Mindful Paws Dog Training

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Mindful Paws Dog Training Qualified and insured dog trainer based in Surrey and surrounding areas. Positive and ethical training
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09/08/2025

Just adopted a rescue dog - or thinking about it soon? 🐕

Building a strong bond is the foundation for everything else you'll achieve together, which is why I always teach my clients that this comes before any other training.

Watch the reel for my top three rescue dog bonding tips!

👉 Have you adopted a rescue dog? Tell me about your special pup in the comments! 🐶💚

25/07/2025

An often overlooked cue that can be really useful for reactive dogs is "this way"! 🐕

A reliable "this way" cue can be a lifesaver if you need to make a quick U-turn with your dog. Many dog parents also use it for off-lead walks when they want to change direction without using their recall cue.

Fortunately, "this way" is very easy to teach. And in this video I'll show you exactly how to do it using only positive reinforcement😀

When teaching a behaviour that goes against our dog's instincts, we are trying to override millions of years of evolutio...
23/07/2025

When teaching a behaviour that goes against our dog's instincts, we are trying to override millions of years of evolution. This takes repetition and time - it can't happen instantly!

That's why it's vital to have patience when training your dog. If we constantly change methods or techniques when we don't see instant progress, then we're never giving our dog a chance to learn the behaviour we want.

That's why the most important factor in dog training is time. Try to stay consistent with your dog's training and keep showing up for them every day.

And if you're getting frustrated with yourself or your dog, remember that lasting change simply can't happen overnight.

09/07/2025

Many humans love giving and receiving hugs, but the same isn't true for dogs! 🐕

While there are certainly some dogs who genuinely enjoy a hug, many don't like being tightly held as this makes them feel vulnerable and restrained. This is especially true if the hug is from someone they don't know that well.

The good news is that dogs are always telling us how they feel, as long as we know how to understand their body language!

To check whether your dog is enjoying a hug (or any form of affection), always watch out for stress signals such as:

👉 Lip licking
👉 Averting the gaze
👉 Trying to move away
👉 Flattening the ears
👉 Leaning away
👉 Shaking off when the hug ends

Another check is to see whether your dog moves away when you give them a chance. If they instantly want to create some distance, then this shows they probably weren't happy with the hug.

By being aware of what your dog is telling you, you'll quickly learn the types of affection they enjoy the most. This can deepen your bond even further and help you to avoid accidentally causing stress.

What's your dog's favourite way to receive affection? Let me know in the comments!

26/06/2025

A really common mistake when teaching a new cue is to start adding the verbal cue - like "sit" or "stay" - too early in the process.

This can be confusing for your dog, especially if they can't yet perform the cue reliably! It also weakens the cue later on and makes it harder to phase out the lure.

Instead, we should only start adding the verbal cue when our dog can reliably perform the behaviour. This is what dog trainers mean when they say "don't label it until you love it!"
🐶

Meet the absolutely gorgeous Darby! 🥰👋 Just look at that smile! 😍This sweet boy has landed on his paws with the most inc...
03/04/2025

Meet the absolutely gorgeous Darby! 🥰👋 Just look at that smile! 😍

This sweet boy has landed on his paws with the most incredibly dedicated family who adore him (and vice versa) ❤️

Despite feeling a little bit unsure in certain situations outside, Darby is being a super brave boy and trying his best 💪

I have been loving our 1-1 training walks together and he has been showing me how clever he really is, understanding that the best thing he can do when he sees another dog is look at me 😇 During our last walk he even responded to his recall cue despite some very tempting birds! 🐦‍⬛

Amazing work Darby, looking forward to catching up soon 🐾💙

17/03/2025

There's a common mistake I see when dog parents try to desensitise dogs to triggers such as moving cars, noises, other dogs, and people, and that's the idea of "flooding".

Flooding is exposing the dog to a trigger repeatedly at a high level of intensity, with the goal of "getting them used to it."

While on a surface level the idea of flooding seems to make sense, we need to think about what's actually happening from the dog's point of view...

Imagine you were terrified of spiders, and to "fix" this someone started dropping huge tarantulas on you. You would likely go into a panic and be even more scared! It would be far too intense for someone with a true phobia. 🕷️

This is exactly the same with our dogs. If they are reacting to a trigger, this means they are scared or anxious about it. So exposing them to the trigger at a high intensity is only going to make them more fearful.

Instead, we need to find an intensity and distance where they feel comfortable with the trigger, then build positive associations at this point. Over time, we can gradually move closer, but only when the dog is under threshold and happy with the situation.

13/03/2025

Have you ever had your confidence shaken by unsolicited advice about your dog and their training?

It's relatively common to get dog advice from the general public - even as a professional trainer!

Most of the time the person has good intentions and just wants to help (or have a chat)...

But unfortunately advice from strangers is nearly always incorrect. It's certainly not going to be specific to your dog's unique requirements and is often based on punishment or outdated ideas of dominance.

While we don't want to be rude or cause an argument, it's also important to be firm when you get unsolicited advice and not let it affect your confidence or distract from your training.

With that in mind, here's my favourite way to end these conversations politely but quickly.

Have you had any unsolicited dog advice recently? Let me know in the comments!

11/03/2025

Have you ever been told that you need to be "firmer" with strong, reactive dogs - or even use punishment-based methods?

Here's Luca the German Shepherd Cross doing a great job at showing this isn't the case!

It's a really common misconception that big, strong breeds (like GSDs, Malinois and Rottweilers) can't be trained without punishment...

But the truth is that no dog needs aversive equipment, punishment-based methods, or even a "firm hand" to change their behaviour.

In fact, these methods only make their anxiety and reactivity worse in the long run.

Before I started working with him and his dad, Luca had a history of lunging and barking at any dog he sees on walks - even those up to 25 metres away! As you can imagine, this made walks very difficult and stressful.

It's taken months of dedication and support from his dad, but in the video you can now see Luca walking happily with my dog Waffle. This is HUGE progress and has been entirely achieved with patience, kindness, tasty treats and a slow introduction.

Behaviour change doesn't happen overnight, but Luca didn't need to experience any pain or fear to get to this point.

He's a total gem and I know he and his dad will continue to make amazing progress. Well done Luca!

Meet the ever so handsome and sweet Murphy. This adorable fluffball is one smart cookie and generally very chilled out! ...
02/03/2025

Meet the ever so handsome and sweet Murphy. This adorable fluffball is one smart cookie and generally very chilled out! 🍪

Murphy loves learning new things, being social and more than anything his mum!

Many dogs who have formed deep attachments with their family aren't keen on being left alone. But Murphy has clinical separation anxiety, which meant his mum couldn't step out for a moment without him panicking. 😞

There are an overwhelming amount of opinions out there about overcoming separation anxiety, ranging from letting the dog cry it out to giving them a stuffed Kong. However, the only scientifically proven way (that is also ethical!) is a gradual desensitisation programme that allows the dog to conquer their fear at a pace they can handle. 🐶

This can take a long time and a lot of commitment from the dog's family, but thankfully Murphy's mum is a total gem and has already been implementing training successfully for 4 weeks now with amazing progress. 💪

So proud of this dynamic duo! Looking forward to catching up with Murphy soon. 🥰

27/02/2025

Ever wondered if your dog is actually enjoying being stroked or just tolerating it? 🐶

There's an easy way to check - and this video of Goose the Labrador cross is a perfect example!

➡️ Simply pause for a moment and see if they lean in, paw you, nudge you, or otherwise move towards you. If they do, they probably want more! But if they move away they are saying they've had enough for now.

The reason we need to pause is that dogs often don't feel able to move away during physical contact. It's only when we stop for a moment that many dogs feel able to get some distance.

Remember that dogs (like humans!) have preferences and limits.

We need to make sure they are enjoying the affection we give them, as this builds trust, reduces stress, and helps prevent unwanted reactions (like a warning growl or even a bite).

Try it with your dog and let me know how they ask you for more affection! ⭐

21/02/2025

Struggling to keep your dog entertained with all this bad weather? Try these 3 quick indoor enrichment games for a mental workout!

1️⃣ Hide & Seek With Treats
This game is really simple but a lot of fun! Plus it activates your dog's nose, which is a great way to provide mental enrichment and release calming hormones.

All you need to do is hide a few treats in a room before letting your dog in to find them. Make sure you start with easy "hiding" places if your dog is new to the game. You can increase the difficulty over time as they start to understand the game better.

I really love watching dogs when they get super into this game - and I'm sure your dog will enjoy it too! 😀

2️⃣ Towel Rollup
A quick way to make a DIY puzzle toy is to roll some treats or kibble inside a towel, then let your dog try to work out how to get to them.

It's actually much more difficult than you think without opposable thumbs! If your dog finds it too challenging you can help them unroll it the first few times. Equally if your dog can do this super quickly, use more towels pass the parcel style!

I find this game works best if your dog sees you roll up the treats (especially for the first few times.)

3️⃣ DIY Destruction/Forage Box
This game takes a bit more planning, but can provide lots of entertainment and enrichment for your dog. Fill an old shoe box with toys, tissue paper, cardboard, and a few treats, then let your dog try to work out how to get inside and find the goodies.

Some dogs will love the challenge of ripping up the box to find the treats and toys. Others, like Waffle in the video, may need some help even getting the box open! Just see how your dog goes and adjust accordingly - it's fine to help them out as much as they need 🐶

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Monday 09:00 - 17:00
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Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00

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Mindful Paws

Mindful Paws was founded and created by Rebecca, a fully accredited trainer and life long canine fanatic, who aspires to ensure as many dogs as possible live a calm, healthy and content life in a human world.

Rebecca believes in empowering people to make measured, knowledgeable and compassionate decisions on behalf of their dog on a daily basis. Often challenges faced between dogs and people can come down to misunderstandings - the dog sees the sofa as a chew toy, the person does not! Mindful Paws is here to help bridge the gap and offer training to help with current and potential future behavioural issues.

Rebecca transitioned into the dog world working for several years within Assistance dogs UK, training dogs to change people’s lives and teaching clients to care for their wonderful service dog. Following this she moved to a large rescue centre, helping train and rehabilitate hundreds of dogs, many of whom had behavioural issues.

Mindful Paws was set up to directly help those struggling to manage their dog’s behaviour. Rebecca knows first hand how difficult it can be raising a dog that becomes stressed by the sight of a person or barks at the slightest noise, but with the right training and management, it really does get better.