Training Fido

21/05/2026

The Heat Is Rising! ☀️ 🌡️
Your Dog Needs You More Than Ever

Every summer, emergency vets treat hundreds of dogs for heat related illness and tragically, many of these cases are entirely preventable. Too often, dogs are exercised during the hottest parts of the day, when their bodies simply can’t cool down effectively.

Know The Signs of Heat Stroke
Acting quickly can save a life, watch out for:

Excessive panting
Heavy drooling
Vomiting
Collapse or weakness
Red or darkened gums
Disorientation or confusion

How to Protect Your Dog
Small changes can make a big difference:
🐾 Walk early in the morning or later in the evening
💧 Always carry fresh water
🌳 Stay in the shade whenever possible
🚫 Avoid intense or prolonged exercise
🏡 Never leave your dog in a car - even for a short time

Heat-related illness is almost always preventable. With a few simple adjustments, you can help keep your dog safe, comfortable and happy, even on the hottest days.

Keeping Your Dog
Cool in Summer
Recognising the signs of heatstroke and knowing what to do could save your dog’s life...Large breeds, obese, flat-faced and very young dogs will find these temperatures uncomfortable
Or if the dog has underlying health conditions.

⛱️ 🐶🐾

09/05/2026

This article below applys to all dog training.
Time, patience and understanding.
And you will build a bond like no other with your faithful friend
🐾

Forgive yourself for not knowing earlier what only time could teach.

That might be one of the hardest parts of gundog training.

Not the cold mornings. Not the long days. Not the setbacks, the missed retrieves, the frustration or the doubt. But learning not to punish yourself for the things experience had to teach you slowly.

Because nobody starts this journey already knowing everything. Nobody begins understanding pressure, patience, fairness, instinct, drive, sensitivity, confidence, restraint or trust. Those lessons are earned.

Earned through repetition, through mistakes, through watching your dog closely enough to realise they were communicating with you long before you learned how to listen.

When we first start training, we often think progress comes from doing more. More commands. More control. More correction. More pressure. But time teaches you something different.

The best handlers are usually quieter. Calmer. Clearer. More patient. They stop trying to overpower the dog and start trying to understand it and that understanding only comes with experience.

There are things I wish I knew earlier. Moments I’d handle differently now. Sessions I’d redo with softer hands and a calmer mind.

But regret is useless if it ignores growth.

The version of you back then could only work with the knowledge you had at the time and if you know better now, it means you learned.

That matters.

Dogs have a beautiful way of keeping us humble. They expose inconsistency immediately. They mirror frustration. They force patience out of impatient people. They teach discipline to emotional handlers. They remind us that trust cannot be rushed. A finished gundog is not created overnight and neither is a good handler.

Both are shaped slowly, season after season, mistake after mistake, lesson after lesson.

So forgive yourself for what you didn’t know earlier. Because some things cannot be taught quickly. Some things only arrive with time, experience and enough humility to keep showing up and learning anyway and maybe that’s what makes this journey so rewarding in the first place. 🤍

08/04/2026

Another course comes to an end it's amazing what you can achieve with consistent training. Even 5 minutes a day can start to establish positive results.
Steve & Maxine are so pleased with Cody's progress. Especially with his lead walking. He has good recall

08/04/2026

Well done to Carl & Sam for completing their 6 week training course. Carl has never owned a dog and had no experience in handling one. Sam belongs to Carls girlfriend and is 10 years old.
When Sam started training he was unresponsive, and use to doing his own thing. Didn't respond to his name.
The progress these 2 have made has been impressive. It has been so lovely to see the bond between them grow. Sam is a happier boy and far more focused than when he started. He now has a recall and a recall away from distractions. Responds to leave it and can sit and wait.
Just goes to show you it's never to late to start training and turn things around!
So proud of their progress 😁

26/02/2026

A bowl placed too low won’t injure every dog overnight. But over time — especially for large breeds, seniors, dogs with arthritis, neck/back issues, or those recovering from injury — repeatedly eating in an awkward posture can add unnecessary strain.

Easy fix:
✅ Try a raised feeder so your dog can eat with a relaxed neck and a straighter back.

Simple rule of thumb: the bowl should sit around the lower chest / elbow height — not too high, just enough to reduce bending.

If your dog has megaesophagus or swallowing problems, always follow your veterinarian’s specific setup, because height matters a lot in those cases.

12/01/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1ZeeWTqM3v/
This is a link to another Facebook article about lead etiquette.
Worth a view!! 🐾🐕‍🦺🦮

08/01/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GAoWxtgFs/

❄️ Hypothermia in Dogs: Know the Signs ❄️

Cold weather can be dangerous for our dogs, especially puppies, seniors, and small or short-haired breeds 🐶

Watch out for signs of hypothermia:
• Shivering or trembling
• Lethargy or weakness
• Slow breathing
• Pale gums
• Cold ears, paws, or tail

If you suspect hypothermia, act fast:
✔️ Move your dog somewhere warm
✔️ Use blankets (avoid direct heat)
✔️ Contact your vet immediately

Winter walks are fun, but safety always comes first 💙
Keep outings short, dry your dog thoroughly, and consider coats for extra warmth.

29/11/2025

Dogs just love training! 🐾
On a wet and windy Saturday morning these 3 braved the elements(dressed appropriately) and gained their Bronze certificate.
Covering Recall at distance with a 10 second wait before calling the dog.
A stay at 20 paces with a 30 second wait.
Heelwork on a loose lead.
Sending your dog around a cone left & right, returning to the heel position each time.
Away to a mat
Eye contact for 10 seconds with food in a bowl on the floor.
This demonstrates that the dog does not touch the food without checking in with you first. The handler will then give the command for the dog to eat the food in the bowl.
So proud of these 3 👏👏
I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year to start Training for the Silver certificate. 🎉🐾

20/11/2025

Well done to Jo & Duggy for gaining their 6-week Fundamental training award.
Duggy was rehomed by Jo at 4 months old and had no training at all. He is now 8 months and is working so well for Jo. They have come along way in 6 weeks.
Well done Jo for taking on this super little boy.
Keep going with the training 😊🐾

20/11/2025

Really pleased to award Cody & Di their 6 week achievement award!
Cody ran into the training area 6 weeks ago a force of nature. Would not stop barking and had very selective hearing.
Naughty was an under statement he just loved to steal things😉
So we worked on leave it exercises, setting up scenarios weekly. And today we threw boxes of sausages out to tempt this cheeky chap, and he completely ignored them and ran back to Di when she recalled him..
6 weeks of working on him not barking, resulted in him barking once when him came into the training area. And his lead walking has improved by a 100%.
Di practices this at home and uses he granddaughter as a distraction.
So well done!! 👏🎉🐾
You have worked so hard, keep it up! 🐾 Remember to be consistent in your training and the results will follow 😊