Take My Lead Dog Walking Services

16/10/2026

We love our dog. We know their favourite toys, their funny little habits and exactly where they like to be scratched.

But how confident are we at recognising when they're 𝘯𝘰𝘵 comfortable?

A 2024 Dogs Trust UK survey of dog owners revealed an interesting gap between how confident people felt reading their dog body language and how consistently they could actually recognise signs of worry.

And this is something I think we need to talk about - especially when children and dogs share a home.

Dog's don't always growl or bark when they're uncomfortable . Sometimes the signs are much more subtle. A head turn. A lick of the lips. Moving away. Trying to find a quiet spot.

If we miss those signals, our dog may be left feeling that they have no choice but to make their message clearer.

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧.

We can teach them to recognise how dogs communicate, respect their boundaries and understand when it's time to give a dog space. And as adults, we need to be watching, guiding and stepping in when necessary.

𝐃𝐨𝐠 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠.

💭Have you ever noticed your dog showing subtle signs of discomfort that you didn't recognised at first?

Share your experience below - these conversations can help us all become more dog-savvy.

07/10/2026

Have you ever found yourself thinking...

"𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽?"

If that's you, you're not alone.

One of the biggest shifts I've seen in my years of working with dogs and their families is what happens when owners stop seeing behaviours as disobedience and start seeing them as communication.

A terrier that digs.
A Beagle that follows every scent.
A Border Collie that chases movement.
A Labrador that wants to carry everything in their mouth.

These aren't dogs trying to make life difficult. They're dogs doing exactly what humans bred them to do.

That doesn't mean we simply accept behaviours that don't work in our homes. It means we start from a place of understanding.

When we understand 𝘸𝘩𝘺 a behaviour happens, we can provide our dogs more appropriate ways to meet those natural needs. That's where real, lasting training begins.

I've watched this shift transform families,. Instead of feeling frustrated or stuck, they begin working 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 their dog's instincts rather than against them.

💬 I'd love to know—what breed is your dog, and what's one behaviour that seems hard-wired into them?

👇 Tell me in the comments.

05/10/2026

It's easy to assume that every child will naturally bond with the family dog....
but that's not always how real life works.

Some kids adore dogs from day one.
Some warm up more slowly.
And some simply 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 - even when the dog tries their hardest to connect.

And that's OK.

Children don't have to love the dog.
Dogs don't have to love every child.
What matters most is 𝗺𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, not forced affection.

When we try to push a relationship that isn't there, we often create frustrations of the child 𝘢𝘯𝘥 the dog.
Sometimes the healthiest dynamic is simply giving both space to be themselves.

I'd love to know your thoughts.
Should kids be expected to help care for a dog they never wanted?

02/10/2026

A little camping adventure with Jazz and Scout!

A change of scenery, fresh air, new places to explore and plenty of time enjoying the outdoors.

we loved paddling in the river, exploring our surroundings and just taking things at a slower pace.

Although we did get a little surprise one evening when a kangaroo decided to make a rather unexpected appearance, jumping right past us as we sat around the campfire! Definintely not something you see every day!

Lots of exploring, a few surprises and plenty of happy memories.

Wouldn't have it any other way. 💖

23/09/2026

Dogs have a language all of their own.

They communicate through their body, their behaviour, their facial expressions and the choices they make — and once you start to understand what they're saying, your relationship with them can change completely.

That’s what we explored at our first 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝘃𝘆 𝗞𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯 workshop.

The kids got to:

🐶 discover how dogs communicate
🐶 learn about body language
🐶 explore consent and choice
🐶 try out enrichment activities
🐶 learn some training skills
🐶 build confidence around dogs
🐶 and, of course, have plenty of fun!

Because being dog-savvy isn't just about knowing what not to do around a dog.

It's about becoming curious.

Learning to notice.

Learning to listen.

And discovering just how amazing dogs really are. 💛

The 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝘃𝘆 𝗞𝗶𝗱𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯 is for kids aged 7–13 who want to learn more about dogs and become confident, thoughtful dog companions.

The next workshop is coming soon.

🐾 Join the waitlist to be the first to hear about the next program.

www.tmldogservices.com.au/waitlist

21/09/2026

Your dog has a lot to say.

They just don't use words.

They communicate through their body, their behaviour and the choices they make - like moving away, turning their head or choosing not to interact.

And these little signals matter.

Because being dog savvy isn't about teaching children to "control" the dog.

It's about helping them understand what their dog is saying so they can build a relationship based on trust, respect and choice.

🐾 I don't always want to say hello.
🐾 A wagging tail doesn't always mean I am happy.
🐾 Sometimes I can change my mind.
🐾 Please listen when I move away.
🐾 You don't always have to touch me to be my friend.

When children learn to notice and respect these signals, they become more confident around dogs - and dogs get to feel heard too.

That's what being 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝘃𝘆 is all about.

𝗪𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄?

Or perhaps there's something about dogs you wish every child understood.

Tell me in the comments 👇

16/09/2026

14/09/2026

11/09/2026

We often notice the big things our dogs do.

The bark.
The growl.
The jump.
The zoomies.

But our dogs are communicating with us all the time — often in much quieter ways.

A head turn.
A step away.
A lick of the lips.
Choosing not to engage.

These little signals matter.

And one of the most valuable things we can teach our kids is to notice them too.

Because being dog savvy isn't just knowing what to do around a dog.

It's learning to listen to what the dog is saying.

𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀.

What’s one little signal your dog uses when they need a bit of space?

07/09/2026

What if your child could speak dog?

To understand body language.

To recognise consent.

To communicate.

To care.

To train.

And to build confidence around dogs.

That's what Dog Savvy Kids is all about.

Helping kids understand dogs - and build safer, more confident relationships with them.

Join the waitlist for the next Club.