Huxley & Hooch (2024)

18/11/2023

New kid on the block, furry kid being a dream 💛

27/10/2023

We all had a very lovely stay at a couple of weeks ago - the perfect level of outdoorsy-but-special which is exactly what I needed at my current size and our final trip as a trio!

📍Little Clacton (nice + local for us London folk!)
🐾 Loads of options for nice walks! We (Hux in particular) loved Frinton Beach, which was a short drive away from the hut
🐓 Rescue chickens free roam on site, so it's a definite dogs on leads situation! We also had plenty of other birds visit who Hux enjoyed watching from behind the safety of the windows in the mornings...
🐕 The lovely owners have a sensitive rescue dog themselves so are definitely dog people (dog isn't free roaming unsupervised) + offered a bed etc. for Hux
🛖 Just a generally relaxing and beautiful place to spend a few days! Would highly recommend a visit with or without dogs! 💛

16/10/2023

Final pup grads of the year! 🎓

Has it taken me 38268 years to post these? Yes! Is preparing for a baby and winding down a one-woman business at the same time more of a challenge than I anticipated? Also yes! 🤪

Absolutely adore this gorgeous group + their equally gorgeous humans ✨

All classes are now on pause for the foreseeable, but make sure you're following me on Instagram + are signed up to my mailing list (link over on my site) to be in the know when they hopefully make a comeback at some point mid-2024...

The amount of support and ridiculous selling out speeds these little classes of mine reached blows my mind, and I really am so grateful to everyone who has been part of them - thankyou wonderful humans! 💛💛💛

07/09/2023

The only way to get any work done while heavily pregnant on a 30 degree day 🥵

(Personal foot paddling pool an absolute necessity for survival, can confirm)

29/08/2023

Apparently this week I'm specialising in chicken nugget impersonators 🧐

1. Luna the Toy Poodle, who I'll be working with on boosting engagement outside the home to improve recall, as well as some general puppy guidance for life as a London dog

2. Dory the Cockapoo, who I got to see just 3 days after she arrived home to start working on crucial early life skills! Her humans also had a pre-puppy session with me before she arrived to make sure they were all set on the basics like understanding normal developmental behaviours and toilet training, which is going brilliantly so far 🤞🏼

19/08/2023

Current recruits! 😍

Only 2 weeks in and these pups continue to blow me away with how quickly they're picking things up (helped by some very attentive humans, of course!) 🌟

Today we learned some techniques for lovely lead walking, building trust around giving things up + greeting other dogs appropriately 💪🏼

17/08/2023

A lovely catch-up session with Ruby to get some improvements going on the speed + reliability of her recall in trickier situations - especially as she goes through adolescence! Such a beautiful temperament on this gorgeous pup - a few tweaks and she'll be nothing short of peeeerfect ✨

15/08/2023

Class of July! What a BUNCH! Such a joy working with all these pups + their completely brilliant humans who worked so very hard ✨

📷

17/06/2023

Can't beat a Croissant in the morning 🥐

Lovely to catch up with this tiny legged friend for the first time since she was a pup!

14/06/2023

"HELP! MY DOG IS JEALOUS OF MY BABY!" 🍼

One of the most common worries when it comes to dog + baby relationships is the idea of jealousy. This might be a pre-emptive concern for those with dogs who have been their entire world, or it may be a response to an interaction or behaviour that they have witnessed once baby has arrived.

So, does jealousy between dogs and babies exist?!

From my experience, the use of the word 'jealous' can be a tricky one, both in the sense that it can both overcomplicate and/or under-complicate things! Confused yet?

The adjustment period for dogs who have had their homes invaded by babies can lead to a lot of guilt for humans, which can often lead them to anthropomorphise their dog and their behaviour. Maybe they've chosen a different spot on the sofa to the one they used pre-baby - are they full of deep resent and giving you the cold shoulder? Orrrrr might it be that you're holding a baby that randomly makes noises that are a bit disconcerting, so your dog has learned that they feel more comfortable with some distance?

On the flip side, the simple term of 'jealousy' can be used to mask body language or behaviours that may need some professional attention to keep everyone safe, such as inappropriate attention grabbing techniques (mouthing / nipping / excessive barking / jumping around baby) or even things like guarding behaviours.

Before you label your dog as feeling jealous towards your baby, try to look at the behaviours you're seeing from a dog POV rather than the human lens, tricky as that may be! 👓

✨ Get in touch for tailored guidance on helping your dog feel more comfortable around babies!

Photo of choosing to relax near his gorgeous family (or is he sulking with jealousy?! 😉)

12/06/2023

All dog training comes with individual challenges, but here are a few of the things I see across the board which make training harder than it needs to be! 🐕‍🦺

Are you / have you been guilty of any of these? I know I have!

11/06/2023

Class of June '23! 🎓

Considered stealing all of them because I'm not sure how I'm supposed to live without these faces every week 🥲

Thanks for a cracking 5 weeks lovely gang ✨

📷 Dan Ross

09/06/2023

That perfect portable safe space 🦺

Got a dog who likes to find you / your legs when they feel unsure? Never feel like you need to push them out of this space to 'socialise', be it with other dogs or humans! Socialisation can happen riiiiight here ✅

These kinds of behaviours are ones we want to reinforce + take as information, as our portable safe spaces provide the perfect place for our dogs to observe their surroundings without the added pressure of being directly involved before they feel ready ✨

Things you can do to help your dog when they choose to hang by your legs:

• Reinforce through verbal reassurance, some tactile affection (as pictured) or a tasty snack for choosing you

• Protect the portal! Don't allow people or other dogs to invade this sacred space as this may increase / create tension - plus we want our dogs to know they really *are* safe with us!

• Show your dog that you can create even more distance to observe from as and when they need it

Just because your dog isn't throwing themselves into new situations doesn't mean they're not learning!

13/05/2023

There might have been a lovely reason for me being too sick to work for the last few months...

Hux is getting a pet human!

Obviously the rest of the year is going to look a little bit different, so I'll be keeping you all updated as I figure things out, but I'm hoping to ease back into some 1:1s again over the next month or so if things continue to get a bit better 🤞🏼

Key info to know:
✨ Puppy classes continue to go ahead, with the occasional few lessons being taken by my brilliant and very qualified assistant duo when needed
✨ For 1:1s I will be prioritising dog & baby preparation sessions, general skills training and puppies - this means a pause on anything more long term / behaviour-y, as there won't be enough time for me to do a good job!
✨ If you would like to work with me, you've got the Summer, so get in there fast!

Huge shoutout to the most patient + understanding clients while I've been having a rough time of it 💛

11/05/2023

Spoiler: they're all normal!

It can be really hard for us to admit having negative feelings when it comes to our dogs - us pesky humans are terrible at sharing our feelings at the best of times, but worries about judgement can make it even harder

Here are 3 of the most common that I chat to my dog + baby clients about in the hope that you feel more prepared for them should they come up, and so you feel less alone if they do 🫂

16/04/2023

A very belated well done to last month's puppy class grads!

A proper muttley crew - just how I like it 😊

23/02/2023

There've been a lot of new faces popping up recently on my Instagram so I figured I should probably do that reintroducing myself thing...

Hiyaaaa! I'm Leila + my raccoon lookalike sidekick is Huxley, a former street urchin who I rescued in 2018 🦝

I've been training the dogs (+ humans) of London for the last 4/5 years and have done a s**t ton of studying + learning throughout that time, becoming qualified with the UK's leading bodies, aswell as becoming a dog + baby specialist 📚

During the week I work with clients 1:1, and on Saturday mornings I teach group classes in E17. I also do a sprinkling of volunteer work, teaching tiny humans all about dog safety and assessing therapy dog potentials ✨

Outside of dog training, I'm most commonly found skateboarding around Walthamstow (badly), making music (averagely) and having nice big walks (expertly) 🥾

A big welcome to all the noobz + thankyou to my faithful OGs for continuing to support me on this here little platform, made for humans who like dog training with a whole lot of love 💚

21/02/2023

From the streets of Romania to the sofas of Hackney! 🛋️

Little Cocuta is adjusting soOoO well to her new life as a Londoner + has totally lucked out with her humans as much as they have with her ✨

19/02/2023

Don't let silly fake news put you off getting a rescue dog!

Here are the top 3 misconceptions I hear when it comes to dog adoption 🐾

17/02/2023

Ending the week with a visit to lovely Albert the Jackapoo for a bit of troubleshooting + baby prep guidance 💛

15/02/2023

A few little myths I come across regularly in my work with dogs + babies 🍼

This area of my work isn't just about the dogs - at least half of it is about supporting new parents through the emotional challenges of the transition, many of which come from misinformation!

As part of , we talk about a 'homecoming' rather than an introduction (contrary to the title of the post!), which I love, as it's so much more reflective of what the process should really look like 🏡

In short, it's alllll about that sweet sweet preparation + lots of patience ✨

13/02/2023

I dare you to try and get 13 humans and 6 puppies to look at a camera

My next (sold out) puppy class starts on Saturday, but I'll be releasing booking for March this week - head to my website to be added to the interest list so you don't miss out!

📷: Dan Ross

11/02/2023

Another bloody gorgeous group of dogs + humans!

So many proper characters in this group and I completely loved every single one of them! ❤️

Happy graduation class of Jan/Feb 23 - now out into the big wide world you goooo 🥳

📷 c/o a tired but obliging as per ###

10/02/2023

I had the loveliest time visiting the early years kiddos at a primary school in Clapton earlier this week!

They've been learning about how to take care of animals, so one of their brilliant teachers asked me to come along to chat to them about dogs 🐕

Given the vast majority of the kids had never met a dog before (!!!), I chose the perfect assistants to come with me in therapy dog Sunshine + her human, Laura 🧡

Not only was it amazing to see a dog I assessed doing her job so brilliantly, but given how heavy + helpless I've felt around some of the news around dogs and kids recently, getting to plant some important dog-shaped seeds in tiny brains felt very special 🥲

Thanks for having us, Harrington Hill!

09/02/2023

Adjusting to life with a dog can be haaaaard and emotional graft

New dog parents often get embarrassed when admitting to me that they're finding things difficult, but it's very rare to find anyone that finds the change easy - and if they think they did, they've probably just forgotten 😉

02/02/2023

Engaging with your dog on walks is without a doubt the simplest + most effective way to training success! 🏅

The temptation to let the focus of your dog's walk be the other dogs you meet can be strong, but these things don't boost *your* relationship with your dog...🐕

This doesn't mean you have to constantly be in training mode, but it does mean that the more interactive and fun you are with your dog outside the home, the easier a time you're going to have when it comes to working on key skills like recall 💪🏼

This month I challenge you all to play at least one game / work on a fun skill with your dog on each walk - I promise you'll both have a lot more fun than you will trailing behind them scrolling on your phone 😏

23/01/2023

Puppy for your Monday, anyone?!

Meet 3.5 month old Rhodesian Ridgeback, Egypt! Such a dreamy pup

As well as working through the usual puppy stuff and confidence building, Egypt lives with a very tiny human sibling, so I've been helping her family to navigate their relationship as it grows + changes to make sure everyone is safe and content 💛

18/01/2023

DOGS + BABIES 🍼

There are so many changes and new things for dogs to encounter when a baby is brought into their life, so we can't just assume they'll figure it out without our support!

From the practical elements like walking alongside a buggy and safety in the home, to the mental load of adjusting to life with a new transition (for humans + dogs!), I can help you to prepare and troubleshoot to keep things as low stress as possible 😌

As one of only a few licensed parent educators in the UK, my goal is to make preparing your dog for life with a baby as normal as attending an antenatal class, because we can do better than just 'hoping' things will go smoothly! 👩🏽‍🍼

Head to my website (www.huxleyhooch.com) to find out more about the dog + baby services I offer 💻

16/01/2023

3 things I was taught about dogs that I won't pass on💡

1. "They're unpredictable!" An absolute classic that couldn't be further from the truth. In the vast majority of cases, a dog is only unpredictable to people that can't read dog body language, so instead of putting dogs at the forefront of the problem, we should be reframing it and trying to learn their body language better 📚

2. "Offer your hand to sniff" This was drilled into me for so long that I still catch myself do it on autopilot every so often, but the truth of it is that it's a little bit unnecessary and also can be daunting for many dogs 👊🏼

3. "They have to know you're the alpha dog!" We're not dogs - they know that! Dominance theory has been debunked - we know that! What they actually have to know is that we're trustworthy, consistent, cooperative and kind 💛

What ideas about dogs were you previously taught that you now know to be rubbish? 🗑️

14/01/2023

First pup class of 2023!

6 lovely dogs
10 lovely humans
5 toilet based floor accidents (a new record!)

Onwards!

Huxley & Hooch