My Kinda Dog

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My Kinda Dog

Hi! My name is Giulia, and I’m a qualified and experienced dog trainer. I help dog guardians understand, communicate, train, and thrive with their dogs.

🐶 Bristol’s Go-To Expert for Puppy, Adolescent and Scentwork Training 🐶
🏆 Bristol Dog Trainer of the Year 2023/24 🏆

Advanced Diploma in Applied Animal Behaviour (Canine) Your pet’s welfare and wellbeing are always my top priority, and that’s why I use a reward-based training approach that’s designed to build and grow your dog’s confidence and skills. My training strategy focuses on rewarding your

dog for the behaviours you like, and on managing your environment in a way that helps your dog make the right choices. This is the most effective way to avoid and reduce undesired behaviours and set you and your dog up to succeed.

02/07/2025

🐶 Your Puppy the Sneaky Sock Thief?

You turn your back for one second… and the sock is gone. Or the tea towel. Or your toddler’s teddy. 😅

Sound familiar?

"Stealing" is completely normal puppy behaviour — but that doesn’t mean you have to live in a constant game of “What’s in your mouth now?”

🧦 In this blog, you’ll learn:

✨ Why puppies steal in the first place
🛑 How to puppy-proof your home (without panic)
🎯 The simplest way to teach a reliable “drop it”
❤️ How to prevent resource guarding before it starts

🐾 Ready to reclaim your laundry basket (and your sanity)?

Tap the link below to read:

“How to Stop Your Puppy Stealing Things” 👇

https://mykindadog.com/2025/06/20/how-to-stop-your-puppy-stealing-things/

30/06/2025

I decided to try something a bit different with Riley and Spud and introduced some mushroom crates searches to keep the need for intensity and precision but reduce the need to move around too much.

This can be particularly helpful for dogs recovering from injuries, with physical conditions that may impact their ability to move a lot, and with senior dogs. You can still get a lot of stimulation but without the impact on their body, which is great.

While they both did it, they weren't really enthusistic about it like I have seen them in classes before.

It may have been down to a few factors.

It was a warmer day (though not a scorcher, otherwise we would have rescheduled), they may have been tired, maybe they didn't like the mushroom crates.

Or simply, they just had an "off" day.

As much as humans are not robots and we all have days in which we are keen and productive and wnat to do lots, dogs are the same.

And that's okay.

Riley and Spud weren't keen on Kong searches. So we tried some food in boxes, and that worked very well. We did a couple of reps and they had fun.

It's important that we listen to our dogs and that we adjust what we offer and do with them depending on how they feel.

It just makes our relationship much nicer and the training more pleasant for all the involved.

As a side note. If you notice a sudden change in your dog's behaviour and perhaps them becoming less keen to engage in things they love, it may be helpful to discuss this with your vet, as pain and discomfort can influence behaviour and motivation.

27/06/2025

A short snippet of Cassisy's search and indication.

We have now started to introduce some "mini-searches" where Cassidy searches an area to locate the top of the Kong, and is then expected to indicate on it.

Working on your indication step by step (no skipping steps or rushing through!) does pay off and makes the training more fun in the long run. 👏

This is where you can get to as well with some patience and consistency. But remember that this is never a competition between your dog and other dogs, as dogs are all individuals, and they will all learn in their own time.

This is all about progressing your dog's skills while building teamwork and having a great time together.

25/06/2025

I had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Ginny for an Introduction to Scent Detection last week.

Luckily, just in time before it got too hot!

We worked on building Ginny's motivation to use her nose to find the things she loves (treats!), as well as some passive indication training.

But what is a passive indication?

You may be familiar with police dogs sniffing around an area and then suddenly "freezing" and "looking" towards a specific spot. This is their way to communicate with their handler that they have found the target scent.

This is what a passive indication is, and we can teach it to your dog too!

It's super fun, and it's a great game you can play in the comfort of your home - no need for fancy equipment or a lot of space!

Scentwork is such an inclusive activity and can be easily adapted to your and your dog's needs.

Want to find out more?

Email me at [email protected] - my inbox is always open for you!

23/06/2025

Welcome Noodles!

One of my newest puppy students, Noodles has just joined my training programme.

During our first session, we covered:

✅ Settle training
✅ Puppy biting
✅ Drop, and why we don't want to just take things out of our puppies' mouths!
✅ Separation training
✅ How to manage life and interactions between children and puppies

Look at that sweet face and those (already!) big paws.

I'm excited to help this little learner grow into a confident and happy dog and support his family every step of the way.

20/06/2025

I'll be out of the office from Monday 23rd June to Thursday 3rd July.

I will reply to all messages and emails as soon as possible on my return to work.

Existing clients: if you have a burning question or are in need of support, please ask today by 3pm so I have time to help.

See you all soon!

13/06/2025

Gorgeous Fido and his family had an Initial Training Consultation with me last week.

📝 Before meeting you and your dog, I review a detailed enquiry form that includes a lot of information about your dog, their routine, their diet, the things they love (or don't love), the behaviours you are struggling with, and even their health. The more I know, the more effective and helpful the session will be.

👀 Then, the initial session gives me the opportunity to clarify a few aspects of your dog's behaviour (it's so much easier and nicer to discuss things in real time!), observe them and the way they interact with you, me, their environment, and then offer some practical management and training advice.

🎯 The main goal of this session is to give you some immediate relief and draft a Training Plan to set you and your dog up to succeed.

📄 After the Initial Training Consultation, you receive a VERY detailed Training Report. I have had such great and generous feedback about this over the years, and now that I'm starting to add videos, I believe it's getting even better and even more helpful!

📆 You can then choose to sign up for Follow Up Sessions. Most clients will go on to book a 3-Session Package, but this is something I can advise and discuss with you.

⏳ Behaviour change and training progress TAKE TIME and you will likely need some sort of support.

🎸 Would you expect to nail a complex gym routine, with the right form, after one session with a Personal Trainer? Or to become a guitar pro after one session with a music teacher? Or sort everything out after one therapy appointment?

🙅‍♀️ I personally wouldn't.

🤝 And that's where follow-ups and support come in.

💬 Let's not forget you also get email and WhatsApp support. Some of my clients are in touch with me extremely regularly, and that really helps them make progress.

🌟 You can see in my Google reviews (77 5-star reviews!) how valued and valuable this level of support is.

Would you like some help?

📩 Email me at [email protected] or
📱 WhatsApp me at 07888 254301.

12/06/2025

Are you looking for a low-impact way to keep your dog happy and relaxed?

Ted had to retire from agility training due to an injury. He's a clever boy, and he loves to have a "job" to focus on and something to pour his energy into.

That's why his family decided to try scentwork.

Scentwork can provide your dog with the mental stimulation they need, and it's great for dogs recovering from injuries or who can't engage in high-intensity workouts (although it's always wise to double-check with your vets about what your dog can and cannot do).

I have seen many dogs become calmer and more relaxed through regular scentwork, and as a result, they often become more confident and optimistic.

Scentwork is more than just a game — it gives dogs a sense of purpose and brings them real joy.

04/06/2025

Another great Scentwork workshop with Rez, Cassidy and Zephie!

Everyone was saying how nice it is to watch dogs having fun and learning, and how different breeds and individuals may approach the same problem in similar or different ways.

I think there's a lot to learn just by observing someone else train with their dog.

That includes me. I constantly learn from all my students, and while, of course, I am the one sharing my knowledge and guiding the session, learning is always a two-way process.

I never strive to be an "authoritarian" figure in my classes or sessions. Ultimately, I'm here to help and have fun with you and your dog while teaching and coaching you through something you want to learn.

Thank you everyone for coming.

As always we had a fabulous time and I can't wait for the next one!

02/06/2025

Had a great training session with Blisco the Australian Shepherd and his guardian last week!

We focused on loose-lead walking, recall, and using a long line to give Blisco freedom to explore while staying safe and connected.

We also added in some sniffing games along the way to help him decompress and enjoy using his nose — such an important part of a dog’s walk!

Blisco did so well and was an absolute joy to work with.

🐾 Want to build better walks and communication with your dog too? Get in touch — I’d love to help you and your pup thrive together.

01/06/2025

We had a fantastic time at our Scentwork Workshop yesterday morning!

I love working with dogs at different stages in their scent detection journey. It’s always inspiring to see how far a team can go when they’ve put in the time to build solid foundations.

I also find that having a mix of experience levels can be really helpful for newer students, as it gives them a clear picture of what’s possible with patience, consistency, and the right approach.

That said, it’s important to remember that progress takes time.

Think of it like joining a yoga class for the first time. Would you expect to master a headstand on day one? Any sensible instructor would advise starting with the basics.

The same principle applies to dog training.

For example, would you expect a dog with no prior training to walk calmly on a busy high street, surrounded by people, children running, dogs sniffing around, all while you’re holding a full cup of coffee?

If that's the expectation, it might be helpful to take a step back and think about what’s realistic at this stage of training.

Scent detection is no different. Before we can expect our dogs to work in more complex environments or solve advanced problems, we need to ensure the foundations are strong.

Taking the time to build those basics is what sets a team up for long-term success and makes the journey that much more enjoyable.

29/05/2025

𝐈𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡?

Puppies explore the world with their mouths, so it’s completely normal for them to grab things and have a little nibble. The tricky part? They don’t yet know the difference between their chew toys and something unsafe. That’s where we come in.

🛠️ Management + Training = Success

Start by managing the environment to prevent access to things you don’t want your puppy getting hold of.

𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦, 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘴, 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩.

🐾 What to do if your puppy grabs something they shouldn’t

Avoid chasing them or trying to pull the item from their mouth. This may lead to resource guarding behaviours down the line. If they pick up something harmless (like a tea towel), let it go and simply make sure it's out of reach next time.

If they’ve grabbed something dangerous, don’t panic. Try swapping the item for a handful of tasty treats instead. Scatter some on the floor near your pup, then create a little treat trail leading away from the item. Once your puppy is happily snuffling up the treats, calmly pick up the object.

This kind of positive approach teaches your pup that hands approaching them mean good things happen.

So in the future, if they grab something unsafe and you instinctively reach toward them, they’ll be less likely to run away or swallow it quickly out of panic.

With time and consistency, you can also teach a solid "drop" cue to make handling these situations even easier.

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Bristol

Website

https://www.mykindadog.com/

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