Show Dog Academy

10/06/2026

I'm delighted to announce we now have a web presence. The web address is www.showdogacademy.co.uk

Why not pay a visit and see what we do and how we can help you and your dog.

09/06/2026

Im really sorry but I need to cancel today's training classes due to family illness.

08/06/2026

This weeks training classes will go ahead regardless of the weather.

Our Puppy classes take place 11am Tuesdays and 6pm Thursdays. Unlike most training courses our training course allows for new puppies to join the training at any time not just on the first session of a block. Each session we tailor training to each individual puppy as everyone is different and will learn at different speeds.

If you are looking for a certified trainer with a lifetime of experience contact me for more details.

Our show dog training takes place on Tuesdays at 12 noon and Thursdays at 7pm and is open to all breeds and handlers of all abilities. Contact me for details.

We also offer 1 2 1 sessions for all dogs, general training, problem solving or show training.

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06/06/2026

06/06/2026

Today it was a trip to Errol Showground for Dundee Canine Clubs Open Show.

First up was Longcoat Chihuahua Flora, Ismirelle Teddy Bear Picnic wo was second in her Post Graduate class under Judge Gillian Marley. Thankyou for thinking so highly of our girl.

Next it was the Mini Smooth Dachsunds and in Postgraduate, Tilly, Jenivon Jewel at Wenichones won that class. Then onto Open where Dottie, Clentry Bumblebee at Wenichones also won the class.

Tilly then was awarded Best of Breed. In the Hound group she was shortlisted but went no further. Thanks to Judge Mrs Stella Blackmore.

In the Pastoral ring Jane Heggie had three Australian Shepherds competing. I was asked to show the lovely Luca in the Limit class and was delighted to win that class Jane was awarded Best Puppy in Breed with the youngster Cairo.

Have yet to catch up with clients on their results so please comment your results.

Well done to the Committee for a lovely show.

05/06/2026

The “immediately friendly equals well-socialised” myth

There’s a widespread assumption - particularly in Western dog culture - that an immediately friendly dog is a well-socialised one. But sociability and social health aren’t the same thing.

A dog that rushes up to every stranger isn’t necessarily confident. It can equally reflect overarousal (due to varying emotions), a lack of impulse control, or a lack of clear social boundaries.

Natural reservation and fear are not the same thing. This distinction matters enormously, and the two are frequently collapsed, which is a significant equivocation with real consequences for dogs.

Fear-based reservation tends to involve active avoidance, visible stress signals, and an inability to recover. Natural reservation looks quite different - the dog may be calm, observant, and fully functional - simply withholding engagement until they’ve made their own assessment. Conflating the two pathologises a healthy characteristic.

Some breeds were never bred for indiscriminate friendliness: Chow Chows, Akitas, and many Nordic and Eastern breeds among them. Applying a universal social template to every dog and finding them wanting does a real disservice to both the individual and the breed. The Eurasier standard, for example, describes the breed as reserved with strangers, but without signs of aggression - and in my experience, that’s accurate. There’s a spectrum, as with any breed, but natural reservation was genuinely one of the things that drew me to them.

The pressure for dogs to be immediately friendly with strangers largely serves the stranger, not the dog. A dog that takes their time is exercising due diligence. Appropriate social boundaries. Something we’d readily respect in a human.

There’s also a persistent assumption that reservation in adult dogs signals inadequate early socialisation. Sometimes that’s true - but a well-socialised dog of a naturally reserved breed, or any breed, may still be reserved. Socialisation does shape confidence and resilience, but it doesn’t necessarily alter how much social contact a dog seeks, or from whom.

Every dog deserves to be read as an individual - not measured against a template, or unrealistic expectations that we wouldn’t apply to other humans.

05/06/2026

At Show Dog Academy we dont just train show dogs we train all dogs.

Lets look at what training goes into a show dog and what training goes into a family pet.

We start at puppy stage.

Loose lead walking is the first thing many will think of as where training starts. It starts before that.

Focus on the handler and following the handler really is the first thing to teach a new puppy. If you can work on getting that puppy walking alongside or even following slightly behind without any lead that is a great start. That way the puppy wants to be with you and you are the most interesting thing in the world at that point in life. When you introduce the lead it is then easy to get loose lead walking as really the puppy has already been conditioned to walking beside you.

All dogs should be started that way be it pets, show dogs or working dogs.

Look out tomorrow for further comparisons in training! Does your dog walk like a show dog on a lead? No! Let me help!

Contact me for details.

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05/06/2026

The weather curtailed some of the training this week with Tuesdays classes cancelled.

The Thursday classes were able to go ahead and fun was had.

This week I was working with some new dogs and their owners with 1 2 1 sessions.

A lovely Jack Russel with barking issues and pulling on the lead and also being reactive on walks. We had improvements on all fronts with this lad.

A dachshund again with barking issues and being reactive when out on walks. He also pulled on the lead when out and of course had to scent mark at every opportunity. We made good progress with him.

Then there was a further session with a collie x lab and he too is making progress. He is doing well his owners a working hard to follow our training plan.

A lovely chocolate lab puppy also had a second session with me and typical of a puppy her attention span is short but she is making good progress on lead. We also worked on recall which we had lots of fun with.

A bulldog who was reactive to other dogs came yesterday for a first time session and huge progress was made passing several dogs with no reaction including passing two Irish Wolfhounds.

It is also worth noting here that whilst professional trainers can offer assistance and guidance it is down to owners to actually do the training on a daily basis. I dont know of any dog which was trained by one session a week with a trainer. Thankfully all of my clients work very hard at home with their dogs training and it is a pleasure working with them. Keep up the great work everyone.

The picture is of my clients bulldog which is her first show dog. The same owner has the bulldog we worked with yesterday.