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đŸŸPuppy Training & Education | Dorset, UK
Helping first-time puppy owners build happy, confident dogs through compassionate, evidence-based training and support.

28/09/2026

Understanding HOW your dog communicates is quite possibly the most important part of cooperative care training.

This can look different for every dog, although there are some similarities in how dogs show stress. In this clip, you can see that when I ask if pup is ready (my hand is raised), he diverts his gaze, gives a clear tongue flick and subtly turns his head away from me.

Other behaviours you might spot are them physically moving away, showing the whites of their eyes, yawning, stiffening, exposing their belly, tucking their tail between their legs, pinning their ears back...the list goes on!

Now two things are important here:

these behaviours are out of context - if you've just given your dog a treat and they're licking their lips, but their ears are pricked forwards and their body language is loose, they're probably not too worried. But if you've asked to see their paw and they give a little flick of the tongue whilst their body stiffens and they avert their gaze...that's your sign they're not comfortable!

Every dog is different. It's always a learning curve when starting cooperative care - you have to learn how your dog communicates, and they also have to learn how you communicate, it's a two-way street! I always recommend recording your sessions so you can watch them back and see if you can spot frequent behaviours or more subtle signs your dog isn't comfortable that you might have missed in the moment.

Cooperative care takes time to work on, but the results are honestly incredible, the change you'll see in your relationship between you and your dog is immense, and this transfers to all other parts of life with your dog.

Getting started with cooperative care is really a no-brainer to me - get started with your dog and let me know how your dog communicates!
dog trainer dorset . dog training . puppy training . cooperative care . handling

27/09/2026

Teach a chin rest! The perfect start to cooperative care and handling, a great brain training game and of course we're building that relationship đŸ’ȘđŸŒđŸŸ
Dog training dorset, dog trainer . puppy training . cooperative care . chin rest . Handling

23/09/2026

If you’re struggling to get your dog’s attention when training, if they’re not really in the game or they’re super distracted by something else, consider the value of rewards you are using.

If we’re asking our dogs to come away from something good, we need to be offering something better, at least in the initial stages of training. 

We often opt for food, as it’s something all dogs have a level of value for. But not all food rewards are created equal! Think of your food rewards like coins in a wallet (remember those metal discs we used to exchange for stuff?) Your dog’s kibble represents the 50p coins, those soft packet treats you get from the supermarket represent the £1 coins, and things like cheese, sausage or chicken represent the £10 notes. 

This will vary for each dog, but it’s a good place to start if you’re finding that the rewards you’re using aren’t quite cutting it.

Now consider the behaviour you’re asking from your dog, is it worth 50p? £1? £10? And this is determined not by what YOU think, but how your dog feels about it. For example, when you’re teaching your dog how to sit in the house, you’ll probably find that the 50p treats, your dogs kibble, is enough to keep them engaged in the game. On the other hand, if you’re asking your dog to recall away from another dog whilst they’re mid-play, that is high-level stuff and really quite tricky for a lot of dogs, so you might need to bring out the £10 treats, the cheese/sausage/chicken!

When you’re training, think about how difficult the behaviour you’re asking for is for your dog, and adjust your dog’s pay accordingly!
Dog trainer dorset . puppy training tip . dog training

21/09/2026

Teaching your puppy lead-walking? Make it super clear and easy with this tip!
dog trainer dorset . puppy training . puppy tips

20/09/2026

What does "come" mean to your dog? Not what YOU think it means, but what do THEY think it means? With a dodgy recall, these are usually two different things! đŸ€“




dog trainer dorset . dog training . puppy training

18/09/2026

A solid recall also requires YOU to build skills
this is how we get there!

If you’re training a recall cue, you need to pick your moments very carefully, and this game will help you build your own observation and decision-making skills to achieve exactly that!

Scatter some treats either in the grass or on a snuffle mat and allow your dog to eat them up.

Watch carefully.

The second your dog is done eating and their nose lifts from the ground, recall them and reward them when they come back to you!

Important: DON’T be tempted to recall them before they’ve finished eating the food and whilst they’re still engrossed in their activity. If they’re distracted, they’re not listening, and until your recall cue is super strong and you have many, many successful reps under your belt, asking them to recall when they’re distracted is too difficult - we build this slowly.

Keep it simple, set them up for success, and your recall cue will build faster and stronger than you expect.
Dog training dorset . dog trainer . puppy training

14/09/2026

Quick and lazy puppy training tip for a super strong recall? Yes please.

**Dog whistle warning!!** 🔊
Dog trainer dorset . Dog training . Puppy training

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