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Mindfulness4Dogs

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I am presently the President of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers New Zealand - APDTNZ.

Mindfulness4dogs provides personalised dog training, puppy training and Dog Behavioural Issues in New Plymouth, Whanganui, Stratford, Hawera, Cambridge, Hamilton. Darran Rowe - Qualified Clinical Canine Behaviourist

I have been working professionally as a Canine behaviourist and dog trainer for over 20 years, so I really understand how to make your life with your dog enjoyable and rewarding. My training utilises only Force Free and Fear Free, positive techniques, so you can rest assured that I’m not going to hurt your dog, just to make them do things for you. I’m all about teaching dogs to make the right choice for themselves, that way you don’t have to shout and scream at them. Coming from a competitive dog agility background, my training is focused on building and promoting a positive relationship between you and your dog, one based on mutual trust and respect using mindful techniques. At the moment I live with 10 dogs at present, 2 Irish Setters, 6 Border collies of various ages (3 of which are rescue dogs) and 2 Groodle. They are all amazing dogs and have taught me so much about the canine world. Education :

Masters in Clinical Animal Behaviour - Royal (Dicks) Veterinary College, Edinburgh University. – In Progress (Studying in my second year)

Waikato University. PSYC501-15A NET (Level 7) – Introduction to Theoretical Foundations of Clinical Animal Behaviour. Post Graduate Certificate in Education, South Bank University, United Kingdom. BSc (Hons) Degree in Biology from Cardiff University , United Kingdom.

31/10/2026

Knock knock! Who's there? VISITORS! 🚪🐾

Hi friends, it's Maggie. Today some new people came to our house, and my tail went wiggle-wiggle-wiggle before they even got inside.

But then my tummy felt a bit fizzy too. New voices! New shoes! A big bag that rustled! I wasn't sure if I wanted to jump up and say hello or hide behind the couch. Maybe both at the same time?

Daddy noticed. He always notices. He didn't make me say hi. He just put my comfy bed and my chew in the quiet corner and said, "You can come over when you're ready, Mags."

So I watched from my spot for a while. I sniffed the air. Then I tiptoed over and sniffed one visitor's sock (it smelled like cats, very suspicious 🐱). Nobody grabbed me or leaned over me. They let me decide.

After that I felt brave, and I even got a gentle scratch behind my ear. Then I went back to my bed for a big sigh and a snooze.

Daddy says choosing is how dogs feel safe. I think he's right.

Does your dog like visitors, or do they need a quiet spot too?

Love, Maggie 🐾💜

30/10/2026

Friday feel-good 🏥💜

Fear Free vet care keeps spreading. Earlier this month Harrison Family Vets' Callerton practice in Newcastle became the first Fear Free certified practice in North East England, and it's the group's sixth certified practice. Operations Director Kristie Faulkner said: "Becoming a Fear Free accredited practice is about more than the physical environment. It involves the whole team and the way we approach every interaction throughout the veterinary visit with pets and their owners."

I love this, because calm vet visits start long before you walk through the clinic door. It's called cooperative care: teaching your dog to take part in handling, and giving them a way to say "stop".

A few ideas from AVSAB-hosted guidance on bringing cooperative care training to the vet:
🐶 Teach a chin rest or a "station" your dog can choose to hold.
🐶 Agree on your dog's "stop" signal, and respect it.
🐶 Book short, happy meet-and-greet visits (around 10 to 15 minutes) where nothing much happens.
🐶 Give your vet team a summary of your dog's trained behaviours, their stop signals and whether they're muzzle trained.

A growl or a pull-away isn't your dog being "naughty". Behaviour is communication, and listening to it is how we build a dog who trusts us. Always thank a growl.

Is your vet clinic Fear Free certified, or just wonderful with nervous dogs? Give them a shout-out below 👇 And if vet visits are a real struggle for your dog, you're not alone, and I can help: https://mindfulness4dogs.com/

Sources: Business Up North https://www.businessupnorth.co.uk/newcastle-veterinary-practice-becomes-first-in-north-east-to-achieve-fear-free-certification/ · AVSAB-hosted notes (J. Benoit)https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Consent-at-the-Vet-How-to-Transfer-Cooperative-Care-Training-Notes-CABC.docx.pdf

29/10/2026

Thursday tip: let them sniff 👃🌿

Researchers can measure a dog's emotional "outlook" with something called a judgement-bias test, which looks at how a dog responds to an ambiguous cue. A more "optimistic" dog expects good things.

In a 2019 study, two weeks of daily nosework made pet dogs more optimistic on this test, while dogs doing heelwork didn't change. A 2026 randomised study of 35 dog-human pairs found that four weeks of reward-based classes, either scentwork or obedience, improved dogs' judgement-bias scores. The details are nuanced: according to coverage of the study, the obedience group showed clearer gains on the test, while scentwork owners more often reported better quality of life (and hyperactivity scores also rose in that group). The big picture is that kind, reward-based activities seem good for how dogs feel.

Three easy ways to try it this week:
🌿 Scatter a few treats in the grass and let your dog hunt them out.
🏡 Play "find it" at home: hide a treat behind a cushion, then make it a bit harder.
🐾 Take a slow sniff walk where your dog chooses the route. Bonus points if you just follow and watch.

For me, a sniff walk is also one of the best ways to build connection. You're not directing your dog every step. You're joining them in their world: choice and calm, rather than control.

Want more enrichment ideas? There's plenty in the Online Learning Hub: https://mindfulness4dogs.com/online-learning-hub/ 💜

Sources: Purdue Center for Canine Welfare (Duranton & Horowitz 2019) https://caninewelfare.centers.purdue.edu/resource/let-me-sniff-nosework-induces-positive-judgment-bias-in-pet-dogs/ · Sobol & Dowling-Guyer (2026) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2026.106924

28/10/2026

Tizzy Whizzy, let's get busy! 🧠🐾

Welcome to Tizzy's Thursday Brain Games. This week's game is one of Tizzy's favourites: the "Find It" game.

Busy, bouncy dogs like Tizzy often don't need MORE running around. They need a job for their brain. Sniffing out food is a lovely way to help your dog slow down, focus and feel good, all at the same time.

How to play:
1️⃣ Ask your dog to wait, or have someone gently hold them, while they watch you drop a treat a short way away.
2️⃣ Say "Find it!" and let them go and get it. Celebrate! 🎉
3️⃣ Next, toss a few treats into a small patch of grass or a rolled-up towel.
4️⃣ Once they've got the idea, hide treats around one room while they wait, then say "Find it!"
5️⃣ Keep it short: 3 to 5 minutes is plenty.

Make it easier: use smelly treats and hide them in plain sight.
Make it harder: hide them under cups or behind furniture, or in a cardboard box filled with scrunched paper.

Safety note: use food your dog is safe to eat, take the treats out of their daily food allowance, and stop before they get frustrated. If you've got more than one dog, play one at a time.

Give it a go and tell me how your dog got on! Does your dog use their nose or their eyes first? 👇

More force-free ideas at https://mindfulness4dogs.com/ 💜

28/10/2026

MYTH: "You need a shock collar for a reliable recall." ❌

FACT: The research says otherwise ✅

In a 2020 study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, researchers compared 63 dogs trained with e-collars and with reward-based methods. The reward-trained dogs responded to "Come" on the first cue 82.5% of the time, compared with 71.0% for the e-collar group. They responded faster too, and the pattern held for "Sit" (83.5% vs 76.8%). The researchers found no evidence that e-collar training is necessary.

I know how scary it is when your dog won't come back, especially near roads, stock or the surf. If someone's suggested a shock collar, there's no judgement here. It's simply a reason to look at what actually works.

What does? The Unseen Lead: that two-way connection between you and your dog, built so that coming back feels safe and is the best thing that happens on a walk. Then the practical bits: a long line for safety, rewards your dog truly loves, a crisp recall word and lots of easy wins.

I've written a full guide on building a reliable recall the kind way, with the science and a step-by-step plan. It's on the blog today 👉 https://mindfulness4dogs.com/reliable-recall-without-shock-collar/

Source: China, Mills & Cooper (2020), Frontiers in Veterinary Science https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00508/full

27/10/2026

Your dog is listening more closely than you might think 🧠🐶

Researchers at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest recorded brain activity (EEG) from 20 companion dogs while they listened to streams of nonsense syllables. In some streams, repeating consonant patterns formed "words". In others, vowels did.

Just like us, the dogs' brains tracked the words much more strongly when consonants defined them. New Scientist reported the response was 42% stronger than to vowel patterns, and 55% stronger than to random streams. It's the first time this "consonant bias" has been found in a species other than humans. Even dogs who spent their first three months on the street or in a shelter showed it.

Researcher Attila Andics described it beautifully: "Although vowels are louder and more noticeable, consonants usually form the skeleton of words."

The study didn't test training cues, so this next bit is my own practical take: keep your cue words crisp, distinct and consistent. Do any of yours sound alike? "Sit" and "sniff"? "Come" and "calm"? Your dog may find it easier if each cue has its own clear sound.

University of Sydney linguist Nick Enfield, who wasn't involved, added a fun one: "The lesson here may be to give your dog a name with more consonants in it than one with more vowels." 😄

Connection is a two-way conversation. We work hard to read our dogs' signals, and the clearer our own signals are, the easier it is for them to follow along. Tell me in the comments: what's your dog's name, and is it consonant-heavy?

More on clear, kind communication with your dog at mindfulness4dogs.com 💜

Sources: Science https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw7709 · New Scientist https://www.newscientist.com/article/2590694-dogs-pay-more-attention-to-consonants-than-vowels-when-we-speak/

26/10/2026

Kia ora koutou, here's some good news for force-free training from Singapore 🐾

On World Animal Day (3 October), Singapore launched a Code of Animal Welfare for Dog Trainers. It's built on LIMA, which stands for Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive. In plain English: positive reinforcement is the foundation, and trainers are expected to work through gentler options before considering anything more intrusive.

To be precise, shock collars and other aversive tools aren't banned outright. But they're positioned as a last resort. Trainers also have to keep records for at least two years, open to inspection by the authorities, and not meeting the standards can be used as evidence in prosecutions under Singapore's Animals and Birds Act.

Singapore's Minister of State Alvin Tan put it this way: "Aversive strategies and devices should be strictly and strongly discouraged except as a last resort."

Wherever you live, you can use the same thinking when you choose someone to help with your dog. A few questions I'd happily answer for any family:
🐶 What methods and tools do you use, and why?
🐶 What happens if my dog gets something wrong?
🐶 How will you know if my dog is stressed, and what will you do?
🐶 Will you explain the "why" so I can keep it going at home?

A good trainer or behaviourist will welcome those questions. For me it always comes back to connection over correction: anyone helping your dog should be able to explain how your dog will feel along the way, not just what they'll do.

If you've got questions about how I work, have a look at https://mindfulness4dogs.com/ or book a free, no-pressure 15-minute discovery call: https://helpmydog.mindfulness4dogs.com/contacts/ 💜

Source: CNA, 3 Oct 2026 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/new-code-animal-welfare-dog-trainers-revised-groomers-6426811

24/10/2026

Hi everyone, it's me, Maggie! 🐾

Guess what? Daddy took me on a SNIFF walk today. That's my favourite kind of walk in the whole world.

Spring is here, and everything smells brand new. The grass smelled like rain. A fence post smelled like three different dogs (I think one of them was a big fluffy one). And there was one patch by the gate that smelled SO interesting I had to sniff it for a really, really long time.

Daddy didn't rush me even one bit. He just waited, holding my lead all soft and loose, and when I looked back at him, he smiled at me. That's how I know we're a team.

When I got home, I felt sleepy and happy all the way down to my paws. Daddy says sniffing is like reading the newspaper for dogs. I think it's more like reading a whole library! 📚

Does your dog love a good sniff too? What's their favourite spot? Tell me in the comments!

Love, Maggie 🐾💜

01/10/2026

So I've been pretty quiet over the last 4 weeks or so as life took a rather unexpected turn for me. It's the one thing we all hope never happens to us, but unfortunately for me it did. Thankfully everyone walked away safely, if not a little shaken up.

I don't remember anything about the accident, due to a head trauma, but as I said, I'm alive, if not a bit smashed up, and I'm truely thankful to whoever was looking down on us that day, and of course the amazing rescue service guys that helped at the time.

Thankfully no one else two or four legged was in my car with me, so Papia and the dogs are all safe.

So from someone who nearly didn't see his dogs again, give your dogs an extra pat and treat today from me just because they're awesome, no matter how naughty they can sometimes be...

The car in the image wasn't mine, just AI generated, but mine is no longer with us.

01/09/2026

🐾 Breed Spotlight: The Clumber Spaniel

The gentle heavyweight of the spaniel world.

At first glance, the Clumber Spaniel looks like the dog equivalent of an old-fashioned country gentleman who enjoys good food, quiet walks and absolutely no rushing about unless there's a very good reason. With their big bone, soft expression and steady way of moving, they're a very different sort of spaniel from their busier cousins.

Fun fact: the Clumber Spaniel is the largest of the spaniel breeds. They were originally developed as a hunting dog for working through thick cover, using their nose carefully and methodically rather than bouncing around at top speed like a furry pinball machine.

🏡 So, what's it actually like living with one?

Think calm, affectionate companion with a surprisingly good nose and a quietly determined streak.

Clumbers are often known for being gentle, loyal and rather endearing housemates. Many are affectionate with their people and enjoy being close by — not always in a dramatic “look at me!” way, but more in a solid, steady, I'm here, and I'd quite like to be involved, especially if snacks are involved too kind of way.

They tend to be less frantic than some other spaniels, but that doesn't mean they don't need outlets. They still benefit from:

• sniffy walks
• enrichment feeding
• search games
• gentle training sessions
• steady opportunities for movement and exploration

Because although they may look a little sleepy and stately, Clumbers were bred to work, and they often enjoy using their nose and brain far more than people expect.

Living with one can also mean embracing a dog who is:

• a bit thoughtful
• a bit stubborn in a polite way
• often wonderfully good-natured
• and occasionally a world-class dribbler

Yes… the slobber can be part of the package. Nobody's perfect. Not even canine aristocracy.

And as always, there's a lovely reminder here:

💜 Breed can give us clues about what helps a dog feel fulfilled.

So if your Clumber Spaniel seems calm, nose-led, food-motivated, affectionate and determined in their own quiet style…

…that's not laziness.

That's a Clumber Spaniel being beautifully, gloriously Clumber. 🐾

Address

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Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+64274585872

Website

https://mindfulness4dogs.com/

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