Pup Talk

Pup Talk Niki French is the go-to trainer for anxious and reactive dogs struggling on walks. Walking Your Dog

Giving stressed out dog parents hope and practical help with Pup Talk 1-2-1 training, community membership and best selling book STOP!

Husbandry can be one of the most stressful parts of living with a sensitive, anxious or reactive dog.Grooming.Nails.Teet...
10/01/2026

Husbandry can be one of the most stressful parts of living with a sensitive, anxious or reactive dog.

Grooming.
Nails.
Teeth cleaning.
Ear and eye care.
Handling for vet visits.

Even with a new puppy, these things can feel surprisingly hard.

They’re often the bits we know matter – but quietly avoid because they feel overwhelming, emotional, or like one wrong move could undo trust.

So this month, inside Pup Talk The Pack, we’re taking a very different approach.

We’re focusing on one small husbandry goal and working on it in tiny, achievable steps.

No pressure.
No perfection.
Just calm, effective progress.

You can do this even if you’re not in the membership

Here’s the framework we’re using – and it works beautifully at home:

1️⃣ Choose one husbandry area to focus on (grooming, nail care, ears, eyes, teeth, handling for vet visits).

2️⃣ Decide how often feels realistic. Once a week? Every other day? One minute a day?

3️⃣ Keep it flexible. If life gets in the way, that’s OK. You’re almost certainly still doing more than you would have otherwise.

4️⃣ Break it down into tiny steps. Smaller really is better here.

My own example:

I’m currently working towards being able to use clippers on Bodie, so the vet can take a blood sample.

That doesn’t mean “clipper on leg, job done”.

It means:

- Middle position with a chin rest

- Bucket game

- Clipper noise

- Clipper vibration

- Then gradually combining those pieces.

One minute at a time. No rushing. No forcing.

How the membership supports this - inside Pup Talk The Pack this month, I’m:

Helping people break big goals into realistic, dog-friendly steps.

Sharing videos and ideas to troubleshoot tricky moments.

Posting gentle check-ins for accountability.

Offering feedback on short videos for anyone who wants direct coaching.

This is the kind of thing that rarely gets “fixed” in a single session – and where ongoing support really matters.

If husbandry has been one of those “we really need to work on this” areas for you, this is a calm, supportive way to start.

You don’t have to do it alone.

Find out more about Pup Talk The Pack here https://pup-talk.mykajabi.com/the-pack

This is what ongoing support looks like when your dog isn’t straightforward – and you don’t want generic advice.Inside P...
06/01/2026

This is what ongoing support looks like when your dog isn’t straightforward – and you don’t want generic advice.

Inside Pup Talk The Pack, we talk about real dogs, real lives and the things that don’t fit neatly into a training checklist.

Not in a rushed, overwhelming way.
Not with pressure to “fix everything”.
But through calm, thoughtful conversations that help you understand why things are happening – and what kind steps might help next.

You don’t have to watch everything.
You don’t have to do everything.
You just need somewhere steady to land when questions come up.

🧡 Membership is £45/month
🧡 New members can try their first month for 50% off with THEPACK50

The link is in the comments, or DM me to see if it's right for you.

"For a long time we were treading water. But the Rogue that lives with us today is unrecognisable."Helping our dogs isn’...
29/12/2025

"For a long time we were treading water. But the Rogue that lives with us today is unrecognisable."

Helping our dogs isn’t about quick fixes or “good/bad behaviour”.

It’s about time, support, understanding, and having somewhere to turn when things feel hard.

Pup Talk The Pack is there for the long haul - the ups, the plateaus, the breakthroughs, and the days where you just need reassurance that you’re on the right path.

If this kind of ongoing support would help you and your dog, it’s worth knowing that the price for new members will increase to £45/month from 1st January 2026.

For more details visit https://pup-talk.mykajabi.com/the-pack

"Before joining Pup Talk The Pack, we lots of issues with Ella. The last 12 months we've made excellent progress. I can'...
29/12/2025

"Before joining Pup Talk The Pack, we lots of issues with Ella. The last 12 months we've made excellent progress. I can't recommend the group highly enough; it's been invaluable."

Progress doesn’t always look dramatic from the outside.

Often it’s quieter, steadier, and built from lots of small, supportive moments over time.

The Pack is designed to support exactly that - realistic, compassionate progress that fits real life and real dogs.

If you’ve been thinking about joining, now’s a great time to take a look.

The price for new members increases to £45/month on 1st January 2026, and joining before then locks in the current lower rate.
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For more details visit https://pup-talk.mykajabi.com/the-pack

“It’s the best thing I have done this year”Living with a sensitive or anxious dog can be isolating. It can be stressful....
28/12/2025

“It’s the best thing I have done this year”

Living with a sensitive or anxious dog can be isolating. It can be stressful.

Having a space where you feel understood, supported and gently guided can make a huge difference - not just for your dog, but for you too.

That’s what Pup Talk The Pack is about.

The price for new members increases to £45/month from 1st January 2026.

Join before then and you’ll keep the current lower rate for as long as you stay a member.

For more details visit https://pup-talk.mykajabi.com/the-pack

Some days it feels like you should be doing more.More training.More progress.More fixing.And that pressure can be exhaus...
28/12/2025

Some days it feels like you should be doing more.

More training.
More progress.
More fixing.

And that pressure can be exhausting.

Here’s something I come back to again and again – with Bodie, and with the people I work with:

One step really is enough.

Not the perfect step.
Not the biggest one.
Just the next kind, doable one.

Sometimes that’s stopping early.
Sometimes it’s letting calm be “good enough”.
Sometimes it’s simply noticing a tiny win.

This is exactly how real change happens – especially for anxious, sensitive or reactive dogs.

Inside Pup Talk The Pack, that’s what we focus on.
Small steps. Real life. Ongoing support.

The membership price increases on January 1st – if you join before then, you lock in the current rate.

One step. Supported. At your pace.

The link is in the comments below.

I don’t often talk about why I do this work – but this conversation gave me the chance to slow down and reflect.I was re...
19/12/2025

I don’t often talk about why I do this work – but this conversation gave me the chance to slow down and reflect.

I was recently a guest on the podcast, chatting with Clayton Payne about the very winding path that led me here. From a corporate career, through a life-changing accident, to working with anxious, sensitive and reactive dogs every day.

We talked about:

- What happens when life forces you to stop and rethink everything.
- Why traditional “just walk your dog” advice doesn’t work for every dog.
- The power of enrichment, choice and doing less – not more.
- And how supporting the human is just as important as supporting the dog.

If you’ve ever felt like:

Walks feel harder than they should.
Your dog doesn’t fit the mould.
You’re doing everything you can but still feel unsure.

This one’s for you ♥️

Links to listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify are in the comments below.

You might not have heard of ACE Free Work before.It’s not a trick.It’s not about cues or commands.And it’s not about pus...
17/12/2025

You might not have heard of ACE Free Work before.

It’s not a trick.
It’s not about cues or commands.
And it’s not about pushing dogs to cope with things they find hard.

ACE Free Work is a gentle, sensory-based activity that helps dogs relax, rebalance and feel safe in their own bodies.

And at this time of year, that can make a huge difference.

The festive season often brings:

- Changes to routine.
- Busier, noisier households.
- Visiting other people’s homes.
- Poor weather and tricky walks.
- The build-up to New Year’s Eve and more flipping fireworks!

Even settled dogs can find all of that a bit overwhelming.

That’s why I’ve written a new blog: 10 reasons to use ACE Free Work this Christmas
https://puptalk.co.uk/10-reasons-to-use-ace-free-work-this-christmas/

It’s not a how-to guide.
It explains why ACE Free Work can be such a powerful support for dogs during the festive season - and why it so often becomes part of everyday life, long after Christmas is over.

If you’d like to try it, you don’t need to buy anything.

I’ve created a free 9-page guide that shows you how to get started using everyday items you already have at home.

It's comprehensive, but easy to follow.

Click on this link to get your free guide: https://go.puptalk.co.uk/how-to-get-started-with-ace-free-work-landing-page/

Sometimes the most helpful things are the ones you didn’t even know existed yet.

The unseen side of “reactive” dogsDo you wish other people saw your dog as you do?If they knew how brave your “reactive”...
15/12/2025

The unseen side of “reactive” dogs

Do you wish other people saw your dog as you do?

If they knew how brave your “reactive” dog is in situations that worry them.

How funny.
How gentle.
How joyful.

The world often sees the barking and lunging.
Their special humans see everything else.

Inside Pup Talk The Pack, this is what we celebrate every week.
Tiny wins, brave choices, and the softness behind the struggles.

Join before 1st Jan to lock in the current subscription of £30/month: https://pup-talk.mykajabi.com/the-pack

When you care for a sensitive, anxious or easily overwhelmed dog, it can feel like the rest of the world doesn’t underst...
10/12/2025

When you care for a sensitive, anxious or easily overwhelmed dog, it can feel like the rest of the world doesn’t understand what you’re navigating.

- Vet visits that go wrong.
- Reactions to strangers on walks.
- Visitors feeling too much.
- Comments that knock your confidence.

Inside Pup Talk The Pack, these moments don’t get met with judgement.

They’re met with empathy, lived experience, kindness, and practical support that feels doable in real life - not overwhelming.

This week, a member shared a really tough vet experience - the kind that knocks your confidence even when you’ve worked so hard with your dog.

Quickly, the group wrapped around them with reassurance, shared experiences, gentle wisdom, and the kind of empathy you simply don’t find in most dog spaces.

♥️ That’s the heart of The Pack.

If you’ve been wondering what it feels like to be in a space where people truly get it, now is a great time to try it.

The price for new members will increase to £45/month on 1st January 2026. Anyone who joins before then keeps the current lower rate.

If you’d like to chat about whether The Pack might be the right support for you and your dog, just send me a message. I’m always happy to talk things through.

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