In our last newsletter we gave you the option to ask dog trainer, Heath Ross any worries you might have during lockdown.. Here are some of the questions asked along with the answers (IN BOLD) to these.

QUESTIONS:

1. # the French Bulldog puppy is definitely missing daycare! She’s doing really well but I have two struggles with her – any help welcome!!

Firstly, being social, she’s used to running around with other dogs once or twice a week but now it’s just her, on walks she gets so excited when she see’s another dog and she wants to jump up at them, but obviously not all owners and dogs want a puppy launching themselves at them – any tips on encouraging her to calm down a little??

Brilliant question, due to the situation and lack of socialisation opportunities, this is very common at the moment.  Number one rule, is to focus on what we want the dog to do, rather than what we don’t want.  

If we are talking when the dog is on lead, we want the dog to exhibit some control, so I would really practice getting her to ‘Sit’ on one verbal cue in the home (never repeat, sit, sit, sit : ).  Then when out and about, try and practice having her Sitting when she starts to get excited around other dogs.  

Initially, I would have lots of small bite sized treats and keep feeding whilst she’s in position.  

So we don’t over feed, you might want to take a portion of her diet out with you.  If she’s hungry, when she’s in an aroused state, this will make the food more reinforcing.  

Failing that, I would simply walk the other way.  Teaching the dog, when you’re over exuberant, the consequence is that we move further away from the thing you want to get at.  When you are calm, we move closer.

If we’re talking off lead, then we need to practice our ‘Come’ cue.  Fields are the last place you want to practice this, due to the distraction levels.  So I would practice in the home, giving her an amazing treat each time she responds (remember, never repeat come, come, come).  A ten metre long line can help when free running, so the dog is unable to run to another dog, whilst we are practicing recall in the home/garden.  

Recall is the number one behaviour to train any dog.  For advice on how to train this to a high standard, I’d recommend a proper consultation.  Hope that helps for now!

Secondly, she’s 10 and a half months so I want to start slowly transitioning her onto adult food – she’s on the Royal Canin French Bulldog puppy food, so I’ve bought the adult version. She ate a small amount of it initially (not in her food bowl I did it separately as to not confuse her) but since then refuses to eat it at all, and if I put any with her puppy food she won’t eat any of that out of the bowl, either!

What is best to do to get her eating adult food??

I usually put pups on an adult feed around eight months. Try to feed a good quality diet.  Look out for 80/20 mix foods (80% protein, 20% fruit and veg).  AATU, Orijen, Canagan are some of the best.  Avoid constantly changing diets and if changing, always change over a ten day period. Leave the food down for fifteen minutes max, twice a day, then take it up.  Don’t worry if the dog doesn’t eat much for a few days.  Feed in a confined area and sit there with the dog if necessary.  Don’t add anything to the food and make sure the dog isn’t eating anything else throughout the day until we have established a routine.