Wags & Wellbeing

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Doncaster
Wags & Wellbeing

I help pet dog owners achieve happy and calm lives with their dogs and develop their relationship. Force free and concept based dog training. Based in Doncaster.

05/09/2026

What does your dog do when a squirrel runs across your path on a walk?

Once upon a time, Brego would have lunged for it and pulled my shoulder out of it's socket. Does that sound familiar?

We worked on increasing Brego's ability to disengage - to see something, notice it and decide it's none of his business. And you could really tell it's working on our walk this morning - a squirrel ran right in front of us. Brego saw it, noticed it, got a little prep in his step and... decided not to go any further. Safe to say he got a lot of fuss as a reward.

Is disengagement a skill that your dog needs to work on? Send us a DM and we can have a chat about a plan to work on that skill with you.

03/09/2026

In the week before he went back to school to continue his duties, Bertie took a trip to the secure field at the RSPCA.

It's always useful to take your training elsewhere to practice your skills in different locations with different distractions. We also like to work on Berties fitness, using muscles he may not regularly use like here where he is shifting his weight back and forth.

If you'd like to schedule a training session in a secure field to help generalise your behaviours, give us a call.

01/09/2026

It's back to school week for the kids!

But what about your dog? Is there a particular skill you'd like your dog to improve on? Maybe it's calmness in the house. Or how about being able to disengage from other dogs when on walks. Perhaps your dog is really nervous and could do with a boost in confidence.

If any of that sounds like you and your dog, why not get in touch to see how we can help get your dog back to school and improve those skills? Send us a DM and we can have a chat about how we can help.

30/08/2026

After coming back from his holidays, Brego and I enjoyed a cuddle on the sofa.

Brego thrives in the kennel environment - he has periods of fun and activity but then the opportunity to rest and recharge in his kennel. He's the kind of dog who would go, go, go until he tips into over-excitement so he needs that rest time.

He enjoys going to the kennels but he comes home tired - it's a bucket filling experience for him. So he always has some time off from activity to empty that bucket - that means no walks, plenty of space from us if he wants it and calming activities like likimats and scatter feeding in the garden.

Every dog is different and what works for one dog won't work for others. Where do your dogs go when they can't join you on holiday? Comment below.

28/08/2026

After all that heat and dry weather, what a downpour we've had!

Had to crack out the new wellies for Brego's walk yesterday and I can't believe how quickly the green has come back. It was a soggy one but I think Brego enjoyed it none the less and it's been a while since we've enjoyed a solo walk together.

26/08/2026

Does your dog struggle to switch off? 🐾

Maybe they’re constantly on the go, jumping up, barking, racing around the house or becoming wildly excited when visitors arrive. Perhaps walks leave them even more hyped up instead of relaxed.

Overexcitement can make it much harder for your dog to think, listen and make good choices. Rather than simply trying to stop the behaviour, we can work on the underlying skills that help your dog become calmer and better able to cope.

My 1-to-1 training sessions are tailored to you and your dog, so we can work on the things that are making everyday life difficult and give you practical strategies to use at home and out and about.

If you’d like to help your dog become calmer and more settled, send me a DM to arrange a chat and find out how our 1-to-1 training could help. 🐶

24/08/2026

☀️ How does the heat affect your dog's stress bucket?

We think about your dogs stress bucket as a metaphor for understanding how different experiences and emotions can build up for your dog until they become overwhelmed and they struggle to cope. We usually think about the obvious things that feed into the bucket like other dogs, busy environments, loud noises or exciting situations.

But did you know that heat can also add to the bucket?

When it's hot, your dog has to work harder to regulate their body temperature which means they may become tired, uncomfortable and less able to cope with things that they would normally manage quite easily.

So imagine your dog's bucket is already partly full from a busy morning, a noisy environment or seeing lots of other dogs. Add in a hot day, and suddenly that bucket can fill much more quickly.

This is why you might notice your dog behaving differently in warm weather. They may be more irritable, less able to concentrate, more reactive or simply struggle to respond to cues they've normally mastered.

It's not necessarily that they've forgotten their training - their bucket might just be getting a little too full.

On hot days, think about what you can take out of the bucket. Perhaps swap a long walk for some gentle sniffing early in the morning, play some scent games at home, provide opportunities to rest somewhere cool and avoid putting your dog in situations that are likely to push them over their limit.

Sometimes the best training decision is to do less.

Understanding what is contributing to your dog's stress bucket can help you make better choices for them and prevent things from escalating.

How does your dog behave differently when the weather gets hot? Let me know in the comments. 🐾☀️

22/08/2026

What happens when you start working with us?

If you decide to starting dog training with us - Welcome! We're so excited to start this journey with you and get to work on helping you both. But you want to know what happens now right?

After we book in your new session but before we actually start, you'll receive our pre-assessment form. This may feel long and like we ask a lot of questions but it's important to gather as much information as possible so we can come up with the best plan possible. But our plan isn't fixed from there, at each session we gather more information and adapt where needed. If something isn't working for you or dog, we'll adjust and meet you where you're at.

Then we'll start your sessions - these will be at a location that works best for you, your dog and your situation. It can be at our premises, your home, out on a walk or in a secure dog field. How your sessions go will depend on what you want to achieve. Sometimes we'll spend most of it talking or I'll walk you through how to train your dog. I really want to make sure you know exactly what you need to do, why and how to continue when I'm not there.

After every session, you'll receive an email that covers everything we worked on and talked about. I appreciate these sessions can be quite intense and there's a lot of information to absorb - I find it really helpful to give you something to look back on and refer to in the future.

If you'd like to start your training journey with us, send us a DM and we'll have a chat about how we can start our journey together.

20/08/2026

We all need to adjust our schedules in this hot weather!

Some days, I've taken Brego out late at night when it's cooler - but I've been sure to make sure the pavement is cool enough. I've been able to see some lovely sunsets and even a fox wandering around.

The only problem is, Brego blends in with all the yellow grass around. Can you spot him?

18/08/2026

"The behaviour isn't the problem... it's the symptom."

When a dog barks, lunges, pulls on the lead or jumps up, it's easy to focus on stopping that behaviour.

But what if that behaviour is actually telling us something?

A dog that barks at other dogs may be feeling worried. A dog that pulls on the lead could be over excited or desperate to get to something they find rewarding. A dog that jumps up at visitors might simply lack the skills to stay calm when they're excited.

Rather than asking, "How do I stop this behaviour?" I prefer to ask, "Why is my dog behaving like this, what are they trying to tell me?"

That's where concept training is different.

Instead of only working on the behaviour you can see, we build the underlying skills that influence it. We might work on optimism to help a worried dog feel more positive about the world, calmness to help an excitable dog regulate their emotions or disengagement so they can notice distractions without becoming fixated.

As those skills grow, the unwanted behaviours often begin to change too, because your dog has developed better ways of responding.

Behaviour is communication. When we listen to what our dogs are telling us instead of simply trying to stop the behaviour, we can create lasting change.

Have you ever looked beyond your dog's behaviour to think about what might be causing it? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 🐾

Address

Doncaster

Website

http://www.wagsandwellbeing.co.uk/

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