COMING TO THE SOUTHSIDE AUTUMN 2024, JOIN THE WAITLIST NOW! A holistic approach to walks, training & behaviour.
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Helping sensitive dogs and their dedicated humans thrive together. At Canine Confidence Club, we know how important it is to have confidence at both ends of the leash. We're here to help you become a stronger, more resilient dog guardian through 1-2-1 reinforcement based training, behaviour modification, coaching and a range of walking and care services specialised for reactive dogs.
My time in North Wales is coming to a close.
Thank you so much to everyone here who has supported me and my business since its inception, and all those who have trusted me with their sensitive dogs.
I’m sad to say goodbye to all my four-legged friends here, but deeply excited about our new life in Scotland.
The most important thing is that Hector will finally have a secure garden again, which will bring added peace to all our lives.
Hats hats hats
I have hats made because I want to wear them (and I think they’re funny) so maybe you do too.
I currently have three designs available on my store (most are black caps, but other colours are available if you DM me - navy, stone, khaki, grey)
All are £19.99 plus shipping, they are made to order so might take slightly longer than you’re used to but the quality is exceptional
NEW BRAND, SAME LOVE FOR DOGS
This last year has been incredible. I have learned so much, and I owe it all to the wonderful dogs and guardians I have had the privilege to work with so far. I think I managed to get just about everyone on the third slide (actually I know I missed a few because I couldn’t find photos of them).
SO, WHAT IS CANINE CONFIDENCE CLUB?
I’m taking what I’ve learned from the last year to offer new services and support for reactive dogs and their human friends. Take a look at my new website for a comprehensive list of services available - I’m most excited about Dog Spaghetti my long line handling course for humans, as there will be extra special limited edition leashes available from and you know I love a merch collab.
And I’m hoping for CaCo Club to be so much more. I’ll be bringing in my love of art and design with some very cool merch, and working with some amazing partners to provide approachable content.
WHAT ABOUT WALKING WONDERS?
I’ll be cutting back a bit on dog walking to make space for other things, and I’ll no longer be working on the business on Friday’s because burn out is very real and it has been in the post for while. I will still be providing walks for all my local sensitive friends, but will have very limited space for new walking clients. I’m hoping to have some colleagues ready to take over some of my walking clients soon as I will be moving out of the area after the summer anyway.
So, what do you think? You know I love feedback, good, bad and ugly.
As you can see I’m posting this at 2am because it has taken weeks, and it is finally just now finished, and I am s**t at social media.
Áine x
I’m on holiday!
As all my current clients will know, today I am setting off on my first holiday in 4 years!
I will be trying my best not to do any work but it’s hard to resist when you’re self employed and on social media, so you may get responses to messages (you may not)
Give all the dogs a snack from me and have a lovely week
Áine
Make making good choices easy!
Empowering your dog with choices sets the stage for a brighter outlook on life. When they have the freedom to make decisions, even small ones, and are rewarded for embracing their natural instincts, they learn to approach new experiences with confidence and a positive attitude. This can be as simple as presenting your dog with 3 different chews to choose from - and letting them change their mind if they have second thoughts!
Remember, it's crucial to be honest in your offerings, never presenting a choice when you can't or won't accept 'No' as the answer. This honesty builds trust and reinforces an optimistic perspective. Discover how granting a sense of control and rewarding natural dog behaviours like sniffing and marking can shape your friend's outlook and enhance their overall well-being.
Puppy school is just the beginning...
Set your dog up for success before puberty has you asking if it's too late to give them back. That peaceful phase between puppyhood and adolescence is a golden opportunity to work on advanced skills like cooperative care, husbandry and keeping their cool around other dogs. This dedication ensures your dog grows into a well-behaved, confident, adaptable companion who greets new experiences with enthusiasm and remains steady in the face of life's twists and turns.
Engaging in interactive play is a fundamental aspect of nurturing and supporting sensitive dogs. It can serve as a pivotal tool for building trust, enhancing self-assurance, and fostering a deeper bond with your dog.
When it comes to helping our dogs grow, that bond is the most powerful tool we'll ever have!
🐾Bookings now open for September Puppy Classes 🐾
🐶 Basic commands (lie down, stay, leave it, drop, settle…)
🐾 Coming back when called
🐶 Lead walking
🐾 Paying attention
🐶 Self-control
🐾 Handling & grooming
🐶 Confidence building & socialisation
🐾 Much more!
You will also learn more about common issues such as: potty training, nipping/mouthing, jumping up, barking, separation anxiety, and much more.
The classes take place in the Community Centre of Tregarth, on Fridays from 6 to 6:50pm starting on September 15th, and on Saturdays from 6 to 6:50pm in Tal y Sarn in Dwyran, starting on September 16th.
The course cost is £80 for 6 weeks and is suitable for puppies aged 3 to 12 months old. There is a limit of 5 puppies per class so first come first served!
If you want to book a slot you can contact me on Facebook, instagram or text message. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!
See you all soon!
Maël
Hello!
I’ve received quite a few emails and messages today, if I haven’t gotten back to you yet rest assured I will do so tomorrow 🙂
Thanks!
🐩 Books Now Open! 🐕
My name’s Áine and I’m a canine-behaviour nerd with a soft spot for sensitive and reactive dogs.
I offer walking, pet-sitting and gentle socialisation services for all dogs and specialise in helping reactive dogs and those with big feelings about everyday things. I’m all about making life less stressful for you and your dog.
It all begins with a meet & greet: I come to meet you and your dog(s) in the home or a neutral setting, we get to know each other and discuss your needs to ensure a good fit for all involved.
You can find all my pricing and services on my website and my DMs are always open.
www.walking-wonders.com
Specialised in walking reactive dogs using force free methods and positive reinforcement. Serving Caernarfon, Anglesey and the Bangor area.
A different kind of warm weather PSA
I’m sure we’ve all seen the posts and stories circulating warning of the dangers of hot weather for our dogs, how to best avoid heat stroke and keep our dogs cool - but I’d like to ask you to consider just one more thing as we enter the hotter months.
Reactive dog guardians often rely on typically anti-social dog walking hours to reduce stress and increase safety. Unfortunately, on hot weather days those hours can suddenly become much more social! This presents issues for reactive dogs that those who are blessed with more relaxed pups might never need consider.
While working to keep your dog cool on these late summer evenings and early mornings, please be considerate of those who need a bit more space from you and your dog. Keep your eyes peeled for reactivity awareness wear, leash slips, hi-vis vests etc and for those who are clearly trying very hard to avoid or even get away from you and your dog. If you see another dog guardian frantically trying to redirect their dog to get away from yours, pause for 30 secs and give them the opportunity to escape, or if you can, maybe consider moving away yourself to help create space for them.
It is very easy to take the attitude of: well they shouldn’t be out when other dogs are out if they can’t handle it, it’s their problem not mine! But the easy thing, is not always the right or the kind thing. For many people it is simply not manageable for them to go out even later or even earlier than usual, because their human health and sleep/waking hours are already under a lot of strain from their year-round efforts to help fearful animals feel safe in a world they have no control over.
We all love our dogs, and we are all entitled to enjoy our neighbourhoods and outdoor spaces. Sometimes that means making concessions for people we don’t know, in the hopes that when we need it one day a stranger will pay us the same kindness.
Remember to enjoy the quiet moments on your walks, try not get lost in the drive for maximum exercise 😌moments of stillness are healthy for us and for our dogs 🌿
Dog owners of Conwy, Caernarfon, Anglesey and everywhere in between:
My name’s Áine and I’m a canine behaviour nerd and reactive dog guardian based in Bangor. I offer walking, pet-sitting and gentle socialisation services for all dogs while specialising in helping out reactive dogs and those with big feelings about everyday things.
I offer solo walks, buddy ups and group walks of up to 4 dogs*, socialisation ie promoting neutrality to dogs, humans and the rest for puppies, adolescents and rescues, pet-sitting and drop ins as well as specially tailored walking services for reactive dogs.
It all begins with a meet & greet: I come to meet you and your dog(s) in the home or a neutral setting, we get to know each other and discuss your needs to ensure a good fit for all involved.
You can find all my pricing on my website via the link in bio and my DMs are always open.
*dependent on size of dogs of course!
www.walking-wonders.com
🏰For Conwy’s Reactive Dogs!🌊
Due to local interest I’ve decided to expand my catchment area to include Conwy. I’m always open to enquiries from people who don’t quite fall within my local area, because I understand just how hard it can be to find care appropriate for reactive, nervous and anxious dogs (or even just dog-selective dogs).
So, for the Conwy crowd who are new to Walking Wonders:
My name’s Áine and I’m a canine behaviour nerd and reactive dog guardian based in Bangor. I offer walking, pet-sitting and gentle socialisation services for all dogs while specialising in helping out reactive dogs and those with big feelings about everyday things.
I offer solo walks, buddy ups and group walks of up to 4 dogs*, socialisation ie promoting neutrality to dogs, humans and the rest for puppies, adolescents and rescues, pet-sitting and drop ins as well as specially tailored walking services for reactive dogs.
It all begins with a meet & greet: I come to meet you and your dog(s) in the home or a neutral setting, we get to know each other and discuss your needs to ensure a good fit for all involved.
You can find all my pricing on my website via the link in bio and my DMs are always open.
*dependent on size of dogs of course!
Specialised in walking reactive dogs using force free methods and positive reinforcement. Serving Caernarfon, Anglesey and the Bangor area.
Meet Bowser!
Today Bowser had his first Reactivity Walk with me, and he did so well!
The first time I met Bowser he barked at me continuously for about 15 mins while I sat on the kitchen floor with a cup of tea and waited patiently. Today when I arrived I was greeted with just a few seconds of barking before he settled and came in for some pats. Such a dramatic improvement in just a week.
Bowser is a wonderfully affectionate boy who has developed some substantial human and dog reactivity which is holding him back from making new friends. Together with his humans I’m working on building his confidence, getting him more engaged on his walks and teaching him some management techniques for when he has these big feelings around people and dogs.
Already today Bowser managed to disengage from some human triggers, nailed some quick turns and expertly hid behind some boulders from a couple of big labs.
My Reactivity Walks are all about working with your dog at a pace that suits them to help both dog and human live a more full and relaxed life
🍃 It pays to be creative with a reactive dog 🍂
When you live in an urban or suburban area it can sometimes seem impossible to take your reactive dog on a nature walk. But with a little creative thinking a spot can often be found hiding just around the corner…
Hector here enjoying a potter about just a 10 min walk from our front door in Bangor in one of my favourite spots for disappearing.
It took me a while to figure the place out when we first moved here, but getting a strong foundation of local knowledge is invaluable when walking a dog who needs space to relax outside
DM, call or email to find out more about my Reactivity Walks
This week I’ve had the chance to hang out with one of my drop in pups Malwen!
Malwen is a gorgeous adolescent collie who a little on the nervous side. On my first visit he welcomed me a growl and by my second we were rubbing faces.
Drop In’s are whatever you need them to be. Malwen’s includes enrichment activities like lick mats and snuffling, garden wees, fetch, tug, scratches and trick practice. While there I also clean his bowls, change his water and tidy any mess he’s left destuffing poor toys.
Hello!
I’m Áine (pronounced awn-yah). Dog walker, canine behaviour nerd and proud guardian to reactive rescue dog Hector.
We are based in Bangor, Gwynedd and I currently offer my services in Anglesey, Caernarfon, Bangor and the surrounding areas.
I started Walking Wonders because I know how hard it is to find reliable and positive care for difficult dogs.
In 2020 I rescued Hector, a lurcher with pretty serious dog aggression/reactivity. I’ve spent the last two years learning everything I could about management, enrichment and counter conditioning to make Hector’s life as easy, enjoyable and full as possible - now, I’m very good at it.
I’m an advocate for training with kindness, using ethical force-free methods. I train using positive reinforcement and I never punish a dog for getting things wrong. I’ve been practicing these methods with Hector for 2 years now. It’s been challenging at times but always rewarding and it has resulted in a happy, healthy, calmer and more trusting dog.
This is the ethos I bring to my professional dog-walking: plan for the dog you have, reward good and neutral behaviour and set the dog up for success.
I can’t wait to get to know all the incredible dogs who call North Wales their home.
Glasgow
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Feeding raw on a budget? Here’s how you save a bit of money with maximum faff I’ll start off by saying, this doesn’t save me life changing amounts of money. It saves me 17p per day, which adds up to just over £5 a month. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but on the modest wage of a dog walker you have to shave off a little wherever you can. Depending on the size of your dog it may save you more or less. Yes, this is an annoying job it takes me like 20 mins every 40 days so I live with it. My freezer is itsy bitsy, I do what I can. Bella & Duke is really good value high quality raw food, I have tried many. This is not an ad, I am not in any way sponsored, I’m just a happy customer. If you opt for working dog raw you save a bit of money there too. Any questions?
Are you someone who has a ‘pet all the dogs’ approach to life? Here are some hot tips for keeping your fingers. 1. Look the person in the face and ask permission before approaching. Don’t ask the dog, don’t speak to the dog, please for the love of God don’t make kissy noises at the dog. A lot of dogs find that kind of social pressure intimidating and challenging. It can set them down a short path to frustration and also make them harder to handle. 2. Be respectful of the answer you’re given - even if you didn’t think to ask. The phrases STOP and NOT FRIENDLY are both full sentences which do not require follow up from you, a stranger. Today a woman approached Moss and I talking only to him and staring unblinking into his eyes. I said ‘not friendly’ and she said ‘oh, really?’ And went back to approaching Moss with oodles of eye contact. By then he’s growling and I follow up with a firm ‘really not friendly’ which gets a smirk! We end up in the avoidable situation of Moss snarling and growling at a person who couldn’t respect his space or his handler. Moss is a good boy and I told him so. How do you advocate for your dog in this scenario? Let me know in the comments
To certify or not to certify, that is the question. For me at the moment, I’ve made the decision to not pursue a behaviour or training certification. It was a hard decision to make, and I got there by asking myself at each juncture: who is this for? Every course I consider: who is this for? My clients don’t need me to study things I’ve already learned for £1000+ to get a certificate right now, and neither does Hector (my No. 1 dog). Being an unregulated industry means that certifications and accreditations are not a reliable benchmark for ability or experience. Being an unregulated industry also means that you can find your own path through it without being beholden to certifications and accreditations, and that you can choose to do that in a way that makes you very qualified - or in the case of some, very rich and woefully unqualified. It all relies on your own personal ethics, and whether or not you are someone who takes on cases you’re not ready for or misleads clients about what you’re able to offer. I feel nervous talking about these things because my entry to the dog world was through Force Free Instagram, which is a place that can be quite militant and unforgiving of the human end of the leash. This makes a lot of these sense because we are fighting a constant battle against quick-fix-grot-yanking sh*t bags who are out there selling people a hideous fantasy of punishment without fallout. But this atmosphere also makes it intimidating to join this branch of the profession and I think it puts established professionals who haven’t taken the academic route off from talking about how they got to where they are, which in turn makes it seem even less accessible to new talent. Are you trying to change career to become a dog trainer or behaviour consultant? Are you absolutely at sea about what course to do or how to get certified? I would love to hear about how other people have navigated this or how you’re feeling about tackling it right now.
I saw someone comment on instagram the other day that they couldn’t wait for their new muzzle to arrive so they could start training. Good news! You don’t have to. If a coffee cup is too small for your big hound you could try a yoghurt pot or a large PB tub. Too big? A smaller cup, a paper espresso cup, an empty petit filous. There’s a lot of novel ways to approach muzzle training, and it never hurts to think outside the box because the same cookie cutter training method isn’t going to work for every dog. If muzzle training hasn’t been working for you, shake it up and try a new approach. Muzzle training and conditioning is a vital skill. Any dog can bite. Your dog may have zero behavioural problems but if he or she gets seriously injured they will likely need to be muzzled for treatment at the vet - this could be super traumatic if you haven’t already built those positive associations. It’s not all about avoiding bites either. Got a dog who scavenges and eats potentially harmful things on walks? Muzzle training can help you manage that until the root of the problem is solved. #muzzleup #muzzletraining
Confidence is King! Dixie is a sensitive boy. In the early days of our walks (almost a whole year ago!) he couldn’t even go through a gate on the first go. He seemed so scared of getting caught in it, or hit by it, he would have to psych himself up to leg it through at full speed. The first time we tried to cross this stile it took about 5 mins, and that was ok - it has to be ok. That’s the thing about confidence building, you really can’t force the dog into doing the thing until they are ready to take that step on their own. Coercion is a confidence killer. This is where lures can really backfire on you if you rely on them to get the dog to do what makes them uncomfortable or afraid. So how did I get Dixie over the stile? Patience and quiet encouragement. No pressure. Gentle reassurance. Remember it’s ok to comfort your worried dog, it won’t make them worse and it will strengthen your bond. The first time he went over the top I stood at the bottom and held onto his harness. As he jumped I lifted and he gently soared to the ground. The second time I crossed first and took up my post as cheerleader. He jumped on his own. By the next week he was racing over, doing bigs jumps and having a little puppy parade at the bottom. Celebrate 👏 all 👏 your 👏 wins 👏 Before we came to cross for the first time we had passed it and said nah lots of times. I had already started to put in the groundwork for my relationship with Dixie, to make him feel like he’s a winner when we’re together. How? 1. I engaged with him actively on every walk, but made sure most of his time was spent doing what he wanted 2. I started rewarding him for doing what he wanted, things I knew he liked doing already, for doing the things dogs are born to do 3. I never rushed him. Not to finish what he was doing, nor to do anything he wasn’t ready for Watching Dixie open up has been one of the greatest joys of the last year. He’s a wonderful, tap dancing little prince an
One year! What a year it has been. It has been such a pleasure to work with so many unique individuals, each and every dog has taught me something new or helped me to refine a skill. Thank you so much to every human who has trusted me with their dogs over the last year. It has been completely transformative. I can only hope that I have helped make a difference in your lives as well. I’ve spent a year figuring out how to do this whole thing, and year two is all about consolidation and taking on new challenges. As some of you know, this year is also Hectors year. Everything I take away from doing this job, I bring home to find and create new ways of improving his life with me and his life out in the scary scary world. I know this is a long video, I hope at least one person makes it to the end. I promise the next one will be concise and to the point (aka actually planned). Please let me know if you would like me to speak about anything in particular, I’m an open book. Thank you again for all your support! Special thanks go to some wonderful colleagues and role models who have really helped me along the way, and who have been so generous with their knowledge, support and wisdom: @calmthepupdown @doggo.lingo_eps @dog_atheart @eartothehound @gwenschoice @happyhoundgang
It’s only horrible weather if you’re not prepared! I go out in any weather which isn’t actually dangerous for the dogs or for myself. (Unless the dog doesn’t want to go out which is utterly utterly acceptable!) I don’t have bad weather days any more because I’ve invested in clothing that keeps me warm and dry 95% of the time (all things are fallible and sometimes I do get wet toes, but that’s we keep a spare set in the car). The really important takeaway here though, is you totally don’t have to go out at all. I do because I need to eat and keep my rat horse lurcher fed and clad in the finest pyjamas. But if it’s not your job and it’s going to be sh*t, stay in! Grab this opportunity the universe has handed you to get creative and deepen your relationship with and understanding of your dog mates. Those things mentioned in the video are Enrichment and Free Work - both very valuable skill sets to add to your arsenal whatever the weather. Google is your friend, a lot of incredibly generous pet professionals have made a wealth of free resources for you to discover - just remember to keep it kind, keep it force free. How do you approach ‘bad’ weather days?
Trying out these walk recap reels because I am very bad at posting regularly to the grid! Let me know what you think in the comments
I just want nice nature videos but all my dogs are garbage sniffing goblins
An hour of fetch at a Drop In with two working line collies is worth the exertion of 3 walks 😴
Sound on for the soothing sound of tiny paws in muddy puddles Bowser is reactive to humans and dogs and today he had a really challenging walk, but look at all this beautiful sniffy and explorative walking he got done anyway. It can be really hard walking a reactive dog because without private land it’s nigh on impossible to guarantee them a trigger-free time, but we make the best of it and every encounter bounced back from and properly managed helps build the bond of trust between human and dog. So, even though Bowser and I had the misfortune of finding ourselves surrounded by a large group of barking off-lead dogs today, I feel confident that when we meet again next week we’ll take more positive strides in the right direction.
