Love Your Paws

29/08/2024

🐾🐶 OUR DOG’S PERSPECTIVE 🐶🐾

Lots of the things we teach our dogs, we do do so because

“That’s what our dogs should know”

In other words, it’s often things we’ve always taught our dogs, or what our parents taught their dogs, or what we see other dog owners teaching their dogs!

Things like, having to sit before getting a ‘treat’, or sitting before they cross a road. Now, I’m not saying there is anything wrong with doing these things, just that we don’t THINK about WHY we’re teaching our dogs these specific behaviours in these specific contexts.

In other words; we do it because it’s what we’ve always done and it’s “what our dogs should know”.

But is it? Do they really need to ‘sit’ before crossing a road? Why?

I know that many of you will be saying, “well of course, they do, we don’t want them to walk out into the road”.

I manage to not walk out into the road without sitting first…

Now, lets think about sitting on a kerb from a dog’s perspective. Being just a couple of feet from wheels whizzing past our faces. The sensation of the smells flying past, the breeze it causes, the worry of a huge block of metal flying past us.

We understand traffic, how it moves, that it says on the carriage way, to look left and right.

Our dogs don’t.

I see so many people standing at the side of the road, asking their dog to sit, the dog can’t in that moment because it’s too difficult for them (not surprising with those giant, unpredictable, boxes whizzing past), being shouted at to sit, having their leads shortened, yanked, pulled up, hands pushing their bottoms down….

If you were feeling anxious, and had someone shouting at you, coercing you, forcing you to so something that actually feels wrong, scary and dangerous.

How would that make you feel about that person?

Don’t teach your dog things just because “it’s something they should know”. Stop and think about the purpose of the behaviour, how your dog may be feeling in that moment and if there’s an alternative behaviour they could be doing in that moment that is easier for them.

29/08/2024

❤️ 🐾MAN TRAILING AND TRACKING with LOVE YOUR PAWS 🐾 ❤️

A 4 week course teaching you & your dog the foundation skills of tracking & trailing.

Utilising your dog’s most powerful sense builds confidence, increases optimism, boosts your relationship, increases your understanding of your dog, provides your dog with species specific mental stimulation and a is great physical workout.

Oh. And it’s really fun!

Not to mention helpful.

Lost your keys on a dog walk? No problem, just ask your dog to track your path back to where you dropped them!

Trailing (also known as Man Trailing) is essentially the same skill as search and rescue dogs use - in fact, it could be described as on lead search and rescue!

Want to know more? Our next course starts 22nd September - check out the website for full details.

28/08/2024

🧠 🐶PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENCE 🐶🧠

It’s the way we learn. The more we practice something, the better we get at it, the more fluent the behvaiour becomes and it becomes our natural ‘go to’ behaviour in that setting.

When learning to drive, ‘mirror, signal, manoeuvre’ is instilled in every driving lesson we have and for most drivers, it just becomes a natural behaviour - not one we have to think about, we just do it unconsciously, because ‘practice makes permanent’.

When Lochy was a puppy I tried to get the housework (especially sweeping and mopping) to coincide with nap time but you could guarantee that on the days where I was really tired (numerous night time toilet trips & 5.30am wake up call kind of days)…

PING!! 🎉

One cocker spaniel puppy was ALWAYS WIDE AWAKE and ready to pounce, chase, catch, chew, play with the broom!! 🥳

Cute? Definitely! 🙈

Funny? Yes!! 🫣

But in those moments I had a choice.

A) Giggle, let her play and carry on sweeping with her attached to the end of the broom.

B) Use it as a training opportunity. Make the broom boring and reinforce desired behaviours instead.

C) Acknowledge that I was knackered from 2 night time puppy toilet trips and an enthusiastic 5.30am wake up call for breakfast, needed to get the floor clean and didn’t have the brain capacity for training in that moment and pop her in her pen with a load of toys and a rabbit ear whilst I just got on with it.

You guessed it… in that moment I chose C.

I didn’t want her practicing behaviours that I would then have to ‘put up with’ every time I sweep and mop - it can stop being funny and cute very quickly when it happens on a daily basis!!

And ANY behaviour that a puppy practices, if they enjoy it or find it reinforcing in any way, it can become permanent very quickly!!

The result?

Not letting her pounce and play with the brush (by just popping her in a puppy pen) and by working on ‘calmness around sweeping and mopping’ when I had the brain capacity to do so, Lochy now ignores sweeping and mopping completely.

Which is a good job - because she does like to create a lot of sweeping opportunities for me!!

PS. Yes… it is pretty much the same thing as my favourite mantra - “What Puppy Learns First, Puppy Learns Best”!

28/08/2024

🐾🐶 ADVENTURE WALK 🐶🐾

Someone may have stolen summer (again!!) this morning…. But they didn’t steal our fun!!

We had a wonderful adventure walk on Porthkidney, made even better by the weather - it’s August and we had it all to ourselves for pretty much the whole walk!

The dogs ran, splashed, rolled, played and ran some more.

It really is a privilege to spend time with these dogs and their people and be a little part of their amazing journey’s together.

I hope your morning walk was every bit as good as ours.

If you’d like to join our Adventure Walks have a little look at the website to see if they’d be a good fit for you! (link in comments)

26/08/2024

🥰 TIME TO REST! 🥰

Just a reminder that Monday & Tuesday are my days off.

I’ll check all messages, emails & phone calls on Wednesday afternoon 😊

26/08/2024

🐾😊 WORDS MATTER! 😊🐾

Words matter, they really do.

The words we choose to use to describe what we mean, the things we do, the way we feel, affect how we see things, the way we do things and the way we feel.

And, they affect those we’re talking & those who hear our words.

The word ‘command’ for example. Lots of dog owners will talk about the ‘commands’ they want their dog to know, or the ‘commands’ their dogs do know. The ones they respond to, the ones they don’t.

It’s a word commonly used when speaking about dogs.

But I urge you to have a read of the definition of the word ‘command’.

Is that the relationship you want with your dog?

Command:

Verb.

1. give an authoritative or peremptory order.

2. dominate (a strategic position) from a superior height

Noun

1. an authoritative order.

2. the ability to use or control something.

It certainly isn’t how I choose to live with my dogs. Which is why Love Your Paws 🐾 has always been, and will always be a

‘Command’ free zone 😊

25/08/2024

📣Calling all puppy parents! 📣

Our friends at Tug-E-Nuff have a BRAND NEW phenomenal puppy play guide and you can get your paws on it for free!

Here’s what’s inside:

🐾 Why play is so important for puppies
🐾 How to play with your puppy (& how long for!)
🐾 The dos and don’ts of puppy play (to save you from mistakes)
🐾 How to find the right toys for your puppy

🙌 3 bonus games your puppy will love

Simply hit the link below and get your free phenomenal puppy play guide here 👇

Packed with our top tips for introducing play, a run down of why play is so important & an unmissable offer

24/08/2024

🐾😊 CONFIDENCE 😊🐾

“I feel much more confident now”

I absolutely love it when customers say this to me after a training session.

If we’re unsure of how our dog will react in a certain situation,

Or we don’t know if we’re responding to unwanted behaviours in a way that’s useful,

Or we’re not sure how to teach the skills that will benefit our dogs

Then it stands to reason that we may lack confidence in ourselves, our training, our dog’s ability to cope in that environment or their ability / motivation / understanding to respond in the way that we desire.

After our adventure walk this week Shelby’s owner said she now feels more confident letting her off lead.

Koda’s owner said that being more aware of his body language & understanding how and when he needs support has given her more confidence.

If you’d like to feel more confident being out & about with you dog, then please do get in touch to see if any of our classes could help

23/08/2024

💥 REMEMBER REMEMBER THE 5TH NOV…. 💥

Comes around quicker than we expect every year!

If you have a puppy who hasn’t yet experienced fireworks, or if your dog struggles with fireworks, there’s a number of things that you can be doing do now to help prepare them.

1. You can download an app that plays firework noise. Play it at a level that your dog doesn’t react to - feed them their most favourite snack whilst the firework sounds are playing. Stop feeding them when you turn off the app. You can practice this 3 or 4 times a week, each time you can gently increase the volume making sure that your dog doesn’t react to the sound at all. If your dog is uncomfortable at any time… just stop. Lower the volume and try again. The key is that your dog is comfortable and relaxed at all times.

2. One of the reasons that some dogs are worried about fireworks is that they just aren’t prepared for the noise. You can help them to learn that sudden noises are nothing to be afraid of. Get an old tray and place plastic or tin cups upside down on the tray and then scatter some food around - as they sniff and snuffle for the food they’ll knock over the cups making a noise - they may startle initially, but will realise that there is nothing to worry about. Over time, you can use items that will make more noise if your dog pushes them over, but be careful not to frighten you dog.

3. For some dogs wearing a thunder shirt can be really helpful. There’s some great videos on how to get your dog used to wearing them (just have a google) but start NOW! By the time Bonfire Night comes round you want your dog to have a really happy, positive association with it.

4. If your dog really struggles with fireworks have a chat to your vet to see if they can suggest any medications that may help your dog over the firework season.

Preparation is key!

If you’re really concerned, please get in touch and if I can help I will. For some dogs the support of a behaviourist is beneficial and I’d be happy to give recommendations.

23/08/2024

🐾🐶 DOES YOUR DOG PULL ON LEAD??🐶🐾

On our puppy’s very first walk we get them all excited that they’re going out exploring.

🙈 We make a big ‘thing’ of putting the lead on.

🙈 We encourage them to go explore, to go say ‘hi’, to go and have the sniff.

🙈 And when they pull towards a person for cuddles, we think it’s cute and let it happen…

🙈 Or they pull to say ‘hi’ to a dog and we want to build their confidence so we let them do it…

🙈 And they see a brightly coloured flower that they want to explore and pull towards it…

And we love that our cute little bundles of fluff are out enjoying the world and revel in all these wonderful experiences…. Without thinking about the future consequences. 🙈

Because what is your puppy learning in these situations?

That PULLING means you meet new friendly people. That you get to play with another dog. That you get to smell the flower.

PULLING = GOOD THINGS

And because they can only PULL when they’re on a lead…. LEAD = PULL = GOOD THINGS!!

Next time you’re out with your puppy (or dog) think about what pulling means to your dog. Why does your dog pull? Do they actually think that pulling is what they’re meant to do?

If your dog pulls on lead comment below… if there’s enough interest new dates for our Lead Walking Masterclass will be added!

And if you want to start off on the right Paw with Puppy Lead Walking, there is a space left in our Puppy Lead Walking workshop THIS Sunday - link in the comments!

22/08/2024

🐾😊 SELF EMPLOYED… but never alone😊🐾

I’ve written many times about how many of us who run dog businesses locally are assumed to be ‘competition’ but we’re not… because we know that together we’re stronger.

Together we can support each other, & by supporting each other we are best placed to offer our very best services so that you, our valued clients & your dogs, are the ones who benefit.

When I first set up Love Your Paws as a dog walking business I was really lucky to have Jodie Trails with Tails - W.Cornwall and Helen ProudPaws Dog Walking & Pet Care by my side - although to be honest they didn’t have much choice - I hounded them to be my friends!! And I’m so glad I did, 8 years later, with 3 businesses that have changed & evolved over time (Helen even changed county!!) we still speak regularly, asking advice, sharing successes & supporting each other.

Here’s to the best work colleagues & buddies a self-employed dog trainer could have! 🥂

Ps. Jodie said it better, so I’m sharing her post too!! 🫣🥰

18/08/2024

🐾🐶 EVOLVING FOR THE BETTER 🐶🐾

At Love Your Paws, I believe that growth and progress are essential.

Just as we encourage our dogs to learn and adapt, we too must evolve. Change is inevitable, but it’s also a sign of learning and moving forward.

As I expand my understanding, improve my methods and know how I can best support dogs & their people it’s clear that things must change—and that’s something to be celebrated.

In the spirit of growth, Love Your Paws is evolving! 🌟

I’m excited to share that, in the new year, there will be big changes. This transformation is all about enhancing our services and strengthening our commitment to providing thoughtful, science-based training that benefits both you and your dogs. Stay tuned—exciting things are coming!

18/08/2024

❤🐶 and then one day... 🐶❤

Sam blazed into my life like a whirling dervish.

When Sam first came into my life, I quickly realized that he wasn’t just another dog—he was a dog who found the world to be a very scary place. People, in particular, were a source of deep fear for him. His way of coping with that fear was to bark, growl, snarl, and sometimes even bite to protect himself from what he perceived as threats.

At first, it was challenging to understand what Sam was feeling. He could go from being calm to conflicted in an instant, and it wasn’t always easy to know how to help him. But from the very beginning, I loved him deeply, even when I didn’t fully understand him.

Over the years, Sam and I have built a bond based on trust, patience, and understanding. He’s taught me more than I ever imagined—about dogs, about myself, and about the importance of truly understanding our dogs’ needs. Despite his challenges, Sam is the cuddliest and most loving of all my dogs. His journey has inspired me to become a dog trainer, so I can help other dogs and their owners build strong, trusting relationships that prevent these struggles whenever possible.

Living with Sam has shown me just how important it is to look beyond the behaviour and understand the emotions driving it. He may be seen as difficult and challenging by some, but to me, he’s taught the most valuable lessons—lessons I carry with me every day in my work with other dogs.

17/08/2024

All of this!!

Thanks WaggaWuffins Canine College for putting it so brilliantly!

PUPPIES 🐶

Puppies bite, they chew stuff, they can keep you awake at night and take time to learn a sleep routine, they p*e and poo and sometimes do it inside. It can take time to house train, some more than others.
They can easily get confused about our expectations, they can get frustrated when learning about life and get shouty and bitey, they get tired and bitey and don't want to sleep.

They go through different development stages as they grow having constant new and different experiences, sometimes they deal with these changes sometimes they don't. They make mistakes, they get overaroused, the arousal makes them behave in certain ways like, barking, grabbing, lunging.
They just act on their impulses and they need us to guide them. We need to be kind, understanding and tolerant.

They're beautiful little beings, learning every day, having new experiences every day. Humans brought them into the world, humans give them a home. We have a responsibility to guide and support them through their development with kindness and compassion.
Puppies are hard work but I love the experience, the good and the bad. They are all individually beautifully unique.

We NEED to meet their NEEDS.

They are never with us long enough, before you know it you'll be walking out of the vets with nothing but a collar, lead, a broken heart and loads of memories ...

Enjoy your puppy, embrace the journey, make beautiful memories, even if they're dicks sometimes 🐾❤️

Jane Ardern BSc (Hons) Dip Cabt
Kennel Club Accredited Instructor in Working Gundogs
The Gundog Club Accredited Instructor and Assessor
Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers 1058

16/08/2024

🛑🐶 HOW DO I STOP MY DOG FROM…. 🐶🛑

The vast majority of questions that prospective clients ask, and that I see on Facebook always start with

How do I stop my dog from….

And usually end in

✖️ Barking
✖️ Digging
✖️ Chasing the cat
✖️ Pulling on lead
✖️ Chasing squirrels / rabbits / pheasants
✖️ Ignoring me when I call
✖️ Counter surfing
✖️ Chewing
✖️ Nipping

All behaviours that are NATURAL dog behaviours. We bring dogs into our lives and homes and then expect them to not be dogs.

Is that fair? Should we expect that?

I’m not saying at all that we want to, or should, live with dogs who bark and chase the cat, or who run off and ignore us, or steal food.

But I do think that we need to look at it differently.

How about…

✔️ How can I satisfy my dog’s need to chew?

✔️ My dog barks at people / dogs / the cat how can I help him feel safe / calm in that situation?

✔️ My dog loves to chase. Is there a way I can let him fufill that need safely AND teach him a reliable recall?

✔️ How can I encourage my dog to walk with me when they’re on lead? And for this one - alway bear in mind that this is a highly unnatural behaviour that we ask of our dogs.

🐶❤️ Let’s be little more thoughtful about our dogs, about what being a dog is, and help them to fit into our life whilst allowing them to be dogs. Let’s provide them with the opportunity to perform natural dog behaviours, ensure that their species specific needs are met & celebrate them for the wonderful creatures they are.

And you can’t do that? Then frankly, you should be asking yourself why you have a dog at all. 🤷🏻‍♀️

15/08/2024

🐾🐶 PUPPY PAWS 🐶🐾

In Puppy Paws we go out of our way to create an environment where the puppies (and their people) feel comfortable and at ease. We promote calm behaviours, start to teach the puppies that hanging out on their mat is a great thing to do, do some training, practice how to meet other puppy’s politely on lead and have fun with confidence building exercises.

We also chat through some really important concepts like…

🐶 What puppy learns first, puppy learns best.

If you let your puppy do what ever he/she wants on the end of the lead…. Your puppy will learn that they can do what ever they want when on lead. That may be cute now, but it won’t be so fun when you have a 10 month old adolescent puppy dragging you wherever they want to go.

🐶 There’s NO such thing as a naughty puppy.

A puppy can only a be a puppy. To be ‘naughty’ they’d need to understand a whole host of arbitrary human ‘rules’ and deliberately break them. I know dogs are clever but….

🐶 Puppy socialisation and what it is. Or, probably more importantly, what it isn’t!

Socialisation ISN”T getting your puppy to say ‘hi’ to every single dog & person they meet. In fact if you do that, you’re potentially creating lifelong training challenges for you and your pup.

Up coming classes:

Puppy Paws is a rolling class that you can join as soon as your puppy is vaccinated and there is a space (next space available is currently October) - but even better that that? As soon as you sign up you get access to the online module so that you can get started straight away from the comfort of home.

Limited spaces available on our August Puppy Paws Workshops - please see website for full details!

15/08/2024

😞🐶 HAVE YOU EVER… 🐶😞

…felt the ‘glare’, the judgement & disapproval of other dog owners when your dog barks, lunges & growls at the end of their lead?

“You should train that dog” You hear as they march away from you shaking their head.

And you’re left feeling disheartened, tearful & like a failure.

And you head back to your car, with your well trained dog walking beautifully by your side.

How your dog copes with situations they may find scary, overwhelming, frustrating, exciting, frightening has no bearing on how well trained they are.

Sam can sit & wait from huge distances with lots of distractions. He walks on a loose lead. He can open doors, roll over & find a scented toy from a 100m.

He is ‘well trained’.

He also has some ‘behavioural challenges’.

He really struggles around people. If someone he doesn’t know looks at him, approaches him or tries to touch him he may bark, lunge & make himself look scary.

Training & Behaviour are very different and, to be honest, it’s not always easy as a dog owner to know what type of behavioural support or training, you and your dog need. If that’s you, please get in touch for a chat to see if I can help. Both Scent Work & Tracking / Trailing can be fantastic for dogs who struggle with confidence.

I understand how it feels to be on end of the lead, trying desperately to calm my dog whilst being stared at & judged. And if your dog’s behavioural needs require specific expertise, I have wonderful colleagues I can refer you to for that specialised help.

Please don’t dread your walks & the glares for a day longer.

And if you’re out for a walk & see a dog who’s barking, lunging & struggling to cope.

Don’t judge. Be thoughtful. Keep your dog on lead & moving past. And give the owner a quick word of encouragement; I can’t tell you the difference it will make to their day.

14/08/2024

🐾🐶 LEARN THE SKILLS OF TRACKING & MAN TRAILING 🐶🐾

What is it?

Tracking is when our dogs follow the path that a person, or animal, has left on the ground. They literally follow in the foot steps with their nose to the ground.

Trailing is when our dogs use a mixture of tracking and air scenting to to find a person, and taking whichever path makes sense to them to get there (as opposed to following foot step by footstep).

Why?

Utilising your dog’s most powerful sense builds confidence, increases optimism, boosts your relationship, increases your understanding of your dog, provides your dog with species specific mental stimulation and a is great physical workout.

Oh. And it’s really fun!

Not to mention helpful.

Lost your keys on a dog walk? No problem, just ask your dog to track your path back to where you dropped them!

Trailing (also known as Man Trailing) is essentially the same skill as search and rescue dogs use - in fact, it is on lead search and rescue!

The reason that I love it so much is that I saw the confidence in Sam soar when he started tracking. He ‘doesn’t do’ people he doesn’t know (he is what could be described as people reactive), so when we were tracking and he CHOSE to approach the person he had been tracking, sat next to them, looked at me then walked away I was BLOWN AWAY. It was the first time he had ever approached someone he didn’t know.

Interested? Comment below & you’ll be the first to hear about our next course dates! 🐾🐶

14/08/2024

🥳🐶 HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED… 🐶🥳

…what would happen if you combined the pink, sparkles and agility training skills of Trails with Tails - W.Cornwall with the thoughtful, slightly bonkers and creative scent sessions of Love Your Paws?

Neither had we…. until a couple of months ago!!

It turns out that a day FILLED 🌟 with Hoopers, Treasure Hunt, Lunch, Quizes, Truffle Hunting & Prizes 🌟 is what happens!!

But it’s no ordinary day of Hoopers, Treasure Hunt, Lunch, Quizes, Truffle Hunting & Prizes 🌟

Workshops, team work, fun & maybe a little bit of competitive-ness (🫣) topped with some sparkles whilst trying to work out

WHO STOLE SUMMER? ☀️ 🥷🏻

There’s only TWO spaces left so if you and your dog want to have a fun filled day, with like minded dog people then ping me a message or comment below & we’ll get you booked in!!

14/08/2024

☀️ 🚗 DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS 🚗 ☀️

If the forecast is to be believed, we’ve got a few more sunny days on the way, so it’s time for a re-post!

If you follow this page, then I KNOW that you already know this… I’m preaching to the choir so to speak.

BUT… we still hear of dogs being left in cars on hot days far too often. Sometimes with dire consequences.

So let’s do our bit to get the information out there - please share this far and wide, because if in doing so, we help just one dog, it will be more than worth it.

14/08/2024

🐾🐶 PUPPY PAWS WORKSHOPS! 🐶🐾

There’s a couple of spaces left in the loose lead walking & scent workshops!

Please see website for full details! 😊

❤️🐶 PUPPY PAWS WORKSHOPS!!! 🐶❤️

Our Puppy Paws classes are fully booked the end of September

So… with so many enquiries for puppy classes and a few gaps in the diary our

🐾 PUPPY PAWS WORKSHOPS 🐾

are BACK!! 🥳🐶

These fun one-off sessions are for puppies up to (and including) 5 months. They work brilliantly alongside puppy training classes, or ‘instead of’ classes if you haven’t yet found the right classes for you.

We use reward-based methods to teach your puppy the foundations that they'll need to enjoy life with you to the full. We will look at different methods to achieve your goals, discuss the pros and cons, and find the techniques that suit you best. �

�In every workshop we’ll work on the core skills of focus, calm, confidence, connection with their handler and polite social skills; but each Workshop will have a different theme so that you can pick and choose which ones are right for you!

Just book one, or book them all... you can create your very own Puppy Training Plan!!

Any questions please ping them below, or check our website - link in the comments.

13/08/2024

🐾🐶 What is the key to creating a super strong recall under any conditions? 🐶🐾

Understanding your dog’s current ability.

Just because your dog will come when you call in one situation, it doesn’t mean that they will in another.

I know that Lochy will come when called in most situations…. But not all.

And depending on what that situation is her response varies from coming back to ‘check in’ from a few metres away to not even registering that I’ve called.

For her safety, and the safety of others (be that dogs, people, livestock or wildlife) it is absolutely MY responsibility to know when she’ll come back & when she won’t & to tailor her walks & training accordingly.

By watching her I know when she can listen, when she can respond, when her hunting instincts take over… & crucially that point just before they do.

All of which means she has lots of off lead time ❤️ with lots of ongoing recall practice.

If you’re struggling with recall & want to build some strong foundations then check out our recall workshop running on Aug 17th & 24th. For full details please visit our website- link in comments 😊

All done safely. Kindly. Thoughtfully.

12/08/2024

🥴 EXHAUSTING!! 🥴

I always commiserate with customers about how having a puppy is really tiring. It’s like having another full time job, on top of everything that you already do!!

But, I was always saying that with the benefit of it being 10 years since last living with one 🙈

And honestly at times it’s not just tiring. It’s utterly exhausting!!

You can’t just sit down and have a breather because you have a puppy bouncing off your head.

You try and make dinner and there’s a nose creeping up to the counter to see if there’s anything worth stealing.

You walk through the kitchen and your feet get attacked.

You want a lie in, but puppy needs to get up for a wee.

You have to sweep your kitchen floor a gazillion times a day.

There’s walks to do, training to do, harnesses to put on, leads to put on… and then the lead ragging commences!

Your older dog needs space. And slower calmer walks.

EVERYTHING is a potential chew toy. Shoes, coats, tables, sofas, clothes pegs, tupperware lids, pot plants, dog beds….

That said…..

I LOVED every minute of it! There’s ways around ALL of the above to make it easier. You need to find extra hours in the day; but they’re findable. You need to be one step ahead.. not always easy but possible.

And the rewards?

Pictures tell a thousand words, so I’ll let them do the talking 🥰

What do you find tough living with a puppy or an adolescent dog? Please share, because I can guarantee, it’s not just you who is going through it!

08/08/2024

🐶🚗 OLD DOGS & VANS & WOODLAND WALKS 🚗🐶

My van has just spent 4 weeks in the garage and whilst it was gone I didn’t really miss it. It’s clunky, rattly, noisy and driving Ollie’s golf was a bit of a treat!! Quiet, good acceleration, comfy seats, DAB radio - things I could get used to!!

BUT...

Sam struggles to get into it. And if he can get in, he’s not comfortable once he is in.

So for 4 weeks, he hasn’t been able to go on any proper adventures.

He loves the field, especially after classes when it’s full of exciting left over treats and the smells of umpteen dogs.

He’s not so keen on walking around the lanes, unless we all go together.

And so the first thing we did when the van came home on Tuesday, was to head straight off to the woods for a walk 🥰🐶

Sam loved it. And seeing him happy makes my heart sing.

So as tempting as trading in my van for a quiet, comfy car with a fancy stereo system might be... the clunky, rattly, easy to get in, comfy for Sam van is staying!!

Our old dogs are so precious - and if making decisions based on giving them the best possible life is achievable (and within our means), then that is what we should strive to do.