Parker and Pooch - Dog Training & Solo Walks

23/04/2025

It's not just what your dog does in the heat of the moment - what they do afterwards matters too.

I've been walking Willow for two years now. As it turns out, exactly two years to the week (happy two year anniversary my beautiful girl 🥳)

Willow is doing amazing these days - testament to all the efforts of her incredibly dedicated human 😍 - our walks are largely sniffy affairs with little of the overwhelm and overarousal that used to feature very highly.

Don't get me wrong, there’s still things she has struggles with - nowt wrong with that my lovely, don't we all 🥰 - dogs being one of them... she can get very starey and fixated, which isn't a great mental space for her to be in, and isn't necessarily great for the other dog either.

So we came across a labrador and his owner coming down the lane towards us yesterday morning. Less room than I would have liked, so rather than moving to the side to get some space, we carried on walking past the lab with a little help from our friend ‘Find It’.

Well she only went and absolutely aced it 🤩 Calmly walked past, fully aware the lab was there, but chose to check in with me and my treats instead.

But then immediately afterwards, she did a big ol' zoomie and then started spinning (spinning used to be a regular feature of our walks back when the world was a very overwhelming place).

No big deal, we just paused for a moment, we took some big breaths, did some treat scatters, and then we moved on.

Now what your dog chooses to do after an intense moment might not be as overly obvious as Willow's go-to stress release moves. It might be a shake off, or even just a head shake, a yawn, or some very contrived sniffing of nothing in particular. But once you know them, they’re good little tells that while maybe there wasn’t a reaction at the time, whatever just happened was a little bit tricky for your dog to cope with.

So get curious - do you know your dog’s ‘tells’, or can you start to spot them?

16/04/2025

Mindset matters…

⭐️ When you share your life with a dog who can be reactive, who can struggle in certain situations - it’s very easy to dwell on the bad bits: the walks that ended in disaster, the times you wished the ground had opened up and swallowed you both whole.

Focusing on the negatives is a very natural thing to do - our brains are hard-wired to do it for survival - but it really helps to try and see the positives too. Because even on the worst of days, I can promise you there’ll also be something that went well. Even if you have to dig deep to find that little glimmer of hope.

⭐️ It’s also really important to recognise the improvements too… reactivity isn’t binary, it’s a spectrum. It’s not as black and white as either your dog reacted or they didn’t:

✅️ maybe they still reacted to a trigger but with less intensity than previously

✅️ maybe they still reacted to a trigger, but they recovered quickly afterwards

✅️ maybe they still reacted to a trigger but they didn’t react to the five previous triggers!

⭐️ And progress is never linear - just when you dare to think that maybe, just maybe, things are going in the right direction, you’ll have a shocker of a walk.

Firstly, that doesn’t mean it’s all gone to pot and you’re back to square one. It’s just the way it goes sometimes.

And secondly, never forget where you started and how far you’ve come already - cast your mind back to how some of your walks used to be, and you might realise that your current idea of a shocker is nothing like it used to be. Or maybe you would have never even attempted the walk that you’ve just done.

Sometimes a lot of the work I do with training clients is at the other end of the lead... because it’s not just about the dog’s emotions, and it’s definitely not just about training protocols and plans - it’s about how the human on the other end of the lead thinks and feels ❤️

10/04/2025

Dogs aren't amazing.

There, I said it.

I mean they are, obviously.

⭐️ Their unconditional love, their loyalty, their bond with us - they're always happy to see us, to be with us

⭐️ Their incredible noses - their ability to detect scent to a degree that is incomprehensible to us

⭐️ Their trainability, and what we then harness those skills for - search and rescue, guide dogs, therapy dogs, medical detection dogs, guard dogs, emotional support dogs, drugs and explosives sniffer dogs, and all the rest

⭐️ Their personalities, their playfulness, their joyfulness, their propensity to live in the moment

But…

I've been thinking lately, that putting them on that “Dogs are amazing” pedestal does them a disservice. Because it means that we let them down.

The phrase “unconditional love” in particular makes me feel a little squirmy inside.

Partly because Alice's love is very much conditional on the abundance of food and being allowed to chase squirrels. No food? No squirrels? Minimal love 🤣

But joking aside, the flip side to unconditional love means we can put dogs in situations that they're not a fan of, and they deal with it even though they're not happy about it.

And of course sometimes we have to put them in situations they don't want to be in. They have to go to the vets. They have to go back on the lead and not live in the park forever.

But we say “oh he or she's great with the kids” and what we mean by that is they tolerate far more than they should have to tolerate.

And every day I see dogs being walked on main roads, dogs sat in pubs and cafes, that clearly aren’t comfortable with their surroundings and would really rather not be there.

I'm not talking about wrapping dogs in cotton wool and never exposing them to anything. Because that's no life for a dog to lead.

It's always a balance that sometimes we get wrong and sometimes we get right, hopefully more of the latter than the former.

Dogs ARE amazing. But that doesn't mean we should take them for granted ❤️

08/04/2025

Sometimes I despair of other dog owners, and their attitudes to other dogs 🙈

There was a lady up at Bridestones the other day who… well I’m not going to dwell on her, let's just say she was an idiot and leave it at that.

But more of the time, I prefer to try and focus on the positives: the responsible and considerate owners, the people who bring their kids up to be responsible and considerate 🥰

Last week there was a lady at the churchyard with two offlead dogs. I hadn't spotted them because they were up at the top of the hill. One of them came hurtling down towards us, Alice started barking and so the dog stopped, halfway to us. The owner called him and he ran back to her. She put him on his lead and shouted over a profuse apology.

I shouted back “don't worry at all”, and I meant it. That’s life, and sometimes things happen. But if you know it was on you, and you make it right, then it's all good in my book.

She said “he's just a puppy he just wants to say hello to everyone” and I nodded at Alice and smiled and said “yeah she doesn't”. She smiled back, pointed off to the side and said “we’ll go this way”. I said thank you and we both went off on our merry ways.

Then just yesterday we bumped into a little girl who lives down the road from us, she's maybe 7 or 8? (I'm no good with kids ages 🤷‍♀️) She asked how Alice lost her leg, and then she asked if she could stroke her.

And I looked down at Alice and back at her, and I said “do you mind if you don't” - and she looked a little bit disappointed, so I said “she’s old and grumpy and she doesn't like being stroked. Is that ok?”

And the little girl gave a lovely little knowing smile and said it was fine. And then she went on to tell me about all the dogs her nana had ever had. I think she said there were 56, although luckily we didn't get through every single name as I was quite hungry and needed my breakfast 🤣

In conclusion, for every selfish idiot in the world, there’s a whole host of lovely people who make up for it ❤️

20/03/2025

Some trainers will tell you that you should never say “no” to your dog.

Other trainers will tell you that correcting your dog is the only way they'll learn.

(In case you didn't know already, there's a well known saying in the dog training industry that if there's three dog trainers in the room, the only thing the first two will agree on is that the third one is wrong 🙈)

Personally, I'm not that arsed whether you use the word “no” or not.

(Although anyone says that they never tell their dog off, ever ever ever, is either the Dalai Lama or a liar… you're telling me you’ve never said “No!” in response to rolling in fox poo, snaffling a stray KFC, or digging up your prize begonias? Although I don't actually know what a begonia is or where it would win prizes 🤔)

I digress… [there's a shocker]

I'm not bothered if you say “no” to your dog or if you don’t. But either way, if you don't also tell them what you DO want them to do, you are going to be forever telling them no and/or getting annoyed and frustrated by what they're doing.

Because how are they meant to know that “No” actually means “please don't do that, do this instead” 🤷‍♀️

So…

⭐️ Reward the behaviours you do like - because they will be there, even if you have to look very hard to begin with 🤏🧐, so that they start to learn what it is that you do want them to do

(and here's a photo of Alice telling me in the cutest way possible what she wants ME to do. Which is to cave and make her tea at half past one 🤣)

19/03/2025

Puppy classes starting in Tod from April with the fabulous Lizzy at Barkin' Mad 🐾🤩

🐶🐶Getting a Puppy?🐶🐶

🐾Are you or someone you know getting a puppy??

Then we've got the course for you!!

Our puppy class is a 6 week course where we help you learn how to teach your new furry friend the basic skills they need to progress throughout life. By starting your training at the puppy stage you help set your puppy up for success in their life.

Getting a puppy can be daunting from chewing things they shouldn't be to toileting in the house we can help with it all!

For more information about the course or just to learn more about us at Barkin' Mad visit www.barkinmadtraining.co.uk

Or to book a place contact us on [email protected]

11/03/2025

Today was my final walk with the legend that is Layla Dog 😭 before she moves house at the end of the week 🏡

🐾 Founder of the Bog Squad… generally resulting in mud up to her armpits 🫣

🐾 Grass Roller Extraordinaire… often right next to the edge of a cliff 🫣

🐾 Number 1 Zoomies Expert… sadly (or maybe not sadly) the laptop gremlins have eaten the full video of her doing long line zoomies on the steepest of steep slopes up at Sourhall 🫣

I've counted it up and we've spent 141.5 hours together - the half is the last time she looked out the open doorway at the rain and went “nah you're alright, let's stay inside and play Find It with the cat"

[I just read that back: I mean that they both played Find It together, not that Layla was hunting for the cat 🙈 I’ll be honest, the cat was often better at finding fish sausage than L Dog was 🤣]

I love the bones of this girl and I'm very sad that she's moving away 💔 Us dog walkers love all our walking doggos, but only a few of them sneak under your skin and deep into your heart in a way that you just can't quite explain ❤️

I will miss you very much ginger ninja, but I'm sure you won't miss me at all once you get your superdooper new garden that you very much deserve 🥰

08/03/2025

“And yet, when they struggle, we hold them accountable—in a world they were never designed to exist in. Our dogs don’t need more rules. They need more respect for who they are, rather than who we want them to be.”

Fabulous post Jo, I couldn’t agree with this more ❤️

🌍 The Dogs We Created vs. The Dogs Who Roam Free 🐕

Think back to the last time you went on holiday to a country where dogs still roam free. Maybe they were true street dogs, or maybe they had a home to return to—but during the day, they lived life on their own terms.

Now ask yourself: What did those dogs do with their time?

🐾 They wandered, choosing where to go and when.
🐾 They interacted (or didn’t) with other dogs and people.
🐾 They sniffed, snoozed, or scavenged—all at their own pace.
🐾 They made choices.

And yet… these dogs, the ones with the most freedom, rarely seem to have the behavioural struggles that so many of our well-loved, well-fed, family dogs do.

📊 Did you know?
Approximately 80% of the world's dogs are free-roaming—whether truly homeless or simply given freedom by their humans. Only 20% live as pets, with cosy beds, regular meals, and a wardrobe of jumpers that rivals our own.

And yet, it’s the pet dogs who struggle the most.

❌ Barking and lunging at dogs, people, or traffic.
❌ Overexcited, hyperactive, and unable to settle.
❌ Anxious about noises, being left alone, or even a carrier bag blowing in the wind.
❌ Dragging their humans down the street, gorging on every scent, then being confined back in to the same four walls.
❌ Bounding over to every dog they see—often in a way that other dogs find overwhelming.

Now think back to those street dogs again. Did you see them behaving like this? Probably not.

They weren’t trained. They weren’t taken to ‘socialisation sessions.’
But they were free to be dogs in a world that made sense to them.

🐕 Our pet dogs? They live in a world designed for humans. And in this world, we place huge, unrealistic expectations on them.

📌 We want them to stroll politely through a busy town centre, ignoring every sight, sound, and smell.
📌 We expect them to be friends with every dog and person they meet.
📌 We want them to be ‘perfect,’ when we aren’t even perfect ourselves.

And yet, when they struggle, we hold them accountable—in a world they were never designed to exist in.

So, what’s the answer?
✔️ More freedom within safe limits. Choice over where they go, what they sniff, and how they interact.
✔️ Less expectation, more understanding. Not every dog wants to be social. Not every dog can handle busy environments.
✔️ Meeting their needs. Sniffing, problem-solving, and movement aren’t ‘optional extras’—they’re essential for a balanced, content dog.

Our dogs don’t need more rules. They need more respect for who they are, rather than who we want them to be.

💭 What do you think? Have you ever noticed the difference between free-roaming dogs and our pet dogs? Let’s chat in the comments! ⬇️

28/02/2025

After four very long weeks our new bathroom is finally finished 🥳

And do you want to know what that has got to do with dog training? 🤔 Well let me tell you…

So I’m not going to lie, it was far harder than I thought it would be. (Chris will attest that I was grumpy throughout. Not with the builders, that would be rude. Just with him 🤣)

❌️ Each day, not knowing when the builders were going to turn up and take away our only loo in the house, and then when they would be finished 😬

❌️ Open doors plus a stressed flight-risk dog 🫣

❌️ And the dust and dirt and stuff… so much dust, so much dirt, so much stuff, everywhere 😵‍💫

It’s not like I can’t do hard things.

⭐️ I climbed one of the highest mountains in Central America with no map

⭐️ I climbed one of the highest mountains in Africa while having a colitis flare up

⭐️ I once walked a mile and a half back to my car after breaking my ankle on a fell run

⭐️ I - I hesitate to say “ran” - completed a 47 mile ultra marathon with minimal training

(On reflection, some of those were hard but also fairly stupid 🤣)

But you know what the difference is between those four and having building work done? (Which let's be honest, didn't require me to actually DO anything)

The lack of control.

There are two things that a dog (or indeed a human) needs to feel safe:

1️⃣ they need to feel in control, that they have choices

2️⃣ they need to know what’s going to happen, to have consistency and predictability

I had neither during the bathroom saga.

And for some dogs, they are often lacking in one or both.

Which is why when I'm working with a dog and their human, especially dogs who struggle with the world - a lot of what we do, at least initially, isn't anything to do with training per se.

It's about giving the dog those two things:

✅️ that feeling of control

✅️ that feeling of knowing what's going to happen next

Because if they have those two things, they can start to feel safe.

And if they start to feel safe, they'll start to be able to engage with their human(s), process stuff, do stuff. All of which will help them to not struggle with the world so much 🥰

And that ladies and gentlemen, is what our beautiful new bathroom has to do with dog training 😝

25/02/2025

Two questions for you:

▶️ Do you have a reactive dog?
▶️ Do you read stuff on the internet?

Some more questions:

▶️ Has the internet told you that when you spot another dog or a person (or whatever it is that your dog struggles with), you need to NOT tighten the lead and to NOT swear?

▶️ Has the internet told you that instead you should embrace your inner zen, turn round while saying ‘this way” in a gentle voice, and calmly guide your dog to safety?

That's great and all. But honestly… has the internet ever actually tried doing that? It's flipping hard when a nemesis is approaching and all you want to do is cry/hide.

▶️ Did the internet also tell you that your dog may start to associate you tightening the lead or saying “oh crap” with the fact that another dog is approaching?

That bit is true. Our dogs are smart, they pick up patterns. They can absolutely learn that the lead tightening or you saying “oh crap” is a predictor of something worth worrying about. And so they’re already on high alert and more likely to react before they’ve even spotted the other dog.

But!

There's a beautifully simple way to counter this…

You utilise your dog’s ability to learn patterns, and you teach them a new pattern 🤩

Personally, I find one of two phrases naturally come out of my mouth when faced with a tricky dog situation. One being “sh*t-a-brick” and the other being “f*ck-a-duck” 🙊 (sorry Mum, I know you thought you brought me up better than that 🤣)

So when it’s quiet and there aren’t any triggers around, you’d say “sh*t-a-brick” (or your swear word of choice) and give your dog a tasty treat. Repeat this several times, and then again in different locations. Until your dog’s response to you saying “sh*t-a-brick” is not to look for a dog to worry about, but to look back at you for a treat.

You can do exactly the same with the tightening of the lead… when it’s quiet and there aren’t any triggers around, you deliberately tighten the lead until there is tension, then give your dog a tasty treat. Repeat several times, and in different locations - until their response to you tightening the lead isn’t looking around to spot another dog, but looking back to you for a treat.

Have a think about what accidental cues you might be giving to your dog when you spot another dog. (And if you think you don’t have any, wait til you next see a dog when you’re out with yours, and you might find that you do 😉). Then just pair whatever it is with something they love... the order is crucial though: your accidental cue always goes first, then followed by a treat. And hey presto, you can counteract any bad associations your dog has with it 🤩

22/02/2025

We've been up in Scotland this week, staying at one of my absolute favourite places 🤩 Probably the only place in the world I'm happy to play Where's Wally with Alice 🤣

For anyone who shares their life with a dog who can be reactive and/or has dubious (read: non-existent) recall, having unlimited access to an 18 acre secure woodland is truly magical ✨️ You'll have to book a year in advance, but it’s worth the wait ❤️

13/02/2025

I've been a bit quiet on here of late - turns out getting a new bathroom creates stress for people as well as dogs… Let's just say there has sometimes been water where there shouldn't be, and also sometimes no water where there should be 😭

I also don't recommend getting a bathroom fitted in February 🥶 you'd have thought we'd have learnt that from having the kitchen done in winter when we first moved in, but apparently not 🤷‍♀️

Anyhow, here's a photo of Alice in happier times. We keep telling her it'll be worth it when it's done - although the dreaded bathroom is easily her least favourite room of the house, so I don't think she's really going to give a monkeys how it turns out 🤣

Normal service (of both facebook and fully functioning toilets) might be resumed at some point next week 🤞

Ps: The bathroom fitters also found some "interesting" 80's magazines when they lifted up the floorboards, so if anyone wants some retro p**n, have a look in the skip outside our house 🙈

05/02/2025

I took Alice out for an early morning walk on Sunday, one of those gorgeous quiet ones when no-one else is around… she mooched to her heart’s content, sniffing all the sniffs 😍

Just as we set off, I heard a woodpecker in the trees next to our house. I couldn’t see it - I spent as long as I could searching for it (as long as I felt I could with a dog standing next to me who had zero interest in staring up at a tree that didn’t have a squirrel in it 🤣)

And it got me thinking about reactive dogs… Truly it did, I think I might be obsessed 🙈

It’s easy to feel particularly despondent when our dogs react to something they hear or smell… we’re thinking - oh my days their reactivity is so bad that they don’t even have to see the dog to react 😭

But actually: a dog’s sense of both smell and hearing are far superior to ours. For us humans, sight is usually our primary sense. We do rely on the other senses too - far more than we sometimes realise - but sight is often what we focus on.

That’s why hearing the woodpecker reminded me of this. It makes such a distinctive sound - I knew it was definitely there, I just didn’t get to see it. And me not being able to see the woodpecker didn’t invalidate my experience of it, in fact an image of a woodpecker immediately popped into my head as soon as I heard the noise.

And so it’s exactly the same for our dogs… not being able to see the thing that creates those big emotions doesn’t invalidate their experience of it - they know damn well there’s a dog over there. In fact, if the wind is blowing the right (or wrong!) way, the scent or sound of that other dog means that the experience will be intensified, in such a way that the visual sight of it never would be.

30/01/2025

We're having our bathroom replaced next week.

(We've had our hideous old one for over four years since we moved in so this is very exciting news 🥳🥳)

But it does mean that Alice is going to be on lockdown, as she's an escape artist at the best of times never mind when there's strange people and all sorts of funny noises in the house, oh, and the front door will probably be wide open all week 🙈

So - it’s going to be long line time and enrichment central (plus her tracker, as an insurance policy)

So I thought I'd share one of Alice’s favourite enrichment activities 🤩 It’s also one of my favourites because it’s genuinely free 🤣 All you need is an old towel and some treat dust.

What's treat dust I hear you ask? 🤔 I don't know what normal people do with the leftover crumbs from the bottom of a bag of kibble or treats, but I put them in a little jar and call it treat dust 🤷‍♀️

Sprinkle some dust over a towel, scrunch it up, and put it on the floor. Hey presto: a sniffing & licking extravaganza, generally followed by an immediate snooze 😍

Hit me up with your go-to enrichment activities for your dogs, the simpler the better 🙏

29/01/2025

Now that the evenings are getting a teeny tiny bit lighter, Space Walks are coming back out of hibernation 🤩

For those of you who don’t know - Space Walks are social walks for two dogs who both need a bit more space… these are great for dogs who are scared or worried about interactions with other dogs (or people), and can also be great practice for dogs who get frustrated when they can’t meet other dogs or people.

There's only one rule for Space Walks, and that's that everyone gives and gets the space they need ❤️

Tess and Alice had a Space Walk together yesterday… they first met back in September last year, so it'd been absolutely ages since they’d seen each other - but they slotted back into each other's company like it had been five minutes 😍

Tess was a superstar, giving Alice the distance she needed at the start. And she nailed it when two cyclists came past and she looked like she didn’t have a care in the world 🥳 Meanwhile Alice’s finest moment was munching on something unidentifiable but definitely dead that she found in a drystone wall 🙈🤮

Are you thinking - but my dog needs a football pitch of distance, so Space Walks are no good to me…?

Ok so yes, Tess and Alice were walking close together by the end - Tess struggles with unknown people more than dogs, and Alice doesn’t mind other dogs as long as they don’t get in her face.

But!

No distance is too big a distance not to be catered for 🥰 We've communicated by hand signals, or even by phone before now. A Space Walk can mean the other person is a just little dot in the distance… if that's the space your dog needs, that's the space they'll get 💕

And the other lovely thing about Space Walks is zero judgement. We all have dogs who can be a bit shouty. So if there does turn out to be any barking or lunging, no-one could care less 🤗

We’ve now got a Space Club whatsapp group where you can arrange walks with anyone else in the group. There's no charge for walks or to join the club, it's just a way for like-minded souls to connect with each other, to share the highs and lows of sharing their lives with dogs who need a bit more space, and just natter with other people who truly get it ❤️

So if you're at all interested, and want to join us or find out more, comment below or message me 😊

23/01/2025

Despite the excitement of the road re-opening (which is very exciting indeed 🥳🥳) it’s a very dark day at Parker & Pooch HQ… I put my favourite hat in the wash without checking the care label and now I don't even think it would fit my four year old niece's head 😭😭😭

21/01/2025

Happy 12th (ish) birthday to our baby wolf 🥳🥳 [still my favourite ever comment from a passing child 🤩]

This time last year I didn’t think we had another year left with you, but yet here we are 😍 It definitely won’t be another 8 and a half years, even though I wish it was 💔 But I'll take every day we get, even the ones like today that start with you jumping on my head because you want your breakfast and you want it now 🤣

I will be forever grateful that my first dog turned out to be you, quirks and all. You’ve taught me and continue to teach me more than I ever knew there was to learn about dogs, and in doing so you changed my career and also my life ❤️❤️❤️

16/01/2025

Things People Say That Really Get My Goat #5

Of all the TPSTRGMG’s I’ve shared so far (and what do you mean, it’s not a catchy label? 🤷‍♀️🤣) - this one makes my blood boil the most:

“Your anxiety has made your dog reactive.”

Let's just stop right there and point out that that's absolute bullsh*t.

If your dog is reactive, it’s NOT because of your anxiety.

Yes, emotions can travel down the lead. And sure, things you’ve done or not done in the past might have contributed in some way towards their reactivity. I don’t think there’s a reactive dog owner in the land who hand-on-heart wouldn’t say “I wish I’d done that differently” or “I wish I’d known that before”.

But I would bet Alice’s last biscuit that you didn’t get anxious about seeing other dogs, until AFTER your dog started reacting to other dogs (or people, or cars, or whatever your dog might react to).

And that’s not to blame your dog for their reactivity either. But the feeling of dread when you see a situation unfolding … the off-lead dog running towards you, the cyclist approaching you at speed, the ninja-like runner who’s just appeared out of nowhere, again … that feeling has arisen because your dog has conditioned you to worry. Not the other way round.

And well-meaning (or not so well-meaning) people that come out with nonsense like: “you’re making it worse by worrying” or: “if you just didn’t tense up, then your dog wouldn’t react”…

Well that’s as ridiculously unhelpful as telling a person who’s having a panic attack to not panic.

“Of course, silly me, I should just not panic! Ace, there we go, problem solved”.

The actual best way to stop being anxious about spotting your dog’s triggers?

Is to equip yourself with techniques that will help you and your dog in those situations, and to keep practising those skills - so that eventually you’ll see a trigger approaching and instead of thinking “oh for f*cks sake”, you’ll think “ooh great, let’s see how we get on with this one”. (I promise you that is an actual thing, and it does end up happening)

And yes, a shift in mindset can be a big part of that. But only in conjunction with all the practical stuff.

So… the next time someone tells you that your anxiety has made your dog reactive, feel free to tell them that their nonsense is going to make you reactive. Or just nod and smile if it’s easier.

But either way - deep down, you can be safe in the knowledge that they are, in fact, an idiot (or I can think of other more sweary words if you’d like). And you are very much not ❤️