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Paws & Minds

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Kind, ethical, evidence-based training and behaviour support for dogs and their families.

1:1 and group work – building confidence & life skills.
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Based in Dumfriesshire, covering North Cumbria, West Northumberland & parts of the Scottish Borders. Need help and advice with training or behaviour struggles? Would you like to understand your dog better, and why they behave as they do? Find out how to communicate more effectively with your dog. Use positive reinforcement, force free training to work together as a team. Learn essential life skills - for all dogs of any age. Have fun!

* Training for all life stages, breeds and backgrounds
* 1-2-1
* Group classes
* Experienced with rescue/rehome struggles
* Positive reinforcement, force free training
* Behaviour advice
* In person and online options

Based near Gretna, England/Scotland border

Get in touch to find out how I can help you and your dog.

05/11/2026

A few conversations recently have stayed with me.

Guardians trying to find a way forward, who have been left feeling confused and sometimes uncomfortable by advice they’ve received from professionals or found online.

There’s so much information available. When it comes with strong opinions about what you *must* do, it can become difficult to work out what feels appropriate for you and your dog.

It brought me back to something I wrote a couple of years ago: **positive isn’t the same as permissive.**

I still agree with that. Though now I’d want to say more about what kind, ethical training actually involves.

Think about learning something unfamiliar yourself. Perhaps you’re following instructions, but there’s a step missing. Perhaps you understood it at home, yet struggle when someone is watching or there’s lots happening around you.

What might help?
A clearer explanation? A quieter space? Breaking the task into smaller steps? Someone noticing that you’re getting frustrated, uncomfortable or tired?

Those are useful questions to ask about our dogs, too.

Teaching a skill involves more than finding a reward a dog likes. We need to consider what we’re asking, what they’ve had an opportunity to learn, and whether they can manage it in that particular moment.

Their emotional state, physical comfort, previous experiences and surroundings all matter. A puppy exploring with their mouth, an adolescent struggling to settle and an older dog becoming less tolerant may need quite different support, even where the behaviour looks similar.

There’s plenty of practical guidance within this approach.

We can use gates, leads, distance and thoughtfully arranged spaces to keep everyone feeling safe. We can establish predictable routines, meet needs and teach useful skills in manageable stages. We can prevent situations becoming overwhelming while helping dogs gradually build confidence and experience.

Rewards help us communicate what works and give dogs a reason to practise it again. Our job is also to notice when the task needs adjusting, or when there may be something else we need to understand.

That takes observation, planning and flexibility. It also involves supporting the person holding the lead, so they understand what we’re working towards and how it fits into everyday life.

Having space to ask questions, understand the reasoning behind advice and say when something leaves you uncomfortable is essential. Those conversations are a valuable part of working together.

For me, kind, ethical, evidence-based support means looking carefully at the dog and the person in front of me, then finding practical ways to help both.

If you’re feeling tangled up in conflicting advice, you’re welcome to get in touch for a chat.

Tara
Paws & Minds 🐾🧠

04/11/2026

There was a lot to enjoy about watching this dog getting muddy at the field recently.

I’d seen him six weeks earlier, when his guardians came to talk through some concerns about his behaviour.

At that visit, his movement looked stiff and uncomfortable, and we agreed I'd shared my observations with his vet.

Otherwise he was lively, interested in his toy, and busy sniffing. It’s easy to understand why discomfort might be less apparent when a dog is still doing the things they enjoy. Gradual changes can be especially difficult to notice when we see them every day.

Six weeks into a pain relief trial with his vet, we met again.

He looked much more comfortable moving around the field. He was also more engaged and better able to manage his responses to what was happening around him. Overall, he seemed happier and more content.

There is still more to work through, but it was lovely to see him looking more at ease and enjoying his time at the field.

His guardian may have preferred a little less mud, though!

Tara
Paws & Minds 🐾🧠

03/11/2026

Callie has taken the idea of the nights drawing in and getting cosy for winter to a whole new level...
Does anyone else have a dog who takes their bedding arrangements quite this seriously?
😴🐾🧠

02/11/2026

This evening is our Q&A call in **Capable Canines – A Place to Land**.

Krysia, The Creative Canine and I set the group up as a small, supportive community for guardians of dogs who, for one reason or another, can find the world a little more challenging.

Sometimes that means reactivity or worry. Sometimes health or pain is part of the picture. Sometimes everyday life has simply become more complicated than people expected.

The Q&A is a chance for people in the group to bring along whatever questions are on their mind about their dog’s life and world, and to spend a little time with others who understand some of those challenges.

It sits alongside our regular Coffee & Chats too, an in-person meet-up kindly organised by one of our long-standing group members, giving people both an online and face-to-face way to connect.

The group provides a useful way to offer a bit more support, share ideas, and create some space for conversation that doesn’t have to fit neatly into a 1:1 session.

For me, that sense of community matters. Living with a dog who needs a little more understanding, planning or advocacy can sometimes feel quite lonely. Having somewhere to ask questions, compare experiences and spend time with people who “get it” can make a real difference.

If you'd like to join the group, send me a message or comment below.

Tara
Paws & Minds 🐾🧠

29/10/2026

Raising a puppy can be wonderful. It can also be blooming hard work!

Bruno is around 15 weeks old, he's just started attending puppy classes with a local Trainer to work on those all important life skills. This session wasn't to look at that side of things.

His guardian had done her homework before bringing Bruno home, chose a reputable breeder and has been putting a lot of thought and effort into helping him settle into family life.

Yet life at home was beginning to feel overwhelming.

Bruno is very quick to become excited and much slower to come back down again, more so than a typical, energetic puppy. He isn't sleeping much during the day, is waking several times overnight, and managing life with Bruno alongside an older dog with his own needs, whilst everyone is sleep deprived is a lot to juggle.

Sometimes there are simply a lot of moving parts when you're raising a puppy, and when you're living in the middle of it every day it can become difficult to work out which bits really matter.

Our session wasn't about giving Bruno's guardian another list of things to be doing.
It was much more about standing back and looking at the whole picture together.

We found things that were already working well. Bruno's early morning routine, for example, was giving us a nice blueprint: toilet, breakfast, a quieter sniffy outing, something to lick or chew on return home, and then a noticeably calmer period afterwards.

Rather than reinventing everything, we can build more of the day around a pattern Bruno is already showing us works for him.

We also looked at his relationship with his older canine brother.

Fair doesn't mean treating two dogs exactly the same. A young puppy and an older dog at a very different stage of life may each need their own space, activities, rest and one-to-one time.

There were some straightforward training and management changes to help life feel a little easier: quieter walks, a little more distance from exciting things, protected opportunities to sleep, separating the dogs before interactions become too much, and practising simple skills when Bruno is calm, rather than waiting until they're desperately needed.

Alongside that were a few observations worth exploring further. Simply things that were useful to notice, record and take to the appropriate professionals so Bruno's guardian can gather a fuller picture rather than wondering about them alone.

I think this is one of the really useful roles professional support can play during puppyhood.

Sometimes you need training.

Sometimes you need practical changes around the home.

Sometimes you need reassurance that something you're already doing is actually helping.

Sometimes you need another pair of eyes to notice patterns you haven't been able to see because you're tired and living right in the middle of them.

Looking at everything together can highlight an area where gathering a little more information might be useful too.

Puppyhood doesn't have to feel completely unmanageable before it's worth asking for support.

Sometimes a session that brings a bit of clarity, identifies a few priorities and quietens some of those niggling questions can make the whole thing feel much more manageable.

For puppy and human alike.

Tara
Paws & Minds 🐾🧠

28/10/2026

I realised that I’ve now been studying continuously for more than a year.

What has the course added?

The core principles behind how I work are still the same. I’m still looking at the whole dog, their emotional state, physical comfort, learning history, environment, relationships, choices and capacity.

What the course has added is an increasing depth to the understanding behind that.

The content is wide-ranging, with everything from evolution and development, brain function and physiology through to emotional processes, influences on learning, pharmacology amongst many factors that shape behavioural responses.

It has given me more insight into why approaches work, rather than simply knowing how to apply them.

It has also helped me understand more clearly why even the slightest variation can make such a significant difference to an individual dog.

Those details matter, and having a better understanding of what may be happening underneath the behaviour helps make sense of them.

Alongside the course, regular mentorship has added another perspective to my learning, with more depth on health and physical comfort and how they can link into behaviours we see. Having space to explore more complex cases, question my thinking and look at things from different angles has been incredibly valuable.

My own dogs have added rather a lot to the learning over the past year too! Living alongside health, pain, behaviour and rehabilitation in real time has created plenty of opportunities to observe, question, research and develop my understanding further.

I wasn’t entirely sure how I would get on with returning to more formal education. It’s not always been a way of learning that has suited me particularly well. As it turns out, I’m really enjoying the course content and all the learning that comes with it.

The lack of breaks and volume of work can be hard at times. Studying alongside running a small business, supporting clients and everything that comes with home life takes some juggling, as it does for anyone fitting study around work and family commitments.

There’s still plenty ahead, plenty more reading and research, plenty more writing, plenty more practical experience, and inevitably plenty more questions!

Perhaps that’s one of the things I value most about it.

The more I understand, the more interested I become in the small details, and in looking beyond what a dog is doing, to understand why they might be doing it.

Every time, the most useful starting point is to slow the picture down, gather information, and work out what that individual dog needs.

Tara
Paws & Minds 🐾🧠

27/10/2026

One of the things I regularly come back to when working with puppies is it's easy to assume that a young dog must be physically comfortable because they are active, playful and full of energy.

Young dogs have all the regular puppy growth and physical development going on, but they can unfortunately have health concerns too. These don’t always present through an obvious limp, or a puppy appearing unwell.

This is why I ask about much more than the behaviour a guardian initially wants help with. We talk about sleep, eating and drinking, digestion, toileting, movement, handling and whether there are noticeable differences from one day to another.

I am looking for patterns which might help us understand why learning and settling is more difficult for that particular puppy.

Restlessness, increased mouthing, sensitivity to touch or difficulty switching off can all have perfectly ordinary puppy explanations. Physical discomfort may sometimes be contributing too. Both possibilities can be considered without jumping to conclusions.

Training can continue while we explore the wider picture, but it needs to be fair to the puppy in front of us.

Sometimes the most helpful thing I can offer a guardian isn’t more training. It is reassurance that their concerns are worth listening to, some practical support for life at home, and a clearer idea of what to focus on next.

Tara
Paws & Minds 🐾🧠

26/10/2026

Well, that changed quickly…

The clocks went back at the weekend and suddenly it feels as though someone switches the daylight off halfway through the afternoon!

I’ll confess, this isn’t my favourite time of year. I always find the darker days take a bit of adjusting to, even though I know perfectly well that they’re coming.

Watching Callie and Woody over the last few days has made me think more about what our dogs make of it all too.

This year the clock change has arrived alongside a particularly bumpy few days. We’ve had two storms roll through from Friday into Sunday, bringing heavy rain, very strong winds and plenty of disruption.

For our dogs, that can mean quite a lot has changed in a very short space of time.

Walks may happen at different times, be shorter, or take place in the dark. Familiar routes suddenly look, sound and smell different. Strong wind brings unpredictable noise and movement, leaves and twigs skittering across the ground, branches moving overhead and unfamiliar objects appearing where they weren’t yesterday.

Even at home, there’s been more to notice. Callie is always aware of changes in the environment around her, while Woody can be more cautious about things that suddenly look or feel different. Add in rattling fences, bins moving around, branches coming down, atmospheric pressure changes, and the general background noise of a storm, and the world can become a rather different place.

Some dogs will barely notice. Others may seem more alert, unsettled, reluctant to go out, distracted on walks, more easily startled, more tired, or simply a little less able to cope with things they would normally manage quite comfortably.

That doesn’t necessarily mean anything has gone backwards.

Sometimes the environment has just become harder.

If your dog seems a little out of sorts this week, it may be worth looking at the bigger picture. A quieter walk, a familiar route, more sniffing time, some activities at home, or simply allowing a little more rest can all help while everyone adjusts.

The seasons change whether we’re ready for them or not.
Sometimes our dogs, just like us, need a little time to catch up.

Tara
Paws & Minds 🐾🧠

23/10/2026

Meet Lily

She’s landed on her paws in her new home, but it’s not all been plain sailing.

Lily’s guardian asked for help with Lily barking when she’s left alone for short periods.

Usually we’d work remotely for separation related questions, but it’s not an option for this family.

It’s important to understand more about Lily’s emotional responses about being alone to be able to provide relevant support.

Today was our first meeting and we learned Lily can choose not to follow her guardian everywhere if she has something engaging to occupy her.

This gives us lots more to work with and we made some really nice progress in today’s session.

Tara
Paws & Minds 🐾🧠

22/10/2026

Halloween is just over a week away, and the decorations have been appearing on front doors, in windows and gardens.

For us, most of it makes sense. We know the skeleton hanging by the front door isn’t real. We understand why someone we know suddenly looks different and their silhouette alters in a Halloween costume. We’re anticipating (mostly!) the shrieks, screams and ghoulish noises coming from houses and gardens as part of the festivities.

Our dogs don’t have that same context.

Halloween can change an awful lot of their usual reference points all at once.

Familiar people may look, move, sound and even smell different in costumes. Children can be louder and more excitable than usual. There may be unusual noises, decorations moving in the wind, flashing lights, repeated knocks at the door and groups of unfamiliar people appearing outside the house.

For some dogs, that’s worrying.
For others, it’s incredibly exciting.
Both can become overwhelming.

Add in a party, food left within reach, children running around, a front door that seems to open every few minutes, and even a dog who normally copes pretty well can find their capacity stretched.

We can rationalise the changes associated with Halloween, and usually choose how much we want to join in. Our dogs mostly have it happen around them.

A little planning can make a big difference for dogs who can find changes worrying, or very exciting.

🎃 Walking in daylight, if you can, before costumes, decorations and groups of trick-or-treaters become an extra part of the environment.

🎃 Give your dog a comfortable quieter space away from the front door, and well away from the main activity if you’re having people round. Somewhere they already like to rest is much better than suddenly shutting them somewhere unfamiliar.

🎃 Avoid having your dog accompany you to answer the door. Even dogs who usually enjoy visitors may feel very differently about a group of noisy miniature skeletons appearing on the doorstep!

🎃 If your dog is worried by unusual noises or people outside, using a long lead for garden trips can add another layer of safety.

🎃 Draw the curtains early and use the TV, radio or familiar background noise to soften some of what is happening outside.

🎃 Offering your dog fun food based activities and opportunities to play can help keep focus off Halloween.

🎃 Keep Halloween food and treats safely out of reach. With people coming and going, it’s very easy for the usual household routines around food to become a little less careful. Xylitol is in many sweet treats but is toxic to dogs.

🎃 If Halloween simply isn’t your thing, or your dog’s, leaving some treats outside with a note asking trick-or-treaters not to knock or ring the bell can make for a much quieter evening.

Some dogs will thoroughly enjoy being part of Halloween.
Some will be happiest snoozing through it in another room.
Some might need a bit more support than on a usual day.
Noticing what each dog needs in the important thing.

Tara
Paws & Minds 🐾🧠

Address

Evertown
Canonbie
DG140TW

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 8pm
Tuesday	9am - 8pm
Wednesday	9am - 8pm
Thursday	9am - 8pm
Friday	9am - 8pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.pawsandminds.co.uk/

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