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ANY dog can be the "one" for you

Posted on 11/09/2013
Filed under: Responsible Dog Ownership Traditional Dog Training? Rescue Dogs Common Sense

I often hear people asking which dog would be the right one for them, as the choice of breeds available is incredible, wherever you live and if you get it wrong then there could be many practical problems for you and the dog.A typical problem would be if you live an active and adventurous outdoors life then consider that a toy breed may not be the ideal partner for you. Equally a large breed, such as a St Bernard, would struggle to join in your fun. The ideal dog in this case would come within “nature’s design”, which is between...

Do You Know Who You're Really Living With?

Posted on 05/09/2013

Often when a dog demonstrates undesirable behaviour, that behaviour becomes the focus of attention for the owner and consequently becomes the defining “character” of the dog. This is really unfair on the dog who will demonstrate certain behaviours simply because they are under extreme stress, not because they choose to or because they are just badly behaved. The tragedy is that the stress a dog may be under will actually prevent its own nature from shining through and its owners may have no idea of the real character of their dog, often coming to actually hate the poor animal because...

Short Term Gain

Posted on 28/08/2013
Filed under: Traditional Dog Training? Dog Training Gadgets Common Sense

I am often asked my thoughts on a gadget or training approach that becomes 'popular' for a while and my answer always remains the same; no external, physical experience can ultimately resolve any behavioural issue as the cause is always in the mind of the dog and its own reasoning. This is why I sought a process that would remove the cause of the problems, aided by external “cues”.The problem for most owners is that there usually seems to be a positive reaction from the dog when using certain aids but the truth is that this can only be temporary...

Learning From History

Posted on 23/08/2013
Filed under: The Dog's View It's a Dog!

One of my passions has always been history, I find it fascinating on so many levels but especially as it provides us with incredible understanding of how our predecessors succeeded and equally, what made them fail. We can learn so much and when it is presented as brilliantly as the recent dramatisation of the 'Wars of the Roses' with the television series 'The White Queen', we gain an insight into the reality for those we share our lives with as well.As I watch the interpretation of this period (which finally ended with the death of last of the Plantagenet Kings,...

Shock Collars

Posted on 30/07/2013
Filed under: Traditional Dog Training? Dog Training Gadgets

A phone call from BBC radio, inviting me to give my opinion on the use of shock collars as training aids for dogs, was very welcome by me. The presenter was someone I have known for twenty years, ever since he regularly hosted my weekly advice phone-ins. He had also invited me to his home to go through my method to assist him with his recently acquired rescue so he already had a very good idea of what my feelings on the subject were.It seems inconceivable that in the 21st century anyone could consider choosing such a cruel device and...