Take My Lead Dog Walking Services

30/11/2025

🐾 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 — 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴.

You’d never send your child out into the world without teaching them how to stay safe around traffic or strangers…
But what about the 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘨?

Dogs communicate with us constantly.
They show us when they’re stressed, scared, overwhelmed, or simply 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 playing — but kids can only respond safely if they know what those signals mean.

👀 𝗧𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹? 𝗟𝗶𝗽 𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝘆𝗲? 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴?
These are all quiet ways dogs say, “I’m not comfortable.”

And when children can recognise those signs, everyone stays safer — and your dog feels truly heard.

💬 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 “𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗱𝗼𝗴.”
It might just be the most important language they ever learn.

If you’d like help teaching your child how to read dog body language (and keep both kids and dogs safe), send me a message. I’d love to support your family. 🐶💛

28/11/2025

🐾𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗞𝗶𝗱𝘀? 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁!

Every week, I see the same question asked: “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘰𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴?”
And while the intentions are good, the answers are usually based on personal anecdotes — what worked for one family with one dog in one set of circumstances.

The truth?
There’s no “best breed for kids.”
But there 𝗶𝘀 a dog whose temperament, energy level, and needs truly match your family.

In my latest blog, I break down why breed alone doesn’t predict success — and how to choose a dog who genuinely thrives in your home.

If you’re considering adding a dog to your family, this is a must read:
👉https://tmldogservices.com.au/blog/f/what-breed-of-dog-is-best-for-kids

(A Better Question: What Dog Fits YOUR Family?)

27/11/2025

Ready for a bit of fun? 🐶✨
Swipe through this 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵?quiz and tell me…
𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆?😄

These little questions are such an easy way to help kids notice what their dog 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 prefers — and that’s a big part of keeping interactions safe and positive at home. 💛🐾

Drop your dog’s favourite choices in the comments!
(And feel free to share this with another dog-loving parent!)

23/11/2025

⚠️ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 — 𝗘𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗞𝗶𝗱𝘀

Many dogs 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥 — meaning they protect things they really value, like toys, food, bones, or even a favourite person.
And when children are involved, the risk increases significantly.

Here’s why 👇

1️⃣ 𝗞𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲-𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀
This makes children feel more threatening or confronting to dogs than adults, even when they’re just being curious.

2️⃣ 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀
Growling, freezing, a hard stare, hovering over an item — these are signals that a dog is uncomfortable.
Kids rarely notice these signs and may approach anyway.

3️⃣𝗗𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀
A dog who would never snap at an adult may feel unsure, overwhelmed, or unsafe around a child’s movements, energy, or unpredictability.

4️⃣ 𝗞𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗹𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆
Grabbing a toy or reaching for food can turn a mild guarding moment into a bite in seconds.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲

✔️𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱–𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
Especially around food, toys, chews, beds, and resting spaces.

✔️ 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀 “𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝘁”
If the dog has something, children should never try to take it.

✔️ 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀
Give your dog quiet areas where kids don’t disturb them.

✔️𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆
Positive reinforcement training can reduce guarding behaviours and prevent risks from escalating.

If you’re unsure whether your dog is resource guarding — or you’ve seen early signs — I can help.
Send me a message anytime. 💬🐾

21/11/2025

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀? 🐶

Teaching kids to spot early signs like this can help prevent bites and build trust.
Want to know more? Our new blog breaks it down https://tmldogservices.com.au/blog/f/teaching-kids-to-read-dog-body-language

20/11/2025

Last year I was working with a family who adore their dog… but without anyone realising, the dog was starting to feel overwhelmed.
He was jumping up, grabbing the kids pants, and struggling to cope with the kids energy.

The kids became frustrated.
The parents were constantly refereeing instead of relaxing.
And everyone just felt a bit stuck.

It wasn't a "𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗱𝗼𝗴"
It wasn't a "𝗻𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱"
It was simply a loving family who didn't yet know how to help their child communicate in a way the dog could understand.

And honestly?
This is 𝘴𝘰 common.

Parents tell me all the time:

👦"𝘔𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯."
🐶 "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘨 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥"
👩‍👦"𝘐 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘫𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨"

That's exactly why I created the after-school 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀.

It’s a one-hour, hands-on session where kids learn the cool stuff that makes training actually work:

✨ How to use positive reinforcement properly.
✨ Using markers so dogs understand them
✨ Luring (easy wins kids LOVE)
✨ Simple shaping skills
✨ And most importantly — how to work with their dog, not against them

Parents love it because it gives their kids a safe, structured space to learn real skills…
And kids love it because they get to feel like the “𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆.”

It's a small group so every child gets support, which means spaces are very limited and nearly full.

If you have a child who’s eager to help with the dog but gets frustrated, overwhelmed, or isn’t quite sure what to do…
This might be exactly what they need.

The next after-school session is running next week (27th November). It's a small group so every child gets support, which means 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 and nearly full.

If you’d like the details, comment 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢 or send me a quick DM.

Happy to answer any questions ❤️

17/11/2025

✨ Kids and dogs have the most beautiful kind of friendship… and training together makes that bond even stronger.

If you’ve ever watched your child proudly ask your dog to “sit!” and seen that tail wag in response, you already know how special those moments are. But did you know that getting kids involved in dog training can actually build confidence, empathy, responsibility — and even help your dog feel safer and happier?

I’ve just written a new blog all about it 👇
Why Kids Should Train Their Dog: Building Bonds That Last a Lifetime
https://tmldogservices.com.au/blog/f/why-kids-should-train-their-dog

In the blog, I share:
🐶 Why kids are natural trainers
💛 How positive training builds trust
👧🏽 The life skills kids learn (that go way beyond the dog!)
👨‍👩‍👧 Why the whole family should be part of training
📍 And how our Kids & Dogs Class in Botany helps bring it all together

If you love the idea of your child and dog learning together in a fun, positive, family-friendly way… you’ll really enjoy this read.

👉 Check it out here: https://tmldogservices.com.au/blog/f/why-kids-should-train-their-dog
👉 And if your child would love to join our next Kids & Dogs class in Botany, you can grab a spot here: https://tmldogservices.com.au/kids-%26-dog-training-class

Let me know what you think — I love hearing your stories about your kids and pups! 🐾💛

Creating calm, confident families through dog safety education, positive dog training, and understanding the dynamics of kids and dogs.

16/11/2025

🐾 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗴’𝘀 𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲? 🐾

Every dog has 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 spot…
🌞 A sunbeam on the living-room floor
🌳 A cool patch of grass in the backyard
🛏️ Curled up on their kid’s bed
🚗 Or even riding shotgun in the car!

I’d love to know — 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘅𝗲𝗱?
Share a photo or tell me in the comments! ⬇️💛

07/11/2025

𝟑 𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐠!

Keeping play gentle and fun helps kids learn how dogs like to play - and keeps everyone safe and happy.

* Hide and seek
* Tug of war
* Find the Treat.

These games build trust, teamwork, and confidence - all the skills we explore in our 𝐊𝐢𝐝𝐬 & 𝐃𝐨𝐠𝐬 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐲.
📅 Nov 27th
🧒 Ages 8- 12
🐶 Family-friendly fun for kids and dogs!

06/11/2025

It's Jacaranda season. Had to jump on the photo bandwagon when we found this tree on our walk this evening.

31/07/2025

It's a soggy doggy kind of day 🌧

18/07/2025

📣 𝗜𝗳 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿....𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘂𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢?

We’ve all had those moments — our child is whining, climbing on us, or ignoring a request for the hundredth time — and suddenly we’re overwhelmed, irritated, or even snap.

That’s being human.

Now imagine your dog in the same household — no words to ask for space, no way to say “stop,” no understanding of why the little human is pulling their ears, hugging too tight, or shrieking nearby.

🧠𝘋𝘰𝘨𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘰.
They have limits, just like we do.
They show signs of stress long before they growl or snap.
And they rely on us to notice and step in.

💡 Just because a dog 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 something, doesn’t mean they’re 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.

Let’s stop expecting our dogs to be more patient than we are.

👀 Watch for:
• Whale eyes (showing the whites of the eyes)
• Yawning or lip licking when not tired or hungry
• Turning their head or body away
• Freezing or holding their breath
• Avoiding the child entirely

🛑 If you see these signs, pause. Intervene kindly. Give your dog a break. Support your child in learning gentler ways to interact.

A peaceful home for kids and dogs starts with empathy and understanding — for everyone.

👉 Share if you’ve ever felt triggered as a parent — and want to do better by your dog too.