Had a lovely walk at Wembury beach today.  The dogs were having a great time playing in the sea.  We were doing some training work with them when a photographer came along and took lots of photos of them all.  It is very rewarding to see your dogs being photographed by someone else because of how good they can sit!  This is the second weekend in a row that we have had impromptu photo shoots with them!  I hope I get emailed the pictures!

To finish off our walk we left the dogs in a sit, stay on the beach.  Leaving them whilst we walked off the beach.  Everyone was watching with sheer disbelief that five dogs could sit so nicely!  I felt so proud as Dave and I walked away, then seeing our dogs roaring towards us when we recalled them was really satisfying.  Quite an achievement and testament to the fact putting the effort in does pay off.

To finish my diary entry here is a photo of Melvin at 8 weeks old.  It was taken by one of my customers – how cute is he?!!

Melvin - what a cute boy!

The Wylanbriar team are celebrating tonight!  Well done Di!  The work you put into your dogs is certainly paying off.  Bondy is a fabulous dog.  

We wish you all the best for your future trial WINS!

Love Heidi and the Marchstone gang.

Just a quick note – I havent been on my website for a little while as sadly we have had a bereavement in the family.  My dear Mum passed away on the 17th October after a rapid decline in hospital. 

Mum, you have taught me so much, once my leader but now I have to lead the way with your knowledge firmly in place whilst also treasuring the memories made.  Thanks Mum for everything you have done for me and the family.  Rest in peace, you are now with both your boys Christopher and Patrick.

Mum – you picked up the pieces where my real mum couldnt.  A blessing in disguise that she failed I suppose.  Thanks for being MY MUM when it counted most.  Will miss you.

I promise to look out for Dad

Love Heidi

I just cant believe how quickly the time has flown by!  Molly and Booza’s pups are 7 months old and I have been incredibly luck recieving lots of updates from the owners!

Melvin is just a yellow version of Molly, very soppy and just as bouncy!  His love of sofa surfing is evident.  Comfort is clearly genetically ingrained into our labs!

As Tiggers go BOUNCE! 

I have had a really special day with my gang.  As normal working on training them and enjoying them having plenty of fun on a walk.    Melvin got to play with Penny and they had a great time playing chase.  Melvin flying across the fallen tree trunks effortlessly, he is a streamlined leaping gazelle that comes in the form of a very special Labrador Retriever!   

I walked Melvin with his sister Bunty, they had a great time whirling around in a mass of playful leaps and bounds!  I took an opportunity to also do some training with Bunty whilst Melvin was having a bit of a sniff about some bushes.  I looked up to see my Labrador “Tiggeretriever” leaping in one bound nearly clearing a six foot fence in one go.  His head had cleared the fence line with ease, his forepaws were over the top of the fence and he was attempting to scale the rest of the fence by pushing himself up with his back legs.  Bless him I was shocked and astonished to see such a feat!

Whatta boy – he must have invisible springs on his feet OR he quite simply has it in his genes and takes after his Mother and Father as both of his parents are incredibly agile dogs!

Molly in action!

I really love this dog, Melvin is supremely wicked!  My little ray of sunshine!

What a lovely afternoon I have had in seeing one of Molly’s pups, Melvin’s sister “Amber” 

Amber has developed into a beautiful looking dog, her body shape is just right and her behaviour is outstanding.  She came into the house very confidently.  Not at all bothered by seeing lots of dogs all at once.  She played with Melvin and occassionaly had a few toys or bones which Molly decided she would take back (mothers rights and all that!). 

It makes me feel so happy to see how she is, how proud her owners are of her and generally what a great little pup she is.    I feel chuffed to bits knowing this pup is doing so well.  She is a fine example of a well trained dog. 

Amber (she takes after her mother - Molly)

Amber with her brother Melvin

Seeing Amber this afternoon makes everything fall into place, knowing that one of our puppy’s is in such great condition and happy makes it the complete picture for me.

I am spending alot of time ensuring my dogs are doing what I ask of them and giving them positive reinforcement if they dont do quite what I ask, then I start again by putting them back to the very start of the training method.

Currently I am laying trails for the dogs to find balls and they have to find the ball.  Whilst Im setting the trail they have to sit and wait.  They are pre-empting the release so I need to do more work on that.  Although I am still very happy they can wait at least five minutes whilst I put out the trail.

They are sit/staying very well indeed and I am very proud to say I can get them doing the 1 in 5 recall whereby I can call them individually to sit at my feet whilst the others have to remain until called.

Im now also working on sitting at the start of the walk.  This creates a situation in as much they are desperate for their walk but they know they have to stay or I will just start again!  So today I was able to get a photo of them waiting patiently for their walk to begin.  What good dogs!  This is something I didnt think we would achieve as they are so keen for their walk.  But if they can do this (which they can) then clearly they can do anything!  The sky’s the limit! :0) 

Can we go yet? can we...the path....its just there....come on!

Melvin catches on really quickly and im very proud of how he is.  He has his moments of being crazy with Stanley but when it comes to his response with us, the question of is he “in” to his owners – quite frankly YES.  Which I am thrilled about as this is half the battle.

Having bumped into a nice chap who works his dog, we had a lovely chat and he gave me a couple of tips.  He commented that he thought the dogs were steady, which is nice thing to say about the woofs!

waiting at the top of the steps (Molly Melvin, Stanley, Archie and Charlie)

I have gone across the bridge and the woofs are still at the top of the steps! GOOD DOGS!!

I may have said it before but Dave certainly has a way with dogs.  Hardly having to ask them to do anything he can  get them all sitting and staying.   Here he is in action!

Here is a close up of the gang: see how mich bigger Melvin has become!

Molly, Stanley, Melvin, Charlie and Archie

Finally a picture of Melvin with his brother Stanley:

Two Beautiful "pups"!

Happy “half” birthday pupsters!  I hope you are all being good to your owners! 

Melvin is gorgeous and probably the best behaved puppy we have had! (shhh… dont tell Stanley as we think Melvin seems a bit more advanced than Stan was at this age!).

My handsome Melvin at 6mths old!

I hope all the puppies owners have had words in their pups ears to not be little monsters who forget all their training just because they are now 6 months old.  It is well known that at this age what was a well behaved and well trained dog can turn into a little devil.  Bless, you have to love them!

Today I felt so very proud of my dogs.  I had collected Katherine from school and was walking out of the school grounds to see a sight that is familiar to me but not at the school grounds.  My five dogs were all sitting waiting for us to appear.  My husband had walked them from the park and decided to meet us at the school gates.  It was quite something to see five dogs being so well behaved with lots of children rushing up to them and people walking past.  It was one of those moments that you bookmark as “something you dont see every day”,  I know my dogs are well behaved but to see them at the school bought it home loud and clear how special my dogs are.  Ordinarily you would probably see perhaps two or three dogs going quite barmy at the end of the lead, with the owner struggling to get them all to behave themselves with so much going on.  A proud moment for my Marchstone gang.  Shame I didnt have my camera with me! 

All the children loved Melvin (he is a natural star that boy!) and Stanley wanted some of the action so he put on his cute little boy face!

Well done doggies!