Pack - leaders

Pack - leaders Hi, I’m Leah. Pack-Leaders is built on over 25 years’ experience working hands-on with dogs.

I offer one-to-one behaviour support and structured dog walking, focusing on confidence, emotional balance, and practical guidance that fits everyday life. 🐕❤️ Dog walking £13 (1 hour pack adventure)

1-1 Behaviour session : ( from 50 ) ( 1 hour)

soon to add grooming : price list will follow

13/06/2026

Today's little training focus was recalling Sola away from play with Briar.
The first time I blew the whistle, both dogs immediately stopped what they were doing and came straight back. That's the clip you'll see in the video, and I was really pleased with it because it's one thing practising recall in the garden, but another when there's more space, more freedom and another dog involved.
What was even more interesting happened later.
The dogs were in a much more intense game, moving faster and getting more excited. I blew the whistle and this time Sola completely ignored it.
For me, that's valuable information.
I don't see that as disobedience. I see it as a puppy telling me she's reached the point where excitement has taken over and her brain is no longer in a great place for thinking and learning. That's exactly why we train.
Rather than repeating the cue or getting frustrated, I simply walked over, stood on the long line, said nothing, and waited. As soon as she disengaged and came back to me, she was marked and rewarded.
The first recall showed me the foundation is there.
The second recall showed me where the gaps still are.
Good training isn't about proving your dog is perfect. It's about learning where they succeed, where they struggle, and adjusting the difficulty so they can keep getting better.✨️🐾💛

11/06/2026

This morning was a good reminder that training isn't what happens once a week in a class. It's what gets reinforced every single day.
We saw a couple of spaniels approaching on the path. Sola initially looked like she might head over to say hello, but a simple "leave it" was enough to bring her straight back. I then picked up the long line, moved her away from the path, and asked for a down while the dogs passed.
Sola didn't move.
Interestingly, it was Briar, my reliable adult dog, who decided she'd quite like to wander over and say hello. A quick recall and she came straight back.
The difference between a 21-week-old puppy and a 6-year-old dog isn't magic. It's repetition. It's consistency. It's the thousands of daily lessons that teach a dog what is and isn't expected of them.
One thing I think dog owners need to remember is that not every dog wants to be approached.
Far too many reactive dogs started out as friendly, social dogs that were repeatedly run at, jumped on, or overwhelmed by other "friendly" dogs whose owners didn't stop them.
Your dog may love every dog they meet. That doesn't mean every dog wants your dog running over to them.
Advocating for your dog also means teaching your dog not to become somebody else's problem.
Distance. Distraction. Duration.
The three D's aren't just training concepts. They're how we teach dogs to make better choices when it really matters.✨️🐾💛

10/06/2026

One thing I've noticed over the last week is that Sola isn't quite as instant with some of her responses when she's out and about.
She's 21 weeks old now and starting to become a little more independent. She still does everything I ask, but occasionally there'll be a few seconds where I can almost see the cogs turning before she decides to do it!
Rather than getting frustrated, I see it as useful information. It's a sign that I need to ask for less, not more.
So this morning I kept things simple. A down stay, a recall, a release back to play, and later a recall from a distance while she was having fun with Briar. Both dogs came straight back, got rewarded, and were immediately released back into the environment.
The rest of the walk was exactly what puppies need - free time, exploring, playing, sniffing and making good choices.
As puppies grow, there are times when training needs to move forwards and times when it needs to be simplified. Sometimes the best thing we can do is lower the pressure, set them up to succeed and remind them that listening is still worth their while. Delayed response video on comments 👇✨️🐾💛

05/06/2026

People often ask how I get a young Labrador to stay calm around distractions.
The truth is, I don't train the distraction.
I train neutrality.
Over the last few months Sola has learned to calmly observe joggers, cyclists, dogs, horses, people, pack walks, cafés, van doors opening, and all the other exciting things life throws at her.
Tonight, that happened to be a drone.
The drone itself isn't important. It's simply another distraction.
What I'm looking for is a puppy that can notice something, process it, and choose not to react.
At just 20 weeks old, Sola and Briar were able to lie calmly while a drone flew overhead, simply watching it rather than chasing, barking, or becoming overexcited.
For me, that's the real goal of training.
Not teaching a dog to ignore the world, but teaching them how to exist in it calmly.
The drone is just a by-product of all the little lessons that came before it.✨️🐾💛

04/06/2026

One thing I always pay attention to is how a walk starts and how it finishes.
When Sola was younger, I was only asking for 5–10 seconds of heel work at a time. Now at 20 weeks old, I'm asking for 2–3 minutes on the walk back to the van. Training is all about building duration gradually and setting them up to succeed.
When we got back this morning, I asked her to sit and wait while I opened the van, rather than rushing straight in. I went back to her, removed her harness and lead, asked her to sit again, then invited her up into her crate.
To some people it probably looks like a lot of fuss just to get back into the van, but every little moment is an opportunity to teach patience, impulse control and listening, even when the exciting part is right in front of them.
The goal isn't to create a robot. The goal is to create a dog that can stay calm, think clearly and wait for permission when it matters.
How you start a walk matters. How you finish a walk matters. The training happens in all the little moments in between. ✨️🐾💛

03/06/2026

Not every recall has to be the word "come."
If your dog has learned that "come" is optional, or you've had to repeat it so many times that it's lost its value, don't be afraid to start fresh with a new cue.
One of my favourites is "touch."
Teach it at home first by asking your dog to touch your hand with their nose, rewarding them well, then sending them straight back to whatever they were doing. Before long, they'll learn that running back to you and touching your hand is always worth it.
I use "touch" out on walks with high-value rewards, and because the dog gets paid and released straight back again, it quickly becomes a fun game rather than the end of the fun.
Sometimes a simple change of cue can make all the difference. ✨️🐾💛 #

The days are long, but the weeks are short. ❤️9 weeks old in the first photo.✨️🐾20 weeks old in the second.✨️🐾Same room....
01/06/2026

The days are long, but the weeks are short. ❤️
9 weeks old in the first photo.✨️🐾
20 weeks old in the second.✨️🐾
Same room.
Same pen.
Same breakfast routine.
But somehow, the tiny puppy who could barely see over the bottom rail has almost filled the doorway.
When you're in the middle of raising a puppy, it doesn't always feel like it's going quickly. You're running on less sleep, setting alarms for toilet trips, picking up chewed-up bits of random things, repeating the same training over and over again, cleaning muddy paws, washing bowls, carrying treats in every pocket and wondering if they'll ever learn.
Some days feel like you've achieved nothing at all.
Then you look back at a photo like this.
You realise those tiny moments have quietly added up to something pretty special.
The confidence has grown.
The understanding has grown.
The relationship has grown.
And somehow, while you've been busy doing all the little everyday things, your puppy has grown too.
The days can feel endless sometimes, but the puppy stage really does pass in the blink of an eye. So as challenging as it can be, don't forget to enjoy it while it's here. ❤️✨️🐾💛

31/05/2026

One of the most important things I teach my puppies isn't a fancy trick or obedience exercise—it's neutrality.
Today Sola worked around joggers, people, children and other dogs. Not by interacting with them, but by learning that she doesn't need to.
We practised watching the world go by without reacting, holding a wait while I moved away, and choosing to come back with me when something more interesting appeared elsewhere.
The goal isn't for a dog to ignore the world completely. It's for them to understand that they don't need to investigate everything they see. They can observe, process what's happening around them, and then look back to their handler for direction.
At just 19 weeks old, seeing Sola choose "this way" over following a family and their dog was a lovely reminder that all those small daily repetitions are starting to pay off.
Calm choices. Clear communication. Real-life training. ✨️🐾💛

30/05/2026

Training doesn't always need to be something new.
This morning, Sola and Luna had already enjoyed plenty of free time, sniffing and exploring, so before heading back I spent a few minutes running through some things Sola already knows.
We practiced middle, recall, wait, heel, free and a stop whistle. Most of it was lovely, but the stop whistle was a little slower than I'd like. She took a couple of extra steps before dropping down. Did she still get paid? Absolutely. She made the right choice, it just wasn't quite as sharp as I want it to be yet.
That's actually one of the reasons I like doing little training sessions out on walks. They show you where your training really is. A dog might perform something perfectly in the garden, but add another dog, new smells and a different environment, and suddenly you can see which behaviours need a bit more work.
Rather than constantly teaching new things, sometimes the most valuable information comes from revisiting the basics. The things that are quick and reliable are progressing well. The things that are slower or need a second thought simply tell you what needs more proofing and practice back at home before bringing it back out into the real world.
Training isn't just about teaching. It's about assessing where your dog is today and adjusting your plan accordingly. ✨️🐾💛

29/05/2026

No time to train? 🤔
This entire session took just over a minute before lunch and before a nap.✨️😴
Using part of her daily kibble allowance, we ran through a few things she already knows:
• Engagement and focus • Heel • Sit & wait • Recall • Middle • Touch • Impulse control around food
Nothing complicated. No hour long training sessions. Just a minute of reinforcing behaviours I want to keep strong. 🐾✨️
The rest of her kibble was scattered into the grass. Not only does it encourage natural sniffing and decompression, but it helps her switch off before her next sleep.
I actually like doing little sessions like this before a nap. Training doesn't always have to be hard work. Sometimes a minute of quality repetition is all you need. Daily repetitions &
Consistency beats duration every time ✨️️🐾💛

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