The Creative Canine

The Creative Canine Leading Scentwork & Scent Sports trainer, Annan
Transforming dogs lives through Scentwork. Training classes & 1:1
Kids Around Dogs Approved Professional

If you handed the navigation over to your dog, where would you end up? After accidentally turning what we thought was go...
03/09/2026

If you handed the navigation over to your dog, where would you end up?

After accidentally turning what we thought was going to be a fairly gentle wander around Drumlanrig Castle into a 6km adventure today, thanks in no small part to some rather questionable signposting, it got me thinking about letting our dogs choose the route.

We can get very used to deciding where we’re going, how quickly we’re getting there and which way we’re turning, but it can be really interesting to hand over a little bit of that decision making to our dogs.

Which path do they choose? Where do they want to stop? What happens if we’re not in quite such a hurry to get from A to B and just see where their nose takes them?

I’m fairly certain if Eddie was completely in charge of navigation we’d still be out there now, several miles in the wrong direction, following one particularly fascinating smell. 🤣

I’m curious though… if your dog was in charge of the walk, where do you think you’d end up?

One of the easiest decisions I made when creating The Creative Puppy Programme was keeping the groups small.There will b...
02/09/2026

One of the easiest decisions I made when creating The Creative Puppy Programme was keeping the groups small.

There will be a maximum of four puppies in each group.

Four has always been my number for group classes. It's the number that allows me to keep an eye on everyone, give individual attention when it's needed and still know what's happening with the rest of the group.

That matters because puppies don't all learn in the same way or at the same pace, and neither do their humans.

I want time to get to know both ends of the lead. I want to understand how you learn, what you're finding easy, what might be a little trickier and how I can help you find what works for you and your puppy. If one puppy needs an exercise adapted or a little more time, we can do that without expecting everybody else to be doing exactly the same thing.

It also means I can notice when you might need some help, even if you haven't asked for it yet. I don't want anyone standing there wondering whether they're the only person who hasn't quite got something or feeling worried about putting their hand up and asking a question.

I want you to feel noticed, supported and able to ask whatever you need to ask, without worrying. I want your puppy to feel safe and comfortable enough to learn too.

The physical space matters just as much. I want every puppy to have enough room to feel safe and comfortable in their own space, without another puppy constantly being too close.
A puppy who is worried, overwhelmed or over excited by what's happening around them isn't going to be in the best place to learn.

Keeping the group to four gives me the space to notice how each puppy is feeling and, if needed, change or adapt the environment to help them feel more comfortable.

Could I physically fit another puppy into the hall? Probably.

Would I still be able to offer the programme in the way I want to? No.

Keeping the groups small isn't about creating exclusivity. It's about giving me the time and space to get to know each of those four puppies and humans, and to give each of you the support you need.

There will only be four places in each Creative Puppy Programme group. If this sounds like the kind of puppy class you've been looking for, send me a message and I can add you to the waitlist💜

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Well, apparently I’m on my own now! 😂Today I was officially signed off by both my consultant and physio, so the new hip ...
28/08/2026

Well, apparently I’m on my own now! 😂

Today I was officially signed off by both my consultant and physio, so the new hip has passed all its checks and there are no more appointments needed 🎉

From here it’s really just about rebuilding strength, getting my stamina back and gradually finding my new normal.

A considerably less painful normal, which I’m VERY happy about!

I’m definitely not back to full strength yet and I’m still discovering that I get tired rather more quickly than my brain thinks I should 🙄😂 but I’m getting there.

Considering where I was a couple of months ago, I’ll take that as a pretty good way to end the week.

Now I just need to remember that being signed off probably doesn’t mean “go and do absolutely everything at once”… 😂

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Socialisation isn't a checklist your puppy has to complete.For a long time, socialising a puppy has often been thought o...
27/08/2026

Socialisation isn't a checklist your puppy has to complete.

For a long time, socialising a puppy has often been thought of as meeting lots of dogs and people so they don't become scared, taking them into busy places to “get them used to it” and giving them as many different experiences as possible while they're young.

More isn't always better.

I still see the effects of this when I'm working with adolescent and older dogs. Some have learned that seeing another dog or person means they should be able to go and say hello, and can become frustrated, over excited or reactive when they can't get to them.

I've also seen dogs in busy environments trying to make themselves as small as possible, stopping in their tracks or simply shutting down. They may have been exposed to that environment before, but that doesn't necessarily mean it was a positive experience for them.

That's why Thoughtful Socialisation is such an important part of The Creative Puppy Programme.

For me, it's about quality over quantity. It's watching the puppy in front of you, noticing their confidence, curiosity and body language and asking yourself whether this particular experience is right for them at this moment in time.
It's making decisions based on what your puppy needs, rather than because there's something on a list somewhere that says they should have experienced it by now.

Part of that will be helping your puppy learn that being around other dogs doesn't always mean they need to interact with them. There may be opportunities for carefully managed greetings when the puppies involved are ready, but learning to simply be around one another comfortably is valuable too.

Socialisation won't be something we talk about during one week of the programme and then move on from either. Puppies will continue to encounter new people, places, surfaces, sounds and situations throughout their lives. The aim isn't to try to fit every possible experience into those early weeks, but to help you understand how to approach new experiences with your individual puppy.

We'll keep coming back to socialisation in different ways throughout the programme, helping you learn how to watch your puppy and make thoughtful decisions for them as you experience the world together.

Quality over quantity will win for me every time. Take your time, be mindful and work with your puppy and their needs. ❤️

What's been your biggest socialisation worry with your puppy: other dogs, people, new places, knowing how much is too much, or something else entirely?

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🐾 Happy National Dog day 🐾Let’s see your pups 😍
26/08/2026

🐾 Happy National Dog day 🐾

Let’s see your pups 😍

The thing you ask me for help with isn’t the only thing we end up talking about.You might contact me because your dog pu...
25/08/2026

The thing you ask me for help with isn’t the only thing we end up talking about.

You might contact me because your dog pulls on the lead, struggles around other dogs, chases things, can’t settle or because there’s one particular behaviour that’s becoming increasingly difficult to live with. Of course we’ll talk about that, but I’ll probably ask you about quite a lot of other things too.

Some of those questions might seem completely unrelated to the reason you contacted me, but they help me build a picture of your lives together.

The behaviour you’re struggling with might be the most obvious part, but it isn’t necessarily the whole story. Looking a little wider, delving a little deeper and asking a few more questions can sometimes help the pieces of the puzzle start to come together and give us a better understanding of what may be sitting underneath the behaviour we’re seeing.

I’m also interested in what your dog gets to do. Not just their walks or how much exercise they have, but what they enjoy, what gives them an opportunity to think, problem solve and use some of those natural dog skills.

This is one of the reasons scentwork finds its way into so much of what I do. It isn’t a magic fix for behaviour, and I would never pretend that it is. It is, however, a wonderful way of giving dogs an opportunity to use their nose, gain confidence, work things out for themselves and engage their brain; that can be an important piece of the wider picture too.

If there’s something you’d like some help with, that’s most definitely where we can start. I’m always happy to have a chat to see if I might be able to help, so please feel free to get in touch.

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Eddie wasn't my first puppy, but he was the puppy who made me question pretty much everything I thought I knew.I'd had d...
24/08/2026

Eddie wasn't my first puppy, but he was the puppy who made me question pretty much everything I thought I knew.

I'd had dogs before, including another puppy, but Eddie was a completely different ball game!
He was an intense puppy biter, didn't seem to have any idea when he needed to stop and rest and when he was first given some freedom off lead, following a scent was suddenly far more interesting than staying anywhere near me.

At the time, I was taught to use obedience to try to stop the behaviours I didn't want. As I started to delve further into training because what we were doing wasn't working, I began to realise I needed to understand why Eddie was doing those things rather than simply concentrating on stopping them.

I knew puppies needed lots of sleep, but I'd assumed an exhausted puppy would naturally go to sleep. Eddie needed help to stop and rest.

His need to follow scent was another huge learning curve for me.Instead of trying to fight against that, I needed to understand it, find appropriate ways for him to fulfil that need and work with the dog I actually had.

Eddie was the dog who started me on the path to becoming a dog trainer.
Those early lessons have had a huge influence on how I think about puppies now and ultimately, why I created The Creative Puppy Programme

Of course I want you to learn the practical skills that will help you and your puppy navigate everyday life together. I also want to help you understand what's going on underneath the behaviours you see.

Why might your puppy be struggling to settle? What could their body language be telling you? Are their needs being met? How might their breed and genetics influence what they find rewarding or difficult? What does your individual puppy need from you?

I want you to become curious about those things, because understanding your puppy can change the decisions you make for them.

There's a huge amount of information out there about raising a puppy and plenty of it conflicts. It can leave you wondering whether you're doing enough, doing too much or simply getting it completely wrong.

I want to help you understand the puppy at the other end of your lead.

If, long after The Creative Puppy Programme has finished, you can read your puppy a little better, recognise what they need, make informed choices for them and advocate for them when they need you to, then I've done what I set out to do. ❤️

When you first brought your puppy home, what was the thing you most worried about getting right?

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This week has been my first proper week back doing in person 1:1s; oh how I have missed them. 💜I’ve had Oti for an Intro...
21/08/2026

This week has been my first proper week back doing in person 1:1s; oh how I have missed them. 💜

I’ve had Oti for an Introduction to Scentwork session, Loui, a beautiful English Setter recently rescued from Italy, for his initial consultation, and Dougal back to start his next block of Scent Sports 1:1s.

Three very different sessions, three very different dogs, and lots of lovely moments from all of them. 🐾

I am discovering that getting back to full capacity might take me a little longer than I expected. I’m definitely more tired than I thought I would be… although apparently this comes as absolutely no surprise to anyone except me. 😂

So, for now, I’m building things back up gradually and listening to my body rather than getting carried away because I’m pleased to be back!

I also need to say a very big thank you to this week’s guardians, who have all been recruited as temporary assistant dog trainers, mainly for putting things on the floor and picking them back up again because I’m still not allowed to bend that far down!

It feels good to be back doing what I love, even if I do currently require a little more assistance than usual.

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Apparently today was determined to keep me on my toes… 🙈Last night I had some chocolate and, very stupidly, left what wa...
20/08/2026

Apparently today was determined to keep me on my toes… 🙈

Last night I had some chocolate and, very stupidly, left what was left somewhere Eddie could reach it.

To give him his due, he left it alone ALL night. Clearly though, once Andy had gone to work this morning and it still hadn’t been put away, Eddie decided we’d had our chance. 🤦‍♀️

Cue the realisation that he’d eaten around 50g of plain chocolate, a rather speedy phone call to the vets and an emergency trip in to make him sick.

One sickness injection later and some activated charcoal for me to give him at home (lucky me 😬) and he’s thankfully doing okay. Feeling rather sorry for himself and sleepy from the medication, but okay. 💙

I’m sharing this to show that none of us get it right all the time. We forget things, we make mistakes and sometimes we simply get things wrong!

I know chocolate is dangerous, I know it shouldn’t have been left where he could get it and yet I still forgot to put it away.

Thankfully Eddie is okay, although I suspect I’m going to be reminded of my mistake every time I eat any chocolate!

After all that, once Andy was home to watch over Eddie, I spent the afternoon with a rather beautiful English Setter who has recently arrived from Italy, which gave me something completely different to think about.

More on him another day… for now, I think Eddie and I will curl up on the sofa together.

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A few weeks ago I shared a photo of my notebook and said there were quite a few new ideas starting to take shape behind ...
19/08/2026

A few weeks ago I shared a photo of my notebook and said there were quite a few new ideas starting to take shape behind the scenes.

Well, I can finally share one of the biggest ones with you!

Meet The Creative Puppy Programme ❤️

This has been in my head for quite some time. I knew I wanted to include all of the practical skills we traditionally associate with puppy classes, but I also wanted to go much further than that.

Recall, walking nicely on a lead, settling, coming away from things they probably shouldn't be investigating... they're all important parts of learning to navigate life together, but raising a puppy is about so much more than what we can teach them to do.

I want people to understand the puppy at the other end of their lead too. How they learn, what they're communicating, what they need as an individual and how the experiences we give them now can help them become a happy, healthy and fulfilled dog.

I also knew I didn't want to talk about something one week and then simply move on to the next. I wanted what we explore together to run through the whole programme, so we can keep coming back to it as our puppies grow and develop.

Alongside the practical everyday skills, we'll spend our eight weeks learning, discovering and getting to know YOUR puppy a little bit better.

I've deliberately kept each group to a maximum of just four puppies because I want the time and space to get to know each of them properly, and to be able to support you and your puppy as we go.

I'm still putting the final pieces into place before I can announce our first dates.

I'm VERY excited to finally be able to share The Creative Puppy Programme with you, and over the coming weeks I'll be sharing a little more about why I've created it the way I have. ❤️

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Address

Annan

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Monday 9am - 8pm
Tuesday 9am - 8pm
Wednesday 9am - 8pm
Thursday 9am - 8pm
Friday 9am - 8pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm

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+447931656060

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