Tender Touch Training and Behaviour

Tender Touch Training and Behaviour Tender Touch is a force-free training business owned and run by Tegan Stirk in Stoke-on-Trent.

Tender Touch is a progressive reinforcement training and behaviour business owned and run by Tegan Stirk in Stoke-on-Trent.
'From Zoomies To Zen - The Gentle Way' Tegan is a certified force-free dog trainer and animal behaviourist (DipCABT) through COAPE International.

It’s National Napping Day today… and in our house, the dogs are taking it very seriously! 🐶💤Sleep and rest are incredibl...
09/03/2026

It’s National Napping Day today… and in our house, the dogs are taking it very seriously! 🐶💤
Sleep and rest are incredibly important for our dogs. Just like us, good quality sleep helps them process their day, regulate their emotions, and recover both physically and mentally. Puppies and younger dogs may sleep 18–20 hours a day, while most adult dogs still need around 12–16 hours of rest and sleep across the day.
If a dog doesn’t get enough rest, they can become overtired — which often shows up as being extra excitable, struggling to focus, or finding things more frustrating than usual.
So today is a good reminder that rest is just as important as walks, training, and playtime. A cosy nap spot and time to properly switch off can make a big difference to your dog’s wellbeing.
Now it’s your turn…
📸 Share a photo of your pets enjoying their naps in the comments! I’d love to see them.

Training Challenge Update… slightly behind schedule 🙈I had every intention of posting weekly updates… and somehow we’re ...
13/02/2026

Training Challenge Update… slightly behind schedule 🙈
I had every intention of posting weekly updates… and somehow we’re already two weeks into February 😅
The posts may be late, but the training hasn’t been. We’ve trained every single day.
Some sessions have been structured at home.
Some have been 5-minute top-ups on a walk.
Some have been built into hydrotherapy and everyday life.
Because training doesn’t just happen in a formal session – it happens in real life.
This week was a big one… Anubis had his first swimming session 💦
His goal wasn’t fitness or performance.
It was confidence. Helping him feel safe in the pool, explore calmly, and build positive associations.
Aurora’s role?
Learning that she can wait her turn without the world ending.
Impulse control and emotional regulation can be just as challenging as physical skills – sometimes more so 👀
Over the last two weeks we’ve worked on:
✨ Target stick training – building clarity, precision and understanding
✨ Stacking rings – shaping skills and problem-solving
✨ Position changes & maintaining positions – improving posture, balance and body awareness
✨ Loose leash walking – engagement and connection
✨ Walking with their feet on mine – proprioception and rear-end awareness (and mild chaos at times 😅)
✨ Fading hand signals & adding verbal cues – backing up, spin and a few others
✨ “Wait” – duration, understanding and self-control
✨ Looking at the camera on cue – because wedding photos are happening in a few months and I would quite like cooperation 📸🐶
And tonight?
In true “why not?” fashion… we taught them to take my socks off 🧦😂
Initially they both looked at me like I’d completely lost the plot. But once they realised what behaviour was earning reinforcement, they picked it up quickly – proof that strong foundations make learning new skills much easier.
What I love about this challenge is that it isn’t about flashy tricks or perfection.
It’s about: • Clarity
• Communication
• Emotional regulation
• Body awareness
• Confidence
• And having fun together
Some days are polished.
Some days are messy.
Some days are spontaneous sock-related decisions.
But every single day builds our relationship.
If you’re still training along – well done.
If you’ve missed days – that’s okay too. Progress isn’t ruined by imperfection. Even the odd session makes a difference.
February, we’re ready for you 🐾✨

27/01/2026

Day 27 – Crossing Paws (with a twist 🐾)
Today we worked on crossing paws, but with an extra challenge.
Both dogs already know “cross” (right paw over left), but I’d love them to also understand “switch” (left paw over right).
This was our first session introducing it, so we went right back to basics. We started by asking for a simple “tap” (left paw) while they were lying down, rather than sitting.
And… it was tricky 😅
Both dogs found this harder than expected — partly because we’ve practised “cross” so much that it’s become their default, and partly because generalising behaviours to different positions and scenarios takes time. A cue learned in one context doesn’t automatically transfer to another.
This is a really good reminder that:
Dogs aren’t being stubborn or “forgetting”
New variations = new learning
Progress comes from breaking things down and being patient
We’ll keep this one slow and clear, building understanding step by step. Baby steps now mean stronger, clearer cues later 🐾✨

26/01/2026

Day 26 💪🐾
Today was all about physio-style exercises, with a big focus on placement and position rather than flashy skills.
Both Aurora and Anubis have their own aches, pains, and past injuries, which means they each have ways of compensating with their bodies. Those compensations can be sneaky – they get the job done, but not always in a way that’s helpful long-term.
So today we slowed things right down and worked on:
Thoughtful positioning
Making sure weight was being shifted correctly
Encouraging them to use their bodies in a more balanced, supportive way
Some of these exercises were done using objects to help with body awareness. Mine happen to be unstable (wobble cushions), which adds an extra challenge. Ideally, these exercises are best started on stable objects, so that’s something I’ll be improving once I track some down.
Not the most exciting session on the surface… but hugely valuable for: ✨ Body awareness
✨ Injury management
✨ Long-term comfort and confidence
Sometimes the quiet, careful work is the most important 💛

25/01/2026

Day 25 of our training challenge 🐾
Today we worked on leave it.
This involved asking the dogs to leave a specific food item and then rewarding them with a higher-value treat for making the right choice.
Not their favourite exercise (understandably — it’s hard to ignore something you really want!), but such an important life skill.
I don’t practise leave it loads because it’s not the most fun for them, but both Aurora and Anubis actually do pretty well with it when we do revisit it. That’s a good reminder that skills don’t have to be drilled constantly to be maintained.
For me, leave it is all about real-life safety — when we’re out and about I can’t always control the environment, and I don’t want them helping themselves to whatever might be lying around.
Not every training session has to be flashy or exciting — sometimes it’s about building the skills that quietly keep our dogs safe 💛

24/01/2026

Day 24 of the training challenge 🐾
Today looked a little different! Instead of one short session, I had a bit more time, so both dogs got their own 10-minute session.
For each session, we worked through a mix of things they already know and things that still need a bit of progressing. Nothing fancy or overly planned — roughly a minute to a minute and a half on each exercise, then onto something else to keep it varied and interesting.
This included a blend of:
Physio exercises we need to keep on top of
Trick skills they know well
A few things that are still very much a work in progress
The goal wasn’t perfection — it was variety. Sometimes I like to do sessions that are just a bit of a jumble of familiar skills, rather than drilling the same thing over and over. It keeps things fun, prevents boredom, and still reinforces all that learning.
A little reminder that training doesn’t always need to look polished or impressive. Sometimes it’s just about revisiting what your dog already knows, keeping things ticking over, and enjoying the process together.
Consistency over perfection, always 💫

23/01/2026

Day 23 🐾
Today looked a little different… and that’s okay.
Anubis very clearly chose rest over training and opted to curl up on the sofa instead 🛋️ He did have his laser treatment earlier today, so he’d already done his thing and listened to his body — which is always something I respect.
Aurora, on the other hand, is always up for snacks and learning 😄
So today we worked on the early stages of holding an object. We’re focusing on getting clearer, more confident grabs before we even think about adding duration. No rushing, no pressure — just setting her up for success.
It’s very much baby steps at the moment, but those small foundations are what make the polished skills possible later on 💪✨
Training doesn’t have to look the same every day, and progress isn’t always flashy — sometimes it’s choosing rest, and sometimes it’s celebrating tiny wins 💙

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