Holton’s Hounds

12/06/2026

🐾 Adolescent Dog Classes - Claygate 🐾

Has your previously lovely puppy suddenly discovered selective hearing?

Are they becoming more interested in the environment than they are in you?

Do they seem to have forgotten all the cues you thought they knew?

Congratulations – you may have a teenager on your hands 😄

Adolescence can be one of the most challenging stages of dog ownership. Dogs are growing in confidence, becoming more independent, and often starting to make their own decisions about the world around them.

My small-group adolescent classes are designed to help owners navigate this stage using kind, reward-based training and practical skills that transfer into everyday life.

We’ll focus on:
🐾 Recall
🐾 Loose lead walking
🐾 Calmness around distractions
🐾 Engagement and connection
🐾 Confidence and resilience
🐾 Real-life skills for the real world

Classes are kept small to ensure everyone receives individual support and guidance.

📍 Claygate
📩 Message me for further details or to reserve a place

Because adolescence doesn’t have to be something you simply survive - it can be a fantastic opportunity to strengthen your relationship with your dog 💛🐾

10/06/2026

Ways I Help My Reactive Dog on Walks - Part 10 🐾 All The Time in the World

One thing living with a sensitive dog has taught me is that sometimes the very best thing we can do is… nothing.

Not rush.

Not persuade.

Not pressure.

Just wait.

In this moment, Janco had noticed something in the environment that he wasn’t quite ready to move past.

He wasn’t barking.
He wasn’t lunging.
He wasn’t struggling.

He was simply taking his time to process.

So I let him.

As humans, we’re often focused on getting somewhere. We have a destination in mind, a route to follow, a walk to complete.

But sometimes our dogs need something different.

Sometimes they need a moment to look.

To listen.

To think.

To decide that they’re ready to move on.

I’ve learnt that when I give Janco that time, he almost always gets there in the end. Not because I’ve made him, but because he’s been given the space to do it himself.

And honestly, if that means we spend a few extra minutes standing (or in this case, sitting!) quietly together, that’s absolutely fine by me.

I’ve got all the time in the world for you buddy 🐾💛

08/06/2026

🎆 Future Proofing 🐾

Yes, that is the sound of fireworks in the background.

And yes, I am aware that it is June 😄

One of the ways I help Janco cope during firework season is by exposing him to firework sounds throughout the year, rather than waiting until November arrives and hoping for the best.

This isn’t something that happens just once in a while either. Over the years, Janco has heard fireworks played through the TV, my laptop, Alexa and my phone. Sometimes during the day. Sometimes in the evening. Sometimes when other things are going on around the house. Sometimes when it’s dark outside.

The aim isn’t simply for him to hear fireworks.

It’s for him to learn that fireworks are just another normal part of life.

For puppies and dogs that are comfortable with fireworks, this can be a great way of helping to maintain that confidence. I would always start at a very low volume and gradually build up over time, pairing the sounds with things your dog enjoys, such as food, enrichment or play.

Of course, no recording can perfectly replicate the real thing. Real fireworks come with flashes, vibrations, smells and unpredictability. But helping dogs become familiar with the sounds can still be a valuable part of preparing them for the season ahead.

Janco has been hearing firework recordings since he was a puppy, and while every dog is different, it’s something I feel has really helped him. These days, he can happily sleep through recordings like this and is even comfortable going for short walks when the real thing is happening.

For me, supporting dogs isn’t always about solving problems.

Sometimes it’s about preparing for them before they ever appear 🐾💛

06/06/2026

This morning, Janco came in from his walk, walked straight over to his enrichment equipment and stood staring at it.

Very politely.

Very pointedly.

Apparently he had already decided how breakfast should be served today 😄🐾

So this morning’s menu included:

🐾 Food hidden under discs
🐾 A knotted towel with food tucked inside
🐾 A cardboard box filled with shredded paper
🐾 Food on a raised surface
🐾 A food puzzle

When people hear “enrichment”, they often think of stuffed Kongs and lickimats (which are great!), but enrichment can take many forms and doesn’t need to be expensive or complicated.

For me, enrichment is about giving dogs opportunities to engage in natural behaviours such as sniffing, foraging, problem-solving, exploring and making choices.

It can be a fantastic way to provide mental stimulation on days when it’s too hot, too wet, or too cold for a longer walk. It can help build confidence around novel objects and environments. And for many dogs, it can be a wonderful way to decompress and unwind.

Most importantly, it should be tailored to the individual dog in front of you.

Not every dog enjoys the same activities, and that’s okay.

Janco clearly knows exactly what he likes 😄

Supporting our dogs isn’t just about what happens on a walk. Sometimes it’s about listening when they very clearly tell us that breakfast should involve a cardboard box and a bit of detective work 🐾💛

04/06/2026

Ways I Help My Reactive Dog on Walks - Part 9 🐾 Trust

There are some days when all the management and training comes together, and you can trust your dog to make good decisions. These are beautiful moments.

One of the hardest things about living with a reactive dog can be feeling like you constantly need to manage every situation for them.

And a lot of the time that’s absolutely necessary.

But over time, through lots of support, observation, management, and learning how Janco communicates, there are times where I can trust him to make good decisions too.

In this clip, Janco showed interest in approaching another dog that we had been following for a while.

Everything about both dogs’ body language felt calm, appropriate, and low pressure, so I allowed the interaction while continuing to monitor them both carefully.

The other dog very politely communicated “no thank you”, and Janco responded beautifully by disengaging and moving away.

No tension.

No conflict.

No pressure.

Just calm communication and good decisions from both dogs 🐾

I don’t believe trust comes from simply hoping for the best.

I think it’s built through understanding the individual dog in front of you - and helping them feel safe enough to make good choices when they’re not overwhelmed.

02/06/2026

One of my favourite things as a trainer is seeing skills that were taught in class being used out in the real world 🐾

Minnie here is showing off her love for ‘Middle’, which is one of my very favourite tricks to teach.

Why do I love this skill so much?

✔️ It can become a brilliant recall cue

✔️ It provides a familiar ‘safe space’ for nervous or anxious dogs

✔️ It can help build confidence around people and in busy environments

✔️ It makes it easy to safely clip on a lead or carry out handling when needed

✔️ Most importantly, dogs generally LOVE learning it!

I always aim to teach skills that have genuine everyday value, rather than tricks that only work in a training hall.

Middle is just one of the many practical life skills I teach in my puppy classes - alongside recall, loose lead walking, settling, confidence building and more.

Bookings are now open for my next small-group puppy classes in Claygate. If you’d like to give your puppy the best possible start while having lots of fun along the way, feel free to get in touch!

29/05/2026

Ways I Help My Reactive Dog on Walks - Part 8 🐾
‘Get Out of Jail’ cue

One skill I find incredibly useful with a reactive or sensitive dog is having a rehearsed way to quickly and calmly create space if we suddenly come across a trigger.

For Janco, that cue is ‘retreat’ - a quick 180 turn back towards me while I jog backwards to help us move away together.

This is actually the second version of this skill we’ve used.

Originally, I taught a traditional ‘turn’ where both of us turned away from the trigger and moved off in the opposite direction.

But over time I realised Janco never felt completely comfortable with that manoeuvre.

And I think a big part of that was because both of us were turning our backs fully on the trigger.

With ‘retreat’, although Janco is still moving away, I remain facing forwards and visually engaged with the environment - and he appears to feel much safer and more comfortable with that setup.

That was a really important reminder for me that training isn’t just about teaching behaviours. It’s about listening to how the individual dog feels about them too 🐾

26/05/2026

🐾 Calm Foundations Puppy Classes — Claygate, Surrey 🐾

I’ll be opening spaces for small, supportive puppy classes this June, focused on building calm, confident dogs with real-life skills for everyday living.

These classes are ideal for owners wanting more than just “sit” and “stay” — with a strong focus on emotional wellbeing, confidence, and practical life skills.

✔️ Small classes
✔️ Science-based & force-free
✔️ Real-life training
✔️ Supportive environment

Please feel free to message me for details or to join the waiting list

24/05/2026

Ways I Help My Reactive Dog on Walks - Part 7 🐾
Working with the Dog in Front of Me

This morning, Janco came out onto our walk feeling much busier and more heightened than usual.

His movements were sharper and more frantic, he was much more fixated on dogs in the environment, and he wasn’t interested in taking food.

So I adjusted my expectations and worked with the dog in front of me - this became a management walk rather than a training one.

That meant no off-lead freedom, slowing things down, encouraging sniffing and decompression, using scatter feeding where possible, lowering my own energy, and focusing on helping his nervous system settle rather than adding more excitement or pressure.

And honestly? That’s okay.

Dogs are not robots. Their emotional capacity can change from day to day depending on things like environment, stress levels, novelty, accumulated stimulation, physical wellbeing, sleep, routine changes, weather, and countless other factors.

Sometimes supporting them well simply means recognising that today is not the same as yesterday - and adapting accordingly 🐾

22/05/2026

So very, very true!

PRIMITIVE BREEDS / TYPES WILL HUMBLE MOST DOG TRAINERS!

After working with dogs for 16 years- there are a few breeds I’ve not yet worked with. So when Team Rhea inquired about training for their young, Korean Jindo- I made space in my diary!

I have a soft spot for primitive breeds. I love how complex they are.

Their high level of independence means that training requires patience, a good understanding of premack and a refined ability to read what they are motivated for and when.

They may not feel food motivated right now, but they could be ten metres down the road!

They may be up for play as a reward, sometimes…. but be prepared to feel judged if you dare to use the wrong toy, get the intensity wrong or try too many times.

They enjoy novelty- until something isn’t novel anymore. So good luck testing whether chasing a treat is rewarding for them after a two-walk break and I wish you even more luck thinking up all the different ways you can use food, toys, praise, movement and your facial expression to reward.

They love problem solving- but if your training sessions are too long, they can saunter off mid session and leave you stood alone considering your life choices.

They are energy efficient dogs. A wait/stop often makes more sense to them than doing a u-turn only to resume travelling in the direction they were heading.

Social- but VERY selective as they mature, most primitive breeds develop a VERY refined criteria for mutually enjoyable social interactions. They can be terrible ‘bullies’ towards less confident dogs and quick to provide steep learning curves to those who make a perceived social faux pas.

If they don’t like a person, given the opportunity they’ll be aloof and discreetly avoidant- but their motivation to acquire information (looking, sniffing) can be easily mistaken by some as pro-social cues.

You don't request an invitation to their social circle, instead you wait and see whether an invite turns up in the post.

Quick to make strong negative associations- forward planning is a must in terms of preventing unpleasant experiences- such as when visiting the vets or attending to some healthcare matters yourself.

Sensitive - but still often very confident. These dogs will often help you learn more about the world through a dog’s senses than you ever thought was possible. You learn about the activity and potential whereabouts of wildlife, prey and potential threats through how your dog responds to the environment- providing you are observing closely enough.

Their phenotype gives the impression of being 'assertive', 'dominant' and confident- so you have to learn to spot small muscle movements and micro second moments of hesitation to recognise when they are starting to feel anxious.

By the time you see the more obvious and 'classic' signals and behaviours - the window for successful intervention is long gone.

Your next job is to help them let you help them! Primitive breeds are reluctant to relinquish or share responsibilty to and with us mere mortals.

One of the most important lessons to learn with primitive breeds (and any dog from any breed- of course) is when to back off and leave them be! How to give them space without them rehearsing undesired behaviours. In my experience, primitive breeds require extra consideration towards when your well intended attempt at motivating and rewarding becomes nagging and subsequently- aversive.


There’s so much talk online about working with powerful ‘high calibre’ and ‘high drive’ breeds being epitome of dog training skill.

Of course, they bring their own challenges- all dogs do! But in my experience- primitive breeds can provide learning opportunities we may miss when we focus on other breeds.

Their genetics often motivate fierce independence. If you can motivate them to enjoy working and being with you without utilising avoidance, higher intensity pressure, startle, discomfort - then I promise you that you’ll have learned more about body language, motivation and training than you thought possible.

*Disclaimer- within every population there is variation. Not all individuals of a primitive breed will match this description, nor are the descriptions unique to primitive breeds alone.