Pawsome Partners

10/11/2026

How good are YOU at marking the fall and using the wind to your advantage?

We spend so much time training our dogs, but there's plenty we need to learn too!

A great opportunity to develop your own skills, learn something new and enjoy a fun, relaxed and practical day!

Marking the Fall & Understanding the Wind – 15th December

Following on from my recent post about the importance of marking the fall and understanding how the wind can help our dogs, I’ve decided to put on a workshop!

How many times have you watched your dog hunting for a dummy, knowing it’s somewhere out there but not actually knowing where it landed yourself?

And how often do we really think about the wind when setting up a retrieve?

We’ll be looking at how to mark the fall properly, how the wind affects scent and how we can use both to help our dogs rather than making things harder for them.

This will be a practical workshop for handlers, without dogs, so we can concentrate on what we’re doing and why.

Tuesday 15th December
AC Gundogs, Hampshire
£70 per person

To book your place, head over to the AC Gundogs website:

www.acgundogs.com

06/11/2026

I'm really pleased to finally share a little more about something I've been working on behind the scenes!

Gemma and I have joined forces to create the Guild of Gundogs, and we're looking forward to sharing more about what we've been putting together.

The faces behind The Guild of Gundogs!

We thought it was about time we properly introduced ourselves.

We’re Gemma and Nikki, the two people behind The Guild of Gundogs.

Gemma runs AC Gundogs in the New Forest, spending most of her days teaching dogs and their owners, supporting them to reach their goals or simply enjoying what their dogs were bred to do.

Nikki runs Pawsome Partners and shares the same passion for helping people understand their dogs and get the most out of their training.

We originally met through dog training, and what started as a shared interest turned into plenty of conversations, ideas and eventually The Guild of Gundogs!

We both wanted to create something a little different. Somewhere people could work towards goals, have their progress recognised and enjoy training their dogs, whether they have ambitions to work or not.

There’s been a lot of work behind the scenes, plenty of discussions, a few changes of direction and probably moments when we’ve both wondered what on earth we’ve taken on!

But we’re really proud of what we’re putting together and can’t wait to see where it goes.

Thanks to everyone who’s supported us so far.

Gemma & Nikki

11/10/2026

Your puppy’s life doesn’t begin the day you bring them home.

By then, they’ve already spent weeks learning about people, noises, movement, handling, play, frustration and all the tiny everyday things that eventually become normal life.

A good breeder isn’t just keeping puppies fed, warm and clean.

They’re helping them build confidence.

That doesn’t mean turning the house into some sort of puppy theme park with a hairdryer, wheelbarrow and brass band appearing every afternoon.

It means thoughtful, age-appropriate exposure to ordinary life.

When you visit, look around.

Are the puppies part of normal household activity?

Do they have things to investigate?

Have they had opportunities to explore safely?

Do they seem curious about what’s going on around them?

A good breeder doesn’t just raise puppies.

They prepare them for life.

Find out what a good early start should really look like in my latest Pawsome Partners blog:https://www.pawsomepartners.co.uk/blog-post/how-to-choose-a-responsible-dog-breeder-or-rescue/

08/10/2026

Don’t Automatically Pick the Puppy Who Picks You

You sit down with a litter.

One puppy comes charging over, climbs onto your lap and starts chewing your sleeve.

That’s it.

Chosen.

Except… maybe not.

The boldest puppy isn’t automatically the best puppy for your family, just as the quietest one isn’t automatically the easiest.

Every puppy in a litter is different.

Some are confident and busy. Some are more thoughtful. Some want to investigate absolutely everything. Others prefer to hang back and watch first.

None of that makes one puppy better than another.

The important bit is finding the puppy whose personality and needs actually suit your life.

A good breeder has usually spent weeks watching those puppies develop, so if they gently suggest that a different puppy might be a better fit for you, it’s worth listening.

You’re not choosing the puppy who makes your heart melt fastest.

You’re choosing the dog you’ll hopefully still be incredibly grateful for years from now.

You can read more about choosing the right puppy in my latest blog on the Pawsome Partners website.
https://www.pawsomepartners.co.uk/blog-post/how-to-choose-a-responsible-dog-breeder-or-rescue/

05/10/2026

Rescue Dogs Deserve Questions Too

Choosing rescue doesn’t mean throwing all your sensible questions out of the window because you feel sorry for the dog.

Ask.

What do they know about the dog’s history?

Have they lived with children?

Cats?

Other dogs?

How do they cope with visitors or unfamiliar places?

What worries them?

What happens when they get worried?

What support will you get once they’re home?

Feeling sorry for a dog and being the right home for that dog are two completely different things.

A good rescue should want the right match too.

Being told “this particular dog isn’t right for your family” can sting.

It can also be exactly the responsible decision that dog needs.

There’s a whole section on rescue dogs in my latest blog.
https://www.pawsomepartners.co.uk/blog-post/how-to-choose-a-responsible-dog-breeder-or-rescue/

02/10/2026

Sometimes the Right Decision Is to Walk Away

This is possibly the hardest part of choosing a puppy.

You’ve driven there.

You’ve seen the photographs.

You may already have chosen a name.

Then something doesn’t feel quite right.

Perhaps you can’t meet Mum.

Perhaps the breeder won’t answer your questions.

Perhaps there’s pressure to pay a deposit immediately.

Perhaps everything seems to revolve around “rare” colours and very little around health or temperament.

Then the puppy gets put into your arms.

That’s when your brain helpfully whispers:

Maybe it’ll be fine.

Sometimes it will.

Sometimes it won’t.

Walking away can feel horrible.

Living for the next decade with the consequences of ignoring your instincts can be considerably harder.

My latest blog includes some of the breeder red flags I’d pay attention to.
https://www.pawsomepartners.co.uk/blog-post/how-to-choose-a-responsible-dog-breeder-or-rescue/

29/09/2026

Temperament Matters. A Lot.

A dog can have wonderful health scores, an impressive pedigree and enough rosettes to decorate the entire sitting room…

…and still be incredibly difficult to live with.

Most owners aren’t spending every evening admiring their dog’s pedigree certificate.

They’re living with the dog.

So what are Mum and Dad actually like?

Are they comfortable around people?

Can they cope with ordinary life?

What happens when something surprises them?

Do they recover and move on?

Those things matter enormously.

Health matters.

Structure matters.

Temperament matters too.

A fabulous set of hips is lovely.

Living with a dog who can cope when the doorbell rings is fairly useful as well.

More on choosing for temperament in the latest Pawsome Partners blog: https://www.pawsomepartners.co.uk/blog-post/how-to-choose-a-responsible-dog-breeder-or-rescue/

26/09/2026

Health Tested Doesn’t Mean “Job Done”

“Both parents health tested.”

Brilliant.

I absolutely want to hear that.

What I don’t want is for those four words to stop us asking anything else.

Health testing is an important part of responsible breeding.

It isn’t responsible breeding in its entirety.

I still want to know about temperament.

Family history.

Previous litters.

What Mum and Dad are actually like to live with.

How the breeder made the decision to put those two dogs together.

A folder full of certificates is useful.

It just doesn’t tell you everything about the dog standing behind it.

Dogs are living creatures, not flat-pack furniture.

There are no guarantees.

I talk more about health testing, temperament and paperwork in my latest blog: https://www.pawsomepartners.co.uk/blog-post/how-to-choose-a-responsible-dog-breeder-or-rescue/

23/09/2026

A Good Breeder Should Be Asking YOU Questions

Here’s a green flag people sometimes mistake for an inconvenience:

The breeder asks you loads of questions.

Where do you live?

How long will the dog be left?

Do you have children?

Other animals?

Why this breed?

What do you hope to do with the dog?

A responsible breeder should care where their puppies are going.

They might even say that one of their puppies isn’t right for you.

Slightly disappointing? Yes.

Far better than someone taking your money and waving you cheerfully off with whichever puppy happened to be left? Also yes.

The right breeder isn’t simply looking for a buyer.

They’re looking for the right home.

I’ve covered this and plenty more in my latest Pawsome Partners blog: https://www.pawsomepartners.co.uk/blog-post/how-to-choose-a-responsible-dog-breeder-or-rescue/

20/09/2026

photo credit: Darryl Owen photography

One of the best pieces of advice I can give anyone looking for a puppy is:

Buy the breeder before you buy the puppy.

Try very hard not to fall in love with the puppy photograph first, then spend the next three weeks finding reasons why everything else is probably fine.

Look at the breeder.

Why did they choose Mum and Dad?

What are those dogs like to live with?

What health testing has been done?

How have the puppies been raised?

What happens if one of their dogs needs to come back five years from now?

A responsible breeder should have thoughtful answers.

“They’re both lovely dogs” is nice.

I’d still like a bit more than that.

More questions to ask before choosing your puppy are in my latest blog.
https://www.pawsomepartners.co.uk/blog-post/how-to-choose-a-responsible-dog-breeder-or-rescue/