A Pawsitive Step

A Pawsitive Step I’m Catriona, Award-winning trainer | Science-led, sniff-powered learning +R trainer covering Wiltshire + Glos. I provide classes, workshops & 1-2-1’s for all.

Link in bio to book or get in contact for more advice on which approach is right for you 👍🏼

🐶 We’re thrilled to be part of The Big Bark at Cirencester Park! 🐾On 18th AND 19th October, we’ll be hosting the scentwo...
12/09/2025

🐶 We’re thrilled to be part of The Big Bark at Cirencester Park! 🐾
On 18th AND 19th October, we’ll be hosting the scentwork ‘Have a Go!’ Ring 👃🏼
All designed to get tails gently wagging, calm focus and paws moving.

If you’re joining the fun, don’t miss us! It’s going to be a brilliant day out packed with dogs, stalls,
activities, and treats (for both humans and hounds!).

📍 Cirencester Park
📅 18th & 19th October
Tickets available via

Get ready for a dog-filled day like no other — we can’t wait to see you there!

🌿 Mindful Mutt Monday Do we always stop to ask: “Is my dog enjoying this?”Sometimes we take our dogs into situations wit...
08/09/2025

🌿 Mindful Mutt Monday

Do we always stop to ask: “Is my dog enjoying this?”

Sometimes we take our dogs into situations with the best of intentions — a café, a busy walk, a family gathering — only to realise later that they weren’t enjoying it at all.

Panting, yawning, pulling away, chewing the lead or going very still… these aren’t quirks, they’re quiet ways of saying “I’m not okay.”

Mindfulness in dog training means pausing long enough to ask:

👉 Is this for me or for them?

Because true connection is built when we listen and look, not when we assume. 💛

Festival Feel-good Furday Vibes to you all! 💛Celebrating Safe Spaces at DogFest 2025 🐩💛 I’ll Be Minding the Yellow Space...
05/09/2025

Festival Feel-good Furday Vibes to you all!

💛Celebrating Safe Spaces at DogFest 2025 🐩

💛 I’ll Be Minding the Yellow Space Zone with National Dog welfare company My Anxious Dog! 👉 myanxiousdog.co.uk

This weekend (Saturday 6th September) I’ll be teaming up with Sarah Beckley-Jones, founder of My Anxious Dog, to help mind and encourage scent work within the Yellow Space Zone at DogFest Ashton Court, Bristol. 💛

If you’ve been to a dog event before, you know it can be overwhelming, even for the most confident dogs. That’s exactly why Yellow Space Zones exist: peaceful little retreats where nervous or overstimulated pups can reset in a calm, enclosed space with gentle scent enrichment and quiet company. 💛

Being part of this is a real highlight for me and I’d love to see you and your dog drop by for a breather, a sniff, or just a friendly hello. Let’s help our pups enjoy the festival with care and connection. 💛

See you in yellow (yes, the zone is literally surrounded by yellow and near the Dog Pool so you can’t miss us)! 💛

Want to know exactly what to expect❓

Head to DogFest’s website for details on festival layout, schedules, and welfare support. Plus, discover more about My Anxious Dog’s mission to bring peace and understanding to anxious pups everywhere. 💛

https://www.dogfest.co.uk/festival-locations/ashton-court/

(Images credited to myanxiousdog)

🧠 Wednesday Woofer Wisdom Sniffing: your dog’s built-in reset button.Here’s a fact: when dogs sniff, their heart rate lo...
03/09/2025

🧠 Wednesday Woofer Wisdom

Sniffing: your dog’s built-in reset button.

Here’s a fact: when dogs sniff, their heart rate lowers, their breathing steadies, and their brain shifts out of “reactive mode.” It’s literally how they self-soothe.

That’s why a distracted dog on a walk suddenly calms down after a good sniff. Or why a nervous dog grows braver when given a scent puzzle.

It isn’t “ignoring you.” It’s your dog pressing pause. 🐾

So next time your dog dives nose-first into the grass, remember:
They’re not being stubborn. They’re taking a breath.
And it might be exactly what you need too. 💛

🌿 Mindful Mutt Monday 🌿Not every day needs a big walk.Some days, what you and your dog need most isn’t another mile — it...
01/09/2025

🌿 Mindful Mutt Monday 🌿

Not every day needs a big walk.

Some days, what you and your dog need most isn’t another mile — it’s a moment.
A slower pace. A gentle sniff around the block. A chance to stop trying to do… and just be.

That pause you share? That’s training too.
Because calm isn’t taught by commands — it’s learned in the quiet. 💛

😂 The School Holiday Divine Comedy (for Dogs & Humans) Circle 5: The Ice Cream Cone You Were DeniedSummer’s grand finale...
29/08/2025

😂 The School Holiday Divine Comedy (for Dogs & Humans) Circle 5: The Ice Cream Cone You Were Denied

Summer’s grand finale: constant family ice cream runs (‘cos it’s easy!). Children sticky, adults smug, cones piled high with bliss.

And the dog?

👃 Can smell every flavour from pistachio to rum ’n raisin
👅 Volunteers to handle drips, professionally
🚫 Receives… absolutely nothing

Not a lick. Not even the soggy end of the cone. Just the crunch of human joy and sprinkles falling out of reach. The final circle of dog hell: denied ice cream. 🍦🔥 …. Until finally 🍦

Series wrap-up: Thanks for surviving the School Holiday Divine Comedy (for Dogs) with me. See you in September for calmer brains, cooler walks, and fresh sniffing adventures. 💛

🐾 Tuesday Tails – International Dog Day 🐾🎉Happy International Dog Day! 🎉Yes, I roll my eyes at these “international days...
26/08/2025

🐾 Tuesday Tails – International Dog Day 🐾

🎉Happy International Dog Day! 🎉

Yes, I roll my eyes at these “international days” too… but when it comes to dogs, I’ll allow it.

Here’s my trainer’s take:

The best way to celebrate isn’t with fancy toys or posed photos. It’s with the one thing that makes dogs light up every single day: sniffing.

Scatter a few treats in the garden. Hide a toy in the lounge. Set up a tiny trail in the hallway.
Watch your dog’s tail do all the celebrating for you.

Because at the heart of it, sniffing = joy. And joy deserves its own day. 💛

😂 The five Circles of School Holiday Dog Hell – Circle 4: The BBQ of Eternal DisappointmentBank Holiday BBQs: a festival...
22/08/2025

😂 The five Circles of School Holiday Dog Hell – Circle 4: The BBQ of Eternal Disappointment

Bank Holiday BBQs: a festival of sausages, burgers, and the sound of dogs everywhere plotting their memoirs, “Life on the Outside of the Grill.”

From your dog’s perspective, this is the worst of hells:
👃 Delicious smells carried on every breeze
👀 Humans dropping crumbs just out of reach
🍔 And the final insult — a stern no when they attempt quality control

BBQs aren’t just emotionally cruel though — they can be downright dangerous (corn cobs, skewers, onions, hot coals…).

💡 Want to keep your woofer safe and avoid an emergency vet bill? I’ve put together a handy guide:
👉 https://apawsitivestep.co.uk/keep-your-dog-bbq-safe/ 🌭 or link in bio on Insta

Spare a thought for your four-legged friend this weekend. If they’re going to be tortured, let’s make sure it’s only emotionally. 😏🐾

🌿 Mindful Mutt Monday Two more weeks… and calm is coming.Right now, you might be spinning plates: kids home all day, rou...
18/08/2025

🌿 Mindful Mutt Monday

Two more weeks… and calm is coming.

Right now, you might be spinning plates: kids home all day, routines out the window, and a dog wondering why life is so LOUD.

Add in work, family, and trying to make time for yourself… it’s no wonder you’re running on caffeine and crossed fingers.

Here’s the good news: September is the reset button.
Kids back to school, routines return, and space for you to breathe again.

And it’s the perfect time to give your dog a fresh focus too.

🐾 New scentwork classes start this September 🎓
🐾 New Puppy Classes starting this September
🐾 New adolescent learning courses begin as well 🎓

Think of it as back-to-school energy for both ends of the lead.

Less frazzle, more focus. And a calmer, happier connection for you and your dog. 💛

✨ Find out more and save your spot: [email protected] or click the link in the bio

🌀School Holiday Divine Comedy3. The ‘Infurrno’ circle of GluttonyThe dog’s eaten three crusts, a sock, and a half-melted...
15/08/2025

🌀School Holiday Divine Comedy

3. The ‘Infurrno’ circle of Gluttony

The dog’s eaten three crusts, a sock, and a half-melted cheese string. 🧀
You’ve had three lunches and none of them were yours.🍕

🧠 Wednesday Woofer WisdomThe best kind of tired isn’t from running — it’s from thinking.Here’s the fact:Just 15 minutes ...
13/08/2025

🧠 Wednesday Woofer Wisdom

The best kind of tired isn’t from running — it’s from thinking.

Here’s the fact:
Just 15 minutes of scentwork can mentally tire a dog as much as a 60-minute walk.

Why?

Because sniffing activates more of their brain than almost any other activity. It works problem-solving, memory, decision-making, and even self-control. All while keeping the body moving at a steady, safe pace.

That means:

🐾 Less risk of injury from over-exercise
🐾 A calmer dog afterwards (and often, a calmer household)
🐾 A healthy outlet for natural instincts

So if you’ve got a dog who’s bouncing off the walls, don’t just run them, work their nose. The results speak for themselves.

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Malmesbury
Malmesbury

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

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