Fun Dog Training in Manchester & Salford
Helping dog owners achieve a happier life with their dogs through fun, science based games and sports
Do you want to know that your dog is absolutely living their best life? Imagine being able to enjoy spending time with your dog, watching them enjoy natural behaviours, and being a part of that joy, then relax at home knowing your dog is fulfilled and relaxing too.
At Lead & Follow Dog Training I work alongside you to help you live more harmoniously and solve the issues stopping you from having stress-free adventures together and enjoying a calm evening at home. Covering issues like loose lead walking, recall, help with reactivity... this isn't one size fits all or a sit and stay boring training package, this is real life training that really gets to the heart of the issues you're having and creates the solutions you need. Sessions can be in person if you are in the Greater Manchester area, or online via zoom if you're further afield.
What is Games-Based Training?
Games-based training is all about having fun with your dog, preparing them for situations in which they currently struggle by teaching them the skills they need to work on. One example would be nervous, dogs who show anxiety out on walks - in many cases these dogs lack confidence, so by playing confidence-building games at home and building up to playing them outside and on walks, we can grow their confidence in those scenarios, so they’re better equipped. We’re growing their brains in such a way that they develop the skills they need to behave appropriately day in, day out.
Why Games-Based training?
We know that learning doesn’t happen in the moment. Let’s say you’re at a theme park and you want to teach your young child their 12xtable so you can use the time in the queues to practice it. If they are excited to get on a rollercoaster and start running towards the entrance to the ride and you start trying to teach them their 12x table, that’s not going to go well. But if you teach them that at home in a calm environment, then ask them to repeat that in the queue, you’re going to have much more success.
It’s the same for our dogs. If your dog is super excited to be at the park, and running around sniffing all the grass, and the trees and you think “now would be a good time to call their name and see if they come”. Well they probably won’t. But if you play games to grow their recall outside that exciting scenario, when the time comes to test out that skill at the park, they’re more likely to be able to listen and come when called because they’ve rehearsed it outside the stressful environment and it’s almost second nature to them.
How does it work?
Once you book a consult, I’ll email you a questionnaire to complete to give me an idea of what you want to achieve and the skills we need to work on. At our initial meeting (usually in your home) I’ll show you the games to play with your dog each day, and follow up with a written plan by email. Then you get to have fun with your dog for a minimum of 10 minutes each day, playing the games and growing your bond together. You can message me videos of the games/your progress and I’ll reply with any feedback to keep you on track. How often we meet after that is up to you and what you want to achieve, and can either be at your home, out on a walk or a mixture of the two. I’d usually recommended a minimum of 2 weeks between sessions to give your dog the chance to learn the games and see an improvement.
