Wonderdog Training

04/05/2023

Poppy smiling after smashing her loose lead walking session today! 💥 In one session we've gone from her nearly pulling her Dad over on the way to the garden, to following him nicely on a loose lead and standing nicely at his side. We'll put the two together over the next few weeks, with lots of practice. Well done Poppy and Trev! 👏

06/06/2022

Have you ever wondered why some dog trainers charge more than others? Or what on earth the many, many, MANY types of trainers even mean? Force-free, positive, reward based, balanced, alpha, dominance, science based, modern, traditional....to name a few!!

The truth is, anyone can set up as a dog trainer. It's not a regulated industry.

But those that truly love what they do pour their heart and soul into professional development and educating themselves on up to date research

If you want...
🐾 Someone that has you and your dog's best interests at heart
🐾 Keeps up to date knowledge, backed by science and regular CPD
🐾 Never uses any form of pain, force or intimidation

Then an experienced, force-free trainer is the way to go.

Avoid anyone that uses words like "balanced", "traditional" and "alpha/dominance".

If you have any questions or want to know more about what the different types of training mentioned are then drop a comment below

04/06/2022

✋ Hands up if you'd love your dog to have a better recall? ✋

If that's you, then you'll want to grab my free guide on recall!

👉 Click here to get yours:

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02/06/2022

💥 Truth time! 💥

There are 3 common pit falls that stop people from getting the results they want when they start a new training plan:

🐾 Inconsistency: the whole family need to be on board and training needs to be consistent so the dog isn't getting mixed messages.
🐾 Skipping the foundations: Every single training issue will need foundation work done at home before we can tackle the main issue. This might be working on things like clicker training, eye contact or walking nicely on the lead. Without really strong foundations the bigger picture will never come together.
🐾 Forgetting to have fun! Keeping sessions short and ending on a positive note is so important. Training our dogs can be so much fun but when we focus on the issues and not on the amazing progress they are making then we can get impatient, move too fast or even just give up.

None of these should stop you from reaching your training goal.

Why?

Because you have all the time in the world to get it right. Take a breath and start again. All your dog needs is your guidance and patience. And with that, you CAN have the best friend you've ever wished for by your side for many years to come.

That's my ethos: Kind and Patient.

DM me to chat with us. 💕

01/06/2022

New puppy parents often ask me how to stop their puppy mouthing/biting, so today I want to share a few of my top tips to help you with exactly that!

🐾 Have a wide variety of chews and toys that they can bite and chew readily available to help with teething
🐾 Have a large "decoy" toy; when playing if they start to mouth at your hands then offer them the large fluffy toy to bite instead
🐾 Any further teeth on skin means play time is over; say a calm "woops" and walk away. Don't shout at or punish your puppy, just walk away calmly.
🐾 If they are still very mouthy and over excited then it's not a good time to play. Gently pop them in their crate or play pen with a kong or a lickimat for some quiet time
🐾 Make sure your puppy's toys are the right size, lots of puppy tug toys are very small and they can't help but catch your hands. Consider trying out something called a flirt pole to help avoid your hands getting nipped.

A final thought - don't yelp when they bite as this usually just adds more excitement and can make them bite even more!

Have a question? Let us know in the comments below... 👇

20/03/2022

💛💛 Today is day. Have you ever seen a dog wearing yellow and wondered why? It just means that dog needs some space. They might be anxious of people, scared of other dogs, in training, in season, recovering from an operation etc. Whatever the reason, pop your own dog back on a lead and give them the space they need 💛💛

17/03/2022

Happy St Patrick's Day!!! 🍀

21/02/2022

I've had a great session today with gorgeous wonderdog Alva, who made lovely progress with her bike chasing. She is a very smart girl who learnt quickly to look at the cyclist and then look back at her mum for some chicken! A huge well done to Alva's mum for all the hard work she's put in with their foundation and clicker training before today's session 👏 I'm looking forward to hearing about their progress 🐶 💥

14/02/2022

Happy Valentine's Day! 💝 🌹

07/02/2022

I've had a fantastic evening with this smart cookie and super fast learner! 😊 I met with Luke's Mum and Dad this evening to have a chat about his mouthing and a few other things. Luke now has a new training schedule and lots of tricks to learn. Good luck with training this week Luke 💥

25/12/2021

Happy Christmas to all my fantastic customers! We hope Santa's been good and all the Wonderdogs are spoilt 🥰 😊💕

03/12/2021

Thinking of getting a puppy this Christmas? STOP ✋

Think! Puppies are a 15 year + commitment.
They don't come preprogrammed. They chew, they bite, they p*e EVERYWHERE. They cry at night time, they wake up early every single day and they get bigger!

There will be vets bills, good quality food is expensive, some might need grooming. They'll need training throughout their lives, they'll need looked after if you go on holiday, they'll need looked after when you go back to work.

If you've considered all these things and decided you're ready for a new arrival for Christmas, I'm running my puppy presentation at the reduced price of just £25 in December and January to help you get off to the best possible start. Book in before the little one arrives so you're ready to go from day 1!

Welcome to Wonderdog Training! Offering one to one support on a range of dog training problems and specialising in advice for new puppy owners. Online and in the Nottingham area. IMDT qualified . Kind and force free methods.

26/10/2021

If your dog is scared of fireworks or if you’ve got a new puppy and this year is their first experience, start work on their firework hide out area today:

🐾 Pick a room your dog is already comfortable in. If they are happy in the whole house then choose a room in the centre of the house or one with less windows.
🐾 Get an Adaptil plug in (or similar) and plug this in their safe room now.
🐾 Make a den area by piling up blankets and old clothing with your scent on for them to dig under and hide in. If they are already used to a crate/den you can use this area.
🐾 Hide and scatter treats around in the blanket pile to encourage them to hang out there.
🐾 Ensure their microchip is up to date, just in case.

On the day:
🐾 Close the curtains to block out noises and keep things dark.
🐾 Remain nearby to provide comfort and in case they try to chew anything if they get distressed. Sometimes just being there is enough.
🐾 Put the TV on with the volume a little louder than normal or put a radio in the windowsill with calming music, to block outside noise.
🐾 If your dog’s fear is mild enough then keep them busy. Hiding treats in their safe area during the fireworks may be enough to distract them. Also use kongs, lickimats etc.
🐾 Ensure they’ve lots of water, their usual food if they’ll take it and any favourite toys that might provide comfort or distractions.
🐾 Don't walk after dark.
🐾 Don't let them outside even if you think your garden is secure.
🐾 Give them fuss and comfort if they seek it. Don’t worry- you cannot reinforce fear!

After fireworks season:
🐾 Contact Wonderdog training for help and advice on how to desensitise your dog to fireworks, in plenty of time for next year.

26/10/2021

Who trains the BEST dog trainers??

It's official, it's the IMDT! I'm very proud to be IMDT qualified.

Well done to the IMDT! 👏 🎉

Your most popular organisation that trains dog trainers to the highest standard is none other than the IMDT! Congratulations to everyone at the organisation.

Tomorrow we'll be revealing your winners for Hope in The Face of Adversity and your 2021 Dog World Changer!

23/09/2021

We all have bad days, even our dogs.

Learning takes time, teaching our dogs how to live in our human world does not always come easily. Some days you feel like everything is falling into place, the next day you feel like pulling your hair out screaming “YOU DID THIS PERFECTLY YESTERDAY!!” But today is a new day, with new challenges.

I have a little dog from China, it has been a bumpy road getting to know him! 10 months later and most days now he wriggles with love and kisses and excitement. But some days he is in his bed growling if I go too near him.

For my human brain these days are frustrating, it feels like we’re going backwards. It’s a struggle. But it's not personal. He's not being "bad". Perhaps he is sore, perhaps he is tired, perhaps something scared him during the night. All I know for sure is it means he needs space.

He is still learning to trust me, I’m learning to give him space when he asks.

Dogs are allowed to say “not today”. If you’re struggling with a training goal, take a breath, take a break. Go back a few steps when you start again tomorrow. Build trust, be patient, be kind.
Tomorrow is a new day!

14/09/2021

12/09/2021

Massive well done to Wonderdog Stanley (and his humans) who made brilliant progress with recall today. In just 45 minutes Stanley was running back to a brand new recall word 👏 💥 good luck with your training this week Stanley!❤

02/09/2021

A huge well done to Wonderdog Duggee after his first training session today. He absolutely smashed his recalls 💥 and had some lovely focus on his handler 👏