Pawfect Fit Dog Training

24/04/2025

Book your place early for puppy class and beginners class.

22/04/2025

Thank you Know Your Dog - Behaviour & Training with Sally Lewis, never be afraid to advocate for your dog.

A post that shouldn’t need writing.

This week, several of my clients have contacted me to say that their on-lead dogs have been ran at and attacked by off-lead dogs. Some of them have then been blamed by the person walking the off-lead dog. Many of my clients have nervous dogs, and their families have worked really hard to help them feel more confident in the outside world. Some also have pain issues and could be seriously hurt by a dog running over and knocking in to them.

One of these incidents involved an off-lead dog running across a busy main road and having a go at an on-lead dog, who was being walked on a pavement.

So often when this happens, people are met with abuse when they ask the person with the off-lead dog to recall them or regain control of them. Here are some details about dog law that you NEED to be aware of if your dog is off-lead.

1. Failing to have control over your dog is breaking the law. If you know that your dog does not have reliable recall then you should not let them off of their lead. You can use long lines in appropriate spaces, to allow them more freedom without them being completely off-lead.
2. If your dog is behaving dangerously in a public or private space and causing reasonable fear of harm, you are breaking the law.
3. Having your dog off-lead on a designated road is breaking the law (Road Traffic Act 1988).
4. Your local authority may have further bylaws stipulating lengths of leads required on pavements. For example, my local council stipulates that dogs should be on a lead of 1 metre on pavements.
5. Your dog should be on lead on Open Access Land between 1st March and 31st July regardless of if you can see livestock or not. This law got some traction in the media last month but is not new.

Everyone is entitled to an enjoyable time outside. It is nice to see your dog having time off lead but if you know that they behave in a way that could be harmful to other people and dogs, you need to keep them on a lead. It isn’t fair to blame on-lead dogs or say that they should “sort it out themselves” which is quite frankly, dangerous. You have no idea how hard somebody has worked to help that on-lead dog comfortable on their walks, emotionally or physically. You have no idea how much your dog could hurt the on-lead dog that they charge in to, and how that happening could result in the dog having to have reduced exercise and take increased pain relief. Just take accountability for the situation.

If your dog has reasonably reliable recall and isn’t antagonistic towards other dogs, but has the occasional wobble which you are working really hard to stop happening, this isn’t aimed at you! 😊 Sadly, there are folks out there who do know that their dog will run over and behave in a hostile manner towards other dogs, but instead of apologising at the time and learning from it, they blame the other person/dog. It is simply unfair.
Please also note that even if your not is not antagonistic towards other dogs or people, you should still be able to call them away, and it is still not advisable to let your dog run up to on-lead dogs. Everyone should be able to go outside without worry of being approached in an unwanted way.

For my overseas followers, please note I'm based in South West England, and I am referencing laws that apply to where I live.

21/04/2025

A huge well done to our teams in the Follow on Life Skills Class, Lucy, Buddy and Buster all achieved the IMDT Partnership Grade 1 after perfecting the required skills.

19/04/2025

Good advice in this post

Not trying to interact with the dogs we see on the street or in homes can make a huge difference to both the dog and owner.

It can help puppies build confidence and impulse control, make worried or reactive dogs feel safer and set the owner up for success.

Not to take away the joy of meeting dogs, but both dog and owner will make it pretty clear if they are keen to interact. And that’s when the question can the be asked if it’s okay to say hello.

Some of the best relationships I’ve had with dogs has started from waiting for them to make contact first.

14/04/2025

Have a safe and happy Easter Holidays.

09/04/2025

Thank you Koven Moodley - Smart Pet Behaviour for this post.

WHY I DON'T USE PUNISHMENT (P+) IN DOG TRAINING OR BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION

Punishment-based dog training or behaviour modification often fails because it doesn't teach dogs what to do, instead, it only suppresses unwanted behaviors, leading to fear, anxiety, and potentially aggression, while also damaging the bond between dog and owner.

Some consequences of positive punishment are:

1. Punishment doesn't teach desired behaviors
Punishment focuses on what the dog shouldn't do, not what it should do, leaving the dog confused and unsure of what is expected.

2. Punishment creates fear and anxiety
Punishing a dog can lead to fear and anxiety, as they may associate the punishment with you or the situation, potentially causing them to become fearful or aggressive.

3. Punishment damages relationships
Punishment can damage the bond between you and your dog, as they may begin to distrust or fear you.

4. Punishment doesn't address the root cause of the behaviour
Punishment only addresses the symptom of the problem, not the underlying cause, which can lead to the behaviour resurfacing later.

5. Punishment can backfire
Dogs may learn to avoid situations or people associated with punishment, rather than learning the desired behaviour.

6. Punishment requires constant supervision and consistency
Punishment needs to be immediate, consistent, and severe enough to be effective, which can be difficult to achieve and may lead to unintended consequences.

Punishment can be, inter-alia:
Yanking, pushing or shoving
Corrections
Yelling and scolding
Finger pointing
Spray bottles
Use of choke chains, prong collars, shock collars , head harnesses, no pull harnesses or martingale collars
Withholding food, water or a warm place to rest
Withholding comfort when your dog is scared
Early pinching
Kneeing
Intimidation of any kind
Hitting or smacking
Forcing a dog to confront his fears or to 'get over it'
Saying "No!"
Saying "stop it!"

100% Positive reinforcement and not balanced training, is definitely effective in the long run, so instead of punishing unwanted behaviours, focus on rewarding and reinforcing desired behaviors which is a more effective and humane way to train dogs or modify behaviour.

Find a force-free, positive reinforcement, ethical trainer or behaviour professional to help you understand how to best work with your dog. Be aware of those punting the words 'balanced' and 'corrections' while throwing treats at your dog - they are not ethical professionals.

Note 1 - I am not going to argue with balanced trainers. I'm here to use my knowledge, education, skills and compassion to help my clients and their dogs. You do you and I will do me. Also be assured that I won't come onto your page to argue with you on your philosophies, ethics and knowledge.

Note 2 - this post does not cover emergencies like your dog running into the road or engaged in any dangerous situation. This post is about being proactive as opposed to reactive. It is not about setting your dog up for failure but rather to give them the skills to be successful with your assistance when confronted with a trigger.

Some sources:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787817300357

https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2053&context=hc_sas_etds

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7743949/ #:~:text=These%20findings%20indicate%20that%20aversive,and%20outside%20the%20training%20context.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-46333-003

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318577941_Do_aversive-based_training_methods_actually_compromise_dog_welfare_A_literature_review

www.smartpetbehaviour.com
www.coape.org
www.cabti.org

07/04/2025

I recently had my last session with this handsome boy. His guardian contacted me to help him to manage his interactions with other dogs, improve his walking at heel and manage his enthusiastic greetings of people. His guardian was already doing a great job in providing him with breed outlets, appropriate exercise and mental enrichment and we just made a few tweaks to some of these before focusing on engagement, training for walking on a loose lead and focus exercises. He made great progress in 3 months and even managed to cope with a house move.

31/03/2025

Just one space left on the puppy class starting on 10th April. Will you and your puppy be joining us?

30/03/2025

Happy Mother Day to all the dog mums, whether hooman or canine!

Photo by Richard Brutyo on Unsplash

29/03/2025

24/03/2025

Why choose in person training for your dog?

An experienced trainer can adjust training exercises and provide advice to help you meet the physical and emotional needs of your dog, based on their age and breed, evaluating their body language, emotional state, physical ability and motivation.
Tweak your movements, body position and alter the exercises depending on your needs and physical abilities.
Provide you with helpful hints and tips about how dogs learn and how to get the best possible successes with your dog.
Help you to understand when your dog needs a break.
Work with you to establish your dogs favourite rewards and ensure you are delivering the rewards at the right pace and in the right area.

If you are struggling and need help with training basic exercises or behaviour problems please message me for an informal chat to see how I can help.

Please remember that it takes time, patience and a lot of effort on your part to train a dog or carry out an effective behaviour modification programme, the sessions you have with the trainer or behaviourist are just the beginning of the journey, its what you do on the way to your destination that makes all the difference.

Happy Travels

20/03/2025

Today is National Dogs in Yellow Day.

Dogs wear yellow harnesses, collars, lead sleeves, leads and bandana's because they need space, space from other dogs and/or people. Please raise awareness and respect the emotional needs of dogs who wear yellow.

10/03/2025

03/03/2025

A few snaps of the wonderful dogs and guardians who attended the last group of classes. Well done , Luna, Lucy, Nellie, Luna, Honey, Titan, Arthur and Hugo!

24/02/2025

Don't miss out, get your puppy off to the best start with a qualified IMDT trainer and behaviourist.

Two places left on the puppy course starting on 3rd March

One place left on the Beginners Course (6m plus) 4th March

Foxhole Community Centre, Paignton
7pm -8.15pm, 6 week course £135.00

09/02/2025

Just a few spaces left, book early to avoid disappointment

03/02/2025

Its always good to get feedback from clients who have attended a group class.

'I just wanted to thank you for your help over the last four weeks. I just wanted to tell you that I have had two really wonderful walks with Connie the last two days. She is so much less “pully” now and I’m sure with more practice she will perfect the loose lead walking. I also took her to the beach and her recall was spot on again. I have also made huge progress with the barking for food and attention. So thank you so much. Lizzie'

'Thank you for the course Julie. We all learned a lot. Bertie is already better at not jumping up, and has improved on loose lead. We will keep on practising!!
Take care, Gill, Paul and Bertie.'

Check out my website for the courses on offer.

My name is Julie Sheppard, I am a trainer who understands the emotions linked to your dog’s behaviour. I specialise in 1-2-1 training and small group classes in Paignton, South Devon. My approach to training is relaxed, friendly, fun, and completely force-free. I offer advice, support, and progres...

02/02/2025

They feel fear, happiness, panic, sadness, stress, anxiousness and love (in addition to so many other emotions) just like 2-3 year toddlers...we should NEVER hurt them physically or emotionally.