Polite Pups Training

01/19/2026

While dog training plays a vital role in shaping behaviour and building a harmonious relationship, it’s essential to remember that dogs are complex, sentient beings with emotional, social, and physical needs.

Beyond training, we must consider their overall well-being, including providing mental stimulation, exercise, a balanced diet, and opportunities to express natural behaviours.

Emotional health, such as feeling safe and loved, is equally important. Building trust, fostering communication, and recognising each dog’s individuality allow us to create a holistic approach to care.

Ultimately, understanding and valuing dogs as unique individuals enriches their lives and deepens our connection with them.

01/19/2026

01/19/2026

01/19/2026

Every pet owner needs to think about these three things in advance.

01/19/2026

How can you tell when one dog's interaction with another is turning problematic?

▪️ Their behavior becomes frantic: mouthing/biting, pestering. They are no longer listening to the other dog or taking turns with play
▪️ Their body language changes from fluid, loose movements to rigid, stiff, or freezing
▪️ They begin to avoid the other dog: turning their head away, moving away, hiding, height-seeking
▪️ Other signs of social conflict: body-blocking, stealing of resources, excessive or escalating corrections

While some dogs are great communicators and provide appropriate corrections and social cues, it should never be the dog's sole responsibility to say, "Enough!"

When we pay attention, we can intervene early with breaks or separation before behaviors escalate. Dogs should never be left to "work it out".

Facilitating and supporting appropriate interactions helps our dogs realize we are there to support them, leaving no need for them to escalate the level of correction given, which also prevents additional conflicts that can lead to fights breaking out.

01/19/2026

We’re hiring!
We’re looking for an Intake & Foster Coordinator to help support animals entering our care and the amazing foster families who look after them. This full-time role coordinates animal intake, Safe Keeping and Emergency Boarding programs, and provides day-to-day support to foster homes to ensure every animal’s wellbeing.

If you love organization, teamwork, and helping animals get the care they need, this could be the perfect fit. Apply today!

01/19/2026

01/19/2026

What is "behavior suppression"?

When an animal is constantly punished for or stopped from performing behaviors, especially normal behaviors, behavioral suppression often occurs.
This is commonly mistaken for acceptance of the situation, but is actually learned helplessness or the animal 'shutting down'. While it is important that our pets learn healthy boundaries, we must also allow them agency in their daily lives.

Pets are not robots, and we should never expect them to live as such. We, humans, aren't robots either, and we rarely hold ourselves to as rigid expectations, so why does that make it okay to expect perfection from our pets?

This year, let's work on understanding our pets better, giving them choices, and strengthening our relationship 💙

01/19/2026

🐕 How do you interact with your dog when out on walks? 🐾

Most people walk their dog round a loop with very little interaction or enrichment other than allowing some stopping and sniffing 👃

Whilst allowing your dog to stop and sniff is absolutely essential to their well being and should be encouraged there is loads more you can be doing with your dog when you're out and about! Interacting with your dog whilst on walks can encourage:

1️⃣ More engagement with you, i.e. a dog that is easier to recall! 🏃➡️🐕

2️⃣ A more satisfied and thus more relaxed dog at home 💤

3️⃣ A better bond with your dog 💛

There's so much you can do with your dogs when you're out and about, and it doesn't matter where you are walking! So many of these games can be played in urban areas too! 🏘️

Here's a list of some things you can try out with your dog:

🐾 Off lead time – find safe areas where you can allow your dog some freedom to explore and run freely.

👃 Scatter feed – take a handful of treats and chuck them into a pile of leaves or some long grass for your dog to sniff out.

🎾 Pause and play – Stop for a moment and play a game your dog loves, this could be chasing you, playing tug or playing with their ball (when playing with a ball try playing find the ball rather than chase games to limit injury).

👀 Engagement games – Try tossing your dog a treat any time they look at you or tossing treats left to right for them to chase.

🌳 Sausage tree – squish some treats into a tree stump for your dog to forage for.

🎓 Short training session – pause on your walk and try out some loose lead walking, recall exercises or some fun tricks!

🐽 Stop and sniff – Pause and encourage your dog to sniff.

🪑 Sit down and observe – Have a seat on a bench and watch the world go by for a few minutes.

🧗 Parkour – teach your dog how to jump onto obstacles on walks and have fun together. (ensure your dog is physically well enough to do this activity).

👃🔍 Scent work – teach your dog how to indicate on a scent and then hide it along your walk for them to seek out!

There's so much you can do with your dog, have a go and let us know how you get on! 😊

For more guidance on making walks more enjoyable why not join our Bronze Life Skills course starting on the 21st February 🥉
👉 https://www.goodalldogtraining.com/service-page/bronze-life-skills-dog-training-class?referral=service_list_widget

01/10/2026

A lot of dogs don’t actually know how to go from “awake and busy” to “resting.” That’s where things can start to look like meltdowns, pacing, or zoomies that just won’t quit.

Our new blog will walk you through:
-Why rewarding “calm” isn’t always straightforward
-What calm behavior looks and feels like for different dogs
-Simple ways to help your dog settle without frustration

Read it here: https://petharmonytraining.com/how-to-teach-your-dog-to-calm-down/

01/09/2026

01/09/2026

Dogs do talk, they communicate well with us, they show us what they need and tell us (usually very politely) when they need space. If you need help understanding your dog's languge, drop us a line below.