Hoopers is coming!!!

Back last year I was accredited as a Canine Hoopers UK (CHUK) instructor.
For those of you that haven't heard of Hoopers it's a wonderful sport, which is suitable for all ages & abilities (both dogs & handlers)
It's a fun, fast low impact sport. you can do it for fun, or compete at events up & down the country.
We'll be holding our first workshop on May 27th ( Bank Holiday Monday) at our Slough venue.
Times & booking details coming soon.
In the meantime, check out the video & website below for more info.

http://www.caninehoopersuk.co.uk/

The Magnificent 7

Last Sunday - 22nd February, saw K9 Capers DTC hold our first Good Citizen assessment.

I'm very pleased to say that all 7 dogs were passed by our assessor Iain Lewis.

Little Az & instructor Kelly also were awarded the Puppy Foundation Award on the day

These club members are now working towards their Silver award & we hope this will inspire more members to join us on the next assessment day (hopefully in the summer)  

It's getting near to that time of year again !!

The year has certainly flown by & we're rapidly approaching Firework season.
Rather than writing it all out again, I'll link to last years blog post HERE & just add that Diwali this year is on Thursday, October 23rd - so not long now.

Please have a read, a little preparation can save years of heartache & stress.

May 13th 2014 - An Evening With Carolyn Menteith

Join us on May 13th, at 6pm, for

An Evening With Carolyn Menteith KCAI (CDA) DipCABT
£20 per person, to include light refreshments.
Prior booking essential.

Dogs Trust Harefield~ Highway Farm House, Harvil Rd, Harefield, Uxbridge. UB9 6JW

Carolyn will be presenting not one, but two seminars for us.

Beneficial & entertaining for owners & professionals

Bite Me!

No matter where we choose to work in the dog world, or whatever involvement we have with dogs, we have to have a knowledge of canine aggression. This may be one of the important areas of our work and yet far too few people understand it. Even if we don't deal with the outcome, we all need to know how aggression starts, how to prevent it, what it is - and very often what it isn't - if we want to be able to help our clients have a safe and happy life with their dogs - or have a safe and happy life with our own dogs.

Breed Specific Learning

As companion dog trainers or as owners, it is not enough just to know how dogs learn. We need to be able to acknowledge that all breeds and types are different, and so what works for one will not work for all. Given that we are faced daily with a wide range of breeds, we need to be able to combine canine learning theory with a knowledge of breed development in order to help our clients get the best from their dogs - or indeed our own dogs - especially those thought of as being 

more problematic.

Read More About Carolyn HERE

For Bookings & Further Information Please Email Lorraine 

When is my dog "trained" ?

  I get to meet most people the first time in good circumstances, they call me all excited, having just brought their puppy home (or even better , before they bring him/her home). They want to start off training on the right foot, with supervised socialisation & training in a safe environment.
Week by week I see progress, sharing in their achievements & helping out with fresh ideas & encouragement if things go a bit off track (Which they always do, it's perfectly normal !!)
Progress varies tremendously as the pups grow, dependant on many factors, breed, home environment, owner dedication etc, but everyone finishes the puppy course with the basics under their belt.
This is when one of 2 things happens, the owner gets the training bug & we see them week after week, or, the owner is happy that their dog is "trained" & we never see them again.
This week I've had a couple of calls, from people with older pups, wanting help.
They've all attended puppy classes elsewhere & when the course has ended not enrolled for more classes, as they were happy with what they'd been taught.
HOWEVER, 6 months down the line, their now adolescent dog is much less than the well behaved dog it once was. They are too embarrassed to return to the classes they first attended, as they feel like they failed, so are seeking to join us at K9 Capers.
This got me thinking, I wonder who OUR former puppy attendees & their owners will turn to if they hit problems? I'd like to think they are confident they can come back & carry on their training, with us.

The answer to the question posed in the title?

A dog is never trained, they are constantly learning behaviours & these can be unwanted ones , as well as good ones. 
Every new situation your dog finds itself in is a new learning experience & how YOU handle it will make all the difference.
Training's not a race to see who can teach the most, the quickest.
It's all about repetition, in various locations , with varying distractions.
Puppy owners often tell me; "Oh, he/she does it at home...just not here" !!!
The whole point of the class , is having the opportunity to test what you teach at home, in an environment with managed distractions.
These basic exercises  ,look,settle,sit,stand,down,wait & come (along with their associated rewards of course) are the foundations on which you can build all your dogs future behaviours ....rush them & you'll have a wobbly, unsafe future. Take your time & you'll have a good strong base on which to build.