The Whole Approach - Behaviour transformation for dogs and their people

24/09/2025

This 👇💕🐾

23/09/2025

Up to mischief? Me? Never!! 🤣

23/09/2025

Yesterday marked the Autumn Equinox – a moment of balance, when day and night stand equal before the darker half of the year begins. It feels like the perfect time to share something I’ve been working on…

🌿 The Four Elements of Connection 🌿
A workshop series from The Whole Approach

We’ll explore Air, Fire, Water and Earth – not in a mystical or abstract way, but as living guides for how we connect with our dogs and ourselves. Each element holds lessons:

22/09/2025

An ethical dog training, nosework and behaviour support community with writer and canine behaviourist Sally Gutteridge.

19/09/2025

The Importance of Engaging the Senses:

Much like us, a dog’s wellbeing depends on more than food, exercise, and rest - it depends on engaging their senses and it’s important for us to consider them all.

Let’s start with:

The Power of Smell

Smell is a dog’s primary sense. A short walk where they’re allowed to sniff and investigate is often more valuable than a long, fast-paced walk.

In this video, Connie is exploring the world beneath her, nose deep in a hole and fully engaged in her terrier traits. If you listen closely, you can hear her working things out through scent.

👉 Giving dogs the chance to sniff isn’t a luxury - it’s a basic need.

16/09/2025

Modern science-based dog training and enrichment in the heart of Beverley.

16/09/2025

15/09/2025

🌿 Maggy’s Musings – Seasons of Change, Elements of Connection

The shift of seasons always feels like nature taking a deep breath. The air sharpens, the ground softens, the light tilts, and suddenly our senses are tuned a little differently. For us, the change is subtle, a faint chill on the breeze, a shifting palette of colour, the scent of damp earth after rain. For our dogs, whose senses live closer to the ground and the wind, it is a symphony.

Air carries stories. A gust in autumn whispers of woodsmoke and fallen leaves to us, but to our dogs it’s a library of messages - who passed here, what they carried, whether joy or tension clung to them. As days shorten, those currents seem to flow with more urgency, reminding us to breathe with our companions, to steady their excitement with our calm.

Fire dwindles from the heat of summer into the softer glow of hearths and lamps. For us, it signals comfort, a drawing inward. For our dogs, it’s the warmth of a trusted lap, the steady reassurance that connection is enough. Fire is the spark in a playful moment, and the ember that settles when rest is found.

Water changes rhythm with the seasons. Gentle mists, heavy rains, glistening puddles that invite pawprints. Dogs splash and lap and listen; we notice how water soaks into us too. Cleansing, slowing, sometimes drenching our patience. Together we learn to yield, to let flow replace force.

Earth grows damp, rich, and grounding. Our steps sink a little deeper into soil, and our dogs’ noses find treasure where roots tangle and fungi rise. Earth anchors us when change feels unsettling, reminding us that stability is not about stillness but about belonging - to place, to one another.

As the wheel of seasons turns, our senses dance with those of our dogs. We lean into the whispers of air, the warmth of fire, the flow of water, the grounding of earth. And in doing so, we remember that change needn’t be resisted. It can be embraced, savoured, and shared. It will bring its own joy.

After all, both human and dog know the truth: every season holds its own magic and brings with it its own connection. We just need to pause long enough to feel it 🍂💛🐾

11/09/2025

Dog Training Methods Explained: What Science and Ethics Say 🐕

Ever felt lost in all the jargon around dog training? The promises of quick fixes, the endless debate about “tools” – prong collars, pinch collars, shock collars. Honestly, it can feel like a minefield when all you want is some help with your dog.

At the heart of it, you just want to know your time, money, and trust are being invested in the best possible way for you and your dog to move forward together. So, let’s cut through the noise and look at what the main terms actually mean - and what the research says.

✨ Balanced Training
A mix of rewards (treats, toys, praise) and corrections (leash jerks, spray bottles, prong collars, shock collars, or scolding). Balanced trainers often advertise “quick results,” but this can come at the cost of using aversive methods your dog may find painful or frightening.

✨ Force-Free Training
Relies only on reward-based methods. Force-free trainers reinforce the behaviours they want, and manage or redirect the ones they don’t - without pain, fear, or intimidation. This isn’t “permissive.” It’s clear, consistent, and kind communication.

📚 What the Science Shows

Reward-based training leads to faster learning, stronger retention, and reduced stress or aggression. That’s why organisations like the ABTC, RSPCA, and leading veterinary behaviour bodies endorse it as the gold standard.

Aversive methods may suppress behaviour in the moment, but they often increase fear and anxiety. Many countries have already banned the use of e-collars and prong/pinch collars for this reason.

💡 Why It Matters
Our dogs rely on us for food, safety, and guidance. The methods we choose aren’t just about convenience, they reflect how we honour that trust. Reward-based training doesn’t mean being “soft.” It means being clear, effective, and compassionate.

Before you entrust someone with your dog’s wellbeing (and your hard-earned cash), ask these questions:
• What happens if my dog gets it wrong?
• Do you ever use prong collars, spray bottles, or shock collars?
• How do you make sure my dog feels safe during training?

A good trainer will always be open, willing to explain their methods, and committed to your dog’s wellbeing.

💬 My Approach
I follow and advocate for force-free training methods because they help dogs learn with confidence and strengthen the bond between dog and guardian. Whilst I would love to help, my priority will always be the wellbeing of both the dog and their human. If I’m not quite the right fit, I’ll gladly point you in the direction of some amazing trainers and behaviourists I trust. All of them have trained to degree level and beyond, and are deeply committed to ethical, science-based methods:
• Ingenious Dogs
• Training With Jas
• Meg Ashby - Canine Behaviour Consultant

❤️ The Bottom Line
Your dog is looking to you for guidance, not dominance. Let’s make that guidance count.

👇 Have you ever felt confused by dog training jargon? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

02/09/2025

🍂 Autumn Fruits and Our Dogs 🍎

Like many of us at this time of year, I love the chance to gather and enjoy the autumn fruits growing in my garden. My morning routine always includes time at the very end of the land (not grand – just my little patch!) with my dogs. It’s a busy place for wildlife, so Connie, my little JRT, makes the most of the delicious sniffs, while Loki is far more interested in “helping” me collect the fallen fruit.

But here’s the thing: while autumn abundance is wonderful for us, it’s important to know which fruits our dogs can safely enjoy, and which are best avoided.

✅ Safe in moderation
• Apples (without core/seeds)
• Pears (without core/seeds)
• Blackberries
• Raspberries (sparingly)

❌ Avoid
• Grapes and raisins (highly toxic)
• Plums, damsons & sloes (stones contain cyanide and can block intestines)
• Cherries (pits, leaves, stems are toxic)
• Crab apples (whole fruit can cause tummy upset)
• Rowan berries (can cause vomiting/diarrhoea)

⚠️ Tip: Be mindful of fallen fruit. If left too long, it can ferment, and fermented fruit may cause alcohol poisoning in dogs.

So while you’re filling baskets with the season’s goodness, keep an eye on what your four-legged friends are nibbling at your feet. A little awareness means they can enjoy autumn safely right alongside us. 🐾🍂

01/09/2025

Aww thanks so much for the great review Danny. You are all absolute stars and a pleasure to work with 💕🐾

“I have used Maggy's services very recently as have a dog we rescued that carries a lot of anxiety. We've had her on medication but as we all know, that's not a permanent fix so wanted to work on making our Izzy into a more confident doggo. After a first meet Maggy put a plan together for us to use and in her second visit showed us how to put some of the exercises into practice.
We've been regularly keeping up with the positive training for the last 4 weeks now and are already starting to see s difference in her behaviour. She calms down a lot quicker when people come into the house, she's now always wanting to do work as she really enjoys the little exercises we were given and ive even adapted some of them myself too to make things even more interesting for her. Maggy is always there for support if needed too which is great as trainers we have used previously haven't always been as willing with the aftercare so I would highly recommend using Maggy and her services. We've even started to reduce Izzys meds now too and it doesn't seem to be having a negative effect on her. Thanks Maggy”