Barking Up the Right Tree

04/12/2025

02/12/2025

Christmas Chaos is coming .... If you’re already worrying about your dog coping over Christmas - read on!

For most people (and dogs) the holidays mean ... more people interaction than usual, lots of food, and possible even interactions with other dogs or pets. If your stomach tightens at the thought of that ... mine does too! And my tendency is to go full ostrich and forget about planning until it is too late.

If this sounds familiar - yay! And fret not, coz we pulled our heads up in time to help!
Most reactive dogs struggle because their routines vanish overnight.

Christmas Tip 1:

Look at the routines that already work. Write them down. Decide now which can stay the same and what needs tweaking.

Write out your and your dog's daily schedule, start with meals, walks, rest times, where is your dog when you prepare meals, or work at the computer, do laundry....Which routines are most important, what does your dog rely on?

Then ask yourself: What will change over the holidays, and what can stay the same with a tiny bit of planning?

Knowing what to prioritise will help you feel more in control - now you can plan and advocate for your dog.

CTA:
👉 Comment which routine you’ll protect for your dog this Christmas.

02/12/2025

If your dog struggles at the dog park.....

They'll be happier to p*e, sniff and walk in a car park!

28/11/2025

Want a little more “Poppy energy” in your own life?
Have a p*ek at Your Inner Compass ✨
We’ve got 50% off all online courses with code BF50.

https://barking-up-the-right-tree.newzenler.com/courses/yourend

25/11/2025

I always liked biology in school…
Until we got a new teacher.

Every lesson started the same:
He'd pull out his little notebook, scan the room, and pick someone to interrogate.

Absolute. Terror.

Sitting there, heart pounding, stomach doing gymnastics, waiting to be chosen as the next sacrifice…
Honestly? That’s all I remember from that class.

And it’s exactly why I know this:
Threats don’t change behaviour — not in kids, and definitely not in dogs.
But kindness does. Every. Single. Time. 💛🐾

Tell me — did you have a scary teacher?
Drop your story in the comments, I want to hear it!

20/11/2025

You know that thing you were really good at when you were younger?
For me, it was playing the violin.
Leader of the school orchestra, played in loads of groups - it was my thing.

Until I hit 16 and discovered boys.
The violin went into the attic and stayed there for years.

Every few years, I’d get it out, have a go, and… yikes.
It sounded awful.
So back it went.

Then recently, my husband fixed it up and said, “Go on, give it a try.”
And a friend gave me the best advice:
“Start again - but easy.”

No comparing myself to what I used to be able to do.
No pressure to sound “good.”
Just the basics.

And you know what? It worked.

It’s the same with your dog.
If things feel hard right now, go back to basics.
Take off the pressure.
Start again - but easy.

If you need a little help finding your calm again, our course Your Inner Compass was made for you.
It helps you feel better, so your dog can too. ❤️

You get 50% off at the moment just click the link and use the voucher BF50.

Self-care and Resilience for the Human

19/11/2025

When I was 7, my friend Alice (aged 10 and therefore an expert) told me that the lyrics to Dancing Queen were:
“Feel the beat on the tangerine.”

And I believed her.
For years.

It’s funny how we take things as truth just because someone sounds confident when they say it.
It’s the same with dogs - so many “rules” that get passed around like gospel:
“Don’t let them on the sofa.”
“You have to show them who’s boss.”
“They’re just trying to dominate you.”

But when you go to someone who actually knows their stuff,
you realise they’ve just been… singing the wrong lyrics all along.

So if something someone told you about your dog doesn’t sit right
maybe it’s time to find your own rhythm. 🎵

Comment with your misheard lyrics!

18/11/2025

I went to my first gig in forever last week — a band called Tide Lines.
Never heard of them before, but wow… what a night.
Everyone around me was singing every word - even the one in Gaelic!
And me? Not a clue.

There was a time when that would’ve made me shrink back and feel like I didn’t belong.
But this time? I just sang the bits I caught and made up the rest.
No one noticed. And I had the best time.

It got me thinking - life with dogs can feel a lot like that gig.
It can seem like everyone else knows exactly what they’re doing,
while you’re quietly trying to catch the rhythm.

But here’s the thing: most of us are just making it up as we go.
And when we do it with confidence, no one knows any different.

You don’t need to “sing every word” perfectly.
You just need to join in. ❤️

Julia xx

13/11/2025

AThe other day, our toilet backed up.
I’ll spare you the details - I trust your imagination’s vivid enough...
The worst part wasn’t the mess.
It was the waiting.
Did I mention we’ve only got one bathroom?
Why am I oversharing?

Because when you join our short online course, Finding Your Footing, you’ll never have to sit around waiting for help when your dog’s behaviour blows up.
You’ll know exactly what to do to stop your dog from overreacting - without paying for a private trainer or waiting weeks for an appointment.

AND we've got a 50% off offer on for black Friday at the moment!!!! What's not to like??

Inside the course, you’ll learn how to:

- Spot what’s really triggering your dog
- Protect them from those triggers while you build confidence
- Create calm foundations so the learning actually sticks

No waiting, no panic, no plumber required.
Is that your dog looking over your shoulder?
I bet they can’t wait for you to get started.
👉https://barking-up-the-right-tree.newzenler.com/courses/essentials

12/11/2025

Apparently, the cause of my unhappiness is that I don’t appreciate my life.

No need to panic - I’m fine. Not the about-to-do-anything-drastic kind of unhappy.
Just the normal kind.

You know -
✅ Worried I’ve upset my sister.
✅ Bank balance low.
✅ Prices through the roof (for everything).

Still… there’s plenty that’s good.
My dogs are on form, and our morning walks are the highlight of my day.

Although, of course, I do feel guilty for not sticking to my training goals.

And there it is - the root of all unhappiness:
Too. Much. Effing. Judgement.

As you may know, I’m a Buddhist - the modern, coffee-drinking kind. ☕
And Buddhism says we’re all beautiful human beings with endless potential for happiness.

That’s literally the point of life: to be happy.
But wow, it’s hard work, isn’t it?

We seem wired for self-destruct -
Always undermining our own worth, telling ourselves we should be doing more.

OK, maybe you don’t.
If so, please tell me your secret. 😉

But if this feels familiar, let’s make a pact - right now - to stop with the “but.”
To appreciate who we are, and that we’re here at all.

Because you really are that amazing, wonderful being your dog thinks you are. 🐾
And dogs don’t lie.

So tell me - what’s one thing your dog’s better at than you when it comes to being happy?
(My money’s on living in the moment.)

11/11/2025

I don’t know about you, but I find learning a new language hard.

I tried Italian once - turns out the only part I’m good at is waving my arms. (And honestly, not even that 😅)

At school we did French too… but that was already our third foreign language, because we started with Latin.
Total waste of time, Latin.

They say the best way to learn a language is to dive in and start speaking —
but hello, nobody actually speaks Latin. (That’s why it’s called a dead language.)

I did better with Spanish - enough to hold a conversation without too much embarrassment.
And nobody laughed at me. Well, except that one time in Argentina when I started translating the ranger’s directions into German.
For John.
John doesn’t speak German. 🤦‍♀️

Anyway - some people just pick up a few words and own them.
My friend Joris is like that.
He throws phrases around with total confidence, and everyone adores him for it.

Meanwhile, I’m still silently rehearsing the perfect comeback… while the person’s already walked away.

🐾 So what does this have to do with dog training?
Everything.

Dog training is also a language.
At first, you think it’s about telling your dog what you want.
But then you realise - your dog has a voice too.

You say, “Sit. Look at me. STOP PULLING!”
And your dog’s like, “Nah, can’t - that guy looks suspicious.”

You can imagine where that conversation goes…

The point: you don’t need to be perfect.
A little bit of training - used often - goes a long way.

Perfection kills connection.

Let’s be more like Joris:
Learn a few key phrases.
Use them with confidence.
Trust your dog will start to understand you.

They’ll get you - even if you occasionally mix up your verbs. 😉

Forget the dog for a sec - what’s one thing you finally figured out?
👇 Tell us in the comments!

07/11/2025

When You’re Doing Everything “Right”… But It’s Still Not Working

You’ve tried everything:
Obedience training - but your dog still forgets it all on walks.
Treats - but they just spit them out when it matters.
Different equipment - harnesses, slip leads, no-pull harnesses, haltis… nothing really changes.

And yet… your dog still explodes when they see another dog. 😩

It’s not just about the big trigger - it’s about your dog’s emotional state.
And yours, too.

When your dog doesn’t feel safe, they react.
That feeling of “not safe” can come from so many things - and when we’re stressed or anxious ourselves, our dogs pick up on that too.

You don't need us to pile more pressure on you or your dog.
You need us to meet you both exactly where you are - and help you move forward gently, with understanding, confidence and calm.

💛 Real progress starts when both ends of the lead feel safe.

Drop us a 💛 if this really resonates for you.