Em's Pups - dog training and education

02/06/2026

In the world of "adopt don't shop" I am dreaming of "shop responsibly" 🫶 from:
☆ A breeder that does breed specific health tests on all breeding dogs. This is not just a vet check or DNA tests. This is, including but not limited to, combination of DNA tests, joint examinations (knees, hips, elbows) and an ECVO exam
☆ A breeder that is familiar with the breed and able to educate you on it's needs and traits with honesty. Good breeders specialise in very few breeds.
☆ A breeder that's competing with their dogs in breed appropriate sports - this allows the breeder to get an external evaluation on the flaws and qualities of their breeding dogs
☆ A breeder that does early socialisation with their puppies. Introducing them to new touch, sounds and experiences as they grow and never allowing a puppy to leave before the age of 8 to 10 weeks
☆ A breeder thats is registering their dogs with a reputable kennel club. In Europe these are usually the national FCI clubs. If the breeders advertise that the parents are registered but the puppies will not be, it is often because the breeder failed to fulfill the health and welfare requirements of the kennel club (which vary from country to country)

You will also want to...:
☆ Talk to several breeders of your chosen breed in your area. Ask around and get an idea for what the normal price for a well bred puppy is. A price that is much higher or much lower than what is normal is highly suspicious as well as price varying based on colour/size.
☆ Go on the FCI website and read the breed standard for your chosen breed. A breeder that advertises and sells dogs that have features that are not a part of the breed standard (fluffy frencies, wooly huskies, merle poodles), should be avoided at all costs as this is usually done for the purpose of profit at the cost of health and temperament.
☆ Find out if your chosen breeder uses contracts and has strong policy on what happens if you are unable to keep the puppy anymore at any point of their life.

As always, thank you for reading 🫶

23/05/2026

Part 3: not researching the purpose of their breed and doing breed appropriate activities 🐾

A husky without enough movement, a malinois without a job, or a terrier with no outlet to sniff, dig or chase will often create their own entertainment… and you probably won’t like it.

Before getting a dog, research what that breed was originally bred for. Herding? Guarding? Retrieving? Hunting? Companion work? Those instincts don’t just disappear because they live in a house now.

A few good places to learn more 👇
☆ Breed clubs & kennel club websites
☆ Ethical breeders who actively work their dogs
☆ Trainers who specialise in your breed type
☆ Dog sport communities (agility, scentwork, IGP, canicross, etc)
☆ Watching REAL owners of the breed, not just cute TikTok edits

Your dog doesn’t need to become a police dog or win championships.
But they do deserve an outlet that makes sense for what they were bred to do.

Let me know what breed you have and I will send you some ideas for breed specific enrichment! 🫶

20/05/2026

Not every dog wants to interact. Not every dog is safe to interact with.
Understanding this protects your dog, yourself, and honestly everyone else. The goal is neutrality and calm - “That dog exists and it doesn't affect me.”

A lot of leash frustration starts because we accidentally create expectations around every single interaction. Sometimes the expectation becomes excitement and over-arousal (“OMG A DOG!!!”), and sometimes it becomes anxiety or fear from bad experiences. Either way, your dog starts emotionally loading every dog they see before anything even happens and over-aroused dog = chaos. Quick few steps to help you 👇

☆ practise going *around*, not *in* the dog park. Allow your dog to observe, smell, hear but not to get close enough to interact. Use whatever makes you exciting to your dog! Do commands, play fetch, cuddle and run together - the point is to show your dog that life goes on normally even if there are other dogs around. Build this up until you can...
☆ ..move onto parallel walks. Nice calm walk in a quiet area with your bestie and their dog. None of the pups playing or interacting, everyone just walking together bit minding their own business.
☆ once you feel your pup is ready, you can add a check-in expectation. Basically, we see a dog - we look at each other. It becomes a little mental barrier that encourages your dog to think before acting. In practise it looks like this:
Start with a distraction in a distance, not too close. Wait for your dog to look from the distraction to you, mark with a "YES" and reward with a treat or toy. Repeat until your dog is offering check-ins by themselves and that's how you know you are ready to decrease the distance between you and the distraction!

Let me know your questions in the comments! ✨️

18/05/2026

Part 1: waiting until your dog has to cope instead of teaching them how to cope.

Your dog isn't “badly behaved”, they’re just overwhelmed.
New places, loud noises, crowds and children... training shouldn’t only happen in your living room. It should start there and safely transition into the real world so your dog can experience instead of surviving. 🌍🐾 Here's a quick how-to and a space for your questions in the comments 🫶

First steps: 🐶
☆ Toys with different textures, sounds & movement early on as well as (very important!) stepping on different surfaces- not just grass, floor and carpet but also sand, mud, pebbles and other environmental "obstacles" to be found around.
☆ Everyday noises on your phone, TV or computer: traffic, fireworks, babies crying, cafés, trains, thunder, vacuum cleaners, etc
☆ Practice doorbells, knocking, people entering the house & moving around suddenly

Advancing into the real world: 🐕
☆ Let them experience crowds, bikes, kids running, umbrellas, shopping streets & busy environments, but in a safe and controlled way. Start with a quiet cafe outside peak hours, shopping street when the stores are closed and a dog/kids park from the outside of the fence.
☆ Reward neutrality instead of forcing interaction. Let them observe first, master checking in with you, then build confidence slowly.
☆ Train in more than just your house. A “sit” in the kitchen is not the same as a “sit” on a bus or in a middle of the market.
☆ Introduce "weird" objects: hats, hoodies, sunglasses, wheelchairs, skateboards, balloons, bags rolling on the floor.

I promise, if you follow through, so will your dog's confidence 🫶

16/05/2026

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10/05/2026