The Perfect Puppy Company

23/04/2025

"𝘈𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴"
"𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨"
"𝘙𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥"
"𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘺"
"𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘥"
"𝘋𝘰𝘨𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦"

So much conflicting advice! And that's really problematic for dog owners to navigate. What & who do you believe? 🤔😕

These questions might help -

❓Is the person giving you advice actually qualified to give it? Training is an unregulated industry which means there are no minimum standards of education, approach or ethics. A trainer may have a huge amount of learning & education behind them, or none. Always check out the qualifications & education of someone you're paying for advice....don't assume they have any because they may not.

❓Do the ethics of the person giving you advice chime with your own? A trainer may have the same ethics as you, or not. Again, there are no industry standards, so advice has to be considered in the context of your own ethical stance.

❓Does the advice acknowledge and address the underlying cause of the behaviour or does it only focus on stopping the behaviour? Solutions which address the symptom but not the cause are less likely to stick.

❓Training (of any 'flavour') should ALWAYS start with the least invasive, least aversive approach possible. If a trainer jumps straight into physical punishment or aversive tools without first considering less aversive options that's not best practice.

❓Do you clearly understand what you are being asked to do to your dog? If it hasn't been explained clearly (and that includes 𝘩𝘰𝘸 it works) tread carefully.

❓Lastly...what does your gut tell you? If you feel uncomfortable with something you're being asked to do, if you feel uncertain or feel you're not being given honest answers to any questions or misgivings you may have then don't do it. When you've paid a professional for their advice there can be huge pressure to follow that advice but if it doesn't feel right tread carefully (if for no other reason than you're unlikely to be consistent enough to be successful if you have to do things you feel uncomfortable with).

It would be wonderful if all trainers gave the same advice but they don't. But asking the questions above can help you sort the wheat from the chaff.

17/04/2025

Bulldogs & babies....some sessions just make you smile more than others!

Louis has previously been very stimulated by his human sister's movement and that understandably worried his humans and they separated them completely. And, while that's a reasonable initial approach, it's not one which is going to help Louis become accustomed to life with a human baby in the family in the long term. So we've been working over the last few weeks to reintroduce them safely and teach Louis that his sister's not that interesting after all.

And today Louis settled beautifully while the wee one bounced happily (& noisily!) away in her bouncer.

Things we've done to get to this stage -

• increased the amount of time Louis and the baby spend together,
• consistently reinforced relaxation and settled behaviours in the baby's presence
• upped criteria gradually to keep everyone safe & successful.

Things we haven't done -

• taken chances
• punished Louis
• asked for too much, too soon

If your dog displays challenging behaviours around your child your initial instinct might be to punish the dog. But when we do that we run the risk that the dog may become more wary, more anxious, less trustful and less predictable. And that's a recipe for disaster.

14/04/2025

Enrichment for terriers…. He chased a mouse into the garlic. Then I stood there for 15 mins while he snootered about trying to find it!

NB no mice were harmed in the making of this video 😂🐭

12/04/2025

It used to be a choke chain....now it's a check chain. Instead of a choke collar it's a French collar. Instead of an electronic collar or a shock collar, it's a remote collar or training collar.

We use euphemisms like these to hide unpleasant or unpalatable truths. And trainers shouldn't be hiding anything. They should be upfront and honest about the tools & methods that they use and how those tools work. And if that involves physical punishment, restricting air supply or applying an electrical current then they should be honest about that too rather than hide behind disingenuous names.

Euphemisms make the unpalatable, palatable. And there's no place for euphemisms in dog training.

11/04/2025

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙪𝙨𝙚.

Punishment is a slippery slope. If you give your dog a yank on their collar and they stop pulling, you'll do it again. If you smack your puppy and they stop nipping, you'll do it again. Because the laws of behaviour are crystal clear - behaviour which is reinforced is repeated.

And, over time, your use of punishment will strengthen & grow. The first time it might have been a 'last resort' but the next time you'll be just that little bit quicker to punish than you were before and you'll use it under conditions you wouldn't have before. Because it worked last time and your brain doesn't forget that.

And, so, gradually, little by little, punishment becomes your go to and you don't even consider that there might be other ways to tackle things.

Just one more reason (if one were needed) to eschew forceful and coercive tretment of our dogs...becuse once we start on that path it can be hard to stop. Punishment becomes habitual. The more we punish the more we choose punishment, even when there are other, more benign, kinder options which would be equally effective. Is that a habit you want to form...?l

09/04/2025

No flashy heelwork, no long duration down stays while endless distractions are paraded past the dog, no recall over vast distances. Just the gorgeous Juliette going for walk.

Just a dog who, a few weeks ago, wouldn't walk here. Or at the local park. Or in the streets around her home. Or after dark.

Training comes in many 'flavours' but the training I love isn't the flashy obedience, or the bitework, or the 'check out how much control I have' kind. These all take skill but they aren't what most of us need in our lives with our dogs.

What we need are happy, confident dogs who can thrive in the world they live in. Who are polite and under control (which is subtly different from being controlled). So if the uber controlled, super precise training you often see on social media seems unattainable or intimidating know that that's only a small part of what training is. And it's not the part most of us need.

If all you want is to be able to go for a walk that both you & your dog enjoy there are trainers who can help you with that. And we won't make your dog goosestep or lose their 'dog-ness' in the process...

Fabulous work from this team...may they have many happy walks to come 😊

06/04/2025

𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙨 (𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙪𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙨) 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙜𝙨*.

These are often marketed to owners of reactive dogs as a way to socialise and train their dogs. But they can be fraught with risk.

⚠️ A group class for reactive dogs requires rigorous control & management in place to keep everyone safe. This is impossible to do in a public space as it’s just not possible to control the environment well enough to avoid risk.

⚠️ Many of these are run on a ‘pay & play’ basis so the trainer has 𝙣𝙤 advance notice of who will turn up, 𝙣𝙤 idea how many will turn up, 𝙣𝙤 idea what issues the dogs have, 𝙣𝙤 idea of the severity of those issues, 𝙣𝙤 idea if that dog is ready to be walked in close proximity with unknown dogs etc.

⚠️ Working with a reactive dog in public requires the trainer to give their full attention to the dog, the human client and the ever changing environment at all times. Things can change in a moment and it is simply not possible for a trainer to give that level of focus to every dog in a group setting.

⚠️ They are cheap. Some trainers charge as little as £5 per dog which means they need higher numbers to make them economically viable.

Large groups of reactive dogs with a high dog:trainer ratio in a public space where the environment cannot be controlled poses a real risk to the dogs, the human participants & others in the environment.

My strong advice would always be to avoid these but if you are considering taking your dog to a reactive group ‘pack’ walk ask the following questions -

❓how many dogs will be there? Is there a maximum number?
❓what is the dog:trainer ratio
❓what equipment does the trainer stipulate you should (or should not) use
❓will dogs be on lead at all times
❓have all the dogs attending been previously assessed by the trainer
❓can you see a copy of their risk assessment
❓can you see copy of their public liability and professional indemnity insurance certificates
❓what qualifications does the trainer have

If they can’t, or won’t, answer these questions or if the answers concern you in any way think seriously about whether this is a situation you want to put your reactive dog, and yourself, into.

Social walks can be hugely beneficial for reactive dogs under the right conditions (which would include assessed dogs who have worked with the trainer previously in strictly controlled small numbers). But 'pack walks' with unknown, un-assessed dogs and little control of numbers isn't that.

(* 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 "𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘴" 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺...𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘴 £5. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘣𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.)

03/04/2025

"𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙?"

Why are we so often so desperate to stop using food as soon as we can? Why do we grudge rewarding our dog for great behaviour choices? Why are we reluctant to use food to make things they find hard a little bit easier?

I think it stems from the old fashioned dogma that a dog should do what we say simply because we said it. From a mistaken belief that rewarding good choices is akin to bribery (it's not). Or that it's somehow cheating (also not).

Charlie doesn't love the grooming process but he runs willingly, happily, into Louise's grooming salon. He is groomed entirely without restraint even during the bits he really doesn't like, like having his paws lifted. Why? Because we've repeatedly made it a good experience for him by using food alongside other things like choice, freedom to move away, enrichment toys etc. There are now bits of the groom he can manage more easily without much food having to be in the mix. But there are still bits, like this clip where he is having his paws lifted, where food makes it easier for him.

Could we groom him without any food? Yes...probably. But why would I? If I can make this experience easier and help him feel progressively better about future experiences by the use of some squeezy cheese why on earth wouldn't I?

If we're using food thoughtfully to strengthen behaviour, to engage our dogs, to add enrichment to their life or simply to make them feel better in the moment then shouldn't the question be WHY should I stop rather than WHEN can I stop?

01/04/2025

𝙁𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝 🥎. The dog world on social media has lost its collective mind over the subject of 'fetch' and whether it is, or isn't, a "good thing".

And, like most things, the answer is "it depends"....which is less 'click baity' than dramatic posts which either pillory or praise but true nevertheless.

Fetch, played thoughtfully, can be a great activity for dogs. It provides physical exercise, it can build focus & engagement with their human, it can be a great way to train boundaries & self control and it can be a great reward for desirable behaviours like recall, disengagement from distractions etc. Not forgetting that, training aside, many dogs just find it a lot of fun! And our dogs need fun in their life.

Fetch, played mindlessly, can also be a great way to create a hyper, wired, frantic dog. Relentless, repetitive chasing can result (for some dogs) in huge overarousal and it also carries potential physical risk. If your dog can't function at the park without the ball, if they can't switch from playing with the ball to doing something else, if they chase the ball endlessly on their walk but are still bouncing off the walls when they are back home then I'd suggest that playing fetch probably isn't doing your dog any favours and you might want to have a rethink.

There's a world of difference between a human enjoying an occasional glass of wine and NEEDING a drink. There's also a big difference between a dog who can enjoy a game of fetch as one of many things and a dog who NEEDS the ball.

Fetch is neither inherently good nor bad. It depends how you play it and it depends on the dog. So take the black & white thinking with a pinch of salt and apply some critical thinking to both....

31/03/2025

𝙊𝙗𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙫 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨

I'll be honest...I don't often teach puppies traditional 'obedience' skills. Obedience, for me, is about teaching a dog to respond to specific cues given by the human. It's directive and (often) focused on controlling the dog. Instead I prefer to teach lifeskills by which I mean teaching the puppy how to react to normal everyday situations without needing to be explicitly told or micromanaged.

We can teach a bouncy puppy to lie 'Down' on cue or we can teach a puppy how to settle in the home. Which is likely to be more useful? There's nothing wrong with teaching 'Down' but (a) we have to tell the puppy to do it and (b) is a puppy who has been put in a down actually settled and relaxed...or are they alert and anticipating the next cue?

We can teach a puppy to 'heel' on cue or we can teach a puppy to move by our side, on or off lead, without being explicitly asked. We can ask a puppy to 'sit' when they jump up or we can teach a puppy to keep their feet on the floor. Which are most useful for pet dogs?

Pepe is a bouncy young pup who can struggle with overstimulation under certain conditions so being able to settle quietly while a visitor is in the home is a far more useful skill than being able to lie down on cue.

I'm not for a minute saying don't train your dog...I'm saying think about 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 you train your dog. What will make the most practical difference to your day to day life with your dog?

There's nothing wrong with 'obedience' training if you & your dog enjoy it but, for me, there's often more value in first teaching practical life skills which are cued as much by the environment as they are by us. The 'obedience' can come later if that floats your boat.

Thoughts?

30/03/2025

Nit picking.

This morning I’ve seen 3 excellent posts on training/behaviour. All of them had a number of negative, nit picky comments…

”that would be too close for my dog”
“my dog won’t eat outside”
“I don’t use a long line”
“that won’t work if….”

Our instinct is often to spot the one negative thing or the one point we disagree with and focus on that. And by doing so we risk missing all the bits we could take on board.

No Facebook post can cover every base, every eventuality, every person’s experience. Should we say nothing about anything because we can’t say everything about everything?

When we only see the thing we disagree with or don’t like, whether it’s in FB posts or in our dog’s behaviour, we risk missing lots of good stuff. Nitpicking is the road to perfectionism & unmet expectations…and who wants that?

28/03/2025

𝘿𝙤𝙜𝙨 & 𝘽𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙚𝙨. This gorgeous hunk is Louis. When his human sister was born Louis displayed some behaviours which worried his humans so they did absolutely the right thing by separating them immediately and then seeking help.

After careful assessment we're now working towards gradually and safely re-introducing them.

A baby is a huge change for a dog (something we sometimes overlook) and sometimes they can react in an unexpected way to the new arrival. Sometimes the dog is so stimulated or stressed by the baby that the situation can't be safely resolved. But, often, with the right approach we can help everyone live together safely and happily.

If your dog is struggling with a new baby in their life don't panic and don't hope it gets better on its own. Seek help from a qualified, ethical professional with relevant experience. If you're unsure where to look then the Animal Behaviour & Training Council (ABTC) website is a good place to start - www.abtc.org.uk. Family Paws Parent Education is also a great resource - www.familypaws.com

And if you want to be proactive and prepare your dog in advance for the arrival of a baby then my book, 𝘿𝙤𝙜𝙨, 𝘽𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙚𝙨: 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝘿𝙤𝙜 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝘽𝙖𝙗𝙮, will help. I also offer 1:1 baby prep sessions in person in the Glasgow area or via Zoom UK wide. Click the image for more details.

27/03/2025

Facebook has just told me that my page, & my business, are 8 years old today. So here are 8 things the last 8 years have taught me....

• We can do hard things if we put our mind to them. It doesn't matter whether it's setting up a new business or learning how to help a challenging dog. We can achieve more than we think we can (and so can our dogs...)

• The answer isn't motivation; it's consistency. Motivation wanes. But showing up day in, day out, whether you want to or not, whether you feel like you're progressing or not, is what makes the difference between success & failure.

• Behaviour and wellbeing are directly linked to the environment. In my previous career (accountant!) I was frustrated, demotivated, micromanaged....and deeply unhappy. Now I have purpose, freedom....and am happy. None of us flourish in environments which don't suit us...not us, not our dogs.

• Choice is crucial. I never have enough hours in the day and am often still stressed but it's 𝘮𝘺 choice to do what I do. And that makes all the difference. The more choice and control a person (or dog) has in their lives the happier they tend to feel.

• The individual decides what's rewarding. My previous career was stable, secure & financially rewarding...but it turns out that wasn't reinforcing enough to make me keep doing it! Just because we think something should be rewarding doesn't mean it is!

• Social media is a bit like a dog park - lots of overstimulated individuals with poor social skills, no boundaries and a high chance of aggression...

• Life is short. You deserve to live a fulfilled life and so does your dog. Sometimes you need to jump some hurdles to get there but it's worth it!

• Kindness is powerful. What we do as individuals has the potential to spread far beyond us. Every time you treat your dog gently and kindly you are modelling behaviour for others to see. Small acts can create big ripples. You have power...use it.

In the last 8 years I have been lucky enough to be supported by, learn from and work with the most amazing people...teachers, coaches, colleagues, clients and total strangers who believe that the way we treat our captive animals is important. Who believe that the ends don't justify the means and that how we achieve something is as important as the achievement itself. Thank you...it's appreciated more than you know.

Aileen x

26/03/2025

"𝘏𝘪 𝘈𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘯, 𝘐 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘈𝘯𝘧𝘪 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘖𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘐𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶!"

Seeing your dog lunge, growl or snap at anyone is a heart stopping moment. But when it's a member of their own family it's particularly hard. Hard for the dog to live in close proximity with someone they feel conflicted about and hard for the human family member who can feel not only physically unsafe but also emotionally hurt but their dog's behaviour.

Often our instinctive response is to punish. But is that really helpful? If a dog already has negative feelings about someone and then we physically punish them for displaying those negative feelings we run the risk of compounding and reinforcing what they already believe..."this person isn't safe". Punishment might change the behaviour but it doesn't change the underlying emotions which fuel that behaviour. And that's dangerous because it leaves the door open for an explosive or aggressive response. Fighting fire with fire risks sending everything up in smoke...

When Anfi displayed difficult behaviours towards one of her family members we didn't punish. We sought to understand what it was about their behaviour that worried her, we removed as much spatial and physical pressure as possible, we made that person a rewarding person to be around, we created clear boundaries, we worked on generally lowering arousal levels to help Anfi settle & relax.

And it worked. Anfi and her 'sister', Ollie now co-exist peacefully and safely. No punishment. No 'putting the dog in their place'. No treating the symptom *the behaviour) while ignoring the cause (the emotions).

21/03/2025

The arrival of a new baby should be a time of joy & happiness but, sadly, it's also one of the most common reasons cited by owners seeking to re-home their dogs.

Why? I think there are three main reasons -

1️⃣ the dog is so stressed or stimulated by the baby that they can't live happily or safely in the same home
2️⃣ the huge amount of change a baby brings is just too much for the dog to cope with and their behaviour deteriorates as a result
3️⃣ existing training gaps which were manageable in an adult only household are suddenly more problematic in a home with a baby

If the issue is one of chronic, severe stress or dangerous behaviour then rehoming may very well be the kindest & safest solution for everyone. But scenarios 2 and 3 can very often be addressed by -

✅ starting now! You have 9 months to prepare...don't waste it!
✅ thinking about your dog and what might worry or excite them about the changes a new baby brings....sounds? movement? less attention? being alone more? more visitors?
✅ thinking about what training gaps they might have...do they pull on the lead (that's manageable for adults but not so easy if you're pushing a pram)? can they be left alone? do they jump on guests (you'll have more of them when you have a new baby)?
✅ start working now to introduce changes gradually in advance and polish up any training you need to.

Facing the decision to re-home or not is heartbreaking. So it's worth thinking about how to make the transition from being dog parents to parents with a dog in advance.

My book, 𝘿𝙤𝙜𝙨, 𝘽𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙚𝙨: 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝘿𝙤𝙜 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝘽𝙖𝙗𝙮, can guide you through this. It's available on Amazon now. And I also offer 1:1 consultations tailored to you & your dog both in person in the Glasgow area and remotely UK wide. Just click the links on the image for more information!

Are you, or someone close to you expecting a baby? Do you have concerns about how your dog will cope? Any questions pop them below!

20/03/2025

"It’s easy to assume a dog is ‘fine’ just because they’re not fighting back, but true comfort goes beyond just tolerating the experience....Just because a dog isn’t biting or actively resisting doesn’t mean they are ‘fine.’ "

Exactly. And this is why I recommend Louise at Stress-Less Grooming so highly for dogs who struggle with grooming. They deserve to be helped through the process with care and compassion...not just made to tolerate it.

Little Beau is a monthly visitor and has come such a long way since he was a very nervous puppy. But today, he just wasn’t feeling it at all. Luckily, his mum has his back!

Beau is very mild-mannered, and when he gets nervous about grooming, he becomes really avoidant. I don’t think he would ever bite or use his teeth in any way if we pushed him—but that’s not the point. Just because a dog isn’t biting or actively resisting doesn’t mean they are ‘fine.’ Discomfort doesn’t have to escalate to aggression for it to be valid.

It’s easy to assume a dog is ‘fine’ just because they’re not fighting back, but true comfort goes beyond just tolerating the experience. Recognising those subtle signs of stress and adjusting accordingly is what makes all the difference in the long term.

Beau did enough today to keep on top of his thicker areas of hair like his paws, then his mum and I decided to wait until his next visit. Forever grateful for all my dog owners who place their dog’s experience at the forefront of everything 💛

20/03/2025

Failing to plan is planning to fail!

When our dogs are learning new skills they won't always get it right. When 𝘺𝘰𝘶 are learning new skills (because there are two ends of the lead and learning is happening at both of them!) 𝘺𝘰𝘶 won't always get it right.

But one way to help minimise errors is to plan ahead. Rather than just walking into a situation and hoping for the best, have a plan!

Bobby's family are first time dog owners. They are learning how to train. Bobby is a super sociable boy who loves dogs & people alike. He is learning how to remain calm and stay connected to his humans in the presence of temptation. So a busy environment with lots going on has lots of potential for misjudgement on both sides.

But by looking ahead, spotting potential challenges and planning our route through the environment in advance we can make it so much easier for everyone.

Things we planned for -

• Bottle necks. Do we need to wait til there's a bit more space to pass through?
• Proximity to other dogs & people. If we get too close Bobby might not be able to resist temptation. We can make it easier for him by being thoughtful about distance.
• Pace. We don't want to rush him but we also don't want to linger if lingering will risk him losing focus.
• Rate of reinforcement. Reinforcement is a dynamic process...we need our feedback to reflect the level of difficulty we're asking Bobby to deal with.
• Route. If we're dithering about where we're going we can't blame Bobby if he goes off piste. Clear, confident movement helps Bobby follow where we lead.

One of the skills of good training is thinking ahead and reading the environment to make it as easy as possible for the dog to get it right. Because if they get it right we can reinforce it and if we reinforce it we get more of it which gives us yet more opportunities to reinforce and so it goes...a virtuous cycle of behaviour which strengthens & grows 👌

18/03/2025

What does your dog's walk look like? Continuous movement at a steady pace? Getting your steps in? Maximising the distance to tire your dog out?

'Exercising' your dog shouldn't just refer to their physical exercise, which while undoubtedly important, isn't the only thing. It should also mean exercising their brain, engaging their senses and offering them the chance to engage in species specific behaviours. Giving them time to sniff, to roll, to dig, to investigate, to paddle, to sit and watch and feel the sun on their coat....to be a dog.

Instead of "going for a walk" think instead about just having "time outside" with no pressure to cover a set distance or notch up a certain number of steps.

Think about just 'being', instead of 'doing'. It's good for your dog and it's good for you!