A Pawsitive Step

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A Pawsitive Step I’m Catriona, Award-winning trainer | Science-led, sniff-powered learning +R trainer covering Wiltshire + Glos. I provide classes, workshops & 1-2-1’s for all.

Link in bio to book or get in contact for more advice on which approach is right for you 👍🏼

A Little update from me…Sometimes life has a rather dramatic way of telling you to slow down.Those of you who have train...
27/09/2026

A Little update from me…

Sometimes life has a rather dramatic way of telling you to slow down.

Those of you who have trained with me over the past few years will know how much I love what I do. A Pawsitive Step has never just been about teaching dogs — it’s about helping people understand the dog at the other end of the lead, building confidence and turning tension into teamwork.

However, following my Mum’s sudden death last October, what has been an incredibly difficult and stressful year has finally caught up with me.

Rather unexpectedly, I have recently had a heart attack.

As a result, I need to take my own advice for once: listen, understand what is happening, and adjust accordingly.

For the time being, that means stepping back from practical dog training while I recover and give my heart the time it needs. This is a health-led pause, rather than a change in direction for A Pawsitive Step, and I very much intend to return to the work I love when I am able to do so safely.

I’m enormously proud of what I have built, of the dogs and people I have worked with, and of everything A Pawsitive Step has become.

So this isn’t goodbye.

It’s simply me taking a Pawsitive Step back for a little while. ❤️🐾@

03/08/2026

SERIOUSLY… I’m so sick of hearing this.
“Just ignore the puppy biting.”
“He’s trying to dominate you.”
“He needs to know who’s boss.”
“He’s manipulating you.”
“Just tire him out.”
“He’s doing it for attention.”

Honestly, I’m getting tired of people who’ve raised one puppy 20 years ago, or had a dog that somehow turned out alright, suddenly becoming canine behaviour experts.

I’ve had hair for years.
It doesn’t make me a hairdresser.

I’ve got teeth.
It doesn’t make me a dentist.

Owning a dog doesn’t automatically make someone an expert in behaviour.

The reality?
Puppies bite.
Puppies have tantrums.
Puppies get overtired.
Puppies get frustrated.
Puppies get overstimulated.

They’re babies trying to navigate a world they don’t yet understand.
The answer isn’t a one sentence fix from TikTok, Facebook, or your neighbour who “knows dogs.”

It’s understanding why the behaviour is happening.

Because once you understand the emotion behind the behaviour, you stop trying to suppress it and start teaching the puppy how to cope.

Rant over… until the next person tells me Peanut is trying to manipulate or dominate me. 🤦🏼‍♀️🐾

Set complete! Thanks to Vicki Toff Tails Pet Boutique. Living in home with Dogs, it’s nice to show my ‘purrmanent’ love ...
23/07/2026

Set complete! Thanks to Vicki Toff Tails Pet Boutique. Living in home with Dogs, it’s nice to show my ‘purrmanent’ love of all things feline too!

💀 Friday Funny – Halloween Edition 💀Still waiting for those free dog training tips to turn your dog into a well-behaved ...
31/10/2025

💀 Friday Funny – Halloween Edition 💀

Still waiting for those free dog training tips to turn your dog into a well-behaved genius?
Don’t worry, any century now, the internet will cough up that one magic post that fixes everything.

Until then… might as well get comfortable. 🕯️💻

(The technical reason you’re struggling? It’s called passive learning versus actual application. Your brain doesn’t initially translate what it sees or hears correctly and your dog immediately gets the confusing message that adds to frustration, not lessens it…

Want to get it right quickly? You need an experienced and compassionate person with you to align what your brain is missing. All the videos in the world won’t do that. It’s not a trick!)

30/10/2025

Powerful words from a VET 🙏 The message is clear and worth every moment of your time 👍🏼

🐾 Wednesday Woofer Wisdom – They Feel It Too 🌈Grief. Our dogs do understand it.Last week I took my two dogs to see my mu...
29/10/2025

🐾 Wednesday Woofer Wisdom – They Feel It Too 🌈

Grief. Our dogs do understand it.

Last week I took my two dogs to see my mum, who died last week. Honestly? I needed help from one of the ambulance crew, I wasn’t coherent or feeling strong enough to handle them alone.

But why did I take them? A part of me was selfish. I strongly believed it would help them understand my emotional journey through pain, suffering, and loss. They were both very fond of my Mum, especially my older dog. And so we did it together.

Here’s what I noticed:

• My dogs acted independently of one another, one in shock, the other in disbelief and dismay.
• They had questions, in their way.
• And they witnessed a shared story of love and change.

It reminded me how often we underestimate our dogs’ emotional intelligence. Science shows that dogs can recognise human emotions through our scent, posture, and tone of voice and even experience behavioural changes themselves after losing someone they love. (2022 Coren, Mills et al)

This is all through connection with them and not control. As a family group, they are being ‘well behaved’ because they know I am in pain and want to show compassion. It’s not being well behaved, it’s empathy, pure and simple.

🐾 Wednesday Woofer Wisdom – Strange Sights. Calm Minds.Halloween is creeping closer, and while we might love the pumpkin...
22/10/2025

🐾 Wednesday Woofer Wisdom – Strange Sights. Calm Minds.

Halloween is creeping closer, and while we might love the pumpkins and spooky decor, our dogs can find it all a bit… well, weird. 🎃

So this week, practise calm curiosity on your walks:
👀 Spot something strange.
✨ Reward your dog for not reacting.
🚶 Then calmly move on before it gets too much.

You’re helping them build optimism around novelty, learning that new or odd things aren’t scary… just part of the adventure (with snacks, of course). 💛

🌿 Mindful Mutt Monday – It Takes a VillageThey say “It takes a village to raise a child.”Well… it also takes a village t...
20/10/2025

🌿 Mindful Mutt Monday – It Takes a Village

They say “It takes a village to raise a child.”
Well… it also takes a village to create an event where dogs can learn, play, and find calm amid the chaos. 💛

This weekend at The Big Bark, I was reminded how teamwork makes everything possible. From shelters to snacks, and spaces to sniff, every piece mattered.

Huge thanks to:

🏕️ Surf & Turf Instant Shelters – for keeping the scentwork arena colourful, composed and weatherproof.
🐾 The Doggy Playschool Company – for being the home of my upcoming classes and for endless support.
🍖 Murphy’s Doggy Deli – for fuelling our sniffers (and their humans!) with tasty treats.
🎪 The Big Bark – for hosting such a brilliant celebration of all things canine. From a Behavioural point of view, the space was enough and so what if we had to walk further for Coffee? It’s about the Dogs and their needs, not the fact we have to walk further to get a drink!
☕️ Ph7even – for the coffee that kept this trainer running when my legs wanted a nap leading up to the event.
✂️ Cotswold Sharpening Services - for advice and sourcing ideas for even the simplest of things like fencing pins
🍻The Rose and Crown, Malmesbury - for the Straw

It really does take a village - and I’m so thankful for mine. 💛

The Big Bark 🎃🐾 What. A. Weekend! Despite the downpour today, our spooky sniffer superstars showed up in style for a wee...
19/10/2025

The Big Bark 🎃🐾 What. A. Weekend!

Despite the downpour today, our spooky sniffer superstars showed up in style for a weekend of Halloween-themed scent work fun! 🕷👻 From pumpkins to potion pots, the dogs were absolute naturals at sniffing out the spooky scents — and proving that a bit of rain never dampens a determined nose. 💪🐶

A massive thank you to everyone who came along (and braved the mud!) - you and your dogs made it a fantastic day. 💛

📸 Here are a few snaps from the event. Can you spot your clever canine? 👀

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