Walkies Dog Behaviour & Training

15/12/2025

The festive season often brings extra people, noise, excitement and big changes to routine. For many dogs, that can feel overwhelming.

I’ve written a short blog with practical, dog-centred tips to help keep everyone safe and comfortable when visitors are in your home over the festive period.

Explore expert dog blogs on training, behaviour and practical tips to help understand and support.

11/12/2025

Little Mabel has been working on recall this week and she is absolutely smashing it! 💛🐾

Recall is a huge blend of trust, confidence building and learning to navigate the world with support, and she’s doing brilliantly 🤩

🔸 We kept sessions short, fun, and full of choice so Mabel always felt safe exploring
🔸 Playing recall games helped her learn that moving towards her human is always rewarding - not because she “has to,” but because it feels good and predictable.
🔸 Confidence building moments (sniffing, pausing, checking in, choosing her routes) helped her discover she can make decisions and still stay connected.

Every time she turned her head, flicked or took a step back towards us we celebrated. Those tiny choices are where recall really starts.

And the best part? Her tail was wagging the whole time.
Happy puppy. Happy learning ❤️



https://walkiesdogbehaviourandtraining.co.uk/puppy-program-bookings

11/12/2025

Lovely Peggy has recently been finding some dogs a bit harder to cope with when they come too close. It’s not that she’s unfriendly, she just becomes a little unsure and that uncertainty can tip into vocalising if another dog is suddenly right in her space.

Today we worked in a quiet area where she had room to breathe, observe and move at her own pace. By giving her that bit of extra space and tuning into her body language, Peggy was able to pass other dogs calmly with no reactions at all.

I noticed Peggy will still sometimes head towards another dog out of curiosity or habit, but once she gets too close her worry bubbles up. That’s completely normal for dogs who are feeling conflicted - “I want to say hello… but actually I’m not sure.”

So for now, our job is to protect her space, build her feelings of safety, and help her learn that she doesn’t have to investigate every dog to feel comfortable. With the right distance, time, and support, her confidence will continue to grow 🩷

If you would like to explore 1-1 support to work towards calmer walks with your dog, please get in touch:

https://walkiesdogbehaviourandtraining.co.uk/reactivity-package

09/12/2025

Norfolk Terrier Puppy Rosie ✨

Little Rosie had her very first session at the training field this week and what an absolute star she was. We started with a home visit last week, so it was lovely to hear she’s already making great progress after a few small tweaks at home. Her humans are doing such a brilliant job supporting her. 💛

Rosie can be a little hand shy, so we focused on confidence-building with a ‘touch’ cue. Instead of hands reaching towards her, Rosie gets to make the choice - she happily presses her nose into an open palm. It’s a simple behaviour, but incredibly powerful as it helps create positive associations with hands and gives Rosie a clear, predictable way to interact with people on her own terms.

Choice builds confidence, and this tiny terrier is already showing us how capable she is.

We also introduced some recall practice at the field. True to terrier form, Rosie learns really fast and brings huge enthusiasm to everything she tries 🤩 We got some brilliant recall practice in - full of speed 🚀 🐶

Rosie is doing brilliantly and it’s a joy to see her confidence and skills growing already.

05/12/2025

Our very own Rosie 🩷 Huge thanks to Granta Veterinary Specialists

05/12/2025

Building Confidence Through Connection ✨

Rescue dog Marsha and lovely Abbey in one of those heart-melting moments… a gentle little paw placed right on Abbey’s shoe. 💛🐾

Dogs make their biggest strides when they feel understood. They need trust, communication and a teammate who listens.

Watching these two work together - checking in with each other, navigating the world side-by-side and celebrating every little success is what real progress looks like. Just partnership, patience and genuine connection.

Marsha’s making great progress on our reactivity programme and Abbey is giving her exactly what she needs to get there. 🤍✨

02/12/2025

Will my puppy ever be okay on their own? 🐶

If you’ve ever worried about this - you are not alone! Puppies are biologically wired for closeness. Being alone is a confidence skill, not a test of independence and it takes time, safety and the right support to build.

In my latest blog, I explain:

✨ Why puppies cry when left
✨ What’s really happening emotionally
✨ And five kind, science-based ways to help your puppy feel safe and settled on their own – without forcing distress

If alone time is feeling stressful for you or your pup, this guide is for you 👇

Discover 5 gentle, science-based ways to help your puppy feel safe when left alone.

01/12/2025

A very informative read about walking equipment for dogs 🐕 Thank you Trailie Paws For Thought 🥰

01/12/2025

Thor’s Progress on Our Puppy Programme 💙

Border Collie puppy Thor has been making some lovely progress lately, and it’s been a joy to work alongside his family on his Puppy Programme.

We began by focusing on something that’s so often overlooked - sleep! Like many bright, busy pups, Thor was becoming over-tired, which was spilling over into hyper behaviour at home. By supporting him so he can settle better he is taking more frequent daytime naps and he is better able to regulate and settle calmly.

Now that those foundations are in place and he’s had his vaccinations, we’ve moved on to real-world learning:

🐾 Loose Lead walking in new locations
🐾 Building recall skills
🐾 Thoughtful, supported socialisation
🐾 Confidence building in new locations

Thor took everything in his stride on Saturday 🤩

https://walkiesdogbehaviourandtraining.co.uk/puppy-program-bookings

29/11/2025

This week I had the pleasure of meeting this gorgeous little Norfolk Terrier puppy, Rosie 🥰

Before we head out into the big wide world, we’ve started with a home visit first – giving Rosie the chance to build confidence in a familiar environment and helping her humans get everything in place for success.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be gently working on:

✨ Lead walking
✨ Recall
✨ Early socialisation
✨ Confidence and calm foundations

Starting at home means we can take things at Rosie’s pace, focusing on positive experiences, choice and building trust before adding the extra challenge of outdoor distractions.

She’s already full of character, curiosity and that wonderful terrier sparkle – I can’t wait to watch her grow and learn 💛

Keep an eye out for Rosie’s progress as we venture out together soon 🐾

https://walkiesdogbehaviourandtraining.co.uk/puppy-program-bookings