Cydymaith Dog Training

Cydymaith Dog Training Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Cydymaith Dog Training, Dog trainer, Dumfries.

Kind, ethical, positive reinforcement trainer, covering Lockerbie, Moffat, Dumfries, Annan, Carlisle and surrounding areas.

🐾 Building Confidence, Connection and Skills for Life
🐾 Qualified, Insured and a Member of the Pet Professional Network.

🐾 Why is Autumn a great time for dog training? 🐾Obviously dog training is important at any time of year, regardless of t...
03/09/2026

🐾 Why is Autumn a great time for dog training? 🐾

Obviously dog training is important at any time of year, regardless of the season - but what makes Autumn especially great for dog training? Over the last few days I've definitely noticed a change in the weather as the seasons start to shift (ok - it's mainly been pouring with rain paired with the nights drawing in).

Here's a few reasons why Autumn might be the time to give your dog training journey a bit of a boost.

1. Cooler weather makes learning easier

Dogs (and people!) tend to concentrate better when they're not dealing with the heat. Training sessions can be a little longer, walks are more comfortable, and everyone enjoys being outdoors more.

2. Nature provides free enrichment

Fallen leaves, crunchy paths, different textures, woodland scents and changing wildlife all provide safe, natural enrichment that encourages dogs (and especially puppies) to explore and use their senses.

3. It builds confidence in different weather

Rain, wind, puddles, umbrellas, waterproof coats and muddy paths all become part of everyday life. Introducing these experiences gradually helps puppies grow into confident adult dogs.

4. It's the perfect time to build life skills

As routines settle after summer, it's a great opportunity to focus on the skills that matter most:
Recall
Loose lead walking
Calm greetings
Settling in cafés or pubs
Focus around distractions

We have a number of group classes starting this Autumn for both puppies and older dogs to help with training a range of skills.

Pop us a message to find out more about our range of classes and 1:1 availability, or to discuss your training needs.

📞 07791 837163
📧 [email protected]

🐾 SEPTEMBER DOG TRAINING 🐾Our Autumn 2026 dog training classes are now available to book. All class sizes are small to e...
02/09/2026

🐾 SEPTEMBER DOG TRAINING 🐾

Our Autumn 2026 dog training classes are now available to book. All class sizes are small to ensure an optimum learning environment.

Please see information on posters for more information about each class.

PUPPY - starts either Wednesday 9th September or Thursday 17th September for a 6 week course.

GENERAL TRAINING GROUP - starts Thursday 10th September for 6 weeks. Suitable for older dogs & adolescents. Not suitable for dog reactive or human reactive dogs. Please get in touch to arrange 1:1 training if your dog is dog or human reactive.

SPORTS MIX FOUNDATIONS - starts Monday 7th September at 7:30pm for 6 weeks. This course covers a range of life skills and sports foundation skills. Great for mental enrichment for high energy dogs.

SCENT WORK & LIFE SKILLS - starts Wednesday 9th September for 6 weeks.

For more information, or to book, please message via What's App on 07791 837163 or email [email protected]

✅ All sessions held at Kettleholm village hall, near Lockerbie
✅ All sessions are 55 mins
✅ Fully insured & qualified

Wee Bracken worked so hard in his session yesterday that he took a nap on the path at the end of it 😴Who knew working on...
19/08/2026

Wee Bracken worked so hard in his session yesterday that he took a nap on the path at the end of it 😴

Who knew working on impulse control through play and focus & engagement activities for loose lead walking could be so exhausting!

Training the brain as well as having appropriate outlets for physical activities all form part of the bigger enrichment picture - an enriched dog is a happy dog 🐾

It’s back to school week for the kids - so let’s not leave out the dogs!! I’m currently in the process of putting togeth...
19/08/2026

It’s back to school week for the kids - so let’s not leave out the dogs!!

I’m currently in the process of putting together a new timetable for group classes - and I want to know what classes you’d like to see.

What group sessions would you be interested in?

🐾 Puppy
🐾 Life skills
🐾 Hoopers
🐾 Flyball
🐾 Play skills
🐾 Focus & engagement
🐾 Breed specific sessions?

Let me know in the comments if there’s a class you’d like to see, or if there’s a specific set of skills you’d like to work on with your dog and I’ll see what I can put together.

🐾 This is just to gauge interest - commenting won’t commit you to signing up & not all ideas may be offered as a group class at this time 🙂

🐾 10 Days of Adolescence – Day 4 🐾 “Why Is My Dog Suddenly Barking?”Has your once-friendly puppy started barking at peop...
13/08/2026

🐾 10 Days of Adolescence – Day 4 🐾

“Why Is My Dog Suddenly Barking?”

Has your once-friendly puppy started barking at people, dogs or unfamiliar noises?

Or perhaps they’ve become more reactive on walks, even though they used to take everything in their stride.

It can be worrying and frustrating for us, but it’s a common change during adolescence.

As dogs change and mature, they can become much more aware of the world around them. They may also go through fear periods, where things they’ve previously ignored suddenly seem scary or overwhelming.

Barking isn’t your dog trying to be “dominant” or “difficult.”

It’s communication.

It might be saying:

🐾 “I’m worried.”
🐾 “That made me jump.”
🐾 “I’m not sure about this.”
🐾 “I need more space.”

Rather than simply trying to stop the barking, it’s important to understand why it’s happening. Once we understand the emotion behind the behaviour, we can help change how our dogs feel, rather than just trying to suppress the behaviour itself.

That’s where positive, reward-based training makes such a difference. By helping dogs build confidence and creating positive associations with the things they find difficult, we can help them feel calmer and more able to cope with the world around them.

At Cydymaith Dog Training, I work with owners to look beyond the behaviour. Whether your adolescent dog is barking, reacting or becoming more worried on walks, we’ll build a plan that’s tailored to your dog, helping them gain confidence one small step at a time.

Has your dog become more vocal during adolescence?

What situations do they find most challenging? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments.

🐾 10 Days of Adolescence – Day 3 🐾“Why Is Everything Suddenly So Exciting?”Does your adolescent dog seem fascinated by… ...
12/08/2026

🐾 10 Days of Adolescence – Day 3 🐾

“Why Is Everything Suddenly So Exciting?”

Does your adolescent dog seem fascinated by… well, everything?

🍂 Every leaf blowing across the pavement
👃 Every scent on the ground
🐦 Every bird, squirrel or rabbit (or the neighbour’s cat 😬)
🐕 Every dog in the distance

It can feel as though they’ve completely forgotten you’re at the other end of the lead!

The truth is, this is a normal part of growing up.

As dogs move through adolescence, they’re learning about the world around them. Their brains are developing, their confidence is changing and they’re naturally driven to investigate their environment. Exploring isn’t your dog being “naughty” - it’s an important part of how they learn.

Rather than trying to stop this curiosity, we can give it an appropriate outlet.

🐾 Provide opportunities for sniffing and mooching, rather than walks being rushed. Take time to observe your dog’s body language and behaviour. Sometimes we can learn so much just by watching.
🐾 Build in enrichment activities at home - especially those that suit their breed. Try to create more opportunities to use their nose & brain rather than lots of high energy chasing activities.
🐾 Play simple scent games like “Find It”. No special equipment is needed.
🐾 Use food, toys and play to make engaging with you just as rewarding as the environment.

When we meet our dogs’ natural needs, they’re often better able to focus, learn and make good choices.

At Cydymaith Dog Training, I don’t just teach dogs to behave - I help owners understand why their dogs behave the way they do. By working with your dog’s natural instincts instead of against them, training becomes more enjoyable for both of you.

What distracts your adolescent dog the most on a walk? Is it other dogs, wildlife, people, or just the plethora of smells around. Let me know in the comments!

🐾 10 Days of Adolescence – Day 2 🐾 “Why Has My Dog Stopped Listening?”“He knew how to sit yesterday…”“I know he knows hi...
11/08/2026

🐾 10 Days of Adolescence – Day 2 🐾

“Why Has My Dog Stopped Listening?”

“He knew how to sit yesterday…”

“I know he knows his recall…”

“It’s like he’s forgotten everything!”

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

One of the most common frustrations during adolescence is feeling like all the training you’ve put in has suddenly disappeared. The good news? It hasn’t.

Your dog hasn’t forgotten what they’ve learned.

Instead, their world has become much more interesting.

As adolescent dogs mature, they’re naturally driven to explore. Every scent, sound, moving leaf, passing dog and interesting person suddenly competes for their attention. Those distractions can become far more rewarding than listening to us, especially if we’ve only practised skills in familiar, low-distraction environments.

This is why a cue that’s rock solid in your kitchen or back garden can seem to disappear completely on a walk.

The answer isn’t to keep repeating the cue louder or assume your dog is being stubborn.

It’s to go back a step.

🐾 Practise in easier environments first
🐾 Reward generously for making good choices
🐾 Gradually build up the level of distraction as your dog becomes more successful

Think of it as rebuilding your dog’s confidence and reliability, rather than starting again from scratch.

Adolescence is a time of change, and it’s completely normal for training to need a little tune-up. With patience, consistency and the right approach, those behaviours will become stronger than ever.

At Cydymaith Dog Training, I work with owners to help them navigate this stage, rebuilding focus, confidence and reliable behaviours using positive, reward-based training that’s tailored to each individual dog, and takes into account their breed specific characteristics and needs.

If you’d like to, I’d love you to share…..

What’s the one cue your adolescent dog seems to have “forgotten” recently?

🐾 10 Days of Adolescence – Day 1 🐾 Welcome to the Teenage Phase!Does it feel like someone swapped your lovely puppy for ...
10/08/2026

🐾 10 Days of Adolescence – Day 1 🐾

Welcome to the Teenage Phase!

Does it feel like someone swapped your lovely puppy for a completely different dog overnight?

One day they were happily checking in with you, coming back when called and listening beautifully…

Now they’re pulling on the lead, ignoring cues they definitely knew, getting distracted by absolutely everything and making you wonder where it all went wrong.

Here’s the good news…

This is completely normal.

Just like human teenagers, adolescent dogs go through huge physical, hormonal and emotional changes. Their brains are still developing, they’re becoming more independent and they’re learning how to navigate a much bigger world.

That doesn’t mean they’re being stubborn or trying to be “dominant.”

It means they’re growing up.

Adolescence is often the stage where dogs and owners need the most support. It’s when behaviour can feel unpredictable, confidence can fluctuate and challenges like pulling, barking, jumping up or unreliable recall often become more noticeable.

The key isn’t to expect perfection - it’s to help your dog make good choices, build confidence and strengthen your relationship through positive, reward-based training.

With patience, consistency and the right support, your teenage whirlwind can grow into a calm, confident adult dog.

Over the next 10 days, I’ll be sharing practical advice, explaining why adolescent dogs behave the way they do and giving you simple tips to help you navigate this stage with confidence.

Are you and your dog currently navigating thee teenage stage?

If you’d like to, share in the comment - how old is your dog, and what’s been the biggest change you’ve noticed since they hit adolescence?

🐾 What if the behaviour isn’t the whole problem? 🐾When a dog is barking, pulling, chewing, digging, jumping up or strugg...
05/08/2026

🐾 What if the behaviour isn’t the whole problem? 🐾

When a dog is barking, pulling, chewing, digging, jumping up or struggling to settle, it’s natural to focus on stopping that behaviour.

But before asking, “How do I stop this behaviour?” it can help to ask:

“What need might my dog be trying to meet?”

A dog who constantly picks things up may need more appropriate opportunities to carry, dissect or explore.

A dog who pulls towards every smell may need more time for unhurried sniffing.

A dog who struggles to settle may be overtired, overstimulated or missing suitable outlets during the day.

A dog who barks at something unfamiliar may need more distance and support—not simply more instructions.

Training skills are important, but they are only one part of the picture. Good behaviour support also considers a dog’s physical, emotional, social, sensory and breed-specific needs.

Sometimes, meeting the need underneath the behaviour makes learning much easier.

What is one behaviour from your dog that you would love to understand better?

🐾 One remaining space 🐾 There’s one space left on our 6 WEEK PUPPY COURSE starting Thursday 6th August at 6:30pm. Held a...
31/07/2026

🐾 One remaining space 🐾

There’s one space left on our 6 WEEK PUPPY COURSE starting Thursday 6th August at 6:30pm.

Held at Kettleholm village hall

🐾 Small group size for optimum learning
🐾 Qualified trainer
🐾 Course covers a range of skills, activities and socialisation to help gain confidence & skills for life

Message the page or What’s app 07791 837163 to book

Address

Dumfries
DG11

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 9pm
Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 9pm
Friday 10am - 8pm
Saturday 9am - 3pm
Sunday 10am - 1pm

Telephone

+447791837163

Website

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