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Dog training

Tell-tale signs your dog needs a professional trainer

Most dogs are trainable with a little persistence. Eventually, they understand and start responding to your commands. Sometimes, though, at-home training doesn’t work, despite your best efforts, leaving you feeling confused. At that point, you need residential dog training; expert dog training done by experts on your behalf, away from your home, at a specialist facility.

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Bonding with your new protection dog

So you’ve done your research, taken the plunge and finally got a personal protection dog from Total K9 for yourself. Some new owners experience a bit of apprehension when they first take their new dog home.

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What makes protection dogs different from guard dogs?

This is one of the questions that we get asked all the time at Total K9. Is ‘protection dog’ just another name for ‘guard dog’? What is the difference between a guard dog and a protection dog?How can I be sure that I’m getting one and not the other? So we’re pulled together the most […]

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Dog advice

How to spot the perfect protection dog

At Total K9 we have decades of combined experience in selecting and training world class protection dogs. We are proud to uphold incredibly high standards and we don’t think you should settle for anything less, especially when it’s your personal safety, family and relationships at stake. Here are five traits to look out for in […]

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Dog advice

5 signs your dog needs retraining

Over the past year leaving the house to walk a dog has been classed as essential daily exercise. But sociable meet-ups with other owners in busy parks have become a thing of the past. As a result most dogs have had less

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Keep your dog safe this Spring

Warmer days and more hours of sunlight provide the perfect opportunity for dogs and owners to enjoy the great outdoors. But there are added risks to your dog’s health and wellbeing that Springtime can pose. Being alert to these common dangers can help keep your protection dog happy and safe.

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Dog training

Common dog training mistakes

Dog training is certainly a journey. Having a pooch who listens to you is every dog owner’s dream; but unfortunately, it doesn’t always go perfectly. However, if you feel like you’ve made a mistake with dog training, don’t worry! The first step is realising what the mistake was, and then you can take steps to […]

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5 tips for training a rescue dog

Making a rescue dog part of your family is incredibly rewarding, but it can bring challenges if the dog has been through trauma or picked up some naughty habits. It’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks though, so let’s take a look at some of the best tips to train your […]

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Dog training

What is residential dog training?

Residential dog training resolves a dog’s behavioural issues by having them live away from home, with professional trainers, for a short time. Issues resolved by residential dog training range from barking, poor recall, jumping up and lead-pulling, to anxiety, biting and aggression. Our expert team use proven methods including

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Dog advice

How to get a new puppy to sleep

Part of the fun of getting a new puppy is their seemingly boundless energy. Playing games with your puppy is a great way to spend the day, especially if you have children. Unfortunately, all this energy can cause problems at bedtime. New puppies often struggle to sleep and a restless puppy can keep the whole […]

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Dog training

Is it too late to train my dog?

There’s no denying that it’s best to get residential dog training when your dog is still young. But, while most people believe that once you’ve missed this window, that’s it, we’re here to inform you that this is not the case! Don’t give up just yet, as a dog can learn at any stage of […]

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Dog training

How to introduce your dog to a new baby

Many couples will have a dog long before they have a baby. While your baby will of course take priority, it is important not to neglect the feelings of your dog at this time. A new addition to the home will be an extremely disruptive experience for them too, especially if they’ve lived there for […]

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Dog training

3 ways to entertain your dog

Having a guard dog doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy quality time with them. Entertaining a dog is the best way to build a stronger bond between both of you. Building this bond will help gain your dog’s trust, making them the perfect companion. Here are three ways to entertain and update your dog’s daily routine.

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Dog advice

Best breeds of personal protection dogs

There’s nothing quite like knowing that you’ve got your very own living, breathing alarm system by your side, bred and trained to protect you, no matter what. At heart, that’s what a personal protection dog is. Love and loyalty come genetically inherent with many of these breeds so,

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The most popular police dog breeds

Dogs have been used to assist law enforcement for over 100 years to serve and protect communities around the world by using their unique set of skills. Police forces worldwide use different dog breeds for different tasks to make the most of their individual abilities, so we’ve compiled a list of the most popular police […]

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Dog training

Four tips to make your dog less anxious

Like humans, dogs can feel anxious. It might be because you’ve picked your dog up from an adoption centre and now you’re trying to figure each other out. Or maybe there’s something in the home that’s causing your dog to feel anxious. Along with enrolling your dog onto our residential dog training boot camp, there […]

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Dog advice

How to get your pet to listen to you

If the first thing you do when your pet ignores you is shout, then you might be doing something wrong. Take a step back and read some of the suggestions below. There are lots of reasons a pet might ignore you, whether it’s when they refuse to return to their lead during a walk or […]

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News

Three things dogs can sense before they happen

Dogs are incredibly intelligent and often intuitive, making them very aware of everything that’s going on around them. From being able to pick up on human emotions to know when someone is nearby even before you can hear them, dogs seem almost omnipresent in their intuitiveness. Some people even believe they can sense nearby spirits […]

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Dog training

Our guide to dog training bootcamps

Does your dog need to attend a dog training bootcamp? Would your dog benefit from regular training in an intensive environment? Some dogs require more training than others and might find it hard to settle down around other dogs or people. Taking a dog out of their comfort zone and away from their owners might […]

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Dog advice

How to train your dog

As the saying goes, a dog is a man’s best friend. However, anyone who has ever owned a dog will understand just how much work goes into keeping a furry friend, and more importantly, keeping them happy. However, before they embark on this task, many people underestimate just how much training goes into ensuring a […]

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Dog training

Can expert training make dogs happier?

The British love their pets. They own around 51 million of them and spend an average of £1,150 a year on pampering them. You may not be surprised to hear that one of the biggest growth sectors in the huge market for pet products is clothes for dogs! Yet one of the biggest questions that […]

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News

Your dog is an expert on humans

Knowing what your dog knows about you maximises what can be achieved in residential dog training. Although we are often unaware of how our emotions are affecting our body language, our canine companions will be sure to know how

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Dog advice

The psychology of dog training

Some people assume training their dogs is “just common sense”, but they are soon convinced otherwise when they join us on one of our residential dog training programs. To effectively train your pets, residential dog training uses scientifically proven methods from the realm of psychology. Here are three key theories you should be aware of:

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Dog advice

Fighting like cat and dog?

Introducing any new pet to the family is an adjustment for existing members. But, with the stereotypical image of cats and dogs at war, how can you combine feline and canine in household harmony? Despite expectations, dogs and cats can be

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Dog advice

Mental Stimulation in Dog Ownership

Mental stimulation is one of the most important aspects of residential dog training, but it often gets overlooked. If you find your dog is still overstimulated and excited after a walk or a game of fetch, consider adding some brain games into the mix. Instead of giving your dog every meal in a food bowl, […]

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Dog advice

A guide to resource guarding – how to tackle it

If you’re a new dog owner, you may have noticed that your puppy can be somewhat possessive of items around the house. This possessiveness can extend to anything from a high-value item like a bowl of kibble to a (seemingly) low-value item like a scrap of cardboard.

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Dog advice

Dogs as emotional therapy pets

It’s estimated that 24% of people in the UK own at least one dog. Some have been motivated by a desire for companionship, some by a need for protection and others simply by a love for all things cute. But if you’re one of the six million UK individuals with anxiety or depression or one […]

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Get your kids involved with dog training

Most kids want a pet, especially a cute puppy, but often it ends up with the parents taking charge of walking and training. By getting kids involved with training, you can teach them about patience, empathy and responsibility at a young age. It may seem daunting and stressful, but training can be lots of