
When Dog Walks Cause Shame & Embarrassment
10/1/2026 | 12 mins.
⭐️ Register for the FREE Online Stress Free Dog Walks Training! https://stressfreewalks.dog/join-free ⭐️You’ll master my simple 3-part anti-pulling, lunging and reactivity method to handle distractions (like dogs, people, wildlife) without panic, so that you can LOVE walking your dog again! Get your free ticket here: https://stressfreewalks.dog/join-free 🎙️ In this episode: Here’s a scene you might recognise: Your dog fixates, weight shifts forward. You try your training cue, do what you’ve practiced. He explodes anyway. A bark that turns heads, a lunge that yanks your arm. The jogger makes a face. Someone mutters “train your dog” 🙄That’s when the shame rush hits. Heat in your cheeks, lead in your stomach. Your body wants to fold in on itself, to disappear. Your brain starts the story: “They think I’m incompetent.” “Everyone is judging us.” “My dog is beyond fixing.” Slowly, without intending to, you build a life around minimising shame instead of building confidence. Walks get shorter, less enjoyable for both of you, and you start to feel guilty that your dog is unfulfilled. Shame does not STAY on the dog walk. It’s what makes you hesitate to try new things. It’s why you replay conversations, worrying you said too much or not enough. It’s why you apologise when you haven’t done anything wrong 😢Hit play to understand what shame is doing to your confidence, and how to stop it running your walks, your freedom, and your relationship with your dog.

One Toolkit That Solves Multiple Dog Training Problems
03/1/2026 | 8 mins.
⭐️ Register for the FREE Online Stress Free Dog Walks Training! https://stressfreewalks.dog/join-free ⭐️You’ll master my simple 3-part anti-pulling, lunging and reactivity method to handle distractions (like dogs, people, wildlife) without panic, so that you can LOVE walking your dog again! Get your free ticket here: https://stressfreewalks.dog/join-free 🎙️ In this episode: If you’re searching “how to stop jumping up,” “why my dog barks at everything,” or “how to stop pulling”… you’re playing behaviour whack-a-mole.Fix one thing this week…A new problem pops up next week…Tackle that one… another appears…Whack whack whack you go 🔨🔨🔨Jumping, barking, pulling, reacting, ignoring you, etc etc etc. These aren’t 10 different problems. They’re 10 symptoms of the same thing 📣Therefore you don’t need 10 training plans. You just need ONE toolkit that works everywhere.🧰 One toolkit that helps your dog stay calm when the world gets exciting.🧰 One toolkit that supports recovery so they can think again faster.🧰 One toolkit you can use for jumping, barking, pulling, chasing, ignoring… all of it.You’ll learn the smarter way to train - using one versatile toolkit that solves many behaviour problems at once.

Reactivity Is Not a Behaviour Problem (Why Training Isn’t Working)
27/12/2025 | 9 mins.
⭐️ Register for the FREE Online Stress Free Dog Walks Training! https://stressfreewalks.dog/join-free ⭐️You’ll master my simple 3-part anti-pulling, lunging and reactivity method to handle distractions (like dogs, people, wildlife) without panic, so that you can LOVE walking your dog again! Get your free ticket here: https://stressfreewalks.dog/join-free 🎙️ In this episode: If you’re trying to fix the barking, pulling and lunging whilst the barking, pulling and lunging is happening - you’re already too late.By the time your dog *does* the behaviour, their body has already fired off an entire chain reaction that you did not see.📈 Heart rate up.🫁 Breathing quickened.💪 Muscles primed.⚡ Stress chemicals dumped into the system.🧠 Thinking brain already offline.So if you’re trying to stop the behaviour, you’re only reacting to your dog’s reaction (which means you are just as reactive as they are).Reactivity isn’t a behaviour problem. It’s a brain and body problem 📣📣📣One more time: Reactivity isn’t a behaviour problem. It’s a brain and body problem.What you see on the OUTSIDE (the barking, the spinning, the pulling) is just the END result of everything that happened seconds earlier on the INSIDE.This is why cueing, commending or correcting will only ever be a sticking plaster, and you’ll plateau at your current level, no matter what you try.Stop addressing the end of the chain, and start at the beginning. Press play before you waste another walk trying to fix the symptom instead of the cause.

How to Pass Other Dogs on Walks if Yours is Anxious, Excitable or Reactive
20/12/2025 | 7 mins.
⭐️ Register for the FREE Online Stress Free Dog Walks Training! https://stressfreewalks.dog/join-free ⭐️You’ll master my simple 3-part anti-pulling, lunging and reactivity method to handle distractions (like dogs, people, wildlife) without panic, so that you can LOVE walking your dog again! Get your free ticket here: https://stressfreewalks.dog/join-free 🎙️ In this episode: You know ‘The Showdown’ 🤠 The quiet walk, the long straight path, no exit route. Cue: dramatic music as a dog appears on the horizon. What do you actually do when another dog is heading straight for you on a walk? Shorten the lead? Turn around? Hold your breath and hope for the best?I explain why so many pass-bys go badly - and what to do instead.🤠The common mistakes made in those few seconds and the red flag that you’re dangerously close to a meltdown (and injury)🤠Why ‘hoping for the best’ is the fastest way to set your dog up to fail🤠And the simple adjustments (even before you’ve done any training) that stop the whole thing escalating.If passing other dogs makes your stomach knot up and the townsfolk run for cover, you need this episode in your ears. Press play and learn how to walk past other dogs without the drama.

EXACTLY How to Reply to Unwelcome Opinions About Your Dog
06/12/2025 | 11 mins.
⭐️ Register for the FREE Online Stress Free Dog Walks Training! https://stressfreewalks.dog/join-free ⭐️You’ll master my simple 3-part anti-pulling, lunging and reactivity method to handle distractions (like dogs, people, wildlife) without panic, so that you can LOVE walking your dog again! Get your free ticket here: https://stressfreewalks.dog/join-free 🎙️ In this episode: Christmas is full of joy - and opinions. Ever been hit with unsolicited advice about your dog’s behaviour at family gatherings? 🙄💬 “Oh she’s *still* barking?”💬 “We never use treats - you’re spoiling him.”💬 “Our dog doesn’t need a lead.”You can enjoy the festivities without feeling judged or defensive - AND feel good about how you handled it (instead of silently resentful and thinking up ‘witty’ comebacks at 3am).When eeeeeveryone thinks they know what’s best for your dog, here’s how to handle these snarky comments with confidence, while advocating for your dog (and your sanity)📈Dog Walking Diagnostic - Discover Your Dog’s Walking Style! Do you know the REAL reason your dog pulls, barks, lunges or ignores you? It’s often not what you think! Discover why your dog struggles on walks - and more importantly, what you can do about it. The Dog Walking Diagnostic Quiz is completely free, takes just 5 mins, and could be your first step toward calmer, stress-free walks with a well-behaved dog you’re proud of.https://stressfreedogwalks.com/diagnostic 🐕 Calm Canine BlueprintLeave a rating/review, and head over to https://stressfreedogwalks.com/review to upload your screenshot. Then I’ll send you my Calm Canine Blueprint completely free as a gift. 🍿 Watch the YouTube Showhttps://www.youtube.com/@StressFreeDogWalks 💬 Connect with me and join the conversation!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogwoodadventureplay Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DogwoodAdventurePlay



Stress Free Dog Walks