Cornerstone Canine Training

06/10/2025

🐶Have you ever noticed how some dogs can stroll through life seemingly carefree, while others react to the smallest sound, movement or sight? This is about so much more than them simply being a 'naughty' dog. This is about what their brain has learned to expect from the world. 💡

If your dog has had scary or confusing experiences, their brain creates new stories and more importantly their brain acts to keep them safe. 🧠

Maybe another dog once growled at your dog, or they were startled by a loud noise on a walk. They now start telling themselves a new story, which often leads to a new behaviour and one that is often unwanted by us as their owners. 🙈

This is the work of their amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for fight, flight or freeze. It also holds on tightly to those negative memories. It is doing its job by protecting your dog and triggering a new behaviour, maybe one of barking and lunging towards other dogs, whereas previously your dog was calm around other dogs.

The reality is, there is no threat, however your dog now perceives there to be a threat.

As incredibly as the brain is, it can sometimes make faulty connections. It's a bit like it adds 2 + 2 and somehow gets 7. It can take your dog even further away from the reality of the situation.

What was once a single, scary moment, starts to colour how your dog sees everything. Suddenly, a calm walk can feel full of danger to your dog.

🐶😍The exciting part of all of this is that brains can change.

Through a calm understanding and a lot of fun with very specific games, we can help your dog rewrite their stories.

🧠This process, known as neuroplasticity, allows them to build new, positive connections and begin to see the world in a safer and calmer way. 😍

Over time, the storm clouds lift. The same path that once looked frightening starts to feel peaceful again.

If your dog currently spends their time worried by the world around them, I am here to support you both. Your dog can feel calm and confident again.

Send me a message if you would like to chat about how we can help your dog see their world differently.

26/09/2025

🐾 Ever caught yourself saying to your dog, “You know better than that”?

The truth is, our dogs don’t see the world the way we do. Their senses are sharper and sometimes they’re reacting to part of their world we haven’t even appreciated.

Maybe there’s an unsettling noise in the distance. You know it’s nothing to worry about. To your dog though, it feels different.

It may be the bin lorry trundles past with the brakes having a new squeaky noise. To you it’s just part of daily life. Your dog on the other hand could be thinking, “That’s new, and I don’t like it”.

When we pause and respect their view of the world, even when we don’t fully understand it, everything shifts.

Instead of asking, “Why are you like this?”, we can start to wonder, “What’s it like for you right now?”.

And the most powerful thing you can say to your dog in those moments?

✨ “I’ve got you.”

Even if you’re still working out the best way to support them, staying curious and open will guide you there.

💡Training tip: always look at the bigger picture. What else has been going on for your dog? Is their ‘bucket’ already full and in need of emptying? This is always the first place I start when I’m working with dogs.

The key is in realising that when you respect their view of the world, you and your dog truly are a team. And even when you see the world differently, this is what brings calmness, happiness, and ease back into your life together. ❤

Being open to thinking about how others also view the world, is one of the biggest shifts that can help in other areas of your life too. Your family, friends and work life.

👉 If you would like more ways to help your dog (and yourself) feel calmer and more connected, stay tuned for the next post in this series. You and your dog are in the right place. 🐾

09/09/2025

🐶If you have ever felt the frustration of your dog being reactive and asked yourself this question - there is a way forward. ✨

❤You can help your dog so all of your walks become calm and enjoyable. ❤

For our dogs, their emotions play a huge part in how they perceive the world around them.

If they are feeling calm, they will respond a lot more calmly compared to if they are over stimulated.

So on the days where your dog is reactive, something will have over stimulated them.

Their ability to respond calmly to other dogs/people has gone out the window.

Those who train with me, will recognise this as...

🪣🧠Their Bucket Has Overflowed.💡

Imagine every-time something stimulates your dog, water is added into their ‘bucket’. 💦🪣

Maybe they got excited as they hear you open the fridge door and they zoom into the kitchen to ‘supervise’.😜This will pour a little water into their bucket.

Then imagine the postie rings the doorbell, triggering your dog to bark and run to the door - this is another glass of water into their bucket.

Your dog then goes in the garden and a neighbours dog starts barking at them and charging up and down along the fence.

Your dog joins in with the barking and charging around, stimulating them even more and adding even more water to their bucket.

It is then time for their walk, and...

Your dog sees their lead and harness and starts break dancing in the hallway - “woo-hoo, I’m going for a WALK”.🕺

Their bucket is virtually full now. 🫨

You start your walk and wonder why your dog is bouncing along the pavements, whereas this morning they walked calmly.

Your dog then sees another dog across the road and...

💥Your Dog's Bucket Overflows.

And They Have An Emotional Outburst.😭

You suddenly have a barking and lunging fire breathing dragon at the end of your lead.

And all you keep thinking, totally bewildered, is that this morning they were lovely and calm.

WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED?

Their Bucket Overflowed.

You know your dog better than anyone. Once you start to recognise your own dog’s ‘bucket’ filling, you can take action to empty it before it overflows. ✅

You may play games in the garden rather than go for a walk.
You could give them a frozen kong to release some calming endorphins.

There are so many ways you can empty your dog’s bucket so they respond calmly.

If you would like some more help, send me a DM and we can have a chat and help your dog, so that all of your walks are calm and enjoyable. ❤🐶

“If you know the way broadly, you will see it in all things.”
- Miyamoto Musashi

29/08/2025

✨ Skills For Life Dog Training Class ✨

🐶 Does your dog bark at everything that moves?
Or maybe they jump up, get over-excited, ignore recalls, or struggle with anxiety?

✨If you dream of helping your dog be the dog you know they can be, we are here for you. There is a way forward.✨

📍 Ellesborough Parish Hall, Butlers Cross (HP17 0XA)
📅 Monday's 15th Sept – 20th Oct 6:30pm -7:30pm | 💷 £145

🐾 Just 4 dogs per class – tailored support for you and your dog
🐾 Learn to understand the emotions behind your dog's behaviour
🐾 Special Zoom session to dig deeper into training and behaviour
🐾 Ongoing community & support

💡 Imagine a calmer, happier life with your dog - it starts here.
📞 Message/call 07796 905 766 to save your space.
https://cornerstonecaninetraining.co.uk/services/

10/07/2025

Can I ask you a question? How does your body react the moment you feel like someone is nagging you?😤

Do you sense your body tense up? Do you take a sharp intake of breath? Do you want to turn away from them and saunter (or sprint) off in the opposite direction?🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

Have you ever wondered if this could be the source of some of your dog’s behaviour choices?

Let's set the scene of your dog being off lead on a little sniffy adventure. You recall them, with their lead in your hand. They see the lead, hear your stern voice calling them...and they saunter off in the opposite direction.

So how can you achieve that dream recall?

🐶✨When your dog feels inspired to make the choice to come back to you, they feel like ‘super dog’🦸‍♂️🐶 and will do it time and time again.✅

When I’m mentoring owners like you to train their dog, one of the key areas we work on is inspiring the dogs to make great choices, rather than begrudgingly obey a command.✨

How do we do this? We play games where your dog sees that when they make an amazing choice, they have so much more fun.🤩💃 In our dog’s eyes, we have become even more of a 🦸‍♂️ human.

The joy when owners see their dogs want to be close to them when out exploring off lead, for example, is very special.😍🤩

Your dog will start to see that coming back to you is far more fun compared to what is in the environment (even the neighbour’s cat that is ‘deliberately’ tormenting them).🐱😹

If you have found yourself in the situation where you are desperately attempting to get your dog to pay attention to you and you feel like you are nagging your dog - your dog will be feeling this as well.💡

We want our dogs to bounce back to us when we recall them, with a big smile on their faces, rather than begrudgingly make their way back to us because we have nagged them. 😞😤

Next time your dog chooses to turn around and come back to you, have a little play with them - let them know they have made an amazing choice and they are your ‘Superdog’. 🦸‍♂️🐶

22/06/2025

How we finish this sentence can either leave us feeling fabulous or rather negative about ourselves and our dogs.

Some 'feel good' positive phrases you may be using -

😍My dog is beautiful...so sweet...gentle...so much fun...loving their training and starting to feel calmer...developing some amazing new skills...🤩🐶

When we focus on the good, rather than the struggles, and use positive phrases about our dogs, the impact these words can have on how we feel is phenomenal.❤️

We find ourselves standing taller, smiling, feeling calm and most importantly for me, reacting better in potentially stressful situations.💡🧠

Positivity breeds positivity - and our dogs pick up on this. They are so intuitive. ❤️🦉

Or maybe you find yourself using the labels of 'reactive' or 'naughty'?

If we are always telling ourselves, or others, that our dogs are naughty/bad/difficult then these are the behaviours our minds will focus on. This will lead to us feeling negative about our dogs and our abilities as their owners.

Without realising it, our mind will be looking out for these behaviours to prove we are right, even if our dogs wrap amazing behaviours around a few moments of not so great behaviour choices - we focus on the negative.

What we focus on we get. 🤩

Next time you hear yourself saying, 'My dog is...' focus on keeping your words positive and you will see your training go to new heights - trust me. ❤️

On a side note, another label that is often used from dog owners is, 'my dog is a rescue'. This label is often used to excuse behaviour struggles and it often leaves us feeling negative about the situation.

How about putting this label in the past.

💡🧠Your dog is learning new skills to cope better with the world.

They are now your dog, in a loving home with people who care about their needs and supporting them in every way they can.❤️

I would love to hear how you are going to be finishing this sentence going forward. 🐶🐾🤩

20/06/2025

09/06/2025

🐶“My dog is reactive, and we both need help.” 🐶

If you have ever muttered the above sentence to yourself or to others, then I have something very exciting coming soon - and I would love your help.

I am developing something very special for reactive dog owners and my first thought was to ask all of you for your input.

Do you currently share your life with a reactive dog, or have had one previously, or maybe you look after one for a friend or family member? If yes, then you can help.

I have put together a short questionnaire for you to fill in to help me get a more in-depth feel for how I can help reactive dog owners even more.

As a thank you, all entrants will be added into a free prize draw. The winner will win an hours 1-2-1 free Zoom training. I can help you with anything to do with your dog training journey.

To fill in your questionnaire, please click the below link. 😍🤩🐶
https://forms.gle/ZZmgHdu9WtzZsWJh6

The closing date for entries to win the free training is on Sunday 22nd June 2025 at 12 noon. The winner will be emailed on Monday 23rd June. Good luck and please do forward this onto others who you think may be able to help and for a chance to win some free training.

🐶😍If you have a reactive dog in your life, you can help others…

01/06/2025

If you enjoyed hearing about my, ‘6 Dog Training Pearls of Wisdom’, and would like to discover a little more about how they can elevate your dog training, this new blog post is for you.

Have a sit down somewhere comfy with your favourite drink and enjoy. 🐶📖☕️

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with so many fabulous dogs and their wonderful humans. And while every dog is different, with their own struggles, there are a few guiding principles I return to time and time again. “My 6 Pearls of Wisdom”. These little gems can make such a hu...

27/05/2025

The sound of a dog barking can go straight to your core can't it? You take a sharp breath in and while your body tenses, you say a prayer that the barking will subside FAST. 🙈🐶

It rarely does. If you have been there, you know the chances are that the barking builds and builds, with both you and your dog getting more and more worked up.

When your dog barks, rather than deliberately winding you up (✋hands up who has thought this at one time or another?), they are more often than not, communicating that they don't yet have the skills to cope in that situation.🤯🐶

🐶They hear a noise outside that has unsettled them - their reaction is to bark.
🐶They see another dog and are worried/over excited - their reaction is to bark.
🐶You walk through the door - their reaction is to bark.
🐶 They don't understand why they are home alone - their reaction is to bark.
🐶They want some attention - their reaction is to bark.

I know you will have many other examples as well.

We have all been there at one time or another, we hear them bark and unconsciously, before we even have time to think, our reaction is to shout (bark) back at them to be quiet.

Our dog's are so good at matching our energy, so if we are shouting back at them, they often will see us as joining in their (loud) party and carry on.

Or for some dogs, they fear being shouted at, and will silence the bark, yet the emotional turmoil that started the barking in the first place, is now internally running at 100mph.

This is where being able to truly listen to your dog when they bark, is going to give you both the turning point you have been looking for in your training.

😍✨Would you love to be able to understand your dog's barking and help them build new skills, so that in the situation that used to trigger a bark, your dog is now able to respond calmly?

When we work together, I will also help support you. The saying, 'knowledge is power', is so true. You will find that when you can see what is happening in these moments, you go from unconsciously reacting, to feeling calm and consciously responding, and more importantly, being able to help your dog. 🦸‍♂️

21/05/2025

It can be easy to fall into the trap of simply trying to stop a behaviour, whether that be barking, lunging, jumping up or even growling.

Especially when you’re under pressure from the outside world to have a 'well-behaved' dog.

When we silence the behaviour without understanding what’s driving it, we risk pushing emotions underground, where they often grow louder, rather than quieter. We all know what happens to emotions that get bottled up, at some point they will explode.

One of my favourite quotes from child psychologist, Ashleigh Warner, sums this up so beautifully.

'Beneath every behaviour there is a feeling. And beneath each feeling is a need. And when we meet that need, rather than focus on the behaviour, we begin to deal with the cause not the symptom.'

If we truly care about our dogs’ emotional wellbeing, we need to ask more than just 'how do I stop this?' We need to be asking ourselves, 'why is this happening?'.

Meeting the need behind the behaviour changes so much more than just what we see on the surface - it helps our dogs feel safer, calmer, and truly supported.

And that’s where real change begins.

20/05/2025

🐶🌟Skills for Life class starting 2nd June at Ellesborough Parish Hall.

Is your dog struggling with behaviours you would love to change?

The Skills for Life class is a 7 week class where we go deeper into the emotions behind your dog's behaviour.

Through playing games, we help your dog see the world around them in a new light, leading to new behaviours we all love.😍

As an owner, it is life changing when you are able to see when your dog is starting to feel overwhelmed and be able to help them before the undesirable behaviours manifest.

You will be able to understand your dog on a whole new level.🐶🧠

🐶To ensure you and your dog get the support you need, classes are kept to a maximum of 4 dogs.

😀✨If you are open, curious and want to discover a new way of training your dog - this class is for you.

📩 To book you and your dog in, send me a message or click the link below.

Booking essential.
https://cornerstonecaninetraining.co.uk/services/