Why Trick Training?

I thought maybe I should write a short blog about why I chose trick training with my dogs and how it all got started, so here goes . . .

I started out looking for something that I could do with my reactive collie - she struggled in a class environment and would bark and lunge at everything in sight making it not a nice experience for all involved if we attempted to attend group classes!
I discovered an online tricks award scheme with In The Dog House, where I could train her some tricks, send a little video and get her a certificate - this is where it all began!!

I found Nando Brown (now a TV dog trainer who has been all over the world training trainers) I began to attend courses and gain qualifications to teach tricks and various other things too and before I knew it poor Hollie had been a tad neglected and has only received one of those prestigious tricks awards - though I am sure if I got my act together she could have at least a couple more!

During this time I was assisting teaching Good Citizen classes with another local dog trainer before I then started teaching Tricks to clients and built my little business from there!

We started in Bamber Bridge, before branching out into Cottam and Preston City Centre before we secured our awesome little field in 2017 and the barn in 2019 in Inskip.

I actually believe that dog trainers should not start out teaching puppies, which is unfortunately exactly where most trainers start! This for me where you need the very best skills as those little bundles of fluff need to get the absolute best start in life possible, and as a newbie trainer I am not sure that's exactly what you can offer!

I now have 8 rescue dogs and 2 from an awesome breeder and I teach tricks, Competition Obedience, Heelwork to Music, Puppy / Foundations, Good Citizens as well as disc dogs, scentwork and mantrailing, its been a crazy few years, but I have loved every second of the ride!

Let me introduce you to the gang:

Teddy is my oldest dog (he will be 17yrs old this June) - a Toy Poodle who came to live with us after I worked with him on a TV show called Rescue Dog to Super Dog - his new owners decided that things just weren't working out with Teddy, and I loved him so much he became a Preston Trick Dog immediately!! He is my awesome little buddy and is totally the best little character ever! He is the reason I am now a Crazy Poodle Lady, he is teaching me all about caring for older dogs at the moment. He is going deaf and almost completely bind these days as well as being a little unsteady on his little legs.

Hollie is the next oldest of the gang (she will be 14yrs old in October) she is no longer as reactive to people as she used to be, but is still not great with dogs she doesn't know! She was my amazing disc dog athlete and was the top uk disc dog in the Toss & Fetch league a number of times, she absolutely loves playing frisbee, but it's a little too much for her now a days.

Cooper (pointer x beagle) is next in line, he will be 13yrs old this June and is just an all round super dog! Although he is pretty much retired these days he could turn his paw to almost anything and was regularly be seem with me at training courses and workshops! He has used his scentwork and mantrailing skills to track down lost dogs and missing items, which I think is his total favourite thing to do. He achieved his Champion Trick Dog Title as well as a list of other Tricks Awards before he retired.

Sprocket is my youngest of the Collies and will be 12yrs old this Summer, he has also been the top dog in the Toss and Fetch league for disc dogs, and I think this may be his favourite game ever! He is also pretty much retired these days, he has slight hip dysplasia and arthritis so too much frisbee is not good for him!

Breeze is my little Romanian Stray, she will also be 12 this year and was picked up as a tiny puppy on the streets of Romania before finding her way to come and live with the PTD crew. Breeze and Hollie are the worst of enemies and are not able to be together at all as they instantly fight. Which makes for lots of management and understanding on a daily basis. Breeze doesn't really enjoy much, but is a GREAT puppy raiser and also super awesome stooge dog for behaviour work.

Next we have Buzz, a Miniature Poodle, with a BIG personality, he is approximately 8 years old and came to be with us after his family decided they no longer wanted him at Christmas in 2018. He is a SUPER little tricks dog and have achieved his Grand Champion Trick Title as well as a string of other titles too! He is the one that really got me started in heelwork to music, although he really doesn't like the environment so has now retired from competition but is still doing all his training.

Lenny, my German Shepherd x Labrador will be 6 in March and has taken his Good Citizens Bronze award at Crufts. As well achieving his Gold Good Citizens he has competed in Obedience, achieving a win in Beginners class, he is also a super star in the Heelwork to Music ring and currently competing at Novice level. He has taken over Cooper's role of being my all round super dog as he is amazing at scentwork, has been top disc dog in the Toss & Fetch league and is willing to turn his paw to anything.

Little Pudding, a toy poodle will be 5 in October, and ended up staying with us as he is most definitely a complicated character. He is a definite bite risk, he was returned from 2 possible homes so we decided he could stay here at a PTD dog in 2023. We have big plans to compete in Heelwork to music and Freestyle this season too.

The first of my pure bred mini poodle, from a breeder dogs is Henry (because he was the eighth dog to join the team) he will be 3 in June and is a real little super star! Competing in Obedience, Heelwork to music and freestyle too! He loves his frisbee and is a super little working dog! Recently we qualified as finalists for Novice Heelwork dog of the year 2024 too. Henry also took his Bronze Good Citizens award at Crufts and is also now a Gold level dog.

And my 2nd mini poodle, though she is so tiny she isn't even quite toy sized will be turning 1 in March. We also hope to pass our Bronze Good Citizens away at Crufts this year following in her big brothers footsteps. She is the smallest of my dogs at just 2.7kg and is an absolute diva! Watch this space for where she decides she would like to go . . .

I find that teaching the dogs tricks, is not only great for building the bond with the dogs, but its great for overall conditioning - working muscles that wouldn't necessarily be worked in general every day life! We use tricks to make training fun for both me and the dogs, and giving us something to work towards in achieving our bandanna awards too!

One of my favourite trick has to be 'Go Hide' we put it in our trick demos at DogFest for several years where the dogs all went to hide in a suitcase - its super cute and a real crowd pleaser at shows!

Do you have a favourite trick? 

Let us know what your favourite tricks are in the comments below!