Wonder Paws Puppy School & Family Dog Training

21/07/2022

20/07/2022

Sounds like the perfect solution... kids itching to walk their new dog + over-stretched parents thrilled that their children are taking responsibility and lightening the workload! What's not to love?

Actually quite a LOT.

I can't tell you how many disappointed faces I see when I try to explain why a child walking a dog ALONE *might NOT be* the best idea for anyone!!?

And I get totally it.

If this is your first family dog, a quick spin around the block may look harmless enough - until you consider ALL of the things that can (and DO) go wrong.

Even (mentally and physically) FULLY-GROWN ADULTS get pulled down to the ground, or dragged over to squirrels, skateboards and the neighborhood cat. They accidentally drop leashes, or watch helplessly as their pup slips their collar. They struggle to control their dog around other dogs, or conversely, they panic or freeze when an off-leash dog comes sprinting full-speed towards them (friendly or not friendly.. who knows? They’ll likely find out when it’s too late!)

And this is ONLY a handful of the things that can happen to GROWN UPS… so for kids the stakes are simply exponentially higher.

As a trainer, I’m pretty calculated about where I go, and when I walk my dogs my radar is always activated. Even still, I’ve personally had to dash after my loose dog, I’ve been bitten by a dog who was attacking mine, I’ve seen a dog run over in a school parking lot, and watched a child be literally dragged for 50ft against her will!

So, I hope by sharing the potential risks with you, you can make informed choices about your family dog walking situation:

Here’s my hotlist of things to consider:

Size - of child and dog
Strength - of child and dog
Maturity - of child and dog
Training - of child and dog
Temperament - of child and dog

Then download, print and share our poster.
THESE are my questions to help families size up the COMBINATION of their dog and child to see whether WALKING ALONE together is a SMART call.

For more info for kids, dogs and making EVERYONE'S life SAFE and HAPPY - go to thefamilydog.com/families

16/07/2022

Congrats to our final puppy grads…. 🎓🐾🙌🏻 Bravo to Sid, Teddy, Nica, Chia, Mee-cot and Axel and their awesome families for their dedication and love for their puppies, you made us very proud trainers 💙💙💙

16/07/2022

Our very last puppy class at Wonder Paws in full swing! 💙💙💙

15/07/2022

It doesn't matter what you want to train your dog to do, whether it's loose lead walking, retrieving a gundog dummy or competitive obedience, breaking the exercise down into smaller steps will not only make it more achievable, but it will be easier for your dog to understand what you want them to do AND you'll be more motivated to keep training as you'll see progress quicker.

https://thepetgundog.co.uk/Home/Books
http://www.retrievingroll.com/









https://www.trainedforlife.co.uk/Home/Books

15/07/2022

With temperatures continuing to rise, we want to remind you how to keep dogs safe and cool during this heatwave 🌡🌞
For more tips see DogsTrust.ie/CoolToBeKind

12/07/2022

Thank you to Niall and the Nationwide team at RTÉ One for asking us to be involved. It was a great opportunity to promote ethical puppy training to a huge audience 💙💙💙 Watch our piece from 13m40’

Watch all your favourite TV shows Live or On Demand on your PC, smartphone or tablet for free.

11/07/2022

Today’s smile 😊 moment 💙

09/07/2022

Do you know where your British bulldog puppy came from??

09/07/2022

STABILITY ASSISTANCE DOGS TASK ASSISTANCE DOGS THERAPY DOGS STABILITY ASSISTANCE DOGS We have developed a highly successful Stability Assistance Dog Programme. It is the only one we know of in Europe. It works

07/07/2022

Poor Echo 💞