Kindred K9's - Meltham

Announcing our very own TrackStars instructors scheme..🚀

We're very proud of our TrackStars scheme, and would love to make it more accessible for more people. So..following on from us now being available to host at your training club to teach TrackStars, we are also launching our very own TrackStars instructor scheme to bring the fun to more people across the UK.
Become an accredited Scent and Track UK TrackStars instructor and run your own group.

This won't be a 4 days and go home with a certificate kind of course. This will be an in depth theory and practical course, and you will have to work and qualify a dog to TS3 title level as part of the assessment.

The first intake will start in January 25, spaces will be limited, so register your interest now and we'll keep you posted when booking opens

It's gonna be awesome!

💥Intro to TrackStars 2 part workshop💥
Wanting to join our regular TrackStars group? Thinking of giving tracking a try with your dog?
Come along and join us for this 2 part workshop.

👉Part one Sept 7th 11am
👉Part two Sept 21st 11am

🐾Held at our outdoor venue in Farnley tyas, Huddersfield

🐕Small group to ensure everyone has plenty of support. Experienced and friendly instructor.

🐾No previous experience is necessary, but dogs must be able to work around other dogs in a group environment. There's plenty of space!

£100 total per space

As per the TrackStars rules and regs,all dogs will be worked on lead at all times.

Book now via the website!

When dogs do things we don't like it is never personal. Dogs don't do things deliberately to spite us. They are just doing what dogs do - being dogs. If something our dogs are doing is something we cannot live with it's up to us to manage the situation and show them what they can do instead.

• Make sure the shoes are out of reach and redirect the dog onto something they can chew.
• Reward them for having all four paws on the floor when you come in rather than jumping up.
• Consider the possibility that something is wrong with their health or in their environment if they suddenly lose their toilet training.

Most of all, don't punish them. There is always a reason why behaviour occurs, but it is never one that should result in a dog feeling fear or pain.

Hugo says did you hear that?! 👂

My 2025 diary is now open !!!! 📆

I am now taking bookings for next year ☺️

Please message on WhatsApp 07713963508 this is so I can keep track of messages and requests 📱🙏

🐾I advise block booking for next year as I have over 300 customers so it will be first come first serve
Let me know if you have a preference day or time

🐾 If you don’t want to book for the year that’s absolutely fine but I do advise booking 3-4 appointments ahead if your in a regular schedule

🐾if you prefer Saturdays I suggest booking them in advance as I often don’t have an appointment available on Saturdays they fill up so quickly

🐾Message me if you would like me to start your bookings

My online booking is open for all of 2025 🐶🐾❤️

https://app.toplinedogs.co.uk/public/online-bookings?salon=MWIzYjk3NzItNWJkOC00M2UzLWU3M2MtMDhkYTIxNzgxYjA3

Thanks Cheryl 🐶🐾❤️

Puppy Power Confidence workshop – Ruffmutz Come and join us for our Puppy Power confidence workshop, in Milnsbridge, Huddersfield. Run by experienced and qualified instructors, Jemma from Ruffmutz and Leanne from North K9 training, this workshop will take a look at some all important puppy foundations, as well as some fun activities you can....

There are various training techniques used by dog trainers today.

Many trainers like me choose to positively reinforce desired behaviours and many trainers choose to punish undesired behaviours.

Some use a mix of both.

The truth is, all of these training methods work but it’s important to recognise that not all of these methods truly take into consideration what the dog is trying to communicate or how the dog may be feeling emotionally. They don’t all take into account what the dog actually needs to feel safe and happy.

As a positive reinforcement trainer I choose to be as force free as possible. I am always doing my best to read the body language of the dog I am working with to meet their needs, not mine. I follow the science and aim to make training fun and successful for both human and dog.

I continue to learn much from all disciplines and will always choose to be force free. My mind is always open.

In my personal opinion, based on knowledge and experience, the ones that truly teach us the most about how to create a happy, confident dog who can follow our guidance to keep them safe and fulfilled is dog that is in front of us.

Ethical training, patience and understanding goes a long way to supporting a healthy relationship with our dogs.

Learning how to listen first secures a much more successful training experience for everyone, especially the dog 🐾

"There may be a number of reasons why dogs display behaviours that have in the past been put down to an attempt to assert dominance over other dogs and humans. Fear, pain, illness or resource guarding (often from having items taken away from them in an attempt to prove that mythical ‘alpha’ status) can result in aggressive displays. It is perhaps most often due to a misunderstanding, of not understanding the causes of canine behaviour, of not understanding canine body language, and of not understanding that our dogs really are not trying to be the bosses of us."

Read the full article here: https://www.goodguardianship.com/post/why-your-dog-is-not-trying-to-dominate-you

This is my dog groomer. Not my dog but I’ve spent time with this lovely bubba and his lovely mum. Cheryl grooms my dogs with love every 6 weeks too!!

Together with his amazing mum, we have all taken the time to make this boy feel safe and grow in confidence.

If this pic doesn’t say ‘I care about your dog’ too, I don’t know what does.

Trusted connections and collaboration is key to happy pooches 🐾🥰

When enough is enough – what is the appropriate amount of exercise for puppies? Veterinary professionals are in an optimum position to give advice to puppy owners on appropriate physical exercise that supports both the behavioural and the physical health of puppies

Giving our dogs time to digest new surroundings is vital to their wellbeing and emotional state.

When they are exposed to new surroundings it can feel very exciting but likewise, very overwhelming.

Think of this like day one of a new job. We don’t know everyone, we don’t know the equipment or the environment and we need to take time to take it all in before we begin to learn what is expected of us.

Just like we need our new colleagues to be there for us, we need be patiently on standby to help our dogs learn and grow in confidence 🐾.

🐾 AVAILABLE SERVICES 🐾

🐶 ONE TO ONE coaching sessions providing Canine and Puppy Coaching Programs and Packages - 7 days a week.

🐶 SOLO Training Walks - 7 days a week. Ideal for reactive and fearful dogs.

🐶 Daily SOLO Enrichment Walks Monday to Friday - ideal for reactive dogs, dogs that prefer their own space, dogs that have health challenges and or senior dogs.

Enquire on 07786 866744⁩. DM the page or email [email protected] 🐾

🐾 AVAILABLE SERVICES 🐾

🐶 ONE TO ONE coaching sessions providing Canine and Puppy Coaching Programs and Packages - 7 days a week.

🐶 SOLO Training Walks - 7 days a week. Ideal for reactive and fearful dogs.

🐶 Daily SOLO Enrichment Walks Monday to Friday - ideal for reactive dogs, dogs that prefer their own space, dogs that have health challenges and or senior dogs.

Enquire on 07786 866744. DM the page Kindred K9's - Meltham or email [email protected] 🐾

I was listening to a webinar on understanding emotional experience in dogs given by Andrew Hale. He made this point early in his talk, and it immediately stuck a chord with me - no dog is made safer to be around by being made to feel less safe.

Much of what I do involves dogs who are coming from a place of fear and/or anxiety, and this can lead to the dog feeling they need to defend themselves, which often shows as an aggressive display.

Sadly we will see some canine professionals recommending aversive measures to work with these dogs because they 'work' and apparently solve the problem quickly.

The problem is that all this is doing is suppressing the behaviours and not dealing with the emotions that are causing them. This gives the serious and dangerous potential for emotional and behavioural fallout as the dog will feel more scared and so may feel they have no choice but to be even more aggressive.

They are now even more scared, and so are even less safe to be around than before.

It is not quick, working with these dogs in a way that is ethical, kind, and will actually get to the root of what the dog is struggling with. But concentrating on helping the dog to feel safer, to give them relief from that fear and stress, that WILL be effective, and leads to a much happier dog, who is much less scared and so is much more safe.

If you are struggling to help your dog feel safer you can find the link to my on demand webinar on how you can help to support your dog and give them that feeling of safety in the comments.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/3rT7piJXBvbqYrnQ/?mibextid=WC7FNe

I recently spoke to someone about their dog who likes to pick and pull apart their toys and they felt it was pointless giving their dog a stuffed toy because it would be ruined within minutes. 🧸

Shredding and destroying toys is a very common behaviour that dogs exhibit.

When your dog is pulling all the stuffing out of their toy they are playing out the predatory prey sequence where they get to kill and dissect their prey.

However some dogs will do it because their bored.
Some because they are stressed or nervous.
Some are puppies still learning.
And for some it’s just great fun and it’s intrinsically rewarding for them to practise such behaviours.

It all too common for toys be taken away as it’s viewed as the dog is just being destructive and lets face it, it is painful when you’ve just laid £10 for a toy to be destroyed in less than five minutes! 😳

The person that I was talking to about this topic had stopped giving their dog toys. He now dissects their sofa and cushions instead. 😬

I urge you if your dog is not ingesting the toy and stuffing to let them shred and dissect their toys, you’ll have a far more content and nourished dog for doing so.

Forget the expensive toys though! Just nip down to your local charity shop and stock up on soft teddies that are safe - no plastic or glass eyes or parts and they are not filled with beans etc

Happy shredding! 🧸

https://www.facebook.com/share/581T47tatyJkw2Vm/?mibextid=WC7FNe

DIY Dog Ice Cream!!!! 🐾

Ingredients:

1 Ripe Banana 🍌
1/2 cup Peanut Butter (be sure to check for *Xylitol/Birch Sugar as it is extremely poisonous to dogs!!!!) 🥜
1 cup Plain Natural Yogurt
1 teaspoon Honey 🍯

Instructions:

1. Heat the peanut butter up in the microwave or on a stove until it is easy to stir.

2. Mash the ripe banana in a bowl.

3. Mix in the plain yogurt.

4. Add honey to the banana and yogurt mixture.

5. Stir peanut butter into the mixture until everything is well combined.

6. Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container and place in the freezer.

7. Let it sit in the freezer for at least 6 hours to chill.

Some facts about alpha wolf theory.

This is something that those of us who work as trainers or behaviour consultants encounter a lot. A client will come to us because there is a behaviour or group of behaviours that they want to stop happening.

This is fine for some behaviours. Destructive chewing can result in injury to the dog, either damage to their teeth or, in some cases, swallowing inedible items that can cause an emergency and require surgery. Chasing cars out on a walk could result in a dog managing to get into the road and run over. Pulling on the lead can make walks difficult and potentially painful for dog and human (particularly dangerous for dogs walking using collars around then neck as there are many delicate and important structures in their throats just as in ours).

The essential first step in working with any behaviour is to think about why it may be happening.

Is the dog chewing because they are young and teething? Give them something appropriate to chew and redirect them to that if they start to chew something else.

Are they destroying things when they are left home alone? They could have separation related issues, in which case it's important to work with a qualified and experienced force free trainer to reduce their anxiety.

Are they given enough opportunities to chew on a regular basis? Chewing is a natural behaviour (as is digging) and it's vital we give them plenty of opportunities to carry out natural behaviours.

Are they chasing cars because they are scared? Or is it because they are a breed that reacts to fast moving objects, like herding dogs, sight hounds, or terriers? In each case here, working with a force free trainer will help, as will finding out activities we can do with our dogs to let them chase appropriate items or control movement as they have been bred to do.

Pulling on the lead is perhaps one of the simplest (and most common) of issues and one very simple reason it happens is that dogs generally move faster than humans, and they need to be taught to match our pace. Switch to a harness to keep their neck safe and reward them when they are in the right position. Again, working with a force free trainer is a great idea as they can show the best way to mark and reward when the dog is in position and how to keep the lead loose.

Another thing that helps greatly with this is to use a longer lead and let them have more length to explore when it is safe to do so, so they can sniff and investigate their surroundings - sniffing is another natural behaviour and probably the one that is easiest for us to let them do, as we can simply let them sniff while we are out walking together.

For any behaviour that humans can find problematic before anything else we need to understand why it is happening and, if it is a natural behaviour, our responsibility as caregiver to make sure our dogs are able to do these.

Together we’re better and we’ve definitely got you covered ❤️🐾

It can be a minefield to find a good trainer that's the right fit for you and your dog and as a trainer it can also be hard to find colleagues you trust, that support,help and encourage you. So today I'm giving a shout shoutout to the trainers in our area, who I trust and respect.

Claire at North K9 Training
Super awesome trainer, extremely skilled, lurcher and malinois specialist,specialising in sports training and tracking

Lindsay at Kindred K9's - Meltham . Extremely lovely lady, very knowledgeable and great at repairing the dog-human bond

Wendy at Donaldsons Vets. Super knowledgeable, with a vast amount of clinical knowledge alongside her behaviour expertise.

Every one of these ladies do a fantastic job, and between us all, we've most definitely got you covered.

Does your dog pull on the lead? Maybe your dog barks and lunges at other dogs when you're out walking? Are your walks stressful? I hear you, it's not enjoyable at all is it? Maybe you feel like you just don't understand your dog? That's ok, you're not alone and I can help..

My name is Lindsay I am a qualified, experienced Canine Coach based in Meltham.

Please take a look at my page Kindred K9's - Meltham, drop me a message or give me a call on 07786 866744 for more info.

Let's create a confident connection together.

Happy Trader Tuesday 🐾🐾

Are you dog or puppy parent looking for some help and training advice?

Maybe you have a reactive dog and walks are challenging?

My name is Lindsay, I'm a certified canine behaviour coach who provides one to one coaching sessions and I'd be delighted to help.

Please drop me a msg or give me a call on 07786 866744 🐾 Kindred K9's - Meltham