Blog

  • Letting puppies loose

    Letting puppies loose

    Most pictures of Grace in the first year were like this – I considered it success if she was actually IN the picture, including head, and not a blur 😂 She was off leash from the third day after she came to live with us aged 16 weeks and she has been that way for… Read more

  • Much ado about retractables

    Much ado about retractables

    Controversial POV: I’m a HUGE fan of flexis – so much so that I wish there was a 10 metre one in small, but unfortunately 8m is the longest that they make. I even walk my dog with a flexi AND a collar. In short, I’m one of those people who the Dog Internet loves… Read more

  • Teaching my dog to ask for safety

    Teaching my dog to ask for safety

    We had an unusual walk today after a dog briefly harassed Grace – I was shoving unruly poop bags back into my waist bag for a few seconds when it happened so I didn’t see how it started, just that Grace squealed. It’s very rare that Grace is shaken by something but this time she… Read more

  • When you have a food-ambivalent dog

    When you have a food-ambivalent dog

    Recently, I’ve been thinking about how much of our interactions with dogs and “customs” around dog training are built on the assumption that a dog is interested in and motivated by food. When that isn’t the case, you have to think much, much harder and often dig deep for empathy when nothing seems to work… Read more

  • Loving a dog is more than just feelings

    Leaving aside whatever views you might have on the show or the dog trainer in question, this is a good illustration what can happen when people get a dog “for the family”. Watch the video by clicking the image – it’s on Facebook and can’t be embedded. I’ve spent the past 6 weeks cleaning up… Read more

  • If in doubt, don’t get a dog!

    If in doubt, don’t get a dog!

    We have been caring for a lovely 1 year old spaniel recently on behalf of her breeder who is my friend. She is the sweetest dog you can imagine, and we absolutely adore her but unfortunately Lady Grace is not a fan so we are helping to find a forever home for her. I’ve had… Read more