Helloooo Paw Partners 👋 Let’s start with the simplest, most powerful skill: your dog’s name. Not as a command. Not as background noise. As an invitation they actually want to answer. Too often we repeat it 3, 4, 7 times… then shout “COME!!” in frustration. 🙃 Or say it -- and nothing follows... Or worse — we follow it with something our dog doesn’t like, so next time they think twice. This week, flip the script. 👉 Name = something awesome is about to happen. (Yes, YOU are the one doing the behaviour! 😉) 🐕 Your Quick Win Today: 1. Say your dog’s name once (happy tone of voice). 2. When they glance your way — mark it ➡️ Reward it ✅ 🧀 Treat, 🎉 party voice, 🧸 toy, 🐾 activity they love 3. That’s it. Just name ➡️ glance ➡️ YES. 💡 Tip: Use fridge snacks, not artificial flavoured cornstarch bits 😉 💬 Try this 3–5 times today and tell us: - How quickly did your dog respond? - What reward lit them up most? - Did they respond faster the second or third time? 📸 Share your win in the comments — bonus points if you catch your dog’s “head snap” on camera! See you tomorrow for Lesson 2: One Eye on the Dog 👁️ (Head to Foundations Fun Week Intro post if you're wondering what this is all about!)

A question I've got asked a lot over the years is; "How do I deal with off leash dogs running up to my on leash reactive dog?! ...or even the other way around! Some people know their dog is reactive and yet they don't leash or muzzle them! It's unacceptable to expect other dog owners to have to deal with an out of control dog! What do you think? I have my own suggestions, but would love to hear others...🤗

Six days, five challenges, one epic community effort — and wow, did you all show up for your dogs! 👏🐶💚 Over the week we had 12 participants in the comments — with LOTS of cheese sprinkled around 🧀, GIFs flying 🎭, and even one brave soul who made their very own post (complete with donuts 🍩… you know who you are 😉). That’s the real win: you showed up for your dogs, tried something new, and celebrated the little steps that build reliable recall. ✨ Prizes for All Finishers Everyone who completed the 5 days will get a special prize: 👉 The Fillable Recall Workbook — a handy resource to keep you practising and tracking your progress. 🥇 Fun Superlative Awards Because this challenge wouldn’t be complete without a few playful shout-outs: 🍩 Best Bravery Award → for posting your own thread (donuts forever!) @Debbie Allery 🧀 Most Cheese-Loving Commenter → for sprinkling extra cheese and sparkle in the chat @Rositsa Aleksandrova 🐕 Multi-Dog Medal → for working recalls with more than one pup @Éva Raposa 💡 Helpful Hero → for dropping the most insightful or supportive comment @Julie Stockton 🎁 And the Bonus Prize…One special participant will also get a sneak peek into the upcoming Recall Course — because you’ve clearly earned it. @Mariam Kipiani has already seen great results this week and has big adventures planned for next year. They’ll be safer (and have even more fun) with extra recall training 👏 ✨ A Final Aha: Reliable recall isn’t just one trick. It’s consistency, fun, jackpots, variety, play, and real-life practise layered together. That’s what makes your dog LOVE coming when called. 🐕💨 Arrrooooo! Maren & Ivy 🐾💚

We wish it went: SET A GOAL → ACHIEVE IT 🏆 …but in real life it looks more like: START 🐾 → DOUBT 😬 → FAIL 🤦‍♀️ → PRACTICE 🔄 → STRUGGLE 🥴 → GET IT 🎉 And that’s normal! Even with a plan, the winds can shift — your dog’s mood, your timing, or a new distraction out in the wild. 👉 What skill are you working on at the moment? 👉 Which “dot” are YOU on right now with your dog? (p.s. when I work with clients I often use a simple 3-phase approach to help protect your training while you’re out in the real world… more on that soon 😉) I might add a story about Cinnamon too ...

I was thinking about Harlan and appreciating what an awesome dog he has been to work with, and I have always just remembered Harlan has being such an easy puppy. And then I remembered that Harlan has separation anxiety that I have been working through for years with him. It’s been a total challenge and, while there is a lot of improvement, it’s a touchy subject that hasn’t had the most straightforward path. Lots of accomplishments and also several setbacks. But then I remembered back even further to Harlan’s worst problem at all. His intensity in motivation for food. This brother is sneaky. One time I watched him through a small window from outside. My partner and I had just baked a ton of cookies and set them to cool. We stepped outside briefly and watched him get up from his bed, look around to see where we went, do a perimeter check and look in every room in the house before he went into the kitchen and jumped up to snatch the cookies. I had set him up because he had successfully done this the week prior and ate all of my cookies. Counter surfing is the worst and thankfully this is no longer something I worry about. He also used to attempt to steal food -from my mouth-, or my hand on its way to my mouth. Or from my plate. Once, he managed to snatch a Hagen daz ice cream bar from my hand, swallowed it WHOLE, and then pooped out the stick 5 days later (thankfully! And also thankful that he is now extremely polite around food haha) And all of that being said, I still look at that little pest and think “omg you are just the sweetest angel and the best most handsome dog man ever who could never do bad things and deserves all the best treats.”. Tell me about your dogs nuisance behaviour and share your stories!