The Dog Calmer

22/07/2026

16/07/2026

My house looks like a tornado — shredded paper, chewed cardboard, and a backyard transformed into confetti. But here’s the truth: that messy puppy = a healthy, curious puppy. 🐶❤️

In my latest blog post I explain why exploration (and a little chaos) builds confident, resilient dogs — and how to channel that energy safely. Read more: https://wix.to/XB8hmm1

14/07/2026

**"He's fine now..."**

It's something I hear a lot.

In this video you'll see Rex, a 6-month-old puppy, over 10 days of training around sheep.

What you don't see is Day One. Rex was so reactive that filming wasn't possible. Every session involved carefully moving him away before he became overwhelmed, letting him settle, then returning to a distance where he could cope. Little by little, his confidence grew.

By Day Two we were making progress, and each day after that built on the last.

But here's the important part...

Just because a dog can walk past sheep without reacting doesn't mean the training is finished. The real goal is for the sheep to become unimportant—to lose their fascination altogether.

Too often, dogs appear "fixed", only to chase sheep weeks or months later because the training stopped too soon.

Changing behaviour is one thing. Changing how a dog feels takes time.

If your dog has a strong interest in livestock, don't wait until something goes wrong. Prevention is always easier than repairing the consequences.

🎥 Watch Rex's journey here: [**[Insert YouTube link]**](https://youtu.be/u5X-f2XF0M8)

I'd love to hear your thoughts or experiences in the comments.

Over 10 days, I worked with Rex, a 6-month-old puppy, to help him b...

12/07/2026

An amazing 5 star google review. Thank you Julia
I have had dogs all my life and truly believed I knew what I was doing.
Then in comes Twiglet!!!
I lost all faith in myself and despite swearing I would never give up on a dog I was thinking about it more and more frequently. I read books, group training classes and asked anyone who could give me advice.
So when I saw Avril's advert I was at my lowest and thought I owed it to Twiglet to try.
Twiglet was found on the street and totally behaved like it. I would sit on the sofa and she would jump on my head. Walking was impossible she could pull me over (and she did)
If a man walked near she would bite. Push chairs, bikes, motorbikes and joggers got a special reaction too. I won't even mention other dogs!!!
In my first session Avril wanted to get to know us and we pretty much ignored Twiglet, who by the end of the session was calmly laying at my feet🤷🏼‍♀️
Don't get me wrong, there was a long journey ahead but a sudden feeling of calm enabled me to see that with Avril's help we would be ok!!!
I am now doing the socialisation class and enjoying every minute 😊
So to sum up, within 6 months, from feral dog to the joy of walking down to the pub with a calm happy terrier who just settles at my feet (this was my initial goal) despite there still being a way to go, I am forever grateful to Avril and her skills that have allowed my mischievous Twiglet and I to enjoy life together.
Thanks Avril 🥰

02/07/2026

I was only walking back from the paddock but Moose wanted to do heelies! 😍😍⭐️❤️

02/07/2026

Jill and Louie started training as a puppy with us! So good to watch there progress they are amazing 🤩 👏👏⭐️❤️

30/06/2026

Good dog training equals happy dogs! Book your training today! The Dog Calmer