Pawfect Fit Dog Training

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.

27/01/2025

The big buzz word with puppies these days is Socialization. But what does it actually mean?

Does it mean cramming as many experiences as you can into your puppy’s life before they reach 3 months old? Does it mean allowing them to run off and play with whoever they want to, whenever they want to?

Would it surprise you to learn that this is not what socialisation is all about?

Basically, socialisation is about providing your puppy with as many positive, enjoyable, safe and varied experiences as you can. By doing this you are helping to build resilience and confidence.

Socialisation starts from around 3 weeks of age and although the main window for socialisation is up to 12 weeks it is a lifelong process. A good breeder should provide you with a list of all the things your puppy has been exposed to. When you get them home their main interactions are with their new family with different sights, sounds and smells. Exposure to different environments and people has to be done at your puppy’s pace, over exposure or ‘flooding’ is likely to scare them and damage their relationship with you. Give them time to process what they see/smell/hear and allow them room to back away and approach at their own pace if needed and never force your puppy to interact with something they are not sure of.

As for those doggy relationships, allowing your puppy to play with every dog they see is a recipe for disaster. Choose your play partners carefully, always ask if your dog can be introduced to a strange dog, not all dogs like to be pounced on by an over enthusiastic puppy and the last thing you want is your puppy to be scared by the reaction of another dog as this can have a lasting impact.

It’s not a race; build trust, build a bond and have a confident and resilient pup.

20/01/2025

Got a New Puppy?
Get them off to a great start -
Puppy class - Monday 3rd March 2025 - 7pm to 8.15pm
6 weeks course, £135.00 for dogs up to age 22 weeks at the start of the course.
Only 2 places left.

Too old for puppy class? no problem do our Beginners Class instead -
Beginners Class - Tuesday 4th March 2025 7pm to 8.15pm
6 week course, £135 for dogs over 22 weeks at the start of the course.
Only 2 places left.

All classes held at Foxhole Community Centre, Belfield Road, Paignton.
Free Parking.

Please contact me for details.

13/01/2025

I can count on one hand the number of times I have been contacted by someone for advice on which breed of dog would be suitable for them before they get one. Often the decision to have a specific breed of dog is based on how cute they look, or how well behaved a friends dog is.

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes, they all have specific needs relative to their breed and size, which may not be a good fit for your lifestyle. There is a lot to consider before making a 10-15 year commitment to care for a dogs physical and emotional needs.

11/01/2025

Thank you, Shay Kelly for this.

06/01/2025

The puppy class graduates had a great time exploring and practicing behaviours with distractions.

03/01/2025

--------------------------

There’s only one new year's resolution that matters this year…

Making ALL the dogs as happy as can be.

Start the year as you mean to go on with boundless play that’ll boost your bond and snap up a serious saving with Tug-E-Nuff.

Get 20% off ANY two toys >>> just hit the link below and get shopping!

https://tug-e-nuff.com/offer?ref=pawfectfitdogtraining

As a Tug-E-Nuff partner, I’m so happy to be able to share this EXCLUSIVE offer with you. Their toys are AWESOME training aids and can be used in so many ways.

From supercharging recall to scentwork and confidence building, there really is so much you can achieve with your dog through the power of play with Tug-E-Nuff toys.

Best of all?! They take your play to legendary levels - once you go Tug-E-Nuff, you never go back!

Full transparency: I do get a thank you from Tug-E-Nuff from any purchases made via this link, but you pay no more and I’d recommend them even if I didn’t!

So go on, hop on over and grab some new toys to supercharge your play this year.

https://tug-e-nuff.com/offer?ref=pawfectfitdogtraining

Get the latest official Tug-E-Nuff discounts and special offers and swoop up oomph-tastic toys your dog will go wild for.

02/01/2025

Happy New Year!

Get your puppy off to the best start this year.
Just one place left on the puppy course commencing on 20th January.

Edit: course now fully booked, but there are still 121 puppy slots available.

Please message me for details.

23/12/2024

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and best wishes for a happy 2025!

I am taking a short break now, and will be back seeing clients from 2nd January. During this time it may take a while for me to reply to messages and emails. Thank you to all my lovely clients for their support in the last year.

16/12/2024

A repost from last year to help you through Christmas with your dog.

Christmas prep is well underway, by now you are probably wrapping gifts, writing food shopping lists etc., but have you spared a thought for your dog?

Doggy pressie all wrapped, doggy Christmas dinner ready to go, but have you thought what Christmas means to your dog?

• House full of strangers (some slightly tipsy), endless attention and being cuddled.
• Lots of noise, laughter, dancing, party games, crackers, party poppers.
• New smells, tree, food, perfume.
• Furniture moved from its normal place, decorations appearing.
• Food appearing at dog height and being fed titbits, some of which might not be suitable for your dog to eat.
• In short INFORMATION OVERLOAD!

Are you 100% sure your dog will remain calm and happy with all this going on?
• Keep an eye on your dog, watch their body language, are they starting to look nervous or becoming over excited?
• Make sure they get enough sleep.
• Create a safe space for them, away from visitors that they have access to if they want a break, this should be away from the main thoroughfare.
• Use stairgates to separate your dog from guests – make sure they all know not to disturb them if they are behind the gate.
• While you may think tiring them out with a good long run will help them to sleep, the last thing your dogs’ needs is more stimulation with lots of chasing and ball play. A sniffy walk will help them to decompress and relax.

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...

09/12/2024

It is great to work with other dog professionals who are passionate about the welfare of the dogs they work with. I recently ran a walking at heel and recall group class exclusively for Pluto's Pet Care clients. This is some of the feedback received:

‘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!!’

‘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.’

06/12/2024

02/12/2024

It’s that time of year again, when we start to think about Christmas presents, the shelves are full of bright toys and Doggy Xmas stockings.

If you are thinking of buying food treats for your dog this Christmas, make sure you check the labels. Many brightly coloured products are manufactured to appeal to our tastes, not your dog, who basically doesn’t care what colour the food is.

BUT before you buy have a think about what is included in those funky colourful treats. One no-go ingredient for me is rawhide/beef hide – unfortunately that is what most of those colourful shapes are made from. Rawhide is treated with toxic chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, formaldehyde, sodium sulphide and arsenic. it is not considered to be a food item and therefore manufacturers are not required to list how they treat this product during manufacture. To make it even worse those shapes are formed by using glue to keep them in place. They have zero nutritional value, and your dog can retain the remains of rawhide in their tummy as it is not easy to digest.

Nice stuff, eh?

Go for natural chews like pig, cow or goat ears, pizzles etc. purchased from a reputable source and make sure they don’t have any added ingredients.

Treats matter to your dog’s health as much as their main food, give your Dog the safer option this Christmas.

18/11/2024

Group Class Dates 2025

Puppy class - 20th January 2025 - 7pm to 8.15pm
6 weeks £135.00 for dogs up to age 22 weeks at the start of the course.

All classes held at Foxhole Community Centre, Belfield Road, Paignton.
Free Parking.

Please contact me for details.

06/11/2024

A few graduation photo's from the latest group classes.

02/11/2024

What was that?

I stand alert, ears up, tail up, sniffing the air – I heard a bang, and I smell something strange. I walk around the room looking for the thing that made the noise, then it goes again, louder, this time there are crackles and whistles too, it hurts my ears, the air smells bad and I feel vibrations with each sound. I feel scared. All my instincts are telling me to run, but I can’t get out, so I look for somewhere safe to hide. I take cover under the bed, I feel safer, but I still tremble in fear.

My guardians try and tempt me to come out with a piece of food, I don’t want it; even sausage can’t persuade me to move. I try to tell them I am scared, but they don't understand.


It’s not up to us to decide where our dogs feel safe. We might think they will feel safer cuddling up to us, but that isn’t always the case. If your dog goes to a place they feel safe, don’t force them to leave it, let them choose when they want to come out, sit by them so they know you are close but do everything on their terms. If your dog comes to you for reassurance, then don’t ignore them. Comforting your dog when they ask for it will not reinforce their fear.

Tips for helping your dog
1. Walk them before it gets dark
2. Make sure your home and garden are secure
3. Give your dog access to their safe space/crate/den at all times. Covering the top of the crate with a blanket sometimes makes them feel safer
4. Close the curtains and leave on the lights and radio. A random playlist may help
5. Try placing an air circulating fan in front of the window (fan blades to glass), this can help to distort the sound
6. Invest in a Pet Remedy diffuser and leave it on before, during, and after the fireworks are let off – use code PAWFECTFIT25 for a discount.
7. Reassure them and give them comfort if they come to you
8. Don’t try and ‘take their mind off it’ by playing or offering them their favourite foods – this can create negative associations
9. Don’t force your dog to go outside and watch – this is called flooding (fear conditioning) and will increase their fear and potentially cause other problems

Remember, every dog is different. Just because your previous dog wasn't bothered by fireworks doesn't mean your current dog will be the same.