Click and Treat Training

09/06/2026

Making friends with little Arlo. 🐾
Arlo struggles with meeting new people, especially when they come into the house.
We have been working on station training which offers Arlo an alternative behaviour where he can be directed to his station which he finds to be a safe place, to aid with visitors coming in or people coming to the door.
Today we worked on Desensitising him to the doorbell, at the moment when the doorbell goes, he gets upset and runs barking to the door. We are several sessions in and he’s progressing with his training very nicely 🙌🏻 well done Arlo.

07/06/2026

Muzzle fittings 🐾

One of the most important parts of muzzle training is making sure the muzzle actually fits your dog correctly.

A properly fitted muzzle should allow your dog to:
- Pant comfortably
- Drink water
- Take treats during training
- Move naturally without rubbing or discomfort

A muzzle that’s not fitted correctly can cause stress, frustration, and even make training more difficult. That's why we take the time to assess the fit, comfort, and function for every dog we work with.

At The Muzzle Movement, their thoughtfully designed muzzles help dogs stay safe while still being able to engage in training and everyday activities comfortably.

Whether you're introducing a muzzle for vet visits, being out and about, or training to be around dogs and people, getting the right fitting muzzle is important.

If you're unsure whether your dog's muzzle fits correctly, or you would like to get a better fitting muzzle for your dog, please get in touch, we're happy to help guide you through the fitting process.

04/06/2026

02/06/2026

Professional dog training suited to you and your dog’s individual needs. From puppy foundations to behaviour support, I offer positive reward-based training with both in person and virtual sessions available. Here at Click and Treat training we build trust one step at a time 🐕🐾

30/05/2026

Pattern games ⭐️

What are they?

Pattern games are structured, predictable activities that help dogs build focus, self-control, and confidence. They help keep a dog doing something while keeping their attention away from a scary trigger that may be passing.

There are 3 different types of pattern games-

1. Ping Pong ( left and right) this is where we do a left and right motion when the dog follows a treat tossed a short distance away from yourself, this can be on or off lead. Toss the treat to the right, mark and reward once they get the treat and then toss the treat in the opposite direction and repeat several times. ( in the real world, you might choose to do this until the trigger is out of sight). Perfect to keep the dog moving and thinking about other things.

2. Up and Down, have your dog sitting in front of you, when he looks up, mark and reward to the floor directly under his nose, repeat several times.

3. Lastly the 1,2,3 game. Walk 3 paces while saying a number on each step in order, on 3 we reward, after several reps the dog will learn the pattern of counting and 3 means food and to keep listening out for this. It teaches predictability and also aids loose lead walking as they are walking to heal, and aids moving past something scary ( like a dog the other side of the road). If you keep the pace the same steady rate, your dog will learn the rhythm and anticipate the treat on 3.

24/05/2026

Hot Weather🐾

As temperatures rise this week, please remember that the heat can be dangerous for our dogs.

Pavements can become too hot and even short walks in high temperatures can lead to overheating, dehydration, or heatstroke.

For the safety and wellbeing of the dogs in my care, I’ll be moving appointments to the cooler evening hours where possible and assessing temperatures throughout the day before attending visits. If conditions are too hot, I may adjust timings to make sure every dog stays safe and comfortable.

Thank you 🙏

10/05/2026

Loose Lead Walking 🚶

Your dog doesn’t need to be glued to your side to have good lead manners. They should be able to sniff, explore, and enjoy the walk without pulling from one thing to the next.

Here we have Zuri demonstrating lovely loose lead walking. She’s walking ahead of me, but she’s still calm, connected, and not pulling on the lead.🌸🐶

If you need support for Loose Lead Walking, I’m here to help 🙌🏻

09/05/2026

Did you know, teaching a dog how to rest is one of the most underrated parts of training.

Many dogs learn how to move, chase, sniff, and explore, but never learn how to switch off. That ability to settle is connected to emotional regulation and overall wellbeing.

When you just pause together, your dog learns that being near you without doing anything exciting is still valuable. A dog’s ability to settle is beneficial because it affects almost every part of their emotional health, behaviour, and quality of life.

Here’s why settling matters so much:

It helps regulate the nervous system
Dogs that never fully relax often stay in a constant state of arousal, signs look like-
scanning the environment
reacting to movement
anticipating stimulation
struggling to switch off

Teaching calmness helps move the dog from “fight/flight/excitement mode” into a more balanced state where learning, digestion, recovery, and emotional stability happen.

Many behavioural issues are linked to overstimulation rather than “bad behaviour.”

An over stimulated brain doesn’t learn efficiently.
Dogs process information better when they are calm. Settling teaches impulse control and helps dogs think before reacting rather than operating purely on adrenaline and excitement.

If your dog is struggling to settle, Click and Treat Training are here to help.

04/05/2026

Here’s the thing… dogs don’t need a bite history for a muzzle to be the right choice.

They don’t need to “fail” first. They don’t need to prove anything. And they definitely don’t need something to go wrong before we take responsibility.

We don’t wait for a dog to run into the road before using a lead. We don’t wait for them to choke before changing how we feed them. So why do we treat muzzles differently?

A muzzle isn’t a last resort. It’s a proactive, thoughtful choice that protects dogs, the people around them, and the situations they’re in.

When we introduce a muzzle early, with care and understanding, we give dogs the chance to move through the world safely… without risk hanging over them.

They’re not wearing it because they’ve bitten. They’re wearing it so they never have to.

If you’ve chosen to muzzle your dog, we’d love to know why. 👇

30/04/2026

⭐️ Skill of the Week ⭐️

We’re back with this week’s skill- A Chin Rest.

Today’s star is Storm 🐾.

Storm and her owner came to me because she was very worried about having eye treatment. Surgery on storms eye was needed and eye drops were important for her recovery. Her owner realised it was going to be very stressful for her.

Luckily, we had time to prepare. I worked with her owner to teach her a Chin Rest, which is a simple but powerful skill that made a huge difference.

⭐️

A Chin Rest is a key skill for cooperative care. By choosing to place, and keep her chin on your lap, she is saying “I’m ready.” That choice gives them confidence and allows them to move away if they need a break, unlike normal restraint where we hold them still for something to be done without their choice.

✅
Benefits of a Chin Rest for Cooperative Care:

• Builds trust by giving your dog a clear way to opt in (and opt out)
• Creates a predictable, consistent position for treatments like eye drops
• Reduces struggling and restraint
• Promotes calm behaviour through positive reinforcement
• Helps dogs feel more confident about handling over time

Storm’s progress is a great example of how a small skill can have a big impact. By the time her surgery came around, having eye drops were far less overwhelming for everyone involved.

You can see in the video the important steps that were taught to achieve the end goal of storm having the drops put into her eye.

Well done Storm, and well done to her owner for the hard work, commitment and consistency as it definitely paid off 🙏👏