DOG FIT by PreThis® partner: Franziska Herre of the Martin Rütter DOGS dog school in Weimar, Erfurt & Eisenach

We are very glad about the following guest article by our DOG FIT by PreThis^® partner Franziska Herre, owner of the Martin Rütter DOGS dog school Weimar/Erfurt/Eisenach. Enjoy reading!

Hello dear dog friends,

my name is Franziska Herre and I live together with my two Golden Retriever males Kenoah and Nepomuk in beautiful Thuringia.

My path to Martin Rütter DOGS

I grew up with a cat, although the wish for my own dog was already very great very early on. After my degree as a graduate business economist and the subsequent self-employment in the field of media design and marketing, I quickly noticed that this was not to become the content of my life.

During this time of self-employment I fulfilled the great wish. Our first Golden Retriever puppy Apollo moved in with us, and with that everything changed. Beforehand I had gathered all knowledge from books, magazines and portals and was, so I thought, perfectly prepared for the small creature entrusted to me.

Reality hit me like a blow when I realised that theory does deviate decisively from practice. Especially in the first year he presented me with many, many challenges. Upbringing tips and advice that I received from dog schools and trainers brought only moderate success. Apollo was not an easy dog from the start. Often I was very desperate and no longer knew what to do.

Having become aware of Martin Rütter through radio and television, I eagerly followed his publications and TV appearances. Above all, the training tailored individually to the owner and the dog convinced me. With the help of these explanations, the understanding of the needs of the four-legged friends and the learning of canine body language, I very quickly made great progress with my own dog. Within a short time we became a good team. Since there was no Martin Rütter dog school in Thuringia until then, I decided to undertake the training, to make my hobby my profession and to lend a hand to other human-dog teams in difficulty.

Martin Rütter DOGS in Thuringia

After the two-year training I opened the Martin Rütter DOGS dog school in the Weimar/Erfurt/Eisenach area in March 2013. Since 2015 my trainer Mandy Kellner has supported me in this. A further trainer is currently in training and will start working in our dog school from autumn of this year.

Two years ago we opened our training grounds in a commercial area on the outskirts of Erfurt. The location was very important to us, since we, as until now the only Martin Rütter dog school in Thuringia, look after customers from a very large area and therefore want to be well and quickly reachable from all directions. On our training grounds there are, in addition to four fenced meadows on which training can take place in parallel, a large training hall for bad weather as well as an office container. In any case, we are equipped for all weather conditions, which of course makes training in the darker and wetter months extremely much easier.

My work as a Martin Rütter DOGS coach

I see my main task as a trainer in forming a harmonious and trusting team out of dog and human. One of the most important building blocks is to train people in the body language and communication of dogs – to read, to understand and to be able to act accordingly. For only mutual understanding, a species-appropriate approach and an awareness of individual needs are the basis of a good human-dog relationship.

With undesired behaviours, the top priority is to find out the causes for them. Thus, for example, aggressive behaviour on the lead can have many different reasons – ranging from frustration aggression through insecurities and territorial aggression to the protection of one's own people. Only when these causes are clearly defined through various test situations can an individual training plan tailored to the human-dog team be drawn up.

In addition to individual training and the therapy of undesired behaviours, in our dog school we offer various courses, practical seminars, workshops and talks on various topics. From lead-walking through recall to impulse-control training – there is something for everyone.

But the physical and mental stimulation of the four-legged friends is also very high on our agenda. A species-appropriate occupation tailored to individual needs is an indispensable basis for a relaxed dog and a harmonious coexistence. For this we likewise offer various courses, such as, among others, rally obedience, nose work or fitness with the dog.

My experiences with DOG FIT by PreThis®

My own dogs are of course my everyday companions, but also my "right hands" in training. They support me in test situations with other dogs and try out all forms of occupation together with me. In my free time I personally like best to do dummy sport with both of them. That is not only very mentally demanding, but also demands quite a lot of them physically.

In my three-year-old Golden Retriever Nepomuk, unfortunately, an OCD in the right elbow was found at the age of one during the standard X-ray examination. Fortunately, he has so far had no pain at all as a result. So that this stays that way for as long as possible, he receives the supplements from DOG FIT by PreThis^® from me.

Kenoah, 5 years old, comes from a so-called working line and, unlike Nepomuk from the show line, has considerably more temperament. With him, movements always take place with full physical commitment, and so braking manoeuvres during dummy work or in play can sometimes become very spectacular affairs. Unfortunately, however, this leads to him repeatedly having strong tension and blockages in his back, which are under regular physiotherapeutic treatment. Him too I support with the products from DOG FIT, which has brought a clear improvement in Kenoah's gait pattern and well-being.

But it is not only DOG FIT's joint supplements that I am enthusiastic about. Likewise, the effect of, for example, "WHITE dental plus", "VITAMIN B" or also "VITAL shine plus" has completely convinced me. Meanwhile I often and gladly incorporate the products into our daily training and thus help customers' dogs to go through life more pain-free and healthier.

More information about my dog school can be found at: https://www.martinruetter.com/erfurt

Warm regards, your Franziska Herre
from Martin Rütter DOGS Weimar/Erfurt/Eisenach