Corey at Pawshake Pet Services

22/04/2026

From Barbara Lloyd:

"Everyone expects the dog to stay calm.
Very few people expect it of themselves.

We talk a lot about consistency in dog training. Use the same cue. Reward the right behavior. Follow through. But most people never stop to look at themselves in that equation.

Who are you when you’re training? Because that’s what your dog is actually learning from.

It’s easy to stay steady when things are going well. When your dog is focused, when the picture is clean, when you feel like you’re both on the same page. In those situations, most people feel like good trainers.

That doesn’t tell you much. You really know who you are when things start to fall apart.
When your dog drifts off and you can’t get them back. When they hit a point where they don’t know what to do and everything starts to unravel. When what you thought they understood just isn’t there.

And at the same time, you can feel yourself getting wound up and frustrated. Your timing is off. You start trying to fix it. The plan you walked in with isn’t working anymore, but you keep pushing it anyway because you don’t know what else to do.

And then your voice changes. It gets sharper. There’s an edge to it now. You start repeating yourself, and before you even realize it, the volume is increasing exponentially.

Not because you decided to do that, but because you’re losing your grip.

Dogs notice everything. Not just what you ask, but how you show up while you’re asking it. And what they’re paying attention to is not whether you followed a plan perfectly. It’s whether you’re still the same person when they’re not at their best.

Can they trust that you’re still safe when they make a mistake?

Can they trust that the rules won’t suddenly change because you’re tired or irritated?

Can they trust that the version of you they get when they’re doing well is the same version they get when they’re struggling?

If your responses change, even a little, the whole situation shifts. Now your dog isn’t just trying to figure out the task. They’re trying to figure out you.

You can see it when it happens. They start watching instead of working. They hesitate. Or they rush. Or they check out completely.

The thinking drops off because you aren’t the same person anymore.

That’s why so many training sessions go sideways even when people are doing the right things on paper. The cues are the same. The rewards are the same. But the person delivering them isn’t.

Dogs pick up on that immediately.

This doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. Nobody is. But you do need to be aware of what you’re bringing into the session.

If you’re frustrated, notice it. If you’re tired, adjust what you’re asking. If you feel things starting to slip, slow yourself down instead of trying to fix your dog faster.

Those choices matter more than people think.

Consistency at this level isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about being steady enough that your dog knows what they’re walking into every time.

You build that over time. Taking a breath before you step in. Supporting your dog. Choosing to stay level instead of reacting.
Owning your own emotions.

That builds trust.

Your dog starts to understand that you don’t change on them when things get hard. They don’t have to brace for pressure or guess what version of you is going to show up.

That’s what lets them stay and work through the hard stuff. That’s what lets them try, make mistakes, and keep going without falling apart.

So yes, be consistent in your cues. Be consistent in your rewards. But more than anything, be consistent in yourself.

That’s what your dog is reading. That’s what shapes how they learn. And that’s what determines whether they can stay in it long enough to figure things out.

And I’m telling you, it’s the hardest part of the equation, so spend more time on that than trying to fix your dog."

13/04/2026

Spring may be in full bloom, but some of the most beautiful plants in your home and yard could be putting your pet at serious risk. Many of the most toxic plants aren’t even rare; they’re the everyday ones sitting on your windowsill or planted in your garden. Lilies, azaleas, and even parts of aloe can cause problems for pets.
Do you know which plants are most dangerous to dogs and cats, what symptoms to watch for, and what to do if your pet is exposed? In my latest article on toxic plants, I share simple steps you can take right now to create a safer environment. See link in comments.🐾

30/03/2026

https://www.proactivepaws.com/blogs/pet-health/itchy-paws-why-foot-soaks-are-a-great-idea?fbclid=IwdGRzaAQ3umBjbGNrBDe6DmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDDM1MDY4NTUzMTcyOAABHh-qDsScSKigDFh7kXbTxSuTVZkhQHXzACDcFM5qrHS9-dgKkcOsBb6_Gk1G_aem_1TWJUZADBwScUHBbFIFf_A

Stop dog paw licking with this veterinarian-formulated foot soak recipe. Natural relief for allergies, yeast, and environmental irritants.

16/02/2026

From K9 Manhunt & Scent Work:

Think about trying this.......

"The 24-Hour Silence Experiment

What Happens When You Stop Talking to Your Dog (And Why It’s Not Emotional Neglect)

Two weeks ago I asked a handful of you to try something mildly radical.

Not a new recall drill.
Not a new heel position.
Not a new piece of kit.

I asked you to shut up for 24 hours.

No chatting to the dog.
No narrating their life story.
No “Who’s a good boy then?”
No “What are you doing?”
No “Sit… sit… SIT… I said sit.”

Just silence, aside from genuine safety needs.

Now, before anyone reports me to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Labradors, let’s be clear: this wasn’t about ignoring your dog emotionally. It was about removing verbal clutter and observing what changes.

And what you likely saw tells us a lot about canine behaviour, human habit, and the difference between communication and noise.

1. The Nervous System Downshift

One of the most common things you’ll have noticed is this:

Your dog was calmer.

Not drugged.
Not depressed.
Just… calmer.

Why?

Because voice carries energy.

Dogs do not process English in the way we flatter ourselves into believing. They respond to:
• Tone
• Pitch
• Cadence
• Emotional charge

When you talk constantly, you are constantly stimulating.

Even cheerful chatter keeps the nervous system slightly activated. It keeps the dog in a mild state of anticipation.

Remove that running commentary and you remove a layer of environmental stimulation.

You may have seen:
• More resting
• Less pacing
• Fewer “check-ins”
• Less shadowing

In simple terms, you reduced background noise in their brain.

2. The Dog Started Watching You More

This is the one that surprises people.

When you stopped talking, many of your dogs started looking at you more.

Not anxiously.
Not desperately.
But attentively.

Why?

Because you removed one communication channel.

Dogs are masters of non-verbal communication. When voice disappears, they shift to:
• Reading your shoulders
• Watching your hips
• Tracking your movement speed
• Observing eye direction

You probably noticed things like:
• Your dog moved when you moved without being told.
• They paused when you paused.
• They followed more smoothly on lead.

What’s happening here is simple:

You’ve forced yourself back into their primary language, spatial communication.

And dogs understand space far better than speech.

3. The Extinction Burst: “Excuse Me, I Ordered Attention”

Some of you will have reported the opposite in the first few hours.

Suddenly your dog:
• Nudged you repeatedly
• Brought toys
• Pawed your leg
• Barked
• Jumped up

That’s not a crisis.

That’s behavioural science.

If a behaviour has historically produced reinforcement, even just verbal acknowledgement and suddenly it doesn’t, behaviour often intensifies before it reduces.

That’s called an extinction burst.

Example:
Your dog nudges you.
You normally say, “What is it?”
That’s reinforcement.

Remove the verbal response and you might get:
Nudge → harder nudge → paw → bark → dramatic sigh → flop.

If you stayed consistent, it likely reduced within hours.

You didn’t damage your dog.

You removed an automatic reward cycle.

4. Owners Felt Weird About It

Let’s be honest.

Some of you struggled more than the dog.

You may have felt:
• Cold
• Mean
• Guilty
• Detached

Which tells us something important.

A large amount of our talking to dogs regulates us, not them.

We talk to fill silence.
We talk to reassure ourselves.
We talk because quiet feels uncomfortable.

Your dog, meanwhile, is thinking:
“Ah. Peace.”

That’s not neglect.

That’s clarity.

5. Cues Gained Weight

For those moments where you genuinely had to use a cue for safety, road crossings, recall on a long line, etc. you may have noticed something interesting:

Your cue worked better.

Why?

Because it wasn’t diluted.

If “come” isn’t said 43 times a day in casual chatter, it regains power.

When words are scarce, they become meaningful.

Think of it like this:

If you fire a starter pistol every five minutes, nobody jumps.
If you fire it once at the beginning of a race, everyone moves.

Scarcity builds significance.

6. You Used Your Body More

Without talking, many of you instinctively:
• Stepped into space instead of verbally correcting
• Turned your shoulders to redirect
• Slowed your pace to influence arousal
• Used gentle lead pressure instead of chatter

And you probably discovered something mildly irritating:

It worked.

Dogs are spatial animals.

They understand:
• Pressure and release
• Direction of travel
• Blocking space
• Invitation through movement

You were communicating clearly, just not verbally.

7. Reduced Conflict

No raised voice.
No frustrated repetition.
No “I’ve told you three times.”

Conflict often escalates through tone, not behaviour.

Remove tone, remove escalation.

Your dog didn’t “win”.
You removed emotional leakage.

That alone lowers household tension.

8. Independence Increased

Some dogs may have:
• Settled further away
• Stopped constantly seeking interaction
• Made more independent choices

When we verbally micromanage, we create dependency.

Silence encourages processing.

Your dog learns:
“I can exist without constant feedback.”

That’s healthy.

9. The Repetition Realisation

Many of you probably discovered how often you repeat cues.

“Sit.”
“Sit.”
“Sit.”
“SIT.”

Repetition doesn’t clarify.
It weakens.

During this experiment, you couldn’t repeat.

So the dog either responded to one clear cue… or you adjusted through body language.

And that’s better training.

10. What Was Actually Happening in the Dog?

Let’s break it down neurologically.

By reducing verbal stimulation, you:
• Lowered arousal input
• Reduced anticipatory triggers
• Removed tone-based emotional shifts
• Encouraged spatial awareness
• Strengthened non-verbal communication channels

In short:

You simplified the environment.

Dogs thrive on clarity.
Clarity reduces stress.
Reduced stress increases learning capacity.

It’s not magic.
It’s neurobiology.

Important: This Is Not “Never Talk to Your Dog”

Before anyone starts a new movement called The Silent Handler Society, let’s be sensible.

This exercise isn’t about emotional withdrawal.

It’s about deliberate communication.

Talk when it matters.
Cue once.
Mean it.
Then be quiet.

Your words should be tools, not background music.

What This Experiment Teaches Us as Trainers

For owners:
You talk far more than you need to.

For handlers:
Your body is your primary tool.

For trainers:
Most confusion in training is verbal clutter.

Leadership is not louder.
It is clearer.

Final Thought

If you found this uncomfortable, that’s good.

Growth often sits just beyond discomfort.

Your dog doesn’t need constant narration.
They need clarity.
They need consistency.
They need emotional steadiness.

And sometimes, the most powerful thing you can say…

…is absolutely nothing at all."

28/01/2026

"If you want better behaviour, stop asking 'How do I stop this?' and start asking 'Why is this working for my dog?'" -- Simon Chapman

25/12/2025

I have THE sweetest clients.....

25/12/2025

Pet sitters near you who offer dog sitting, cat sitting and dog boarding for your furry friend. The Pawshake Guarantee included.

25/12/2025

23/12/2025

12/12/2025

I really love this one......