Rewarding Choice Puppy Training

29/05/2026

You cannot out train genetics.

That is not a defeatist statement. It is just an honest one.

You can manage behaviour. You can redirect drives. You can teach a working dog to settle in a home environment and give them enough appropriate outlet that they can cope.

But you cannot remove what they were built for. The drive is always there underneath, needing an outlet.

When the outlet is not provided, it usually appears somewhere else. A spaniel who is not getting enough sniff work tends to develop behaviours around scent that owners find challenging like pulling on the lead.

A collie who is not getting enough mental challenge tends to develop repetitive or anxious behaviours. These are not training failures. They are unmet needs.

The question to ask before choosing a breed is not what kind of dog is beautiful or popular or what your friend has. It is what kind of dog can I genuinely meet the needs of, day to day, for the next fifteen years.

That honest answer makes the rest of it a lot easier.

If you're not sure what puppy is going to fit your family or your lifestyle then drop me a message on WhatsApp. I am always happy to chat with prospective puppy owners about what breed would suit them best 😊

27/05/2026

I want to tell you about my darling Ruby, because I think it is the most honest version of what happens when structure is missing in your puppy’s day.

We loved her. We had prepared well. We had done everything we thought we needed to do but yet she was an absolute bloody nightmare.

She would swing from our pyjama legs when we moved and rip our clothes.

My husband did not enjoy having her for a significant chunk of her puppyhood. My mum still talks about standing in the garden watching us, wondering why we did not just do something different.

But the truth is, we didn’t really know what different looked like. So we stood there being bitten and hoped it would stop.

What I know now is that what Ruby needed was not more patience or a different technique for dealing with the biting. She needed a structured day with regular rest built in.

She was often ridiculously overtired.

The biting was the symptom. The structure (or lack of it) was the cause.

And I am not sharing this to make you feel bad if you are in the thick of it right now. I am sharing it because I spent weeks suffering through something that had a straightforward answer, and I had no idea.

That is the thing about not knowing what you don't know. You can't go looking for a solution you don't realise exists. You just stand there being bitten and hope it stops.

If I had known about structure and rest, Ruby's puppyhood would have looked completely different. My husband might have actually enjoyed her. My mum would not have stood in the garden watching us like we had completely lost the plot.

The right support at the right time changes everything. Not because you are doing anything wrong, but because you cannot fix what you cannot see.

If you are standing in your own version of that garden right now, I'd love to help. You can book a free discovery call here:

https://calendly.com/rewardingchoicepuppytraining/discovery-call-1

25/05/2026

We finally have some sunshine – hurrah 👏!
What are you up to with your puppy today?

22/05/2026

I’m not sure how this has happened but it’s half term again next week 😱

If you're about to juggle half term with an overexcited puppy and overexcited children then this is for you.

Swipe through for some survival tips.
Which one stood out to you?

20/05/2026

Here is something worth understanding about why puppy advice conflicts so much.

Different approaches often work for different reasons, and those reasons are not always understood by the person sharing them.

Someone says "I ignored the biting and it stopped."

--> What they probably did not notice is that they also started giving their puppy more rest, or their puppy simply grew out of the peak biting stage around the same time. The ignoring gets the credit.

Someone else says "I used a spray bottle and it worked immediately."

--> What happened is the puppy stopped biting in that moment to avoid the unpleasant sensation. The biting may have returned in a different context, or shifted to a different behaviour, but that part did not make it into the advice.

Advice based on what someone did and what seemed to follow is not the same as advice based on understanding why something works. The why is what transfers to your specific puppy and your specific situation.

This is why early 1:1 support is invaluable. No generic advice. Just clear support that is based on your puppy and your lifestyle.

If this sounds like the kind of support you need, then drop me a message on WhatsApp today.

20/05/2026

If you are currently struggling with puppy biting then you will want to read my latest blog article:

Find out why puppies bite; how to stop it and what not to do!

Read it here:

If your puppy is sinking their teeth into your hands, ankles, and clothes on a daily basis, you're not alone. Puppy biting is one of the most common reasons new owners reach out for help, and it's also one of the most misunderstood. The good news is that with the right approach, it does get better.H...

18/05/2026

Here is the simplest socialisation exercise I know.

Find somewhere to sit. This could be the edge of a park, near a school or a supermarket car park. Somewhere with a bit of life going on (but where it's not too busy).

Take your puppy. Sit down. And do nothing.

Let them listen, sniff the air and watch the world go by. No interactions are necessary - just feed them treats for any calm reactions.

This is socialisation in its purest form. Not rushing up to things. Not forcing greetings. Just letting your puppy build a picture of the world from somewhere calm and safe.

You want them to see something new and think "meh, it's just a car".

That is the goal. Not excitement, not fear. Just calm, quiet confidence.

Ten minutes on a bench can do more for your puppy's confidence than ten rushed greetings with strangers.

Try it this week and let me know how they get on.

15/05/2026

It's Mental Health Awareness week and we need to talk about the mental load of raising a puppy or young dog.

It's something that doesn't get talked about enough.

Raising a puppy is bloody hard work (and it's ok to admit that).

It can feel hard if you have kids or don't have kids. If you work full time or don't work at all. If your puppy is an only dog or you have other dogs too.

The emotions you feel in those early stages will leave you conflicted.

Love. Happiness. Guilt. Regret. Doubt. Worry. Overwhelm. Isolation.

Then throw in the inevitable exhaustion into the mix and everything instantly feels 100x worse.

If you have felt some or all of these feelings whilst raising your puppy, I want you to know that I see you and I understand.

I understand how you can love something with all your heart whilst also mourning your freedom

I understand what it feels like when you're exhausted and your puppy is biting you relentlessly and you just want to scream, and shout and cry.

I understand the strong desire you have to raise your puppy the right way.

If any of this is ringing true, it does not make you a bad puppy parent. It makes you human. My inbox is open if you need to offload. ♥️

08/05/2026

Your puppy is a master of patterns.

If you only call them back at the end of the walk and the fun stops, they will soon learn that coming back to you is not worth it.

Watch the video to find out what to do instead.

07/05/2026

Another great session with this little man and his humans this week 🥰 He is such a confident boy!

We worked on teaching Finn that he doesn’t get everything he wants by introducing a food manners/impulse control game. We also looked at the early stages of walking in the lead and coming back when called.

I’m very excited to see him grow into those paws over the course of the programme 😍

What are you working on with your puppy this week? Tell me in the comments!