Puppy Pals Cumbria

03/04/2025

✨ Golden Oldies Alert!

🐾 Meet Alfie (15) and Betsy (12) – our wonderful golden oldies with a combined age of 27!

❤️ These two prove that age is just a number when you’ve got a best friend by your side.

☀️ Slower strolls, softer snoozes, and all the love in the world – we treasure every moment with this special pair.

📸 We’d love to see your golden oldies too – share a photo in the comments and tell us a little about them!

03/03/2025

Last Weekend Classes & Exciting Spring Schedule!

Don't Miss Out – Weekend Classes Ending Soon!

Our final blocks of weekend classes are now open for booking, and there are still a few places left! If you’ve been thinking about joining in, now’s your chance before we switch to our Spring weekday evening schedule.

From Spring onwards, we’ll be running:

🐾 Mondays – Life Skills: Puppy Foundation, Adult Foundation, and Progression/Intermediate.
🐾 Tuesdays – Agility: Foundation Agility plus our members-only Agility Club.
🐾 Wednesdays – Gundog Focus: Foundation and Progression classes. (We’ll also be rotating Scent Work and Parkour in the future!)

If you’d like to learn more about our members-only Agility Club or any other classes, book a free call.

☎️ https://bit.ly/PPFreeIntialChat

Book your weekend spot now before they’re gone!

📅 https://puppypalscumbria.co.uk/book-now/

See you in class!

Chris & Jess

17/02/2025

Helping High-Energy Dogs Find Their Off Switch

High-energy dogs don’t come with an off switch! Many struggle to relax, always ready for the next adventure. But teaching them to settle is a valuable skill that makes life easier for both you and your dog.

We use a dedicated mat 🟦 as a target and shape the behaviour of lying down on it. At first, the dog may be alert and engaged 👀, but with consistency, they learn that the mat means relax time. 😌 Over time, they’ll automatically settle when the mat appears—no cues needed!

This is incredibly useful for trips to the pub 🍻, café ☕, or holidays in a cottage 🏡. Instead of pacing, whining, or constantly seeking stimulation, your dog will know exactly where to go and how to switch off.

Want to help your dog find their off switch? Get in touch to find out more.

16/02/2025

Thor’s Journey: From Shadow Chasing to Superstar Retriever! 🌟🐶

Thor, the little Working Cocker Spaniel, was starting to develop a habit of shadow and light chasing—a behaviour that can quickly become ingrained if not addressed early. His mum reached out to us before it became a well-established issue, and over the past few weeks, we’ve worked on strategies to help him settle at home and stay focused while out and about.

By building engagement and connection, we’ve helped Thor learn that chasing shadows isn’t the most exciting option! We also introduced more breed-specific training, giving him appropriate outlets for his natural instincts. As you can see, he absolutely loving learning to retrieve!

His owner shared this lovely message:
"Thanks so much for everything, Jess! He’s come such a long way in the last four weeks, and I can’t wait to see how he progresses with all the training we have to do! 🥰"

It’s been a pleasure working with such a smart little dog and such dedicated owners! 🧡

11/02/2025

Here's a picture of the beautiful Hilda 🐾, who's just finished a 4-week training package working on her overarousal, connection with her human, and managing her strong instinct for hunting. All of this was achieved using reward-based strategies, incorporating food, toys, and access to the things Hilda loves in her environment to reinforce her behaviour. She's been an absolute superstar! ⭐

⚡ Electric Shock Collars—Not the Answer 🚫

On a training session today, I spotted something on the ground—a discarded electric shock collar. Safe to say, it won’t be harming any dogs again, because it's going straight in the bin 🗑️.

At Puppy Pals Cumbria, we do not use aversives like shock collars. They don’t teach dogs what we actually want them to do. Instead, they suppress behaviour through fear and discomfort 😞, often leading to confusion, anxiety, and even more unwanted behaviours in the long run.

Training should be about guidance, communication, and trust ❤️🐶—not punishment. If you're struggling with your dog's behaviour, there’s always a kinder, more effective way. Let's work with our dogs, not against them.

🐾 💡 ✅ ❌ ❤️

04/02/2025

💛The Yellow Dog Project – What It Means and Why It Matters💛

I recently had a training session with Hywell, a Rottweiler who is working on his confidence around people and other dogs. We went to Bardsea Beach for some dog and people-watching, helping him learn that the world isn’t as scary as it seems. His owner is incredibly responsible—he wears a bright yellow coat that says I Need Space, is walked on a head collar, and has two leads for extra security.

Despite this, Hywell was still approached by an off-lead dog whose owners had no recall over it. I had to step in and move the dog away before Hywell became too overwhelmed. Later, as we were giving him a break, two people approached us, staring and commenting on how beautiful and well-behaved he was—completely unaware that their attention was making him uncomfortable.

For those who don’t know, The Yellow Dog Project is a global movement that helps identify dogs who need space. Whether they are in training, recovering from illness, or just nervous around others, a yellow lead, harness, or coat is a polite request: Please don’t approach.

If you see a dog wearing yellow:
🐾 Give them space – Don't let your dog run up to them.
🐾 Call your dog back – Put them on a lead if necessary.
🐾 Avoid staring – Eye contact can feel intimidating for nervous dogs.

For those of us working with reactive dogs, these small courtesies make a huge difference. Let's all do our part to make the world a little easier for dogs like Hywell!

29/01/2025

Why Do Dogs Bury Their Chews? 🐾

Ever wondered why your dog takes their favourite chew and buries it in the garden, or hides it under a pile of blankets? This behaviour, known as caching, is an instinct passed down from their ancestors. 🦴

In the wild, dogs and wolves would store food for later, ensuring they always had a backup supply.

Check out Coco, the beautiful hound, showing off her natural caching instincts in action! 🐶 She carefully nudges her chew with her nose attempting to bury it, possibly planning to enjoy it later or just following her ancient instincts.

Does your dog have a favourite hiding spot for their chews or toys? Share your stories below! 🐕✨

27/01/2025

I have loved working with these clients and Mollie is an absolute dream 🥰. It was their last session today,of their coaching package.
Her humans have taken everything on board and put in all the work and made my job so easy 😍
Mollie’s humans sent me this message today

We have found the 1 to 1 class so beneficial and glad we decided to do them! You have a really great set up and most of all really easy to engage with.
Thank you for helping us understand the best way to help mollie and see things through her eyes.
When we first started, we were so overwhelmed, but you helped us get over that and have a more structured plan to help engage mollie and harness her potential.
We are really looking forward to the gun dog sessions.

11/01/2025

Finally managed to finish our Progression course today. These 3 little beauties rocked it. Love seeing the bond develop 😍

17/12/2024

Oh it’s that time of year when we can create Christmas photos with your favourite pet pictures. Post away 😍

06/11/2024

I couldn’t say this any better. Thank you Jackie Shavee

04/11/2024

🐾 Unlocking the Power of Scentwork for All Ages! 🐾

Scentwork is an incredible activity that brings out the natural talents of dogs of all ages – from curious young pups to our wise golden oldies!

🌟 For young dogs, scentwork is a fantastic way to channel that boundless energy into focused exploration, building confidence, and sharpening problem-solving skills. Plus, it's a fun way to bond and engage their amazing noses!

🌟 For older dogs, scentwork provides gentle mental stimulation without the physical strain, keeping their minds sharp and spirits high. It’s also a wonderful way to keep them active, even if their mobility isn’t what it used to be.

Give scentwork a try and watch your dog’s world open up one sniff at a time!

Click on the link below to book our next introduction to scentwork course.

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22643138&appointmentType=68944577

15/10/2024

🤪 Does your dog struggle with hyperactivity or always seem 'busy'?

🐾Teaching a duration behavior, like a sit with a release cue, can work wonders!

🐶✨It helps your dog learn to stay in one place and focus on doing one thing until you give the go-ahead to do something else. This builds patience, self-control, and a calmer mindset, making everyday life more manageable for you and your pup!

Step 1: Start with the Sit Cue
Ask your dog to sit.
Once they sit, immediately reward them with a treat.

Step 2: Add Duration Gradually
After your dog sits, wait 1-2 seconds before rewarding them again. Slowly increase the time you wait between treats, aiming for longer periods of sitting.

Step 3: Introduce the Release Cue
Once your dog can hold the sit for a few seconds, introduce a release cue like "Okay!" or "Free!".
After saying the cue, encourage them to move out of the sit by stepping back or using a hand motion, then reward.

Step 4: Practice with Distractions
Once your dog is reliable at holding the sit, gradually increase distractions around them. Reward them for staying seated until you give the release cue.

Step 5: Build Duration and Distance
Continue to extend the time they stay in the sit and start stepping further away before giving the release cue. Always reward for staying seated until released.

12/10/2024

We have lots of new classes for you up on our website!

🐶Dog Training and Life Skills Progression
Saturday 19th October @ 2pm

🐾Scent Work - An Introduction to Active Indications (via Zoom)
Monday 28th October @ 5.45pm

🐶Recall Skills (via Zoom)
Monday 28th October @ 7.15pm

🐾Trick Training (via Zoom)
Tuesday 29th October @ 5.45pm

🐶Parkour Skills (via Zoom)
Wednesday 30th October @ 5.45pm

🐾Foundation Pet Gundog Skills
Sunday 3rd November @ 9.30am

🐶Progression Pet Gundog Skills
Sunday 3rd November @ 11.15am

🐾Hoopers Foundations
Sunday 3rd November @ 2pm

Click on the link below to find out more and to grab a place.
https://puppypalscumbria.co.uk/book-now/

30/09/2024

Hello just wanted to post a very quick update to say what a fabulous day we had Saturday despite the rain., for Alice’s dog show. A great turnout lots of wonderful happy dogs. We don’t have a final figure yet but have raised almost £500 towards this amazing charity. Big thank you to our amazing volunteers and clients and everyone that came to support us. More updates will follow. A few pictures to keep you going. I didn’t have time to take any 🙈

27/09/2024

Had fun!!! Setting well a fight with a tent for a couple of hours. But now all ready and set up for tomorrow to raise money for this amazing charity 😍

https://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/24609716.alice-pynes-wish-annual-ulverston-dog-show-granted/?ref=socialflow&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3qCch3qBFQHWyxcA-HEnhvam0K06pHLSWQg7M8VjTdKqiEpuJuBwS1jz8_aem_yFrJl8IGcaUm99L2rJ6Ybw

Alice died in 2013 but used her life to inspire others, a message that is being carried on through a returning event this weekend.

26/09/2024

Building Confidence in Sensitive Dogs: Mabel's Journey with 🐾❤️

🐕 Mabel is a loving and sociable dog who enjoys interactions with people. However, like many sensitive dogs, she can become anxious in certain environments, such as the vet's or during physiotherapy sessions. In these situations, Mabel would often shut down and seek to escape rather than engage with the process at hand.

⛑️ For the past three years, Mabel has been under the care of her amazing physiotherapist, Donna, Physio. Donna has been patient and understanding, and we have had a massive breakthrough recently, Mabel has finally reached a point where she feels confident enough to relax and participate in her sessions instead of darting for the door.

🐶 Patience and allowing a dog to progress at their own pace truly pays off, especially for more sensitive types like Mabel. With the right support and environment, even the most anxious dogs can learn to trust, engage, and thrive.

Mabel’s experience serves as a wonderful reminder that progress takes time and every small step forward is a victory. We're so proud of her! 🎉🐶

🐕‍🦺🐾