Canine Compass

27/10/2026

Our little Devil 👿 Like butter wouldn't melt..... Sarah Crispin

25/10/2026

Another Sunday at Canine Compass and, as always, we have had the best day! 🐾

We kicked off bright and early in Exeter city centre for our Trick Star Level Five photos.

It was fantastic to see Cappuccino casually doing his thing and producing one of the most beautiful photos ever. It was so lovely to catch up with him and Mary Ann this morning, and a brilliant reminder of just how extraordinary our dogs can be.

Ava found things a little trickier because her whole family had come along to watch her perform. Understandably, it took her a while to settle, but with a little patience and the magic of cookie dough, she found her focus and we captured a gorgeous photo of her pushing a scooter beside the ruins in Princesshay.

Next, it was the final week of Life Skills Plus, and our wonderful group went home with their certificates, featuring our very own Ruby demonstrating a beautiful flat down.

This group has been an absolute pleasure to teach. Bentley has come on in leaps and bounds, and we couldn’t be prouder of him. Oakley has been a standout member of the team, always working incredibly hard. Wren was on brilliant form again, picking things up so quickly and being her usual lovely chatty self. Demelza brought her customary poise, grace and enormous smile!

I think everyone has realised just how clever their dogs really are, and we are going to miss this group very much.

Then came our Halloween workshop, and the usual chaos commenced when Gracie is left to her own devices! 🎃

We played Mummy’s Footsteps, went eyeball bobbing, took Halloween-themed photos and gave the dogs plenty of chances to win prizes.

Magnum, one of our workshop regulars, clocked the ball pit immediately and knew exactly what was happening. Presents? Excellent. Straight in.

It was lovely to have Mary Ann back on a Sunday, this time with Bean rather than Cap. What a little legend he was! He was chuffed to bits with his Frankenstein toy. Tubbs was fantastic too, showing off all his skills, making friends with Bean and we’re really looking forward to seeing what else he can do (apart from being the perfect Pumpkin). I think we have a Trick Star on our hands.

We were also so pleased to have Elphie back after her season. Her praying trick was a real standout. Her little sister Demelza then appeared in her devil costume, complete with red outfit and horns, and quite possibly produced the best Halloween photo ever. She looked absolutely perfect.

We finished the day with a 1:1 for the very lovely Bailey, working on loose-lead walking and recall. We discovered that toys are definitely his thing, and he was smashing it. At one point, I became so engrossed in playing with him that I completely forgot I was supposed to be working!

So, all in all, a wonderful day. We started at 8.30am and finished at 4.30pm, with lots of smiles, happy people and lots and lots of happy dogs. That is exactly what Canine Compass is all about.

If you would like to join our community and become part of the Canine Compass training journey, have a look at our website. We have loads coming up, including our Christmas workshop, another Brain Games session next month and the brand-new Trick Star Calendar Club, which was by far the winner in our recent vote!

As always, thank you for making Canine Compass what it is. It simply wouldn’t be the same without such lovely people and their wonderful dogs. A huge thank you to Gracie for all the hard work she puts in too.

We’ll see you all very soon! 🧭🐾

25/10/2026

I am just going to leave this here.

Mr. Cappuccino - Trick Star Level Five

20/10/2026

🐾 HELP US DECIDE! 🐾

With our Trick Star courses coming to an end, a few of our lovely Trick Star teams have asked us what's next! They're not quite ready to give up their Sunday dog training fix and would love something new to fill that space in their weekends.

So we've been putting our heads together and have come up with two ideas. The trouble is, we can't decide which one to run!

OPTION 1 – TRICK STAR CALENDAR CLUB 📸

A six-level trick training adventure, with new tricks to learn and themed photoshoots along the way!

Think Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and plenty more. At the end, we'll turn the photographs into a Canine Compass calendar featuring all six dogs, with the option to order extra copies for family and friends.

OPTION 2 – WEEKLY BRAIN GAMES 🧠

Our Brain Games workshops have been so much fun that we're thinking about making them a regular weekly class!

Skittles, puzzles, bell ringing, opening and closing doors, silly challenges and all sorts of clever things to get those brains working. Something different to tackle each week!

So, we need your help!

Which would you prefer? Are you Team Calendar Club or Team Brain Games?

You don't have to be an existing Trick Star to have your say. We'd love to hear from anyone who fancies joining us!

Let us know in the comments.

Love from Mandy, Gracie & Alice xx

18/10/2026

Another lovely Sunday at Canine Compass!

We kicked things off with Trick Star Level 5, where our dogs were busy practising their Level 5 tricks and learning a brand-new one – a rollover!

They’re all doing fantastically well, and we’re really looking forward to our photoshoot next week. We absolutely adore photo week, and I can’t wait to see what we manage to create this time!

Next up was Life Skills Plus, and our dogs really are going from strength to strength. This week was recap week, so we revisited some of the exercises we tackled earlier in the course to see just how far everyone has come.

And what a difference! The improvement has been fantastic, and we’re incredibly proud of every single dog and handler.

Next week is our final session, and weather permitting, we’ll be heading outside to put those skills to the test in the real world. I’ve got a feeling they’re going to smash it!

Now, we need your thoughts on something!

We’ve been chatting in class about what happens when our Trick Star dogs finish their journey with us. I know Pixel is going to be heartbroken when it’s over, and it seems she’s not the only one!

A few of you have asked whether we could offer something to keep the trick training going, and we’ve come up with two ideas.

Option 1 – Weekly Brain Games

Our Brain Games workshops have been really popular, so what if we turned them into a weekly class?

Think skittles, opening and closing doors, fun challenges, puzzles and all sorts of clever things to teach your dog. Something different to get those brains working every week!

Option 2 – The Canine Compass Trick Star Calendar Club

This one could be rather special!

Starting in December, we’d run a six-level course with a maximum of six dogs. At each level, we’d teach two new tricks and work towards themed photographs for our very own Canine Compass calendar.

We’d start with Christmas, then work through themes such as Valentine’s Day, Easter and Halloween, bringing the seasonal photoshoots forward where needed.

With six dogs and twelve calendar photos, every dog would have two starring moments in the finished calendar!

At the end of the course, you’d receive your own Canine Compass Trick Star calendar, with the option for family and friends to order copies too.

Imagine having a calendar full of your dogs showing off everything they’ve learned!

So, which would you prefer?

A weekly Brain Games class, or a Trick Star Calendar Club? We’d love to hear your thoughts, especially from those of you who are coming to the end of your Trick Star journey.

And finally, coming up at Canine Compass…

Our next Life Skills Plus course starts on Sunday 1st November, and Puppy Explorers will be returning too!

If you’d like to join us, get in touch or head over to our website for more information.

See you next Sunday!

16/10/2026

Life Skills Plus – Starting Sunday 1st November!

Ready to put your dog through their paces? Our next Life Skills Plus course is just around the corner!

We kick things off with a dog-free theory session, where we’ll explore why we train the way we do, how dogs learn and, most importantly, what YOU want to achieve over the course.

Then the real work begins!

Think of it as an eight-week dog training boot camp! We’ll be working those brains hard, building skills, tackling challenges and having plenty of fun along the way.

And the best bit? No two courses are ever quite the same. We tailor the training to the dogs and people in the room, focusing on what matters most to you, with plenty of opportunities to challenge yourselves and progress.

Expect lots of learning, plenty of laughs and a few tired dogs heading home on a Sunday!

Starts: Sunday 1st November
Location: 100 Club, Exeter
Duration: 8 weeks
Price: £160

Come and see just how much you and your dog can achieve together!

Join our friendly, science-based dog training classes, Exeter. Our Life Skills programme is ideal for puppies, adolescents, and rescue dogs. Build confidence, focus, and real-world manners.