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! 🎉🐶

20/09/2024

Post training session picture.

It was our 6th session with Bruce in which we worked on:

- reliable recall round distractions
- dog neutrality
- building the value of toys and games

He has been very engaged today and was rewarded with one of the two games he loves, every time he managed to redirect attention from an approaching dog to us. This has become increasingly reliable and Bruce offered us great attention round distractions towards the end ofour session.

He received a special live reward, playtime with his pals, Misty and Max upon completing his training.

09/09/2024

We're absolutely loving Marseille—its culture, nature, cuisine, and people, as well as the fantastic climbing spots nearby. Waking up every morning surrounded by beautiful nature feels like a real blessing.

Max is having the time of his life living outdoors, even choosing to sleep outside with our friend's dog. He seems to be embracing the true farm dog lifestyle, which is exactly what he's bred for. He's relaxed around livestock and has naturally started acting as a watchdog around the farm when it gets dark. It's fascinating to see how he follows his instincts without prior training. Of course, we've done extensive work on familiarising him with farm animals since he was a young puppy, and he even attended a sheep herding course, which I believe gave him the confidence he now shows around them.

My friends, Max, and I are loving every moment of this holiday, and we wish we could stay longer.

06/09/2024

After careful planning and preparation, we set off on our road trip through Belgium and France.

Each day of the trip was thoughtfully organised, considering Max's walks, games, feeding, heat prevention, his EU passport application, and deworming requirements to ensure a safe return to the UK.

We also factored in camping, driving times, and the places we wanted to visit and climb. As a result, we've had a relaxed and absolutely wonderful time with friends and Max. The Gorge du Verdon is perhaps the best place I've ever visited for sport climbing, especially for multi-pitches. Max was incredibly chilled at every crag so far, though he had his days for hiking and river swimming—after all, it’s his holiday too!

Tomorrow, we're heading to Marseille for some deep water soloing and sea cliff climbing. I hope Max can relax on the boat while we’re on the rocks. He'll have a guardian with him to keep him safe, as he’s a crazy Collie who might try to jump into the sea.

For now, the only way to holiday is with Max, and he seems to love it.

28/08/2024

Our second session with Misty focused on working on jitteriness via calming games and rewarding stillness. This was done via teaching stalking and holding a position rather than snatching a ball.

We worked on a reliable recall round distractions, chaining it with holding a position and offering solid eye contact when approaching Misty's caregivers.

As a Collie breed, Misty found offering him tasks more rewarding than food and immediately his recall and holding stillness was visibly improved.

Again, having the understanding of the reason why specific breeds were selectively bred often helps to create an effective reward system for them beyond food.

Well done team Misty!

26/08/2024

Our third session with Quin offered him activities that proved to snap his attention from usual distractions and compulsive behaviours to caregivers. This means he learnt that these activities offer rewards which link to dopamine release to successfuly redirect attention from distractions and hold it for a prolonged time on his humans.

These were breed specific tasks to help Quin focus on movement control and building anticipation. Collies are selectively bred for it.

Other skills we intertwined with breed specific games were:

- focused heel
- redirecting attention in focused heel
- stimulus control

Amazing job team Quin 👏

21/08/2024

🐾Hi, there is more availability for fun and safe dog walks & structured playtime with experienced Pawtastic Dog Services.
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 and adult dogs on one-to-one basis for an individual approach. 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

19/08/2024

Tommy is an absolute super star student and surprised his caregiver and myself how quickly he learnt and followed up with every skill we worked on during our session. He grew into his adolescence and needed some guidance on focused heel walking, harness fitting and conditioning, redirecting attention from distractions to his mum with a variety of exercises.

His mum Hattie was very supportive in his training, with very clear communication and offering a variety of rewards in our positive reinforcement based practice. Her uplifting attitude was the motor of our training.

From a super puller, he quickly progressed to a focused heeler and I hope he remains like this with whoever walks him.

Amazing job team Hattie and Tommy.

15/08/2024

Puppy training with super sweet Tazer. He was very shy when we first met but he got very boisterous at the end of the session asking for attention and games.

We started off very gently as he is only 8 weeks old with hand targetting and eye contact. We did assess his resting crate and the place to relax. Also, we worked on a positive association with a crate and gradually being left alone for a very short time. We managed to address stay vs. wait, which he smashed to finish off with a chase game with wait, release cue and grab and shake.

Finally, we had a chat with all family members on how to address nipping.

Tazer definitely prefered game reward rather than food at the time of our training.

13/08/2024

Some crucial skills to work on when redirecting attention to you from distractions.

It is a great start to let your dog off lead when the focus is on you and teach a release cue to explore. It should further improve recall, reliable redirection from distractions and loose lead walking.

When recalling your dog during your walk, teach to hold the position by staying near you so you have time to attach the lead and redirect attention and keep your dog and public safe.

13/08/2024

When training my own dog Max, we only focus on one or two skills in short bursts to avoid frustration and overwhelming. This helps to master specific skills and allow Max to enjoy his training. He always receives a variety of rewards, with more established skills practised in a distractive environment being toys, games, praise and affection. We use food to start off a new skill in a quiet environment. But, Max's prefers non food rewards when in busy surroundings.

Send a message to learn more