Dog training in Chiswick

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Bone Ball Bark is a positive and force free dog training company based in Chiswick, West London. After a decade of training dogs in both the United States and the U.K. I have worked with over 1,000 dogs and puppies so have seen it all and have experience with almost every breed of dog you can imagine.

 

The best thing about training your dog in Chiswick is that the area affords you lots of opportunities to expose your pup to both a vibrant high road, and also plenty of green spaces and parks. There are greens and small parks aplenty, with also easy access to the grounds of places such as Chiswick Park or Ravenscourt Park not too far away.

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Why train a dog?
There are so many reasons to train a dog! You are bringing a completely different species into your home and you both need to learn to coexist with each other and how to communicate. By far the best way of doing this is through training. Also, training is fun! It is incredibly bonding, builds your relationship, makes walks calmer, and helps set up routine and consistency.

Can you train a dog even if they are an adult or senior?
It is a misconception that an old dog can't learn new tricks; they ABSOLUTELY can engage with training, and I highly recommend training your dog at all ages. Training is a lifelong process so start as soon as you can. The only thing to take into account when dog training an older dog is physical limitations such as arthritis. A full vet check is always recommended for senior dogs to make sure they are fit and healthy.

What is a 'marker word'?
A marker word is a word we use to tell a dog that what they just did when we said it, is what is being rewarded. Puppies and dogs live very much in the moment, and we want to make sure we are rewarding the right behaviour so that it will be repeated again. Behaviour that is rewarded will be repeated. The most common marker word is "yes", so as an example, to build the behaviour of a sit, the moment your dog puts their butt on the ground you want to immediately say "yes", and then give a treat. I have a handy FREE download that explains all about marker training, how to start, and step by step instructions on when to use it. 


What are the positives and negatives of group classes?

Group classes are a wonderful way of meeting other dog guardians and a place to learn how to train various cues and behaviours. They are often cheaper than one to one dog training as the attention of the trainer is divided between a number of clients at once. However, a lot of dogs find group classes stressful and intimidating, or at the very least, distracting. I do not recommend group classes for adult dogs that struggle with confidence, reactivity, and engagement with their owner if you have not done a one-to-one dog training session first. 

 

Why do we only use force free methods?

Old dominance and alpha theories of training have been debunked years ago through scientific research. It has been proven that positive reinforcement is the best, most ethical and humane way of training our dogs and I couldn’t agree more. The general premise of dog training is that behaviour that is rewarded will be repeated, and this is used to full advantage during our training. Positive reinforcement based training also helps build a solid bond and relationship between guardian and dog. I want my dog to see me as a safe and consistent person, not to question whether if he tried something and gets it wrong, he will be punished. My goal is to help raise and train self-confident and happy dogs, that are excited to learn and engage with us.

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Booking a session in Chiswick and West London

 

My own dog, Griffin, is a well adjusted and confident dog who has his training constantly reinforced, all in a force-free, positive way. The results of this method are clear and evident. This is possible for your dog too, so if you have a new rescue dog or an adult dog of any age, get in touch and we can plan a session to establish goals and develop a customised training strategy that meets both the needs of yourself and your dog.

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Get in touch via the contact form which you can find here, and I will see you in West London soon!

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