I remember with training that the training isnāt just for the dogs, itās for the owners too! After an incident my dog was picking up my tension through the lead which made her quite reactive (in fact some dogs donāt like meeting other dogs on lead as they feel restricted). The trainers pointed this out to me. Thatās why I do recommend looking into training and seeing what is available particularly on the socialisation side. The sit, stay, walk, lay down etc commands you can do yourself, but socialisation you can only do with others and if you can do it with a good trainer to help with doggy etiquette as well as give you confidence, then thatās a great start.
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I walk dogs for The Cinnamon Trust (a charity that aims to keep the elderly and terminally ill with their pets for as long as possible) and just wanted to drop in with an incredibly effective training-treat recipe that Iāve developed.
One of the dogs I walk (a miniature schnauzer) is renowned for not coming back and has gone missing for hours in the past, but with one of these salmon skin treats each time he comes back heās our very best friend and doesnāt wander farā¦and the best thing is itās made from waste salmon skin that I was previously chucking in the bin!
Salmon skin treat recipe
- Cook your salmon however you like and peel off the skin before you serve it
- Squish the skin firmly between 2 pieces of kitchen towel to remove excess oils
- Peel the skin off the kitchen towel
- Put the skin on a plate on the window sill for a few days until itās dried
- Chop it up into thumb nail sized pieces
- Use as training treats
Of course this method wonāt work if youāve got cats, it wonāt stay on your window sill long enough to dry out 
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Congratulations, apart from my two teenagers, my dogs are the most important people in the world to me. I have had dogs in the family my whole life and four of my very own, alongside cats, hamsters etc. I had a Germany Spitz breifly, beautiful dog, but he came to me with serious stranger issues, and as I was expecting my son I wasnāt able to keep him. Next I had a Cavalier King Charles x Lhasa Apso who was so pretty. Full of life, love and character, but soooooooooo full of energy, she never stopped, ever. Now I have a very old labrador, we had her since a pup and she is now 11, she plods through life sleeping, eating, farting, sleeping some more, and I also have a 1 year old Tibetan Terrier x who is barmy and convinced heās half cat, sleeps on my bed (none of my other pets ever went upstairs), steals my food, digs up my plants, barks at the neighbours and all sorts of naughtiness - but he is my favourite (shhhhhh donāt tell anyone). What I am getting at is all dogs are different, they need different things and different approaches. Best to research the breeds you like (but take it all with a small pinch of salt, as some doggies break the mold,) and go with a reputable breeder or owner who can show you mum, dad if possible, and tell you all about them. You will find your way along, itās the same as when you had your first child, you learn as you go, and you learn pretty quickly, but it all becomes second nature before long. You will love having a furbaby. My life isnāt complete without them xxxxx have fun and enjoy xxxxx
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I do handstrip mine, if you get a decent breeder they will probably offer to show you how its done. Its not difficult once you get the hang of it, and oddly theraputicš
I " roll" the coat on mine, the idea being that you keep them looking tidy by doing little and often.
With regard to other dogs, socialization is the key. But with calm well behaved dogs, not bouncy out of control dogs that like to bullyā¦a terrier will not like that, and when its old enough will retaliate.
We need puppy pics when you have them, there is nothing like a puppy cuddle.
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i have spent the day re-organising the house ready for our little whirlwind. 
I will definitely post some pics when he arrives.
Karen x
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None of my Mumās dogs have killed a deer yet, but it does put me in mind of the first āBorder Terroristā we had who could jump a six foot fence from a standing start. It might be because the huntsmen carry them on horseback for most of the hunt so they need to be able to leap onto the back of a horse, or to leap a fence if they are on the ground. Youāre right about the sense of smell too. My Mumās current dog is completely blind, with cataracts in both eyes, but still managed to stalk and kill a cock pheasant. I suppose theyāre just real countrymenās dogs at heart.
Oooh-and a great trick you can teach them (because of the springy legs and the sense of fun) is to jump into your arms when you clap 
Sam x
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Love your little gryphons! Thatās another breed I have a soft spot for
Sam x
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We adopted a rescue lurcher recently - heās fab, yes a high prey drive but literally that is the ONLY āissueā ( not really an issue , weād done our research and it was no surprise to us , he has good recall is off lead in suitable places only) . He is a joy.
LOTS of people round here have border terriers, clever little dogs and strong characters - so show nice clear leadership ( look at positive training information) when you get to those āteenageā yrs ! I think some like to get a sandpit so that there is a specific area for digging! you can hid treats! lots of ābrain gamesā so look out ideas online. TRAINING: Always remember to praise the behaviours you want, distract from those you do not want, shouting/telling off doesnāt work so well as withdrawing your attention ( eg. ours play mouthed in frist week of adoption, crossing arms/looking away/ turning back on him stopped that behavior almost immediately) . Recall training : never ever tell off if they have taken a while to come back, praise/be excited/treat when they do, have a specific recall word - we use ācome hereā, name is not specific enough, better if possible NOT to run after to ācatchā them as then it just becomes one big game LOL .
Exciting times for you 
Hereās a nice tuna treat recipe for you : one tin tuna in sunflower oil, one egg, 100 g SR flour, bit of grated cheese, cook on a suitable dish for 7 min in microwave, cool cut into squares, Store in fridge and also freezes well. LOTS of treats for training !
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We have a beagle and a border terrier x jack russell. And now that we have just started our shop we have put them to work as models! If we ever get another dog it will definitely be a border, they are amazing!
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hehehe so true if you ran after them they think itās a game and will continue to run around.
Our dog loved fresh broccoli storks and raw carrots as training treats. In fact his love of carrots has resulted in him taking them out of the veggie rack. Heāll never take anything else not even his shop bought doggy treats that he can reach only carrots from the rack. We call him Garratt the Carrot.
The vets put us onto raw broccoli storks and raw carrots as treats for training as are less fattening than ordinary treats.
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What a great photo!
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Hello Folks
Iāve really enjoyed reading all of your doggy messages 
Well I havenāt been around the forums for a while or making anything new. We were busy puppy proofing the house and setting everything up.
We collected little Jasper on Friday and we are totally smittenā¦
Heās just so clever.
Heās taking well to his crate and now confident to eat his meals in there, and he sleeps in there too, but does take a while still for him to settle when we go to bed.
Popping a radio by his crate helped a lot last night.
He poops and weeās outside, with only a couple of wee accidents indoors.
He can sit and lie down now for a little treat reward and comes when he ask him to. (He can be quite stubborn though which is so cute)
He had his second puppy vaccination yesterday so in a week he can try a little walk outside of the house and garden.
Hereās a little picture of himā¦ 
Karen xx
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Aw he is gorgeous!! Enjoy spending time with him during his puppyhood - they change quick! x
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We are at the stage at the moment where heās testing his bite strength on our ankles, hands and clothesā¦(Iām wearing old t shirts at the moment to avoid my nice clothes getting ripped)
I think after a couple of days of being told āNoā firmly followed by a 20 second timeout each time he does he is finally learning whatās ok.
He seems to lick now when told āNoā and looks sorry.
Lots of distractions with chew toys too.
He is just wonderful.
I had to smile the other day when I realised Iāve not worn makeup for days, Iām dressed in scruffs, my hair is thrown into a messy bun, and my eyes are red from lack of sleep.
Also all of my pockets have poop bags in them ready for little accidents when we go in the garden.
Iām just having five minutes while heās kipping, and then itās action stations for a while
Karen xx
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Yes ours loves his veg! loves to eat anything which given he was a stray for a while is not surprising. When we adopted him the Blue Cross rescue center thought he might be a bit of a thief as he is very food orientated and underweight but in fact he has been very good . EXCEPT for the time I left a banana loaf a bit too close to the edge of the counter and he nibbled all along one edge LOL.
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awww sounds like you are enjoying him, and yes I was the same when Garrett was a puppy.
If heās been told off heāll lick my legs. I tell him no licking then heāll give me his paw or put his head in my lap.
Itās there way of making sure they are still are still part of the pack and not going to be chased away.
Jasper is a cutie
and the Lurcher is a good looking boy
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Karen @karenscraftybitz.
He is soooooo cute. I remember our little fella when he was a pup - west highland - was that small he sat in my hand. 9 & 1/5 years later he is still my little babes. Hope you enjoy. Ruth
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Jasper is gorgeous 
Make sure you take lots of pictures, they grow up fast.
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Oh, heās lovelyā¦enjoy !
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