I’m writing this to help educate dog owners on the realities of training and behaviour change because I care very much about dogs’ welfare and the wellbeing of the humans who get caught up in this too.  I want people to make informed choices about their dog’s training and I want people to understand a different perspective to what’s often presented by trainers who offer the quick fix.   A couple of weeks ago I read a comment on a trainer’s page (I thi...

One of the first considerations when you bring home a new puppy is setting up a regular toileting routine.  Every puppy is different in how long they take to learn and that’s a combination of their individual personalities and their early experiences with the breeder. They develop a preference for going on a particular surface, so I will assume that most people want that to be grass, but if it’s different for you just replace “grass” in this blog with “your...

I’ve always said there’s nothing easy or convenient about having a puppy in the house!  Luckily for most people, the joy of owning a new puppy outweighs the bad stuff.  But it’s interesting how many things people don’t think about BEFORE the puppy comes home; most people consider the obvious things such as toilet training, buying toys, food bowls, food, a bed.  But a bit of forward planning on other things that some people miss can make a huge difference...

For my very first blog I thought I’d give an overview of what I do, how I do it and why I do it that way. My priority at Woofs and Wags Pet Dog Training is early and ongoing training and socialisation for puppies, providing a solid education for pups and their owners in their first crucial weeks and months together.  Getting things right in the first place rather than having to fix it later is so much better for everyone.  I particularly want owners to get a good understandin...