Pup Tots Academy

15/11/2025

Arousal biting is the most common in breeds such as Retrievers, Vizslas and Labradors but can happen in all other breeds. If mouthing happens over 14 months it is considered abnormal.

Firstly rule out discomfort first:

When dogs jump or get excited, hidden pain often triggers mouthing. It’s the most common cause and can also lead to stopping on walks. Ask your vet to check gait and spine, mouth and teeth, skin and ears, GI issues, and harness fit. Adolescence, heat cycles, and routine changes can raise arousal.

Safety so training can happen

Start basket muzzle conditioning if skin is at risk.
Use a grippy lead and protective gloves if hands have been bitten.

Quick management

🐾Carry a legal bite outlet like a soft tug. Offer it early.
🐾Do two or three short decompression walks of 10 to 15 minutes.
🐾Pre-walk sniffing: garden sniff, snuffle mat, or a few easy find-it scatters.

Core skills to teach indoors first
🐾Treat Magnet: food at the nose, “with me,” feed as you take 3 to 5 steps. Build to one treat every 2 to 3 steps.
🐾1–2–3 Walking: say “one, two, three,” treat on “three.” Keep the rhythm.
🐾Hand Target: nose to palm. Use to start, restart, or turn.
🐾Tug on Cue: “Take it,” then “Thank you” to trade for food and put away. Use proactively at known hot spots.
🐾Find It Scatter: toss 6 to 10 small treats at the first flicker of grabbing or mounting.
🐾Drop and Leave the Lead: teach “drop,” then practice “leave” with a clipped, stationary spare lead before using the real lead.

In the moment
🐾Park and feed: plant feet, soft hands, Treat Magnet for a few steps, then scatter.
🐾U-turn to space: pair the U-turn cue with rapid treats for 3 to 5 steps.
🐾Give the mouth a job: brief tug, trade, tuck away. Interrupt it as fast as possible, even toss treats to distract while you manage a plan.
🐾Keep your voice neutral.

Mistakes
🐾Waiting until the dog is already grabbing.
🐾Long, busy walks that overload the dog.
🐾Scolding or yanking the lead.

Most importantly track when it happens: After each walk note time, weather, route, triggers, before or after food/eliminating, the number of grabs, and what worked and find a pattern.

06/09/2025

"So everything then😜"
Yes and no.
These are everyday postures and movements, yes.
It is when they are shown and what is happening around them that is how we can figure this out.
"So this means my dog is stressed out"
This is where it gets individual, but these can be shown when a dog is experiencing some stress.

Not all stress is bad.
It's unavoidable in life.
Some dogs are very resilient and easily handle stress. Others don't.
Stress is a sneaky and insidious problem that can surface and show in ways we may not see coming.

In saying that stress is unavoidable, it doesn't mean we shouldn't limit our dogs exposure to it and look hard at eliminating it.
When we have a dog with a longer term chronic stress issue, it is crucial we look where we can to help them.

Start to notice the little things.
Even those situations we think they are "ok" in.

Are there signs they may not be enjoying it at all?

15/08/2025

https://www.puptotsacademy.com/

We are back 😁😁😁
Check out our class dates on our website!

We offer classes for puppies & kittens between the ages of 8-16 weeks. Socialisation is vital for your pets development. [email protected]

15/08/2025

It's great your dog is ok off lead.
It's not great when they come barreling up to a dog on a lead.
The leash is there for a reason.

We might be building confidence.
Working through anxiety.
Recovering from an injury.
We may be on a mission to stay calm around triggers.
Or any number of reasons.....

Every dog deserves to feel safe on their walk.

11/08/2025

Reward Reward Reward 😌😌

Did your dog just do nothing?......absolutely nothing?
Brilliant!
Reward them.
We don't reward nothing enough.
They have made good choices with no barking, jumping or simply checked in with you for more guidance.

Training doesn't have to be spins, tricks and always telling them what we want.
Real "training" can happen in silence.....and often its trickier to spot.

Keep your eyes and ears ready to spot those good choices.
When you reward them.....watch what happens.

More "nothing".
Excellent!

08/08/2025

It's not that what I’m about to write is a secret.
It's just that it can go very, very wrong...so I tend not to go into this in detail.
Even describing this is tricky.
Here goes.

You can challenge them by lessening that distance.
You can, in fact, work with dogs right up to, and yes...even just over that tipping point.
However, to do that successfully, you must have a solid history of repeated success in the green and yellow states, at distances they're comfortable with.

When you both have that...those consistent and repeated "low level wins....you can sometimes challenge a little more.

It will not work if you don’t have those multiple successes behind you.
For many reactive dogs, that's not "just a few" sessions.

They can learn to bring themselves back down.
Shake it off.....nothing bad happened and confidence can grow!... see how tricky this is to describe?

This won’t work for every reactive dog.
Many can be challenged to that point...with that success behind them, but not all.

So how the heck do you know?

Body language.
In between green and red are multiple, consistent signs your dog will give.
They can subtle and slow...or "crack of the whip" fast... easily missed, but they’re there.

I cannot stress this enough ⬇️
Body language is the key to working with reactive dogs.

If you want that progress you’re yearning for... it’s crucial to learn.

If you are struggling....go back to the green and the yellow but don't try or even attempt what was described until ....

✅You can read your dogs body language "like a pro" and understand the emotions your dog is feeling in every stage.
✅You have a solid and repeated history of multiple "wins" at those lower levels.
✅You have a full understanding of your dogs triggers AND trigger stacking.
✅You know what to do and what to watch for in every stage.
✅You are confident both you and your dog can handle this.

If you’re only working with your dog in the orange... it’s going to be a very, very long road.

03/08/2025

"Why don't you just train them"...
They see a snapshot of your dogs behaviour and not the effort and dedication behind that reaction.
They certainly don't see your dog for who they truly are.
They don’t see the hours of work, the tiny wins, the restraint it takes to stay calm when your dog is not.

They will never know the joy of having a "boring walk".
The determination you have in staying calm when your dog is in a full blown reaction.

So how can they support people with a reactive dog?

Number one.
Stop the judgement.

Recognise this isn't a choice.
No one would choose this life for their dog or themselves....ever.
It's hard work, no doubt about that.
The planning that goes into a walk is enormous.

Too busy or the wrong time of day....too much for many reactive dogs.
Even wind can cause issues.
Always watching what is around...always.
It can be exhausting.

If there’s one message every reactive dog owner would want others to hear, it’s this....

All it takes is one incident.
One bad experience.
And suddenly....you’re the one being judged for not having “trained” your dog.

31/07/2025

Just let them be.
I know they look adorable when they're snoozing....but look and don't touch.
Sleep is just as essential for dogs as it is for ourselves.
Chronic sleep disruption can actually contribute to irritability, anxiety, and unwanted behaviour.
They need that good quality sleep to regulate hormones, repair their body and it can even help with training too.
Those little bodies have a lot of work to do when they are at rest....and yet....we just want to grab their lil chubby chops and tell them how much we love them.

Just because they are dogs doesn't mean we have the right to interrupt their well earned sleep.
They need to be left in peace.
That may mean encouraging them to rest elsewhere (other than the busy lounge) when they start to show they are tired.

Quality sleep helps everything.
As humans we know it helps us.

Why do we think our dogs are different?

28/07/2025

Since when did we equate sitting with "politeness" ?
Is it time to reassess the "Sit"?
It's a reflex of ours to always ask for it.
It becomes a "default" cue....whether it's "needed" or not.

A change of position does not change their emotions.
It can be incredibly frustrating for them.
Is there anything wrong with just standing near us?

Do we insist on a sit when they are clearly showing us they are feeling anxious?
Is it always the most asked for position?

Does it really help?....or is it a habit that we have and it's difficult to break?

06/07/2025

The chaser or the chased?
Do you have a "peace maker"
A dog that rolls others?
Every dog has their own play style...it's just sometimes dogs can struggle a bit to figure it all out.
There is nothing wrong with a small group of dogs playing either...it just needs a bit more supervision.

When that adrenaline starts to rise, things can turn sometimes.
Of course they can figure it out too....

Sometimes though they need your help.

29/06/2025

Yelena is finally groomed! Thank you Renee & Lisha at Dave & Andy dog grooming She smells amazing 😻

23/06/2025

Excellent read on Dental Health with your Dogs 🦷