The first thing any reputable rescue, trainer, behaviourist, vet or indeed any good breeder will tell you when you first bring home your puppy is that socialisation is incredibly important. They need to get used to lots of strange people, dogs and situations…and even ‘scary’ objects such as bikes, hats, large coats and so on.
And being puppies, they tend to absorb everything like a sponge and can learn very quickly that lots of different people, children, adults, grandparents mean more treats and cuddles and aren’t very scary at all. Going …

We might not have a Cold Wet Nose Show this year but Paws In The Park 2010 is alive and kicking!
Paws In The Park will take place at Hop Farm, Paddockwood, Kent on the 11th and 12th September.
There will be lots of fun events and competitions including agility and flyball as well as a companion dog show!
There will also be a talent show for pooches with special skills – so if your dog has a special talent, get practising!
Join the Newfoundlands and Siberian Huskies as they demonstrate what they can …

Sadly I have just received news that this is not going ahead (although I will be keeping fingers crossed that someone, somewhere will have a change of heart!) but hopefully it will be back next year, bigger and better than ever!

After the many, many years of research into the subject, there still seems to be a great divide in the world of dog trainers and behaviourists which has resulted in a long-continuing debate on which dog training methods are ‘correct’ and which behavioural philosophies ultimately explain why dogs behave as they do.
Standing either side of this great divide are celebrity dog trainers Cesar Millan and Victoria Stilwell.
Both parties are familiar and well-loved household names but each holds an opposing view as to how dogs should be trained and understood.

Cesar’s Way
Cesar’s …

I’ve been rather hectic this week and, although keen to publish the R+ vs Alpha theory blog I am working on, I haven’t yet had time to fine tune it!
As far as doggy news goes, my sister’s Leonberger sadly passed away a little while ago and left (quite literally) a massive hole…he was an absolutely fantastic dog with a big waggy tail and an adoration for all things ball shaped (the squeakier the better!)
There has been a new addition to the family – a newfie x berner pup who is …