Sniffly Dogs

18/07/2026

Dog First Aid South Yorkshire, aka Jane, has been talking all things dog safety today at The Kennels.

The course was absolutely packed with useful, practical information - everything from CPR to what foods are actually dangerous to our dogs - and Jane delivered it all so clearly and confidently. She has a real gift for making things easy to understand and put into practice.

And as it wasn't a ridiculous temperature, we were able to make the most of our beautiful surroundings here on the estate and took our practice outdoors 🌲🌳.

Thank you Jane, we can't recommend you highly enough! Thank you to all our attendees too - we hope you're all in a better position to help dogs should the need arise.

We'll be running another one of these fab courses later in the year, so keep your eyes peeled if you'd like to join us.

16/07/2026

Shout out to one of our wonderful clients, Chris Slack - a talented woodturner and creator of all kinds of wooden arts and crafts.

When we asked if he could make us some doorstops for the many doors in The Kennels, he delivered these beauties at this morning's training session. How amazing are they?

If you're looking to purchase anything bespoke for your business or as a gift, get in touch with Chris or Lorn, A Burning Ambition Woodturning

08/07/2026

We now have one place left on the Dog First Aid course we’re hosting at Sniffly Dogs on Saturday 18th July.

What would you do if something happened to your dog while you were out on a walk in the woods, on the beach or just around the estate?

Most of us like to think we’d stay calm, but if your dog cut themselves badly, started choking, collapsed, had a seizure, was bitten, overheated, or suddenly became unwell, it would be very easy to panic.

Not because you don’t care enough. Because you haven’t been shown what to do.

That’s why we’re really pleased to be hosting a Dog First Aid course at Sniffly Dogs, delivered by Jane from Dog First Aid South Yorkshire.

This is practical, useful knowledge for real dog owners. The kind of thing you hope you never need but would be very grateful to have if something did happen.

The course will help you understand what to look for, how to respond, and what you can do in those crucial first moments before seeking veterinary help.

Dog First Aid Course at Sniffly Dogs, The Kennels, Nostell Business Estate
Date: Saturday 18th July
Time: 10:00am to 2:30pm
Cost: £64.50

The booking link is in the comments section.

02/07/2026

Work from home and have a dog?

This is what happens when you come for a lunchtime scentwork session.

I received a WhatsApp message from Elly's amazing human, saying, "if you ever needed evidence of how tiring sniffing is...someone is snoring next to my desk."

27/06/2026

Save the new date.

🚨 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 - 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗧𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗗 🚨

Just a quick reminder that our Summer Fun Day & Dog Show at Clarence Park will 𝗡𝗢𝗧 be taking place today due to the high temperatures.

The event has been postponed to 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post.

Thank you for your understanding 🐾

12/06/2026

You've done the loose lead course. You've got the harness everyone recommended, treats in the correct pocket, and you stop every single time the lead goes tight.

And in the garden, or on the quiet field behind the house? He's lovely.

Then you walk through the gate at the country park and it's like the course never happened.

Here's the bit nobody mentioned: loose lead walking isn't really about the lead.
A dog who's calm enough can walk beside you. A dog who's too wound up, too many smells, too much going on, too much excitement before you're even out of the car park, can't. Not won't. Can't.

You've seen it yourself. It's the moment he stops taking the treats. The chicken that works beautifully in the kitchen might as well be a pebble. That's not him ignoring you. That's a dog so full up with everything around him there's no room left for you.

That's what the video of Ember earlier this week was really showing. Not a dog trained to walk slowly - a dog calm enough, in the right place, that walking slowly was easy.

So no, you don't need another course. You don't need a different harness. You don't need a slip lead. And you don't need to be more interesting than a rabbit.

The dog on the end of your tight lead (the one you've maybe started to dread walking) isn't being difficult. He's full up. And when someone shows you what he looks like with room to spare, you might not recognise him.

We see that moment happen here every week - it's our most favourite part.

09/06/2026

Look at her...Slow. Steady. Relaxed.

This is Ember mooching around our outside space at The Kennels.

Watching her got me thinking.

When a dog pulls on the lead, the first question we usually ask is 'what do I need to stop this?' A different lead, a different harness, a different collar or a different technique.

But what if the first question was 'where are we, and what's going on for my dog right now?'

Because what you're looking at here isn't about training. It's just Ember, in a calm environment, in a calm state.

Environment affects state. State affects behaviour.

It's not always about the equipment or the technique. Sometimes it's worth just stopping and looking at what's going on around you both first.

07/06/2026

I knew Ruth wouldn't have thrown anything in that bush. So when Ember disappeared into it, my first thought was 'What on earth are you doing?'

But lo and behold, out came Ember with a toy...that Ruth had put in there, but nowhere near where Ember went in. The toy had been hidden on the opposite side, and Ember just followed her nose, which took her on a completely different route to the one I would have predicted.

I could have called her back. I nearly did. But the thought that prevailed was 'let's just see what happens.'

And I'm glad I did, because Ember was right and I was wrong!

06/06/2026

Following on from raising £100 last weekend for 8 Below Husky Rescue, next Saturday we're going to be once again putting on our very popular, mini scent have-a-go session, with all donations going to RSPCA Leeds, Wakefield & District Branch: Animal Centre.

Whether you want your dog to have a go, watch other dogs searching for tasty treats, have any questions around scentwork or dog training, or just want to say hello, you'll be most welcome.

We hope that there is going to be a big turn out for this event, with lots to do and see all in support of RSPCA Leeds, Wakefield & District Branch: Animal Centre

And if you can't make this one, it is the first of two events this month RSPCA Leeds, Wakefield & District Branch: Animal Centre are hosting, so we'll also be there on the 27th June, Clarence Park, Wakefield.

For everyone planning on going, see you next week!