Category: Blogs
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Why I Love Scentwork (and Why You Might Too)
What happens when we give our dogs time to follow their noses? Try a simple search at home, or join us in Old Romney for The First Sniff.
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Why Does My Dog Listen at Home but Ignore Me Outside?
Does your dog listen at home but ignore you outside? Learn how to build focus around distractions with kind, practical training tips from SkellyWAGS in Kent.
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Why Does My Dog Pull on the Lead? Understanding the Walk Before Changing It
You leave the house with good intentions. A bit of fresh air, some time with your dog and perhaps a pleasant stroll before a coffee. Your dog appears to have booked a slightly different experience. Something involving speed, several urgent hedge inspections and you following behind like luggage with opinions. If that sounds familiar, you’re…
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Dog Training in Romney Marsh: Where Do I Start With My Dog?
You might be reading this with a puppy asleep on your foot, wondering how something so small has created quite so many questions. Or perhaps your dog is a little older and walks have started to feel like an upper-body workout you never signed up for. You might simply fancy trying something new together. Your…
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Inside My Positive Dog Training Toolbox
My dog training toolbox has had a proper workout over the last week and a bit. Clickers, whistles, longlines, harnesses, freework, shaping, capturing, markers, luring, scentwork… I’m beginning to think it needs wheels. It’s been a busy time, with plenty of opportunities to use different equipment, games and ways of teaching. And that’s one of…
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1-1 Dog Training: Scentwork, Hoopers and Fun Together
When you hear “1-1 dog training”, you might think of help with recall, pulling on the lead or a behaviour your dog is finding difficult. You might also picture a quieter option for a dog who finds a class environment too stimulating. Those are all good reasons to book. But so is this: “I’d like…
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Don’t Let Five Difficult Minutes Write the Whole Day
There are 24 hours in a day. That’s 1,440 minutes. Yet sometimes, just five difficult minutes manage to influence how we feel about all the others. Someone makes an unkind comment, something doesn’t go to plan, or we have an awkward conversation. Hours later, we’re still replaying it, possibly coming up with the brilliant reply…
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Your Dog Is Here for Training, Not Content
I have been thinking quite a lot about social media recently. That is probably because I have struggled to post very much this week, despite it being another busy one filled with dogs, guardians, classes and 1-1 sessions. There have been plenty of moments I could have filmed. Dogs working through exercises, learning new skills,…
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A Day in the Life of a Dog Trainer
When people imagine the life of a dog trainer, they probably picture us spending the entire day surrounded by puppies, lots of dog cuddles and saying, “Good dog.” To be fair, there is some of that. However, before I even see a dog, I may already have answered emails, returned phone calls, replied to text…
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What’s Happening at SkellyWAGS?
After a summer that has involved heat, cancelled sessions, rearranged appointments and more conversations about the weather than even we British would normally consider reasonable, it’s lovely to be looking ahead to a busy few weeks at SkellyWAGS. We have new courses, practical workshops, scentwork and even an opportunity for the humans to do some…
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Why Does My Dog Jump Up and What Can I Do About It?
If your dog launches themselves at visitors, scrambles at your clothes or bounces up when you walk through the door, it can feel as though they’re being rude on purpose. You might even wonder whether they’re testing you. However, most jumping isn’t “naughty” in the way we tend to mean it. It’s usually a normal…
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Less Can Be So Much More
This morning, before the heat arrived and turned the training field into something resembling a large green frying pan, Bert and I headed out for an early wander. We took a slow walk around the meadow, with plenty of time for sniffing. There was no rush, no distance to cover and certainly no step count…
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VARK, Not BARK: Dog Trainers Need to Understand How Humans Learn Too
As dog trainers, we spend a great deal of time learning how dogs learn. We talk about reinforcement, association, motivation, timing, environment and whether the piece of cheese in our hand is actually more interesting than the spaniel disappearing into the undergrowth. All very important stuff. However, there is another animal standing at the end…
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How Does a Dog’s Nose Work? Scentwork, Sniffing and Hot Weather
Scentwork is often suggested as a good alternative to walking when the weather is hot. That makes sense. It can be done indoors, it doesn’t need lots of space and a dog can enjoy using their nose without racing around or covering miles. However, scentwork isn’t a magical hot weather loophole. When it becomes extremely…
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Sharing Your Lovely Words Without Feeling Like a Show Off
I’m very lucky to receive some truly lovely reviews from the people who bring their dogs to SkellyWAGS or homes I visit. I read and reply to every one of them. I appreciate every one of them. Occasionally, they even make me feel as though I might know what I’m doing. Then comes the difficult…
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The Dogs Came First. Every Time.
July 2026 has officially entered the record books. It was England’s driest July on record and its second warmest, while here in Southern England it was both the warmest July and the driest month ever recorded. Those figures probably won’t surprise anyone who spent much of the month checking the temperature, looking hopefully at rain…
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Should I Get a Puppy? An Honest Guide to Making the Right Choice
Getting a puppy sounds lovely, and sometimes it really is. But it’s also a commitment that reshapes your days, your home, and often your finances too. If you’re asking, “should I get a puppy?”, you’re already doing the sensible thing by pausing before you decide. This guide helps you weigh it up without the fluff.…
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Loose Lead Walking: How to Help Your Dog Stop Pulling on Walks
Going for a walk with your dog sounds like it should be one of the easiest and most enjoyable parts of sharing your life with them. Clip on the lead, head out of the door and enjoy a peaceful wander together. That’s the theory, anyway. The reality can sometimes involve being dragged towards every interesting…
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The Dog Training Questions Everyone Asks – And Where to Start
If you’ve ever typed “How do I stop my dog from…” into Google, you’re certainly not alone. In fact, I’m fairly sure the words “stop my dog” have been followed by everything from pulling on the lead to stealing socks, barking at the window and disappearing after a squirrel. Many of the most common dog…
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Scentwork: A Practical Guide to Building Your Dog’s Confidence Through Nosework
Scentwork: A Practical Guide to Building Your Dog’s Confidence Through Nosework Scentwork is a rewarding dog sport and enrichment activity that encourages dogs to use their most powerful sense: smell. It is suitable for almost any dog, from high energy youngsters to older dogs who need low impact exercise. Better still, it is easy to…