top of page
Cartoon dog

dog training & socialisation

Training puppies and older dogs in a group environment can often be counter-productive, as excitable youngsters can be easily distracted by other dogs and people, whilst an anxious youngster is likely to feel over-whelmed and fearful, which will do more harm than good.

Training sessions with Joyful Paws are on a 1-2-1 basis and begin in the comfort of your own home, where your dog has no distractions whilst you can relax and actually concentrate ~ all attention is on you alone.  Once your dog understands what we want, we then move outdoors to put things into practice in real-life situations.

As dogs learn by association, we tend to inadvertently reinforce unwanted or inappropriate behaviour without ealising it, so actually our dogs are training us !  

Common issues include:-​

            > Barking

            > Biting

            > Chewing

            > Following you everywhere

            > Jumping up

            > Not coming back when called

            > Not listening

            > Reactivity to animals/dogs/strangers at home and outside

            > Refusing to let go of toys or other items

            > Stealing things around the home

            > Toileting

  

However, this list is not exhaustive ~ there are many other issues that keepers may struggle with, and Joyful Paws will help you to overcome them.

Trail marks on a walk
Dog's paw print
Dog's paw print
Dog's paw print
Dog's paw print
Dog's paw print
Dog's paw print

want  your dog to listen to you?    joyful paWS WILL make it happen !

Photo of Old Tyme Bulldog puppy, Bella
Joyful Paws logo

see results FROM YOUR VERY FIRST SESSION

Joyful Paws offers an holistic approach to training which covers every aspect of living with your dogs ~ offering advice about how to live with them at home on a daily basis, teaching you about how they learn, knowing the correct type of exercise to provide, how to play with them in a constructive way, and even taking into account their diet, which can also impact on a dog's behaviour. 

 

The training techniques are motivational, force-free, and reward-based, and are designed to provide vital mental stimulation for your dog, thus helping to reduce their levels of adrenaline so that they feel calm. 

My skills enable you to gain the knowledge to train your dog yourself so that he will become responsive, well-socialised, and a pleasure to be around both for you and for other people.  You will also learn how to work with him in 'real life' situations, such as learning handling skills during walks, and practising recalls around other dogs and people.  

 

In addition, you will gain a better understanding of how the world appears to your dog from his perspective.  You will learn how to read his body language as he communicates with both humans and other dogs with clearly defined 'Calming Signals'; not only will your dog tell you how they're feeling, but you will also learn to read them in other dogs once out and about ~ you can even 'talk' to them in their own language, helping deepen your mutual bond.

 

This is a life-style for how best to live with your dog, rather than training 'tricks' such as 'Sit', 'Stay' etc.  Whilst there is

a use for such exercises, I find that although you can train a dog to be extremely 'obedient', it tends to mask actual

behaviour issues, and dogs trained in this fashion often tend to

be unable to function without instruction from their keeper.

 

By teaching you how to 'Be More Dog', you will gain a stronger relationship built on mutual trust and understanding so that you will be working as a team, giving you the opportunity to enjoy a happy and harmonious life together ~ these methods will provide

long lasting results, as opposed to a 'quick fix'.

 

Sessions are tailored to a pace that suits you, and also cater to the individual needs of your dog; just like people, every dog has a different personality and learning capacity.  So there is absolutely no pressure!

If you have a puppy, it's best to begin their training and socialisation as soon as possible, but older dogs can also undergo training because, unlike the adage "You can't train an old dog new tricks", well actually, yes you can!  Even dogs from rescue centres which may have experienced a troubled history are receptive to training with gentle rehabilitation, patience and understanding.

Socialisation involves more than a puppy merely running around with other dogs, so Joyful Paws will teach you how to correctly socialise your dog in order than he will grow into a calm, well-grounded adult.

Dogs are pack animals and have a natural desire to want to greet other dogs, so surely it's best to have this happen safely?  For those of you who want to socialise your dog with other dogs, I will initially work with you with the aid of my own dogs, whose temperaments I know and trust.  This will be done in a safe, controlled manner so that your dog will learn to interact in an appropriate way to gain confidence, and will also learn social etiquette and good manners towards other dogs to help keep them safe. 

Although regular weekly sessions are recommended, training with Joyful Paws is flexible and there is no requirement for you to book a 'set' number of sessions. You will no doubt feel confident within a short period of time, but you can continue your training for as long as you feel that you need to.  And should the need arise at a later stage of your dog's life and you find that you need more help, or you'd like a one-off refresher, you can simply come back to me for further training if you wish.

Offering professional, friendly, caring yet affordable assistance, I have spoken at several online events by invitation from various organisations, and have also been consulted by T.V. production companies for advice on dog behaviour and training with regard to their impending programmes.

 

I have worked with various rescues helping with behaviour assessments, rehabilitation, socialisation and training, especially with Romanian street dogs.  Currently, I assess dogs for U.K. Fostering in the West Midlands region, so that children can be safely placed in foster care.  

I'm happy to work with dogs of all temperaments ~ all ages, all breeds, and I specialise in helping those displaying aggressive or reactive behaviour.  I very much look forward to working with you and yours. 

To make a booking, CALL NOW on 07963 255365 or email info@joyfulpaws.co.uk

Dog's ball
Dog's bone
Trail marks on a walk

train any dog - any age, any breed

Trail marks on a walk
Photo of German Shepherd Dog Delta at the beach

  © 2018 ~ Joyful Paws                                                                                                             Website designed by Joy Harrison with Wix.com Web Builder

bottom of page