Jess' Dog Training

This behaviour is very common in adolescent dogs! Adolescence is a time of reduced impulse control, and dogs become much more interested in others. Sniffing another dog’s bottom is normal—it’s how they gather information—but fixating, without reciprocation, is rude. Ideally, dogs should approach on a curve, sometimes sniff faces first, then move around to sniff each other’s bottoms at the same time. If a dog fixates on another’s bottom (or any body part: face, genitals) it’s often a sign of social awkwardness, lack of confidence, or uncertainty about how to interact. We need to manage these interactions because a dog that’s too forward and fixating could get a harsh correction from the wrong dog, which could increase anxiety rather than teach better social skills. Instead, we should set them up for success with controlled social experiences alongside well-mannered dogs. If your dog starts fixating on another’s bottom, step in and redirect them before it becomes a habit! #dogbodylanguage #adolescentdog

Bringing home a puppy is such an exciting time—but reality hits fast! 😰 Suddenly, you’re Googling everything, only to be met with advice that ranges from nonsensical to outright harmful. The problem is, most people don’t realise just how bad a lot of the information out there actually is. 🧐 The more prep you do, the easier those first few weeks will be. 💪🏼 My favourite clients are the ones who reach out before their puppy even comes home, so we can hit the ground running with socialisation , toilet training , separation , diet , and all the things you don’t think about until you’re knee-deep in puppy chaos 🐶 If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone—and getting the right advice early on makes all the difference! That’s where people like me come in 🦸🏼‍♀️

Excuse my slippers 💅🏼 Force-free dog training is all about setting our dogs up for success so we can reinforce the behaviours we want to see and problem-solve when faced with unwanted behaviours—rather than punishing them. In this clip, I was practicing heel work with my dog, but he didn’t want to get into position. It turns out the rope on my lanyard was bothering him! It could have been so easy to justify moving him with a slip lead or prong collar as “leading him” or “correcting his mistake” or “showing him where he went wrong”. These are all euphemisms which attempt to justify pain/discomfort in dog training. This is a light-hearted example, but the same principle applies to reactivity, separation anxiety, recall, or any other behaviour. None of these need “correcting”—they need understanding. It’s about managing the environment to set our dogs up for success so we can reinforce desirable behaviours. With time, the unwanted behaviours naturally stop presenting themselves. Force-free training takes time, skill, knowledge, and empathy. It’s not a quick fix, but that’s okay—I’m willing to put in the time and effort for dogs. #forcefreetraining #positivereinforcement #dogtrainingtips #forcefree #doglover #dogtrainingjourney

Strong leadership? Respect? Nah, I think I’ll stick to science and kindness. 🐾✨ #ForceFreeTraining #DogsAreFamily #DogBehaviour #PositiveReinforcement #DogTrainingTips”

Strong leadership? Nah, I just bribe my dog with snacks 🧚🏼‍♀️ #Dogtrainer #packleader #pickme

Raising a puppy is tough. The biting, sleepless nights, accidents, destruction and being tied to the house can leave you feeling overwhelmed, guilty and questioning your decision. These feelings, known as the puppy blues, are completely normal 💙 Social media can paint a picture of perfect puppyhood, which can make these struggles more acute. Remember: this phase passes and everyone struggles to when they first bring home a puppy. With patience and the right support, you’ll get through it and have the companion you dreamed of. Comment “💙” to receive my blog on how to cope with the puppy blues and make the process easier. #PuppyStruggles #PuppyBlues #puppytraining #goldenretriever #dogbehaviour

Sticks are fun to chew on. Chewing and shredding are instinctual behaviours that sooth and calm dogs - but sticks splinter, making them an unsafe option. They can become wedged in the throat or palate, perforate the abdominal tract or cause an intestinal blockage. Coffee wood is soft. Instead of splintering, it flakes like Parmesan. Bits that are chewed off are much more fibrous and softer in texture than other barks/woods. This means it is a safer alternative for dogs who love to chew on sticks! (If your dog is a reeeeeally aggressive chewer, they may still take chunks off, which we don’t want them swallowing. Always supervise your dog with any chew.) Does your dog like to chew sticks? #goldenretriever #dogenrichment

Here’s how to get it right👇🏼 For reactive/nervous dogs especially, we need to make sure we are keeping their noses down the whole time the trigger/distraction is present, to prevent any fixation and ensure we’re getting all the wonderful soothing benefits of sniffing and snuffling. This means as your dog is finding the food, we need to make sure we are continually adding to the forage - dropping additional treats periodically to make sure the nose stays down. Too often, we see a dog having a nice snuffle, then looking up, catching sight of the trigger and reacting. The aim is to keep that nose down, keep the feel good hormones coming and prevent the reactive rehearsal and avoid the build up of stress. And of course, this should go hand in hand with a nice bit of reconditioning to triggers. Thank you to @dogtrainerjames for the idea for this post and permission to share it on my page - such an easy change to implement with big positive outcomes! 🙌🏻 Check his page out, if you haven’t already #goldenretriever #dogenrichment #reactivedog #dogbehaviour

Peanut butter snoot 🥜 licking is a great activity for calming your dog. If you notice that your dog/puppy has a ‘witching hour’ try preparing some licking activities ahead of time to give them during this period. It’s likely they’re overstimulated and could do with a wind down activity. #dogtrainingtips #canineenrichment #goldenretriever

Do you stare in your dog’s eyes? You definitely should 🧡 …and I shouldn’t need to put this disclaimer but, just in case: do ✨not✨ stare into the eyes of dogs you do not know unless you want to get bitten 👌🏼 Source: Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the convolution of human-dog bonds. Nagasawa et. al (2015). #goldenretriever #dogtraining #dogbond