Totem Dogs Scentwork

05/01/2026

Sid was a very brave boy and did his paws up on a wobbly rope today!

05/01/2026

05/01/2026

Kicking off 2026 with the gorgeous Charlotte and handsome Sid!

Very chilly today, but both dogs were feeling super fresh 😂😬♥️

02/01/2026

Sarah Fisher was a passionate Animal Welfare advocate who developed Animal Centered Education (ACE), and ran a sanctuary for Horses and Donkeys from her farm in Somerset.

Throughout her work with Dogs and Horses, she taught the importance of observation. To truly see our animals, they way they move, they ways in which they interact with their environment.

A lot of the time we see what we want to see, or we see preconceived ideas and stereotypes, we don't see the true individual in front of us.

I had always hoped to attend a workshop with Sarah Fisher, and have been a fan of her work for many years. Unfortunately, she passed away at the end of 2025 and has the left the dog world in utter shock and mourning.

Although I never got the chance to see or even speak to her, I feel as though I want to honour her legacy.

As well as incorporating her methods into my work, I will be making a more conscious effort to listen to what animals are telling me. I want to empower them the same way she empowered those around her.

Today, Pie went out in the field with some new friends. A couple of hours later I went to bring him back in. When he saw me across the field he started walking over to me, and then stopped, for a few minutes he looked between me and the other horses before eventually turning around and going back to graze.

He told me he wasn't ready to come in yet, so I left him with his friends and came back a couple of hours later. This time he was stood by the gate, when he saw me he walked straight over and came back in to his stable

It might seem like such a small thing, but he doesn't get many chances to make his own decisions. We have rules and schedules to follow, we choose which horses he can interact with, so allowing him opportunities when I can for him to make his own decisions is important for him.

All the other horses had come in when I went back, and I expected him to be worrying. Instead I was greeted with a very calm and contented pony.

01/01/2026

Why I don't do 'Resolutions'....

It's the start of a new year, and naturally we all decide what things we are going to do or change for this year ahead.

The problem I have with resolutions is that it puts a pressure on us to make an immediate change. We are all creatures of habit, to simply stop doing something or to change our ways can be challenging.

We are more likely to miss a day or go back a step, which in turn means you have 'failed' your resolution and are less likely to carry on with it.

This is why I prefer to set goals, I try to think where I would like to be at the end of this year. It gives me time to take steps, make small sustainable changes and head towards my goal at a more comfortable and realistic pace.

January is still in the midst of winter, darker days, colder weather, feeling deflated after the holidays, getting back into routine, and for many of us, financial struggles.

January is not the time to make big life changes, but to create goals we can work towards at our own pace.

01/01/2026

Happy New Year everyone!

Mine was spent comforting scared doggos ❤️

29/12/2025

🐾Changes🐾

December is a time to reflect and prepare for the start of a new year. Time seems to be going by quicker each year and I have found myself simply hanging on and hoping for the best.

I spend a lot of my time looking at other people and businesses and trying to think of ways I can be more like them. The problem with that is, it's exhausting. Trying to be someone you're not, you lose sight of who you are and what you enjoy, you lose your sense of self.

That is why 2026 is a year of change for me. It will be about focusing on my strengths, the things I enjoy, and the things I am good at, instead of trying to create something I can't sustain.

When you compare yourself to others you are trying to create something that already exists. When you focus on your own dreams and goals, you are creating something new.

No matter how niche that may seem there will be people out there who resonate with what you are working for.

It is OK to look to others for inspiration or ideas, but to try and turn yourself into those people hides your individuality, your talents, your uniqueness that can bring something special to the world.

That 'You-ness' could be the thing that someone else needs.

28/12/2025

I talk about building confidence in dogs quite often, and there is a good reason for that.

A confident dog is more likely to be an optimistic dog. Optimism might seem like a strange attribute to relate to dogs, but it is simply your dog's cognitive bias. If they expect positive outcomes, they are more likely to engage in learning, new experiences and activities and recover better from setbacks.

In turn, this optimism builds resilience which allows them to cope better with stressful situations and day to day occurrences which may be problematic to less confident dogs.

Confidence comes in many forms, it's not simply a case of our dogs being able to go to busy spaces or perform well in high pressure environments. Being confident that they are safe and knowing they have the opportunity to make some of their own decisions can be life changing for many dogs.

24/12/2025

Just a quick safety warning.

I bought a pack of chew toys shaped like sticks from B&M today, they looked similar to Bamboodles which my dogs have with no problems.

Charlie only has half his teeth left and within a couple of minutes he'd bitten off decent sized chunks.

I'd highly recommend not buying these, they're going straight in the bin and I'll order him a Bamboodle instead!