01/09/2026
🐾 Glendale Show—what an absolutely brilliant day! 🐾
I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who came over to see me. I was honestly blown away by how many people stopped to chat, joined in with the games, asked questions and shared stories about their dogs.
Of course, getting to meet and cuddle so many of your dogs was a definite bonus! hehe. I met dogs of all different shapes, sizes and personalities, including a few breeds I had never met or worked with before. Some were a little shy, some were very excited and some had absolutely no concept of personal space, which I didn’t mind one bit!
One of my favourite dogs from the day had to be Nova, a huge Neapolitan Mastiff who gave me the loveliest cuddle. She was absolutely massive but such a sweet, gentle girl. I think I could have happily stayed there cuddling her for the rest of the afternoon. ❤️
I also had some really interesting conversations throughout the day. We talked about loose-lead walking and how, although equipment can certainly help, there isn’t one magical harness or lead that will suddenly teach a dog how to walk nicely. It is still a skill that needs to be taught, and so much of it comes down to engagement, emotional regulation and building those foundations before expecting our dogs to manage in distracting environments.
We spoke about separation anxiety too, including how there can be different reasons why a dog struggles when left alone. It isn’t always as simple as saying that they don’t like being left, and understanding what is happening for that individual dog is so important before trying to put a plan in place.
There were also some great conversations about impulse control and frustration tolerance. Sometimes the behaviours people are struggling with aren’t because their dog is being naughty or deliberately difficult. They may simply not have learned how to manage excitement, wait for something they want or cope when they can’t immediately access it. These are all skills that we can help them develop.
We even got onto the slightly controversial subject of different training methods! We talked about force-free training, LIMA, balanced training and punishment-based approaches. I genuinely enjoy having these conversations, especially when people feel comfortable asking questions. There is so much conflicting information out there, and I think it is important that owners understand what different methods actually mean and how they may affect the dog in front of them.
Supplements came up a few times as well, particularly for things such as allergies, itchy skin, stomach problems and travel sickness. They can sometimes be useful as one part of a wider plan, but they aren’t a magic cure and should always be discussed with your vet, especially if your dog has an existing health condition or takes medication.
So yes, I came home absolutely exhausted and had probably a fair amount of slobber on me, but I had such a fantastic day!
I will be working my way through all of my emails this week and contacting everyone who asked about an in-person consultation. I’m looking at booking appointments from 7th September, and things are already getting busy! If you’re waiting to hear from me, I haven’t forgotten about you and I will be in touch very soon.
Thank you again to everyone who came over, took part in the games, asked me questions or simply stopped to say hello. Being able to talk about dogs, behaviour and training all day while also meeting so many lovely dogs really is my idea of a brilliant day.
I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did, and hopefully I’ll see some of you again soon. 🐾❤️
A massive thank you to Custom Xpress for my fantastic banners and workwear! Thank you to for an excellent day! I also had a great conversation with Guide Dogs UK; they are an amazing group, and I highly recommend their puppy raiser programme for anyone wanting a puppy but not certain of their commitments just yet.
