Gracious Dogs Leeds

Home
United Kingdom
Leeds
Gracious Dogs Leeds

Supporting You With Your Puppy and Dog Training Challenges 🐕
Personalized Dog Training 🐾

07/10/2026

So, what have I got planned for October? Quite a lot, actually!

Here's everything you can book with me this month

👻 Haunted Hub Halloween Party
The group party on Friday 30th October is full, but I've opened a new date for Monday 26th October!

Solo session is are available if your dog would rather have a bit more space.https://graciousdogs.my.canva.site/hauntedhubhalloween

🎆 Firework Prep Workshops
A small group workshop where we practise noises in a calm way, so your dog feels more settled and safe when fireworks start.
Come along to one, or join all four for regular practice.

Monday and Thursday evenings
https://graciousdogs.my.canva.site/fireworkprepworkshop

🐶 NEW 12 week Puppy Life Skills Club
12-week puppy course to help you and your puppy the learn skills and grow the confidence to raise a calm, happy dog.
Choose Wednesday 7:30pm or Saturday 9:00am.

🐾 Weekly Good Dog classes
Looking to brush up your dog’s training and practice in a small training classes.
Tuesday evenings

Not sure which one is right for you and your dog?

Send me a message and tell me a little about them. I'll help you pick

03/10/2026

How is it October already?! September went in a blink.

Here are a handful of the best pics from some of the things we got up to last month.

Fingers crossed October slows down a bit…because it is going to be a busy one (in the best way).

28/09/2026

Why does this goal matter to you?

Because it’s one thing to want a result (better recall, calmer walks, polite greetings)… but it’s your bigger reason that keeps you going when training feels slow, messy, or you have a “wobble” week.

When you know your why, you can come back to it on the tough days. It helps you refocus, stay consistent, and keep making progress.

Maybe your why is:

- You want your dog to enjoy safe off-lead freedom in the park, without disappearing for hours.
- You want visitors to feel comfortable in your home, with your dog able to settle instead of jumping all over them.

You’re not just ticking off a training task, you’re building a life that feels easier, safer, and more enjoyable for you and your dog.

The goal might be recall.
But the why might be freedom, safety, and relaxed adventures.

The goal might be loose lead walking.
But the why might be enjoying walks again.

That matters.

What’s the bigger reason behind your current training goal?

27/09/2026

Sundays are usually my sacred day off 😴

But this Sunday was all business over at PATS!

This was my first time checking out PATs (the pet and aquatics trade show), and my day was filled with checking out gear, treats, goodies, and supplements.

I’m always hunting for the best new stuff to recommend to anyone traoning with me, to help along your training journey. Whether it’s a orthopedic bed, food for sensitive bellies, calming supplements, indestructible chew toys, secure muzzles, escape-proof harnesses, or anything in-between!

It was great to check out some of my favourite brands, see what new stuff they have, and seeing all the options.

I already have loads of stuff ready to recommend and try out for myself.

24/09/2026

I know you find it hard to stay consistent with your dog's training and honestly, it *is* hard, especially when you're already so busy.

You're learning how your dog learns, working towards a bigger goal and trying to get everything right. But if you're waiting to find an extra hour every day or trying to create a long, advanced training programme, you might be making it harder than it needs to be.

some times you need to strip it back abit and make it easy for yourself to stick to small bit of trainign every day.

When you make training easier, it becomes easier to stay consistent. And even if that consistency only creates a little bit of progress, that's still better than making training so big that you struggle to do it at all.

Want a simple 5‑minute daily training routine you can actually stick to?

Comment Engagement and I’ll send it straight to you 🐾

18/09/2026

Ever finish a training session wondering whether you actually made any progress or what you should do differently next time?

If you finish a session and just move on with your day, it’s easy to forget what you practised, miss the small wins, and end up repeating the same thing next time.

Taking just one minute to reflect helps you notice what worked, understand what your dog found tricky, and make your next session more effective.

You don’t need a complicated tracking system. You just need to notice what’s happening so you can make a clear, useful adjustment.

After a session, ask:

- What did we practise?
- Where did we practise?
- What worked?
- What was too hard?
- What’s one tiny win?
- What will I change next time?

That turns “we need to practise more” into an actual plan.

Want to try it?

Share one answer from your last training session in the comments

16/09/2026

Shhhh dont tell anyone they I am sharing a few of my little dog training hacks with you.

Because I know sometimes we all need a little secrect hack up our sleves to help us out.

So here are 3 of my ones you can easily add into your training sessions with you dog to get a ltittle extra boost.

1) Animate Your reward

Although yeah giving your dog a treat or toy is fine and better if its something tasty like chicken or chesse. There is another way you can boost your dog treat or toy's value and that is to make it animated!

- throwing it away for them to sniff out and find
- rolling it across the floor so they can chase it
- tossing it up for them to catch
- scattering a few treats for a mini “sniff party”

This turns the reward into an activity

Chasing, sniffing, following, and searching for treats adds extra excitement and taps into your dog’s natural foraging instincts.

2) Let your dog chase you (especially for recall)
Most dogs think “come here” = fun ends and they quickly stop coming to you because your boring and end their fun.

So instead become the fun.
Call them to you … then turn and run away from them. Keep up the chase until they catch you.
You’ll be amazed how quickly recall starts feeling exciting again.

3) Use “forbidden” objects (safely)

Not every dog is obsessed with treats. But those socks they keep stealing? That might be their dream reward.

If your dog loves grabbing something they shouldn’t, give them a safe version of it and make it a special training reward (yes…sacrifice a sock if you need to).

Your dog decides what is rewarding

We often choose the reward we *think* our dog should like. Training works best when you use what your dog already finds exciting.

If they love tugging, use tug.
If they love chasing, throw a toy.
If they love carrying things, give them something safe to carry.

Sometimes it’s not about the fanciest treats, it’s about finding what your dog is genuinely motivated by.

The real “secret” is this: your dog decides what’s rewarding.
Once you start using that, training gets easier (and a lot more fun).

Got a training hack your dog loves?

Drop it in the comment, I want to steal yours too!

13/09/2026

Training success isn’t only about reaching your final goal.

Sometimes, it is about what you learn along the way.

Learning how to spot when your dog is getting tired before they completely switch off.

Learning to notice your dog’s signs of stress.

Learning when your dog needs more distance from distractions, and when they are ready to move closer.

Learning when your dog needs a break.

Learning what motivates your dog for different types of training.

Learning how your dog best learns new behaviours.

No, this might not be the big “finished” result you had in mind.

But it is progress.

And it is a sign that you are building a better relationship with your dog.

All progress that you make in your training journey is a step towards success.

Tell me one thing you have discovered about your dog lately.

10/09/2026

Want more successful training sessions?

Here are a few things to prepare before you begin

✅ What is my clear goal?

✅ Why does it matter?

✅ What smaller milestones will get us there?

✅ What stage is my dog currently at?

✅ Can my dog cope with this environment?

✅ What will genuinely motivate them?

✅ What equipment will help us train safely?

✅ Am I in the right headspace to be patient and realistic?

Training becomes much clearer when we stop focusing only on the final behaviour and start creating the conditions our dogs need to learn.

Which part of this checklist do you find easiest to forget?

Let me know below

08/09/2026

I’m Rocco, and listening is not exactly my favourite thing.

Why would I want to listen when I could run wild, jump at everyone, and do my own thing?

The problem is… sometimes my excitement gets a bit too big.

I especially love running off, getting giddy, and then launching myself into my human at full speed with my whole body.

But apparently, that is how my human ended up with a sore knee.

And now, because my human is struggling with walking, I can’t get my usual big walks.

Oops.

So now I come to see Shona every week for this thing she calls “training.”

Personally, I would rather run around, jump on everything, and play tug with Shona for a full hour.

But instead, Shona is helping me learn how to listen.

So far, we have been practising:

- sit
- down
- whistle recall
- settling on a bed
- calmness around the door
- taking skills into real life

And do you know what?

It’s actually starting to make sense.

Shona makes training fun for me by working with how I like to learn. Which involves catching treats and big games of tug of war.

I still love launching myself at things.

I still love running around wild.

And Shona says it is probably going to take me a while to become the “goodest boy.”

But I am already making progress.

And when listening comes with treats, tug, and lots of encouragement?

I think I might be starting to like it.

Soon I am going to be training all my new skills out into the big wide world and cant wait for my humans knee to to better so I can show him all my skills on our next big walk!

😉

If your dog is a bit like Rocco overexcited, full of energy, and struggling to listen when life feels fun you’re not alone.

Drop me a message to see how I can help your dog learn to listen.

Address

Kippax
Leeds

Website

https://www.graciousdogs.uk/, https://linktr.ee/graciousdogsleeds

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Gracious Dogs Leeds posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Gracious Dogs Leeds:

Want your business to be the top-listed pet store/pet service in Leeds?