A Film Called 'Fetch'

Dinky my Leonberger was in a short film called 'Fetch' where she had to carry a severed arm around a farm!
The film directed by Jack Davies has been selected for the best of boroughs film awards, which is in September. I get to go to BAFTA with the rest of the film crew to watch them!


http://filmlondon.org.uk/best_of_boroughs/fetch/

There are lots more photos and screen grabs on the 'Fetch' facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Fetch-Movie/164983960227239

Training Workshops and Quick update

I have updated the training workshop page with all confirmed dates for September and October



Ive finished my first year of the BSc at Bishop Burton, its has been a bit of a rollercoaster and hoping next year will be better.

I'm part way through my CAP Assessors Course and have completed 3 supervised CAP1 Assessments. On Monday Im off to Worcester to the Learning About Dogs Teaching Diploma Course for a week and then back the following week to Helen Phillips Advanced Gundog Week. Tommorow is CAP3 training at WaggaWuffins. I think Helen might be sick of the sight of me by the end of the month!!!

Waggawuffins is Closed From Monday the 15th to Friday the 19 August and reopens on the Saturday as myself and Matt are on the Advanced Gundog Week.

Ive been mad busy trying to fit everyone in for home vists etc before i go and feel I need the break now! Puppy Classes are busy as ever and we only have a couple of places left in August! We have had some very very sweet pups come to classes :-)

Thats all for now I need to chop treats for tommorow!

Blackrod Scarecrow Festival 2nd and 3rd July 2011

The annual Blackrod Scarecrow Festival in Bolton is run over a weekend with each day being at one of the two schools in the village. Saturday I was asked to do something and due to us working Saturday morning I agreed to go and do a clicker training demonstration in the afternoon so I took Dinky with me and Carole and Tess met us there.
Sunday we had arranged for all of us to be there all day. Carole thankfully brought all the gear in her trailer for us. We did several displays through the day, Agility, Canine Freestyle, Gundog, Triebball and Clicker Training

We took Samson and Tess the Border Collies, Teal and Cara the Springer Spaniels, Dinky the Leonberger, Pickles the Working Cocker and Diesel the Rottie.

The weather was beautiful and we had already picked a spot prior that would have shade! So the doggies were fine. The dogs met lots of people and this was Diesel and Dinkys favourite part as they got lots of fuss!

Sarah and Samson did a Freestyle demo



Matt and Teal did a Gundog Display

The others helped with Triebball and Agility Demos

There are lots more photos on the WaggaWuffins Facebook page

New Spring Summer Workshops

I have updated the Training Workshops dates on the website

http://www.waggawuffins.com/Courses%20and%20Workshops.htm"

We have Agility, Shaping, Puppy, Treibball, mixed Activites and Hetty van Hassel is coming to do a Heelwork to Music Workshop of the 26th June 2011

Here is a video of Hetty doing a Heelwork to Music Demonstration at Discover Dogs in London

Wagga Wuffins Launch Puppy Life Skills Sessions - 'Training and Socialisation in the Real World'

We have had many discussions about what pet owners really need to help them turn their puppies into well behaved sociable adult dogs.
We run very successful puppy classes at Waggawuffins where we include controlled socialisation, basic training and education of owners.

We have found that some people find it hard to transfer these skills outside into their day to day environment and some people don’t have the confidence to allow their dogs to got off lead or socialise with other dogs without our supervision.
We always train dogs and puppies in controlled environments such as fields, halls and centres and although they are safe and controlled having many advantages, we should also be out there in the real world supporting the training and socialisation there too!
So we have designed WaggaWuffins Puppy Life Skills Sessions!
These sessions have been developed by our behaviourist Jane Ardern with the support of one of our trainers Matthew Phair and are training sessions of small groups in public places. One is a visit to Bury Town Centre and the others are Local Parks (Heaton, Phillips, Burrs)
If you think you might be interested in these sessions please visit our website for more information
http://www.waggawuffins.com/lifeskills.htm

Irresponsible Dog Owner!

Today I met up with my Brother, his wife, my nephew and their chocolate lab for a nice Easter Sunday Stroll round Phillips Park. I took Pickles with me.

We were having a lovely walk and stopped by the Hall in the Gardens while Charlie my nephew who is 2 was blowing bubbles. Suddenly two very large black Labradors came charging over towards us off lead with their owner calling them and they totally ignored her.

The largest lab spotted my sister in laws bag and made a bee line for it, went straight in and dragged out little Charlie’s body warmer running around with its new trophy, then the other lab ran up trying to get it and the two dogs started to play tug quite aggressively with it tearing itand slobbering all over it!

I picked Charlie up in my arms quickly not happy that these dogs where having a great time tearing something apart that was covered in my little nephews scent!

The dogs then dropped the body warmer and pummelled Pickles into the Pond who then couldn’t get out as the Labs were all round where she was trying to get out. The owner went to the pond where my sister in law was trying to get Pickles, asked was Pickles her dog, put hers on lead and just walked off!!!

My sister in law came back to us with a torn slobbered jacket and I asked if she apologised, she said no she just asked if Pickles was her dog.

Very angry I shouted that an apology would be nice and she just looked at us and walked off!


Her friend who was with her had a Lab on lead all the time, maybe she should take a leaf out her friend’s book and be more responsible and keep her out of control dogs on a lead, or maybe get them trained!!!!

Clicker Training Days At Waggawuffins

Clicker Pre Sports Puppy 8th May 2011
10am till 4pm £30 per handler - Max 8 dogs
A day for anyone that is planning to do sports with their puppy or if you just want some fun training ideas! The day consists of self awareness through shaping, targeting and object interaction, finding your puppy’s motivators and reinforcers and training games to build a stronger bond and focus

Clicker Free-Shaping Day 22nd May 2011
10am till 4pm £30 per handler - Max 8 dogs
A full day of learning about Free-Shaping
Free-Shaping builds stronger more reliable behaviours.
The day focuses on teaching object interaction to help with directional and distance control, agility and assistance dogs support, physical movements from paw lifts and head turns to tail wags and lips licks, directional movement’s like spins, turns and backwards circles

Foundation Agility Workshop 12th June 2011
10am till 4pm £35 per handler - Max 6 dogs
For Pet Dogs! The day involves introducing your dog safely to all the equipment using clicker shaping and capturing. We teach the dogs to work the equipment independently, confidently and safely. Our methods enable your dog to be calm and focused while having loads of fun!

Treibball Training Workshop 19th June 2011
10am till 4pm £35 per handler - Max 6 dogs
Learn Treibball with your dog. It’s not just for Collies, ball herding suitable for any breed. We teach the foundation exercises with clicker training. During the day we will teach the outrun to the dogs, then introduce the dogs to the gym balls where eventually we look at teaching the push/drive and directional control

All workshops instructed by Jane Ardern FdSc CBT, DipCABT, CAP2, CAPBT, MAPDT1058

Contact: Jane@waggawuffins.com or call 0161 762 0174 to book

www.waggawuffins.com www.youtube.com/waggawuffins

A long awaited update !

Well thought I’d better write a blog, it’s been a while! We have regular updates and photos on our facebook page the link is http://www.facebook.com/pages/WaggaWuffins/123960610972841


Firstly Matt took his Grade Three Gundog Test with Teal his Springer Spaniel at Leaming Bar and Passed with Distinction! Well done Matt, Grade 4 to work towards now!

We had Bronze Good Citizen Tests on Saturday and 8 dogs passed! Photos on our facebook page, well done to their owners!

College has been weird since Pauline left, we have had little support, haven’t even seen or spoke to the new course manager! Plodding through but very unmotivated by it all. It’s not a course I would recommend to people at the moment in its current state!

On the bright side we have had Helen coming to train Clicker again and we have her booked for the rest of the year and all places are taken, we have a really good bunch of clicker mad, like minded positive trainers from all over the UK!!

Helen came up for the whole weekend last time and myself and Gillian had a CAP Assessor training day on the Saturday. We are both training to be CAP Assessors, we have assignments to do and also observed assessing. We are also doing the LADs Teaching Diploma which I’m really excited about, there is a lot of work involved and it’s very much about teaching people.
Once this is all completed I will be able to run CAP Courses at WaggaWuffins! How cool is that?

On the Saturday evening I had a good chat with Helen about my dissertation and she gave me lot things to think about and got me really motivated to do it! I’ve also booked 3 weeks gundog training with Helen over the year with Pickles!

Me and Matt took Snoopy and Teal for a photo shoot a few weeks back and last week me and Dinky were doing a film shoot for a short film called Fetch!

Classes are ticking along nicely and so are the workshops, we plan to do these on a regular basis now. We have PreSports Puppy for dogs under 12 months and Clicker Free Shaping workshops in May. We have had some really good feedback from the workshops!

That’s all for now!

Clicker Workshops at Waggawuffins, Lancashire

Clicker Training Workshops at WaggaWuffins - Lancashire

Foundation Agility Workshop 10th April 2011
10am till 4pm £30 per handler - Max 6 dogs
For Pet Dogs! The day involves introducing your dog safely to all the equipment using clicker shaping and capturing. We teach the dogs to work the equipment independently, confidently and safely. Our methods enable your dog to be calm and focused while having loads of fun!

Triebball Training Workshop 17th April 2011
10am till 4pm £30 per handler - Max 6 dogs
Learn Triebball with your dog. It’s not just for Collies, ball herding suitable for any breed. We teach the foundation exercises with clicker training. During the day we will teach the outrun to the dogs, then introduce the dogs to the gym balls where eventually we look at teaching the push/drive and directional control
Dogs must have previous clicker experience to attend the course and be able to target an object at more than 5 paces

Pre Sports Puppy 8th May 2011
10am till 4pm £30 per handler - Max 6 dogs
A day for anyone that is planning to do some fun canine activities with their puppy in the future. The day consists of self awareness through shaping, targeting and object interaction, finding your puppy’s motivators and reinforcers and training games to build a stronger bond and focus

Clicker Free-Shaping Day 22nd May 2011
10am till 4pm £30 per handler - Max 8 dogs
A full day of learning about Free-Shaping
Free-Shaping builds stronger more reliable behaviours.
The day focuses on teaching object interaction to help with directional and distance control, agility and assistance dogs support, physical movements from paw lifts and head turns to tail wags and lips licks, directional movement’s like spins, turns and backwards circles


All workshops instructed by Jane Ardern FdSc CBT, DipCABT, CAP2, CAPBT, MAPDT1058

Contact: Jane@waggawuffins.com or call 0161 762 0174 to book
www.waggawuffins.com www.youtube.com/waggawuffins

www.waggawuffins.com
*Powerful Positive Dog Training*

Study, Study and More Study

I’m part way through my first year BSc top up in Canine Behaviour and Training. It’s been weird just before Christmas Pauline our Course manager that we have had for the last 3 years for the FdSc announced she was leaving. It was quite a shock and feeling of uncertainty, which is still going on now! We have a new course manager and get to meet her in person at college next week. It was also then announced that Lynda is leaving the course, this again was disappointing. I’ve learnt a lot from Lynda especially on the practical side and was looking forwards to doing advanced instructing with her. I think Depending on whom takes over this will depend upon if I take the option now. I feel it’s really important that the teachers are good for you to get the best out of a course. I need to get stuck into my dissertation and do some pilot studies this month, I’ve got Marion for my dissertation support which is fab!

Pauline has set up her own business called Canine Tutor so its good that we actually still can have her support if we need it. If your struggling with a course and need some extra support I would recommend her http://www.caninetutor.co.uk/


I have also been given an amazing opportunity to train as a CAP Assessor for LADs which starts in April. I’m also starting their Teaching Diploma as well as doing my CAP3! I’m really excited about this as I was planning to focus on teaching skills more and this is just ideal.
It’s going to be hard work, like I haven’t got enough on my plate but will be worth it, so lots of study for me this year again!

We have finished the CAP Courses we were offering with Helen for now and Helen is just coming to do training with the Staff at WaggaWuffins who will be continuing to work through their CAP Levels and I’ve allowed a couple of my college friends to come along too.

I feel this last few months I have really found where I want to go and will now be focusing on Dog Training and Behaviour only at Waggawuffins it’s what we excel at!

Winalot Family Moments Exhibition

I got tickets from Editor Beverley Cuddy from Dogs Today Magazine to the Winalot Family Moments Exhibition in London in December
I got to take Dinky my leonberger along and as we were representing Dogs Today magazine I had an exclusive interview with Ben Fogle. There is a full write up of the day in February’s Edition of Dogs Today magazine

Finishing off 2010

Since new year it has been really busy and hectic so here's the end news for 2010 better late than never!
November 2010 we have our CAP2 Assessments and myself, Matt, Jayne, Jackie, Cas and Gillian all passed with Distinction

Well done everyone !

Dog of The Year Awards 2010

We had our Christmas Parities in December and gave our annual awards which were as follows
Puppy of the Year 2010 was Casper the Chihuahua
Young Dog of the Year 2010 was Jet the Patterdale
Agility Dog of the Year 2010 was Ralph the Collie
Dog of the Year 2010 was Jasper the Staffie

Well done to all the winners at the parties and thank you to Caroline from Vets4Pets and Claire from Woof n’ Tumble for being our Judges
My Fav was Diesel the Rottie in his Fancy Dress Outfit

I was meant to go on a gundog training day with Helen in December but the weather was bad and we decided not to risk it which was good job because the Frontera broke down again !

Happy New Year

Well we have been that busy I've had no time to update my blog and I have loads to talk about...but thats not unusual!

I will split the news into separate blogs as we have CAP2 success, christmas parites and dogs of year awards, Shoot up Training day with Pickles, College News, Plans for the New Year, my Trip to London to the Winalot Awards and much more................
watch this space!