Amanda - No Hassle Dog Training

03/08/2025

You have voted overwhelmingly for Connection + Focus!

Coming soon: 3 Days to Better Walks, Deeper Connection, + a Dog Who Tunes In

If you’re not already a member, join my group Stop the Pulling: Loose Leash Walking Help & Tips and be the first to know all the details!

For the new members, here’s what a challenge will look like:

🐾 3 Days of emails with an exercise each day (a video demo is included)

🐾 Daily Question by email and in the group

🐾 Live teaching daily - a zoom link will be in your daily email and the replay uploaded to the group!

And then, prizes at the end for participation and engagement!

All the details will be sent out in the next week or so! 💜

03/08/2025

Oakley’s taking over! One walk at a time!

This sweet girl is in my Pawsitive Strides program and is now an absolute CHAMP at loose leash walking in all sorts of environments…

Except her own neighbourhood! 🫣

She remembers some bad experiences so now we’re working on building her confidence!

We had an amazing walk today! We got to a spot where she decided it was time to return home but instead of pulling her Dad all the way home, she walked like a champ!!

Her Dad said this was the best walk they’ve had in a very long time! I was so enamored watching them work together that I forgot to get video but I did snag this super cute photo when I first arrived!

If you struggle to even walk your dog in your own neighbourhood, I’m here to help with my signature 5 step program so that you can feel the success that Oakley and her Dad felt today!

Whether it’s online or in person, I can help! Comment ‘WALK’ and I’ll send you a quick DM to chat more!

23/07/2025

Loose leash is a complex and difficult skill for dogs to learn and we should set our expectations accordingly.

Loose lead isnt natural. It’s a skill that has to be learnt. Biomechanically, dogs are built to move faster than us. Dogs choose to shift to a natural trot and on average walk at 2.5 - 4 mph (Hildebrand, 1966) where us naked monkeys on the otherhand average 2-3 mph walking (Kirtley, 2006). Do you know what 2.5 feels like? You should!

Because the mismatch alone creates tension — physically with the lead and emotionally in the relationship. Infact Dogs Trust found 30% of owners considered it a reason to rehome.

Now add in breed differences with research by Fischer & Lilje (2011) suggesting that Different breeds have different locomotive profiles based on original function. Malinois and Vizslas who are bred to move, track, cover ground; hearding breed like kelpies and collies who are bred to arc out infront; scent hounds like Beagles and Bloodhounds - designed to follow their noses with purpose, drive and speed; and of course breeds like Huskies who are literally bred and built to pull - it’s in the actual job description.

Its not a suprise that Rooney & Cowan (2011) found Lead tension and restricted gait was specifically a negative welfare marker for working breeds.

So when we expect all dogs to plod beside us through a park at human pace, ignoring smells, distractions, and natural instinct…we’re arent asking for a behaviour: We’re asking for the dog to restrain their pace, suppress their instincts, and constantly self-regulate.

In my opinion loose lead is one of the three essential skills I believe every dog pro needs to understand in depth - gait, drive, motivation, mechanics, assessment, different technique and exercise, consequence gradients and all.

Because when you understand what you’re really asking for,
you stop calling it stubbornness
and start training it like the advanced skill it actually is. And this leads to way better pet dogs with way happier relationships. ###

20/07/2025

Ready to have more peaceful walks with your dog without feeling like you have to squeeze just one more thing into your day?

Hi, I’m Amanda, your dog trainer and my passion is helping dogs and their people have better walks.

I call the east coast of Canada my home and share my life with my partner, my beagle and my tortie cat! I’m neurospicy - living with a newish diagnosis of ADHD and anxiety.

I take a lot of what I learned to manage life and apply it to my dog training and have found that helpful to many people who also live with neurodivergence or other mental health conditions.

I break concepts down into manageable bits for you and your dog and keep training sessions short and fun. I work to build your confidence in your newfound skills and your dog’s abilities.

It doesn’t take much to make a big impact on your overexcited dog who loves to pull on walks - as little as 10 minutes a day is all it takes!

I’m a judgement free zone and I’m your coach - feeling so frustrated you want to throw your dog out a window? (obvs, not really!) I get it! Haven’t practiced in a week? That’s ok, we’ll get you back on track.

I’m here to help.

Ready to work with me? Just comment ‘WALK’ and I’ll DM you for a chat!

17/07/2025

I had a s**t day today.

I woke up struggling to move due to my chronic pain this morning.

Then I had a meeting about my finances. Boring but necessary.

My workday went down the drain with no productivity in sight and addressed a frustrating situation.

And finally, I spent 20 extra minutes CRAWLING through traffic because the lines were being repainted.

I got home and ranted about my day and now just want to curl up under my blankies.

I say all this because this is what’s happening with your dog BEFORE the explosion.

They race outside - pent up energy.

They hear a squirrel - ok, they can handle that.

Then it follows and teases you - ugh, stupid squirrels.

Then a dog barks off in the distance while someone walks past with a stroller and kids trailing behind on scooters, calling out to each other.

Then you see the cute new neighbourhood dog and, unaware that this build up has just occurred, you allow a greeting to happen and your dog’s frustration or excitement can no longer be contained!

In an instant they snap. You say, “I don’t know what’s got into them, they’ve never done this before.” or “they’re usually so friendly”. and feel embarrassed, maybe even scold your dog.

But behaviour is communication.

We can learn more about our dog by paying attention to what’s going on for them and seeing how they interact with the world.

By learning their signs of discomfort or overexcitement we can start to work on identifying their distractions and help them feel calmer, safer and more confident in their environment.

What do you do to help your dog deal with distractions? Comment down below and let me know!

12/07/2025

Need new dog walking gear?

Want to add to your growing collection? (I’m you 😂)

I got you covered!

All you need to do is comment ‘WALK’ and I’ll send you my Amazon shopping list of all the very best dog walking gear!

From the basics to safety, I got your back!

*please note I do make a tiny commission if you do decide to purchase from one of my links!

16/02/2025

Does this GIF remind you of your daily walks? Or maybe you don't even take daily walks any more because this is exactly what they look like!

Join me on Wednesday, February 19th at 2pm (Atlantic, time zone converter in comments) for Out + About: Common Dog Walking Struggles.

It's a live workshop, so attend live if you can (a replay will be available for 24 hours). We're covering:

* My top tips for your most common struggles.
* Live demonstrations of training games! (Starring Mabel!)
* Time for Q+A (bring your questions!)
* And my 5 Steps to Successful Walks

This workshop is completely free but you do need to register to attend! Link in comments!