Furry Frolics Dog Training & Walking

05/08/2025

September Puppy Class is already half full!

Starting Tuesday 2nd September 6.30pm at Shirehampton Public Hall - 6 week course.

If you're thinking about it, waiting for pay day, or just haven't got round to it, you're likely to miss out as September is silly season for puppies- consider yourself warned :)

During this 6 week puppy course you will learn all the skills you need to raise your puppy into a confident, social and well-mannered dog! Covering recall, lead walking, food manners, sensible socialisation, enrichment, and much, much more. We use rewards-based methods, and have 2 trainers and an as...

01/08/2025

Next adventure walks:

Saturday 9th August pm - 1 space left:
This will be a long (2.5 hour +) hike through woodland and potentially up a summit. Suitable for fit, healthy dogs who enjoy the company of others as one of the other dogs booked on is very playful.

Saturday 16th August pm - 2 spaces left:
I'm hoping to do a beach trip to Berrow/Brean Sands for this one so sadly it's not suitable for ball addicts/thieves, or dogs who generally forget their brain when they step onto sand 🤣. However, we can take this one at a more leisurely pace and rest a lot if necessary, so would be fine for less athletic dogs unlike most adventure walks.

Existing clients can just WhatsApp me to book in, new clients will require a meet n greet and local trial walk before their adventure.

Give yourself a break and your dog a great day out- it's a win win! 🌞👣🏞️

30/07/2025

This gorgeous little girl is THE most confident Dachshund I think I've ever met!

She loves all people & dogs, and this was becoming a problem for her owners as she would run up to every person/dog she would see.

It's so important that during recall training, the puppy isn't allowed to practice the exact thing we are trying to train them not to do.

Every time your puppy runs up to a stranger and gets a cute voice, or a little stroke, or heaven forbid a treat (STOP FEEDING OTHER PEOPLES DOGS!!), they are learning that this behaviour works. It's being reinforced.

That means that your work is being cancelled out every day, and that's why you might not be seeing results even though you are trying to practice.

Little Daphne is now on a 10m line temporarily while we replace the bad habits with good ones :)

28/07/2025

Another weekend, another adventure!

This time it was Max's turn. He's one of Riddle's favourite friends so I took my own dogs too (so I didn't get in trouble for coming back smelling of Max!)

Max runs with his owner regularly so he's super fit and took the 2.5hour hike up to Dolebury Warren Hillfort in his stride.

He was a perfect boy all day, other than lying down in puddles, but that's to be expected from this mud magnet!

Good boy Maxy! ❤️

24/07/2025

I'm gonna get real for a minute here in case it can help someone else.

Summer is usually not a great time for the business, and in previous years I've really struggled with it, both financially and emotionally.

Everyone with kids goes away at the same time, and many of my dog walking clients are teachers too so I suddenly see a big dip in revenue in July & August, when usually everything just ticks over nicely.

When you're self employed, but especially in this industry which is by its nature very personal, your identity becomes very much wrapped up in your work. That means that when things go quiet, you start questioning yourself. When you're then looking at a big bill on the horizon and not sure if you're gonna make it, it's stress on top of existential crisis.

I know I'm not alone, and many trainers go through this at some point. I've spoken to loads who feel the same- that's why I'm happy to post about it.

This year though, I decided I was NOT going to do it to myself. I made sure our little crew had had all our fun before July hit so I could just bunker down and ride out the inevitable storm (or rather drought). We packed loads of adventures, trips and visits onto May and June and honestly I had such a great early summer that I was content to just not do much else for a while.

I then made a conscious decision to enjoy the quiet time of July, to concentrate on my fitness and on developing the next exiting phase of Urban Freestyle. I would not let the imposter syndrome hit me this year, I was gonna run through the wall!

But guess what?!

In a crazy plot twist, this is the busiest July we have ever had!

Although group dog walks are expectedly pretty empty, Puppy Class is full (unheard of in summer), my diary is busy and I have a really nice pipeline of good quality 121 clients ready to start their packages.

I don't believe in "manifesting", and I suppose this is the opposite of that anyway but it definitely feels like the universe has been watching and is rewarding me for staying calm 😂

A huge proportion of my clients come from personal recommendations from people who've worked with me, so I'd like to say a big thank you to all of you lot!

And also a big well done to my class team Amy & Nikki who turn up smiling every week and make clients feel heard, supported and valued. You guys have played a huge part in keeping classes full recently.

Thanks so much everyone! 🥳🎈

PS: in other even better news, we'd like to welcome Stitch to the FF team. Don't panic, he's not mine- he's Amy's dream come true and I can't think of anyone who deserves such a nice puppy more!! As you can see, I was a bit excited when I got to class and he was waiting outside as a surprise! 😁😁

23/07/2025

Forgot to post this yesterday but HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎈🎂 to Poppy!
A true Furry Frolics & legend, Poppy throws herself into everything she does. She is loved by everyone she meets and even volunteers in a care home spreading her joy to the residents.
Happy 3rd birthday Poppy 🎈🎂💕

21/07/2025

Harvey, Ozzy and I had an awesome adventure walk on Saturday! We did an 8k route through Tintern and up to Devil's Pulpit, and even the springer had slowed down a bit towards the end!

Both these dogs started on the Puppy Deluxe Package and continued their training way beyond puppy class, and it really showed. Neither of them put a paw wrong all day, got lots of compliments and Ozzy even point blank refused to pull me up a hill because he's too good a boy to pull on his lead 😂

If you have a fit, active dog and want a weekend day off get in touch to find out about adventure walks :)

17/07/2025

Dogs: Omg you're awake! Yay!! What an amazing day to be alive, get up right now and feed me breakfast so we can take on this wonderful day together!

Dogs 5 minutes later: Thanks mate, I'm gonna go back to bed and sleep this off, see you in a bit.

07/07/2025

We have two spaces left on the 6 week Puppy Course at Shirehampton Public Hall which starts Tuesday 15th July at 6.30pm, for pups up to 6 months.

We cover:
- Minimising puppy-biting
- Potty training tips
- Coming back when called
- Not pulling on the lead
- Settling down in public & at home
- Building confidence
- Staying put when asked to
- Leaving illegal items alone
- Bringing & dropping toys
- Keeping 4 paws on the ground
- Much, much more!

We train using rewards-based methods. We have 2 trainers and an assistant trainer so there's plenty of 1on1 support. ABTC registered with over 10 years practical experience!

Bookings can be made here:
https://www.furryfrolicspetservices.co.uk/service-page/6-week-puppy-course-tues-6-30pm-13?referral=service_list_widget

Upgrades to the Puppy Deluxe Package are also available, please WhatsApp for more details!

PS: there also are one or two spaces left for older pups or adult dogs on Life Skills, starting the same date at 7.30pm. These spaces will almost certainly be snapped up by tomorrow's puppy graduates so book soon if you want one!

During this 6 week puppy course you will learn all the skills you need to raise your puppy into a confident, social and well-mannered dog! Covering recall, lead walking, food manners, sensible socialisation, enrichment, and much, much more, we use rewards-based methods.

02/07/2025

I'm back from my holiday in beautiful Scotland and settled back into work. I feel well rested and motivated for an awesome summer!

Here's what's on over the next couple of months:

🤹🏻 Dog Tricks for Kids & Young People
A fun workshop for children & teenagers to teach fun tricks to their pet dog! Held at the amazing facilities at EYE2EYE Dogs, the first workshop is on Wednesday August 6th at 1.30pm but we'll add more summer holiday dates if it's popular!

🐕 Puppy Class
Start your puppy off on the right paw with our 6 week course.
The next Puppy Course starts on Tuesday 15th July 6.30pm at Shirehampton Public Hall and focuses on general obedience/life skills as well as confidence building and enrichment. For pups up to 6 months.

🐩 Life Skills
If you have an older pup or adult dog and want to brush up on your basics, or continue your training after puppy class, this is the course for you.
The next 6 week block starts 7.30pm on 15th July at Shirehampton

🌍 Real World Club
Open to graduates of either puppy class, life skills or blocks of 121s, the Real World Club offers flexible pay-as-you-go classes for those wanting to train around other dogs in the big wide world. A great way to maintain your training without a huge commitment.
Real World Club usually takes place on Saturday mornings at 10.30am, pls message me to join the club before booking!

🤝 121 Training & Training Walks
Need a more tailored approach to training your dog? I'm available for consultations and 121 training. If appropriate we can take a hybrid approach where some of the sessions are coaching you to train the dog, and some are me just fast-tracking the actual training itself so you can get on with your own job!

😎 Urban Freestyle
This is my online business which I run with my colleague Eszter. If you love training for fun, come and learn to comine Elements of Tricks, Obstacles and Obedience to create freestyle routines in the online membership (over 100 tutorials waiting for you!!) and/or rise up through the LEVELS in the titling program!
Learn more: www.urbanfreestyledog.com

🏞️ Weekend Adventure Walks
Mostly open to existing walking clients but I will consider taking on new stable dogs subject to trial walks! Let me take your dog somewhere absolutely awesome for half a day (e.g. beach, mountains etc) so you can have a day out without the guilt.
Most weekend days over the summer are available at the moment but 12th July is fully booked.

🌳 Dog Walking
I usually don't advertise for my group walks as they tend to fill themselves organically but as I'm listing services the truth is I do have a space on a Monday and a Friday morning! Pickups are between 10 and 10.30ish in BS9 and 11, and dogs must be social, travel well in a crated vehicle and be safe off lead.

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Workshop & Course bookings: www.furryfrolicspetservices.co.uk/book-online

All other enquires please WhatsApp me (Ellie) on 07766383030

Let's make the rest of summer count for our dogs 💓

24/06/2025

The gorgeous Lola 💓

I'd seen her around with her owner while walking dogs and always thought she was a lovely dog, so when one day I was asked if I had space to walk her I couldn't resist and squeezed her in for a weekly solo walk.

She's a massive goofball with a playful nature and a face you just wanna smoosh all day long!

13/06/2025

Just a reminder that I am on holiday all of next week, so there will be no 121s or walkies from Monday to Friday.

Real World Club is ON tomorrow morning, but is unlikely to be on the 21st unless the Scottish weather sends us home prematurely 🤣🤞🏻Will keep you updated in the club chat.

Amy & Nikki will be covering Puppies & Life Skills on Tuesday so these classes remain unchanged.

See you next week!