SPEAKER_00: 0:09

Welcome to the Absolute Dogs Text in a Squirrel podcast. I'm Lauren Langman. I'm one of the world's leading dog trainers, and it's my mission to help owners become their dog's top priority. In each episode, you'll discover how to gain trust and communicate with your dog like never before, creating unbreakable bonds that make you the most exciting part of their world. Okay, we're talking problems, we're talking problem holidays. And you know what? I've had a problem day to the point that at 5.30 I'm in my pajamas. I actually was like, this is it. There is to be no more. I've had such a long day and problem after problem after problem. And I don't know about you, but sometimes you meet people, and for every solution, there is a problem. Yes. And there is no making things right. And there is nothing that's going to solve the problem that they're in. And your solution will be just met with another problem. Now, I know, Michelle, you've been joined by many a person with their dog taking them on holiday. We're going to run through some of the common and typical scenarios that people come across or people have before they go on holiday, and some of our possible solutions, which may have future problems, but we're going to hope that we can solve the problems for people and enable them to be able to have the holiday of their dreams. So, what sort of problems do people have pre and whilst being on holiday?

SPEAKER_01: 1:30

So the most common struggle that people have with their dogs is reactivity, barking at people, barking at dogs, and just barking at everything. And a lot of people feel really isolated with it and they just don't know what to do. They're conflicted. They want to go out with their dog, but if they go out with their dog, then the dog starts lunging and barking, and it's just no fun.

SPEAKER_00: 1:48

I was thinking with a little dog earlier today. His name is Ernie. I hope Ernie does get to come with us on holiday. He hasn't decided yet. So hopefully we'll get a call back soon to say Ernie's booked. Ernie is four years old. He's a re-home. His owners have had a difficult time with him. And one of the biggest concerns it's concerns is when they come on holiday, can we do anything? Because he's already a four-year-old dog and he's already got reactivity sort of struggles and issues. And he's obviously been practicing them a little while. Like these are not brand new to him. They are brand new to him as his new family, but the problems have probably been there and established for a little while. What do you think?

SPEAKER_01: 2:25

Oh, absolutely. We can for sure help them. And the owner's probably nervous that they're going to come here and there's going to be dogs around, there's going to be people around, and they're just not going to accomplish anything. But I've had experience with my own dogs. I've had lots of experience with many, many people that have come here on holiday. And we set them up for success. That's the first thing we want people to know is they don't have to worry, we've got their back. So they're in a safe environment. It's great for the dogs to learn. And that saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Oh, you absolutely can. You totally can. So I can't wait to meet Ernie. There's a lot we can do for him.

SPEAKER_00: 2:58

And what would be one of, I suppose, your typical go-tos with a dog like Ernie when he first arrives? Ernie's a French bulldog. Ernie is quite reactive to dogs. Ernie can be unreliable with people. Ernie is about 12 inches tall. So he's very, very small, got a lot of attitude, uh, got a blue eye, got a brown eye, very, very, very, very quick to be vigilant, very fast for a small and rather rotund dog. And he certainly takes a dislike quickly when he does. What would be one of your first go-to games with a small chap like Ernie?

SPEAKER_01: 3:33

So first go-to would be just make sure he can take some food. So can I do a pre-call with the owner, make sure that they're on board, they know what to expect when they come to the center, and just see, will he will he just take a little bit of food from the owner's hand? We take him down for a little bit of a wander in the field, let them have a toilet break, and then see if it's a nice day outside. My preference always is to try and get the owners and the dogs working outside because they can see everything. We make sure there's not too much going on, it's nice and quiet. And then if the weather is a bit, shall we say, Devonish? Because it can cross between mist and drizzle. Yeah, we would take them inside. And one of my favorite approaches is just have them come inside and walk around a little bit at first, and then take them back out. And I I like the approach of a second time in because the first time the dog comes in, everything is brand new. It's a lot to take in. When they come in the second time, it's not new anymore. So nine times out of ten, the dog that won't take the food when they first come in the building will take the food the second time that they come in because they've been there before. And I love that. I mean, Ernie sounds like a pretty cool little chap.

SPEAKER_00: 4:40

And I know that his owners really need help. Now we've got another problem. And the second problem that comes in often when people are about to come on holiday is their dog doesn't like traveling. Or they can't travel because they haven't got their own transport. So we've got two different problems here. One is travel is an issue, two is travel, we don't have transport. How do we tackle both of these problems for owners who might be wanting to come on holiday or visit or train their dog in a new place?

SPEAKER_01: 5:05

So travel, let's tackle transport first of all. They don't have their own transport. We recently had a guest come and a friend of theirs dropped them off. So they came down, organized a friend to bring them, they got their waitress delivery, showed up when they arrived, they got themselves settled in the cottage, and they've had several Amazon deliveries come while they've been staying with us. So their dog food sent in and it's all sorted. We've had people come via train and then we can either arrange to collect them if that works, or they can take a taxi from Oakhampton train station. So there's always a way to do it, and we're really happy to support and help out with trying to figure out how do you travel with your dog on a bus, a train, or in a taxi.

SPEAKER_00: 5:46

I love that we have owners from America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, sometimes with their dogs, sometimes without their dogs. And either way, they're making it. So yeah, the trains now being so easy to Oak Hampton, that's another really easy option. Private driver, but also sometimes we'll just be able to grab someone and bring them here. Uh equally, I love the on-site option because we do have a couple of on-site training cottages. Yeah. How nice is that for people?

SPEAKER_01: 6:13

Oh, it's perfect because you're literally on the training center's doorstep. You've got your own private garden that's completely dog friendly friendly. So it's like one of the cottages. I think it's like a little hobbit, Warren. Like you've got your little own cozy spot. It's really safe. You don't have to worry about any dogs being around. And then you just completely enclosed gardens. Yeah. And we can do training in the cottage as well. So that's an option. Now, how has that helped people being able to do training in the cottage? It just it everybody's a bit more comfortable. The owner's a bit more comfortable, the dog's a bit more comfortable, and we can replicate as much as possible some of the issues that they might have and how to handle them. So visitors is one of my favorite ones for someone staying on site in one of the cottages. So we replicate, we'll do the pre-games, so boundary games, getting the dog to settle on a nice bed. We talk through what we want the owners to do with using lots of reinforcement, making sure they're set up for success. And then I pretend I'm a visitor. So I'll come, I'll knock on the door, and when we chat through how that went and how the owner can handle it when they actually get home and have a real visitor situation. So it's all about skilling everybody up, skilling the dog up, skilling the owner up, and just showing them what is actually possible.

SPEAKER_00: 7:24

Lovely. So, so lovely. Now, how about the transport where the dog just really hates getting in the car? And actually, they'd like to come here for a holiday, but the dog really dislikes the car. And so they're anxious about even just putting the dog in the car.

SPEAKER_01: 7:36

Oh, we had that just recently, and it was a lady who came down from Wales. So we did a pre-call. And what you do need is a bit of time, so some planning. We want to make the vehicle a safe place for the dog. And when people get here, that is one place that your dogs actually actually know. They know your vehicle because they traveled in it. And one of the best ways to get your dog comfortable in there is give them some of their food in the vehicle. Make the vehicle a really cool place to be. If if they get some of their breakfast in the car and they play some games in the car, then it can't be that bad of a place to be.

SPEAKER_00: 8:08

When Michelle drops in the word games, we have a one pound games club trial right now. Yes. So a one pound games club trial, you can join any point right now for just a pound. So you join for just a pound, and for that pound, you get full access to all of our courses, like all of our 10 days to stop barking, 10 days to stop jumping, then 10 days to stop separation, but all of our other general courses and games that are in there, and that's just a pound. So if you haven't already enjoyed or discovered the power of games for just one pound, you really can. And I would absolutely suggest you do that. Now, dogs who are difficult traveling, when Michelle suggests you you feeding them in the car, she doesn't mean just on the journey, because actually, in some ways, I'd probably not feed them on the journey too much if you've got a dog who's travel sick or worried or anxious. What Michelle means is she wants you to do this over a period of time for potentially a week, a two week, three week, a month, a month, sort of and a half, two months process and period. And so what you're gonna do is you're gonna continually feed these dogs for just being in the presence of the vehicle. Another thing I've done with my dogs who have been a little bit travel aware is um teaching them things like skateboards, teaching them things like wobbly cushions, wobbly boards, things that your dog actively gets to work out with and movement and how things move and why things move, and that they can make them move. So I actually let the dog do a little bit of the learning, and I really, really like that as a way forward on um just trying to coach dogs really and coach them to be more confident with with vehicles because often the dog doesn't like a vehicle is the movement or the motion. Only in London the other day I took one of my dogs in and we were doing some sort of concept training out and about, and she didn't like the lift. And so with her in the lift, I could tell immediately on the lift she stopped eating, and she would be like eyes on stalks. And so I started to pop her on the floor, I did scatter feeding, I did in and out the lift, in and out the lift, in and out the lift. It got better and better, but it was awkward because other people are always waiting for the lift. So I was like trying not to dominate the lift. However, that type of training I think would be really, really nice.

SPEAKER_01: 10:04

Definitely, and and even putting a blanket over a chair. Some dogs don't like the confined space. So playing games in the house where they go in into the table with a blanket over a chair. Skateboarding, I love teaching the dog skateboarding. It's a lot of fun, but it also gets them really good with movement and then the sounds as well. Um, I had a dog that didn't like it when I drove through Oakhampton because of the speed I traveled at, she got a little bit whiny, a little bit fussy, and there was something about the sound of the engine at that in that gear. Yeah. So teaching them like playing confidence games, just really growing that confidence. We also chat to them about how the dog actually travels. And I can remember you seeing someone arrive on the center, and they drove in and their dog was sitting on the passenger seat as the navigator.

SPEAKER_00: 10:48

It was a husky. Yeah. I remember Husky Puppy or a Malamute puppy, and just literally sat there. Yep. Cute as hell. Seriously not safe, very, very vulnerable, yep, very, very volatile uh situation for a dog to be in, and also typically creates more like travel fussing and travel insecurity. So if my dogs are always crated, I never travel a dog without a crate. I always have them settled in appropriate size crate with appropriate bedding so they don't roll around too much. I prefer a crate that's slightly fitted rather than massive for them in it. And I always have a harness and easy leads and even a slip lead potentially in case of an emergency. And most of all, travel is something my dogs do every single day or as often as possible. So if we're traveling youngsters or pups or adult dogs, the fact that they're going in the car every day is a real bonus. Like we want them to just be getting in and out of the car.

SPEAKER_01: 11:36

Even if I'm just popping up to the shop, pop them in the car. I pop them in the car and they come for the ride. So you want to make sure that traveling the vehicle is really normal. It's nothing new, it's just a regular thing.

SPEAKER_00: 11:49

And I'm sure it's because it's such a new thing for me. Whereas for me getting in and out of the car, I don't think, wow, I'm getting in the car. Yeah. Like it's just a novel thing going on a train. So yeah, we want to make it fairly normal. Now, another problem that people have with coming away and taking the dog on holiday, and this is one I see all the time is will it work? Like, is it gonna work? And actually, am I going to dog balls or is it gonna be a bad thing? And I was speaking to someone today, and she just said, I get it, but I'm also really skeptical because I've had behaviour consults where it's cost me like 400 pounds for an hour and I've got nowhere, and I'm really not like getting very far. Like, will it work? And I would say there's always such a great place for practical dog training. And I think it's one of those things that's been sort of missed through COVID, really, that people have jumped the stage. And as much as I love online training, there is a lovely place for practical. Now, with our Pro Dog Trainer Club, if you haven't seen Pro Dog Trainer Club, um jump in on Games Club, the One Pound Trial, and then elevate to ProDog Club, or or you can jump straight into ProDog Club. For me, one of the biggest things that I would say just it's it's just really big out there is the ability to either do hands-on or someone watch you train. Yes. Someone, because that there's one thing having a method, but there's two two things really the applying a method. Like, how do you actually what's the practical application of that?

SPEAKER_01: 13:06

And we've got a lovely, she's coming to us soon. Pam with Molly.

SPEAKER_00: 13:10

Yeah, oh, brilliant.

SPEAKER_01: 13:11

And brilliantly, I've taught her online, but there's nothing that tops seeing her and her dog in person, just looking at the body language of the dog and watching how she responds to different things we have her do. And she's she's a collie and she gets really crouchy when she gets worried about something. She gets really stocky and she drops her shoulders. So one of I would have would not necessarily have spotted this online, but when we get her to put her paws up and lift her shoulders, yeah, her whole body language changes.

SPEAKER_00: 13:35

It's really cool. The other thing with Molly, and I know you saw me do a session with her and Dog Dog. Yeah, how did that go?

SPEAKER_01: 13:41

It was it was brilliant, absolutely brilliant, because she's extremely leash reactive. And you pegged her quite quickly. She actually doesn't know what to do with herself when she gets in a situation. So it's a load of bolster and it looks quite frightening.

SPEAKER_00: 13:56

But then I think she ran out at flat out speed at me. Yeah, and then the minute she got to me, she stopped dead and wiggled and was like, Oh, hello. And I was like, Mole, that's ridiculous. Yeah, and I think you couldn't do that in an online setup. Definitely not. So that was really, really good to do in person and to work through. Now, one more holiday problem I'm gonna tackle. So one more holiday problem, and it's a typical peach problem that people worry about and have before they get here. Actually, how do I take my dog's frozen food or how do I take my dog's normal food? And I'm gonna say the best thing is where we are, there's loads of frozen food suppliers from down the road from us. You've got the farmer's dog, and they're only like 20 minutes from us, and that's like right from source, so very ethically produced and raw food. If you if you travel with kibble or other foods, it's very easy. But if you're traveling raw, then you need to think it through a little more. Then you go to Mole, and Mole has got pretty much, I mean, it's got a really good raw section now, hasn't it? Brilliant raw section, really, really good. So you can definitely grab that as well. I've traveled all over the world with my dogs. I've traveled to America with my dogs, to Spain with my dogs, Italy, France. I've been to um Poland, we've been to so many different countries. I think the biggest limitation is your own mindset. Yep. And we've got people who travel here probably as old as 78. I think is our eldest client. I don't think we've got anyone in their 80s. So that's pretty cool, isn't it? It's amazing. Um they're so brave.

SPEAKER_01: 15:19

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And and you know, my passion for food, we've got a free recipe book that we we share, and you can access it. You can make your own treats as well for your dog. So there's always a way. So, like we were saying at the beginning, for there's there's a solution for everything. We just got to find the way and got to be creative. One of the guests who's staying here currently just had her her, she's staying for two weeks. So she's had some raw delivered and it's been dropped off at her cottage and she's sorted.

SPEAKER_00: 15:45

Yeah, and and it makes it so easy when you've got that sort of sort of plan in place. And we're here to help that. What I would say to you is the biggest limitation is you get on holiday with your dog, whether that's to come and stay with us, whether that's to come here without your dog, and you want to train a dog that is here in person, one of our dogs, whether you would like some advice and some help with your dog in person, get them here. The biggest thing is don't limit yourself because those limitations become defining, right? Like they they stop you being able to do the things you want to do. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01: 16:15

And there's no struggle we haven't tackled. I mean, but we we I get questions about will I be okay in the cottages? I don't want to disturb anything. My dog might be really barky. That's okay.

SPEAKER_00: 16:25

You won't disturb anybody. We are we are set up for that. And the best part is, and I think this is really good to know, we actually don't take anyone with a without a dog now. So if there's someone without a dog, we won't take them. Yeah, we're like, you can only come here with a dog. So that's the only way you can get here. You can come without a dog, but you do need to do dog training dog training with us. So we're gonna dog train too. So yeah, you can come without your dog. Michelle is right. But for dog training. Yeah. So you're gonna come in for dog training. We don't have Joe Public here on the site typically anymore, whereas we used to when we first started. Yes. So that's really nice to know. Yeah. So anything to add, Michelle, before we we head out of here from the episode? Anything you want to share? Any final tips, any final thoughts of joy? Anything's possible.

SPEAKER_01: 17:07

Like we're here to help. And if you're at all worried or you're all concerned, we do an amazing£20 offer. So if you're new, then we'll do a one-hour call with you and we'll do a Zoom session and we'll help you out. And it's just£20 for a Watch One consult.£20. It's a really good deal. Really good deal.

SPEAKER_00: 17:24

It's it's allowing anybody brand new to get in the door. I'm just thinking, just to sum up, really, my final thought, probably Debbie Gunham Rich as a as a thought. She's an American student, she comes here from Florida, she's been here four times, and she flies on her own, right? And she gets on the plane. Uh, she's in her 70s. What is she like as a student, as a trainee? And she comes here without her dog.

SPEAKER_01: 17:46

Yeah, she's incredible, absolutely incredible. Um, and she's just got her new puppy. I've been seeing little videos she's been putting up, and that she she's figured it all out. She comes on a plane, she stays overnight in London and then travels down to Oak Hampton train station. We want to get them train station. It's like having family come and stay. Like she just is so on board, and we lend her dogs. She borrowed one of my dogs and taught them how to go under a hoop because they're passionate.

SPEAKER_00: 18:12

So cute. It's so cute. She loved it. Absolutely loved it. And it taught it so quickly because the dogs are operant, the dogs are ready to learn, and she's a really um insightful and passionate dog trainer. So it works.

SPEAKER_01: 18:22

Yeah, and she's taken it home and she's taking her skills and she's working on her new puppy now, which is absolutely fantastic to see. We just love it because she's inspiring others and she's got a little following of her own in Florida, and they're watching her journey. They're learning about dog training, and that's what it's all about.

SPEAKER_00: 18:38

The ripple effect grows. Now, if you're sat on the fence, if you're thinking maybe I should come on holiday, or maybe I should come without my dog, or maybe I should travel from abroad, what should they do? What are you waiting for? What on earth are you waiting for? Get on over here. That was this episode of the Sexton Squirrel Podcast. Share it, like it, love it, send it to a friend, make sure you give it to your sister, your mother, your long-lost brother. It's completely free. And if you haven't already, also share your one pound games club troll. Like Michelle said, if you want a consult, just 20 pounds. It's your first consult. And most of all, make it an amazing rest of your day for you and your dog. Most of all, we know that there is a solution. And the best part is all you need to do.