Nell
Breed: Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Likes: Sleeping, Eating, Destroying Toys, Muzzled Walks, Frisbee, Mantrailing, Tricks, Scentwork
Dislikes: Rain, Cold, Other Dogs, Swimming
2009 - 2023
History
Nell was adopted from homeless hounds many moons ago now. She was a little bit skinny and her fur was a mess. Within the first few months of her being here, there were a few incidents where she was attacked by other dogs and that made her really wary. Understandably she started to bark and jump around at the end of the lead in order to keep other dogs away, so our walks became very lonely and we had to avoid all the local dog hotspots.
A few years later there was an incident with another dog and so we made the decision to muzzle train, it was one of the best things we ever did! She is now a full time outdoors muzzle wearer!
Our walks are much more relaxed, people tend to give us space, she can still do all the sniffing she loves and we can continue with our training whilst she is wearing one.
After the incident we sought help from a dog trainer, we were stuck with our training and needed someone to help us move forwards.
Nell loves to learn, she might not be the best at something but she puts 100% enthusiasm into everything we do, even if it results in one of us being knocked to the floor. Varying what we train together has improved our day to day lives too. Mixing things up keeps life interesting and fun and it has really helped strengthen our relationship.
Whilst she is never going to be a sociable dog, through utilising skills we learned from attending scent classes, play workshops, Mantrailing sessions and frisbee, we now have three other dogs and can do public displays. Nell is now the cheerleading crew at obedience shows for Flint, Schwarz and Four!
Top three loves
Her ultimate love is frisbee. She plays in an international Frisbee league.
Her favourite discs are made by k9 disc over in Belgium and she plays with Pros and Zeniths because she has a strong bite when catching.
The only time she doesn't like playing is when its raining, she will abandon a match at the slightest hint of rain!
Second is Mantrailing!
She loves tracking down her missing person by following their scent trail and getting a nice big pot of food at the end. it has given her much more confidence, especially the confidence to make decisions, which was hard for her to learn as she has so much focus on Alex.
Third is destruction!
If you need something shredding, de-fluffing or made into smaller pieces, then she is the dog for the job!
We go through a LOT of toys! even ones that aren't hers are shown no mercy! If she has it, its getting made into a jigsaw. It took us a while to keep that love focused onto things she was allowed to trash but we managed so now the mattress is safe again.
Training and Qualifications
Preston Trick Dogs White Tricks Bandana - July 2018
Introduction to Mantrailing - August 2018
Mantrailing Advanced Skills - April 2019
Disc Demonstration - Paws in The Park - May 2019
Disc Demonstration - main ring Dogfest North - June 2019
K9 Frisbee Toss and Fetch World Championships - Handler Division - 3rd UK Handler - October 2019
Mantrailing UK Level 1 Assessment - March 2020
Mantrailing UK Level 2 Assessment - August 2020
K9 Frisbee Toss and Fetch World Championships - Roller Division - 1st UK Handler - September 2021
Empowered Dogs Trick Training Filming - February 2022