Barking Up The Right Tree Training (Puppies and Dogs)


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CHECK OUT THE DOG TRAINING WITHOUT THE DOGS COURSE WHICH WILL HELP YOU WITH YOUR TRAINING

Barking Up The Right Tree teaches the fundamentals (response to name, sit, down, recall, lead walking). There are 2 things that dog owners want most. Their dog to come back when called and their dog to walk without pulling on a lead. That’s where we start. The rest of the program and structure differs slightly for dogs and for puppies. Both have different needs and the program is tailored to adjust for this.

Barking Up The Right Tree Training (Puppies and Dogs)

For example, the puppy program in addition to recall and lead training will also focus on house training, puppy biting and chewing whereas the dog program will rely more on teaching the fundamentals. Additionally puppies need frequent training breaks and are unable to work for the length of time an adult can. Subsequently, more time for play and theory are factored into the puppy program.

With the exception of response to name, the program is flexible. This means as well as teaching fundamentals I am open to changing direction on when things are taught. The program is adjustable. So, if you want to teach something different, we can. If you want to focus on teaching one thing, we can. If you want to concentrate on theory, we can.  If you want me to stick to the set schedule, we can. The set schedule has a progressive protocol. In overview, we teach response to name alongside a recall, we teach a ‘sit’ before we teach a ‘down’, we teach both and then finalise a recall. We teach lead walking throughout.

I am a reward based trainer only and against using aversives or punishment training methods. This is reflected in my program. Rewards can come in the form of food, praise or play. I know your dog wants to get it right for you and I know they will do their best to please you. With this in mind, I will encourage the development of a relationship between you and your dog that creates a language you both understand. 

Your relationship with your dog is key. Key to understanding when he ‘gets’ it. Key to understanding when he needs help. Key to understanding when to stop.

Although I can (and will) teach you how to train a sit or a down or a recall, it remains up to you to proof that training. ‘Proofing’ means practice. You may be able to get a reliable ‘sit’ in the house 5 out of 5 times but move it to the garden and it can feel like selective deafness has set in. It hasn’t – you’ve just added something into the mix that has confused your dog. The garden is for play or for the toilet or for exercise, not sitting – is it?

This is where proofing steps in. Training to ‘proof’ the sit reliably every time no matter where means, training again in different areas. Your dog does know the ‘sit’, but only in one place and for him to generalise it elsewhere means a little tweaking elsewhere – proofing.

Barking Up The Right Tree Training (Puppies and Dogs)

It is worth remembering that complete, finished product dog training in 6 weeks is a myth. It is the beginning. You really do get out what you put in. So, if the only time we train is when you and your dog are at a training session, it will take significantly longer to proof that training than it would if you trained everyday or 2-3 times a day everyday.

Barking Up The Right Tree One to One Training FAQs


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Across the 6 weeks, we train a strong response to name, sit, down, recall and lead walking. However, often more is taught. Sometimes, clients want their dogs to learn paw or touch, for example, and this can be included.

Everything is taught with positive reinforcement. This means your dog is rewarded when he gets it right. When he gets it wrong, we try again. No punitive or aversive methods are used.

The programme is 6 weeks long.

The programme in such a way that each lesson builds on the last one. In the first lesson, your dog’s response to his name is the focus. Although it may seem that he knows his name (and he may), it is essential that every time you say it he responds, so we take some time in the first lesson looking at this. We check on everything else too – how’s the recall? What does lead walking look like? This sets us up for the second week’s ‘sit’ and ‘down’, more recall and more lead walking. By week three we tend to get a much stronger response to name (which leads to better recall) and reliable ‘sits’ and ‘downs’. When this happens we move to gradually extending the ‘sit’ and ‘down’ so your dog remains in position for longer. This gives an opportunity for your dog to begin learning impulse control. Week 4 builds on week 3 by adding a ‘wait’ cue to the ‘sit’ and ‘down – again to gradually increase duration and build connection. Lead walking is practised every week but in week 5 we work mostly on it. Week 6 brings everything together and we practise all cues throughout the lesson.

Barking Up The Right Tree Training costs £250 for 6 one hour weekly sessions.

Payment is by bank transfer before the first lesson. Payment can be made in 2 installments if preferred. Please just ask.

We start indoors at your home, we move outdoors to your garden or to a local park depending on how the training is going. When working with an older dog (past 6 months approximately) it is important to remember that training takes longer, requires more patience and may mean a little bit of re-training (for example, if your dog regularly has a selective hearing response to his name, fixing it will take more time).

We arrange more.

Any age. Dogs mature at different ages and this is taken into consideration. Puppies and younger dogs learn faster but all dogs, regardless of age, will learn and enjoy the training.