HeartDog with Janet Finlay and Michelle Dart

02/03/2026

06/02/2026

You can’t train your way to a regulated nervous system

There’s nothing wrong with counterconditioning and desensitisation. But if you’ve been working on those things with a reactive dog and seeing no or little change - it’s probably not because you’re doing it wrong.

Reactive behaviour is a symptom of an activated sympathetic nervous system.

The behaviour is information - information that tells us there’s more going on for that dog than just a short fuse.

ACE Free Work helps us get curious about what’s underneath the reactivity, and how we can support the dog holistically.

Many reactive dogs have had a lifetime of being managed, restrained, or told what not to do. ACE Free Work flips that script.

👉 It says: You choose. You set the pace. You explore how you want to.

That simple act of agency can be profoundly healing.

It helps dogs rebuild a sense of safety in the environment and in their relationship with us. And that trust becomes the foundation for deeper behavioural change than any training.

In March, I’m running a live programme to help people and dogs who’d like to experience the shifts ACE Freework delivers.

We start on the 6th March and will come together for four weeks to help you and your dog feel safer, more connected, and more capable of handling whatever comes your way.

I’ll pop the link in the comments with more information if you’re curious about joining us.

23/11/2025

40% off everything starts now…

Run, don’t walk 💨🏃🏽‍♀️

20/11/2025

Our Big Black Friday sale is on its way!

What's on your wishlist?

02/11/2025

Just a few hours left to join SAfe Pro 💚

If you’ve been following along this week and something about the SAfe Pro message has stayed with you - the gentler approach, the focus on safety and readiness, the shift from fixing to supporting - this is your last chance to join Stephie for SAfe Pro.

Doors close at midnight tonight.

This isn’t about pressure - it’s about possibility.

The possibility of doing separation work in a way that feels calm, kind, and deeply effective.

As someone wrote in the chat at our recent webinar:

“It feels like relief - like there’s more hope.”

That’s what SAfe Pro is all about.

👉 Join SAfe Pro before midnight tonight (Sunday 2nd): link in comments

01/11/2025

There are many ways to work with separation struggles - but most of them still rely on drills, repetition, and hoping for the best.

Stephie Guy's SAfe Pro is different. 🌿

It’s built on ACE principles that change how we think about behaviour, learning, and support - for both dogs and people.

It focuses on:
💚 Feeling safe before expecting change
💚 Building readiness before resilience
💚 Supporting, not fixing
💚 Curiosity over control

As one attendee said during our recent Masterclass with Stephie:

“It’s gentle, but it’s powerful.”

And that’s exactly what this approach is - calm, compassionate, and effective.

👉 Doors close tomorrow night (Sunday 2nd November) - find out more in the comments

30/10/2025

Do you feel your clients understand this yet?

29/10/2025

One of the most touching comments in the chat:

“We need our hand and paw holding.”

And we couldn’t agree more.

Supporting dogs through separation struggles is emotional work - it asks us to stay kind, curious, and hopeful.

That’s why Stephie has created her SAfe Pro course: to make sure you don’t have to do it alone. This is your opportunity to take things further, dig deeper and learn exactly how to implement Stephie's approach, step-by-step.

Doors close Sunday 2nd November → Join Stephie - link in comments.

28/10/2025

"The readiness web is a game changer.”

That’s what one attendee said - and so many nodded along.

Because when we look at readiness before resilience, we stop asking “how long can they be left alone?” and start asking “what do they need to feel safe?”

Readiness changes the question - and the outcome.