08/11/2025
This story broke my heart, but it’s something I hear far too often..
A lovely client came to me recently with their reactive dog. They’d been told by another trainer to put their dog on a slip lead and “correct” the behaviour by pulling up on the lead.
When that didn’t work, they were told to pull harder.
My heart honestly sank. Not because the owner did anything wrong - they were just following advice - but because that poor dog was never taught what to do instead.
That's not training.
If I asked you to guess what I wanted from you, but pinched you every time you got it wrong, how would you feel?
Confused? Frustrated? Maybe even scared to try again?
Our dogs feel that too.
Training isn’t about force. It’s about teaching, understanding and communication.
It’s about helping our dogs to understand what we want and making it easy for them to win, by giving them the tools to get it right.
When I work with any dog - whether they’re reactive, nervous, excitable, or just learning the basics - we always start by looking at why the behaviour is happening.
👏🏻 Behaviour is communication 👏🏻
We don’t throw dogs into the deep end and expect them to swim.
We start in the shallows and build their confidence.
We don’t flood them with fear.
We teach them how to cope, step by step, at a pace that feels right for them.
And just like with our dogs, I’ll never ask you to do something you’re not comfortable with.
Training should feel good for everyone involved!
In the video, you’ll see me working with puppy Odi on some “engage, disengage” - He smashed it! And then went onto smash everything else I asked of him after! 🎉
No forceful corrections. No fear.
Just learning, confidence, and rewards.
We might not take the fastest route, but we take the one that lasts. The one that builds a stronger relationship, understanding, and results that truly stick 🐾💚
Have you ever been told to “correct” your dog this way? Or been unsure how to help your dog?
Pop your thoughts or experiences in the comments - I’d love to hear from you 👇