just like some may feed wet and dry together, you can feed a 50/50 mix of dry and balanced cooked or raw etc together.
-You also have the option of alternating what you feed each meal. For example if you feed your dogs twice a day you could do one meal of a dry diet and one meal of a cooked or raw diet etc.

If you do wish to mix diets then start with a small amount of the new diet and gradually increase. Take it slowly and add in one new meat etc at a time to avoid potential digestive upset or intolerances.
I would also highly recommend adding in a good probiotic for optimal gut health if you wish to mix diets. The best probiotics available for dogs are by Adored Beast, Four Leaf Rover and Bark & Whiskers.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1P9BYozDrV/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.facebook.com/share/1ADrhEyNzi/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://wefeedraw.com/blog/can-you-mix-raw-food-with-kibble-yes

https://thenaturaldogstore.com/blogs/health/can-you-mix-raw-with-kibble

16/08/2025

Congratulations to everyone who has completed our recent set of Foundation stage 1 and stage 2 classes.

You were all fantastic and we loved having you in our classes and seeing the progress your dogs made.

Thank you for your commitment over the last 7 weeks and for choosing us to do classes with.

If interested in our next set both starting 10th September please send an email to [email protected] for more information

15/08/2025

🐾 Group Social Walks 🐾

‼️ NEW TIMES FOR SATURDAY ADDED 9:30am ‼️

🐶 Would you like to perfect your dogs behaviour at the park?

🐾 Then these are the sessions for you!!

🐶 We will teach you park etiquette, as well as some basic training, like lead work, recall, and social skills.

🐾 These walks will have 1 behavioral trainer per 2 dogs

🐕 £25 weekday walks and £30 on weekends

‼️ Please note no reactive or aggressive dogs can book in without a 121 assessment first.

🏕 The location will be confirmed by email

🌟 AUGUST 🌟

22nd 1pm

23rd 9:30am

23rd 12pm

30th 9:30am

30th 12pm

⭐️ SEPTEMBER ⭐️

1st 1pm

5th 1pm

6th 9:30am

6th 12pm

8th 1pm

12th 1pm

13th 9:30am

13th 12pm

15th 1pm

19th 1pm

20th 9:30am

20th 12pm

22nd 1pm

26th 1pm

27th 9:30am

27th 12pm

29th 1pm

🐶 £25 per dog WEEKDAYS, and £30 WEEKEND If you'd like to book in, please email Gina at - [email protected]

🐾 When emailing, please give your dogs name, breed, age, and a contact number.

🐶 Gina will then email you back with availability.

🐶🐕🦮🐕‍🦺🐶

14/08/2025

🐾 Intermediate training Classes 🐾

*5 week course
*New start date: Saturday 30th August for 10.30am
*Maximum of 6 dogs
*Based in Morden SM4
*£100

⭐️To do this class you need to have at least done puppy/basic obedience classes.⭐️

This class is to advance all of your dogs training to an Intermediate+ level, including:

*Heel work (Loose lead walking)
*Training your dog to have a high level of focus & engagement.
*Training to get an advanced ‘Leave’.
*Training to get an advanced Stay, Wait, Back, Sit and Down including in the heel position.
*Advancing your dogs training beyond vocal commands.
*Impulse control.
*Return to handler and Recall.
*How to communicate more clearly with your dog especially via your body language signals.
*And much much more.

For more information or If you are interested in booking this course please contact Lucy via WhatsApp on 07795 661970

13/08/2025

I had a one to one with this lovely girl recently. Her owners contacted me because they were having some issues with her recall. Including being more interested in other dogs and not coming back when called.

Before our session they initially did a couple of social walks with us to get her started, which they did absolutely brilliantly on.

From the start of our session we started going over the drills and behaviours that are needed in order to shape a recall. Including building up focus and engagement, working in free agency and the tasks that are involved with a recall. We also worked on her ignoring other dogs so that she would stay totally focused on her owners.

This little girl is so lovely and quick to learn, her and her owners did absolutely amazingly during their session.