Paw Forward Dog Training

02/08/2025

A friendly reminder 👉🏼 Sudden changes in behaviour are almost always caused by 𝗣𝗔𝗜𝗡🚨

This afternoon I took my boy out for a walk. On lead, he was perfect — walking beautifully — but he barked at everyone and everything that came within 20 metres of us.
He didn’t want to do his usual tricks.
Didn’t want to play.
Just wasn’t himself.

He’s in the thick of adolescence right now, so a bit of barking at other dogs isn’t unusual for him… but barking at people? That’s almost unheard of.

So why the sudden change?

𝗣𝗔𝗜𝗡!🚨

About 10 minutes after we got home, he was sick three times🤢

His tummy was clearly feeling off, and it showed in his behaviour before it showed physically.

Looking back, the signs were there earlier in the day. He was unsettled, barking out of the window, and seemed a bit uncomfortable around family members. I brushed it off — but now it all makes sense.

If your dog is/suddenly becomes reactive, growly, guardy, or just not quite themselves… please don’t jump straight to training. Book a vet check. Rule out pain first. It’s so often the cause.

Bit of pumpkin, scrambled egg, plenty of fresh water, and a rest in store for this guy tonight🩵💤

31/07/2025

This👇🏼

I’ve also been let down by a number of businesses this year — companies that loudly brand themselves as ‘ethical’ and ‘supportive’ — but when it really matters, those values seem to vanish.

Sam has put into words exactly how I’ve been feeling. Please take a moment to read her post😔

31/07/2025

Our Summer Offer ends tonight☀️

If you have been thinking about taking advantage of the 20% discount, get in touch before it ends🤩

☀️ 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 – 𝟮𝟬% 𝗢𝗳𝗳 𝗚𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴! ☀️

For the next two weeks only, get 20% off all Gundog Skills course bookings and gundog 1:1 sessions!

Whether you’re looking to build on your training with a fun, skills-based group course or prefer tailored support with a 1:1, now’s a great time to get started 🐶

This offer runs until Friday 31st July 2025 so don’t miss out!

📍 All sessions take place at my *new* secure private training field in Stoke Golding.

Drop me a message to book or find out more! 📲

28/07/2025

Oh Jack 🥹

I’m so proud of this little dude and his family! His confidence has grown so much since we first started working together, and I couldn’t be more pleased🙌🏼

With dogs who aren’t naturally confident, it’s so important to work within their comfort zone and up until now, Jack’s limit has been around 30 minutes per session.

In our last session… he went for 50 MINUTES! Not because we pushed him but because he was happy, engaged, and enjoying himself.

We only stopped because he’d worn himself out!😴

He’s such a smashing boy, and so lucky to have the most wonderful, supportive parents 🩵

28/07/2025

When cooperation isn’t enough…

We all know that cooperative care means our dogs are consenting to — and actively participating in — the care we provide.
But we also need to consider comfort alongside that cooperation.

Lately, I’ve been working on nail trims with my two. We haven’t been doing as many road walks, and their nails are getting a bit long for my liking. So I set a ‘small’ goal: two nails each.

And I did it. Both dogs did cooperate — they stayed with me, consented to the handling, maintained eye contact, and I frequently reset them and allowed them to choose to return — but Rupert wasn’t truly comfortable, and I missed the signs. I was too focused on ticking the task off, and I knew I’d pushed it the moment I clipped that second nail.

Today, I went to do a bit more work. Bellagio sat there absolutely fine.
Rupert, though, wouldn’t even let me near his paws. We’re now further back than when we started😔

I’m annoyed with myself — but it’s been a really useful learning experience.

So here are some reminders for you (and me):
🔹 For non-urgent procedures, comfort matters just as much as cooperation. Just because you can doesn’t always mean you should.
🔹 Check yourself frequently — is everyone still comfortable?
🔹 Re-evaluate your goals. Just because you’ve set them doesn’t mean they’re reachable right now.
🔹 Don’t be too hard on yourself — we’re all learning.
🔹 Don’t rush it — it’ll pay off in the long run.

26/07/2025

Why 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 matters 👇🏼

Yesterday I was making lunch and absentmindedly left a plate of chicken (ultimate temptation 😍) and grapes (toxic to dogs ☠️) on the side while I went upstairs!

When I came back down, the plate was exactly as I’d left it.

My dogs hadn’t touched it.

I’d quite literally diced with death by doing this — but my two don’t countersurf. And that’s not because I’ve trained them not to… it’s because of good management.

They’ve never had the chance to learn that jumping up at the worktop might pay off. So even though they might have been curious, there’s no reinforcement history. And this time, that worked in my favour when I made a mistake.

This is why good management is so powerful.

It’s much easier to prevent the rehearsal of an undesirable behaviour than it is to fix one once it has been establish — and in some cases, like grapes on a plate, that could be lifesaving.

Other examples of great management include:
🔹Using baby gates to prevent your dog running out of the front door
🔹Putting shoes away to stop your dog ‘stealing’ and chewing them
🔹Using a longline to prevent your dog running up to every dog in the park
🔹Closing curtains at night to stop barking at foxes in the garden

25/07/2025

If you are new to my page – welcome!! 👋
I’ve had an influx of new followers and enquiries over the last couple of weeks, so I thought it was time to reintroduce myself here.

Hi, my name is Shannon and I run Paw Forward Dog Training🐾

I live with my two adolescent labradors, Bellagio (black) and Rupert (yellow), and I am a biiiig gundog geek. Everything labrador, spaniel, pointer, etc… give it to meeeee! 🤩
While I don’t go beating or picking up with my boys (just yet anyway), I am truly fascinated by the gundog brain and love helping those with gundog breeds hone their dog’s skills and fulfil their needs 🧠

I have been working with dogs for a while now (starting out as a dog walker) and over the last couple of years I have certified as a dog trainer and I’m currently a Level 5 Canine Behaviour student – so I’m well on my way to becoming an official canine behaviourist.

I’m also neurodivergent, and dogs are my number one hyperfixation – which means I pour my heart and soul into learning everything I can about them: their brains, their behaviour, and how we can best support them. I won’t always have the answer right away, but you can be sure I’ll go away and find it 🙌🏼

Dog welfare is one of my biggest priorities, and I’m passionate about modern, positive reinforcement-based training using science-backed techniques. And this doesn’t stop at the dogs. I’m a big believer in positive reinforcement for the human end of the lead too. I’ll always be honest with you – but I’ll also be your biggest cheerleader 🎉👏🏼

I have a private, enclosed training ground based in Stoke Golding, near Hinckley, Burbage, and Nuneaton, where I run classes. My most popular class being… you guessed it… Gundog Skills, designed for complete beginner dogs.

The field is also used for 1:1 training and provides a safe and secure place to practise in a slightly more distracting environment – but without the worry of random people or dogs spoiling the fun🥳

So, if you’ve got a gundog (or any dog!) you want help with or you just want to learn something new, I’d love to chat!

And if you’ve worked with me before (and read this far) I’d love for you to share your experience in the comments 🩵

24/07/2025

Did you know dog trainers go to dog trainers too? 🤯

It’s true!

I love training my own dogs — it’s what led me to becoming a trainer in the first place. But working with your own dogs can be hard. You’re emotionally attached, you second guess yourself, and sometimes you just can’t see what’s right in front of you 🙈

Today I had a brilliant session with Karl from Charnwood Dog School. I learned loads, came away with fresh perspective, and can’t wait for our next session!

None of us know everything. But being open to learning is what makes us better — whether you’re a professional or just someone trying to do your best for your dog.

24/07/2025

Think you can’t use play as a reinforcer for heelwork? Think again! 🤪

Echo came into our 1:1 gundog session full of beans — so focus was a little tricky to begin with.
But once we figured out that tug was the ultimate reward, he locked in and absolutely smashed it! 💪🏼

Reward-based training doesn’t always mean treats — you’ve got to find what works for your dog and use it to your advantage 🙌🏼

24/07/2025

❓𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀❓

Wondering what training looks like with me?
Scroll through to find answers to some of the questions I get asked the most👇🏼

1️⃣Do you offer one-on-one dog training?

🐶Do you only work with gundog breeds?

📍Where do you train?

💡What sort of training do you do?

🐕Do you work with puppies?

🗣️Can my reactive dog come to classes?

Still not sure, or got a question that’s not covered? Pop me a message — I’m always happy to chat!

📲 07407 782722
📧 [email protected]
💻 pawforward.co.uk

23/07/2025

Fab session with George-Michael today – but the real star of the show? George’s Mom! 🤩⭐️

We were caught off guard when a couple of people got into their car nearby, and George quite understandably had something to say about it. But his Mom stayed so calm and composed – I was sooooo proud! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Sometimes, situations just crop up where your dog is going to have a little moment – and that’s ok🤷🏼‍♀️
The best thing you can do is take a breath, accept it, and handle it with grace… and that’s exactly what she did.

Go team George! 💪