Naughty Dog School

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Naughty Dog School We motivate dogs by using fun games and psychology. NO E-Collar, NO prong, no Slip no checks

20/10/2026

🌟 Meet ALFRED! 🌟

This handsome chap is a 3½-year-old long-haired French Bulldog, attending Naughty Dog School because he's taken quite a dislike to dogs — while being VERY friendly with people!

This is Alfred's second assessment with Diego. Last week, we didn't allow Alfred to meet Ritchie at all — his body language was far too strong. Teaching dogs give us everything; protecting them comes first, always.

But here's where Alfred's dad deserves a medal: he spent the whole week playing our de-stressing games at home, and we could see the change in Alfred the moment he arrived. So this week, Alfred and Ritchie got their opportunity to meet.

And… they both decided NOT to meet!! 😄

You might think "oh no, disaster!" — but this is actually the BIGGEST step forward for both dogs. Let us translate:

Alfred could easily have thought "ooh, a young pup — I can get the better of him." He didn't. He was thoughtful — watching, waiting to see what Ritchie would do. No pulling on the lead. An ACTIVE choice to be still. Then, after a few seconds, something wonderful: he mirrored Ritchie and SAT — as if to calm the youngster. From the dog who arrived disliking dogs… WOOHOO! 🎉

Ritchie, who'd watched Diego's assessment from the sidelines, made his own decision: "I'm perfectly happy right here, thanks." Could it be he sensed Alfred couldn't cope with a young pup approaching? We like to think so! The apprentice is learning judgement! 📈

Two dogs, both choosing calm over contact. Sometimes the best greeting is no greeting — a polite nod across the room before the friendship. That's not failure. That's conversation.

Bravo, boys! And bravo, Alfred's dad — this is what a week of homework looks like. 👏💙

Watch this space! 🐾

18/10/2026

Time to introduce another member of our teaching team… meet BONNIE, one of our play teaching dogs — and a FANTASTIC teacher! 🐾💙

In this video, Ritchie is trying to play with her. And at the mere THOUGHT of playing with our beautiful Bonnie, our boy gets thoroughly over-excited! 🙈

But watch what Bonnie does. She reads him instantly — this pup is over-stimulated — and she shuts the play down. "Slow down there, young pup. No need for all that." Then she turns her head away from him, trying again to bring him down. (That head-turn is a classic calming signal — dog language for "I'm no threat, and I'm not engaging with THIS energy!")

Ritchie is NOT happy about it. He shouts at Bonnie to play! But being the excellent teacher she is, she calmly declines and holds her rule firm: no calm, no play. No telling off, no drama — just quiet, unshakeable consistency.

And then… he gets it. Within a few minutes Ritchie calms himself, turns away from Bonnie, and sits. Ah, bless him! All that excitement, folded neatly away by one patient teacher. I wonder if they're talking yet??? Hahaha 😂

Here's what we love about this clip: Bonnie never punished Ritchie. She just made calm the price of admission — and let HIM work out how to pay it. That's a lesson he'll carry into every friendship he ever makes. And regular followers will notice something else: when Winnie taught Ritchie about "no" a couple of weeks ago, it took a loud telling-off before the penny dropped. Today, with Bonnie? A few minutes and a quiet head-turn. That's a young dog LEARNING. 📈

And a thought for the humans: Bonnie's rule works for us too. If play only ever starts when your dog is calm, guess what your dog learns to offer you? 😉

Well done Bonnie — and chin up Ritchie, the game comes to those who wait! 💙

16/10/2026

🖐️ HAND TARGETS — the little game that does BIG things!

In this reel, one of our wonderful instructors, Mia, is playing Hand Targets with her dog SEB. You'll spot SEB proudly modelling a little bandage after a small accident — which means no walks for a couple of days while he heals. Get well soon, handsome! 💙

And here's where Mia is very wise: she knows that just a few minutes of focus work like this will leave her with a happily TIRED dog. Because here's a secret every owner should know — brain work tires a dog out as much as leg work! A few minutes of thinking games can equal a good walk, which makes Hand Targets absolute GOLD for recovery days, rainy days and rest days.

So why do we teach Hand Targets?

🖐️ It's a recall in disguise — a dog who loves touching your hand comes TO your hand!
🖐️ It moves your dog without hands-on handling — into position, onto the vet's scales, into the car — all by choice, no pulling or lifting.
🖐️ It redirects — a dog focused on your hand isn't focused on that squirrel, that dog, that worry.
🖐️ It builds focus and connection — eyes and mind on YOU.
🖐️ It's an easy win — simple games build confident dogs!

And here's how YOU can teach it at home:

1️⃣ Place a tasty treat between your fingers and cup your hand. Hold it STILL — don't move it toward or away from your dog!
2️⃣ As your dog comes to your hand, mark it with a "YES!" and toss a treat away for them to chase.
3️⃣ Repeat until your dog understands the game.
4️⃣ Now the test: present your empty cupped hand. If your dog approaches and touches it — "YES!" and toss that treat away!

That's it. That simple — and highly effective! The toss-away resets the game every time, so your dog keeps choosing to come back to your hand. Choice, not force, every single rep. 🐾

Give it a go tonight and tell us how you get on! And SEB — heal up quickly, sir, the field misses you! 💙

14/10/2026

🎉 CELEBRATING WILSON! 🎉

If you've been following Wilson's journey, you'll know our boy finds both people AND dogs very challenging. Alongside his dedicated dad, we've been working patiently on his anxieties, one small brave step at a time — you've seen his sharing games and his self-soothing on this very page.

Well… he's only gone and made a FABULOUS breakthrough! 💙

This is the very first time Danielle has interacted with Wilson. Not that you'd need telling — her face says it ALL! Watch as Wilson willingly walks in, takes food, and then does something so brave and so sweet: he takes his time to SNIFF Danielle. That sniff is everything. It's Wilson choosing, all by himself, to gather information about a person — no pressure, no luring, just courage.

And here's the part that makes it extra special: Danielle has loved Wilson from afar for months, patiently waiting for the day she could help him. She never pushed, never crowded him — she just waited for Wilson to be ready. THAT is how you love an anxious dog. And today was the day!! 🥹

But wait — there's more! Wilson has a new sharing buddy: our one and only puppy teaching dog in training, RITCHIE! Now watch carefully, because there are two masterclasses happening at once. Wilson completely IGNORES Ritchie — and for a dog who finds dogs challenging, ignoring is the gold medal! Calm neutrality is exactly what we're after, and he's nailing it. Meanwhile Ritchie, at just 24 weeks old, has the sharing game completely down — sitting and waiting patiently for his treat like a seasoned pro. 🌟

Amazing all round! Well done Danielle — patience rewarded! Well done Team Ritchie — 24 weeks and already showing his teaching promise!

But the biggest applause goes to TEAM WILSON — Wilson and his wonderful dad, this is YOUR moment! 👏👏👏💙

To everyone with a Wilson at home: the breakthroughs come. Sometimes they take months. They're worth every minute of the wait. 🐾

03/10/2026

🌭 HUNT THE SAUSAGE! 🌭

Our latest 4-week Project has come to an end — and what FUN we have all had! Every single dog amazed us with their sniffing abilities, and every single human learnt just how phenomenal their dog's nose really is.

Here's how the hunt unfolded:

Week 1 — We started simple: a few tasty treats hidden in one box. Easy wins, happy noses, and the idea planted: "my nose finds good things!"

Week 2 — We upped the challenge: fewer sausages to find. Could they trust their noses when the prize was scarce? They could!

Week 3 — Long lines with MULTIPLE finds, teaching our dogs to keep working — no giving up after the first sausage, there's more out there if you keep that nose down!

Week 4 — The masterclass! Finding the sausage hidden along a CURVE, with three levels: a wide curve, a tighter curve, and an even tighter one!! Real problem-solving, working the scent as it bends — this is proper detective work. 🕵️🐕

Why do we love scent work as a Project? Because a dog's nose is their superpower — tens of thousands of times more sensitive than ours! Ten minutes of serious sniffing works a dog's brain like a long walk works their legs, and it builds confidence, focus and calm all at once. Watching a dog switch that nose ON is watching a dog do what they were born to do.

And we spotted several dogs who are absolutely SMITTEN with scent games! If that's your dog, we know a fantastic scent school where dogs learn to find a specific scent (rather than a sausage!) — and if you're so inclined, there are competitions to really test your dog's talents. We happily recommend K9SaS UK for your scent journey: https://www.facebook.com/K9SaSUK

Well done to every Team — your dogs have a GREAT sense of smell, and now you know how to use it! 👏💙

01/10/2026

I was going through the videos my team take of our groups in action, and I found an absolute GEM. 💎

This is Molly, waiting to be called through two lines of dogs — our Tunnel Recall. Now, I get lots of these videos, and every one is wonderful to watch. But this one stopped me in my tracks, and I need you all to understand why.

You see, when we first met Molly, she was a LIVE WIRE! ⚡ She literally could not keep still. She was either leaping or running — nothing in between! Soft as anything, not an ounce of malice in her… but the energy? Jeez, it was exhausting! 😅

Now think about what this exercise asks of her. Waiting. Still. Patient. With a dog on either side of her — excitement everywhere, energy bouncing up and down both lines — while she holds her spot until she's called. For a dog like Molly, this is the Mount Everest of self-control!

And there she is. Waiting. Patiently. (Got to be honest — there was a time I never thought it possible!) When I saw it, I was in awe of how far this girl has come.

And here's the bit I really want everyone to hear: Molly was never a "bad dog." Not for one second. Sometimes the most difficult challenges are simply because a dog loves life TOO much! 💙 You don't fix a dog like Molly by dampening that spark — you teach her, patiently, that she can hold onto her joy AND her self-control at the same time. That's exactly what her wonderful dad has done, week after week.

Well done Team Molly — first your blue badge, and now this! What a season you're having! 👏⭐

Got a live wire at home? There's hope — and proof! 🐾

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Creekside Playing Fields
Benfleet
SS75DT

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+447961502641

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