Pawsitive Training

15/06/2026

🐾 A brilliant way to work with prey drive instead of against it!

This ‘Hide It Find It’ game is a simple but powerful enrichment exercise that taps directly into your dog’s natural hunting sequence 🦌

It also builds impulse control engagement and problem solving while giving the brain something structured and satisfying to do.

🎾 What you need
A favourite toy ideally a tug toy or fur lined toy such as a toy to better mimic prey

🧠 How to teach it

1️⃣ Ask for a sit and wait at the start point
This builds steadiness and control before the fun begins

2️⃣ Take the toy and move around as if you are hiding it
Walk to several different spots and pretend to place it down each time
This is your deception phase and builds focus anticipation and reading of handler movement

3️⃣ Only one real hide
Secretly place the toy in one of the locations while continuing to fake the others
This adds a memory element as your dog has to process what they saw and work out the real location

4️⃣ Return to your dog calmly
Reset focus before release

5️⃣ Release with your cue such as ‘Find it!’
Let them drive into the search using nose eyes and memory

🔥 Why this game is so powerful?
✔ Channels prey drive in a structured and controlled way
✔ Builds impulse control through the sit and wait
✔ Develops scenting searching and problem solving skills
✔ Provides mental fulfilment through natural behavioural patterns
✔ Strengthens engagement and focus with you
✔ Gives an appropriate outlet for chase grab and hunt sequences

This is about allowing dogs to express natural instincts in a way that works in real life rather than suppressing them.

A fulfilled dog is not just tired, they are satisfied 💪

10/06/2026

Meet Peggy 🐶💕

Peggy is a 6 year old rescue Mini Yorkie who was adopted at around 3 and a half years old. Since then, she has settled into a loving home, but she still carries a lot of underlying anxiety which shows up as noise sensitivity, separation anxiety, and occasional reactivity towards her owners’ parents’ dogs in certain environments such as the home or when sitting still in cafés.

A huge credit goes to her owner 💛 Before our session, she had already done amazing work building Peggy’s confidence on walks and helping her feel more secure when being away from her owner. That foundation is making a real difference to how she copes day to day.

In our session, we focused on understanding Peggy’s emotional state rather than just the behaviours, and how often she is operating in a heightened, alert state which makes it harder for her to relax and process the world around her 🐾

Our plan includes:
🐾 Tracking diet, sleep and exercise to identify patterns that may influence stress levels

🐾 Adding calming enrichment such as sniffing, licking and chewing to help her decompress and promote more natural settling

🐾 Reducing noise triggers and supporting deeper rest, especially in busy or unpredictable environments

🐾 Monitoring for any signs of pain or discomfort that could be contributing to anxiety or reactivity

🐾 Gentle, gradual noise desensitisation paired with food to slowly change her emotional response to sounds she currently finds worrying

🐾 Positive, structured work around her owners’ parents’ dogs using controlled walks together and engage disengage exercises to build neutrality, confidence and predictability

Everything is about helping Peggy feel less overwhelmed, more secure in her environment, and able to move through the world at her own pace 🌟

09/06/2026

Looking into getting your dog castrated?😮
Not sure when is best?😬
Hearing conflicting advice?😨

Find below my guide on castration from a behavioural and brain developmental perspective, followed by references to studies and articles 💖

Castration is one of the most common procedures performed on dogs, but growing research suggests that the timing of castration may have important implications for health, behaviour and development. While castration can provide benefits, it is increasingly recognised that reproductive hormones play a...

08/06/2026

How handsome is Dexter 😍

For such a young puppy, Dexter is making amazing progress and showing just how quickly puppies can learn when training is clear, positive, and consistent.

Dexter’s owners have been putting in the work at home and are already seeing fantastic results. After just a short time practicing with the whistle, Dexter was coming back promptly in the garden, even when his owners were out of sight. He’s also been successfully recalling away from other dogs and distractions, earning plenty of praise and some very tasty chicken rewards!

⭐ Puppy Training Tips:
• Reward the behaviour you want to see more of
• Keep training sessions short, fun, and positive
• Use high value rewards for recall practice
• Build success gradually before adding distractions
• Consistency from everyone in the family is key

Well done, Dexter and family!! Keep up the great work 🐶👏

30/05/2026

📦🐾 Destruction Box Fun 🐾📦

Who says enrichment has to be complicated? 💖

A destruction box is simply a box filled with safe treasures like smaller boxes, newspaper, toys and treats for your dog to rummage, sniff, shred and discover! 📰🎁👃

This type of enrichment taps into natural dog behaviours like foraging, scavenging, sniffing and problem solving. It’s especially loved by terriers, hounds, gundogs and any dog who enjoys using their nose and brain 🐶✨

Enrichment activities like this can help provide mental stimulation, build confidence, encourage species appropriate behaviours and give energetic minds a positive outlet 💖

If your dog is likely to eat cardboard, try hiding treats in layers of cabbage or lettuce leaves instead 🥬 It’s a great shredding alternative and just as much fun!

As you can see, my two 14 year old Border Terriers are still proving that enrichment has no age limit! 🐾💖

29/05/2026

Recall training for high prey dogs 🐶

Eddie has been working hard with predation substitute training, learning how to use his predatory motor pattern safely after having a history of chasing deer and killing rats 🐀

Alongside this, we have conditioned the sound of the whistle with his toy to help reinforce recall, but also give him that outlet for chasing which he loves 💖

At the moment, we don’t want recall to become an aversive and use it around prey, we want to practice it alongside teaching Eddie to disengage from deer or tracking 🦌

Prey doesn’t mean leave and avoid, it means working with the predatory motor pattern🐾
Don’t suppress prey drive, work with it!

All done with force and fear free methods ✨

27/05/2026

Training recall and predation behaviours with puppies isn’t about “stopping” instincts, it’s about teaching them how to work through them safely and successfully 💛

This session with Frankie (5 month old terrier cross) shows exactly why we train UNDER threshold first.

Learning can only happen when a dog feels safe enough to think, process and make choices.

Frankie already knows her marker word “YES”, has started recall training, and has learnt the engage/disengage game so now we’re building on those foundations gradually and fairly.

What makes this harder for Frankie is her breed traits and learning history. Terriers were bred to complete the predatory motor pattern:
Orient → Eye → Stalk → Chase → Grab Bite → Kill Bite → Dissect → Consume

And with terriers we often also see the “shake” behaviour during grab bite.

The important thing to remember is this:
Predatory behaviour is natural, normal and self-reinforcing. Frankie has already practised completing this sequence by catching a rat and even recently finding a rabbit carcass before filming this session.

That means these behaviours are highly rewarding to her, so changing emotional responses and creating new habits takes TIME.

Rather than constantly recalling her away from prey and creating frustration/conflict, we’re focusing on reinforcing the EARLY parts of the sequence:
👀 Watching
👃 Sniffing
🐾 Tracking
💡 Choosing to disengage and check back in

You’ll see us marking and rewarding those moments of calm observation and natural check ins. We want Frankie to learn that engaging with her human is part of the process, not the end of the fun.

We’re also giving appropriate outlets for those natural instincts through:
✔️ Tug games
✔️ Destruction boxes
✔️ KONGs
✔️ Scatter feeding
✔️ Treat balls
✔️ Enrichment activities

Force and fear free training is not about suppressing behaviour through punishment or intimidation. It’s about understanding the dog in front of you, meeting their needs, and teaching skills in a way that builds trust and emotional regulation.

For dogs like Frankie, progress isn’t linear but every calm check in

26/05/2026