Skyhardt Dog Training

  • Home
  • Skyhardt Dog Training

Skyhardt Dog Training Force free, fear free dog training services, operating out of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.

See this face? This is the face of a dog who caught a rabbit (a great achievement for a blind dog), answered her recall ...
14/08/2025

See this face? This is the face of a dog who caught a rabbit (a great achievement for a blind dog), answered her recall cue and came right up to me, and would *not,* under any circumstances, give up the rabbit to me.

I had to go and ask for some help. When my rescuer came over she was sceptical whether we could even catch Sky. But Sky walked right up to us, and basically said "Oh hello, you seem new. Would you like this rabbit?" And delivered it straight to the poor girl's hand. Thus making me look like an absolute blithering idiot.

Thanks, Sky.

We work hard on "Drop it" now!

If you'd like some help with a dog like this, I get where you're coming from! Drop me a message to get started.

What Nobody Tells You About Dog BehaviourGood welfare is the foundation of good behaviour. My rescue husky, Arty, proved...
11/08/2025

What Nobody Tells You About Dog Behaviour

Good welfare is the foundation of good behaviour. My rescue husky, Arty, proved that to me.

When a dog feels safe, healthy, and understood, good behaviour often follows naturally. That’s why I assess every dog before training—making sure all their needs are met.

Arty’s early life was rough. Meeting new people, he’d roll onto his back with stiff legs. What looked like a belly-rub request was really nervous appeasement. He often raided our rooms for chocolate (never enough to harm him). Formal training? Forget it. Even light pressure made him disengage.

So I ditched the training plan and focused on welfare: comfy beds, lots of clean water, human contact, play with our other dogs, healthy food, and secure fields for his favourite perimeter walks. Lead walks were tricky, but patience and reassurance worked.

We never went back to structured training—because we didn’t need to. His manners improved, food theft stopped, and last Christmas he calmly met a room full of strangers, politely refusing a biscuit (he’s picky) and eventually asking for a real tummy rub—relaxed and happy.

For Arty, welfare came first, and the behaviour followed.

If you'd like help with your dog's behaviour, I work in person in Nottingham and online worldwide—message me to get started.

I (Kate) was away at the weekend at the wonderful Animal Behaviour Kent 2025 conference. I learned lots, but I got somew...
15/07/2025

I (Kate) was away at the weekend at the wonderful Animal Behaviour Kent 2025 conference. I learned lots, but I got somewhat overwhelmed with people and information. And I missed my people and my dogs very much.

Massive thanks to Daniel Shaw and his team for a great conference - me flaking out was absolutely not their fault.

Apologies for taking a little while to get back to training. I'm working on it!

While we were at the vets for Sky's pain management checkup, we met a lovely little spaniel who'd had to be sedated for ...
05/07/2025

While we were at the vets for Sky's pain management checkup, we met a lovely little spaniel who'd had to be sedated for grass seed removal. Stay alert for these horrible things!

Sometimes it's hard to post about what we do. It doesn't come naturally. But when we get a message like this, it makes o...
22/06/2025

Sometimes it's hard to post about what we do. It doesn't come naturally. But when we get a message like this, it makes our hearts happy!

We worked with a little dog who was struggling on his walks, to the extent that some members of the family had stopped walking him altogether. We were lucky enough to do some dog-sitting for him too, which gave us a chance for an in-depth assessment. We received this message after just two lessons! We're really proud of everyone involved.

Kate and Dee offer dog training, pet sitting and training walks in the Nottingham area. If you're interested in any of these services, please pop us a message to book in for a free chat.

I'm back with today, taking care of her while her humans are out. It's far too hot for proper walks, but not too hot fo...
21/06/2025

I'm back with today, taking care of her while her humans are out. It's far too hot for proper walks, but not too hot for cuddles apparently!


Do you have an excited lead puller? Remember, calm walks start at home. If your dog gets very excited when you bring out...
18/06/2025

Do you have an excited lead puller?

Remember, calm walks start at home. If your dog gets very excited when you bring out the lead, do some calming exercises before you go out. We like circle or figure of 8 walking on the driveway. Once the dog is calm, head out on the walk.

Kate and Dee provide dog training, pet sitting and training walks in the Nottingham area.

Someone asked me why I (Kate) do this job.One day in May 2018, a front door opened and a tiny black and white tornado ju...
17/06/2025

Someone asked me why I (Kate) do this job.

One day in May 2018, a front door opened and a tiny black and white tornado jumped into my arms. That was the day everything changed.

I thought I was prepared for a 7 month old husky in my life. Let's face it, nobody is prepared for their first husky, let alone one as challenging as Sky. But I was spectacularly behind where I needed to be. Over the next few days it became clear I would either have to step up my game, or re-home her. Fortunately I like a challenge!

Once I was qualified as a dog trainer and Dee and Reinhardt joined us, Skyhardt was born. Since then I've loved training with our dogs, and helping other people live in harmony with theirs.

Studying with Kim Brophey and becoming a Family Dog Mediator turned everything about my training philosophy upside down, but I'm still here, still helping dogs and their humans, and loving every moment of it.

Sky continues to challenge me every day. A kind behaviourist friend recently said Sky has a complex attachment to me - I think this is probably right. Anyway I adore her, and I'm beyond grateful for the opportunities she's brought in my dog training career.

The first photo is Sky on the day she came home. The red patches round her nose were from poking it through the bars of the crate she lived in. The second photo is us, last week, having a rare snuggle.

PLEASE SHARE!It's that time of year again. Foxtail grass seeds are starting to spread. These can travel through dogs' fu...
17/06/2025

PLEASE SHARE!

It's that time of year again. Foxtail grass seeds are starting to spread. These can travel through dogs' fur, skin, eyes, ears, noses and mucous membranes.

The best thing to do is keep a close eye on the environment, and keep dogs away from these grasses. If you have foxtails on your property, try to remove the seed heads and bin them (don't compost) so they don't spread. If you're worried your dog has a seed already embedded, get them to the vet straight away.

There's more information here:
https://f.mtr.cool/sttuobzvvp

Does ownership of your dog feel different to how you dreamed it would? Is there a behaviour struggle holding back your r...
16/06/2025

Does ownership of your dog feel different to how you dreamed it would? Is there a behaviour struggle holding back your relationship with your dog?

Don't worry, that's a really common situation. Life with dogs can be harder than we expected. There's no need to beat yourself up about it.

We use a detailed behaviour and history questionnaire, as well as observations, to work out what's really going on with your dog. Then we can work with you to close the gap between where you are, and where you want to be.

We offer reward-based dog training, training walks and pet sitting in the Nottingham area. Drop us a message to arrange a free call.

Kate's been out conducting a training assessment for these two lovelies. Sidney and Bessie are on a cortisol holiday, gi...
15/06/2025

Kate's been out conducting a training assessment for these two lovelies. Sidney and Bessie are on a cortisol holiday, giving them some time to chill out before their training starts. We can't wait!

Address


Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Skyhardt Dog Training posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Skyhardt Dog Training:

Shortcuts

  • Address
  • Alerts
  • Contact The Business
  • Claim ownership or report listing

  • Want your business to be the top-listed Pet Store/pet Service?

Share