A Game of Dogs

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A Game of Dogs

Simple solutions for common dog behaviour, puppy classes, 1-2-1 training. Fully insured, first aid trained.

03/05/2026

End of session, Rambo going home 💙

03/05/2026

RAMBO III
So today we had another session with Rambo. I won’t sugarcoat it — he’s been a tough cookie to crack. Just when you think you’ve made progress, he throws in a big reaction, switches off from his handler, and leaves you wondering what the next step is. It’s been especially challenging for his owner too, as he’s a big, strong lad and those moments can feel overwhelming.

But today… we saw a real breakthrough.

Yes, he still reacted to a few dogs, but the difference was we were able to bring him back, re-engage him, and get him working with us again — and that’s huge. We finished on a real high, with Rambo walking calmly in close proximity to our stooge dogs.

Seeing him relaxed, focused, and walking nicely alongside his owner whilst our Ridgeback Franco was nearby was exactly the kind of progress we’ve been working towards.

Way to go, Rambo 👏🐾

02/05/2026

Second video of Mouse!

02/05/2026

There are 2 videos here of little Mouse 🐾 — a gorgeous pug who is absolutely adored by her family. But recently, Mouse had been causing a bit of a family rift…

Her reactivity to the TV (especially animals — even cartoon ones!) was turning movie nights into a challenge. What should have been relaxing family time was becoming stressful. A recent attempt to watch The Lion King lasted all of 10 minutes before they had to give up — Mouse just couldn’t cope. 🎬

The first video shows exactly that behaviour.

The second video, though? That’s where the magic happens ✨
Here we see Mouse calmly watching the famous “stampede scene” — relaxed, settled, and no longer reacting.

Just a little training with the right guidance can make such a huge difference. I’m so proud of her progress already!

I can’t wait to hear how future movie nights go for this lovely family ❤️
Good luck, Mouse — you’ve got this!

30/04/2026

And they keep coming! This time from the owner of the gorgeous Rambo. Another update will be coming from him soon

Me too was sick to death of Rambo lunging at people and other dogs. I lost all confidence taking him out for walks on my own because I knew what was going to happen if we met up with other dogs? Today i managed to take my reactive Rottweiler out on my own without another dog in sight. I would recommend Vicki 100%.

29/04/2026

Another lovely review from Snoop's owner this time. I love hearing how your dogs are improving. Thank you Sam

I called Vicky after seeing her advertisement on Facebook, I have a young active dog who spent our walks lunging at cars and barking at everyone and every dog we passed, Vicky came out we did some work at home, looking at food, play and recall and then went on a walk. Vicky gave me some valuable tips to make our walks more enjoyable and give my pup some confidence. We have a long way to go but the improvements from just one session have been brilliant, Vicky has checked in to see how it’s going, would recommend

27/04/2026

I would recommend Vicki to anyone looking for 1:1 training sessions. The information that Vicki gave was so detailed and informed, and in just a short amount of time we have seen the biggest difference with our puppy.

Super happy with Vicki and would highly recommend her ⭐️😊

Lovely review received from Max's owner! Thank you & it makes me so very happy that A Game of Dogs has made a difference 🐕🐕

26/04/2026

Wow… yesterday was a full-on session with the lively Dachshund duo, Hugo & Monty! Definitely plenty to work through.

As I’ve mentioned before, Dachshunds were bred to work—they’re driven, energetic, and incredibly determined (sometimes stubborn too!).

We’ve got a journey ahead, but there was real progress: by the end of the session, Hugo was walking nicely on a loose lead 👏 I only wish I’d caught it on video! Hopefully we’ll have an update soon to share.

For now, I’ve left their owners with some important homework—starting with play before walks. Let them burn off that initial energy first; there’s no point setting off if they’re already bursting at the seams. Set them up to succeed, not struggle.

Watch this space!

26/04/2026

This handsome boy is Freddie 🐾

Freddie is a Romanian rescue who, very sadly, spent the first 8 years of his life on a chain. Now, at 11 years old, he’s finally getting to live the life he always deserved 💛

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks… but Freddie is here to prove otherwise! While he understandably finds the world a bit overwhelming at times and can be reactive around other dogs, yesterday marked a fresh start. We’ve begun helping him learn new ways to cope—teaching him to focus on his owner when he encounters triggers that would usually cause a big reaction.

The best part? His owner has already reported a big improvement on this morning’s walk 🙌 Not perfect (and that’s okay!), but a huge step in the right direction.

Keep going, Freddie—you’re doing amazing, and we can’t wait to share more updates soon 🐶✨

22/04/2026

Rambo II - The Reactive Rottweiler

We revisited Rambo today, and while his owner isn’t fully confident with him out and about just yet, there are definitely signs of progress.

He’s now learned his marker word, which is already helping to get his focus back in different situations. On our walk, we came across another dog—yes, he reacted—but only for a few seconds, and we were able to regain his attention quickly and get him back to walking nicely again.

We also worked on recall using a long line to help burn off some of that endless energy. He tired out quicker than expected and walked home beautifully with his owner—who, not long ago, was being pulled in every direction.

Rambo isn’t going to be an overnight fix, but we’ll take every small win. Progress is progress 💪🐶

22/04/2026

This is my dog Orla 🐾

This clip is from the tail end of her zoomies—running and jumping at absolutely nothing in particular 😄 She’s just burning off energy after a good night’s sleep. She’s a proper mixed breed (a bit of everything!), including Husky and GSD… so lots of working dog energy in there.

It got me thinking—how can we expect our dogs to head out on a walk, stay calm on the lead, not pull, and ignore other dogs, people, cars, etc., if they haven’t had a chance to release that energy or follow their natural instincts first?

Wouldn’t it make more sense to focus on building a solid recall so they can run freely (where it’s safe), or have a proper play session before heading out? And NOT just endless ball throwing—that can just create a super-fit dog who becomes obsessed with it.

Let your dog be a dog. Get that energy out in the right way, and you’ll often find that lead walking becomes much easier to work on afterwards 😊

20/04/2026

This young handsome lad is Max 🐾
He may look cute… but his bark tells a very different story!

Max is very reactive out on walks — lunging and barking at most things. And for such a small boy, he produces a seriously intimidating bark!

But here’s the thing… he’s a GSD. And guess what? They were bred to bark. They’re working dogs, and vocalising is part of who they are.

So how do we manage it? 🤔

Today we worked on building Max’s focus on his owner. When he’s faced with triggers like dogs, bikes, or people, instead of reacting, we’re teaching him to check in and move forward calmly with his handler.

We’re also channelling that adrenaline — that rush he gets from barking — into something more positive. And one of the best ways to do that? Play!

Training isn’t about shutting a dog down — it’s about understanding them and giving them better outlets.

Go on, Max 👏💙

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Bideford
Devon

Telephone

+447939216871

Website

http://agameofdogs.co.uk/

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