When Your Dog Pro Says "No" Or Advises Against Training...

...Be grateful as you have found a good one.

I am very lucky to have clients who are in tune with their dog’s needs. Today was one such example.

We were due to meet in a local park, but the temperature was set to be 27c, too hot for dogs to exercise without discomfort, and definitely not optimal conditions to teach their dog that triggers are good news.

After all, who else feels grumpy in hot weather?

Add that to burning hot paths on your bare feet and as a bonus you have a fur coat, and it is a recipe for teaching our dogs that triggers are present when conditions are horrible.

People might think we slack off when the weather is not great. This is untrue. In freezing cold, pouring rain, thunderstorms, or scorching heat, our dogs are equally uncomfortable as we are - and at Locke's Dogs and Fun Not Fear®, our focus is solely on the dogs and their human’s welfare.

It costs me the price of a session each time we postpone one, for any reason. I'd rather absorb the cost than carry the weight of a dog's discomfort, anxiety, and overheating on my conscience.

Instead, I use the time to create educational resources for Fun Not Fear® Club members and writing articles I think will help somebody.

A good dog pro, of any kind, will only operate when conditions are best for your dog, and never when your dog will suffer or you will waste your session not getting optimal results. If a dog trainer insists on training your dog regardless of the weather or any other sub-optimal conditions, take it as a warning sign.

Your dog needs to be comfortable in order to learn most effectively. The only exception that they should be made to go out in extreme weather is for the toilet, and even then you should stick to grassy, shady areas where you can.

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Fun Not Fear® Club

In the club this week we had a chat about “Easy Wins” and how you can help your dog to gain confidence and grow their relationship with you, while not needing to do anything complicated, inconvenient or difficult.

The video is below, for all club members.

Want to join, and get help and advice for your dog, from a qualified behaviourist, trainer, and nutrition advisor, for less than the price of a coffee each week? Simply upgrade to a paid subscription.