Carrie's Canines & Friends

Carrie's Canines & Friends I help puppy & dog owners with their training to ensure their dog is a well-behaved, calm, easy to care & is the envy of their friends.

Download my Puppy Tips
https://www.carriescanines.co.uk/perfect-puppy-blueprint/ 'Because they're worth it!'

We started simply because of our genuine love and passion for dogs and animals. We provide Puppy & Dog Training classes, One to One Dog Training and Dog Behaviour Consultations based in Coventry who care for your dogs as if they are our own and offer you a friendly, professional and reliab

le service. Our Puppy and Dog training classes are set up to get you in the right pathway for a great life together giving you the skills you need. Our One to One Dog Training Sessions and Behaviour Consultations are set out to provide you with the skills you need to help you communicate effectively with your dog and giving you the skills and knowledge you need for everyday life in a effective and fun way! We will help you build your bond with your dog and their trust in you.

Most owners don’t actually want a dog that can do lots of tricks.They want a dog they can enjoy life with.A dog that can...
12/06/2026

Most owners don’t actually want a dog that can do lots of tricks.

They want a dog they can enjoy life with.

A dog that can come for a coffee.

A pub lunch.

A village walk.

A holiday.

A dog that can simply lie down, relax and watch the world go by.

The problem is many dogs are never taught how to switch off.

Owners often focus on teaching sits, downs and recalls, but forget one of the most important skills of all:

Doing absolutely nothing.

This week’s blog explores:

🐾 Why a tired dog isn’t automatically a calm dog

🐾 How to teach your dog an off switch

🐾 The biggest mistakes owners make in cafés, pubs and public spaces

🐾 Why calmness needs to be built gradually

🐾 What to do when your dog is struggling

If your dream is to have a dog you can take almost anywhere, this blog is for you.

📖 Read it here: https://www.carriescanines.co.uk/how-to-get-a-calm-dog-in-public-spaces/

Have you got a dog who can happily sit and watch the world go by, or is this something you’re still working on?

When people think about a calm dog, they often picture a dog relaxing in a café or lying quietly in a pub.But calmness s...
11/06/2026

When people think about a calm dog, they often picture a dog relaxing in a café or lying quietly in a pub.

But calmness starts long before that. 🐾

This is Tiggy during her training session yesterday.

Like many dogs, she was becoming very excited at the back door. As soon as the door opened, she’d rush outside, barking and charging into the garden.

So rather than focusing on the garden itself, we started by teaching calmness at the doorway.

Yesterday Tiggy practised:

✔ sitting and waiting

✔ staying calm whilst the door opened

✔ waiting whilst Jane stepped outside

✔ only moving when invited

These might seem like small skills, but they’re the foundations of self-control and calmness.

The dogs who can relax in public spaces, settle in cafés and make good choices don’t get there by accident.

It starts with lots of little moments like this, repeated consistently.

Tiggy absolutely smashed this exercise yesterday and Jane did a brilliant job too.

Want a dog who can relax in cafés, pubs and public spaces?Before we ever expect that, I focus on teaching three key skil...
11/06/2026

Want a dog who can relax in cafés, pubs and public spaces?

Before we ever expect that, I focus on teaching three key skills.

✔ Settling on a mat

A familiar place to relax wherever you go.

✔ Calm observation

Learning that it’s okay to watch the world without needing to interact with everything in it.

✔ Check-ins

Teaching your dog that choosing to engage with you is rewarding.

These skills might sound simple, but together they create the foundations for a dog who can cope much more successfully in busy environments.

The dogs who settle beautifully in public spaces rarely got there by accident.

They learned the skills first. 🐾

Ever wondered why your dog can settle beautifully at home but struggles in a café, pub or busy park?It’s not because the...
10/06/2026

Ever wondered why your dog can settle beautifully at home but struggles in a café, pub or busy park?

It’s not because they’re being naughty.

Public spaces are incredibly challenging for dogs.

Think about everything they have to process:

👃 smells

👀 movement

🐕 other dogs

🚶 people

🔊 noises

🍔 food

For some dogs, it’s like trying to concentrate in the middle of a music festival.

Their nervous system is busy processing information.

This is why expecting dogs to instantly relax in busy places can be unrealistic.

Calm behaviour in public spaces isn’t something most dogs naturally know how to do.

It’s something we gradually teach through practice, positive experiences and helping them feel comfortable in those environments.

Calmness starts long before you arrive at the café.

“He lets me do it” isn’t the same as “he’s comfortable with it.”Rex is a lovely Cavapoo who can find some handling, groo...
10/06/2026

“He lets me do it” isn’t the same as “he’s comfortable with it.”

Rex is a lovely Cavapoo who can find some handling, grooming and restraint a little uncomfortable at times.

Many dogs tolerate things because they feel they have no choice. They stand still, freeze or simply put up with it. From the outside it can look like they’re coping, but that doesn’t always mean they’re feeling okay about it.

That’s why this session focused on giving Rex more choice and control.

We worked on a sustained hand touch, where Rex chooses to keep his nose on Helen’s hand. We also introduced a chin touch, which can become a really useful way for him to communicate that he’s happy for handling to continue.

We also worked on the Bucket Game, a simple but powerful start-stop game.

Think of it like this:

✅ Rex chooses to stay engaged with the bowl or the exercise = handling continues.

❌ Rex looks away or disengages = handling stops.

The goal isn’t to “get the grooming done”.

The goal is to help Rex feel safe, confident and listened to throughout the process.

When dogs feel they have some control over what’s happening to them, we often see confidence grow and stress reduce.

Helen and her family have already done a fantastic job with Rex. This session was largely about refining and building on the great foundations they’ve already put in place.

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from small tweaks rather than starting from scratch.

Have you ever thought about whether your dog is comfortable with handling, or simply tolerating it?

“We thought he’d eventually grow out of it.”It’s something I hear surprisingly often.The barking.The inability to settle...
09/06/2026

“We thought he’d eventually grow out of it.”

It’s something I hear surprisingly often.

The barking.
The inability to settle.
The constant need to be involved in everything.
The dog who can’t relax in a café, pub or busy environment.

Many owners assume maturity will magically fix it.

But calmness doesn’t automatically arrive with age.

Just like loose lead walking, recall and polite greetings, calmness is a skill.

Dogs need opportunities to learn:
🐾 how to switch off
🐾 how to observe
🐾 how to settle
🐾 how to cope with excitement without becoming overwhelmed

The good news?

These are all things we can teach.

I’ve seen many dogs go from constantly scanning the environment to happily lying down and watching the world go by.

Not because they got older.

Because they learned how.

One of the biggest myths in dog training?“A tired dog is a calm dog.”Not necessarily.I’ve met plenty of dogs that can wa...
08/06/2026

One of the biggest myths in dog training?

“A tired dog is a calm dog.”

Not necessarily.

I’ve met plenty of dogs that can walk for miles, play ball endlessly and still struggle to switch off.

That’s because physical tiredness and calmness are two very different things.

A calm dog isn’t simply exhausted.

A calm dog is able to:
🐾 relax
🐾 settle
🐾 watch the world go by
🐾 cope with excitement without becoming overwhelmed
🐾 regulate their emotions

This is why constantly trying to wear dogs out often doesn’t create the calm companion owners are hoping for.

In fact, some dogs become fitter, busier and better at staying switched on.

Instead of only focusing on exercise, we also need to teach dogs how to be calm.

How to settle.
How to observe.
How to simply exist without feeling the need to be involved in everything happening around them.

Because the goal isn’t just a tired dog.

The goal is a dog that can relax and enjoy life with you.

07/06/2026

When it comes to feeding an arthritic dog, the joint supplement market can feel like a total minefield 🤯

To help you protect both your budget and your dog's joint comfort, we have broken down The Core 4 of Nutrition - the four foundational principles every caregiver needs to know to cut through the noise in less than two minutes:

🍏 1. Whole-body health over quick fixes
There is no single "magic pill" that will fix arthritis. True joint support comes from a long-term focus on overall nutrition, reducing systemic inflammation, and keeping the body in optimal condition rather than relying on a flashy bottle of capsules.

💊 2. Supplements are "add-ons," not the whole plan
Supplements are designed to supplement a robust, multimodal management plan. They can be fantastic secondary tools, but they should never replace targeted, veterinary-prescribed pain relief when a dog is hurting.

💰 3. Manage your care budget wisely
The cost-of-living crisis is real, and caring for a dog with chronic pain can become expensive. Prioritise spending your money on treatments and food with robust, independent scientific evidence rather than blowing your budget on unproven social media trends.

🚩 4. Spot illegal marketing red flags
By law, over-the-counter supplements cannot claim to "cure," "treat," or "relieve pain." If a brand uses these medicinal words on their packaging, it's an immediate red flag that they are circumventing trading regulations - and it's a cue to protect your wallet.

⚖️ The ultimate joint health tool in your cupboard?
If you want to make the single biggest clinical impact on your dog’s mobility today, you don't need a new supplement, you just need a set of weighing scales!

Adipose tissue (fat) actively secretes pro-inflammatory chemicals into the bloodstream, making joint pain worse. Regularly tracking your dog's weight and keeping them at a lean, ideal body condition is the most powerful, evidence-based nutritional intervention available.

Check out CAM endorsed weighing scales here:
https://www.camonlineshop.com/?s=scales&id=23973

“I haven’t had time to do the training.”The truth is that most owners think dog training means setting aside 30 minutes ...
05/06/2026

“I haven’t had time to do the training.”

The truth is that most owners think dog training means setting aside 30 minutes every day and running through a training plan.

It doesn’t.

Some of the best training happens in the little moments:

✔ Waiting for the kettle to boil
✔ Walking through a doorway
✔ Rewarding a check-in on a walk
✔ Calling your dog back once or twice on a walk
✔ Asking for a sit before dinner

Those small moments add up.

In fact, consistency will almost always beat the occasional burst of perfect training.

You don’t build a reliable recall in a weekend.

You don’t teach loose lead walking overnight.

You build it through lots of small wins repeated over time.

I’ve written a new blog all about how to stay consistent with dog training when life gets busy.

Read it here:

https://www.carriescanines.co.uk/dog-training-consistency/

What training are you currently working on with your dog?

Address

Coventry

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 7pm
Tuesday 9am - 7pm
Wednesday 9am - 7pm
Thursday 9am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 7pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+447710628449

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