Warwickshire Dog Training

Warwickshire Dog Training We don’t just train dogs — we build calm, confident dogs and support owners every step of the way.

07/09/2026

At first glance, it might look like one dog is telling the other off.

In this clip, one dog comes charging towards me at full speed, and another responds with a quick bark. It’s easy to label that as “aggression” or “telling them off” or maybe playing. So it’s important to look at what happens next.

Was the bark enough to interrupt the behaviour?
Did the running dog slow down or change direction?
Did both dogs carry on happily afterwards?

A well-timed bark can simply be communication. It might mean:
🐾 “You’re coming in a bit too fast.”
🐾 “Watch your manners.”
🐾 “Slow down!”
🐾 Or even, “Oi, don’t forget about me!”

Dogs don’t always communicate silently, and a bark isn’t automatically a sign of conflict. Healthy dogs often set boundaries with one another in ways that are brief, appropriate, and don’t escalate.

What do you think was happening here? 👇

02/09/2026

Have you ever heard that a dog licking their lips means they’re stressed?

Not necessarily.

Lip licking can be a calming signal and may indicate that a dog is feeling uncomfortable, anxious, or trying to diffuse a situation. But context is everything.

In this video, Margot came straight over to me asking for belly rubs. As I was giving her lots of fuss, you can see her licking her lips. If we looked at that behaviour in isolation, we might assume she was stressed. But when you look at the whole picture, she’s choosing to approach me, staying close, presenting her belly, and happily engaging throughout.

Dogs communicate using their entire body, not just one behaviour. A single lip lick doesn’t automatically mean a dog is worried - just as a wagging tail doesn’t always mean they’re happy.

The key is to look at:
🐾 The dog’s overall body language
🐾 The environment they’re in
🐾 What happened before and after the behaviour
🐾 Whether they’re choosing to engage or move away

31/08/2026

🐶 Is your dog being “naughty”… or are they just overtired? 😴

Sometimes what looks like bad behaviour is actually a dog who has simply had enough.

Just like an overtired toddler, an overtired dog can become more:
🐾 Excitable
🐾 Mouthy
🐾 Barky
🐾 Frustrated
🐾 Unable to settle
🐾 “Naughty” for seemingly no reason

You might notice your dog suddenly zooming around the house, biting everything, pestering you or struggling to listen to things they normally know.

It can be tempting to think, “They need more exercise!” — but sometimes the opposite is true.

They need a break. 💤

Dogs, especially puppies and young dogs, need plenty of sleep and downtime to process everything they’ve experienced throughout the day.

So before adding another walk, another game or another training session, ask yourself:

“Could my dog actually be exhausted?” 👀

Sometimes the best training you can give them is helping them switch off and get some sleep. ❤️🐶💤

🐶 Does your dog need a treat every single time they do something right? 👀Not necessarily.Food is a fantastic training to...
28/08/2026

🐶 Does your dog need a treat every single time they do something right? 👀

Not necessarily.

Food is a fantastic training tool, especially when teaching something new. But if your dog only listens when they know there’s a treat coming, we can accidentally create a situation where they think:

“What’s in it for me?” 😂

The goal isn’t to stop rewarding your dog. It’s to teach them that rewards can come in different forms — food, praise, play, freedom, sniffing, or simply getting to do something they enjoy. 🐾

When your dog understands the behaviour, you can gradually make rewards less predictable rather than disappearing completely.

And no — this doesn’t mean “never give your dog treats.” 😂

It means teaching them that listening to you is worthwhile, even when they can’t see a sausage in your hand. 🌭🐶

What do you think? 👇

26/08/2026

🐾 Learning to walk calmly alongside others 🐾

At the beginning of the exercise, you can see the dogs pulling a little more towards each other. Of course they want to go over, say hello and have a little play! 😂🐶

But then we do a second round… and suddenly, they’re a little calmer. 👀

Why? Because they’re beginning to understand the exercise.

They’re learning that walking next to another dog doesn’t automatically mean it’s time to interact. It’s time to focus on their handler, walk nicely and keep moving. 🐾

With repetition, they start to understand what’s expected of them:

“Right now, it’s time to walk with you. There will be time to play later.” ❤️

And that’s exactly what we want — not to stop dogs from enjoying each other, but to teach them that they can choose when to engage and when to focus.

A little structure first, then plenty of fun afterwards! 🐶🎾✨

🏆 Huge congratulations to all our participants! 🐾🎓What a journey it has been! Six weeks of learning, practising, making ...
24/08/2026

🏆 Huge congratulations to all our participants! 🐾🎓

What a journey it has been! Six weeks of learning, practising, making mistakes, trying again and, most importantly, making progress. ❤️

And for the first time ever, we have finished the course with ALL GOLD AWARDS! 🥇🥇🥇

We couldn’t be prouder of everyone and the progress you and your dogs have made over the past six weeks.

We’re not looking for perfect - we’re looking for progress and hard work. And you have all shown exactly that. 👏

Well done to every single one of you! You should be incredibly proud of yourselves and your dogs. 🐶❤️

Here’s to everything you’ve achieved so far, and to continuing the journey! 🥂🐾

21/08/2026

One of the biggest mistakes new puppy owners make is focusing on training… when they should be focusing on raising their puppy. 🐶💛

Yes, it’s lovely if your puppy can sit, lie down, or give a paw and it’s not a bad thing to practice those!

But those tricks won’t matter much if your puppy can’t:
🐾 Relax when nothing is happening.
🐾 Feel confident exploring the world.
🐾 Be comfortable around people and other dogs.
🐾 Learn how to cope with frustration.
🐾 Focus on you.
🐾 Settle quietly in the house.

The first few months of a puppy’s life are all about building habits and emotions, not just teaching commands.

Your puppy doesn’t need to know 20 tricks by six months old (although it’s great!).

They need to learn that the world is safe, that you can be trusted, and that making good choices pays off.

Let them sniff.
Let them explore.
Teach them to walk with you.
Teach them to rest.
Reward calmness.
Help them experience new places, sounds, people, and environments.

The best-trained adult dogs usually aren’t the ones that learnt the most commands as puppies—they’re the ones that had the strongest foundations.

Training is important.

But raising a confident, resilient, emotionally balanced dog is even more important

17/08/2026

Last time, I was a stranger walking into her home. She barked, kept her distance, and let me know she wasn’t quite sure about me. Fast forward to today, and she’s already much more relaxed, happily coming over to say hello.

Every dog is different.

Some dogs decide you’re their new best friend within seconds. Others need time, patience, and a few positive experiences before they feel comfortable. Neither is wrong—it’s simply their way of communicating.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is expecting every dog to enjoy being greeted straight away. Instead, let the dog make the choice.

🐶 Avoid leaning over them.
🐶 Give them space.
🐶 Stay calm and let them approach if they want to.
🐶 Watch what they’re telling you with their body language.

A loose body, soft eyes, a waggy tail and choosing to come closer are great signs they’re becoming comfortable. On the other hand, turning their head away, moving away, freezing, lip licking, yawning, or barking can all be ways of saying, “I’m not ready yet.”

Listening to those signals helps prevent misunderstandings and builds trust much faster.

14/08/2026

Day 3… and I can already see progress! 👏🐾

Again, Daisy uses barking to regulate her emotional state—and that’s not a bad thing. She’s an amazing dog. She ignores most people, ignores most dogs, is fantastic at reading body language, and is incredibly confident.

The other day, we met a reactive dog. Daisy walked calmly alongside her while she was showing his teeth at her. She wasn’t bothered by it, but she understood what she was communicating, gave her the space she needed, and within five minutes they were happily walking side by side together.

What I really want to show you is this:

Many dogs use barking, whining, pawing, or other behaviours to get something they want. As long as those behaviours keep working, they’ll keep using them.

Whether it’s barking at dogs through the window, barking in the car, barking at you for food, or demanding attention—the same principle applies.

It’s actually a very simple concept:
🐾 Take the thing away when they’re showing the behaviour you want to reduce.
🐾 Give it back the moment they show the behaviour you want more of.

That way, your dog learns which behaviours make good things happen. It’s clear, fair, and incredibly effective when you’re consistent.

Remember, the goal isn’t to stop your dog communicating—it’s to teach them a better way to communicate.

One of the biggest misconceptions in dog training is that a “good” dog should walk glued to your leg for the entire walk...
12/08/2026

One of the biggest misconceptions in dog training is that a “good” dog should walk glued to your leg for the entire walk.

In reality… that’s not what most dogs need. 🐾

I teach two different skills:

🐕 Heel – A focused position right by your side. This is a useful command for short periods when you need your dog close, such as passing another dog, crossing a road, walking through busy areas, or navigating narrow paths. Heel is a job, and it requires concentration from your dog.

🌿 Loose lead walking/off lead walks – This is what most of the walk should look like. Your dog can sniff, explore, choose their pace, and enjoy the environment, as long as the lead stays loose and they aren’t pulling.

Dogs experience the world through their noses. Every sniff provides information about who has been there, what animals have passed through, and what’s happening around them. Taking that opportunity away for an entire walk can be frustrating and mentally tiring.

Giving your dog appropriate freedom isn’t about letting them do whatever they like. It’s about allowing them to make safe choices while staying connected with you.

A loose lead means:
✔️ Less pulling.
✔️ Less frustration for both of you.
✔️ More opportunities for natural behaviours like sniffing and exploring.
✔️ A calmer, more enjoyable walk.

The goal isn’t perfect obedience every second. The goal is communication, trust, and knowing when your dog needs structure… and when they simply need to be a dog 🐶

Address

Stratford Upon Avon
Stratford-Upon-Avon

Telephone

+447749107527

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Warwickshire Dog Training 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 Warwickshire Dog Training:

Shortcuts

Share

Category