The Dog Teacher

12/04/2025

🌟 PARTNERSHIP 🌟

I am beyond proud of the determination and teamwork Vinnie and I have shown together over the last few weeks during scentwork activities.

I often joke about him being a “boring vizsla” because he’s calm and not dashing around like most vizslas people meet but with scentwork and mantrialing he really comes into his own.

We sat our first Scentwork UK Level 1 Trial a few weeks back after some support from online course to then a couple of sessions with and we were one hide away from passing.

Fast forward to now and after some great sessions and additional advice from and we not only passed today but we smashed it out the frigging park - 1st place for me and the Vin boy ♥️

It was tough competition with 5/10 competitors finding all of the 6 hides, but Vinnie and I worked so well as a team, I stopped to take my breath, I took my time and trusted his body language and indications. He was so fast!

Just honestly so proud. Thanks to all the trainers along the way - watch this space 🥰

23/03/2025

🌟 Young Westie Looking For An Active Home 🌟

He’s a 7 months old, neutered male.

No aggression towards dogs or people just some frustration on lead (barking - that’s making huge progress and he is a quick learner) when he can’t get to interact with a dog. When he does he’s like “oh hey”

He’s really fun to work with, has great drive, wants to work for you, sleeps in a crate at night and during the day! Just needs a little bit of support when socialising.

An active home with no children or older children would be ideal 🤩

We are happy to meet for walks and help him find his new home!

21/03/2025

🌟Raven🌟

Nicknames: Ravey-Dave, Rave, Dave & David

Likes: deer tracking, game of tug, the sunny spot, lying on your neck, rolling on dead things and 💩

Dislikes: sleep and lettuce

Personality: Raven is a busy girl who loves to sniff, she always has her nose to the ground. Without a job she’d be independent and off creating her own work. This was one of the main reasons for me putting her to work with the deer tracking - it’s the highest reward to her. She’s less likely to eat or play when in a “working” setting as she wants to sniff and track. She’s very driven, strong-willed, hard working and intelligent but needs guidance and partnership to work together.

Stooge: Raven is a great stooge as she approaches with soft body language, keeps herself low, approaches from the side but she can linger too long. I’m in the process of interrupting her quicker so she doesn’t make the dogs feel uncomfortable by overstaying her welcome.

Training challenges: Raven is in the middle of adolescence so I had been finding her recall wasn’t as quick and instinctively she’s off finding good smells! She also wasn’t following through with command I knew she knew with a “what’s in it for me?” approach. It’s so important I keep to my expectations with clear boundaries. She is a really great dog who is fun and loves to play!

Adding Raven to my home has hugely impacted Vinnie, she’s taught him not take things so seriously. He was also super uncomfortable sharing a bed or space, he would go rigid and move. She’s taught him to relax more in company and that he does not have to be weird when sharing space with other dogs!

She’s a cracker 🌟

13/03/2025

Muzzles: A Life Skill, Not a Label 🐕

This month at Honest Hounds, we’re focusing on muzzle training—because every dog should be comfortable wearing a muzzle. You never know when you might need one. A broken leg, an emergency vet visit, or an unexpected situation can make a muzzle essential.

Muzzled dogs aren’t “bad” dogs. They’re just as adventurous, playful, and fulfilled as any other dog. They climb mountains, explore the world, and safely meet new people—all while their owners make responsible choices for their safety and others.

Did you know? Pets at Home offers a range of muzzles, allows safe in-store fittings, and even lets you return unused sizes to ensure the perfect fit. If you’re considering muzzle training, this is a great place to start!

Let’s break the stigma. A muzzle is just another tool—like a lead or harness—that helps dogs live their best lives safely.

When do you utilise the muzzle? Let me know in the comments! ⬇️

10/03/2025

Taking the time to introduce you all to The Dog Teacher team 🩵

🌟VINNIE 🌟

Nicknames: Vin, SinBinVin, Vincenzo, Vincenzo Van Vizsla

Likes: mantrailing, scentwork, the sunny spot, being under a blanket, a fire and mugging clients for snacks.

Dislikes: squishy foods like strawberries, being cold, excessive interactions and lack of snacks 😜

Personality: Vinnie is a calm boy - yes calm vizslas do exist - who will happily lie in his crate or dog bed and get cosy. But he’s also super motivated and hard working, he loves learning new tricks and problem solving tasks. I love working with him as he’s driven and such a fast learner. Vinnie isn’t loud or overly excitable until he’s doing scentwork or mantrailing, he gets so excited that he leaps in the air!

Stooge: Vinnie is a great stooge dog to have. He’s calm and will allow anyone to interact, he typically does not want to engage in confrontation and if confronted by another dog that is barking or lunging at him he will avoid and typically come to me for help.

Training challenges: Vinnie has worked through dog and human reactivity, and while it’s something we’re always mindful of, he’s come so far. He used to have a low tolerance for bolshy dogs after too many intense social situations as a young dog, but now he’s much more measured, tolerant, and appropriate in his responses—though he rarely needs to correct others anymore. With people, he prefers calm interactions and will move away from overwhelming situations. He’s shown incredible progress and is a dog I can trust on my walks, I rarely have any problems with him and my clients are shocked that he’s ever displayed challenging behaviour as he gives off Golden Boy energy 🌟 I love seeing his confidence grow every day!

10/03/2025

Aberdeen Workshops 🐶

We are in Aberdeen on Saturday the 15th of March for a Socialisation Workshop and a Social Walk - we would love to see as many of you as we can 😍

Socialisation Workshop - this can be attended by any Honest Hounds member (HHKYM to get your first month for just £1 😉). Are with a dog that barks, lunges, or gets too intense around others? Our Socialisation Workshop is designed to help!
Learn to understand your dog’s body language, improve communication, and handle challenging situations with confidence.

Social Walk - this is for clients who we have met or worked with before to provide a calm, structured environment where dogs can walk together, coexist politely, and choose pro-social behaviours. It’s about fostering confidence, respect, and positive interactions without pressure on the dog or their owner!

Comment ABERDEEN to join us 🤩

24/02/2025

March Events

We have lots of EXCITING workshops planned for next month. From Basic Obedience Workshops for your dog to Wellness Nights to boost our own well-being, there's something for everyone.

More information will be posted about each individual event. You can however message [email protected] and we will answer any questions you have.

REMINDER: Our Educational Walks still run nearly EVERY single day from Camperdown Park!

14/01/2025

A brilliant FREE resource!

Jessie and Jess have worked so hard to put together this new project. It's one EVERY dog owner needs.

We’re so excited to share our new project that captures the heart of what we’re all about: building stronger, more connected relationships between you and yo...

06/01/2025

January’s Social Walks 🩵

Our Social Walks run in the Fife and Edinburgh area with a focus on pro-social behaviour around other dogs and people. It’s a great way to get you and your dog involved in a supportive community to learn and grow.

Message if you’d like to get involved!

01/01/2025

Dundee Dog Training events this month!

IT'S 2025!

We have an exciting year ahead for you all! The calendar is filled with puppy blocks, specific training workshops, dog sport blocks, events for your own wellness and as always, our one of kind Educational Walks.

Below is our planned events, outwith our walks, for January. To book or get more information regarding our events, email [email protected] with your query.

We cannot wait to help you achieve your 2025 goals with your dog.

25/12/2024

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.

Hope you eat your body weight in pigs in blankets 🎅

30/11/2024

Please read and share!

04/11/2024

🐶📚 THE DOG TEACHER 📚🐶

Muddy Tales is where my love for dogs turned into a career and from there I had a client base of dogs that went on daily group walks and boarded with me. We did indeed go on muddy walks but I wanted to do more.

I was learning so much through Honest Hounds and working with, shadowing and mentoring with Jess Probst, I wanted to pass on this knowledge and understanding to others to help them overcome their challenges with their dogs.

I’ve been running my own walks, 1:1s, the Dundee Dog Training walks in Dundee, workshops, assessments and so much more guiding and teaching others. It was beginning to feel like Muddy Tales just didn’t fit what I was doing anymore.

For those that don’t know I was a primary school teacher and love to teach, it’s in my blood. I love explaining the how’s and why’s so people come away from my teaching inputs with clear understanding. After a conversation many months ago Jess came up with a new business name “The Dog Teacher” and I think it summarises what I do - I have and will always teach others.

Shout out to Kalli for my new logo 🤩

18/08/2024

Anyone fancy adding a Shiba to their home? She’s a wee cracker ♥️🏠

I’ve been tasked with finding this beautiful little Shibe new owners.

She’s been with me for assessment for 2 weeks and hand on heart is the sweetest natured dog I’ve had the pleasure of fostering in a long time.
She’s a year old and friendly with dogs and people and extremely bright and trainable.
She’s had an unfortunate past but brought up with well meaning people so she is good natured and doesn’t have any major behavioural issues (rare for me to get to say this!)

She’s socialised with children but I don’t rehome to families with young children because you have enough on your plate, in my opinion dogs need much more time than what most people can afford in a day.
She loves brain work so someone interested in dog sports like agility would be top of my preference list 🐾

Please message me directly for more information.
Jess P.

30/07/2024