Overwhelmed Gundogs often struggle to engage in new activities, but with patience and small, manageable steps, transformation is possible. 🐾
At the weekend, I worked with two overwhelmed Gundogs, completely different situations but a similar approach. Both Gundogs initially found even simple behaviour games too much, barely able to engage with what was asked of them. For example, one started by just being able to acknowledge a dummy a few steps ahead. It wasn’t that the dog couldn’t see it, it was too overwhelmed to point it out or interact with it. No pressure, just encouragement and rewards for tiny successes.
Fast forward a few weeks, and this Gundogs is running in, tail wagging, excited to play “Go Find”! The difference? Confidence built over time and no pressure to succeed!
If your gundog struggles to engage, don’t give up. Break the game down into baby steps, celebrate every small win, and watch how they grow. Remember: progress is progress, no matter how small it looks to others. Have you tried breaking things into baby steps for your dog? Let me know!
#ConfidentCanine #GundogTraining #OverwhelmedGundogs #GundogTrainingJourney #HolisticGundogTraining
Stop saying no to your reactive gundog. 💔
Growling isn’t bad behaviour, it’s communication. Saying "no" to your reactive gundog doesn’t help them feel better; it just teaches them to stop expressing their discomfort, which can lead to worse behaviours happening ‘without warning’ because we have told them that giving that warning is not appropriate3.
Instead, respond with calm reassurance: "It’s okay, I’m here to help" Starting working on changing their environment, reducing their stress, helping them feel more confident and emotionally supported and let them know you’re listening.
Need a plan and support? Reach out for professional guidance and create a plan to help them thrive. 🐾
#GundogTraining #ReactiveGundogSupport #HolisticDogTraining #CalmCanine #GundogBehaviourHelp #ConfidentCanine
🐾 The importance of early puppy training for your gundog puppy🐾
Bringing a new gundog puppy home is such an exciting time! They’re so cute, playful, and full of potential. But here’s the thing, if you don’t prioritise the right training early, those little quirks can quickly turn into big problems.
🐕🦺 Common issues I see include:
✅ Puppies pulling on the lead, which becomes a challenge when they’re older.
✅ Shy pups not building confidence, leading to reactivity later.
✅ Puppies "taking you for a walk" rather than learning to walk nicely.
✅ Puppies without recalls because no value has been built or because recall cues have been 'poisoned'
✅ No connect when out because they have become 'self-employed' rather than having learned to work with their owner on a walk.
You don’t have to wait for problems to arise before seeking help. A professional perspective can spot potential issues before they escalate, helping you raise a confident, well-mannered gundog.
👀 You can’t read the label from inside the jar, sometimes it takes an outside eye to see what’s unfolding. Let me help you get it right from the start.
Get in touch to learn how I can support you and your gundog through those crucial early months. Visit www.confidentcanine.co.uk, drop me a message, or comment below to find out more. Let me help you raise your gundog puppy the right way!
#GundogPuppyTraining #HolisticGundogCare #ConfidentGundogs #EssexGundogs #PositiveGundogTraining #PuppyTips
When working with reactive gundogs, the goal isn’t just to manage their reactivity, it’s to help them discover joy in the spaces they might have found stressful 💖
Recently, I worked with a reactive gundog at a local park. This was a place they typically associated with tension and anxiety. On arrival their body language was tight, and their focus was consumed searching for triggers. But, we didn’t just focus on helping with reactive behaviours, we worked on transforming their experience entirely.
Through carefully tailored games and exercises, we shifted the emotional experience for this lovely gundog. Instead of treading the park nervously, the gundog started sniffing, exploring, and anticipating play 🐾
By the end of our session, their body language was open, their expression joyful, and their entire energy had transformed ✨
This is the power of focusing not only on challenges but on opportunities to create joy. If you have a reactive gundog, think about the spaces they find stressful. How can you bring in games, sniffing opportunities, or fun exercises to shift their focus?
Reactivity isn’t just a challenge to be managed ❤️
Where can you create joy for your gundog today? 🐕
#HolisticGundogTraining #ConfidentCanine #ReactiveGundogHelp #GundogTrainingEssex #JoyfulGundogs #CalmAndConnected
🐾 How Reiki can transform your gundog’s well-being 🐾
Did you know that Reiki is a holistic energy practice that can support your gundog’s emotional and physical balance? 🌟 As a Reiki master's teacher, I’ve seen how it works wonders for animals (and people!), especially those dealing with stress or anxiety.
Here’s just a few things that Reiki can do for your gundog:
✅ Promote deep relaxation and calmness
✅ Help balance energy and support natural healing
✅ Offer a gentle reset for anxious or overwhelmed dogs
✅ Promote healing
Imagine your gundog feeling more relaxed, balanced, and ready to take on the world. 💖 Whether they’re working in the field or a cherished companion at home, Reiki can make a huge difference in their lives.
Want to know more? Check out www.confidentcanine.co.uk, comment below, or send me a DM. I’d love to answer your questions! Let’s help your gundog thrive holistically ✨
#GundogWellbeing #HolisticGundogCare #EnergyHealingGundogs #ConfidentCanine #EssexGundogLovers #ReikiForGundogs
🐾 Let’s talk about guilt 🐾
As gundog owners, we put so much pressure on ourselves to get everything perfect, every cue, every session, every decision. But here’s the truth: guilt doesn’t serve you, and it doesn’t serve your gundog either.
So, if you’re feeling guilty about something today, here’s a simple mindset shift:
✨ Think of three things you got right, no matter how small they seem. Maybe it’s a moment of patience, a walk that felt connected, or simply showing up for your gundog despite a busy day.
When you focus on what’s going well, you break free from guilt and step into a space of growth and understanding. Training isn’t about perfection; it’s about connection, learning, and building trust together.
💛 What three things can you celebrate today?
Let’s share and inspire one another in the comments!
#HolisticGundogTraining #PositiveGundog #GundogOwnerSupport #GundogsOfInstagram #EssexGundogTrainer #GundogTrainingMindset
Struggling with loose leash walking, recall, gundog not listening? It’s not about your gundog being “naughty.” It’s about what they can or can’t cope with.
Frustration clouds progress, by focusing on helping your gundog navigate challenges and not taking it personally, you can then notice their triggers and troubles, adjust your approach, and build that bond 💕
#gundogtraining #holisticgundog #looseleadwalking #dogownersuk #essexgundogs #dogbehaviourtips
Feeling tired, or maybe your dog’s energy just isn’t there today, they feel under the weather today? 🧘♀️
Here’s a gentle reminder: It’s okay to have a day off from training. There’s no harm in pressing pause, especially if you’re not feeling up to it. Some days, the best thing we can do is just be with our dogs—no expectations, just presence and relaxation.
Training can wait, but our well-being (and our gundogs’) is essential. So if you’re feeling low, unwell, or just not up to it, give yourself permission to rest. Honour the moment, and remember that bonding with your gundog is more than training, it’s about being together and finding peace in the pauses.
✨ If you needed to hear this today, then take it as your sign. Just stop, just be, and just enjoy a day of calm together. 🌿
#BeKindToYourself #HolisticDogTraining #MindfulDogOwners #EssexDogs #SelfCareForDogParents #DogTrainingTips"
Are you marking and rewarding your gundog at the right moment? 🐾
A common mistake new gundog owners make is marking a good behaviour, like a lovely heel or loose-leash walk, and then asking for one more thing, often a sit, before actually rewarding their gundog.
Here's the challenge with this: when you add a cue after the behaviour you wanted (like a sit), your gundog will start to think that’s what is earning them the treat. So instead of reinforcing that beautiful walk, you’re actually just rewarding the sit!
💡 Tip of the Day: When you see the behaviour you want, mark it (with a clicker or cue word) and immediately reward. This keeps your gundog focused and helps them understand which behaviours you value.
✨ Ask yourself today: Are you rewarding for the action you love, or what comes next?
Remember, timing is everything in training!
#HolisticGundogTraining #RewardTiming #PetGundogTips #GundogTrainingUK #PositiveGundogTraining #EssexGundogOwners"
Holistic Gundog Training: The Missing Peace
Training a gundog goes beyond just teaching them to sit, stay, and come — at least, it does if you take a holistic approach. What makes my approach unique? It’s that missing peace — the powerful energy work that’s woven into all my training.
Energy is vibrational; it’s the force that moves, connects, and communicates with everything around us. And it’s something your dog is instinctively aware of every moment of every day.
Many trainers focus just on body language and physical signals, but holistic training takes it further. I incorporate energy work into every session because dogs are incredibly sensitive to the energy we bring into their space. They don’t just see other dogs; they feel the energy that other dogs carry.
Often, when I work with reactive dogs, the trigger isn’t what you’d expect. It’s not always a specific breed or size; it’s the energy a dog carries. Dogs communicate, respond to, and even guide one another using this awareness.
As a Reiki master, I know first-hand how much animals value energy work.
When dogs come for Reiki treatments, they instinctively present the areas that need help, almost as if they ask for that missing peace. By using this sensitivity in training, we create a deep bond and a balanced, calming effect that you’ll notice right away in your dog’s focus, responsiveness, and overall well-being.
If you want to experience a training approach that truly honours your dog’s whole being, get in touch. Discover the peace that holistic training brings.
#HolisticGundogTraining #EnergyHealing #DogReiki #GundogTrainer #EssexDogTrainer #PositiveDogTraining #HolisticDogCare #PurleighEssex #MindfulTraining #LetDogsBeDogs
How Energy is Transforming a Reactive Dog’s Journey
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of working with a wonderful owner and her reactive gundog. She’d made a lot of progress with traditional trainers, yet her dog still reacted “out of the blue” in certain situations. Other trainers had looked at behaviour patterns, body language, breed tendencies — all the usual factors — but couldn’t pinpoint the root cause.
As soon as we started our session, I could see that this wasn’t random behaviour; it was all about energy. You see, dogs are sensitive, vibrational beings. They communicate, feel, and even respond to the energies around them. During our walk, I observed several dogs approaching us, each carrying its unique energy. By tuning into the energetic field, I could tell which dog our reactive friend would struggle with, even before they reached us.
I took time to explain this to her owner, sharing pointers on what types of energy to look out for. When we train from this energetic perspective, we honour the whole dog, not just their behaviour. And the results? In just one session, this dog’s progress was so profound that other dog walkers noticed the shift immediately.
Holistic training recognises dogs as the vibrational, energy-sensitive beings they are. This “missing peace” brings a calm and clarity that typical training can overlook, helping dogs find their natural balance. For this lovely dog and her owner, it was the turning point they’d been searching for.
If you’re curious about a training approach that truly sees the whole dog, let’s connect. This missing peace could be the key to helping your dog thrive.
#HolisticGundogTraining #ReactiveDogSolutions #EnergyAwareness #DogReiki #EssexDogTrainer #PositiveDogTraining #MindfulDogTraining #PurleighEssex #LetDogsBeDogs
Is your dog feeling overwhelmed on walks? Walks can be a sensory overload for our sensitive gundogs, leading to stress and sometimes frantic behaviour.
One of the simplest yet most effective tips to help reduce their overwhelm is to just stop! It is that simple!
Here are three moments when it's especially helpful to pause:
1. After encountering wildlife, like squirrels or birds – these can really trigger your dog’s prey instincts and cause the over-excitement to tip over.
2. When passing other dogs or people – it gives your dog time to relax and reset, reducing overstimulation.
3. During sudden changes in the environment, like new smells or noises – this helps your gundog process then regain focus and calm down.
And when you stop, here are three top tips to make the most of it:
1. Allow your dog to just 'be' without directing them – they need this time to decompress.
2. Keep the lead short, but relaxed – this helps them settle without keeping busy feelings by inspecting the nearby environment, digging etc.
3. Stay present – practice mindfulness by breathing deeply, listening to the sounds around you, and being still. Your calm energy will help your dog find theirs.
Make this a consistent practice, and over time you’ll notice your dog becoming more relaxed and focused during walks.
Try the tip then come back and let me know how you get on! Or tag me in a video of your PAWS™ (Pause, Anchor, Wait, Start Again) break!
#HolisticGundogTraining #MindfulWalks #PreyDriveCalm #DogTrainingEssex #CalmWalksForDogs #WellnessForDogs #MindfulDogOwner #NaturalDogTraining #WorkingDogLife #PurleighDogTrainer
