The other day, Mango and I were on our way to agility when I had one of those heart-stopping moments that remind you just how quickly things can go wrong. I was driving down a residential road, taking it slow as I navigated past parked cars, when I saw a man walking his dog on the pavement. Nothing unusual there. Then, he spotted someone he knew in a car on the opposite side of the road and turned to chat. And that’s when it happened. His dog stepped right off the pavement an

As the leaves begin to change and the temperatures drop, autumn presents an ideal environment for dog owners to focus on recall training. This critical skill, which involves your dog reliably returning to you when called, is essential for safety and enjoyable off-lead experiences.  Here’s why autumn is the perfect season to work on recall training and how using a dog training field can be an integral part of your training plan. Why Autumn? Autumn offers a unique combination o

The other day, I had the pleasure of chatting with a potential new client during a Discovery Call. It was one of those conversations where the experiences and feelings she shared resonated deeply, and I realised many others might be feeling the same. So, here's a friendly chat about a few things, particularly for those of you who have recently welcomed a second dog into your home or are navigating the puppy journey after saying goodbye to an older companion. Embrace the Uniqu

The twinkling lights, the scent of pine, and the sound of carols – it's the most wonderful time of the year! But if you're a proud dog owner, the holiday season can bring about a unique set of challenges when it comes to transforming your home into a winter wonderland. Here are some tips to make sure your festive season is filled with wagging tails and not frazzled nerves. 1. Management magic You know your dog better than anyone. If your furry friend hasn't quite mastered the

If you’ve ever attended one of my group sessions you’ll know that I like to start each class sharing wins. Something that has gone well since we last saw each other.  It could be a great choice your dog has made or as a handler you may have improved your mechanics, getting a better result from your dog.  When people have young puppies or are new to training with me, there’s usually a time of fast changes. And it’s easy for them to pick a win to share with the class. However o

As the days start to grow shorter (sigh) and the air carries a hint of crispness, it's a clear sign that fireworks season is on the horizon. While the colourful bursts of light and booming sounds may delight us, the same cannot be said for our furry companions. Dogs often experience heightened anxiety and stress during fireworks displays, which can lead to distress. As responsible pet owners, it's our duty to ensure our canine friends are well-prepared for this challenging ti

You might think that because I’m a dog trainer my dogs always behave perfectly, do exactly as they are asked or in fact behave brilliantly without being asked at all.  Of course my aim is to train them to be well behaved dogs who fit in with social expectations, however there are a few reasons why they aren’t perfect and why I wouldn’t expect them to be. 1. Because I’m human and I make mistakes First of all, dogs don’t instinctively know how to be ‘good’ dogs in a human world

Allowing your dog to use their nose can be both mentally and physically beneficial.  Below are 3 easy search games for your dog that you can try at home. If you want to learn more about how scent work can be great for your dog check out this blog post → 5 reasons why scent work is beneficial for your dog 1. Find your toy This is a great game to entertain your dog and get them to use their searching skills without needing to leave your living room! There are a few stages to th

Now this is a question I get asked a lot, and the phrase, ‘how long is a piece of string?’ always comes to mind!  In reality the answer isn’t a simple one, which is why I thought I’d address it in this blog.  What do you class as trained? First of all it depends on what you mean by a trained dog. For some people this will be a dog who comes back when they call and walks nicely on the lead.  For others it might be a dog who settles at home, doesn’t steal food and doesn’t jump

What are life skills? Before getting your dog you likely had a dream of what life with a dog was going to look like. It might have included peaceful walks in the countryside, a sidekick to join you in the pub, a playmate for your children or a cuddle companion at the end of a long day.  What your dream probably didn’t include was a dog who pulls on the lead, ignores you when you call them in the park, jumps all over visitors or steals food from countertops. For your dog to be

Scent work for dogs is growing hugely in popularity amongst pet dog owners like yourself. And it’s no wonder when you look at all the benefits it brings. What is scent work? Scent work covers a variety of exercises that you can do with your dog, however they all have a common theme. Your dog using their nose to locate a particular scent and letting you know when they’ve found it.  You may already be aware of working dogs who are used for scent work, such as sniffer dogs who a

Please note: There are affiliate links in this post. If you click a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend items I feel will truly benefit my readers. This blog post is going to cover the importance of getting your reward strategy right when calling your dog back. And give you 4 different ways to reward your dog for a really good recall. When giving your dog off lead freedom, it’s really easy to forget just how diff

The amount of sleep a dog needs will vary depending on their age, breed and personality. As a guide puppies need between 18 - 20 hours sleep in a 24 hour period. Whilst most adults will need less at 12 - 14 hours. Not all dogs, especially puppies, are good at resting as much as they should. Given the opportunity, when she was younger, Mango would have tried to stay awake all day! So to stop her from getting over tied we popped her into her crate for some rest. This really hel

One of the most common things new puppy parents ask me about is socialisation . They know that it’s important to get it right as they want a happy, confident and sociable adult dog. Nobody gets a puppy dreaming that they’ll grow up to be one of those dogs barking and lunging at the end of their lead. However there’s a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to what socialisation actually is. Never mind how best to approach it! So what is it?! The vast majority of people

For Mental Health Awareness month I thought about writing about all of the ways dogs can bring support and happiness to our lives. Instead I decided to shine a light on this little talked about subject.  You’ve recently brought home your new puppy. Your own expectations, and everyone else’s, lead you to believe that you should be feeling nothing but joy with your new family member. But you don’t. In fact you feel quite the opposite.  You are experiencing the puppy blues. What

Do you turn your back for a second to find your dog has their paws on the worktop, trying to steal that sandwich you just made? Do you feel like you spend your life telling your dog to, ‘get off!’? Or perhaps you’ve brought a new puppy home and want to ensure they aren’t a future counter surfer?  Then you need to follow these 3 simple steps to stop your dog counter surfing. 1. Stop rehearsal Dogs are creatures of habit and will carry on doing what they have always done - prov

Every dog has a bucket. You may have heard people referring to a dog’s bucket. Or you might be reading this thinking I’ve gone a bit mad, and you’d probably be right. But keep with me on this, because your dog’s bucket can have a big influence on their training success.  Imagine your dog has a bucket with a hole in the bottom. Every time they experience a negative or positive emotion, some liquid gets added to their bucket. If liquid is added faster than it can drain out of t

Have you recently brought a puppy home? Or maybe you’re picking up your new puppy soon. Either way,  house training is likely at the top of your training list! Nobody wants to deal with accidents all over the floor. The sooner you can set up a plan to get your puppy toileting in the correct place, the faster they will be to house train. In this post we’ll outline easy to follow steps to house training a puppy. Please note: There are affiliate links in this post. If you click

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where your dog doesn’t do what you ask? Most dog owners have. Lots of people ask me to help them train their ‘stubborn’ dog, but we need to consider what’s really going on here. Because there are often other factors at play.  In this post we’re going to explore several things that can affect your dog’s ability to perform behaviours. And as you’ll soon find out, we can’t always pin it down to a simple case of stubbornness. What is a

I am always on the lookout for new additions to my growing collection of dog books and today I bought one that I think every dog owner could find useful. Please note: the opinions expressed are my own and I have not been paid to write this review.  There are affiliate links in this post. If you click a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend items I feel will truly benefit my readers. Doggie Language Doggie Language