Pawsitive Pup

06/03/2026

06/01/2026

Not Good 😎😁

05/28/2026

PUP OF THE WEEK: Charlea

05/27/2026

Your voice is one of the most powerful tools you have in dog training.

And one of the best ways to use it is simple:
Praise your dog like you mean it.

Dogs are incredibly good at reading human emotion. They notice your tone of voice, your facial expressions, your energy, your enthusiasm, and how you make them feel.

That means joyful praise can become incredibly powerful reinforcement.

Smile.
Add some warmth.
Add some excitement.
Let your dog know when they’re getting it right.

Because honestly, a lot of people praise their dogs like they’re reading a grocery list.
“Good dog.”
😐

Same words. Completely different meaning.

And remember:
most dogs are actually good most of the time.

But many owners accidentally ignore good behavior and only pay attention when the dog is doing something wrong.

That’s no fun for the dog — and it’s a huge missed training opportunity.

Don’t take good behavior for granted.

Catch your dog doing things right.

Praise often.

Praise sincerely.

Make training enjoyable.

That’s a huge part of what Ian’s new course is all about.

And right now, you can save 50% on your first year of Top Dog Academy membership, where Ian's new course will be included when it launches this week.

Learn more here:
https://dunbar.info/tda-sale

Woofs & Wags,
Jamie & Ian Dunbar

05/27/2026

I STILL NEEDED MY MOM

The early weeks of a puppy’s life play a crucial part in laying a foundation for a well-adjusted adult dog.

This foundation influences future behaviour and how well they go on to cope and interact with the world.

Unfortunately, there are still breeders who allow puppies to leave their moms and littermates at only 6 weeks old, often with no regard for the long-term impact this can have on development.

Many new owners blindly trust that breeders must know best and never question this. But while a puppy may no longer rely on mom for food at this age, they are still deeply dependent on their family unit for learning vital life skills, social skills, building emotional security and resilience.

Between 6 and 8 weeks, puppies are in the process of learning:

• Bite inhibition
• Appropriate play behaviour
• Frustration tolerance
• Impulse control
• Communication and social skills
• Confidence and emotional resilience

These are skills that we as people, can never fully replicate in the same way that a pups family unit can.

While 8 weeks is generally considered the minimum age for puppies to leave, many ethical breeders prefer to keep puppies until 10 to 12 weeks, while also providing positive, age-appropriate socialisation and habituation experiences.

Habituation means gently introducing puppies to the world around them in positive, developmentally appropriate ways — different sounds, surfaces, objects, environments, people, smells, and everyday experiences — so they learn that new things are safe rather than frightening.

However, we don’t live an in ideal world and having to care for or rescue pups much younger than 8 weeks is often unavoidable due to different circumstances.

This post is not aimed at those situations - it’s about education, awareness and encouraging people not to support irresponsible breeding practices that place profit and convenience above the wellbeing and healthy development of puppies.

05/26/2026

Percentage wise Barking 🤣😁

05/24/2026

Closed Monday

Happy Memorial Day

05/22/2026

Our graduates from the last training class. Everyone was great!!! Keep up the good work everybody!

05/21/2026

Pup of the week: Thor