Due to injuries, funerals, my holiday and other reasons I've had allot of time off this month already!
I finally got to go to the lake district and rode horseback on the beach :-) Lots of fun new changes and developments going on at Elite Dog Training. I've had the delight of spending time catching up with a few previous clients and their dogs too! My dogs have been doing their best at agility the last few weeks and my female rottie Akiva has decided she wants to try and take on my male rottie Kaiser as 'agility champion'.
The past few months have been very busy. Not many pictures (I can't take pictures during training sessions but will post some videos shortly).
* Click on image to enlarge *
I would like to apologise AGAIN for my slow response to emails and lack of availability. After a few weeks off I injured my back to the point even standing still was agony. I am now slowly getting back into work and hope to be able to book in everyone on my waiting list over the next few weeks. I am unable to take on jobs with big / boisterous / strong dogs at the moment as my back needs time to heal properly.
I would like to apologise to everyone I have cancelled recently. Due to an unexpected death in the family I will be off work until March 2015. Thank you for your understanding.
Please excuse the messy garden as we're having building work done :)At this time of year my training services are in such high demand I would like to apologise to those who have emailed and left messages for me that haven't been replied to yet. I hope to get in contact with everyone within the next few weeks but my services are currently fully booked for January. Please feel free to read through the training advice pages meanwhile where you may find some helpful tips. I apologise for any inconvenience, Sarah.
Finally the new website design is up and the new training advice pages are coming together nicely. There is now a new widget to make booking and contacting me even easier. Enjoy!
Lots of new dogs and their owners joining Elite training the past month - and they all have one problem in common. They lack boundaries. A common reason for this is some owners see boundaries as a type of punishment - that they are being unfair and unkind to their dog. Example: Percy the Labrador jumps on his owners all of the time but is otherwise a 'perfect' pet. When asked "Why does Percy jump on the sofa?" (which is where he has a frenzy of over enthusiastic kisses for the victim he lands on, often ending in injury to the person who is squashed under 40kg of 'puppy') owners usually reply "Percy likes to be with the family and we like to cuddle up on the sofa together".
There is no problem with allowing a dog on the sofa if you wish. However it must be on your terms. My rottweilers are allowed on my sofa at home with my permission, they simply nudge me and look from the sofa to me and if I say 'ok' they snuggle up. if I say 'no' they go to their own nearby pillow. If allowed on the sofa - as soon as I say 'off' the dog must get off straight away. These boundaries can prove essential. Have a hot cup of tea in your hand? Elderly relative visiting? Last thing you need is Fido taking a running jump onto your lap! Part of Percy's training is to slow down, listen to commands better (not the 20th time of being asked and eventually lured by a sausage) and to give owners space in every situation when asked. Percy can still snuggle up with the family but he has to slow down, 'ask' and then only if allowed, sit on the sofa (and not use the family as a human bouncy castle). Boundaries do not have to mean 'unkind' or 'unfair'. You could be asking your dog to: - sit away from the table while you eat (safer for the dog and can help some behavioural problems) - walk without pulling on the lead (not nice for the dog or owner) - leave a toy alone on command (great for households with kids, possessive dogs etc). to be continued... As a DogLost member, when we heard that a local dog had gone missing we joined in the search. Little did we know that on a previous occasion, a member of Primo Pet Services had already picked up the stray dog once in the past but the dog had escaped the handlers garden. Puhi, an old dog brought to the UK from Bulgaria was finally found by a well known rescue after a suspected RTA. After a quick once over, Puhi was given back to his owner (who had already lost him 3 times since new years alone) and in fear that Puhi would once again run away, myself and other DogLost members stepped in. We persaded the owner to let us take Puhi into our care while she could sort out her own life to ensure Puhi would no longer escape (causing a danger to himself and road users). Traumatised, Puhi Is unable to be rehomed or in a foster home with other dogs just yet. Although he adored my rottweilers he is far too insecure (and doesn't understand English words) to trust around other dogs in a home environment. Using Primo Pet Services Shar Pei puppy Dotty, I managed to raise £42 for Puhi's care thanks to Jollyes Petfood Superstore in Enfield (rounded up to £50 by Primo Pet Services). Puhi has since gone from strength to strength. He's put on weight, been vaccinated, neutered and is starting to relax in a safe environment. By Sarah Harman |
AuthorSarah Harman Archives
November 2023
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