Pawsitive Canine

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Pawsitive Canine

Pawsitive Canine I am an Exmouth based Dog Trainer, behaviour coach and holistic wellbeing provider.

12/03/2025

So this Friday Dog Geeks Dawn is flying out to Cyprus to work alongside some rescues and give a talk on Nutrition and how it affects behaviour 🐾☀️

You see here at The Dog Geeks we are more than just trainer/ behaviourists that offer online remote sessions we work with dogs practically on a daily basis. Both Dawn and Ruth run classes, 1-2-1’s, social clubs aswell as participating in training and cpd with there own dogs! This way all the information we provide on The Dog Geeks platform you can know is tried, tested and we’ve seen real life results 🙌

So what are you all waiting for come and join the best online platform and yes don’t worry Dawn will share pictures and stories of her Cyprus rescue adventures.

11/03/2025

❗️No group walks / scent squad for the next 2 weeks❗️

As I prepare for my trip to Cyprus to work with awesome dog professionals and rescues there will no group walks/ scent squad. Hopefully by the time I’m back the evenings will be drawing out 🤩

There will be some changes to these sessions when I return along with an added Canicross option each month too so watch this space 🏃🏽‍♀️….

10/03/2025

These guys were well well a truly tired out after their play 101 session. We looked at why dogs play in certain ways, which toys suit different play styles and how to make play fun enough for them to want to engage.

The humans in this class all happen to be awesome pet professionals too so go check them out Andypull.Photography Grooming Marvellous Exmouth Mucky Pups Exmouth ❤️

06/03/2025

The very handsome Murphy had a visitor staying with him this week so gorgeous Lab Evi came along on his walk and train 😍 she was a sweetheart and think Murph quite liked showing off his mate.

06/03/2025

05/03/2025

✨Last chance to book onto tomorrow’s one off classes✨

Engagement through play…
Thursday 6th March 6pm - 3 Spaces left

🐩 What toys to choose depending on breed and preferences.
🐕How to play to encourage drive, fun and also safety.
🐾what to do with over excitement.
🤩 How to use play in everyday training.

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22350676&appointmentType=44416649

NEW!! Unleash your inner peace….
Thursday 6th March 7:10pm - 1 Space left

🧘🏽‍♀️ A truly zen session for humans and their dogs.
🐾 Gentle movement.
💚 Doggy touch / massage and guided meditation.
🐶 breathwork, Reiki and canine self selection.

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22350676&appointmentType=46490947

(This class is suitable for dogs that dont struggle with getting over excited / frustrated in class. The calm and confident class is good for those dogs 😊)

Classes are £15 per person/ dog. All held at Knappes cross community centre. 5 dogs Max.

05/03/2025

I’m excited to share I got Invited as a guest speaker on Dogs Do Speak with the very awesome Colin Spence and Samantha Wayland Dog Training. I was talking all about my absolute favourite topic….Food!

Check it out …

Todays podcast we have Dawn Spence who is a certified trainer & behaviurist,and the founder of Pawsitive Canine.Dawn is giving us an insight into the world o...

04/03/2025

Did you know your dog may be showing undesirable behaviours because they are too fat?… 🤭

So a surveys from vets in 2023 showed that around 43% of dogs were fat - obese! Now carrying those extra pounds means your dog will suffer with increased risk of….
❗️Diabetes
❗️lower immune system
❗️cardiovascular issues
❗️respiratory issues
❗️stress on their gastrointestinal
❗️stress on joints
❗️arthritis
The list goes on and on.

So how does this affect behaviour?… well most if not all those things I mentioned above would make you feel rubbish and very uncomfortable. Feeling this way can increase vulnerability and anxious behaviours. Most will also prevent our dogs from being able to participate in their species appropriate outlets leaving them feeling frustrated.

As part of my behaviour plans we look at nutrition and overall fitness, health and wellbeing so for more information drop me a message.

If in doubt check your dog’s weight with your vet! and always rule out any other health issues that can contribute to undesirable behaviour. Sometimes our dogs can pile on the pounds because of an underlying health issue so hit up your fave vet 🙌

03/03/2025

✨Puppy training Classes!✨

🚨Get in quick to avoid disappointment few spaces left 🚨

🐶 Puppy Classes ~ Starting Thursday 27th March 6pm (1hr)

Want to learn….
✔️how to teach your puppy engagement
✔️to teach them come when called
✔️lead walking
✔️impulse control
✔️Confidence in everyday life
✔️proper socialisation
✔️ body language
✔️nutrition
And loads more ….

Classes run for 6 weeks in Exmouth @ Knappes cross community centre.
PM me for more information or to book your place.

Can’t wait to meet you and your pups 😊

Pictures courtesy of the awesome Andypull.Photography

03/03/2025

📣Scent squad Tomorrow (Tuesday 4th) 7pm Meet Queens drive car park. £10 per dog / handler.

Open to anyone who’s completed my beginner’s scentwork class, a great way to test your dogs skills in different environments. Don’t forget to bring along your Kong pieces. 🐶 if you want to be on the watsapp group as well PM me your mobile number.

01/03/2025

✨Spaces still available for classes this week✨

Engagement through play…
Thursday 6th March 6pm - 3 Spaces left

🐩 What toys to choose depending on breed and preferences.
🐕How to play to encourage drive, fun and also safety.
🐾what to do with over excitement.
🤩 How to use play in everyday training.

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22350676&appointmentType=44416649

NEW!! Unleash your inner peace….
Thursday 6th March 7:10pm - 2 Spaces left

🧘🏽‍♀️ A truly zen session for humans and their dogs.
🐾 Gentle movement.
💚 Doggy touch / massage and guided meditation.
🐶 breathwork, Reiki and canine self selection.

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22350676&appointmentType=46490947

(This class is suitable for dogs that dont struggle with getting over excited / frustrated in class. The calm and confident class is good for those dogs 😊)

Classes are £15 per person/ dog. All held at Knappes cross community centre. 5 dogs Max.

28/02/2025

More awesome pics from Andypull.Photography 😍 this is part 2 of last weeks graduates 🎓

26/02/2025

Awesome post by my amazing friend and colleague of The Dog Geeks 🧡

Who are we to say a dog, or person isn’t in pain?

How do you know?

If you think of it in human terms I’m sure you must know if people who live in chronic pain who still get on with their lives. Go to work, raise a family, laugh, have fun and be kind to other people.

Pain isn’t always indicated by screaming and crying. We as humans often hide our pain and just push on through.

The same applies to dogs. When I hear humans say I’ve checked my dog all over in they aren’t in pain it makes me sad. We just don’t know. Being able to touch your dog all over and move their limbs doesn’t mean they aren’t uncomfortable. Dogs that are in pain can still love life and run around like loonies.

I hear all the time that they aren’t in pain it’s just a behavioural issue. I agree the unwanted behaviours we see are a behavioural issue but what is the under lying cause if these?

I also often hear “my dog limps but she’s not in pain”. If that is the case then why is she limping? It’s harder to walk in 3 legs rather than 4! The behaviour of ‘limping’ must be caused by something?

Pain can look like crying and screeching but it can also look like…

💤 being unable to settle

🥩 loosing their appetite

📣 excessive barking

🧸 resource barking

💥 reactivity to dogs and humans

🦴 shaking

🛌 excessive sleeping

🫦 biting, jumping, grabbing & hu***ng

🚗 not liking the car

🦮 not being able to walk nicely in the lead

😤 grumpiness

🪮 not liking being groomed

👃🏼 not liking other dogs sniffing them

The list goes on and on. So if you are even slightly concerned about your dog you should get them checked by a Vet or Vet Physiotherapist. If you are told your dog isn’t in pain but they are still showing lots of unwanted behaviours then it’s fine to get a second opinion.

If I ask you to see a vet or vet physio then this is only ever for your dogs benefit. I gain nothing from this apart from knowing I have done my job properly by having a holistic approach and checking out every element of your dogs life and health.

24/02/2025

🐾 Group walk, talk and train….who’s coming 🐾

Tomorrow Tuesday 25th Feb, 7pm. Meet phear park by the cafe. £10.

Open to anyone who’s done 1-2-1/ classes, a great way to work on your skills in real life situations. Open to reactive/ sensitive dogs as well as sociable dogs. Also a lovely way to meet others as well as having me on hand for questions.

Comment below if you’re joining by 8am Tuesday morning so I can confirm numbers and pay via transfer to usual account 😊

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Remember that post about equipment the other day? Here’s an example of what I meant…. Same piece of equipment, a harness, in fact this particular harness is for pulling into and I use it when mantrailing. At the start you will see Kash trailing in Search of his missing person, Next you will see him walking with me on a flexi lead (he could stray further if he wants) and finally in a more formal ‘Heel’. Now the equipment never changed. Same pink trailing harness, shhhh don’t tell his mates, so what did change?…. 🤔

Group walk, talk and train 🐾

Last nights group walks did amazingly! Considering most dogs were sensitive, a couple of newbies and most not having done a group walk since before Christmas you would never have known it. Keep up the great work guys 💪🏼⭐️ Group walks run fortnightly so hope to see you all and others again on the 4th Feb.

When you have a reactive dog it can be really hard planning walks and outings. We can often get into our own heads and in the end put on our comfy slippers and stay within our comfort zone. My resolution for Kash this year has been to come out of our comfort zone…. Last week we went to the range and had a little wander around and then on Sunday went to a friendly hoopers competition. I nearly didn’t go! The night before I was getting really nervous that it would be too much for him. Safe to say that was me and my own nerves speaking. He did amazingly! New location, lots of people, dogs around but he didn’t have a meltdown. Super proud 😊 So join me in stepping out of our comfort zone with our tricky dogs. Share a recent big win with your sensitive dog in comments. If you have a sensitive you need help with I’m here to help 🧡. #dogtraining#sensitivedogs #hoopers#rescuedog #reactivedogs #exmouthdogtraining #devondogtraining #rewardbasedtraining

Scentwork Christmas trial fun

The awesome scentwork group finished their 6 week classes strong with a Christmas themed trial. We were missing the gorgeous Frank but over the weeks they have all done incredible and my god these guys have made me laugh weekly 😆. In this trial each handler had a question to answer which depended on the size box they got, they then had to balance the box on their head and send their dog to search for a scented toy, if they dropped their box they added 3 seconds to their time 🤭 as you can see they all did amazingly! #pawsitivecanine #eastdevondogs #exmouthdogtraining #dogtraining #dogtrainer #dogtrainingclass #puppyclass #tricktraining #exmouth #rewardbasedtrainer #ScentWork #scentworkclass#positivereinforcment #dogs

Check out last nights scentwork class working on problem solving and tackling a search line up 💪🏼 these guys are super fun to teach and are making amazing progress. If you want to give your dog the best Christmas present this year why not book them onto the next block of scentwork classes starting Monday 6th Jan, 6pm 🎄 #pawsitivecanine #exmouthdogtraining #scentwork #scentworktraining #scentworkdogs #eastdevondogs #rewardbasedtraining #dogs

I just asked Isla if you could choose any dog/ breed in the world as your own what would it be?… she said Kash, her little dinosaur Kash. It got me thinking about the dogs I always wanted. As a kid it was a Dalmatian and German shepherd ❤️ For a bit of stormy weather fun what was yours and why? And did it happen?….

Training doesn’t always have to be formal or be something to achieve your end goal. Sometimes it can be a bit pointless and fun. The pointless fun stuff still adds to yours and your dog’s overall training relationship, it can help you work on mechanics and encourages engagement from your dog. This is early stages but can anyone tell what I’m teaching Kash here?…😅

Last weeks scent squad did amazingly sniffing out target odour in town centre. This added lots of extra challenges of people, different sounds, dropped food and even a guy who’s dog came along and peed in the middle of a search 😂 There was some competition between girls and boys but both teams were constantly on each others tails. If scent squad is something you’re interested In it’s open to anyone who’s completely a beginners scent work course. 😊. #pawsitivecanine #ScentSquad #scentwork #dogscentwork #dogs#dogtraining #dogtrainerexmouth #eastdevon #eastdevondogtraining

If you haven’t joined The Dog Geeks yet why not? Is it because you don’t know what it is? 🤔 check out the video. The Dog Geeks https://www.thedoggeeks.co.uk/

Bit Wet ☔️

Todays Walk ‘n’ Trains have been rather wet ☔️ Most the dogs have fallen out with me for taking them out today 😂 Do you have a rain loving pooch or a fair weather pup?….

Part of the journey

How many of you have struggled or are struggling with the dog you have? And with that comes guilt but also envy right? Envy for the dog you expected, envy over other people’s dogs?…. So let’s share because actually you’re most definitely not alone! Share the dog you expected and the thing you struggle with but then also share something you love more than anything about them ❤️…. I’ll go first… Kashy has been the dog to make me question it all. He frustrates me because he’s got so so much potential but I currently can’t compete or even show that potential because he still struggles with frustration around other dogs. You see even trainers struggle and have expectations we can’t always meet 🤷🏽‍♀️ What I do love about him is gradually his barriers are dropping and to us, his family he’s becoming one of the most lovable, loyal dogs I’ve ever met. So we’ll keep working on it because even though we’re not there the fun’s in the trying ❤️ 👊Don’t give up and let’s have each other’s backs!

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Our Story

Teaching you force free, ethical, fun ways to understanding your dog.

I am an Exmouth based Dog Behaviourist covering Devon. I have been qualified since 2014 and I am a full associate member of the Canine Behaviour Centre. I am also certified in emergency dog first aid and also hold a diploma in animal grooming so you know that your pooch in safe hands. I use a positive approach and canine enrichment to strengthen the bond between dog and owner.

My aim is to help you and your family live in harmony with your four legged friend and understand the reasons behind any unwanted behaviours. Whether it be from basic puppy training to more reactive aggressive dogs I will help you understand and find a solution that works for you, your dog and your family.

I specialise In positive reinforcement and methods of Canine enrichment in order to create well mannered pups without losing there true personality in the process. If this is the type of training you are looking for then please call or email with any queries and I will be sure to get back to you.

About Me Section

My name Is Dawn and I am qualified as a dog phycologist and a full associate member of the Canine Behaviour Centre. I am also qualified in emergency canine first aid and animal grooming. I constantly strive to broaden my knowledge when it comes to animals and have taken part in positive reinforcement workshops and continuously study canine anatomy and behaviour as well as other animals.

I have lived in Devon my whole life and I am a true country girl at heart. I live with my Husband, 2 children, 3 Dogs, 4 chickens, 2 budgies and I also share a horse at a local force free riding school. Animals are one of my biggest passions and I have individual and very different bonds with each and every animal in my life.

I don’t aim to control my animals, I aim to understand them, create a bond and in turn find ways to create wanted behaviours. As a child I used to watch programmes like ‘The Dog whisperer’ and would always feel uncomfortable watching a dog being pushed to submission. Does this type of training work? Yes as a quick, cruel and outright unsafe method.

Can training an animal using force free, positive methods take longer? Sometimes yes but you will have an animal that wants to do what you are asking of them in a much safer and more ethical way. You will also find that you will have a much stronger bond with your animals.

Family is massively important to me and my animals are no exception to this rule. I believe in order for everyone to live in harmony we should learn respect and understanding of one another. This goes for children and as well and teaching the next generation compassion, understanding and respect is something that I am also very passionate about.

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