The Good Dog Coach

03/08/2025

This year’s Brailes Fun Dog Show is proud to support StreetVet. 🐾

They provide free, life-saving veterinary care to the pets of people experiencing homelessness, but their work goes far beyond that.

StreetVet also campaigns to increase the number of pet-friendly shelters, because less than 7% of people would give up their pet for housing, yet only 10% of hostels currently allow them.

In 2024 alone, StreetVet supported 801 pets, performed over 1700 consultations, and cared for patients as old as 18.

Because no one should have to choose between a roof and their best friend.

Brailes Show StreetVet

29/07/2025

The countdown is on! 🐾

Can you believe it? The Brailes Village Fun Dog Show is already next Saturday! 🎉

We’re putting the finishing touches on everything and getting ready for a brilliant day of wagging tails, muddy paws, and community fun, all while raising money for StreetVet, an incredible charity providing vet care for pets belonging to people experiencing homelessness. 💛🐶

✨ A quick reminder for our Junior Handler stars:
This class includes performing a simple obedience routine, so have a little practise before show day! It's all about having fun, not perfection.

We can't wait to see you and your fabulous dogs there. Whether you're entering, cheering from the sidelines, or just coming for the cake and chaos, it’s going to be a blast!

📍 Saturday, 9th August
📘 Full class info in the programme, swipe to take a look!



Brailes Show StreetVet Cotswold Pet Cremation The Cotswold Grooming Company Essence The Brailes Hair Studio

28/07/2025

From terrified owner with a bite-risk dog…
To “a new man with his new dog” 🐾❤️

When I first met Norman, he was just 8 months old, already highly reactive to anything that moved and a slowly but surely becoming a bite risk to both dogs and people. His owner feared that if the wrong person witnessed one of their walks, Norman could be seized.

Fast forward, and here’s the message I just received- calm, responsive walks with perfect recall… even around barking dogs, crowds, and kids.

"I never thought I would ever get to this point" - and being only 3 sessions into their training, we only just getting started!

The difference was a clear structure, guidance, and learning how to work with the dog, not just manage or avoid the problem.

You’re not stuck with the dog you have today. The right support can transform your relationship, and your life, in ways you never thought possible.

27/07/2025

Some weeks you surge ahead with your dog, some days you rest and some days feel like everything’s gone wrong.

That’s not failure, that’s just how progress works.

Dog training isn’t a straight line.
Behaviour change, in dogs or humans, doesn’t move in neat, tidy steps.
It’s more like a dance. One step forward, two to the side, a little wobble… then suddenly, you’re somewhere new.

If your dog had a tough week, or if you did, you haven’t lost everything.
You’re still building something worthwhile. It just doesn’t always look how you expected.

So take the long view- Zoom out!
You're further along than you think.

You’re doing better than you know.

23/07/2025

When I started strength training, I didn’t expect it to reshape the way I think about dog training.

But it did, big time.

Discipline, consistency, delayed gratification, and daily habits...
It turns out dogs (and people) don’t make real progress through short bursts of effort.

They grow through what we do consistently, not what we do occasionally.

In the gym or on a walk, it’s the same truth- success isn’t sexy.

It’s showing up, every day, even when you don’t feel like it.

Let me know:
Which one hits home for you?
And has your sport, hobby or profession ever given you surprising insight into something else?

22/07/2025

I’ve shared this client’s testimonial before, but it was this follow-up message that had me in tears (again):

“It’s my attempt to express how much what you did meant to me and impacted my life.” ❤️

When we first met, his dog was dangerously reactive, barking, lunging, snapping at other dogs and barking at people. Walks were exhausting, stressful, and anything but enjoyable.

The message stopped me in my tracks.

“Fall in love with your dog again” isn’t just my business strapline- it’s honestly why I do this work.
Because it’s not just about obedience. It’s about restoring joy, peace, and connection between people and their dogs, especially when that relationship has felt strained, scary or hopeless.

Yes, I do this for a living. But messages like this are worth more to me than the money.
That’s the job satisfaction, that’s what makes it all matter.

18/07/2025

This year’s Brailes Fun Dog Show is proud to support StreetVet. 🐾

They provide free, life-saving veterinary care to the pets of people experiencing homelessness, but their work goes far beyond that.

StreetVet also campaigns to increase the number of pet-friendly shelters, because less than 7% of people would give up their pet for housing, yet only 10% of hostels currently allow them.

In 2024 alone, StreetVet supported 801 pets, performed over 1700 consultations, and cared for patients as old as 18.

💛 Because no one should have to choose between a roof and their best friend.

Watch the video to see their impact in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X53AIMQztM&feature=youtu.be

Brailes Show

Watch this video to find out more about StreetVet, a multi award-winning registered charity delivering free essential veterinary care and services to the pet...

17/07/2025

This dog had never bitten before.

Then came the wrong collar with the wrong fit AND the wrong advice.

A trainer online said “all dogs of this breed” should wear a specific prong collar, no context, no fitting help, no regard for the individual dog. But he knows, he owns this breed himself, you see. Except, not all dogs of the same breed are the same.

The result was weeks of inescapable discomfort, rising frustration… and then a bite.

She is now muzzled and her owner frightened. It was all preventable.

But the good news? It is also fixable.

Once we removed the discomfort and brought in structure and clear communication, this dog changed completely.

Their world doesn’t have to stay small. Their behaviour doesn’t have to stay “bad.” When we meet their needs, dogs are all too happy to meet us halfway.

Swipe through to see how it unfolded and why this matters more than ever.

Note: A well fitting prong collar, used correctly for the right purpose on the right dog is an invaluable tool. The tool was not the problem, the way it was used was. And the fault here does NOT lie with the owner who have been trying everything to help their dog. Their only mistake was listening to bad advice and we only know better once we know better. Now that they know better, they do better! 👏

15/07/2025

There’s no going back to before your dog came into your life and honestly, would you even want to?

When people say, “I just want things to go back to normal,” they’re often forgetting something important-
That version of normal didn’t meet your dog’s needs. It didn’t support the behaviour you’re now working to change.

Learning more about your dog, how they communicate, what they need, why they behave the way they do, can feel overwhelming at times.
It means shifting routines, letting go of habits, and questioning what you once thought was “just how dogs are.”

But that isn’t failure, that’s growth.

You’re not losing freedom, you’re gaining clarity.
You’re not becoming “too strict, you’re becoming more connected.
And your dog is better off because of it.

Keep going, you’re building something stronger than “how it was”!

You’re building a relationship that works, for both of you.

13/07/2025

When I first met Wilbur, he would have lost his mind at the sight of a cat on the fence, barking frenzies, complete meltdown, impossible to calm him down.

13 months after he returned home after his intensive training I received this update:
“Wilbur just watching the cat on the roof. Alert but calm.”
(While lounging in his bed, no less.)

When I first met him, his excessive barking made everyday life incredibly hard, especially with a baby in the house. He was on edge, reactive, and struggled to settle.

Now? Calm, obedient, and genuinely happy!
Because training isn’t just about teaching behaviours, it’s about helping dogs feel better so they can do better.

Change that lasts is possible and worth it.

Great job Wilbur!