Paws & Progress

12/08/2026

Who’s excited for our upcoming Paws & Progress workshops, courses, and events?! 🐾🐶

We have been working super hard behind the scenes to come up with something for everything! So whether you want to work on all of your pup’s general manners, or one thing in particular like our Lead Walking & Recall workshop - we’ve got you covered! ⭐️

To book, please message us or give us a call on 07887 822578. Spaces are limited to a first come first serve basis.

24/07/2026

10/07/2026

Helping dogs feel confident around novel moving objects 🐾

Prams, bikes, scooters and cyclists can all be difficult for dogs to process, especially when they move quickly or come towards them! Desensitisation is therefore about introducing these triggers at a level your dog can cope with, pairing them with positive experiences, and gradually building confidence.

In this video, you’ll see Clyde, our Belgian Malinois, working around a pram. Clyde struggles a lot with moving objects like this, especially when they’re fast or unpredictable, so we’re focusing on calm exposure, rewarding the right choices, and helping him learn that these things aren’t something to get over-excited about.

The goal isn’t to force a dog to ignore their triggers or natural instincts - it’s to help them feel safe and make better choices when they encounter them instead. 🐶✨

08/07/2026

Contrary to popular belief… dogs aren’t actually born knowing English. 🤯 So why do we expect them to understand commands we’ve never actually taught them? ❌

One of the biggest mistakes people make is saying a cue over and over before their dog even has any idea what it means.

Instead, we need to show your dog the behaviour first. Guide them, reward them, and help them succeed. Once they clearly understand what you’re asking, *then* add the verbal cue by pairing the word with the behaviour. 🎯

Teach first. Name second.

It sounds simple, but it makes learning so much clearer for your dog, and takes away a lot of frustration for both of you. Progress doesn’t come from repeating words louder or more often - it comes from clear communication, consistency, and practice. 👏

And after all, it makes a lot more sense than shouting random words and hoping for the best, right? 😉

07/07/2026

After a quiet week with heat-ridden cancelled sessions, and lots of requests for any ideas to keep dogs mentally busy during the heatwave, we started running something new….an early AM class for our current clients based on using their nose and brain in partnership to learn the basics of scent work 🐾

Watching each dog (and owner!) grow in confidence, learn new skills, and have so much fun has been amazing. What started as a way to beat the heat has quickly become something we want to keep going throughout the summer with this lovely group.

There’s lots of amazing scent work companies around, but if you’ve ever been curious about scent work in the New Forest area and weren’t sure where to start, this is for you! There’s no pressure, no experience needed, just a relaxed environment where your dog can use their nose, build confidence, and have fun.

✨ If you’d be interested in giving it a go, send me a message. I’d love to hear from you!

06/07/2026

A few weeks ago, we saw the gorgeous Oscar for a lead walking session at Upton Country Park 🐾

His owners came to us wanting to focus on one thing: loose lead walking. But instead of jumping into that like they expected, we actually worked on the complete opposite…

This is because Oscar is a classic Golden Retriever - he loves everyone, everything, and every smell! 🍃 🐶 Unfortunately though, that meant his owners were pretty low on his priority list and asking him to walk nicely by their side with no fun wasn’t going to change that.

So instead we focused on making us the most exciting thing in the environment again! Through simple engagement games, we built value in being close to us and became his favourite people and place (hence the audio on this video 😉).

The result? Oscar started choosing to stay near us without even being asked.

Of course we still rewarded those choices to help strengthen the behaviour, but the rewards became secondary to the enjoyment of interacting with us. That’s the goal after all: a dog who wants to be with you, not one only stays with you because they have to.

Lead walking isn’t just about teaching a position. It’s about building a relationship that your dog genuinely wants to be a part of.

16/06/2026

Starting with the basics 🐾

For many dogs, this is the first step of building a recall your dog actually wants to respond to. For a food-motivated dog, making coming back fun and rewarding is key.

This reel is simply a pairing session - creating positive associations with the recall cue, and building value around choosing to come back. We’re not diving into all the important details just yet, but they’re coming!

Stay tuned for more videos where I’ll cover:
✨ How to make recall genuinely rewarding
✨ Common mistakes that weaken recall
✨ Building reliability around distractions
✨ Games that make training fun for both you and your dog

Remember: recall isn’t just about calling your dog back, it’s about making it worth their while. 🐶💛

28/05/2026

🐾 Dog Lover Wanted…Join the team! 🐾

Do you love dogs, enjoy flexible work, and dream of spending your days with four-legged friends? We’re looking for a reliable, caring and animal-loving person to join the Paws & Progress team!

As well as award-winning dog training, we also provide top standard dog sitting, daycare, overnight stays and occasional pet care across the Bournemouth, Poole, Wimborne and Ringwood areas - and we’re now looking for someone who genuinely loves animals and wants to be part of the team long-term.

What the role involves:
🐶 Dog daycare and overnight sitting
🐱 Occasional care for other pets too
🚶 Optional dog walking opportunities if you’d like

We’d love to hear from you if you:
• Are trustworthy, kind and confident with animals
• Want a flexible but long-term role
• Are available during busy periods (especially June–September)
• Can commit to sits of up to 2 weeks
• Are happy not leaving the dogs alone for more than 4 hours at a time
• Have experience with dogs (preferred but not essential if you’re eager to learn!)
• Understand reward-based training methods, or are excited to find out more about them
• Have a full drivers licence & access to vehicle
• (No students please)

This role would suit someone who loves building bonds with dogs and treats them like family ❤️

To apply:
Please send your CV and a short cover letter to:
📧 [email protected]
References and an interview will be required.

✨ Start ASAP - we can’t wait to meet you and your future furry clients!

25/05/2026

Every dog is different, and training should reflect that. 🐾

Whether you’re struggling with puppy chaos, lead pulling, reactivity, or simply wanting a calmer everyday life with your dog, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

At Paws & Progress we focus on building real-life skills through clear communication, trust, and understanding - not quick fixes or unrealistic expectations!

We can help with:
✨ puppy training
✨ reactivity
✨ loose lead walking
✨ recall
✨ confidence building
✨ basic obedience
✨ bond building

Our goal will always be the same though:
Helping you build a calmer, more enjoyable life with your dog, in a way that feels achievable and sustainable for both of you.