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26/05/2026

Perth Dog Club 🐾

One of the things we practised this week was dogs learning to stay calm and neutral while another dog approached head on.

For dogs, walking directly towards each other can feel quite unnatural and intense, which is why so many reactions happen on walks.

So instead of expecting dogs to “just cope”, we break things down into smaller, manageable exercises and help them learn: ✔ how to disengage ✔ how to stay calm ✔ how to work around other dogs without needing to react

Berni and Alpi both did brilliantly 💛

Dog Club isn’t about forcing dogs together or expecting perfection. It’s about building skills, confidence, and better habits in real-life situations.

If you’d like help with: • reactivity • overexcitement • lead manners • focus around distractions • or just helping your dog settle better around others

send me a message 🐶

12/05/2026

Sunday Dog Club this week was all about games 🎾🐾

Not just games for the sake of tiring dogs out, but games that let dogs: • chase • sniff • search • think • disengage • reconnect with their human around distractions

We used flirt poles, scatter box recalls, rabbit runs, “wait and find it”, mat games, and pattern hunts while dogs practised moving around each other calmly.

One of the biggest things I want dogs to learn is that another dog moving nearby doesn’t automatically mean excitement, frustration, or chaos. Sometimes it just means checking in with your human and carrying on.

Different dogs enjoyed different parts. Some loved the chase, some preferred the searching, and some were happiest just watching from a distance and feeling safe enough to take everything in.

That’s probably my favourite part of Dog Club. We’re not trying to force every dog into the same mould or train them all exactly the same way. We’re learning what works for the individual dog in front of us, and building from there 🧡

30/04/2026

I’ve been a bit quieter on messages this week as we’ve been away for a few days and I’ve properly switched off for a bit.

We didn’t bring any training with us, but it’s funny how much of it just comes with you anyway once it becomes part of how you work with your dog day to day.

There were a few moments with Minnie up here where she was interested in wildlife, and just checking whether she could still respond to her name and come back when asked.

Nothing formal, just part of being out together.
That’s the bit that matters to me, when it’s not something you have to think about, it’s just there.

I’ll get back to everyone properly over the next couple of days.

24/04/2026

This is something most people don’t think about until it becomes a problem.

I’ve been working on a presentation for my speaking club this week around cooperative care, and Minnie was helping me demo it. It’s something I started training with her quite early on.

Things like being able to touch your dog’s ears, look at their eyes, handle their body, without it turning into a bit of a battle.

It’s not something most people think about when they first get a dog, but it does come up, whether that’s at the vets, grooming, or just needing to check something over or give medication.

Small steps, done clearly, and then repeated so the dog gets used to it without being pushed.
Dog Club is a great place to work on things like this.

It’s been interesting putting it into a talk as well — you realise pretty quickly that if the communication isn’t clear, it doesn’t work. Same with dogs.

22/04/2026

I realised today it’s been a year since Kipper had his operation.

We took a walk through Dawson Park while the cherry blossoms are out and I wanted to get a photo of him looking as good as he does now.

It hasn’t all been perfect since then. He’s had a few days where his stomach hasn’t been right, and he’s picked up a couple of infections along the way.

But overall, this year has been a really good one.
He’s healthy, he’s himself, and he’s doing really well.

21/04/2026

Puppy Graduates 👏 👏 👏

Six weeks ago these dogs came in looking like tiny puppies and couldn’t sit still for more than a couple of seconds.

Now they’re sitting for photos, waiting their turn, and able to be calmer around the other dogs… while also somehow looking like teenagers already.

That’s not because we’ve been drilling them.
It’s just been small bits, done properly, and then repeated often enough that it starts to stick.
That’s the part people don’t really see with training. It’s not about telling them more, it’s about making things clearer and then giving it enough repetition that the dog actually understands.

A very well done to Ozzy, Piper, Ruby, and Hunter 🧡 💙

👉 Next puppy class starts soon if you want a space.

15/04/2026

Sometimes the hardest part of training isn’t the dog — it’s us.

It’s that moment where something doesn’t go how we expected, and frustration creeps in. And if we’re not careful, that frustration changes how we interact with the dog in front of us.
But mistakes in training aren’t a problem. They’re information.

Dogs don’t need us to get things right first time, or even the hundredth time. What actually creates progress is repetition, and being willing to make small adjustments along the way.
Good training isn’t about judging yourself or your dog. It’s about noticing what happened, tweaking it slightly, and trying again.
That’s how behaviours improve. That’s how communication gets clearer.

And often, what feels like a bad session to us… doesn’t look that way to anyone else at all.
If something feels hard right now, you’re probably closer than you think. Keep going.

A great example of this in class this week — a dog didn’t respond how we expected on the first go, and everyone just laughed and reset. Nothing wrong, nothing ‘bad’, just part of the process.

12/04/2026

Dog Club isn’t just about tiring your dog out… although it definitely does that.
It’s about teaching them how to exist in the world. How to stay calm around other dogs, how to make good choices when it’s not easy, and how to actually cope in real-life situations.
What we’re aiming for is dogs that can think. Dogs that can pause, look, and choose what to do next instead of just reacting to everything around them.
That’s what you’re seeing in these photos. Dogs focusing, waiting, working things out… even with distractions right there.
It’s not chaos and it’s not just running about. There’s a bit more intention behind it than that.
And the best part is, the dogs enjoy it just as much as the people do.

10/04/2026

One of the things that comes up again and again —
whether it’s hormones, distractions, or just life —is that training doesn’t stay fixed. It needs to be practised.

Not in big, intense sessions.....
but in small, consistent moments where dogs learn how to cope with what’s in front of them.
That’s what we focus on in Dog Club.
Building behaviours that hold up:
around other dogs
in different environments
when things aren’t quite so easy

Not perfect dogs —
but dogs that understand and can respond, even when something is competing.
There are a few spaces across the sessions just now:

Tuesday (Perth) — focus on training mechanics
Friday (Blairgowrie, indoor) — currently only open to dogs who have already completed a puppy course here
Sunday (outdoor) — more space, more flexible, community feel, good place to start

If you’re looking to build that kind of consistency, that’s what we work on 👍

09/04/2026

Quick note — I had a bit of a tech issue over the last couple of days, so replies have been slower than usual.
I’m working through messages today, so if you’re waiting to hear from me, I’ll be in touch shortly 😊
Claire

05/04/2026

A slightly different setup in class this week… 🐣

New backdrop, different visuals, a few more hormones and a bit more chaos than usual.

And it always brings up something interesting…
dogs don’t just learn behaviours, they learn them in contexts.

A dog that looks steady in one space can feel very different in another.

A quiet hall, a busier setup, different footing, smells, sounds, visuals…
it all changes how easy something feels for them.

So if training and focus are harder, that’s not failure —
that’s information.

And often, what feels like a “bad” moment to us
doesn’t look that way to anyone else at all.
We can be our own worst critics.

Other times, everything just clicks and the dog understands.
It’s the practice that gets us there.

That’s what Dog Club is about.

Happy Easter ☀️🥚🐰

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