Axe Valley Dog Training

02/08/2024

The Munchkins Miniature Shetland Rescue is hosting a Summer Fayre this Sunday 4th August! 🐴 🎉

With some brilliant stalls as well as a fantastic dog show. Come along with the whole family, doggies included! Get involved and see if you can win with your furry best friend in classes such as golden oldie, best rescue and best in show! 🥇 🐶

We will be judging this weekend at the Fayre and we are so excited to see you all there.

30/07/2024

A reminder to keep your dogs cool and hydrated in this hot weather by keeping them indoors 🌡

Going in the sea to cool off does not balance out the time spent on boiling hot stones without shade, and water intoxication is very dangerous.

Help us remind all the dog owners to keep their pooches safe, hydrated and cool in the warm weather 💧 Here are 6 signs of heatstroke to be aware of! Tag your dog owner friends 🐶

[Image description: An infographic sharing 6 signs of heatstroke in dogs including heavy panting, drowsy and uncoordinated, excessive drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea and collapsing. It also says to immediately call your vet if your dog is showing any of these signs.]

26/07/2024

Time for a bit of silly fun! 🤪

It's National Dog Photography day so show us the silliest pictures of your dog.

See if you can outdo Bonnie here, who we think is a top professional at this sort of thing.

23/07/2024

Hoping to see you all on Sunday 4th for Munkins Summer Fayre! We're hosting the dog show so bring along your best treat catcher and join the fun.

DOG SHOW 12.30pm at Munchkins Summer Fayre
We also have space for more stallholders! We have expanded over 3 fields!
Sunday 4th August.
Please email [email protected]
💥CASH PREFERRED - we get charged for using a machine!!

21/07/2024

Have you recently become a puppy guardian?
Give your puppy the best start with this 5 week puppy course.

Starting 6pm Tuesday 13th August or we have our morning class at 9.30am Sunday 18th August.

🐶 Suitable for puppies up to 20 weeks.
🐶 Small class size.
🐶 Relaxed, in-person classes.
🐶 Lots of support and advice suited to you and your puppy.
🐶 Access to online course materials to support your learning at home.
🐶 Teaches puppy life skills.
🐶 Teach your puppy things like loose lead walking, recall, response to name, jumping up prevention and more!

To book into our puppy classes click the link below. Or you can send us a message if you have any questions.

https://www.axevalleydogtraining.co.uk/groupclasses

19/07/2024

Do you ever look at another dog and wish yours was just like that one?

That dog is walking nicely next to his mum.

That dog comes straight back when her dad calls her.

That dog lies calmly at his peoples' feet when they're having coffee. ☕️

That dog greets people with a wriggly body and a happy tail, but doesn't jump up.

You glance down at your dog and sigh. The dog who you had to call 4 times before they came to you, covered in mud after having an impromptu dip in the muddiest puddle. Who you then had to apologise for, feeling embarrassed, to the lady with the pawprint mud stains on her trousers. 🐾👖 The one who told you angrily "that dog needs to be better trained."

And you go home feeling like the worst human being on earth. 😔

Because you're trying your best.

You spend time with your dog daily doing little bits of training here and there as best you can.

However, progress is slow and your dog doesn't seem to pick it up as quickly as you'd hoped.

You wonder how the hell others do it. How do they get such well trained dogs? 🐕

Teaching methods aside, all dogs have different learning abilities and different things they like, just like us.

Some dogs just have different speeds of learning. It can take one dog a few repetitions in class or it can take another a week in-between classes. Giving them time to think may make so much difference to their learning. 🕰️

Some dogs may need training tweaks. There are always ways to overcome a struggle with learning something new. We can break it down, or come at it from a different angle. 📐

Stay patient. Your dog just wants to have fun and simply enjoys being with you.

Take the small wins. It is so easy to compare yourself to other's learning and progress. Take the time to appreciate how far you and your dog have come and do what works for them. 🥇

If you've hit a plateau in your training and need a bit of direction, you can always book a call with me for a natter help get you back on track.

17/07/2024

Does your dog enjoy counter surfing? 🏄 🐶

Counter surfing is where your dog will jump up on a kitchen counter to steal food (and/ or many other things!)

Larger breeds like Great Danes can reach by just lifting their noses to reach a bit of chicken on the side of the counter. However, even the smallest of breeds can be nimble enough to jump up to get your leftovers!

Put yourself in their position. You walk past free food that is the most delicious thing ever to exist. All whilst feeling a bit peckish… very difficult to ignore.

This is a very annoying behaviour for many dog owners. It can also be very risky if they get to something they shouldn’t eat and possibly injure themselves due to the big jump.

Here are a few tips that can help you reduce your dogs need to counter surf:

🐾 REMOVE TEMPTATION 🐾
Dogs forage, it’s natural for them to be on the look out for their next little snack. Put any thing they may be tempted to get to in a cupboard/ fridge.

🐾 DON’T LEAVE UNSUPERVISED 🐾
If you are cooking or leaving food on the side don’t leave the dog alone in the room.

🐾 BLOCK ACCESS 🐾
Baby gates are wonderful for situations like these. It restricts where the dog can be if you need to leave the room, whilst keeping them and your roast chicken safe!

🐾 REWARD GOOD BEHAVIOUR 🐾
Reward your dog any time they have four paws on the ground. As simple as that. You are reinforcing them simply being on the floor. Acknowledge them doing so, it’s taking a lot of effort not stealing that chicken!

13/07/2024

TIME TO ENHANCE YOUR PLAY!

Tug-e-nuff have got a fantastic offer happening right now…

If you buy any two toys of your choosing, you get one of their power ball bungee toys for FREE.

These toys are fantastic and we rate them highly.

And more importantly… your dog is going to really love you for this one.

Click the link below to enhance your playing this summer.

https://www.tug-e-nuff.co.uk/collections/offer?ref=AXEVALLEY

11/07/2024

FUN SCENTWORK COURSE

Watch as your dog sharpens their sniffing skills with this fun 4 week course.

This is a brilliant opportunity for bonding with your dog. It improves their confidence as well as becoming more focussed on you after each class.

We teach object searches, food trailing as well as human search and rescue!

Suitable for all breeds. Classes are held in a variety of locations near Seaton.

The course runs from the 16th of August to the 6th September. Morning or evening spaces both available.

Click the link below to book or pop us a message if you have any questions!

https://www.axevalleydogtraining.co.uk/scentwork

09/07/2024

Have a read of this brilliantly written post about reward- based training.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/LngKxdUCbkf5D4JR/

Given the statements that we see so often from those using aversive or 'balanced' training methods, those of us who use a force free approach need to clear up some of the issues with what is said.

As well as the red flags so often seen of 'positive only' or 'purely positive', these statements will usually trot out the old misunderstanding that all we do is toss cheese at a dog when they do something right and ignore everything else. This is absolutely untrue and does not reflect the force free approach at all.

Successful force free training involves SO much more than that.

• It needs a deep understanding of learning theory.
• What the dog's welfare needs are and how to make sure they are met.
• The potential impact of health on behaviour.
• The emotional states that underly behaviours.
• How to manage situations so that the dogs don't carry out the undesired behaviours and perhaps get an internal reward for doing them.
• How to train other behaviours the dog can do in that situation that will be rewarded so that the undesirable behaviour is no longer the best choice for them in that situation.
• When training isn’t the right answer at all.

The factors involved in getting the force free approach and training right are far too many for me to list in this post or on this image, but these are the things that a good force free trainer or behaviour professional is doing every time they are working with a dog and their humans.

It's so much more than just lobbing food at a dog.

05/07/2024

The smaller chap here is Cooper. He's just completed three 1-1 training sessions and made huge progress 👏

Cooper was struggling around some other dogs and would lunge and bark at them. His mum had observed that while he could react to any dog, it seemed to be more likely if they were intact, Cooper was on lead and he was taken by surprise.

Enter big boy Dylan.

Dylan is intact.

I mean... you can't miss 'em! 🍒

His mum had already put in a lot of work and built some good foundations with a behaviourist that we could continue with.

When your dog suddenly lunges towards another, your confidence is easily shaken. so the first thing was to help his mum get her confidence back 💪

This helped Cooper as his mum was able to be more relaxed while walking him and even if he did react, she could help him calm down much faster than before.

When you're taken by surprise, it's hard not to react! But your ability to recover quickly can make a huge difference.

When Cooper first saw Dylan, he would get quite tense and bark at him. Towards the end, Cooper felt comfortable enough to approach and exist in the same space and walk right past him without being worried.

This was across 3 sessions, a couple of weeks apart with plenty of practise inbetween.

An important point to make is that it wasn't about distracting Cooper. He was allowed to watch and observe Dylan and move towards him depending on how he felt.

Curiosity was welcomed and encouraged. If there was any tenseness we would calmly call him and move him away to a distance he felt comfortable with where he could watch or sniff if he wanted to.

A good recall is one of the first things I work on in nearly all cases. The ability to call your dog away from something is essential in so many different contexts.

If you're interested in refining your dog's recall, drop me a message.

03/07/2024

Does your puppy refuse to wee outside?

Trying to catch the moment your puppy needs to do their business can be a close call.

They give you the look… start sniffing the ground…

You spring into action and take them outside. However, when you get there they don’t go!

You hang around for what feels like forever and they STILL haven't gone.

So you get bored, take them back inside and within seconds they go on the floor 🤬

This can happen for a variety of reasons:

1. Using puppy pads or newspapers in the house. All this does is teach your puppy that it's ok to wee in the house, not the garden. It adds an unneccessary step to the process and your puppy may prefer to go indoors and so wait for you to take them back in.

2. Confidence being outside. For a puppy, even the smallest of things can be scary. If something spooks them when they're in the garden, they're going to be more reluctant to go out there. It could just be that they're not quite ready to let the world know they're here yet.

3. Inadequate cleaning of soiled areas. If your puppy has gone in the house, make sure you clean the area thoroughly. Don't use disinfectant as this contains ammonia, which can encourage your pup to go there again. Instead use a dilute of biological washing powder (cheap and easy!).

⏱Take your puppy out reguarly, every 20-30 minutes at first (more often during periods of activity).

🙌Don't put any pressure on them, just mooch for a bit and praise them when they go. Food is not needed here, praise is sufficient.

Keep it consistent and keep at it!

30/06/2024

🌈 June may be coming to an end, but our support for the LGBTQ+ community never ends! 🌈

If you need help with your dog and are afraid to reach out from fear of discrimination.
We hear you, we respect you and we'll support you.

24/06/2024

Have you got it yet?
My free ebook takes you through my top 10 tips for terrier owners to help you understand your scruffy companion and find out what makes them tick ⏱

These are the ones I wish I'd known about when I had my first terrier...

🥊 No more frustration and picking fights you just can't win when your terrier decides he really can't be asked to come back.

Embrace your terrier's "terrierness" and you'll find you have a loyal and loving companion, packed full of the spark and character of a true terrier.

Just click the link below and download your terrier tips now. 👇

https://axevalleydogtraining.myflodesk.com/topterriers

22/06/2024

Did you know that the majority of dogs that are surrendered to rescues are between the ages of 6 and 24 months?

Let’s set the scene:

Your arms and legs are covered in the scratches and bite marks that are only just starting to fade.

You’re looking forward to the first full night of sleep you’ve managed to have since you brought your cute puppy home.

You're enjoying all the fun walks together, your puppy racing back to you whenever you call them.

… only to discover a week or two later that your puppy (who once had perfect recall) flips you the bird.

Welcome to adolescence!

During adolescence your dog may:

🐾 Stop listening to you.

🐾 Take more risks.

🐾 Become more fearful or anxious - more lunging and barking towards other dogs/ people, fear around objects that were previously ok.

🐾 Stop wanting to be touched - shown via escalating warning signs and if ignored, potentially leading to bites.

🐾 Forget previously known cues.

🐾 Be more boisterous.

🐾 Find it much harder to control themselves.

These are all perfectly normal for teenagers to go though.

… but they can be the most frustrating things on earth!

If you need help, don’t wait hoping the problems will disappear with age *spoiler alert* they won’t!

Take a look at our Intermediate Classes, designed with you and your adolescent dog in mind. https://www.axevalleydogtraining.co.uk/dogclasses

18/06/2024

Is residential training (board and train) really as good as it seems?

If you've not heard the term before, residential training is where the trainer looks after and trains your dog in their own home or training facility for an extended period of time, usually several weeks.

Here are some red flags to watch out for if you are considering it:

1. Any residential training that can "guarantee" results, or claims to fix your dog instantly. Behaviour is complex and learning new skills takes time!

2. Any programme that uses aversive training methods (prongs, e-collars, corrections, lead jerks etc.) These methods may cause your dog to be scared of people, other dogs, equipment and children. The fallout can have severe consequences.

3. Having a long period of time they will be on the programme. In some cases it can be up to 8 weeks. This is a long time to be away from your dog! A lot of establishments take on dogs when they are puppies. In 8 weeks your puppy grows significantly and forms an attachment with the person they are with. That is time spent NOT bonding with you.

4. Lack of a relationship with the trainer. For effective training there needs to be a good relationship between trainer and dog in order to make progress. Good trainers will spend time building that relationship first before starting training/rehabilitation.

There are many good residential training options out there, but it's vital that you do your research and ask lots of questions prior to booking in.

A great trainer will always be happy to answer any questions you have and be up front and transparent about their training methods. They will also be able to explain how their training methods impact your dog.

If you're thinking about residential training but unsure what sorts of questions to ask, drop a comment here!

16/06/2024

Do you have yourself a LAND SHARK??! 🦈 🐾

As a puppy owner it is frightening when you find those little puppy teeth making their way closer to you. I can even hear the theme tune to Jaws as I picture the scene...

Your arms and legs look like they've been through a shredder. Your clothes are hanging off you in tatters.

If you are struggling with your land shark, here are a few tips to help you during this phase in your puppy’s development:

🦈 Make sure they have a variety of different chews available to them. Things such as soft toys, yak butter sticks or pigs ears.
🦈 Control your environment. Put away anything you don’t want chewed.
🦈 Supervise! If you can't keep an eye on your puppy, put them in a puppy proofed secure space such as an x-pen with plenty of things for them to do.
🦈 If they do bite you, remove yourself from the play session for a short while. Return and start the interaction with soft hand strokes and calmer play.

Remember, it is normal for your puppy to bite at this age whilst they grow and develop. You will indeed have your own little land shark… at least for a bit!

And if it makes you feel any better... kittens are far, far worse...

14/06/2024

Why I would NOT recommend getting another dog as a "companion" for your dog.

You might think that your dog looks a bit lonely when you're about to head off for work. They're giving you the puppy eyes of doom, making you question your life choices. You'd much rather spend the day snuggling on the sofa with them than go to work!

But you have to work...

At some point, you may have pondered, "why don't I get him a friend?"

Sounds great right?

🐾 They'll keep each other entertained.

🐾 They won't feel so lonely.

🐾 They may not get up to as much mischief.

BUT, what if...

🐾 Your dog doesn't get along with their new bestie?

🐾 The new dog teaches your dog some bad manners?

🐾 You get a puppy who takes up ALL your time.

Even though getting another dog as a companion may seem like a great idea at the time, there's a lot more to consider. When we think about getting another dog it's usually because we a) think it will fix all the problems or b) are thinking with our hearts not our heads.

Consider what your dog might need. Right now they have you all to themselves and they're used to that.

If you got another dog, how much training will you need to give them? Will you be able to give them time as well as still giving your dog the time that he needs?

If you get a puppy, puppies need a LOT of time 🕰️. You won't be able to give your dog the time that he's used to, puppy will take most of it. How will he cope with that? Should he have to?

If your dog has some behavioural issues, how will these affect the new dog? They may learn from each other and then you've got not 1 but 2 dogs with issues.

If they both need training.... you have double the work! 😱

So, before you say yes to getting another dog, have a GOOD think and ask yourself:

"Does my dog REALLY need another dog?"

and

"Will I be able to cope with more than 1?" 🤔

12/06/2024

Toni and Buzz completed our 6 week Dog Agility course and loved it.

During the course they learned many skills needed to navigate agility courses efficiently and got to grips with curved tunnels, multiple jumps and how to navigate weaves!

As well as this, we cover important handling skills, which provide a solid foundation if you want to compete 🥇

But don’t worry if not….

It’s also just a really fun way to strengthen the bond between you and your dog and try something new!

Book your place now on our next dog agility course using the link below:

https://www.axevalleydogtraining.co.uk/agility

06/06/2024

Why stop your dog from digging?

Does your dog love to dig? Do you find them digging up your wonderful flower beds in your garden? This post may help you as well as your plants…

Some dogs have a strong drive to dig (terriers, daschunds I'm looking at you!). We've bred them to go to ground and dig up/follow prey underground. If you never allow your dog to do something they've been bred to do for centuries, that energy will still need to be released somewhere. Usually in the form of destruction around your house.

Even if you stop them from doing it, they will still WANT to do it. Have you ever tried to get a collie to stop herding or stop a bloodhound from sniffing? Your dog will become more and more frustrated because they're unable to perform something dogs have been doing for centuries.

So instead of stopping your dog from digging, use it! Give them an appropriate place to dig such as a sandbox and hide their toys in there. Put digging on cue and allow them to dig in appropriate locations like during woodland or beach walks. Ever needed a moat for your kid's sandcastle? Put your digging dog to work!

Let's start celebrating our digging dogs 😄

03/06/2024

‘My dog gets too excited seeing other dogs, I’m worried I’ll hurt myself if they pull me over!’

Is this you? Our Calm and Focussed class helps your dog stay calm and settled during interactions such as with other dogs. This class improves recall, helps with loose lead walking and much more.

With only a few spaces left in our next class, be sure to secure your place. Starting next Sunday 9th June.

Book on our website https://www.axevalleydogtraining.co.uk/dogclasses to secure a place on the course or book a free phone call to chat to one of the team.

31/05/2024

Why don't you Google it... 🤷‍♂️

Google is FULL of people offering advice and methods on how to teach your dog to do various things. You've probably tried plenty already, with mixed results.

Mark got in touch with me to help him with his dog's lead pulling and booked a one to one session. He admitted he was sceptical that a trainer could teach him anything he couldn't read online about loose lead walking. 🤔

Following the session, I received this feedback:

"I was blown away by how useful it was having someone not only demonstrate a technique and show me how to read the cues my dog was giving, but also show me where I was going wrong and explain why in such a personable manner.

The change in my dogs behaviour on lead was almost instant whole using the technique on the driveway, and although it will take a long time to reinforce the training on actual walks, I am confident that it can be done, and will make walks much more enjoyable for both of us!"

Having someone teach you in-person provides a very personalised learning structure. I work specifically with the person and dog in front of me. It's important to tweak my teaching style to your learning ability, break things down into smaller and easier to follow steps and offer real-time feedback and troubleshooting so you can make progress at a pace that is suitable for you.

Teaching dogs also relies a lot on your own body language, which is much harder to translate online, particularly as a lot of it is subtle.

That said, there is some really great content out there and a lot of people can follow written or online video very successfully. But I learn best when I'm seeing and physically doing things myself, it goes into my brain much faster and I can process it more easily. I'm definitely in the "don't tell me, SHOW me" camp! 👀

Are you the same? How many things you have you tried?

If you're feeling frustrated with your dog's lead walking skills, don't hesitate to give me a call.

28/05/2024

*Fun Scentwork: 4 Week Evening Course*

We are trialling a new scentwork course time of 6pm on Fridays, starting on June 7th.

Scentwork offers many enrichment opportunities and will exercise not only your dogs nose, but their muscles and brain too. Scentwork promotes logical thinking, builds confidence, reduce anxiety and can improve recall, focus and overall wellbeing.

In this fun course skills in object searches, food trailing and human search and rescue are taught through fun games that are suitable for all breeds, ages and abilities using a variety of locations near Seaton.

Course will run June 7th - July 5th, with a one week break June 21st. There's only 2 spaces left, but if it works out we'll add more dates, so feel free to message if you'd like to be kept informed of future dates.

https://axevalleydogtraining.as.me/schedule/30d7f260/?categories[]=Scentwork

27/05/2024

3 Reasons your dog is eating grass…

🐾 If your dog is eating grass at the moment it may be because the grass in spring is just sweeter! During the spring months the grass is new, fresh and contains simple sugars. It just simply tastes nice. They could also just enjoy the textures of eating grass and may even prefer certain types of grass over others because of how they taste.

🐾 Eating grass can help when they have an upset stomach. Grass contains fibre which can help soothe as well as ease symptoms of stomach issues.

🐾They may just be a bit bored. It can possibly be something they find comforting to them, that can also help when feeling anxious about something. They choose eating the grass as something to do to pass the time.

19/05/2024

Last call for puppys! Puppy classes starting next week 🐶 🐕

END OF MAY PUPPY CLASSES ARE OPEN FOR BOOKING!

Give your puppy the best start and enroll them on this five week course. 🐶

6pm Tuesday 21st May
9.30am Sunday 26th May

Our puppy training course gives your puppy the life skills that will allow them to be happy, well mannered dogs. It builds confidence for your puppy and teaches them so many useful things such as recall, loose lead walking, socialisation and much more!

Here’s what the course includes:

🐾 1 x 60 minute classroom based puppy information session (humans only!)

🐾 4 x 60 minute hands on sessions. These are a maximum of 6 pups per class.

🐾 A puppy goodie bag filled with treats, toys, a training clicker and information booklet (worth over £25!)

🐾 End of course graduation which includes a beautiful personalised certificate and rosette.

🐾 Lifetime access to a private Facebook group full of additional information and support.

Head over to our website to learn more or book in a free 15 minute phone consultation to have a chat to one of the team.

https://www.axevalleydogtraining.co.uk

13/05/2024

A little message of self care and affirmation ❤️

On the topic of ways we support our clients without judgment - as welfare-based trainers, we believe that:

🐾 You're a good caregiver to your dog. Seeking education is celebrated here.

🐾 You love your dog despite any past methodology or tools you use. You wouldn't be seeking support if you didn't & it's why we ask in every single consult what you love about them - especially the cases that feel impossible.

🐾 Your dog is a good dog - yes, even when they're jumping all over us & trying to steal treats. Even if your dog is struggling behaviorally, we know they're good dogs or else you wouldn't be trying.

🐾 Teamwork makes the dream work. Multi-disciplinary networking with other trainers, vets, & specialists is the backbone of success. We'll help you shoulder this responsibility.

🐾 Ethical breeding practices that preserve & better breeds are not evil. You have a right to seek physically & behaviorally-sound companions, & we can even help you find one.

🐾 Ethical rescuing policies that prioritize public safety should be non-negotiable. If you wish to rescue, we can route you to the very best 501c3s.

🐾 You're not a villain for considering re-homing or having done it in the past. Sometimes it just isn't a good fit, & dog ownership should enrich your life.

🐾 You're not a monster for considering behavioral euthanasia to end profound mental suffering. Whether you've tried everything or run out of resources & feel your dog is not safe for your home or anyone else's, we understand & we're here to listen.

🐾 You are not a failure for medicating your dog. Usually, this is a kindness to all parties despite what other trainers, friends, or family may tell you.

🐾 It's not your fault. Behavior is never the result of one single event or thing.

🐾 Even if you can only give 50% today, guess what? You've done your best & that is enough.

🐾 YOU are enough & your dog thinks you're pretty special.

🐾 You deserve a trainer who makes you feel seen and heard.

Go get some ice cream & take a sniff walk 🥰

Love you!

13/05/2024

END OF MAY PUPPY CLASSES ARE OPEN FOR BOOKING!

Give your puppy the best start and enroll them on this five week course. 🐶

6pm Tuesday 21st May
9.30am Sunday 26th May

Our puppy training course gives your puppy the life skills that will allow them to be happy, well mannered dogs. It builds confidence for your puppy and teaches them so many useful things such as recall, loose lead walking, socialisation and much more!

Here’s what the course includes:

🐾 1 x 60 minute classroom based puppy information session (humans only!)

🐾 4 x 60 minute hands on sessions. These are a maximum of 6 pups per class.

🐾 A puppy goodie bag filled with treats, toys, a training clicker and information booklet (worth over £25!)

🐾 End of course graduation which includes a beautiful personalised certificate and rosette.

🐾 Lifetime access to a private Facebook group full of additional information and support.

Head over to our website to learn more or book in a free 15 minute phone consultation to have a chat to one of the team.

https://www.axevalleydogtraining.co.uk

07/05/2024

Walks.. are they working for you and your dog? 🐶

Do you dread taking your dog out on walks?
Do you feel embarrassed when they start barking at other dogs or people?
Do you hate when they start pulling on the lead when they see another dog?
Are you aware of all the eyes on you as you try and stop your dog from reacting?
Do you wish the ground would just swallow you up in that moment?

You are not alone! There are many different reasons why dogs react, and it’s not a one solution fits all situation. Here are just a few tips to help boost your confidence that can help you out when on a walk.

🐾 Let them sniff. It gives the dog time to calm themselves down if they are feeling a bit overwhelmed.

🐾 Give them space. Even if this means you cross to the other side of the road so you don’t have to squeeze past another person and dog. I personally hate cramped spaces and not having personal space. I move myself away to avoid those awkward shuffles past, and that’s without a dog! (I can never understand why groups of 3 walk side by side taking up the entire pavement so nobody can walk past!)

🐾 Practice your recall and loose lead walking. Relax your arm and loosen the lead, a shorter tight lead can cause more tension for your dog. And practising recall means they can focus on you instead of what they could be barking at.

🐾 Have a play session. Teach your dog some fun games away from a walk at home so you are both relaxed, then bring them on the walks as well.

If you find yourself dreading walks, your dog may start to dread them as well. It is absolutely ok to not go on a walk. Instead, take the time to relax and do things you both love doing at home. Reconnect and relax, this will help.