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Maxwell Muir-Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer

16 hours ago

The Big Bear Update

Bear has settled in really well. There are evident challenges with him but he also has some great natural talents which is what I’m currently focusing on.

Namely…he’s a nosey bugger! Really, really nosey. He can open any door or drawer in the house if he chooses. That’s a great talent to have and I’m going to make good use of that over the coming months and beyond.

His relationship with Jacques is settling well and also with every other species we have on the farm.

The Return to me with Recall work is constant and the goal at the moment is proofing the response in different places. It’s a work in progress I expect at this level.

He’s very toy driven but u love the nosey stuff. He’s not so much bothered about food so it can actually be an irritant in training so the focus is just allowing him to be nosey and creating opportunities for him to do that!

If you have designs on training a dog that’s the first thing you should do. Don’t choose what training you give them in regards to activity but observe and let the dog show you its natural talent and preference and then get really creative around that. That way you get teamwork, working together and a lot less resistance ‘trying to train’. … See MoreSee Less

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Maxwell Muir-Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer

1 week ago

Early Training Musts!

If you are at or just beyond the basic level of training your dog you need to have a Must system in place,

The quickest thing to get in the way of any good progress you have made is trying to implement your training in a situation that is over you and your dog’s head. It’s easy done and very common.

Training goes hand in hand with management. Although this is a commonly known and relatively easy concept to grasp it is vital and it is where mistakes are made frequently. You need to ask questions:
How well can your dog handle temptations?
How well can your dog handle stress?

If you try to train deep into these areas you are likely to undo all that time and effort you have put in. Put a lot of time into observing your dog’s level of self-control and in which environments ‘you matter’ in. If you can get zero or limited focus and attention from your dog conclude that the environment needs managing. That means keeping your dog under control until it is familiar with the place and also that is has reached a level where it’s eye can catch something enticing and where it will check-in with you. This is perhaps the longest phase of training as you need to test it systematically in a number of places.

Young dogs will be young dogs and you have to allow for which stage of development your dog is at not only on a training level but also in terms of maturity.

The strongest component i work on is who i am to my dog. That is forged through relationship building, every bit as important as training, and with a series of exercises when out walking where i check, encourage and condition frequent responses and check-ins.. A check-in is simply that, your dog checks in with you upon request at close quarters. To achieve that you need to establish a distance you do not want your dog to go beyond. The time you put into this stage is worth the effort required. Every single time you are out with your dog is a training session.

Don’t try to train a massive amount of behaviours. Focus primarily on close quarter check-ins and distance Recalls. Everything else can wait until these are established or they can be trained along the way.

Plan, keep a record and have your objectives in mind when you want to train. Many sessions of short duration are most effective.

Contact me today to make an appointment and get your relationship with your dog back on track! … See MoreSee Less

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Maxwell Muir-Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer

1 week ago

Dogs have always played a role somewhere in my life.
I was born into a house of dogs. Our first was a border collie who travelled with my dad as he drove livestock trucks to markets.

As I grew up lurchers of various cross and terriers occupied the home. I was cleaning out kennels, walking, being taught to train and found my comfort among spending time relaxing with the dogs. I loved them all and have fond and very vivid memories of them all.

They still are a part of my life and family. I believe it does much good to have a deep connection with other species be it Dogs, horses, cats…even wild species including birds, wolves, deer etc. Appreciation and connecting with animals is good for the soul, it allows you to step back, appreciate life in a different way and relax among nature. Life’s not all about us and what we want for ourselves. It’s about sharing, being and giving of ourselves.

Yes, I have many personal goals and I’m an ambitious young man. I am also a lover of life and all things living. In my opinion we are giving ourselves enormous health and mindful benefits through caring, living and expressing our appreciation for the animals in our world. For me it’s Dogs….as they have given me so much as far back as I have the pleasure and gift to remember. … See MoreSee Less

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Maxwell Muir-Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer

1 week ago

The Big Bear update.

Bear is coming on beautifully. I’ve come to the conclusion due to his lack of early experience that he’s a 10 month old dog in a 2 year old body. But he’s making up…

His first exposure to cattle, or any other species here for that matter was one of high excitement accompanied by a very high pitched barking. That has now subsided.

Bear is walking calmly by them, checking in with me, performing close quarter recalls to whistle and understanding a few needed hand signals and walking cues. It sounds s lot but it’s not, it’s just stuff that I implement in very small doses each walk. Repetition is key in any training…

Gradually I’ll start to proof those things over the next 12 months.

In the home he’s never without a toy in his mouth. It has to be durable otherwise he’ll dissect it in a matter of a few minutes. He gets on good with Jacques, they play well, and he’s now enjoying a bit of regular meetings with the farm dogs.

He’s an early riser, and you can’t always prepare for that very cold nose he routinely prods me with as it slides under the quilt each morning.

Stay tuned… … See MoreSee Less

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Maxwell Muir-Action 4 Dogs Edinburgh & Lothians Dog Trainer

2 weeks ago

The Essentiality of Training Your dog to Return to You!
Letting your dog loose without prior Recall training.
Your dog and choice of breed may be equipped with some powerful hunting instincts and drives. It’s essential to recognise this, undertsand how it works and to structure your training foundation around it, or… … See MoreSee Less

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