Pawfect Fit Dog Training

08/06/2025

Well done to Ernie who graduated from the 121 Puppy Programme last week, he couldn't have done it without the help of Allison and Sarah who made a great team!

Well done Ernie!

05/06/2025

Please keep an eye out for Honey.

03/06/2025

Well done to the graduates from the last round of puppy classes, Hamish, Lottie, Winnie, Finlay and Bonnie.

01/06/2025

Book your place early, course limited to 4 dogs.

21/05/2025

Edit: Course now full

Just one space left for Puppy Class commencing 2nd June.

16/05/2025

We’re often asked how to prevent dogs going missing, and while every case is different, many of the searches we’re called to begin with an off-lead walk that didn’t go quite as expected.

Before you unclip the lead, it’s worth checking:

✅ Are you confident in your recall today?
Distractions vary. So does your dog’s focus.

✅ Are there livestock or wildlife nearby?
Even dogs with good recall may chase if something catches their eye.

✅ Is the area safe and open enough for you to respond if needed?
Steep drops, dense cover, or busy paths can make things harder to manage.

✅ Is your dog ready to respond to you? If they’re overexcited, distracted, or not quite tuned in, it may be better to wait.

Small decisions can make a big difference!

05/05/2025

28/04/2025

Blossom was so overwhelmed by the outside world that she would bark from the second she left the house until she got back home, seeing dogs, cars and other people on her walks made the barking worse and more frantic. Over the last 6 months Blossom's guardian has worked hard to reduce her reactivity by making changes to her daily routine to help reduce her stress and increase her confidence. Blossom is now much calmer on her walks and does not react to cars; dogs and people are still triggers for her although her reactions and recovery time are much improved. Blossom and her guardian still have some work to do but her progress so far has been amazing! Well done Blossom.

26/04/2025

A massive well done to the graduates from the last Puppy and Beginners Class, Barney, Larry, Comet, Douglas, Tia-Maria and Rizzo.

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.