Lapwing Dog Training

19/07/2025

It seems we all got a huge amount out of this week 🙌

18/07/2025

The wonderful people I've been spending this week with.... It's difficult to describe the time I've spent with these folks.

I have learned so much my brain hurts, I have made great friends and valuable connections, and I've had experiences most will not believe possible.

This week I was in a team of 4, we trained Woody the baboon to open his mouth so that keepers can inspect his teeth, Bowser the pygmy goat to stay still and calm so keepers can apply the skin cream he needs, and Spice the Cuban crocodile to swim to a target so that keepers can clean each pool safely. All of this done without force, restraint or coercion.

An incredible week.

Here they all are! Class of July 2025.

19 incredible trainers, 4 inspiring days and 12 very effective training sessions each with Baboons, Lorikeets, Crocodiles, Caiman Lizards, False Gharial, Mangrove Monitor and Goats.

I am so incredibly lucky to be able to meet so many inspiring people. Well done everyone, until next time….happy training!

17/07/2025

Half way through this incredible course, working with a goat (Bowser), a Cuban crocodile (Spice) and a baboon (Woody). Learning so much!

25/06/2025

The beautiful Donnie finished his 1:1 sessions yesterday 🥳

This lovely boy is under 18 months and is in his fourth home! He's got a wonderful, committed family who were willing to put the time in to work with him.

He has some strong Dalmatian traits we got a handle on, and some fun adolescent behaviour but he's got such a pure heart he was very straightforward to work with.

An absolute pleasure to spend time with, I'm going to miss my time with Donnie 🤍🖤

04/06/2025

❤️ love this!

Also applies to UK and non rescue dogs.
Consider who the walk is for. If you're taking your dog, it's their walk. Do what they want and need to do, at least some of the time.

I'm always banging on about the benefits of letting your dog sniff and the simple pleasure of sitting on a bench and watching the world go by with your waggy buddy.

24/05/2025

What a week! Busiest week yet, with dogs of all sizes, colours and needs. All wonderful in their own way!

Thank you for trusting me with your precious pups 🧡🩶

12/05/2025

🙉 This must be one of the most common issues I'm contacted about, usually by frustrated owners.

🚫 Does your dog ignore you?

It's straightforward to fix, sometimes you can do it alone by considering these questions, sometimes it's really useful to have someone watch you and quickly spot where it's going wrong.

Video your training and see if you can spot where your dog is getting confused 👍

12/05/2025

🐾 I’m Back! Ready to Help You & Your Pup Thrive 🐶

After a much-needed extended break, I’m back and recharged – and I’ve missed working with your amazing dogs more than you can imagine! 💛

Whether you're dealing with puppy chaos, training challenges, or just want a calmer, happier home, I’m here and ready to help.

📅 My diary is now open – spaces are limited, so get in touch soon to grab your spot!

Let’s make 2025 your dog’s best year yet.
Drop me a message, tag a fellow dog parent, or comment below to book.

See you (and your pup!) soon. 🐕✨

27/03/2025

We are on holiday now! Any queries will be responded to on our return in mid April 😊

21/03/2025

If you don't feel safe, you don't learn. The same goes for your dog.

WHY TRAINING MAY BE A WASTE OF TIME (if they don’t feel safe)

I have such a strong memory of a couple of years ago when I went to a cafe with one of my dogs. There was another dog in there and they clearly had a really committed family- they had yellow dog stuff on and the people were using loads of treats to try and ‘train’ the dog around other dogs in the cafe. The dog was barely under threshold most of the time I was there and was well over many times- barking and lunging at dogs in the cafe and sounding very stressed. I totally get why people think this sort of environment might be a good thing to take a reactive dog too- all dogs are onlead and you can practise your training while you sit with your lovely breakfast. But, it’s probably doing your dog much more harm than good if they aren’t coping well in that environment: if your dog doesn’t feel SAFE then what are they learning?

It’s really important to remember that when you are working with anxious and reactive dogs it’s not about training them, it’s about changing their emotions. We aren’t trying to teach them not to bark we are trying to change how they feel from anxious around other dogs to comfortable. We want them to change from being pessimistic and expecting that other dogs are bad news to feeling optimistic and that other dogs are a good thing to be around.

If you are training your dog to look at other dogs, to do a ‘watch me’, to lay down etc in a environment they find too difficult and too stressful then they aren’t learning anything good. Training them to do these things isn’t going to fix them. If they don’t feel safe inside and don’t feel relaxed then their learning is likely to be really slow or you risk them even making worse associations and becoming MORE worried around other dogs.

To change emotions your dog needs to feel safe and comfortable and you want to be seeing signs that they are properly relaxed- are they eating treats gently, are they choosing to settle and lie down, are they breathing in a relaxed way? If they are panting, stressy snatching treats and hyper vigilant (looking around everywhere for threats) then you are likely doing more harm than good.

Key to helping anxious and reactive dogs is gradually building up their exposure to the things they find scary but at a rate they can cope with. Of course, even with the best will in the world things will go wrong and dogs will come too close on a walk etc and we manage that situation and move on but we don’t want to ever set them up to fail. Making them ‘face their fears’ just results in flooding and a dog who is worse after the experience rather than better.

I have 3 dogs and only 2 would cope in a cafe, the one that wouldn’t- I just don’t take her, she wouldn’t enjoy it and she’d find it stressful and I wouldn’t be happy knowing that she wasn’t coping well. I regularly take a puppachino home for my dog that doesn’t like cafes so she doesn’t miss out ❤️ (top tip- don’t forget you have a puppachino in your coat pocket and sit down)

It’s crucial when we are living with and helping anxious dogs that we try and think about the things we do with them- is this helping build their confidence and resilience or is it making them more stressed?

If you do need to visit a cafe (as you are on holiday and can’t leave dogs etc) with an anxious dog then sitting outside rather than inside is normally less stressful, give yourself as much space as possible, don’t sit by the entrance so everyone has to walk past you etc and keep it brief so that it’s a successful exercise for your dog rather than a stressful one and most importantly listen to your dog and what they are trying to tell you. I’d rather get take out than expose a dog to something they can’t cope with right now.

Laura McAuliffe, 2025 Dog Communication.

21/03/2025

Love this 🙌

Repeat after me...

Muzzled dogs have GOOD guardians!

👏 Guardians who are prioritising safety and setting their dog up for success.

👏 Guardian is more sensitive to the impact their dog has on others.

👏 Guardians that prioritise their dog's safety and well-being over public perception.

A muzzle is not cruel, restrictive, or indicative of a poor relationship or lack of training. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! 💕

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