West Cornwall Dog Training

04/07/2025

Looking for calm, but getting chaos?

Create space first.

03/07/2025

It's BLOG time!

🐾 Dog walks on holiday: what to know, what to watch out for, and how to enjoy them

It’s easy to imagine long off-lead walks and happy dogs exploring new places—but real life is often a bit more nuanced.

This post looks at:
✔ Off-lead freedom vs safety and sense
✔ Hazards like adders, cliffs, and heat
✔ Why calm, connected walks can be just as rewarding
✔ Simple ways to make walks more enjoyable—for both of you

Whether you’re local or visiting, it’s a good reminder that walking your dog on holiday doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s version of it.

📰 Read the full blog here: https://www.westcornwalldogtraining.co.uk/blog-post/holidaybalance/

02/07/2025

Not every dog turns out how we imagined.

🐾Sometimes we pick a breed for a job, like agility or support work — and it turns out they’re not built for that life.

🐾Sometimes we expect a calm companion and get a dog who’s anxious, reactive, or just full-on.

🐾Sometimes we rescue with the best intentions and discover there’s a lot more going on than we were told.

I’ve had all three of those experiences — and each of those dogs turned out to be fabulous in their own way.

If your dog isn’t what you expected, take a step back.

Watch what they can do.

That’s your starting point — not what’s missing.

My aim is always to help you understand the dog you’ve actually got — and figure out how to move forward from there.

02/07/2025

The website’s having a bit of a refresh… and things might look a little upside down for a while! 🐶

Over the next few days, you’ll notice a few changes as I simplify things and bring everything up to date.

That means:

🐾 Some pages will be moving or disappearing
🐾 A few options are being retired or renamed
🐾 Things might shift around a bit while I get it all sorted

It’s all part of making the site clearer, simpler, and a better reflection of how I work now — so it’s easier for you to find what you need and get booked in.

If something’s not where you thought it would be, or you’re not sure what to do next, just give me a shout. I’ll happily point you in the right direction.

Thanks for bearing with me during the tidy-up — normal service will be resumed soon! ✨

26/06/2025

One of the most precious things that I have learnt over the years is this ...

Enjoy loving the dog in front of you.

Not the one you expected.

Not the one you used to have.

The one who’s here today. 🐶

25/06/2025

Thinking things through? Not sure what you need?
Sometimes it helps to talk it out.

If you’re stuck on something — or just not sure where to start — you’re always welcome to get in touch.
We can book in a quick call, talk through what’s going on, and see what kind of support might help.

No pressure. No sales pitch.
Just a proper conversation — and a chance to make a plan that feels doable.

Drop me a message if that sounds useful — I’m always happy to chat things through. 🐾

21/06/2025

Some days I forget how much all those years of training and experience guide me.

This week I was reminded.

A client was finding it hard to make progress — not with the technique,

but with a dog who just couldn’t concentrate.

He wasn’t being difficult.

He was just completely tuned in to the world around him.

The smells, the sounds, the movement — all more interesting than anything we had to offer.

Trying to train him felt like interrupting something he was genuinely enjoying.

Like nagging.

But this is where experience wins out.

I’m not someone who shows up with one tool in the box and sticks to it.

In this case, we were working on loose lead walking.

So I asked a few questions, and we came up with a new plan —

something that actually suited this dog, right now.

And no — that didn’t mean the foundations from our first session were wasted.

Far from it. There had already been some brilliant changes.

But we needed a shift.

And with the new approach, we saw some really good progress.

When you train to be a dog trainer, you’re usually given one or maybe two ways to sort out a behaviour.

When you’ve seen thousands of dogs over many years,

you know when to push, when to pause, and when to try something different.

You know where to look for the bits that matter.

You learn to adapt — especially with the bright ones.

The ones who are always one step ahead.

That’s what real-life training looks like. 🐾

21/06/2025

Big bangs here this morning! ⚡️

Hope all your pups are okay

18/06/2025

📸 Behind the Scenes: The Reality of Home Visit Training Sessions

Dog training isn’t about quick fixes or “one-size-fits-all” solutions—it’s about understanding, adapting, and making things work for you and your dog.

For home visit sessions, by the time I arrive, we’ve often already had a chat on the phone or through messages. I usually have some details about the challenges you’re facing and your goals, and in many cases, I’ve asked for videos in advance—not just of the problem behaviour, but also of what’s already working well. This gives me a real picture of life with your dog before I even step through the door.

📝 The session itself isn’t just about training the dog—it’s about understanding the whole picture in your home environment.

🐾 We may have planned in advance how I enter the home to set things up for success.

🐾 We sit down and talk—I gather more information, particularly about anything that might be affecting behaviour at a deeper level.

🐾 I observe both the dog and the people—how you interact, how your dog responds, what patterns are already in place, because that tells me more than words alone.

🐾 We set goals together—and sometimes, those might change once we get a clearer picture of what’s really happening. We might be looking at settling in a puppy, smoothing relations with new dog joining your established group of dogs, calming behaviour around visitors, helping with barking in the garden, and so on.

From there, we work through solutions together. Sometimes that means writing down a plan, sometimes it means videoing key moments so you can refer back to them later. Often, it’s about helping you use skills you already have in a way that makes sense for your dog.

At the end of the session, we summarise the key points, and more often than not, I ask you to do this for me. Why? Because explaining things back means we both know we’re on the same page, and that’s what sets you up for success going forward.

Finally, we talk about any follow up. We might decide together that additional support sessions would be helpful to reach your goal, ensuring you and your dog get the right guidance at the right time.

Training is not often about a one-off session—it’s about understanding, adapting, and finding solutions that work in real life.

If that sounds like something that could work for you, message me and let's get the ball rolling.

Carolyn

14/06/2025

🐾 Days Off… Sort Of!

When you run your own business, a true day off is a bit of a myth. Even on quieter days, there’s usually something bubbling away—messages to check, ideas to capture, plans taking shape.

But making time to actually switch off matters too. Stepping back helps me reset—and often that’s when the best ideas pop up anyway.

Jess is a big part of that. She’s not just part of the family, she’s one of my best teachers. Life with dogs is always a learning curve, and she’s got plenty to say!

We’re off for a few days to Dorset for some Tracking and Shepherd School at Dogtaggs—plus a couple of nights in the van, which Jess absolutely loves.

Wherever you are and however you’re spending your downtime, I hope you and your dogs are having some fun too. 🐾😊

13/06/2025

WhatsApp has been a game changer for many of my clients because it means we have a quick and easy way to keep in contact. Emails and text can work too, but I keep in touch with many of my clients in a WhatsApp thread.

Over the past few days I have had clients:

📣Shout about their success and progress, telling me how a walk they went on was really well managed for them and their dog.

❓Asked a question about a change in their dog's behaviour which I was able to reply quickly to with a voice note.

💪Shared some amazing news about a new adventure with their dog.

📲Send me videos to see progress on their training.

📳Chatted with me on a video call for their follow up appointment.

On my days off I don't tend to check in on social media, but Tuesday

afternoon to Saturday I pop on at least once a day to reply to messages, usually first thing in the morning.

The point is, when you become a client, the conversation can continue between appointments so that we keep on top of what you are working on and don't lose focus. That can be super helpful for many of my clients as they work through their challenges and from my perspective it is great to hear about how everyone is doing.

If that approach could work for you, get in touch and let's chat.

11/06/2025

👋 Ever feel like you’re doing all the things with your dog… and still not getting anywhere?

I’ve quietly been working on something behind the scenes, and it’s now live over on my Loving Life With Dogs page:

👉 Take the Lead – a short, practical tool to help you get clear, get unstuck, and move forward.

This isn’t a big course or another list of generic tips. It’s focused, budget-friendly, and packed with real insight to help you think differently about the challenges you’re facing.

It’s ideal if:
🐾 You’ve never worked with me before, but you’re curious about my approach and want to dip a toe in before committing to more.

🐾 You’re not in a position to work with me right now, but want more of the thoughtful support you’ve come to expect here.

🐾 You’ve worked with me before and just need a nudge to get back on track.

Feel free to pass it on if you know someone who might find it helpful.

✨ I’m genuinely excited to be launching this to a wider audience—this is the kind of practical, supportive resource I’ve wanted to offer for a long time.

If you’ve been on the fence, or wondering where to start, this is a brilliant place to begin.

A short, focused resource to help you get unstuck—without second-guessing yourself, endlessly Googling, or feeling like you’re on your own. This isn’t a course. It’s a thinking tool—a short, structured way to pause, reflect, and find a way forward when things feel stuck or uncertain. This ...