Paul Haylock Dog Training

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Paul Haylock Dog Training

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Over 15 years experience working and training police search dogs in the field of explosive detection & Digital media recovery.

Specialists in puppy training and gun dog breeds. Our services include puppy classes, 1/2/1 puppy/adult training,board & train

28/10/2026

1. Letting them freely roam the house & garden is a recipe for disaster!

Not only is it a safety issue, toilet accidents and a whole host of other problem behaviours that will occur if a puppy is given too much freedom in the early days

Using crates, pens & tethering is the best option. Remember freedom is earnt and shouldn’t be a given so early on

2. Too many times we see no lead preparation done indoors and it’s just put straight on and a puppy is expected to accept it and/or walk well on it. Most of the time this just creates frustration and they won’t like it.

Always spend a good 10-14 days working on the lead, making it fun & enjoyable before stepping foot outside the front door 👍

3. Waiting until fully vaccinated

Yes we need to make sure they are happy on the lead but it still doesn’t stop us from going out to socialise. We just need to make sure it’s done correctly.

Please seek guidance from a professional about how to socialise a puppy correctly because we still see so many mistakes. Don’t wait until fully vaccinated though, they need to get out and see the big wide world before it’s too late

4. Using puppy pads to toilet train

Puppy pads literally train your puppy to p*e & poo in your house!!! Use a toilet pen outside instead as the garden is too much freedom and can crest its own problems.

🐾 Share with a new puppy parent before bad habits settle in

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27/10/2026

Holding your puppy accountable is absolutely key to building a great relationship with them

We can’t be afraid to say no In many situations and it actually mean NO!

One very important factor is it MUST be fair

You can’t leave a puppy out for hours & hours and wonder why it’s going wrong. Put them away!

You can’t take them to really distracting places and wonder why they aren’t focused, engaged and listening to you. Stop going there!

It’s YOUR responsibility to put them in situations where 90% of the time they are succeeding and you haven’t thrown them in at the deep end.

Calm v Chaos. You decide

24/10/2026

A lightweight lead allows you to manage your puppy’s behaviour, prevent unwanted habits from developing and stop them rehearsing the very behaviours you’re trying to eliminate. Jumping, biting, chewing, stealing things and running off don’t need to become daily battles. The more you allow a behaviour to be rehearsed, the stronger that habit can become. Stop giving your puppy the freedom to get things wrong before they’ve learnt how to get things right.

Giving full access to the garden is a privilege. If they cant be trusted to not dig up the grass or flower beds, eat/pick up literally everything in sight & a whole host of other things we don’t don’t them doing. Just shut the space down!

Even if it means for the time being only access to patio or decking area. Plus they just forget themselves in the garden get way too distracted to go to the toilet and then come back in the house and p*e/poo on the kitchen floor.

Whether it be chilling in a playpen, extending nap times to 3 hours(yes 3 hours!) or putting them down earlier in the evening. Sleep is the most important thing you can give your puppy right now and yes we MUST enforce it.

Constantly giving your puppy something to do trying to entertain them 24/7 is a very bad idea. Teaching them to do nothing is also a very important skill to teach.

You keep having 18-20 hours sleep rammed down your throat well there is good reason for that! 😊

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18/10/2026

🚨 YOU’RE TRYING TO PREVENT THE VERY PROBLEMS YOU MAY BE CREATING.

Let that sink in for a moment.

You don’t want an anxious puppy, so you’re told to take crate and playpen training incredibly slowly. Don’t shut the door. Don’t leave them alone. Let them follow you. Let them come and go as they please.

But what are you actually teaching your puppy in the process?

That you’re always available. That they can have access to you whenever they want. That being apart from you is something unusual. And potentially, that switching off and resting without constant stimulation is something they never learn to do.

Meanwhile, your puppy is overtired, biting everything in sight, stealing things, jumping at the kids, struggling to settle and having toilet accidents.

And you’re exhausted because you feel you have to entertain, supervise and be available to your puppy every waking minute.

THIS IS WHERE I BELIEVE SO MUCH OF THE ADVICE IS GETTING IT WRONG.

Your puppy doesn’t need unlimited freedom. They don’t need access to you 24/7. And they certainly don’t need to be kept awake because you’re frightened that putting them away might upset them.

They need structure. They need appropriate sleep and rest. They need to learn to settle, spend time independently and cope with everyday life without you constantly by their side.

That means creating positive associations with the crate or playpen, establishing a routine and gradually building their ability to cope with separation.

No, that doesn’t mean ignoring genuine distress or forcing a puppy to cope before they’re ready.

It means understanding the difference between protecting your puppy and preventing them from learning essential life skills.

Because the goal isn’t simply to get through puppyhood.

It’s to raise a confident, well-adjusted dog you can actually enjoy living with.

Stop obsessing over whether you’re doing too much too soon.

Start asking yourself whether the patterns you’re establishing today are the ones you want to live with tomorrow.

Structure now. Freedom later. That’s how you build the foundations.

13/10/2026

I’ve just dropped a new video in our FREE puppy training vault. Where i clearly explain what you should be doing instead and give more training advice & guidance.

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11/10/2026

I’m certainly not going to sit here and say my dog is perfect and that I didn’t get a few things wrong with Baxter. I certainly can say that he is by far the best behaved dog I’ve ever had 😊

It’s years of experience and learning that enabled me to get him to that level. If I could go back in time though it’s the 3 things mentioned above that I would do differently:

1. I would definitely be a lot more cautious in how many people he met and how he was greeting them. Going to a crowded shopping centre wasn’t the best advice i was given and really didn’t feel right at the time. I was a lot younger and a lot more naive to question it.

It certainly created me a problem with regards to jumping all over people and going crazy when he met them. I really did have to put in alot of hard work to undo all of this.

2. I find when a puppy is in the most communal area of the house they get awoken a lot and it can create problems with settling. Especially at the time having Josh who was only 4. Personally I would now always put them somewhere that’s quiet, dark and away from everyone so they don’t get disturbed and get as much undisturbed sleep as possible. I just know how critical sleep is and how it should be the main focus in those first 6 months.

3. Utilising a long line of flexible lead for longer. Thankfully Baxter has a fantastic recall and this didn’t affect him in anyway but that’s not to say he didn’t run off to meet a few dogs on occasions. I just really limited this and recall training was the thing I focused on the most. Having that fail safe is critical in more ways than one. It only takes ONCE for it to go wrong and really wrong then you no longer have a dog. It’s really not worth the risk for me.

08/10/2026

I’m not saying dogs can’t have fun and meet other dogs but it needs to be under control, not utter carnage!!

The question is can you use obedience to halt the play/call your dog back immediately, first time of asking and not bribe the dog. That’s the problem, most can’t!!!

And seriously nobody cares that ‘my dog is friendly’ or ‘they only want to say hi/play’

Have some respect for other dog walkers. Especially those whose dogs are on lead/leash.

If your dog doesn’t have any manners then teach them some or keep them on the lead/leash.

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07/10/2026

The fruit I choose is to optimise good gut microbiome and polyphenols with the berries

Egg, including the shell, can be a great natural source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals — with the shell providing a natural source of calcium.

Sardines are packed with protein and omega-3 fatty acids, supporting healthy skin, a shiny coat, joints and overall health

Lamb’s liver and other offal are nutrient-dense foods, packed with high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals that support your dog’s overall health and development.

Greek yoghurt can provide protein, calcium and beneficial probiotics, supporting healthy digestion, bones and overall health — always plain, unsweetened yoghurt with no xylitol.

A good probiotic can support a healthy gut microbiome and digestion, while medicinal mushrooms contain bioactive compounds that support immune function.

The garlic, black walnut/wormwood & pumpkin seeds are a good natural wormer

For a puppy under a year I would ALWAYS be utilising their food within training and using a high quality cold pressed or freeze dried option

As a retired police search dog Baxter was always fed after a shift/after his last walk and was NEVER fed by the clock.

I don’t ever want a dog demanding its dinner time because they are fed at precisely the same time everyday. Life sometimes dictates that this isn’t always possible. But yet again it’s where the humanisation of dogs gets us into these problems.

I feed one meal a day because of the health benefits. Remember in the wild dogs will go several days without food and they certainly don’t eat by the clock.

06/10/2026

Frankfurters

You can’t go wrong with the trusty wiener. Granted the ingredients aren’t the best but a great training treat all the same. Especially when taking training on the road. I buy tinned frankfurters from the supermarket and cut them up into tiny pea size pieces. Absolute winner for me in puppy classes and my boy Baxter loved them as a puppy. Prob why his recall is so good 🤣

Pet Pate

I get mine from but there are plenty on the market and normally the ingredients are pretty good and that’s why they are a step up from the trusty old wiener. Very good training treat and they come in a variety of flavours.

Their own food - Kibble

Sorry to be boring but ideally using their daily food allowance is cheaper and easy. Why feed from a bowl when they are training.
You have all that food to utilise within training sessions and to build motivation for food.
Personally I would always opt for freeze dried or cold pressed and the best quality you can afford to buy. The higher meat content the better and consisting of natural ingredients.

For me the priority is training and then by all means transition across to raw, butternut or whatever food you choose but I wouldn’t be choosing these options til a minimum of a year of age.

02/10/2026

1. THEY GO OUT FOR WAY TOO LONG
Socialisation isn’t about exhausting your puppy with hours of stimulation—it’s about short, controlled exposures that they can process without becoming overwhelmed.

2. THEY DO IT WHEN THE PUPPY IS TIRED
A well-rested puppy is far better equipped to take in new experiences, make good decisions and remain emotionally regulated than an exhausted one. Taking an already overtired/overstimulated puppy out the front door is a recipe for disaster!!

3. THEY THINK THE SCHOOL RUN IS A GREAT IDEA 🤦🏻‍♂️
A busy school run can mean crowds of children, noise, movement, dogs, cars and constant interaction all at once—far too much stimulation for many young puppies to process effectively.

4. THEY OBSESS ABOUT MEETING LOTS OF DOGS
Your puppy does not need to meet every dog they see; teaching them that they can calmly exist around dogs without needing to interact is a far more valuable life skill.

5. THEY TALK TO OR REASSURE A FEARFUL PUPPY
Constantly fussing, talking or reassuring can keep your attention locked onto the thing worrying them, rather than teaching them that they can calmly observe it and move on.

6. THEY FORCE CONSTANT INTERACTION WHEN THE PUPPY IS CLEARLY UNCOMFORTABLE
Socialisation is not forcing interaction—it is teaching your puppy that new people, dogs and environments can be experienced safely without being overwhelmed or pressured into engaging.

socialisation isn’t about how many experiences you can cram into your puppy; it’s about the quality of those experiences and how well your puppy can cope with them.

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Thundersley
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+447595302386

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http://www.paulhaylockdogtraining.com/

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