The Good Dog Coach

10/01/2025

Have you ever noticed that your dog only seems to respond to a command when you’re holding a treat or giving them a physical cue? This might be because the word you’re using has been overshadowed by your actions.

Overshadowing happens when you say the command at the same time as giving a physical cue, like luring with a treat or applying tension on the lead. For dogs, movement often overrides sound, meaning your body language is more noticeable than the word itself.

To avoid this, try using the CAR method when teaching or proofing commands:

C – Command: Say the word for the desired behaviour.
A – Action: Pause briefly, then lure your dog into position.
R – Reinforcement: Reward your dog while they’re in the correct position.

By breaking it into steps, your dog will start to associate the word with the action. Over time, they’ll respond to the word alone—often trying to beat you to the reward! 🐾

Teaching commands this way makes learning clearer for your dog and sets you both up for success. Are you ready to give it a go? 😊

09/01/2025

Dogs don’t speak English—or any other human language. Their primary form of communication is body language, with messages that can be as subtle as looking away or freezing for a moment to avoid conflict, or as clear as a lunge or bite if their signals are ignored.

While we rely on spoken words, dogs learn through association and repetition, not the meaning of the words themselves. When you say “sit,” they don’t understand the word itself but associate it with the repeated action of placing their bum on the ground. This is why consistency in commands is key.

One of the simplest ways to help your dog is to keep commands short, clear, and consistent. “Sit” should always mean the same thing—it’s not “Could you sit down, please?” or “I told you to sit!” Confusion happens when we change the language or when different household members use varying commands.

For clarity and success, I always suggest writing a list of commands with their definitions. Be specific about what’s expected. For my dogs, ‘sit’ means to turn and look at me, put your bum on the floor immediately, and stay seated until released or given another command, no matter the distance or distractions.

This clarity creates predictable outcomes for your dog, reduces stress, and helps strengthen your bond. Communication, after all, is the foundation of trust and understanding. 🐾

It’s a message worth repeating—because understanding your dog starts with learning how they communicate. Have you written out your dog’s command list yet?

08/01/2025

Shielding your dog from every stressful situation might feel protective, but it can actually limit their ability to handle life’s challenges. By responsibly introducing them to different environments and experiences, you’re helping them build resilience and confidence. 🙌🏻

The key?

Controlled exposure. Gradually and safely introduce new situations while supporting your dog through them. This isn’t about overwhelming them—it’s about teaching them to cope and adapt.

Preparing your dog for the world is an essential part of their development and strengthens the bond you share. So yes, it might feel uncomfortable, but it’s worth it—for them and for you. 🐾

03/01/2025

How this boy has not yet found himself a new home is beyond me. 🤔

It is very unfortunate that, due to previous misdiagnosing of the issues and resulting mishandling, Paddy does have a bite history.

However, while he has been with me, where he has the structure a dog needs and wants, I have seen no signs of aggression whatsoever. He has been nothing but easy breazy, loving and joyful.

Due to his bite history, we are looking for an adult only home though would consider dog savvy older children. He really does thrive with some structure and being allowed to be a dog rather than being treated like a baby.

That being the case, he is the easiest dog and all he wants to do is be your best friend. He is friendly with people and dogs and can be taken anywhere, whether that be a busy town centre for a pub lunch or a long hike in the countryside, Paddy is the perfect sidekick. AND look at those eyes... 😍😍😍

31/12/2024

2024 was full of adventure for me and my dogs, after ditching London for a life in the Cotswolds countryside at the end of 2023. Here are my highlights:

January: I got giften an original Denby dinnerset, hand painted in the 60 and long discontinued, by a neighbour. How gorgeous is that?🥰

February: I had my first experience of an English Panto, worked with my first local client and finally, after 4 months without one, had my new sofa delivered. The only piece of furniture I decided to buy brand new.

March: Rehabilitating two practiced wildlife chasers and putting staff at Lorockmor through their paces with my boy Menace!🐾

April: Someone bumped into my car while it was parked up during a visit to London. This worked well, as you will see as you read on...

May: I finally got proper broadband, finished restoring this lovely garden arbour bench and had my car repaired and that’s where I met the chickens that would soon be mine.

June: After nearly a year, a home for Dozer was finally found.

July: I treated myself to some van livery and could not be happier with the results! Thanks to the Wright Signs.

August: Judging the annual Brailes Show’s dog show, I had some tough decisions to make! I also got to enjoy having a garden for the first time in my adult life.🌸

September: I finally got them! With the help of very good friends my chickens finally arrived in their new home - my garden.🐓

October: Enjoying a village highlight: The annual opening of our 18th century traditional apple press. I got a laundry basked of apples from my garden pressed, took home a big bucket of juice and sampled some local cidre. 🍎

November: We had snow, which was absolutely lovely. Willow particularly loves the snow (no surprise, being a Husky x). My dogs and the chickens can finally free roam the garden together, which gives me immeasurable joy. 🥹

December: Not travelling to Germany for Christmas, I decided to take in a foster in need, so Okanines gave me 4... Thanks Kayla. Hopefully in the new year, these four beauties will find their forever homes. 🏡

What a year! What highlights did you have?

30/12/2024

Lenny arrived overweight and scared of his own shadow. 😕

While he is not yet ready for his forever home, he has started to come out of his shell. 🥹

His obedience is at a great level with excellent recall, walking nicely by my side and settling beautifully both in his crate and on his place.

We will need to build his confidence more and test him in more environments before he will be ready to go to a new home, but we are accepting applications in the meantime.

If you think you could give this big lad a loving home with structure, do get in touch! 🫶🏻

29/12/2024

Navy is such a sweet and clever girl and ready for her forever home. 🏡

Found tied up and abandoned when she was only young, Navy can be suspicious of strangers (as is typical in the breed, she is a Cane Corso x) but makes friends quickly and loves fiercely.

While she looks very sorry for herself with her bandaged tail, her happy tail is healing nicely, now that she is wearing the pillow case pantaloons.

She is an agile pup and found ways to get to her tail despite the bandage and cone. She even managed to thread the tip of her tail through the treat hole in a muzzle!!! 🤩

Imagine what you can do with a dog as clever as that! She would suit an experienced handler that wants to do something with her and use that bright brain of hers.

While she has a great off switch, she does have oodles of energy and would make an amazing hiking partner, too.

She is such a versatile young dog, I can only blame the holidays for the fact that she has not been snatched away from me yet. 🥰

24/12/2024

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! 🎅

This year, as dog rescues are fuller than ever, my one wish is for every dog to find a loving home of their own. With food in their belly, shelter and love. I hope that Navy, Paddy, Goose, and Lenny, the four foster dogs currently in my care, will find the loving forever homes they deserve, too.

These wonderful dogs are waiting for their chance to bring joy to the right person. 🐾

Let’s make their Christmas wish come true! 🌟

13/12/2024

Now there's a surprise...

Dogs generally pull about 60 per cent harder on a leash when wearing a padded harness compared with a collar, even when the equipment is marketed as “anti pull” – putting the people walking them at risk of injury.

Some dogs – especially smaller breeds – pull with a force more than twice their body weight on the collar, potentially damaging their throats, says Erin Perry at Southern Illinois University.

“It’s really very shocking,” she says. “The dogs are almost choking themselves on that collar repeatedly. But the harnesses in our study just didn’t inhibit pulling in any way, and that’s definitely a wake-up call – especially because of the risk to owners.”

Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2459747-dogs-pull-harder-on-the-leash-when-they-wear-a-harness-than-a-collar/

Image: CBCK-Christine/Alamy

10/12/2024

Truth be told- Lottie was an absolute nutcase.🫣

She could not sit still for a second and would swing from the curtains any time she was not entertained. A previous trainer had told her owners she needed more stimulation, when this dog was already chronically overstimulated.

Her owners worked diligently to try and improve her behaviour and while they'd done a great job at building her confidence, her over-arousal made her hard to live with. She'd chase the cats and was one of the worst reactivity cases I have seen.

Lottie has to be the luckiest dog alive because most people would not have worked with her as tirelessly as her owners. To be honest, most would have given up on a dog with a list of behaviour issues as long and as severe as hers.

Thanks to their commitment to her, she is now a much better behaved and more relaxed dog, resulting in a significantly higher quality of life for both her and her owners. 😍

Thank you so much to Bron for this lovely review, it was a pleasure to help!

04/12/2024

Not all dog trainers are created equal. 👇

With a majority of my clients having been to multiple trainers before finding me, I have heard some pretty shocking stories. 😟

With my background of personal transformation coaching, I know that people who feel good DO good! Empowering my clients with the right information to help them and their dogs thrive before becoming their biggest cheerleader and supporting them through the entire process is absolutely key for me and critical for my own job satisfaction as well as the clients’ results. 🥰

It is so important for me that I get to know you and your dog, find the ways that work best for you as a team and help you achieve the results you need enjoy life with your dog to the full. 👏

01/12/2024

Hi, I’m Sarah – The Good Dog Coach!

I’m a professional dog trainer specialising in helping dog owners tackle unwanted, difficult, and even dangerous behaviors in their dogs. Whether your dog struggles with aggression, fear, lead pulling, or other challenging habits, I’m here to guide you toward lasting solutions.

Dogs have always been a huge part of my life. I grew up with them, and for over a decade, I’ve had the privilege of working with them professionally. 🐾

After a successful run in London, I am now bringing my skills and expertise into the Cotswolds. I moved to Brailes a year ago, got a third dog and 8 chickens and enjoying the beautiful country side. Since moving here, I have continued to help dog owners to transform chaos into calm and reconnecting with their dogs.

No matter the challenge, I’m here to help you fall in love with your dog all over again. I am based in Brailes, please introduce yourself in the comments below!

28/11/2024

Sputnik is one lucky dog.🍀

Despite being let down again and again and again, his owners never gave up hope that live with their much loved bully could be better.

The last straw was a clinical behaviourist recommending medication without ever even meeting the dog.

As it turned out, their dog was not untrainable and did not require medication. He simply needed BETTER training.

Sputnik, aka his potato-ship, is now able to come along to the pub, make more friends and lives a much richer live while enriching the lives of his owners, too. 🥹

24/11/2024

When you hire a dog trainer, you purchase a service. The quality of that service will differ from trainer to trainer.

Unfortunately, the dog industry is currently unregulated and therefore there is no minimum level of service that you can expect.

In this post I share 3 things you can expect from working with me:
👉🏻 I have a wide reaching skillset and extensive experience of difficult and dangerous behaviours amongst a wide variety of breeds.

👉🏻 I can help you get lasting results quickly.

👉🏻 I don’t just help you train your dog - I will take you, your skills and your lifestyle into consideration when formulating your customised training plan.

Drop me a message to learn more!

17/11/2024

If you are currently working on rehabilitating your dog's reactivity, aggression or other behavioural problem, I know it can feel disheartening at times. 🙁

Especially when you start to see positive results, every new outburst seems like such a step back.

Our brain has a negativity bias, meaning your brain will focus on the one time your dog barked at a person instead of remembering that, for the first time ever, you were able to walk past 5 in a row without a reaction. 👏

Remember that behavioural change takes a bit of time. I know it can feel frustrating, but you've got this! As long as you see progress, keep at it. Keep showing up for your dog. I see you! 🤩

15/11/2024

Deaf little Bugsy was a naughty boy... 😶

His owner had adopted him from a rescue only to find that he was chasing anything that moved on walks, resource guarded anything and everything he liked at home (including his food and the sofa) and was not shy to use his teeth to communicate his feelings.

When he bit his owner’s dad only a month into having him, she knew she had to get help stat. Giving him back was not an option and she wanted to make sure his behaviour would not become worse.

Bugsy’s owner has followed my advice to the tee with commitment and passion and very quickly got to reap the rewards. Bugsy improved week on week, has become easy in the house, walks well on lead, resource guarding is a thing of the past and he is now fully off lead trained.

I don’t think Bugsy could have found himself a better home. Talk about falling on his feet! 😉

11/11/2024

How long does it take to train a dog?🤔

Unfortunately I can never give a straightforward answer to this, because it depends on so many factors.

How old is the dog? What are the issues? How well do you follow instructions? How consistent are you during training? How permissive are you outside of training?

I have had clients that needed only a single session. The most sessions were 16 over the course of 14 months for a particularly complex and sever case of fear aggression in a multi dog household.

Looking through my records for this post, 4 sessions seems to be the magic number that the majority of my clients falls on. Scroll through the pictures for examples of some clients who completed their behaviour rehab. 👏🐶

Have you been working with a trainer and have seen little to no results?

Do you want to live a better life with your dog and are craving results like these? Maybe you are due an upgrade. Get in touch today and let’s get you started on a better path.