Pawtastic Dog Services- dog walking & training

30/10/2024

Hello! I’m Iwona, a passionate, experienced Canine Training Instructor committed to helping dogs and their humans build strong, trustful connections.
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💡What I offer:

1. Fun & Safe Group Walks and Structured playtime

Group walks, tailored for each dog’s needs, health and age. Your pup will enjoy stimulating playtime and relaxed socialisation in secure local parks. All dog are closely monitored at all times.

📲 Stay Connected: Video and photo updates so you’ll always know what your pup is up to.

Covered areas: Stapleton, Frenchay,
Fishponds, Eastville, and Downend.
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2. Personalised, Professional Training Sessions

From puppies to adult dogs, I deliver personalised, one-on-one training sessions.

🐾a free, in-depth phone/Zoom consultation,
🐾a customised training, plan,
🐾comprehensive& versatile sessions,
🐾post-training WhatsApp support.

I’m dedicated to creating lasting behavioral changes with versatile, science-backed techniques—and I’m here with ongoing WhatsApp support to ensure you’re never alone on the journey.
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Why Trust Pawtastic?

✅ DBS checked, fully insured
✅ Canine First Aid Certified
✅ Multiple Dog Handling & Training Qualifications
✅ ABTC accredited
✅ Every dog closely monitored for constructive feedback
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3. 💼 Training Classes:

Join our Energise Your Obedience Classes in central Fishponds
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🐾 Contact & Follow Us:

📞07828 919523

🌐 https://www.facebook.com/PawtasticDogServices/

📱 https://www.instagram.com/pawtasticdogservice
https://www.facebook.com/PawtasticDogServices/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAQ52ZIgLjy1pRgVkq2kb5g

23/10/2024

🚨 Can You Safely Let Your Dog Off-Lead? 🚨

Letting your dog run free is a dream, but are they ready for the world of squirrels, cats, and other dogs? 🐿️🐕 This isn’t a pass-or-fail test—it’s all about building a reliable recall so your dog comes back to you no matter what distractions they face!

Start small! Try working on recall with toy distractions in a safe spot, then slowly ramp up the difficulty. This gradual approach keeps everyone safe—your dog, other pups, and even wildlife—so we can all enjoy peaceful, stress-free walks. 🌳🐾

Ever seen a dog bolt after a squirrel, only to sprint straight into traffic or a confrontation with another dog? 😬 Yep, it happens more often than you think, and it’s completely avoidable with the right training.

Need help creating or fine-tuning a rock-solid recall? I'm here to help! Let’s work together to make your dog’s recall reliable, no matter what the world throws their way. 🎯🐕

DM me to get started! 💬

22/10/2024

Misty and Gary love a good chase and have formed a strong bond over time.

Both are reactive dogs, which means our walks require constant focus to help them stay calm and ignore potential triggers.

When they first met, it was by chance, and both were on lead, lunging and reacting intensely toward each other. It was in a local park when walked with their caregivers.

Their guardians put in a lot of work to address their fear-based reactivity, helping them transform into the confident dogs they are today. It was a long journey, but it was worth the effort. Now, Misty and Gary can run freely and have fun with other dogs.

It warms my heart to see how much progress they’ve made!

😍💜🐶😍💜🐶😍💜🐶😍💜🐶😍💜🐶😍💜🐶

21/10/2024

Meet Sonar, a Flat-Coated Retriever who's gregarious, eager to please, and absolutely loves his food and toys!

However, his enthusiasm for toys, combined with his natural instinct to chase and retrieve, has led him into a bit of trouble. He’s been displaying excessive chasing behaviors, a lack of impulse control, and pulling hard on the lead—leading to a few minor injuries for his handlers, as this smart boy is completely unaware of his own strength.

In our two sessions so far, we’ve been laying down some foundational training. Also, in every session we have incorporated some games to meet his need and release his frustration. Today, we reviewed previous skills and worked on:

Staying with a release cue

Redirecting with 'this way'

Stalking and slow approaches to triggers, like balls and food (Sonar's fave so far 😆)

By the end of the session, Sonar began ignoring distractions—even when someone rang the doorbell during our session! This was reassuring for all of us and shows that working in an engaging way, using appealing rewards, and staying consistent is key to success.

There’s still work ahead for Sonar, but he’s already shown he can learn and maintain desired behaviors with support from his humans.

09/10/2024

🌟 Today’s session with Rio, a Presa Canario/American Bulldog mix, shed light on how much can be revealed by meeting both the dog and their caregivers. 🐾

Rio's reactivity to people doesn't seem to be rooted in fear as we had first expected but frustration, paired with a lack of clear skills for polite behavior around visitors. By offering him clear communication, he was able to focus and relax much quicker than expected.

We’re working on helping Rio shift his emotions from frustration to calm confidence with these targeted exercises:

💡 Pre-session:

Eye contact

Hand targeting

💡 First session:

Rewarding calm behavior around strangers

Walking calmly near visitors

"Say hello" practice

Sending to and staying on his bed around visitors

"Wait"

Incorporating breed-appropriate games to channel his energy and manage frustration, with new skills like "wait" and "drop."

Rio loved the game so much he started offering the behaviors we'd been practicing, just for another round! 🐶💪

08/10/2024

🐾 Dogs: The Best Copycats in the Pack! 🐾

Ever notice how one dog barking can trigger the remaining dogs in a pack? 🎶 Or how a new pup in the house starts mimicking the old-timer’s every move? That’s not just coincidence — it’s science! 🧠✨

🐕 Monkey See, Doggie Do!

Dogs often learn by mirroring each other’s behavior. This is a phenomenon called social learning, where they observe and copy what other dogs do, from play styles to how they interact with the world.

🔬 The Science Behind It: Research shows that dogs can learn tasks simply by watching other dogs. 🧐 Their brain’s "mirror neurons" activate when they observe another dog performing an action — like sitting, fetching, or even getting into mischief! This is the same part of the brain that allows us humans to empathize and learn through observation.

📚 Studies have found that puppies who grow up with other dogs tend to develop faster social and problem-solving skills, because they’re watching and copying more experienced dogs. Think of it like dog school! 🎓🐾

🤝 Why It Matters in Training: In a group setting, one dog can become a role model for others.
💪 If one dog has mastered a behavior (like walking calmly on a leash or sitting on cue), it’s more likely the others will follow their lead.

On the flip side, bad habits can also spread — if one dog constantly barks at the door, the others might just join in on the action. 🙉

🗝️ Pro Training Tip:
Use this to your advantage! Let your well-trained dog "teach" the new dog by having them practice skills together. The new pup will pick up on the cues quicker when they see their buddy doing it first! 👏

So next time your dog copies their furry friend, remember — they’re learning through watching and doing! 🐾✨

08/10/2024

🐾 Teaching Recall: More Than Just "Come Here!" 🐾

Does your dog seem to have selective hearing? 😅 You say "Come!" and they act like you’re speaking a foreign language, right?

Don’t worry, recall is one of the most challenging skills to teach — but it’s the most essential one if you'd like your dog to enjoy off lead walks.

✨ Why? Imagine your dog running off towards a squirrel 🐿️, or heading toward a busy street 🚗. In moments like these, a solid recall can be a lifesaver (literally). But, recall is more than a word — it’s a relationship of trust and attention between you and your pup. It is the consistency in redirecting attention and rewarding every small progress.

👂 A Holistic Approach to Recall

Think of teaching recall like building a house. You need a strong foundation (patience, consistency, clear communication), the right tools (positive reinforcement 🐶🐾), and an understanding of your dog’s unique learning"style." Each dog is different — some respond best to toys, others to treats, and some, like my own Border Collie, love a good game with herding balls! 🎾

Remember:
🔸 Build a positive association with the recall — make it the BEST thing they can do!

🔸 Incorporate their natural instincts. Got a pup with high prey drive? Use games that mimic their chase behavior but bring the focus back to you.

🔸 Work on it everywhere! Start in a distraction-free zone and then gradually add in real-world challenges (like other dogs 🐕 or birds 🐦).

🔑 The Secret Sauce:
Fun & Trust! Training shouldn’t feel like a chore for either of you. Make recall a rewarding game — not a boring task. When they come back, reward them with excitement, play, affection and something they truly love. That’s how you get reliable recall anywhere, anytime!

✨ Keep it fun, keep it positive, and remember — recall is a journey. 🚶‍♂️🐕❤️

08/10/2024

06/10/2024

Our 5th session with Patti, and the 1st one outdoors around distractions, focused on building a reliable recall, incorporating breed-specific game rewards, and developing stimulus control.

Gorgeous Patti, a full of beans 6-month-old, easily gets triggered by movement or the presence of other dogs, which often leads to his recall breaking down.

We’ve already introduced a long line, practiced waiting after recall, and only allowing off-lead time when he's calm and makes eye contact, with regular check-ins.

Today, Patti and his parents worked on redirecting his attention with the ‘this way’ cue, practicing recall around other dogs and birds at a distance. He was rewarded with stimulus control games designed to meet his specific predatory sequence needs—building anticipation, controlling stimulus, releasing, chasing, grabbing, and parading. He’s learning to ignore other dogs and instead engage in structured games with his humans.

Having regular sessions with Patti since he was a puppy, I’ve been able to see his progress and address any new challenges as he grows into adolescence.

Amazing teamwork, Patti and family! 💚

🤗🐶🤗🐶🤗🐶🤗🐶🤗🐶🤗🐶🤗🐶🤗🐶🤗🐶

27/09/2024

Dogs can be reactive for various reasons. Understanding the root causes, adjusting the environment, and providing them with tools to manage their emotions can often help alleviate reactive behavior.

Max, a former street dog, developed people-reactive behaviors due to his traumatic experiences with humans. He learned to generalise his fear and built a defense mechanism to keep perceived dangers at bay.

When Ruby joined the family, she quickly bonded with Max. Also, she responded to his fear of humans by lunging and barking excessively whenever a stranger approached either her or Max.

By addressing Max’s fear-based reactivity first, we helped Ruby become less reactive to her 'brother's' emotions. Once she observed Max relaxing around me, her response to my presence gradually changed too.

The training process is slow but consistent, focused on progressive comfort and confidence building around strangers. It’s important to adapt the training to both Ruby’s and Max’s tolerance levels to achieve progress without being counterproductive.

During the session, we implemented safety measures and allowed both dogs to set the pace of training. We also introduced some skills, like "sending to bed" and settling in the presence of a stranger.

24/09/2024

There are many factors to consider when working on changing your dog’s behavior. This could involve addressing pain issues, managing anxiety, or teaching a new skill. Other dimensions include reducing frustration, redirecting attention from distractions, or improving general obedience. Achieving the behavior you desire from your dog requires consistency.

One of the most important aspects of dog training is providing consistent practice, allowing your dog to develop and maintain new habits reliably. Whether it’s meeting your dog’s needs through breed-appropriate games, providing scent work, or teaching calmness, regular and frequent practice is essential for setting your dog up for success.

23/09/2024

🐾Hi everyone! 👋

I'm Iwona, an expert and experienced Canine Training Instructor who is enthusiastic to:

1. Welcome your dogs to our friendly, fun and safe group walks & structured playtime with Pawtastic Dog Services

2. Offer a detailed, personalised and professional training sessions based on a free thorough training consultation, versatile training and continuous WhatsApp support

DBS checked, fully insured, Canine First Aid certificate, multiple Dog Handling and Training qualifications. All dogs are closely monitored at all times.

Walking areas covered: Stapleton, Frenchay, Fishponds, Eastville, Downend. Walking in fun and secure local parks and in friendly groups, all walks are adapted to dogs' needs, health and age. Video and picture reports sent so every owner is happy to see their pups when away.

Training puppies, adolescent and adult dogs on one-to-one basis for an individual approach and running Energise Your Obedience Classes in central Fishponds.

Free phone or Zoom consultation, personalised training program sent, a comprehensive training session(s) and post training check ups with an experienced and ATI accredited with ABTC.

🐾More details:

07828 919523

https://www.facebook.com/PawtasticDogServices/

http://pawtasticdogservices.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/pawtasticdogservice

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAQ52ZIgLjy1pRgVkq2kb5g

23/09/2024

'Cover' the eyes trick.🙈

Looking for a fun way to bond with your dog on a rainy day? Here's a simple trick to teach and practice together! 🌟

Not only is this a great way to reconnect and have some fun, but it can also become a cool addition to your dog's trick repertoire. When combined with other tricks, it adds some exciting mental stimulation and can even be part of an HTM sequence! 🐕💡

Max and I had a blast working on this. It took us a few days to do it reliably, but it was totally worth it. 😄

Enjoy your training! 🎉🐶