life skills
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The Three Second Rule
When should you intervene when two dogs are interacting? You don’t need to wait for growling, snapping or a fight. One simple guideline I use is the Three Second Rule.
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Exercise: Click & Follow
Click & Follow is a simple way to reduce pulling and teach your dog what to do when the lead becomes tight.
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Exercise: Walking on Lead Basics
Walking in a straight line on a lead isn’t natural for dogs. We need to teach them what we want them to do—and be patient while they learn. You can start teaching this at home, long before you expect your puppy to walk nicely out in the world. It’s also a great refresher for older…
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Exercise: Go Say Hi
Some dogs don’t just greet people — they launch themselves at them in an airborne triple spin and attempt to lick the inside of their nostrils. Go Say Hi teaches your dog a much more polite way to greet someone!
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Exercise: Four on the Floor
Jumping up is one of the most common challenges for dog owners. It’s easy to focus on stopping the jumping once it happens. This exercise flips things around: we actively teach and reward what we want our dogs to do instead—keep four paws on the floor as people approach.
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Teaching Your Dog to Love Their Name
Your dog’s name is one of the most valuable things you’ll ever teach. Used well, it can mean the difference between your dog checking in with you and your dog checking out entirely.
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Why your dog ignores their name
The problem isn’t that your dog doesn’t know their name. It’s that they’ve learned that responding to it isn’t worth leaving what they’re doing.
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You’re not the only one
Every dog owner has a collection of embarrassing stories. Trust me, it happens to all of us.
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Your Puppy Doesn’t Need to Know 20 Tricks
We’ve all seen videos of a 10 week old puppy learning 20 tricks in two weeks. Which just makes you feel totally inadequate because it feels like your puppy has only just learned its name.
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Walks Don’t Have To Be Boring
Simple ways to add adventure to everyday walks. A little variety can make things much more interesting for everyone.
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My Dog Won’t Come Back When Called
Recall Reset: Rebuilding a Reliable Recall. Your dog just isn’t coming back. It’s like their name has lost all meaning. While this can be a normal part of adolescence, there are things you can do to reset their recall.
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Puppy Training Beyond Sit & Stay
Dog training isn’t just about teaching puppies how to sit, drop, and spin. That’s the easy stuff! It’s about dogs and humans learning how to navigate everyday life together.
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Puppy Socialisation Isn’t What Most People Think
Common Puppy Socialisation mistakes & misunderstandings: what Puppy Socialisation really means.
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Puppy Socialisation Explained
It’s More Than Just Meeting Dogs! Socialisation is about far more than introducing your puppy to new people and dogs. It’s about gently exposing them to the world so they can grow into confident, resilient dogs who can cope with everyday life.
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Living with an adolescent dog
My puppy was doing so well! It’s like everything they knew has fallen out of their head?! What have I done wrong?! Welcome to adolescence!
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Puppy school is just the beginning
Has your puppy woken up and chosen chaos? But last week they were utterly perfect? Guess what… this is completely normal!
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Small Moments, Big Impact
Some of the best training happens in small moments throughout the day. Short, playful training moments often work better than one long session, especially for younger dogs. This way, training becomes part of life.