Welly and Tails

25/04/2025

😅😂

25/04/2025

I tried to do the AI photo thing that's been going round where you ask for a human version of your dog.

Don't think it came out quite right....pretty scary actually 😂🙈

24/04/2025

If I had a £1 for every time a dog trainer posts on social media that socialisation is BAD for your dog, I'd have enough to open a dog dating website.

Your dog is NOT reactive because it met some other dogs on lead when it was young. This has become one of those 'facts' that's been repeated so many times, everyone takes it as fact now.

They're NOT reactive because they were allowed to play with other dogs when they were a puppy.

💡Socialisation actually means two things:

1) It's a period in a puppy's life when they are open to new things and experiences so that they don't become scared of stuff they'll encounter in their environment daily (like if they got scared EVERY morning when they saw their mum, it wouldn't be very useful)

2) It's an evolutionary mechanism which, when that window of openness closes, it makes them wary of new stuff so that young dogs aren't trying to cosy up to bears or snakes in the wild...

So, during that short, short period (which has almost closed by the time of your puppy's first walk unfortunately), you should do all you can to get your dog introduced to lots of things you want it to be comfortable with.

That includes other dogs, people, children, scary noises and so on.

BUT...

Socialising with other dogs matters too!

⛔You can't bring a dog up in complete isolation from other dogs, then expect it to not be INTERESTED in another dog when they see one on their walk.

⛔You can't bring a dog up without ever having the chance to socialise, play, learn body language, and learn how to behave and expect them to one day just be comfortable and relaxed around other dogs.

Dogs learn an IMMENSE amount from other dogs.

Your dog playing with other dogs doesn't make them reactive when they're older.

What could have made them reactive to do with socialising is if you have never been as exciting as another dog, so when they do see a dog on a walk, that equals INSANE FUN, and your dog can become frustrated if they can't get to that dog, which can then result in reactivity.

But that's to do with not working on engagement and focus with you (which is an easy fix), not with socialising 'too much'.

20/04/2025

Happy Easter everyone!

The Easter bunny still hadn't come to our house by 7am which is odd 🙈, definitely not anything to do with mummy being sleep deprived with a newborn baby, so Daddy had to go out and investigate where this Easter bunny was!

Thankfully that seemed to do the trick and by 7.30, after a coffee and cup of tea, the Easter bunny had finally come.

So it's chocolate eggs for breakfast which everyone is pretty happy about!

Hope your Easter goes more to plan! 🙈😂

X

18/04/2025

We're fully booked for the Easter weekend (apart from two evening slots on Sunday/Monday), but if I get any cancellations through I'll advertise them on Instagram and Facebook as soon as they're free.

It's been wonderful seeing your Easter dogs, and hope to see many more over the weekend.

What has everyone got planned for the break??

14/04/2025

Still some spaces left at the park this week.... But they're running out!

Check the weather, a few rainy days coming up, but as regulars know - the rain makes it more fun (confirmed by 99% of spaniels surveyed).

13/04/2025

Kennel Club classes held just round the corner from the dog park in Skelton with Katie ✨

We have a couple of spaces available in our bronze and silver kennel club good citizen class on a Thursday evening. The next block starts on Thursday 24th April. Please get in touch for more information.

12/04/2025

Apparently it was yesterday and I missed it.

These are just a selection of our pets...

My main pet keeping tip is to not tell your husband about any new pets until you have:

❤️ Already paid for said pet
❤️ Let the pet make lifelong friends with your other pets and to send them back would be cruel
❤️ Pretend you're just looking after the pet for someone for the weekend and then never mention them again

Follow for more tips! 😂

10/04/2025

Loving seeing the Easter photos from you at the park!

09/04/2025

** EASTER WEEKEND **

There are still some slots free for Easter weekend (18th - 21st) but these will soon be booked up so I'd recommend booking now if you're wanting to visit over the Bank Holiday weekend.

This coming weekend is nearly fully booked already - any cancellations I'll post on here and FB as soon as they come free.

All bookings must be made in advance online: https://wellyandtails.co.uk/book

08/04/2025

After counting the votes, the Easter Bunny sign won by a long mile! You've all got a weird sense of humour 😂😂🙈

But don't worry for those who thought it was a little too mean on the Easter Bunny, we have a cute little Easter photo scene alternative in the shelter too 🥰

Can't wait to see your pictures!

🐰

08/04/2025

** Park hours have been extended to 8pm **

I've just extended park hours to open until 8pm with the lighter nights from tomorrow onwards so there are more spaces over the next week and weekend now available to book.

👉 BOOK ONLINE: https://wellyandtails.co.uk/book

(Or follow the link on our profile)

01/04/2025

**🚨 New Speed Limits for Dogs at Welly and Tails 🚨**

Following recent concerns reported about excessive zoomies and the risk of damage to the grass through higher speeds, we are introducing a strict speed limit for dogs using the park going forward.

We've tried to be accommodating and implemented a speed limit based on your dog's size and weight:

🚦Speed Limits:

🐾 Small dogs (under 10kg): 8mph max
🐾 Medium dogs (10-25kg): 10mph max
🐾 Large dogs (25kg+): 12mph max

To help enforce this, we are trialling radar speed detectors around the park.

Any dogs caught exceeding the limit will receive 3 points per incident, (although these points can be reduced if your dog attends an optional "Speed Reduction Training Workshop" with us).

Repeat offenders may face a temporary zoomies ban.

We obviously want your dogs to have fun here, but please request that it be slower and more sensible fun. Especially tell labradors and spaniels of the change as these appear to be the worst offenders.

Thank you!

30/03/2025

VOTING TIME!

I need your help!

Easter is fast approaching and I'm thinking about what photo booth banner we should have at the dog park over the holidays.

Which one should we go for - eggs or bunny?! Let me know in the comments please 🙏

17/03/2025

3pm today has just become available to book on the website: https://wellyandtails.co.uk/book

🐶🐶

15/03/2025

Happy weekend!

It's chilly but we're loving the sunshine at the moment, we've definitely needed it after all the bad weather this winter!

We are fully booked this weekend, for weekend bookings as we head into spring and summer, bookings need to be made by Thursday to get a weekend slot.

If I get any cancellations for weekends, I'll advertise them on here.

Have a good one! 🐕❤️

07/03/2025

This is our mantra for the dog park:

🐶Stay wild
🏀Chase fun
🏃‍♀️RUN FREE

I feel it perfectly sums up what we set out to achieve when we set up Welly and Tails:

Letting our dogs be dogs, letting our dogs really do what they want to without restriction, letting our dogs sniff, run, explore, chase, investigate - all the stuff - in a safe, enclosed space.

Our dogs don't have a lot of opportunity to just BE themselves unrestricted - we're often putting a harness, head collar, lead, tools, cages, crates and all sorts on our dogs (I obviously use harnesses/leads/crates so this isn't me saying we never should!) but it doesn't give our dogs the opportunity to experience anything outside the home without restrictions very often.

I love seeing my own dogs enjoying the park, and I hope it brings you the same joy too with your own dogs.