Games-based Concept Training
Unleashing the Power of Play
Concept training is a revolutionary, cutting-edge approach to dog behaviour that takes you and your dog far beyond traditional training methods, enabling you to achieve lasting real-life results together.
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Based on the latest scientific research, it will transform your relationship with your dog in a simple and enjoyable way that is kind, extremely effective, and most importantly - FUN!
What is Concept Training?
Every dog is a unique individual, with their own likes, dislikes, worries and personality quirks and that’s why we love them. Concept training looks at your dog as an individual and focuses on the underlying emotions behind unwanted behaviour instead of just the unwanted behaviour itself. After all, the way your dog behaves is not actually the problem – it is the message they are giving you to tell you that something is up.
Once we’ve identified the ‘why’, we then work to boost specific character traits (we refer to these as concepts) within your dog that will help them to thrive in situations that they previously found challenging.
Unlike traditional training, we don’t teach a single trained response to a single specific event, e.g., ‘when the doorbell rings, you sit and stay.’ Instead, we give your dog the essential life skills they need to make the right decision that can be applied to ANY situation, even those that they have never experienced before.
Rather than barking orders at them (excuse the pun!), we open the conversation between you and your dog, leading to a stronger, enduring and even more rewarding bond between you both.
The Concepts
There are many different concepts that make up your dog’s personality and this will be different for every dog, even those within the same household. It may be that they need some help to grow confidence, embrace calmness, be more optimistic about life, or learn how to be more flexible when life throws them a curveball.
How does it differ from traditional training?
If you’ve ever experienced conventional dog training, you’ve probably realised that the stock commands of ‘sit’, ‘down’, ‘stay’ and ‘heel’ don’t always prepare your dog for the real world. Even though they may have excelled in training classes with no distractions, as soon as you are out and about your dog still ends up a barking, lunging mess at the end of the leash.
This is because traditional methods teach a specific behaviour in a specific situation that can then be put on cue, but they don’t address the underlying cause (the WHY?) or change HOW your dog is feeling in that moment - they simply teach them to behave in a particular way. For example, if your dog barks at the front door, traditional training may stop the barking, but it won’t address the anxiety your dog feels every time someone walks past the house and they may end up learning an alternative way to show this, such as chewing furniture or snapping.
Concept training works on addressing the underlying emotional causes of problem behaviour, turning negative traits into positive ones whilst retaining your dog’s unique personality. This approach shapes your dog’s natural decision-making, teaching them essential life skills that encourages them to make the ‘right’ decisions without you having to constantly tell them what that decision should be – it’s like magic!
Can games really transform my dog's behaviour?
Absolutely! Time spent with your dog – whether that’s training, agility, work, or enjoying your next adventure – should be fun for everyone involved.
Games-based training focuses on the solution, not the problem, and provides your dog with a fun, effective way to learn without having to be put into situations that they find difficult, stressful, or frightening. We train FOR the situation, not IN it.
Every game in games-based training has been specifically developed to address one or more concepts, providing you with a bespoke toolkit of great games and learning to help you overcome any struggle, no matter how serious, no matter the breed, the age, the size of your dog, and no matter what behaviour they have shown in the past. Together we will turn your dog’s struggles into strengths all through the power of play. The best part is that this transformation can happen in as little as three minutes per game!
