#benmcfuzzylugsgiveaway

First time I have ever done this!!
But I have decided when my facebook page (http://facebook.com/benmcfuzzylugs) gets 1000 likes then I will start a MASSIVE shop wide sale

But thats not all
To get 1000 likes I need help - and you will be rewarded :)
For every person who shares my facebook page or blogs, tweets, retweets, pins or whatever else out there that you are on (and if you can add the words #benmcfuzzylugsgiveaway somewhere on your post it helps me find it easier) and comment here or on my facebook page that you have done it, you will be entered in my draw to get your very own custom sculpture of any animal for free - free worldwide shipping too

And STILL that is not all.
Once I have that 1000 likes I will then start sharing your work with my new adience, thats right, Im bringing back my featured Friday. So everyone who shares my facebook page somewhere, tells me about it and tells me about their work and asks to be included in a feature I will feature your work here on this blog and on my facebook page on a first come first done basis

So one little share by you means a shop sale, a chance to win your very own sculpture AND a feature on my blog

Thankyou for supporting me :)

Pyrenean Sheepdog - A-Z needle felted dogs

Return to A-Z needle felted dogs

A-Z needle felted dogs - Dachshund

Return to A-Z needle felted dog breeds

A little change - bears

I have a some coloured fleece that I cant really see me using for my dogs - so I thought I would use some up making some Bears. I have made them non jointed and with no filler just solid wool

How to untrain the recall

A great recall is something that just makes me smile - when your dogs drops everything and races to be beside you with a great big happy grin.
Unfortunately it is way too easy to untrain that recall - just about every day I see people untraining their recal.
4 favourite ways to untrain a dogs recall
1. Call them back to you when they are in a situation you haven't fully trained for so you know full well they will not come back
2. Call them then then chase after them to try and catch them
3. Punish them when you finally catch up with them
4. Only call them back when you want to stick them on the lead and go home

So what could we do different in each situation?
1. If you know they wont come back don't call them, accept they are running off at that point and then work on training their recall more. Remember dogs learn to associate words with what they are doing at the time - if they are running away then they may even learn that 'Bracken CO-OME' means run away as fast as possible

2. Dogs LOVE LOVE LOVE chase games - what great fun they can start a chase game by running away when you are calling. Running away is a better option (if its safe) and you can train a really solid chase recall (I will go over it in a later post) or if you feel you need to go after them better to walk slowly and walk round them rather than directly at them

3. So common because people thing the dogs were running away to be bad. This is simply not the case, if a dog doesn't do something it is because you haven't trained it properly. You want your dog to REALLY want to be around you, if you punish them when you reach them what you are actually doing is making your dog LESS likely to want to be around you - better to make a fuss of them when you catch up with them - make yourself fun to be around

4. Taking away a dogs freedom is actually punishing, if a walk consists of you letting them off the lead and pretty much ignoring them till its time to get them on the lead again then your recall isn't going to be all that interesting. Much better that on a walk you call them back several times, sometimes to give them a nice treat, to play a game, to show them something interesting you have found. You can even call them too you, clip the lead on, give them a few treats then unclip them again.

A-Z needle felted dogs - Basset hound

Return to A-Z needle felted dog breeds

A-Z of needle felted dog breeds - pug

Return to A-Z needle felted dogs

A-Z of needle felted dog breeds - Poodle

Return to A-Z needle felted dog breeds

Bulldog

Return to A-Z needle felted dogs

Rewards

Oh I have neglected my blog so badly!! Promise I will try and be better (yeah I know I have said that before) So today a quick little dog training tip

 Rewards

A reward is anything that the dog finds rewarding
If the dog finds it rewarding then they will be more likely to try and do the thing again that caused the reward to happen
The most obvious is food - but of course not all dogs are motivated by food - and not always the same food all the time
Toys and playing are another great reward
A pat on the head works for some dogs at some times as does praise (although I strongly believe that a dog has to learn what praise is by either it being associated with something nice - or (sadly) the end of bad things)

But think outside the box - what does the dog love
I have a friends dog who loves to dig and he sits shaking with excitment waiting to be told he can go dig
Even going to the tiolet can be a reward!! Not that I use that but thats how it works out. My dogs pull on the lead to get to a good place to go to the loo
As I didnt want to restrict their toiliting I let them pull on the lead
So of course this was reforced by them getting to go to the loo
and now my dogs are trained to pull on the lead to go to the loo!!