Completely Mutz Dog Training

22/07/2025

👍🐶Tuesday Tip - keep a supply of stuffed Kongs in the freezer.

Grab one when…

🐾 visitors arrive 👫
🐾 weather is 💩 stuck indoors
🐾 you need some quiet time ☕️

Great for cool dogs on hot weather days too 🏖️ 🐶

21/07/2025

Do you have a dog with separation anxiety?

You can feel like your life is on hold when you have a dog who gets upset when you leave them

Seeing your dog so unhappy is really distressing

You might feel that you’ve tried loads of different things and had lots of different advice from all sorts of places.

Join me for a FREE information packed Zoom session where I’ll be talking about separation anxiety, how you can start to help your dog and move towards getting your life back.

Wednesday 13th August at 6.30pm

To book onto this free workshop please click on the scheduling link

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=21615857&appointmentType=36798959

21/07/2025

To us, it’s just keys.

To a dog with separation anxiety, it’s the beginning of the panic.

You picking up your keys = scary thing is about to happen.

That’s why we remove these little departure cues in early separation anxiety training — so your dog isn’t feeling worried before the training has even started.

One tiny step in building confidence, calm, and trust. 🐾💛

If you'd like help with your dog's separation anxiety get in touch

18/07/2025

Why slip leads are a big fat NO from me

Slip leads are often marketed as quick and easy tools for training dogs, but they come with serious drawbacks. If you’re aiming for a kind, effective, and relationship-focused approach to training they’re a definite No. Here's why they’re not a good choice:

❌ They rely on discomfort or pain

Slip leads tighten around a dog’s neck when they pull or move ahead, creating pressure that can range from uncomfortable to painful. The idea is that the dog will learn to avoid this discomfort by staying close or walking ‘nicely’. But using pain or the threat of it to train a dog isn't just ethically questionable—it’s also not necessary. There are kinder, more effective alternatives.

❌They can cause physical harm

Because slip leads tighten around the dog's neck, there's a real risk of injury:
⚠️Neck and trachea damage
⚠️Eye pressure (especially in brachycephalic dogs or those with existing eye conditions)
⚠️Spinal issues if the dog suddenly hits the end of the lead
⚠️Repeated pressure or jerking can have lasting effects on a dog’s health.

❌They don’t teach dogs what we WANT them to do

Punishing a behaviour (like pulling) doesn’t teach your dog what to do instead. Dogs need guidance, not just consequences. A dog might stop pulling because it hurts, but they won’t understand why, and they won’t know what you’d like them to do instead (like walk on a loose lead, check in, or wait).

❌They can increase anxiety and fear

Dogs learn best when they feel safe and calm. Slip leads can create a sense of unpredictability or even fear, especially in sensitive or nervous dogs. For rescue dogs or puppies just learning about the world, that can be a big setback.

❌They often mask, rather than solve, problems

Slip leads can suppress behaviours temporarily (like pulling or lunging), but they don’t address the reason behind the behaviour. That might be excitement, anxiety, frustration, or fear—and all of those deserve understanding, not suppression.

✅There are better, force-free alternatives

Using a well-fitted harness, a longer lead and rewards-based training, builds trust, teaches useful life skills, and keeps your dog safe and comfortable.

In short:

Slip leads might feel like a shortcut, but they’re not a solution. They can harm both your dog’s physical health and your relationship with them. Training should be about communication, understanding, and teamwork—not control.

If you're struggling with pulling, lunging, or lead walking, there are ways to help—without pain, pressure, or fear.

This is why I say a big fat NO to slip leads in training.

17/07/2025

16/07/2025

Choice isn’t just a luxury—it’s a need.

When dogs get more control over their lives, they feel safer, more relaxed, and more connected to us.

In my latest blog, I share how I build choice into my dogs’ daily lives, and why it matters so much.

💬 Have a read and let me know how your dogs make choices.
👉 https://www.completelymutz.com/blog/why-choice-matters-for-our-dogs

16/07/2025

11/07/2025

Great post 👍

HOT WEATHER & AN INCREASE IN BITE RISK 🥵

We've had some very hot weather recently in the UK, and for many parts of the UK- the next three days are going to be scorchio!

It's important to be aware that being too hot can lower thresholds for tolerance and overt reactions- and not just in 'reactive' dogs.

And not just in dogs!

There's a correlation between human riots and an increase in crime during a significant rise in temperature (27 to 32 degrees).
It is well established that in people, heat stress causes irritability and an increased likelihood of aggressive behaviour.

Being hot and bothered is a physical stressor - the body works hard to return to homeostasis.

Cognitive processes can be negatively affected. So if your dog is not responding to as they would normally, consider the effects of heat.

Furthermore- being too hot can interfere with a dog's ability to rest and sleep. During rest and sleep, stress is lowered, and subsequently compromised rest and sleep affects behaviour.

This can affect (lower) the dog's threshold for emotional stress.


🐕 Two unfamiliar dogs meeting while both are hot and bothered is less likely going to result in a healthy interaction. Now is the time to largely keep yourselves to yourselves on walks, or monitor the body language of both dogs very carefully.

🏡 Extra caution should be taken in situations that your dog may struggle with, such as around visitors to the home.

🧒 But the greatest caution of all should be taken around up-close interactions in ALL dogs, especially those who live children.

Remember these basic safeguarding rules;

1. No faces near faces.

2. Let sleeping dogs lie.

3. Do not forcefully take resources (toys, food or anything the dog has found/picked up) off a dog.
Children should never take things off a dog.

4. Do not 'box dogs in' with your interaction.

- Always ensure they can easily move away by not blocking a dog's ability to move forward/away (for example, wrapping your arms around to hug a dog front on makes it near impossible for them to easily disengage).

- The safest way to interact is to invite a dog to come to you.
Alternatively, if you do approach then do so when they are awake and instead of swooping straight in with strokes- wait for them to signal to you they are keen for an interaction.

- Stop stroking after 2-3 seconds, and see if your dog communicates to you they would like more, or if they are done.
This is called the consent test, and it's something all children (and adults) should be aware of.


Most people who get bitten by a dog know the dog well, didn't think their dog would ever bite someone and didn't see the bite coming.

Most dog bites are on faces and hands of someone close to the dog, and this tells us a lot about what the person was LIKELY doing (Note, there are always exceptions).


As I always say to my clients ......

🗣️ Never take your dog's current level of tolerance for granted.

04/07/2025

So true. Behind a ‘behaviour problem’ is a dog who is struggling

We have a similar nervous system, our brains fire the same way. We are exposed to similar emotional responses and have the same need for safety. Yet dogs are so often still expected to shut up and put up. Let's be a little gentler with the needs of our dogs shall we? We can help with that, drop us a line in the comments.