Sampaw Dog Training

02/10/2026

I like the socially weird ones 😂

The one with that one best friend.
The one who has a very specific type.
The one who’ll happily walk with another dog for an hour but has absolutely no interest in playing with them.
The one who thinks other dogs are fine, but people are clearly still the "bee's knees".
The one with a tiny, carefully selected friendship group and apparently no vacancies.
And then there’s the dog who meets another dog for approximately twelve seconds and there's that beautiful, instant play connection.

Dogs can be wonderfully particular about their social lives.
And I think that gets missed when we put them into just two enormous boxes.

Social.
Not social.

There’s a whole lot living in between those two.

They can enjoy company without wanting interaction.
And that gets missed a lot by us.

Some will adore certain dogs and completely ignore others.
Prefer particular play styles.
Choose familiar friends.
Enjoy meeting everyone.
Or simply have very little interest in dogs at all.

None of those dogs need to be squeezed into somebody else’s idea of what a “social dog” should look like.

Sometimes it’s much more fun to notice who the dog in front of us actually is.
And who their little tail wiggles for.

17/09/2026

I don’t like dog parks.
There. I said it.

It's not because every dog has a terrible time in one.
And not because every dog park is a rolling tumbleweed of fur and teeth.

I don’t like them because I see what they can do.

I see the dog who starts scrambling on the ground, crawling and scratching the footpath to get close to a dog.
And that dog could be 80 metres away.

There are dogs who have practised rushing over to others so many times that calmly walking near any dog is pretty impossible.

And there's more.

The dog who discovers that chasing a dog is the highest of highs.

How about a dog who's small “I’m uncomfortable” signals repeatedly achieve absolutely nothing.
Totally ignored.
And this dog has learned that creating distance now requires something much, much bigger now.

And then there’s the dog who has learned they are free to come and go around other dogs as they please.
Until we put a lead on.
Now they can see another dog.
But they can’t get to them.
And then we have frustration, pulling, fixation, lunging and huge reactions that people say "came from nowhere".
Except they didn’t .

That’s the bit I think gets missed in the dog park conversation.
We tend to judge the experience by what happens INSIDE the park.
Did they play?
Did they run?
Did they have fun?
Was there a fight?
Yes, yes, yes, no.
Great.

But I’m always seeing that link, of what that experience is teaching a dog to expect the next time they see another dog.
I wish those experiences stayed conveniently inside the fence.

I’m not saying every visit to a dog park creates reactivity.
Of course it doesn’t.

But when I’m working with reactivity, frustration around other dogs, inappropriate play, rushing, fixation or dogs who struggle enormously when access to another dog is prevented?
Dog parks are more often than not the way these dogs "get their energy out" and are "socialised".

And that is a very, very long road that family is now on.

So yeah.
I don’t like dog parks.

17/09/2026

Well done to our newest graduated puppy from our 8 weeks puppy start right program.

06/09/2026

30/08/2026

Swimming and safety

27/08/2026

The importance of scent in loose leash walking 🐾

For dogs, walking isn’t just about moving forward —
it’s about gathering information through scent.

A dog’s nose is their primary sense. Sniffing helps them:

* Understand who has been there
* Check for safety
* Regulate emotions and arousal
* Make sense of the environment

When we rush a dog through a walk without time to sniff, we often see:

* Pulling on the leash
* Frustration and over-arousal
* Reactivity increasing instead of decreasing

Because the dog is deprived of the very thing they need most on a walk.

How sniffing helps loose leash walking

✔️ Sniffing lowers arousal and stress
✔️ It satisfies natural foraging and information-gathering needs
✔️ A mentally fulfilled dog is less likely to pull
✔️ Sniffing gives dogs a sense of choice and control

A calm brain creates calm behaviour.

What this means in practice

Loose leash walking doesn’t mean:
❌ No sniffing
❌ Constant heel position
❌ Rushing from A to B

Instead, it means:
✅ Structured freedom
✅ Sniff breaks as a reward
✅ Teaching when to move and when to explore

You can think of sniffing as part of the training, not a distraction from it.

👉 Walks should meet the dog’s needs first —
good leash manners come after that.

04/08/2026

"Don't tell me he just needs more sleep."

Rest doesn't seem to help.
Walks don't seem to help.
Enrichment doesn't seem to help.

I hear you. I really do.
And I hear how exhausting that can be.

Here's something worth considering.

Not everything that calms one dog's nervous system will help another's.

That lick mat? It may reduce arousal in one dog and increase it in another.
That trip to the dog park?
Some dogs recover quickly. Others may carry those effects for days.

That constant access to another dog? Some thrive on it. Others never get enough time to regulate between interactions.
They will crave it more.

Dysregulation isn't usually solved by finding one magic activity.
I wish it was that easy.

It’s nuanced.
It’s individual.
It needs tweaked. Often.

What was the biggest “aha” you had when you realised something that was supposed to help actually made things worse? behaviour

30/07/2026

Thank you for the latest update! ❤️

Mum said”So now whenever he sees my nail clipper or trimmer, he comes to me straight away as he knows that he can get some treats :)”

Hoya now trusts Mum for other grooming procedures too, including trimming the hair underneath his paw pads. 🐾

Nothing makes me happier than hearing from my clients and celebrating their success. Every small step builds confidence and trust.

And if you’re ever struggling, you’re never on your own. We’ll brainstorm together, adjust the plan, and find an approach that works best for you and your dog. Every team is different, and I’m here to support you every step of the way.

29/07/2026

Hoya went from feeling scared to completely relaxed during his nail trimming. 🐾

You’d never guess that he once felt so overwhelmed by the process that his final way of saying “I can’t cope” was to bite.

Today, look at him—calm, relaxed, and choosing to stay throughout the session. This wasn’t achieved by forcing him to tolerate it, but by taking the time to help him feel safe, giving him choice, and progressing at his own pace.

Moments like this remind me that cooperative care isn’t just about trimming nails—it’s about building trust.

Thank you for sharing this incredible journey with me, Hoya and Mum. I’m so proud of how far you’ve both come. ❤️

27/07/2026

One exercise that has many real-life benefits is target training.

Katie learned to target her front feet onto a platform. We then gradually introduced her step-in harness, slowly progressing to lifting the harness while she remained calmly standing on the platform. Each step was introduced at Katie’s own pace, allowing her to learn that she has control over the interaction.

Instead of struggling to get your dog to put their feet into a step-in harness or pulling their legs through, teach them that these steps can be fun, rewarding, and completely voluntary.

Thank you to Katie and her mum for allowing me to share this wonderful video. 🐾