Snuffle Dog Training and Walking

14/03/2025

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧…

• who will use tools which cause discomfort or pain to your dog
• who will offer you a quick fix
• who focuses only on the ‘what’ and not the ‘why’
• who will set your dog up to fail in order to correct them
• who will prioritise your convenience over your dog's experience
• who has a control mindset

…𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪.

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧…

• who will treat your dog kindly
• who will help you build long term, sustainable change
• who will help you understand your dog's behaviour
• who will set your dog up to succeed in order to reward them
• who will be honest with you and help you set realistic expectations
• who has a co-operation mindset

…𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪.

Not every trainer and client are a good fit for each other. Training is an unregulated industry and there are no minimum levels of education or experience. No agreed ethical standards. No requirement for trainers to keep their knowledge up to date.

So, as a consumer, it is hugely important that you do your research to ensure that your trainer's ethics align with your own. Not every trainer and client are a good fit for each other; make sure you find the right one for you.

A good place to start if you're not sure is the Animal Behaviour & Training Council (ABTC) - www.abtc.org.uk

13/03/2025

There’s always exceptions ( I’m thinking my Jazz was one!) but yes research your dogs breed traits if you haven’t already 😊👍

❤️ Love Your Breed ... Embrace Their Traits

As a professional dog trainer the following is am example of a situation I see time and time again.

🐕Owner has a young GSD.

Said GSD is a bit of a pain as a puppy...mouthing, witching hour and needing to learn about being left alone. Sorted ☑️

Said GSD is definitely a pain as an adolescent....over arousal, wanting to interact with EVERYONE, pulling like a steam train on lead. Sorted ☑️

Said GSD hits 2 years old. After the puppy and adolescent troubles life is now a breeze....❌

🤯 keeping the family together, chasing, fence running, barking at the door or at unfamiliar people in some situations, less tolerant of other dogs. These would be some of the behaviours you may experience from this age. Many of these behaviours will arrive out of the blue...seemingly.

Why?

Why are these problems suddenly happening at 2 years old?

Surely said GSD is past all the difficult phases?

I will tell you why....said GSD is still a GSD.

A GSD with the most fabulous temperament is still a GSD.

Your GSD will always be likely to exhibit GSD traits...traits the breed was developed for. These traits often arrive with the start of maturity.

Never forget the breed you own and never forget what the breed was originally designed for.

Breed traits = specific behaviours .... lifelong

06/03/2025

👍

It can be tempting in our training to skip the little steps.

It’s great to have faith in our dogs but if we stick to small steps, it’s so much clearer to them what we want.

The result is getting to the end goal faster with a much more solid behaviour.

04/03/2025

28/02/2025

28/02/2025

😎

18/02/2025

Have you considered your dogs original job they were bred to do?? 🤔

It's not all in "how you raise them". Breed matters. Breeds only exist because humankind has artificially selected dogs to perform specific functions. To guard. To chase. To search. To herd. To retrieve. To be companions.

Some of those skills are better suited to life as a pet than others. Some of those skills are better suited to some environments than others. So to choose a dog without considering their breed traits (not to mention their size, strength, energy levels etc...) & whether they are a good fit for you, your skill level, your family & your lifestyle might be shortsighted.

So many "behaviour problems" aren't actually behaviour problems. They are a failure on our part to understand the needs and characteristics of the dogs we have chosen to live with us. They are a mismatch between the dog's innate characteristics and the life we allow them.

Breed doesn't preordain 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 about a dog and how they are raised and taught also has a huge impact on their behaviour. But we make our lives, and theirs, so much more stressful than they need to be when we don't understand and factor in breed traits when choosing what dog might be a good fit for us.

Forget looks; think function. What was your chosen breed bred to be? And is that truly a good fit for you?

11/02/2025

Learning to settle with equipment on, practicing at home, when needs have been met, in preparation for settling in cafes, pubs …… 😊👍

02/02/2025

👍👍👍👍

10/01/2025

Love her! 😍

23/11/2024

So this little lady is now in her new forever home with me! Jazzy would have loved her and I know she’s going to teach me so much as a trainer and as a person, she already is!!
If you are considering getting a new dog or puppy please think rescue first, they really are bursting with dogs and puppies looking for good homes, and yes the process and form filling can feel frustrating but it’s worth it when you find the right dog for you and you are the right family for the dog.
A huge huge welcome to my lovely Teasel 😍

22/11/2024

29/10/2024

👍

13/10/2024

Children age 7-11

12/10/2024

It’s time to address a serious issue: unethical training practices in the dog training world. Despite progress in the UK toward positive reinforcement, some so-called experts still use harmful techniques that cause unnecessary stress to pets and their owners.

Not all dog trainers are created equal. With so many professional bodies and acronyms out there, it can be hard to find a truly qualified trainer. Many people rely on word-of-mouth or online searches without digging into credentials.

Great trainers uphold strong ethics, continually invest in their education, and always put the well-being of your pet first. Let’s raise awareness and promote ethical, positive training practices to keep our dogs safe and happy.