The City Dog Club

03/09/2026

I thought coming back to the city would be the difficult part. Conker had had a month of more space, more freedom and a much quieter environment, so I was worried about how he would cope with being back.

But what I’ve actually noticed is how much he seems to have declined. I’m not sure how much enjoyment he gets from walks now, and the evening pacing has increased again. It may be that he is still settling back into city life. I genuinely don’t know yet. So for now, I’m watching closely.

I think that’s one of the hardest things with an old dog. Trying to look at the life they are actually living, rather than the life you desperately want them to still have.

03/09/2026

A reliable recall is one of the most important skills your city dog can have.

Busy parks, joggers, cyclists, other dogs and squirrels all make coming back harder, so your dog needs to learn that responding to you is always worth it.

And if your recall has slid a bit, don’t panic. Go back to the foundations, rebuild the value in your recall cue and make coming back fun again.

Comment CITY and I’ll send you my free recall advice to help get you back on track.

02/09/2026

A reliable recall is one of the most important skills your city dog can have.

Busy parks, joggers, cyclists, other dogs and squirrels all make coming back harder, so your dog needs to learn that responding to you is always worth it.

And if your recall has slid a bit, don’t panic. Go back to the foundations, rebuild the value in your recall cue and make coming back fun again.

Comment CITY and I’ll send you my free recall advice to help get you back on track.

02/09/2026

01/09/2026

I think this is the hardest part of having a dog.

Watching them get old and change, knowing there’s nothing you can do to stop time, and knowing that one day you’ll have to carry on without them.

I’m not sure anything really prepares you for that

01/09/2026

Small dogs get picked up a lot. Often with absolutely no warning.

And I’m convinced that can be one reason some small dogs become snappy about handling. Imagine being suddenly lifted off the ground every time someone decides you need moving.

If you’re going to pick your dog up, give them a cue first.

I use “scoop”.

Say it, give your dog a second to process what’s about to happen, then pick them up. That tiny bit of warning can make handling feel much more predictable and less startling.

Small dog training isn’t just about teaching them what we want. It’s also about communicating better with them.

01/09/2026

The 123 game gives your dog a simple pattern to follow when the world gets a bit too much. Instead of reacting, they learn to move with you.

Start it at home so it becomes automatic, then take it out into the real world, past dogs, people, scooters… all the fun city chaos.

This is one of my go to games for building focus and calm on walks.

31/08/2026

City life can be hard on dogs.

Busy pavements, traffic, crowded cafés, pubs, shops, other dogs, people, scooters, children, noise. We ask an enormous amount of them, often without really thinking about whether they have actually been trained or prepared for it. If your dog finds a particular environment difficult, be fair to them.

Do not keep putting them in situations they are struggling with and then get frustrated when they cannot cope. Build the skills first. Practise somewhere easier. Increase the difficulty gradually and give them the chance to succeed.

I saw a couple of dogs being handled in a way that made me uncomfortable recently. I did not step in because I did not think the dogs were being cruelly treated. If I had, I would have said something.

What bothered me was the lack of empathy. The dogs were clearly finding things difficult, and instead of asking why, the response was simply irritation.

Good dog training is not about letting your dog do whatever they like. You can have boundaries, you can interrupt behaviour and you can absolutely teach your dog what you want them to do.

But we also need to remember that our dogs are living in a very human world. If you want a confident, well-trained city dog, part of your job is to prepare them for that world rather than expecting them to magically know how to cope with it. Train for the environment before you test them in it.