Category: loose lead walking
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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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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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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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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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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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One to One Dog Training Isn’t Just for Dogs Who Need Space
When people hear the words “one-to-one dog training”, they often assume it must be for a dog who is reactive, nervous or unable to cope in a group class. 1-2-1 training can certainly be a brilliant option for dogs who need more space. It allows us to carefully manage the environment, work at the dog’s…
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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…