Matts Mutts Dog Training

22/06/2026

One of the saddest things I hear from dog owners is:

“We’re hoping they’ll grow out of it.”

The reality is that most behaviour problems don’t disappear on their own. If anything, they become more rehearsed and more deeply ingrained over time.

Meanwhile, both you and your dog continue missing out on the things you should be enjoying together.

The beach trips.
The days out.
The relaxed walks.
The simple moments most dog owners take for granted.

At best, we only get a limited number of years with our dogs. Every year spent waiting for things to magically improve is a year neither of you gets back.

If your dog is struggling, don’t wait for the “right time”.

Swipe through.

Then ask yourself honestly:

Has your dog’s world become bigger this year, or smaller?

19/06/2026

This is probably going to upset a few trainers, but here we go…

Far too many reactive dogs are being “fixed” through suppression.

If the only reason your dog isn’t reacting is because they’re worried about the consequence of reacting, then the underlying problem is still there.

A dog that’s shut down isn’t a dog that’s rehabilitated.

I’d rather teach a dog how to think when they’re aroused, give them an outlet for that energy, and build genuine engagement before worrying about making the behaviour disappear.

The goal shouldn’t be a quiet dog.

The goal should be a dog that can make better decisions.

Comment SPICY if you want a copy of my Engagement Blueprint and I’ll point you in the right direction.

17/06/2026

If your dog listens perfectly at home but seems to forget everything outside, they’re not being stubborn.

Dogs don’t automatically transfer behaviours from one environment to another, especially when the world outside is full of distractions they find more rewarding than you. The key isn’t more training, it’s building motivation and engagement first, and then layering your training on top.

Without strong foundations, your home will quickly crumble.

12/06/2026

One of the biggest frustrations I hear from owners of reactive dogs is:

“My dog completely ignores me when we’re outside.”

So naturally, they start looking for better treats.

Chicken. Cheese. Sausage. The most expensive treats in the pet shop.

But most of the time, the treat isn’t actually the problem.

The reality is that other dogs, smells, people, and everything else going on around them are just more interesting.

If your dog has never learned that engaging with you is worthwhile, no amount of fancy treats is going to magically fix that.

That’s why I spend so much time helping owners build motivation and engagement before we start worrying about the bigger stuff.

I’ve put together a free mini-course called The Engagement Blueprint where I walk you through some of the foundations I use with clients to start building more value in the relationship between them and their dog.

If you’d like access to it, DM me ‘BLUEPRINT’ and I’ll send you an invite to the community and start building that motivation!

10/06/2026

Resource guarding is a behaviour that everyone needs to take seriously. It’s a behaviour that will almost certainly result in a bite if ignored.

Quite often it comes from a lack of trust of people around their possessions and sometimes it can be a genetic trait. Either way, it’s a behaviour that needs to be addressed and is not something that simply goes away over time.

06/06/2026

“We were told to give this dog back…”

At just 8 months old, Otis had already bitten multiple people and his family felt completely out of options.

This is the story of how we turned things around and helped his owners get their dog back.

Watch the full transformation below 👇

Otis was just 8 months old when his owners were told they should gi...

03/06/2026

10 fun little facts about the legend that is my mate Fraiser, that most of you probably don’t know.

Each one adds a little bit to his personality and I love them all.

Drop a fun fact about your dog in the comments 👇🏼

01/06/2026

This might be controversial, but feeling sorry for your rescue dog isn’t always helping them.

Over the years, I’ve worked with a lot of rescue dogs, and one thing I see time and time again is owners giving their dog a free pass because they’ve had a difficult start in life.

They get away with pulling on the lead, ignoring commands, reacting to dogs, barging through doors, demanding attention whenever they want it… and every behaviour gets excused because “they’re a rescue.”

At some point, though, we have to stop making excuses and start helping the dog.

That doesn’t mean being harsh. It doesn’t mean shouting at them or punishing them for everything they do wrong.

But dogs need guidance. They need structure. They need to know when they’ve got something right, and they need to know when they’ve got something wrong.

The reality is that some of the most anxious, reactive, and difficult dogs I’ve worked with have spent years being managed, excused, and tiptoed around. They weren’t lacking love. They were lacking clear direction.

A rescue dog’s past should help us understand them, but it shouldn’t stop us from training them.

The goal isn’t to make life harder for your dog. It’s to give them the skills, confidence, and accountability they need to actually enjoy more freedom and a better quality of life.

Sometimes the kindest thing you can do for a dog is stop treating them like they’re made of glass.