Paws 1 on 1 Dog Training

01/09/2025

13/08/2025

12/08/2025

Hello Pawparent 😊, at Pawfection Pet Grooming, we believe every fur baby deserves the royal treatment.

From the moment they arrive to the final fluffy shake, we make sure your pet feels safe, loved, and fabulous.

🛁 Luxurious bath using the best quality shampoos and conditioners
🔥 In the cooler months, we keep bath water warm & our grooming space cosy, so your pet stays comfortable from start to finish
✂️ Precision cuts & styling to suit their personality
💅 Perfect pawdicures
🐛 Flea & tick treatments and deworming now available to keep your pet healthy and happy
💖 Plenty of cuddles along the way

Because at Pawfection, it’s not just grooming…
It’s Pawfect care for Pawfect pets. 🐶🐱💛

📅 Book today – WhatsApp 071 676 0893

09/08/2025

When we punish dogs for growling, even if they're growling at our child, we aren't helping them feel better about whatever it is that is threatening them. Instead, we are teaching to stop letting us know when they feel unsafe.

The result? A dog who stops giving us warning signs and "bites out of the blue."

And, that's how we create dangerous dogs. I'd much rather have a dog growl and tell me they're upset (so we have a chance to intervene and help them) than a dog who just bites without any warning signs.

Read more here: https://rescuedbytraining.com/2025/08/04/behavior-suppression/

04/08/2025

Well done to the Rudmans and the ball of energy Terrex

04/08/2025

This is so important.

16/07/2025

Please read this is probably one of the most common reasons I receive calls

A very common request for assistance that behaviourists get, is introducing a new puppy to an existing dog. People asking for help to ensure that introductions between their existing dog and their new puppy go well is a good thing. The problem though, is that most of these requests are done in the following circumstances:

1. The person already has the new puppy
2. The person knows that their existing dog has serious issues with other dogs

Thoughtfully planning ahead of time, by consulting a behaviourist when one is considering adding a new dog to the family BEFORE committing to the new addition, is a good thing. Getting a new puppy KNOWING FULL WELL that your existing dog has social problems and expecting a behaviourist to do an emergency consultation because you are now living with two dogs in separate parts of your home and have no idea how to introduce them, is a very silly thing to do. If your dog doesn’t like other dogs or lacks social skills, we cannot wave a magic wand and change their personality and socialisation history. Yes, some dogs that are not generally sociable with other dogs can learn to accept a new puppy, but some don’t. It is extremely risky to bring a puppy into a home with a dog who is completely intolerant of other dogs and actively hostile towards them. You may be bringing that puppy into a situation that will be traumatic or downright dangerous for them. Just because you want a puppy, doesn’t mean you are in a position to get one. Your other dogs have to be considered.

I do understand that in many cases things aren’t as simple as a dog being absolutely fine with other dogs or a dog being completely intolerant – most dogs fall somewhere along that spectrum and their response to a new puppy may not be clearly predictable. However, that is where getting advice BEFORE making a decision is a must. Book a consultation to discuss whether your dog would cope with a new puppy, given their history, temperament, age, health and current behaviour challenges. We can offer guidance on whether it is an idea which can be explored or whether it is totally ill-advised to go ahead. We can offer guidance as to what work can be done to prepare your dog for the new arrival by meeting their emotional and physical needs, reducing stress and anxiety and managing or resolving any current behaviour issues (e.g. resource guarding) which could interfere with them accepting a new arrival. We can also advise on the type of dog (age, s*x, size, breed etc) that will most suit your current dog and give you safe gradual introduction protocols, to try and set the relationship up for success.

Too often we are put in situations where people go out and get a new puppy, despite the fact that their existing dog is completely unsocialised and openly aggressive towards other dogs and then expect us to drop everything and rush over to stop the older dog from attacking the puppy. This is completely unacceptable. In many of these situations my advice ends up being to give the puppy back to the rescue organisation or breeder, before they are physically hurt or emotionally damaged for life.

I also have to ask, why are rescue organisations giving puppies to people who have existing dogs that are not socialised with other dogs? What happened to pre home-checks? What happened to introductions with existing animals BEFORE an adoption is approved? It is sadly most often puppies from shelters that seem to end up in these situations and it seems that in haste to find homes for puppies, there is a failure to ask appropriate questions. This really needs to change.

So please, if you want to add a puppy or dog to your family, give it thoughtful consideration ahead of time and seek advice if you have any concerns over your current dog or they have any social or behavioural issues. Don’t just do it and expect everything to work out. You may be ruining a puppy’s life and creating a lot of trauma for your whole family if you go this route.

18/06/2025

28/05/2025

A Reflection on the New Trend in Trial Bragging

It’s become a post-trial weekend classic: a flashy high score on social media, paired with a caption like “we only went on the field once” or “second time tracking this year.” On the surface, it sounds impressive. Minimal prep, max results. But let’s unpack what that actually means — for the sport and for those of us who live in the grind.

To the handlers tracking at 5am in the rain, showing up every week at the club, working through problems, and still earning modest scores — this narrative can feel defeating. Not because we don’t want others to succeed, but because it suggests success comes easy — that hard work is optional.

So, what’s behind this trend?

Are these handlers just that good? Some might be.
Are their dogs naturally gifted? Possibly.
Are some judges more generous than others, or focusing less critically on certain phases? That’s a valid conversation too.
But when this “effortless excellence” becomes the standard — without honesty or context — it does real damage.

It skews expectations. It invalidates the reality of the work required. It tells newcomers that progress should be quick, and if it’s not, something’s wrong. It shifts our culture from valuing mastery to chasing optics.

Success should be celebrated — especially when it’s earned. But let’s be real about what it takes. And let’s not forget the real heart of this sport: the journey, the struggle, and the bond we build through it all.

To those putting in the work, even if your score doesn’t scream it — we see you. You’re doing it right.

📸Eclectic Shots

10/04/2025

09/04/2025

4 TIPS to Develop Mental Fortitude—
Mental fortitude empowers you to resist distractions, stay focused and control impulses, all of which lead to improved consistency, one of the greatest forces in life.

While mental strength and self-discipline are often associated with competition,
they are perhaps even more critical in your development as a trainer and handler.

For example, a handlers concentration can often vary within a training session.
When you’re focused and consistent, your communication is clear and easily understood. However, when focus wanes, it can lead to confusion or frustration for your dog.
If a command (such as ‘lie down’ or other) is consistently employed, your dog understands the expectation.
But if the handler becomes distracted, we often see the following….
—handler gives ‘lie down’,
dog continues walking, but slows to lovely pace
therefore, the handler doesn’t repeat or enforce the lie down, they decide the pace dog being offered is really what they wanted,
but not what they asked.

From dog’s perspective….
When you give a "lie down” command that sometimes means lie down (when you enforce it), and sometimes means “slow down” (when you let him walk on after giving the command)
the training is not intuitive;
you’re asking for interpretation, instead of understanding.

It teaches your dog, ‘lie down’ doesn’t mean lie down, rather, it is optional, which can be problematic.
For dogs that lack confidence or are sensitive, this method can initially build them up, as they “run through” the command.
They are the decision makers and for a timid dog it can appear and even be, empowering.
It’s when and how you go back to reestablish the lie down, (for additional training such as, sheep running towards something and you need a stop, prevent conflict w/ aggressive sheep, lambing, stop short on an outrun, teach a bend, turnback, and list goes on), that it can be an issue.
Correcting a softer or timid dog for the lie down that you haven’t been consistent with, can be unnecessarily confusing, defeating or both.

For stronger willed or excitable dogs, letting them carry on through the lie down can fuel their independent thinking. Them deciding when they need to comply with the lie down and when they don’t can transfer to them not listening in other aspects of work, making training difficult.

Moreover, handlers can get frustrated when they actually need the lie down and their dog doesn’t comply,
sometimes even admonishing or yelling at their dog,
when it was the handler that taught it was an optional command!
Of course, this isn’t fair.

While this example is about focus and consistency, mental strength is equally important in controlling passion.
The training field is no place for temper—you’re not teaching anything productive when you lose control of your emotions.

Mental strength is a habit that can be honed, strengthened, improved and ultimately transform your partnership.
Here are 4 tips to help build your mental fortitude:

1. View Failure as a Lesson
This mindset is crucial for resilience. Use setbacks as stepping stones for growth. Every mistake teaches a lesson, every loss is an opportunity for change. Successful people don’t fear failure—they use it as a data point in information gathering to fuel progress.

2 Seek Out Discomfort as a Tool for Growth
Resilient people step outside their comfort zones—whether that means, confronting fears, embracing the possibility of embarrassment, letting go of ego, reframing mindset, or other, the more you embrace discomfort, the more you build resilience.

3. Focus on the Present, Not the Past or Future
It’s easy to get stuck in regrets about the past or anxieties about the future.
But true mental strength comes from focusing on what we can control right now.
By shifting your mindset to the here and now, you improve your ability to handle challenges, make better decisions, and fully engage in the moment.

4. Embrace Change
Change is constant. To thrive, it's important to adjust quickly rather than fight against it. "If you get on the wrong train, be sure to get off at the first stop. The longer you stay, the more expensive the return trip is going to be". Whether it’s learning a new skill, facing unexpected challenges, embracing a new method, or other, resilience comes from accepting change as a natural part of growth.

macraeway.com

09/04/2025

We always want to do so much for our dogs, but the best thing we can do is to be present and enjoy every minute. Nothing will ever be better than time spent with their favourite people.

Because the happiest dogs I’ve ever met, have really had nothing at all. But in their eyes, because they had their person, they had everything.