Engaged Minds Wagging Tails

28/05/2026

Teaching Bailey self-help skills… soon she’ll be qualified to do my washing 😂

To Bailey, this is all just a fun game we are playing together. To some people it may look like I’m just being silly with my dog, but there is so much more happening behind the scenes.

Through games like this I’m teaching:
• Confidence
• Body awareness
• How to move into tight or unusual spaces
• Trust in herself and in me
• Problem solving skills
• Engagement and focus
• How to combine known behaviours together to create new skills

Every little activity helps build a dog that is mentally fulfilled, more adaptable, and more confident in the world around them. Mental stimulation like this can help reduce unwanted behaviours, strengthen relationships, and build a healthy attachment between dog and handler.

But it’s not just beneficial for the dog either.

Spending this time together gives me that feel-good dopamine hit too. It’s the feeling of knowing I’ve done something meaningful with my dog, that she’s learning, engaged, and not just existing through the day bored and unstimulated.

One of my favourite parts is watching the moment it clicks for her. You can see the excitement, the confidence, and the pride she feels when she understands a new skill. That contentment and joy is something truly special to watch.

Don’t underestimate the value of play, learning, and connection. Our dogs deserve the opportunity to feel successful too 💜

27/05/2026

Vet visits don’t have to be stressful ❤️

One of the most valuable things we can do for our dogs is help them feel safe, confident, and understood during veterinary visits. So much of this comes down to preparation, communication, and building positive experiences long before they actually need treatment.

Desensitising dogs to the vet environment, handling, equipment, sounds, smells, and procedures can make such a huge difference.

Teaching them to confidently engage with scales, tables, mats, muzzles, stethoscopes, or even simply being calmly examined helps create trust instead of fear.

I love working alongside our vets and vet nurses to support dogs through this process. Giving the dog choice, allowing them time to process, rewarding engagement, and building confidence with the equipment helps them feel involved rather than overwhelmed.

When dogs learn that they are safe and supported, we often see:
Less stress and anxiety
Safer handling for everyone involved
Easier examinations and procedures
Faster recovery from stressful situations
More confidence in unfamiliar environments
Stronger trust between dog and handler

These skills are life skills. Emergencies and vet visits are something most dogs will experience throughout their lifetime, and preparing them early can have such a positive impact on their wellbeing.

A confident dog who can calmly step onto scales, willingly participate in handling exercises, and trust the people around them is not only easier to care for, they are also experiencing far less emotional stress.

Small training sessions can truly change the entire vet experience for your dog 💙

Thank you Vet2UrPet & Veterinary Day Surgery

What will you train to help your dog at the vet?

25/05/2026

I am absolutely loving these ❤️

These are nice and easy to read and understand while maintaining the valuable information.

It is so important to read your dog, dont flood them, increase the criteria step by step to ensure the dog is developing the skills the right way where it empowers the dog and builds their confidence 😉

🐾 Infographic Available: *Counter Conditioning in Dog Training* 🐾

Counter conditioning is a behaviour modification technique used to change a dog’s emotional response to a trigger. Instead of feeling fear, stress, frustration, or anxiety around something, the dog gradually begins to associate that trigger with positive experiences like food, play, or safety. Over time, the emotional response can shift from negative to positive. 🐶✨

This approach is commonly used with:
✅ Reactive dogs
✅ Fearful dogs
✅ Dogs sensitive to handling or grooming
✅ Dogs struggling around people, dogs, noises, or other triggers

If you’d like to support my mission with Train Me Please and help me continue creating free educational dog training content, you can purchase the high-quality PDF version of this infographic here:

Get the Counter Conditioning Infographic in a high quality PDF https://buymeacoffee.com/trainmeplease/e/536510

Thank you so much for the support — it genuinely helps me keep making accessible, science-based dog training resources for everyone. 🐕💛

22/05/2026

One thing I’m really passionate about in dog training is learning to truly listen to the dog in front of us.

Not every dog wants to be touched straight away, and that’s okay. Dogs deserve the opportunity to choose interaction and give permission in their own way before we reach into their space.

This is something I practice with my own dogs and with many client dogs as well. Just because we want to pat them doesn’t automatically mean they’re comfortable with it.

I often explain it like this, imagine someone walking straight up to you, stepping into your personal space and giving you a hug when you’re not ready for it. Even if they mean well, it can feel overwhelming or frustrating. Dogs can feel exactly the same way.

When we slow down, respect their space, and allow them the choice to engage, we build trust, confidence, and a much stronger relationship with them ❤️
#

🐾 Not every dog wants to be touched — and that's okay.

Dogs are not public property, and we should never assume that an unfamiliar (or even familiar) dog is inviting interaction just by being present.

The golden rule: don't approach unknown dogs. Give them space, stay relaxed, look slightly away, and let them come to you.

And even when a dog does approach you, sniffing, standing nearby, or coming close is NOT necessarily an invitation to pat them. Wait for clearer signals — loose, relaxed body language, leaning into your leg, gentle eye contact, a nudge, a paw, or a play bow. Those are consent.

Once you have those signals, you can ask their guardian if it's okay to interact. Keep it brief, and pause to check if they want to continue.

🚫 Avoid: patting on the head, pushing your hand in their face, hugging, or overwhelming them with too many people or too much intensity.

⚠️ Signs a dog is uncomfortable: lip licking, yawning, looking away, moving away, ears pinned back, tail tucked, whale eye (whites of the eyes showing) — and of course snapping or growling, which is an immediate request for more space.

This applies to children too — teaching kids that unknown dogs are not to be approached is one of the most important lessons we can pass on.

I've put together an infographic breaking all of this down — save it and share it! 👆

And if you want to go deeper, I've also made a video exploring whether people should even have the expectation to pat an unknown dog — and why "asking first" doesn't always make it okay 👇
📺 https://youtu.be/K2D8cOGUhs4

17/05/2026

Today absolutely blew me away ❤️

During our session we headed out for our very first walk together to see how these two little ones moved and worked as a team out in the world.

It gave us so much valuable feedback to help set future goals and create a plan to continue developing their skills and confidence together.

But the most incredible part?

This was one of these pups very first walks outside of the yard, now finally old enough at 16 weeks old 😀

And wow… this little one was AMAZING. Beautiful placement, natural check-ins with their handler, and walking so nicely beside the wheelchair with absolutely no concern at all. Just calmly holding that gorgeous heel position ❤️

Moments like this are why I love what I do. Seeing confidence, connection, and communication start to come together is so exciting.

I can’t wait to continue building these skills in both dogs and help create even more enjoyable, confident adventures for both the dogs and their handler 🥰

Building strong foundations and life skills helps create confident, engaged dogs that can better navigate the world around them. These skills don’t just help in the moment, they support your dog throughout every stage of their life.

From communication and engagement, to confidence, manners, and understanding, investing in training helps give your dog the very best opportunity to thrive 🐾

Every dog deserves the chance to learn, grow, and build a strong connection with their handler 🥰

16/05/2026

Got to meet this stunning little one today 😍

Such a sweet dog already getting started on building strong foundation skills and confidence. Learning how to navigate the world around them, develop engagement with their handler, and build positive communication through training ☺️

This youngster showed so much willingness to learn, great focus, and a super trainable attitude. It’s always exciting seeing young dogs begin their journey and watching those foundations start to grow.

This one has a very important job ahead of them, but they’re definitely showing they’re ready to rise to the challenge 😉

I can't wait to see their progress ♥️

14/05/2026

Want to teach your dog how to give a HUG? 🥰

Who’s up for a little fun training challenge?

Drop a photo or video of your dog in the comments below and tell us ONE thing you absolutely love about them and your favourite thing to do together ❤️

Whether it’s adventures, cuddles, training, beach trips, or just making you laugh every day we want to see it all! 🐾

Our favourite entry will WIN a visual step-by-step breakdown on how to teach your dog to give a hug!

This is such a fun trick that helps build engagement, connection, confidence, and teamwork between you and your dog 💕

Ready… GO! 👇

14/05/2026

If anyone is planning on coming down to watch....