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Nosey Barker

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Nosey Barker

Dog training and behaviour support to help you and your dog enjoy the life you dreamt of Nosey Barker offer ethical, reward based training.
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We help you build your relationship with your dog to enhance both of your lives and increase fun

23/06/2025

Got a pup that bites?

When it comes to Puppy Biting, management is your new best friend!

By using management strategies you can avoid your puppy practicing unwanted behaviour rather than responding in the middle of an attack - which often results in stress for you and your puppy.

A consistent approach is important so that you don't get confused and send mixed messages to your puppy.

By concentrating on setting them up to succeed you will be able to reward them for a job well done. Let's face it, when we get a reward for doing something, we are much more likely to repeat that behaviour again.

Management also avoids inadvertently rewarding unwanted behaviour. For example; You may want to give your puppy a toy or treat to stop them from hanging off your arm. But what that teaches them is that good things happen when they bite; and so they repeat it over and over again!

Another good reason for using effective management techniques is to protect your relationship. It is very difficult to feel warm and fuzzy towards a biting machine. Negative feelings can spiral which will affect all areas of your companionship.

Keep your eyes peeled for helpful management tips over the next few days...

And if you need some help with Puppy Training check our Puppy Classes on our website.

22/06/2025

What kind of sniffer is your dog?

What scent; is your dog a cheese dog, catnip dog or something else?

No scent is superior to another it's just scent!

Come along to a Nosey Sniffers workshop and find out what kind of sniffer your dog is while having fun and building a bond.

https://noseybarker.co.uk/workshops

21/06/2025

Why Puppies Bite - Communication

Learning to understand your pups body language is essential to a happy life together!

Body language is your pup’s way of communicating with you. Learning your their body language is absolutely key to building a positive relationship.

You could avoid unwanted behaviour simply by understanding what your puppy is communicating and therefore, avoid setting them up to fail.

🐶Canine Body Language🐶
Dog body language is best described as 'whispers.' It can be so subtle and easily misunderstood. Learning those early signals will make a world of difference, particularly when you have a bitey puppy.

Body language is different to each individual puppy so taking time to observe yours is key. Generally, there is an escalation which results in biting before their gnashers attack. Once you have learnt those signals it's easy to give your puppy an alternative activity.

Here are some handy tips on how to learn their body language:
📱Puppies can move fast so film them on your phone to watch back. Film when they are relaxed and active to compare the difference in body language.
🐶 Fuss your pup for 5 seconds then stop. If pup bites, they don't want to be touched. If they paw they want more. If they are still they want to be close but no fuss.

What have you observed in your pup?

20/06/2025

Why Puppies Bite - Boredom

A bored pup will seek its own entertainment, particularly if unsupervised!
Your puppy will want to explore their environment which will include climbing, sniffing and chewing. These behaviours are totally normal and part of their developmental needs. However you can manage the environment in which they adventure to ensure they are kept safe as well as your home intact.

Dogs were bred to perform a job originally whether that be for hunting, guarding or companionship to name just a few. However, their primary function now is to be a family member and this often causes conflict with their genetic architecture.

🌟Signs your pup is bored🌟
Typical signs that your puppy is bored are chewing, biting, digging, barking, whinging and destruction.

As most people respond to these behaviours a puppy will quickly learn that this is an effective way to get attention. They may then repeat the behaviour when feeling bored again or when they want to communicate.

Here are some ways you can prevent boredom related biting:
🐕 Set up your pup's day so that they get appropriate physical and mental stimulation. Avoid long periods of alone time to prevent unwanted behaviour.
🐶 Invest in games that engage your pup and give you respite. It's key that they learn to play alone sometimes. Snuffle mats and filled KONGS are perfect.

What things have you tried to combat boredom?

19/06/2025

Why Puppies Bite - Food

Puppies need regular good quality meals, varying between 3 or 4 per day. This helps them grow, develop and even out their energy.

A good-quality food is important to ensure good development, growth and a healthy gut. A puppy that is experiencing diarrhoea will need medical support but the impact can also be seen in their behaviour.

If they have experienced hunger due to poor quality food lacking in vitamins and nutrients or an upset belly they may well be feeling frustrated, stressed and desperate.

Sometimes when reducing your puppy’s meals, you will see a rise in biting behaviour. This may be because they are hungry with the prolonged wait between meals which can lead to stress and frustration.

🐾After Food🐾
Anticipation of their meal can cause frustration and the energy provided by the food can trigger frantic behaviour, often described as 'zoomies' but can also present itself as biting.

We have also known puppies that become bitey when they need to p**p!

Here are some ways that can help with food related biting:
🥣 If your pup gets 'hangry' then it is worth considering splitting their meals into smaller portions and researching the quality of your food.
⌚ If your pup gets frustrated easily then prepare all of their meals the night before. This avoids them getting into a frenzy waiting for it to be prepared.

18/06/2025

Why Puppies Bite - Over Excitement

'It will all end in tears' I can still hear my Mum shouting this at my siblings and I when we were young!

Just like young children, puppies get over excited and are unable to calm themselves down which often leads to unwanted behaviour.

Puppies have a lack of self control and impulse control which is partly because the part of the brain responsible for these behaviours is last to develop.

The longer your puppy ramps up their excitement the more likely they are to display biting and undesirable actions as they go over their threshold and become a giddy mess.

🌟Play🌟
Play is a massive part of puppy development but you might notice that some games seem to trigger more biting than others?
When your puppy gets over excited during a game of tuggy or fetch for example it increases their adrenaline and heart rate which increases cortisol (stress) levels. This often results in 'hyper' and 'frenzied' behaviour.

Things you can do to help:
⌛ Limit exciting games to short sessions (5mins) to avoid over arousal. Scatter tiny treats at the end to help your puppy calm down.
🦴 When exciting people come home or visit, have an activity ready such as a tasty bone or KONG. Put the distraction in their crate/pen.

Tell us in the comments what you notice when you try out these solutions.

17/06/2025

Why Puppies Bite - Tiredness

Puppies need lots and lots of sleep.

A very young puppy might need as much as 20 hours in a day! As they grow and develop they need less but even an adult dog needs on average 14 hours per 24!

Good quality sleep is essential to your pups well being and development as well as their behaviour. With good sleep patterns your puppy will be able to learn and retain the training you do as their memories are consolidated during sleep.

A tired puppy is much more likely to display challenging behaviour such as biting you or your furniture. They don't always understand they need to sleep and sometimes resist - just like a toddler!

Disturbed sleep
Dogs are polyphasic sleepers; which means they sleep in more cycles than us humans. On average an adult dog will have three sleep/wake cycles per night, whereas humans are monophasic sleepers (one long period of sleep over 24 hours). This means that your puppy can easily be disturbed during sleep and may be on alert for noises or even suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out) particularly if their bed is in the hub of your home.

Things you can do:
🐾 Consider where your pup's bed is. If it's in the hub of your home it will be hard for them to switch off. Can you find somewhere a little more peaceful?
🐶 A calm pup is more likely to sleep. Games such as scent work encourage their inner zen. You can start by hiding small treats for them to find.

14/06/2025

Why Puppies Bite: Other pain

Whilst teething is the most common cause of pain (and puppy biting) it is important to know that they could also be suffering from other pain which is triggering them to bite.

Here are some other examples of pain that may cause them to bite:
😖 They could have a sore ear and if someone stroked them there it may cause them to react to the discomfort.

😖 They may have growing pains and feel irritable.

😖 If they have an upset tummy or any other kind of discomfort.

They’re living beings with all kinds of stimuli that could result in biting.

Treating them with kindness, compassion and empathy will go a long way to helping both of you when it comes to biting.

13/06/2025

Why Puppies Bite - Teething Pain

The most obvious cause of pain for puppies is teething.

Most puppies will have a full set of baby teeth by around 8 weeks old but within weeks they will start to lose these as their adult teeth push through. There are 42 teeth in a full set of adult teeth (that's 14 more than baby teeth), so it's hardly surprising that they find this time painful.

By 6-8 months old most puppies will have their full set of adult teeth, at which time biting will subside. This does not mean you should ignore the biting until then!
There is plenty you can do to help you and your puppy through this challenging time.

Things you can do:
🐶 Give your puppy toys and chews that help with teething pain. Give them in a pen/crate to help build the value of the space as a bonus!

🦴 You can make a soother by recycling an old tea towel. Soak it in water then twist and freeze. The cold will help soothe your pups gums.

Tell us in the comments how you find using these solutions.

12/06/2025

Why Puppies Bite

Pain
By 6-8 weeks your pup will have 28 baby teeth. They will start to lose those after a few weeks and 42 adult teeth will begin to come through - ouch!

Tired
Your puppy needs between 16-20 hours of sleep per day!! Even adult dogs need roughly 14 hours of sleep per 24!

Over Excited
Puppies really struggle to calm down when excited and have pretty much Zero impulse control because that part of their brain is the last to develop!

Food and Hunger
A hungry puppy can develop excessive impulsivity, hyperactivity, irritability, anxiety and potential aggression - Yikes!

Bored
A bored puppy is likely to find their own entertainment or repeat behaviours that get your attention. Just like a toddler ;-)

Communication
Your pup is learning how to behave within your home but they have a different set of communication skills, some are less favourable.

We’ll talk more about each of these things and give you some solutions soon…

11/06/2025

Biting is the number one complaint about puppies!

It’s an area that seems to catch most families out so don't feel alone in this. You probably read all the books, bought all the teething toys and researched all the strategies of how to deal with those piranha attacks.

Maybe you are feeling like there is something wrong with your puppy or that you have failed them?

Please be reassured that your pup is totally normal and every new puppy parent goes through this stage of despair and frustration at some point.

It’s also important to understand that it isn't personal. It can be difficult to accept this when you have a shark hanging off your clothes, slippers or hands! But it's the truth, your puppy loves you but just needs some help and patience.

Stay tuned for helpful hints and tips about puppy biting…

And if you want to learn more about how to train your pup with kindness; check out our puppy classes.

10/06/2025

Scentwork is more than just looking for treats.

It builds confidence, raises optimism, releases feel-good chemicals, and is a fun activity you can do together.

Our Nosey Sniffer workshops build on these wonderful skills. Take a look at our workshops page on the website today to find out more and book a place.

https://noseybarker.co.uk/workshops

Address

Harlow Garden Centre
Harlow
CM179LD

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 7pm
Tuesday	9am - 7pm
Wednesday	9am - 7pm
Thursday	9am - 7pm
Friday	9am - 7pm
Saturday	9am - 7pm
Sunday	9am - 7pm

Telephone

+447747698008

Website

http://www.noseybarker.co.uk/

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Our Story

Nosey Barker Ltd was founded by Kim Kaye who has worked with dogs for over 10 years. Kim along with her husband Ryan are passionate about delivering friendly, fun and successful training.

At Nosey Barker we understand that not all families want to compete at Crufts in showing, agility or obedience, but we also know that families do want a well-mannered dog that they can enjoy spending time with. For over 10 years Kim has worked with dogs and in this time she has learnt that building a strong bond between a family and a dog is key to a successful relationship. It is this knowledge, experience and training that forms a golden thread throughout the school and has become the Nosey way.

We are proud to use reward-based methods to train every dog, but this doesn’t always mean using food or treats. Just like with humans there can be a variety of rewards that can encourage a repeat behaviour, perhaps shoes, holidays, money, a hug or praise. This scientific approach has been proven as effective and far less likely to lead to any behavioural problems.

Our group classes are mainly taught at our outdoor location where the dogs are able to get used to all the normal distractions they would encounter when out on a walk with you. We call this real-life training, we coach you to be able to connect with your dog and ask for appropriate behaviour when out and about in your community. One of the reasons our success rate is so high is because we offer small group classes; puppies and beginners have a maximum of 6 dogs and all other classes a maximum of 8. This means everyone has some individual time with our qualified trainers and are able to ask questions specific to their dog and their life.