Heath's Personal Dog Training

Heath's Personal Dog Training Specialising in puppy training and real-life skills for dogs of all ages. Full Member APDT, ABTC-ATI. Dog Trainer / Wine & Food Enthusiast

Offering online courses, classes and private consultations using force-free, science-led methods across Essex & Hertfordshire.

🎾 Is fetch bad for dogs?Not necessarily.Fetch can be brilliant fun, but endless sprinting, sharp turns and repeated high...
07/08/2026

🎾 Is fetch bad for dogs?

Not necessarily.

Fetch can be brilliant fun, but endless sprinting, sharp turns and repeated high-speed chasing can put a lot of demand on your dog’s body. Some dogs can also become so focused on the toy that they struggle to sniff, explore or switch off afterwards.

In this new guide, I share the way I play fetch with Bear.

I call it **Thinking Dog’s Fetch**.

It combines:

🐾 A short retrieve
🐾 Tug
🐾 Scentwork
🐾 Pauses
🐾 Time to sniff and explore

So your dog still gets the excitement of fetch, but the game becomes much more than throw, chase, repeat.

Read the full guide here 👇
https://hpdt.co.uk/2026/08/07/is-fetch-bad-for-dogs/

Does your dog love fetch, or would they choose sniffing over a ball every time? 🎾🐶

06/08/2026

Does your puppy actually like being cuddled? 🐶❤️

Try a simple Choice Check:

STROKE → PAUSE → WATCH

Gently stroke your puppy for a few seconds, then take your hands away and see what THEY choose to do next.

📌 WHAT TO LOOK FOR

✅ MORE PLEASE
• moves back towards you
• leans into you
• nudges your hand
• actively seeks contact again

⏸️ TIME TO PAUSE
• turns their head or body away
• moves away
• avoids your hand
• becomes still or tense
• chooses to do something else

🤔 NO OBVIOUS ANSWER?

Don’t assume staying still means “yes”. Pause a little longer and look at the whole puppy rather than relying on one signal.

A wagging tail doesn’t automatically mean happy, and rolling onto their back isn’t always an invitation for a tummy rub.

👧 CHILDREN & VISITORS

Let your puppy choose whether to approach where possible, and pause regularly during the interaction.

Approaching someone once isn’t an unlimited cuddle pass.

❤️ And if your puppy doesn’t ask for more, don’t take it personally.

It doesn’t mean they don’t love you.

Some dogs adore cuddles. Others prefer a scratch, playing together, lying beside you or simply being close.

Learning how YOUR puppy enjoys affection is part of getting to know them.

📌 Save this to try a Choice Check later, and share it with anyone who loves cuddling your puppy.

Force-free puppy training & support: see my profile.

🐾 A reactive dog can sit perfectly still and still feel anything but calm.Asking a dog to sit while another dog passes c...
05/08/2026

🐾 A reactive dog can sit perfectly still and still feel anything but calm.

Asking a dog to sit while another dog passes can look controlled, but if the trigger is getting closer and your dog cannot move away, the pressure may be building beneath the surface.

💡 The problem is not the sit itself. It is the context.

In this new article, I explain:

✅ Why sitting can sometimes increase pressure
👀 The body language owners often miss
🐕 What to do instead
👍 When asking for a sit may still be perfectly appropriate

❤️ The goal is not simply stillness. It is helping your dog feel safe enough to cope and make choices.

📖 Read the full article here:

https://hpdt.co.uk/2026/08/05/reactive-dog-sit/

💬 Have you ever noticed your dog becoming more tense while sitting and watching another dog?

Does your dog act as though every exciting thing needs to happen NOW? 😅🧠 Impulse control helps your dog practise a brief...
04/08/2026

Does your dog act as though every exciting thing needs to happen NOW? 😅

🧠 Impulse control helps your dog practise a brief pause between feeling an urge and acting on it. That pause can support safer routines, calmer choices and better emotional regulation.

📌 Save this carousel, then remember these tips when you practise:

• Choose just one exercise to begin with.

• Start with a pause of only one or two seconds.

• Use any release word you like, such as “Okay”, but keep it consistent.

• Your dog does not need to sit. Stillness is enough, except for the toy exercise shown.

• If your dog moves too soon, calmly reset and make the next attempt easier.

• If frustration starts to build, shorten the pause or reduce the movement.

💡 Practise these skills during easier everyday moments before expecting your dog to use them around bigger distractions.

This can be particularly helpful for frustration-based reactivity, helping dogs practise pausing, checking in, disengaging and recovering when excitement begins to rise.

Choose one exercise today and keep it achievable. You’ll find the complete guides through the link in our bio. 🔗

Which is hardest for your dog: food, doorways, car exits or toys? 👇

Every month, I try to include something that will genuinely make life with your dog a little easier.This month's newslet...
03/08/2026

Every month, I try to include something that will genuinely make life with your dog a little easier.

This month's newsletter covers questions I get asked all the time:

🐾 Is my puppy ready to go off lead?
🤔 Why does my dog behave like that?
🎓 How can I train more effectively?
🦮 Which equipment is actually worth buying?
🎉 Plus details of Bear's 10th Birthday Social Walk and the Widford Summer Event & Dog Show.

Whether you've got a brand-new puppy or a much older dog, I hope you'll find something useful.

📩 Read the August newsletter here:
https://mailchi.mp/496ec00fa005/heaths-personal-dog-training-august-update

If you enjoy it, feel free to share it with another dog owner who might find it helpful.

02/08/2026

🐾 What’s the best dog training treat?

It’s easy to assume that chicken, cheese or another commonly recommended food must be “high value”. But value belongs to the individual dog.

Bear loves blueberries. Blue gave them a very definite no thank you. Neither dog is right or wrong. They simply have different preferences.

If you have ever bought a bag of treats only for your dog to show absolutely no interest, you are definitely not alone.

Try the HPDT 5-Food Preference Test

Choose five tiny pieces of dog-safe food. For example:

🥣 Your dog’s usual kibble
🐟 A fish treat
🍗 Chicken
🧀 Cheese
🫐 A blueberry

Let your dog sample each food individually first.

Then:

1. Offer two foods together, one in each open hand.
2. Keep both hands at the same height and distance.
3. Stay neutral and allow your dog to choose.
4. Record which food they choose first.
5. Swap the foods between hands and try again.
6. Continue with different pairings and see which foods are chosen most often.

Keep each piece tiny and stop before your dog loses interest. You are not deciding which food is low, medium or high value. Your dog’s choices begin to show you their individual food preferences.

This gives you a useful starting point for training, but remember that preferences can vary between dogs. A reward also does not have to be food. Some dogs would choose tug, a ball, sniffing or social interaction.

Good dog training isn’t about finding what dogs like. It’s about discovering what your dog likes.

💾 Save this so you can try the HPDT 5-Food Preference Test later.

📤 Share it with someone who is still searching for the one treat every dog is supposed to love.

I’m expanding this into a full guide, including a more detailed preference test and a selection of the treats and toys I regularly use with different dogs.

🔗 You’ll find the guide and recommended rewards through the link in my bio.

Your dog decides.

How old is your dog in human years? 🐶Most of us grew up hearing that one dog year equals seven human years, but dogs do ...
02/08/2026

How old is your dog in human years? 🐶

Most of us grew up hearing that one dog year equals seven human years, but dogs do not actually age that neatly.

They develop incredibly quickly during their first two years, and after that their rate of ageing is influenced by their size, breed, genetics and health.

I’ve put together an easy dog-years chart so you can see roughly how old your dog is in human years, plus what their life stage may mean for their exercise, training, sleep and everyday care.

Bear is turning ten this month, which places him at roughly 66 in human years rather than 70. Of course, how he feels, moves and behaves tells me far more than any number ever could 💚

Have a look at the chart and let me know your dog’s name, age and human-age equivalent in the comments:

https://hpdt.co.uk/2026/08/02/dog-years-explained-how-to-calculate-age/

Does your dog come racing back when called, only to slow down, stop just out of reach or wait for you to ask for a sit? ...
31/07/2026

Does your dog come racing back when called, only to slow down, stop just out of reach or wait for you to ask for a sit? 🐾

A sit after recall is not wrong, but it is not always necessary either.

For everyday recall, the most important part is that your dog comes all the way back to you. Reward that first. You can then clip on the lead, release them again or ask for a sit separately if the situation calls for one.

In this article, I explain:

• why some dogs slow down during the final few metres
• what to reward when your dog reaches you
• how to clip the lead on without making sit compulsory
• what to do if your dog stops short, dodges or crashes into you
• when a sit can still be useful

Read it here:

https://hpdt.co.uk/2026/07/31/stop-asking-for-a-sit-after-recall/

Does your dog come all the way back, or do they stop just out of reach? 😅

🥹 Ever wondered why your puppy insists on sleeping with their head on a teddy… your foot… or even the edge of the sofa?I...
30/07/2026

🥹 Ever wondered why your puppy insists on sleeping with their head on a teddy… your foot… or even the edge of the sofa?

It might look adorable (and it definitely is!), but it isn't random.

Young puppies naturally seek comfort, warmth, familiar scents and gentle pressure when they sleep. It's one of the many ways they help themselves feel safe while adjusting to life away from their mum and littermates. Understanding the why behind these little behaviours can make those early weeks feel much less worrying. ❤️

In this article, I explain:
🐶 Why puppies love sleeping on teddies and feet
💤 Whether heartbeat comfort toys can help
🧸 When comfort-seeking is completely normal
🌙 How to create a calm sleep setup for your puppy

Read more here 👇

https://hpdt.co.uk/2026/07/30/why-puppies-sleep-on-teddies-and-your-feet/

🐾 Does your dog suddenly ignore recall when it's time to go home? 😅They're probably not being stubborn. They've simply l...
29/07/2026

🐾 Does your dog suddenly ignore recall when it's time to go home? 😅

They're probably not being stubborn. They've simply learned that coming back means the lead goes on and the fun ends.

One simple habit can make a huge difference... ✨

Instead of only calling your dog at the end of the walk, practise a few recalls throughout the walk. Reward them 🦴, clip the lead on for a few paces 🦮, then let them go and enjoy their freedom again 🌿🐕

This teaches your dog that coming back to you doesn't always mean home time, making recall much more reliable over time. ❤️

Read the full guide here 👇

https://hpdt.co.uk/2026/07/29/why-recall-when-you-dont-need-to/

Does your dog suddenly develop selective hearing when they realise the walk is nearly over? 😂🐶

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Loughton
IG103EJ

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