Pentlands Dog Training

28/08/2025

🌾 Grass Seeds – Small but Dangerous 🌾

It’s that time of year. Long grass, ripe seeds, and dogs paying the price.

This week my own Shepherd came in with a red, swollen eye after a walk. These barbed little things don’t just stick in fur, they burrow into paws, ears, eyes and even under the skin. Left untreated they can cause infections, abscesses, or worse.

🔍 Signs to watch for:

Read the full blog here ➡️ https://pentlandsdogtraining.co.uk/grass-seeds-dogs-summer-dangers/

26/08/2025

A lovely lady who is an ex client, gave me this beautiful present.
Isn't it just gorgeous 😍

Thank you Rosie x

24/08/2025

You’ve got a dog who barks, lunges, or growls on the lead. Walking them through Edinburgh’s parks or pavements feels like a battle. Everyone has advice for you:

“Take them into busier places.”
“Correct them when they react.”
“Expose them until they get used to it.”

No. That doesn’t work. That’s called flooding, and it doesn’t fix reactivity. It suppresses it. Your dog might look calmer, but inside they’re boiling. And when it erupts, it’s usually worse.

There’s a better way. One that calms your dog, helps you breathe again on walks, and actually changes behaviour for good.

👉 Read the full blog:

Help for reactive dogs in Edinburgh & West Lothian. Discover why flooding fails and how positive training makes calmer, safer walks.

23/08/2025

New life peeking through.

We planted these trees in the dog training field in the winter gifted by my lovely friends Charlotte and Douglas.
Look...they're growing 🌲🌳😀

21/08/2025

Puppy Classes vs Bespoke Training: What Works Best?

Puppy classes can be great. You get socialisation, a set structure and, if you’re in the right class, a solid trainer guiding you.
I know some excellent classes I’d happily recommend.

But here’s the reality: classes are generic. They run on a timetable.
You have to keep up with everyone else’s pace, whether you or your puppy are ready or not.
If your pup is shy, overwhelmed, or just desperate to play with the other puppies, you can spend the whole hour feeling like you’ve wasted your time.
I’ve seen pups hide under chairs, drag their owners around the hall, or tune out completely.

That’s where bespoke training shines.

You set the pace, not the group.

You can bring the whole family, so everyone learns consistently.

We focus on your lifestyle, not a one-size-fits-all syllabus.

You get time to ask questions and actually practise, instead of watching the clock.

We lay down solid foundations first, then build distraction training later in carefully controlled workshops—when you and your puppy are ready.

I taught at classes for years (not mine), and while some owners thrived, too many left discouraged. Too busy, too chaotic, not enough personal guidance.
That’s why I now prefer one-to-ones: You get my full attention, your puppy gets the best start, and you don’t leave feeling more lost than when you arrived.

Bespoke isn’t about avoiding other dogs forever. It’s about building the skills first, then adding distractions in a way that sets you and your puppy up for success.

If you’re unsure what’s right for you, message me. I’ll tell you straight whether a class or bespoke training would suit you best—and even recommend good classes if that’s the way to go.

18/08/2025

When the flowers reach up to the end of the stalks, summer is coming to an end.

The dogs are loving our freedom field just now. There's a breeze, plenty of shade and a few field mice to chase in the long grass.

16/08/2025

Dog trainers often talk about adolescent dogs, comparing them to human teenagers. I mean there are similarities—sudden independence, selective hearing, and the hormonal behaviour. But if you think about it, the comparison between humans and dogs doesn’t quite hold up, does it?

Check out my very first blog here and let me know what you think

Think your adolescent dog is a “teenager”? In reality, they’re in the terrible twos & still figuring you out. Here’s some survival tips.

10/08/2025

Adolescence doesn’t have to be a nightmare.
Proof below 👇

It’s been such a pleasure working with Jemma and her lovely girl, Truffle. Over the past few months, Jemma has thrown herself into training, and the progress has been incredible. She’s gone from a determined owner to a truly brilliant dog mum, and Truffle – now 15 months old and in the middle of adolescence – is smashing it. Her focus is sharper than ever, and she’s growing into a really lovely, well-mannered dog.

Here’s what Jemma had to say:

"Truffle and I started working with Rizia at Pentlands Dog Training when Truffle was 7 months old. Truffle's been my first puppy. Rizia helped me build a focused and mutually-respectful bond with Truffle after the sparkles of the early puppy stage disappeared, especially as adolescence kicked in.

I feel Rizia has been as invested in our journey as I am. She always made herself available to support outside of sessions and explained the "why" behind the training. All of which is really important to me to understand as I continue guiding Truffle into a becoming a dog I'm proud to have as my furry adventure companion.

I really valued Rizia’s straight-talking, call-it-as-you-see-it approach. I particularly benefited from the kind but unambiguous steer. She gave Truffle and I an iterative programme that built solid foundations then grew with Truffle as she developed. Every goal felt achievable and realistic, and early wins helped me take the pressure off both of us.

Truffle is now 15 months old, calmer, incredibly focused on me in a range of situations, and recovers quicker when she gets frustrated.

We’ve just done our first introduction to scent-work session with Rizia, and the biggest compliment I can give is that I went in confident Truffle would do great — and she did! I wouldn't have felt that way even 3 months ago. I really wish we’d started with Rizia sooner." Jemma Clarke

And the best bit?
At one of my workshops, Jemma met another dog mum.
Now the humans are good friends and Truffle’s got herself a lovely calm walking buddy to learn from. That’s training and social life sorted!

Workshops are small (max 4 handlers) in a big secure field and they’re as relaxed and friendly as they are effective.

£45 for a 2-hour workshop.
Matchmaking : £10 extra 🤠

Get in before the weather turns...link in comments!

16/07/2025

Exercise for puppies.

If you looked at an X-ray of a young puppy, you'd notice that parts of their bones—especially at the ends of the long bones and in the pelvis—aren’t fully visible. That’s because they’re made of cartilage, not solid bone.

This cartilage gives flexibility and room for growth, but it also means those areas are vulnerable to damage.

These regions are called growth plates, and they’re responsible for your puppy’s bone length and shape. Over time, they ossify (turn to bone), but that process can take months or years depending on breed and size.

Too much impact or repetitive strain during this sensitive phase can cause real problems—like joint issues, deformities, or pain later in life.

Stick to self-directed play, sniffy walks, and gentle adventures until your dog is older. Avoid jumping, stairs, rough play with big dogs, or pounding the pavement.

Let their body grow at its own pace—it’s worth it.

03/07/2025

🔸 FOCUS IS A SKILL – NOT A COMMAND

And it’s one of the many things I help you build in 1-to-1 sessions.

If you’re struggling with:
🐾 Lack of focus
🐾 Pulling, barking, overreacting
🐾 Disconnection on walks
🐾 Or just general chaos

…I’ve got a few 1-to-1 spaces available right now for immediate start.

📍 Outdoor sessions in the Pentlands
🎯 Tailored, kind & reward-based training
📆 Weekday and Weekend availability – limited spots
📩 book a free call or drop me a line here to find out more and reserve your space.
https://pentlandsdogtraining.co.uk/book-a-session/

Let’s teach your dog how to behave – not just expect it.

11/05/2025

The dogs were lovely, and their handlers were even better – calm, patient, and up for the challenge.

We worked on Emergency Stop and Stay: thoughtful, consistent training that builds real-life reliability. Just enough movement to keep the dogs engaged, just enough calm to keep them from zoning out.

We were having such fun we found extra time to address and improve recall and middle!

Huge thanks to everyone who came along – you made it a pleasure to teach.

Next one’s on the way. Want in?
Find out more here: https://pentlandsdogtraining.co.uk/dog-obedience-training-workshops/

27/04/2025

Quick Heads Up – Dog Training Space Available!

We've just had a cancellation for our Stop, Drop n Roll (Emergency Stop) Workshop.
If you want a dog that stops on a sixpence when you need them to, this one's for you!

Simple, practical, no-frills training – and a great chance to sharpen up your dog’s control skills.
Spaces don’t hang around long, so if you’re interested, head over to the website for full info and to book:
https://pentlandsdogtraining.co.uk/dog-obedience-training-workshops/

See you there!

Expert led, 2 hour, dog obedience training workshops, Build your dogs confidence and responsiveness in real life situations