Eddy the Dog Trainer

03/09/2026

If your dog struggles around distractions on walks, your first instinct is probably to try and stop the reaction…

🦮 Make sure you save this and send it to yourself to remember for your next walk!

… Unfortunately, the reaction isn’t really THE problem.

The real work needs to happen BEFORE your dog gets to the point where they’re barking, lunging, pulling or completely unable to listen to you. Do you really want to spend your walks constantly trying to stop your dog from noticing things?
Because I'd rather you taught them what to DO when they notice something and to have the skills to cope in that situation.

Noticing the distraction, staying calm and engaged with you instead, being able to make a different choice - all of this needs a bit of work.

And that doesn’t happen through a quick fix. But don't worry I'll share my process with you! ☺️

Generally, there are 4 phases I work through to help dogs build the skills they need for those currently chaotic walks. Knowing what to work on, when to work on it and when your dog is ready to move on can makes a BIG difference.

So if you want to understand the process and figure out what you should be working on with your dog, comment ROADMAP and I’ll send you my free Better Walks Roadmap. 🐾 You'll also find practical exercise you can take with you on your next walk too.

And if you already know you need support putting this into practice, you can join the Confident Dog Mum Club.

If September feels like a good time to get back into a routine with your dog, I’ve also got a little back-to-school offer running until Sunday 13th September for the Confident Dog Mum Club. You can currently get a FREE TRIAL + 15% off your first 3 months with the discount code: SEPTEMBER. 💛

👉🏻 Want the process? Comment "ROADMAP"
👉🏻 Ready to join us and work on the Better Walks Programme? Save the code, comment "CLUB" and I’ll send you the details. The September offer ends 13th September.

03/09/2026

If your dog struggles around distractions on walks, your first instinct is probably to try and stop the reaction.

Unfortunately, the reaction isn’t really THE problem.

The real work needs to happen BEFORE your dog gets to the point where they’re barking, lunging, pulling or completely unable to listen to you. Do you really want to spend your walks constantly trying to stop your dog from noticing things?
Because I'd rather you taught them what to DO when they notice something and to have the skills to cope in that situation.

Noticing the distraction, staying calm and engaged with you instead, being able to make a different choice - all of this needs a bit of work.

And that doesn’t happen through a quick fix. But don't worry I'll share my process with you! ☺️

Generally, there are 4 phases I work through to help dogs build the skills they need for those currently chaotic walks. Knowing what to work on, when to work on it and when your dog is ready to move on can makes a BIG difference.

So if you want to understand the process and figure out what you should be working on with your dog, comment ROADMAP and I’ll send you my free Better Walks Roadmap. 🐾 You'll also find practical exercise you can take with you on your next walk too.

And if you already know you need support putting this into practice, you can join the Confident Dog Mum Club.

If September feels like a good time to get back into a routine with your dog, I’ve also got a little back-to-school offer running until Sunday 13th September for the Confident Dog Mum Club. You can currently get a FREE TRIAL + 15% off your first 3 months with the discount code: SEPTEMBER. 💛

👉🏻 Want the process? Comment "ROADMAP"
👉🏻 Ready to join us and work on the Better Walks Programme? Save the code, comment "CLUB" and I’ll send you the details. The September offer ends 13th September.

26/08/2026

Long overdue but I updated my website to reflect how my support options work and how I can help you - do check it out! I have budget friendly and immediate support spots open which you can now book directly through my website. :) If you're still not sure, just ask me any questions!

Dog Training in South Devon around Newton Abbot, Exeter, Paignton, Torquay, Totnes, Ivybridge. Qualified Behavioural Specialist and Dog Trainer offering private training in person and online coaching. Specialising in reactivity, aggression, barking, confidence, growling, resource guarding, puppy tra

19/08/2026

Don't judge as I'm always so late with jumping on trends and memes and sometimes I’m not sure how to do it 🤣
BUT I needed a bit of Dwight's help with this one because I hear this objection ALL the time and I see people use food in the ways that can also hinder their training e.g. when dogs develop aversion to treats/food. 😖

I mean, I DON'T want you to have to over use treats forever either 🤣 But TREATS ARE NOT EVIL 🫠 ...

The problem is that lots of people use treats as a bribe, don't understand how to gradually phase them out, or they go completely cold turkey and stop taking them on walks altogether. 😖 Treats should NOT disappear as soon as you've taught a behaviour.

Food is a training tool and dogs are natural scavengers meaning they are naturally motivated by it. Food can also help with creating dopamine so they’ll willingly come back to you for training again and again. Why wouldn’t you want that? 🤷🏼‍♀️

It all comes down to having the appropriate training skills, and no, you don't have to become a professional trainer to do that. When you know how to use food properly without starving your dog first for motivation or as a bribe, you can build behaviours that become habits, strengthen your communication with your dog, and gradually reduce your reliance on food without your training falling apart!

For example, during our Better Walks training programme, we work on achieving less pulling and lunging on walks, more engagement with you and building social skills - without constantly having to wave a treat in your dog's face! If you want to see how it works, I put together a free 4-Step Roadmap to Better Walks that breaks this down properly - comment "ROADMAP" and I'll send it your way. 🙌🏻

14/08/2026

As a dog mum and a canine professional, these are the things I’d genuinely avoid! ❌

➡️ Have any of these surprised you? Have you got anything else to add to the list? Do share!

And if you ever need any advice on any of these I'm always happy to help if you drop me a message! ☺️

10/08/2026

I’m a dog trainer and behaviour specialist, and I help overwhelmed dog mums with dogs who bark on walks.

And I’m NOT here to judge anyone who’s tried to punish their dog for barking, because I've been there myself - before I learned there are kinder and more effective ways to help them. Yes, help them, because your dog is NOT being 'naughty'!

So in case you didn't know, I'm here to help :)

➡️ Top reasons why your dog might bark at other dogs or people on walks:
- Fear
- Overstimulation
- Underlying pain, discomfort, other medical issues

Are any of them a good enough reason to tell someone off, intimidate them or physically punish them?
PROBABLY NOT, but as a professional I see it happen so often you start to wonder WHY it happens. 👀

These methods DO NOT address the reason your dog is barking in the first place. It can simply make them feel worse about whatever they’re already struggling with, while potentially damaging your relationship and suppressing the behaviours rather than changing the underlying emotion.

➡️ The main reasons I see why people might choose that approach:
- They don’t understand WHY their dog is barking
- They’re feeling overwhelmed themselves - especially with advice they're being given
- They don’t have the skills to know what to do
Skills to handle those situations before, during and after without making things worse.
Skills to finally change the behaviour rather just managing it.
Skills to support their dogs emotionally - yes, they are also struggling.

So, now that you know, you can...
1. take a shot every time I say the word 'skills' 🤣
2. continue punishing your dog
3. or you can start learning to do it with kinder methods..which one is it going to be? 🤔

We go into all of this in the Better Walks programme and support you within the Confident Dog Mum Club so you can learn the skills, knowledge and practical strategies to make walks easier for both of you rather than just trying to stop the barking 🥰 Comment "Club" for details.

30/07/2026

No one really says this but lots of people feel bad about it, so I will..

I work with dogs and their guardians daily and I see so many people put so much pressure on themselves to create the “perfect” dog walk (and experiencing various issues on those walks). And your dog probably cares more about sniffing that lamp post and p*e mail for 2 minutes straight than a stunning sunset mountain top view. 🌄

Today’s walk was in a car park. Plenty of new smells, plenty of choices as I let my dog lead me to the sniffs he wanted to investigate. It wasn’t a scenic route but it met his needs. And he was VERY satisfied afterwards. ☺️

Just a reminder that you’re not failing your dog just because your walk isn’t Instagram-worthy every day. I think it’s more important to include a variety of experiences on those walks to build our dog’s confidence but that can look different for everyone.

➡️ What do your dog walks look like? I’ll go first! 💬

BTW if you struggle to go to new places with your dog due to pulling on the lead, barking or lunging - that’s something you can work on inside the The Confident Dog Mum Club with the rest of our community. So if you want to set off on your dog walks with confidence - comment the word CLUB below for details :)

26/07/2026

I’ll just say this: you MUST watch until the end 🥲 Wasn’t sure what to do with him so we played a game! the rules were simple but did he understand? Who won?! 🫣

Anyone tried this with their dog child? 😂

Remember to like ❤️ so I can create more content, save 💾 to try later and follow ➕ for more dog mum training content! 😌

24/07/2026

To all those we meet on a walk that have 100 years of experience with dogs and all the answers, I might hurt your feelings. 🥲

Sometimes the advice you give to others on your morning walk isn’t as helpful as you think.

You don’t know anything about the person and the dog you’re talking to. You don’t know their history and you don’t know what they’re working on. You don’t know the dog’s health condition, if they’re in recovery or if they're just having a bad day.

If someone asks for advice, sure, share it. We can definitely learn from one another, remembering that what YOU do with your own dog isn’t necessarily right for another. ☺️

If they don’t ask - they probably don’t want your opinion to muddle them right now. 🤷‍♀️

Lots of love,
A dog mum, and a qualified dog training and behaviour professional that is trying to enjoy a walk with her dog. 😬
Co-signed by all the dog mums that deal with this daily 🥲

And sorry ‘Karen’, you became a reel because you rubbed me up the wrong way. I get a bit defensive when I have my dog with me and I wasn’t having a great morning. 😬 (Don't worry, I didn't do anything 👀)

1. What 'advice' do you think I've been given? 😬 Take a guess in the comments!
2. I’d also love to hear your stories… Have you ever been given unsolicited dog advice, and was it helpful? 😊 Anything unhinged? I want to know 👀