Tag: anxiety
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Why Is Sniffing So Important for Dogs?
You’ve left the house with your dog, planned a decent walk and perhaps even imagined returning home before the kettle has completely forgotten about you. Then your dog finds a particularly interesting patch of grass. They sniff it from one direction, approach it from another, investigate the neighbouring lamppost and then return to the original…
-
Scentwork Classes for Dogs in Kent
Our scent work courses are an introduction into the world of scent work for your dogs…we will not teach them to search for explosives…but we will teach them how to train for a scent!
-
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…
-
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…
-
Why Connection Is the Foundation of Everything We Do at SkellyWAGS
A Busy Week That Reinforced an Important Lesson As another busy week at SkellyWAGS comes to an end, I’ve found myself reflecting on just how many different dogs, people and conversations I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of. It’s been one of those weeks where no two days have looked the same. There have…
-
SkellyWAGS Adventure Dogs
A New Adventure Every Week! Beginning August 2026 What if your dog’s next training class wasn’t about getting everything right? What if it was simply about having fun, trying something new and building confidence along the way? Welcome to SkellyWAGS Adventure Dogs a brand new weekly class where every session is a different adventure. Designed…
-
When a Dog Says “Not Yet”. We Should Listen
Every dog deserves to have their voice heard Yesterday I spent some time working with a lovely dog called Nala who is weary of strangers. Like many dogs, she wasn’t being naughty or difficult, she was simply unsure of the unfamiliar person standing in front of her. That person happened to be me. Normally, I’m…
-
Beginners Scentwork Game.
Fun Beginners Scentwork Game. It is no secret that we love our scentwork at Skellywags and the benefits it can have for our dogs and us. Scentwork does not have to be all about the indication or making it harder, lots of different levels/grades it is most importantly about the dog sniffing and having fun.…