South West Dog Skills

13/06/2026

Our next round of agility courses start w/c 22nd June and there’s still chance to join us!

There are currently spaces in:

Monday 7.45pm 2 spaces
Tuesday 7.45pm 3 spaces
Weds 1pm 2 spaces

Bookings can be made online https://www.southwestdogskills.com/book-online.html

Dogs must be over 12 months old and medically fit. Beginners are always welcome!

12/06/2026

Happy Friday 🎉 If you know you know…! 🙌🎉

11/06/2026

If your dog could visit anywhere that’s currently off limits, where would they pick? Jonty & Rojo would choose a cheese factory! 🧀 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀

10/06/2026

A great reminder from The Whole Hound Academy. Thanks Adam for this helper reminder!

08/06/2026

Launching our Summer Webinar Series

Four online evenings. Four conversations I think every dog guardian needs to have.

These sessions are for the guardians who are trying their best and still feel like something's missing. The ones whose dog has been judged, struggled on walks, found people too much, or just can't seem to settle.

You haven't got it wrong. There's just more to understand.

The four sessions:

📅 2 July — When your dog has been judged
📅 16 July — When your dog needs support on a walk
📅 6 August — When your dog meets people
📅 27 August — When your dog can't switch off

Thursday evenings, 6:45pm. Live, with time for your questions. Recording included so you won't miss out if life gets in the way.
£25 per session or all four for £90.

👉 www.southwestdogskills.com/book-online.html

06/06/2026

🐾 Our next online course: Intro to ACE Free Work 🐾

Ever wondered how to help your dog truly reset, rebalance and release?

Free Work is a core element of Animal Centred Education, and this course will introduce you to what it is, how to set it up, and the incredible benefits it offers.
As our dogs slow down during Free Work, we start to see things we might have missed before postural struggles, handling worries, harness concerns giving us the chance to ease these issues and positively impact their welfare and behaviour.

📅 Course Details:
✨ 4-week online course via Zoom
✨ Starts Wednesday 15th July, 6:45pm UK time

This is for anyone who wants to understand their dog on a deeper level and support them in a gentle, dog-centred way.

👉 Book your place: www.southwestdogskills.com/book-online.html

03/06/2026

There's a specific kind of tired that comes with being the one who carries it all.

You love your dog deeply. But when things are hard when the walk goes wrong, when you can't figure out what they need, when you've tried everything

There's no one to turn to who really gets it.

Not because people don't care. But because unless you live with a sensitive dog, and you carry that responsibility alone, it's hard to explain.

Does that land for anyone?

# #

02/06/2026

Something's shifting.

More and more, the first question I'm hearing from guardians isn't "how do I stop my dog doing this?"

It's "why is my dog doing this?"

That's a big deal.

Because when you start with why, everything changes.
You might discover the behaviour is rooted in anxiety, and that what your dog needs isn't correction, it's reassurance. You might find there's a physical reason underneath it all, discomfort that's been misread as disobedience. You might simply realise your dog has been trying to communicate something, and now you're finally listening.

Starting with why doesn't mean the difficult moments disappear overnight. But it does mean you're working with your dog rather than against them. And that changes the whole relationship.

The how becomes a lot clearer once you understand the why.
What's your dog trying to tell you that you haven't quite heard yet?

30/05/2026

We had the great pleasure of bumping into the lovely Klara that came to our Adolescent Classes a few years ago. They have just started a YouTube channel. They’ve shared some great videos so far. Why not give them a follow.

Klara the Labrador lives in Somerset UK and reviews dog chews, toys, local events and areas of interest.

27/05/2026

What colour is this Tennis Ball?