Tiny Paws Outdoors

16/10/2026

Dixie, Dougie & Harry

14/10/2026

🚨 Retractable leashes might seem convenient, but they come with real risks for your dog.

They allow too much distance, encourage pulling, can snap and cause burns or serious injuries, and reduce the control you need to keep your dog safe around traffic, other animals, or sudden situations. Over time the mechanism can also fail, leaving you with even less control.

Many trainers and vets recommend against them for these reasons. For safer walks and better leash manners, choose a standard leash instead — it’s simpler, more reliable, and gives both of you a better experience. 🐕💗

14/10/2026

I’M NOT STUBBORN!

Your dog won’t come back when called, refuses to walk in the direction you want to go, won’t sit when asked, doesn’t listen when out and about, but does it perfectly at home…

Are they just being stubborn?

What we may think of as just being stubborn is often an important clue that tells us we need to look deeper into the cause.

A dog’s response is influenced by far more than motivation. Emotional state, physical discomfort, stress, tiredness, an environment, previous experiences, genetics and learning history can all play a part.

Perhaps dogs don’t understand what we’re asking. Maybe an environment is far more rewarding than we are. Maybe they are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, overexcited or tired. Maybe they've learned that responding to a particular cue predicts something they find unpleasant. Perhaps there is pain, discomfort or they’re not feeling well.

Are we making it worthwhile, have we taught the behaviour clearly and practised in different environments, is the environment too challenging, are we asking more than the dog can manage in that moment, is there an unmet need or an underlying physical issue?

These are far more important questions than asking how to make a dog comply.

Our responsibility isn't to win a battle of wills. It's to understand the dog in front of us, in that moment and create the conditions in which they can succeed.

Build motivation through what is reinforcing to the individual dog. Make learning clear and consistent. Manage the environment. Respect emotions and physical limits.

A dog succeeds when they feel safe, understand what's being asked and are motivated.

Instead of labelling a dog as “stubborn”, first look at what might be underneath that behaviour.

10/10/2026

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07/10/2026

EXIT STRATEGIES

An exit strategy is a practised, planned way to create sufficient distance or remove a dog that’s about to react to a trigger or situation.

An exit strategy could look like quickly increasing distance when a trigger appears, practicing quick U turns to change direction, or waiting behind a tree, car or similar object until the trigger is far enough away.

The important thing is that the strategy is not something we suddenly invent in the middle of a difficult situation. We need to keep practising it when things are calm so it becomes a normal event.

This strategy decreases stress levels, gives our dogs an opportunity to process information and helps them learn to respond in a different way from a space where they feel safe.

Think about how we may use exit strategies to help us cope and how they make us feel better.

I know from personal experience how beneficial an exit strategy can be.

Some time ago I suffered from debilitating panic attacks after a series of traumatic events. I couldn’t drive on a highway or be in an enclosed space.

My daughter was graduating from university and I could not miss this event, but what if I had a panic attack in the auditorium, couldn’t get out and embarrassed her and myself?

A therapist that I was seeing at the time helped me to develop an exit strategy.

I arrived early and found a seat right next to the exit. If I started panicking, I could just leave through the door. Just knowing that this option was there made such a difference to my state of mind and I ended up being able to make it through the entire ceremony.

The same strategy helped me cope on highways. I just had to drive from one exit to the next and if I was coping - the next and the next.

Having an escape route helped me to feel safe and I was gradually able to cope with more and more exposure.

The same is true of dogs. It’s about creating conditions that make coping and learning possible.

It’s not about running away, avoiding or not facing a problem, but developing a plan to help our dogs cope and feel safe in situations they struggle with.

03/10/2026

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30/09/2026

DISTRACTED DOG WALKERS

The distracted dog walker is commonly seen chatting on the cell phone, wearing headphones or socializing, while oblivious to what their dog is doing, how their dog is feeling or what is going on in the environment.

This may not sound like a problem, but it is something that many of us have a problem with, even more so if we have a reactive, sensitive dog.

I always compare walking a dog to driving a car. It’s not so much about our driving skills, but having to constantly be aware of the driving skills of others – trying to predict what they will do, which rules of the road they will ignore and how distracted they are. This is especially true in the country I live in, where driving can be a really stressful experience.

I understand that we often need to multi task – there simply doesn’t seem to be enough time in our day to accomplish everything we need to, but walking our dogs should not be one of these times.

“But my dog is really friendly, well socialized, gets on well with everyone, is well trained, knows this environment well etc. and I hear that. But another dog might not be – maybe they need space, are reactive, sensitive, selectively social, have health issues, might be terrified of another dog racing straight towards them chasing a ball thrown from a ball launcher etc.

If distracted dog walkers have no regard for other dogs or other people, they should at least have regard for their own dogs.

Walking your dog should be a time of bonding, of connecting, of seeing the world through their eyes, of reinforcing and rewarding wanted behaviours, of keeping them safe and protected, of being truly present in the moments.

27/09/2026

🦌 RUTTING SEASON IS HERE 🦌

As autumn arrives, the New Forest’s deer are entering rutting season. Stags can be unpredictable and may become more aggressive as they compete for females.

When walking your dog:
🐕 Keep dogs under close control
🦌 Give deer plenty of space
🚫 Never allow your dog to chase deer
🌅 Take extra care around dawn and dusk

Please help us protect both our dogs and the Forest’s wildlife. 🍂

23/09/2026

MEETING METHODS MATTER

When two dogs meet, it’s not just about meeting each other.

Dogs are also experiencing the physical environment, unfamiliar scents and sounds, available space, resources, people, leash restriction, previous experiences, the other dog's body language as well as their current emotional state and level of arousal.

Where and how an introduction happens can influence the success of an initial meeting.

This is why meeting somewhere neutral that neither dog considers home is the recommended method. There are fewer established resources and fewer reasons for either dog to feel that their personal space is being invaded.

A successful introduction is about creating conditions where dogs can feel safe enough to decide what they think about each other.

Dogs don’t need to say hello to each other to have a successful encounter.

It’s not about trying to force an immediate friendship or acceptance.

Walking parallel, sniffing, looking at each other, looking away, exploring, moving further apart or gradually decreasing distance is all an important part of building a relationship and helping each dog feel safe.

Maybe they will become friends, maybe just comfortable companions or maybe just mostly ignore each other - all of these outcomes are still successful.

Successful introductions aren’t about forcing dogs be friends - it's about giving dogs enough choices to make their own decisions about how close they want to be.

For more detailed info on this subject, here is a link to an article by Claire Grobbelaar of Canine Concepts®
https://www.canineconcepts.co.za/articles/introducing-a-new-dog-to-a-resident-dog

and from Little Doggy Rescue - A Practical Guide to Dog Introductions
https://littledoggyrescue.co.za/introduce-a-new-dog-to-your-resident-dog

22/09/2026