Happy Tails Andover

Happy Tails Andover Hi I'm Ash, and I'm the founder of Happy Tails Andover and a Canine Enrichment Specialist.

I offer dog training and walking services; focusing on calm, positive and enrichment-led support to help dogs to feel happier, more confident and fulfilled.

08/09/2026

BRINGING A NEW DOG HOME 💜

It’s easy to romanticise bringing home a new dog — the cuddles, adventures and the excitement of adding a new member to the family.

But whether it’s a puppy or a rescue, there’s a lot more to consider.

We’re about to welcome our rescue Podenco home, and with their own troubled history, an existing dog and a young child, we’ve been thinking carefully about how we can set everyone up for success.

Things like:

• Introducing them to the home and existing dog
• Food and other resources
• Safe spaces and beds
• Being left alone and separation
• Healthcare and getting to know their needs
• Giving them time to settle and adjust
• Managing life alongside a child

We don’t know exactly how things will go, and that’s okay.

The aim isn’t to expect a new dog to immediately fit into our lives — it’s to give everyone time, space and support while we get to know each other.

I’ve shared a little more about what we’re considering in the video.

Here’s to the beginning of a new chapter… thank you SAVE MY LIFE Animal charity Benidorm and Southern Sighthound Rescue

Paws and love 🐾❤️
Ash

PUPPY SETTLING — LEARNING TO SWITCH OFF 💤One of the biggest challenges for new puppy owners can be getting their puppy t...
04/09/2026

PUPPY SETTLING — LEARNING TO SWITCH OFF 💤

One of the biggest challenges for new puppy owners can be getting their puppy to settle.

You’ve been out, you’ve played, you’ve trained… and yet your puppy is still racing around, biting, barking or demanding attention!

It’s easy to think they must need more exercise or stimulation, but sometimes the opposite is true.

Puppies are still learning how to regulate their emotions and arousal levels. Being tired doesn’t always mean they know how to relax — and an overtired puppy can actually become MORE unsettled.

So how can we help?
• Create a calm, comfortable space where your puppy can rest without being disturbed.
• Build settling into your puppy’s daily routine
• Reinforce calm behaviour
• Keep an eye on arousal levels
• Provide appropriate enrichment such as chewing, licking, sniffing and calm exploration
• Avoid constantly entertaining your puppy

Top tip:
• Remember that management matters. Using baby gates, pens or a safe resting area can help prevent your puppy rehearsing unwanted behaviours while they learn.

Most importantly, settling is a skill that develops with time, patience and practice. Our job is to help our pups understand what we want, make calm choices easier and give them plenty of opportunities to practise.

A puppy who can switch off is learning a really valuable skill for everyday life — at home, in the pub, at a café, on holiday and beyond.

Paws and love 🐾❤️
Ash

03/09/2026

🐾 STRUCTURED TRAINING WALKS & ENRICHMENT WALKS 🐾

Not every dog needs the same kind of walk, which is why at Happy Tails Andover I offer different options to suit each individual dog.

🌿 Enrichment Walks

Our enrichment walks are about much more than simply getting from A to B.

We use the walk as an opportunity for your dog to sniff, explore, play, problem solve and engage in natural behaviours, while also practising the skills they already know.

This might include:
• Scent games and exploring their environment
• Play and interaction
• Practising known obedience cues
• Working on good manners and polite behaviour
• Opportunities to practise calmness and focus
• Building confidence and making choices
• Allowing plenty of time to simply be a dog

The focus is on creating a varied and enjoyable experience that meets your dog’s individual needs.

🎓 Structured Training Walks

These walks are more specifically focused around training goals and helping your dog develop their skills in real-life environments.

Depending on your dog’s needs, we might work on:
• Loose lead walking
• Engagement and focus
• Recall
• Impulse control
• Disengagement from distractions
• Calm behaviour around triggers
• Polite greetings
• Everyday life skills

The aim is to help your dog transfer their learning into the real world, while gradually building confidence and understanding.

The important thing?

Neither service is about simply tiring your dog out.

It’s about providing meaningful walks that combine movement, exploration, play, learning and opportunities to practise good behaviour — tailored to the individual dog.

And sometimes, the two naturally overlap. Because real-life training opportunities happen throughout a walk!

📍 Happy Tails Andover
🐾 Enrichment walks | Structured training walks | Bespoke support

Want to know which option would suit your dog best? Send me a message.

Paws and love 🐾❤️
Ash

“Why does my dog feel the need to bark?”Have you ever met a nervous dog with a very big voice? A Chihuahua who barks at ...
28/08/2026

“Why does my dog feel the need to bark?”

Have you ever met a nervous dog with a very big voice? A Chihuahua who barks at people, dogs or anything unfamiliar can quickly be labelled “yappy”, difficult or even aggressive.

But what if they’re actually worried? Dogs naturally respond to things they perceive as threatening. Creating distance can help them feel safer.

Imagine this: Your Chihuahua sees something approaching → they bark → the thing stops or moves away.

From your dog’s perspective:

“I barked… and the scary thing went away.”

The behaviour worked…

This is where negative reinforcement comes in. If barking makes something uncomfortable or scary move away, the dog is more likely to bark again in the future.

Giving them appropriate distance, helping them feel safer and teaching alternative ways to cope can change how they feel about these situations — rather than simply suppressing the behaviour.

Sometimes, the loudest dog in the room is really saying: “Please give me some space. I’m worried.” Understanding the behaviour is the first step towards helping them.

Paws and love 🐾❤️
Ash

26/08/2026

Engagement is the step towards disengagement 👀

We often expect our dogs to move away from something exciting, but before they can disengage, they need to learn how rewarding it is to engage with us.

Imagine being out on a walk when your dog spots another dog, discovers an amazing smell or notices something interesting. Instead of expecting them to ignore it straight away, we can build the skills that help them check back in with us and choose to move away.

Good engagement can support our dogs in everyday situations, such as:

• Moving away from another dog
• Coming away from an exciting smell
• Redirecting their attention
• Checking in when something catches their eye
• Making better choices when off lead or on a longline

The goal isn’t for our dogs to focus on us every second. They should still have plenty of freedom to sniff, explore and enjoy being dogs.

It’s about building a relationship where, even when something exciting happens, they know that checking in with us is worthwhile.

Sometimes, teaching disengagement starts with showing our dogs just how rewarding it can be to engage with us.

Paws and love 🐾❤️
Ash

22/08/2026

ONE LAST CHANCE TO JOIN US TOMORROW! 💚

Busy preparing for our exciting FREE Enrichment Workshop tomorrow, and we still have a few spaces available!

Enrichment is so much more than keeping your dog busy… it’s about giving them opportunities to sniff, explore, problem solve and engage in natural behaviours that help them feel calm, confident and fulfilled.

Whether you share your life with a puppy, an adolescent whirlwind or an older dog, enrichment can have a hugely positive impact on their emotional wellbeing.

Join us for a relaxed afternoon where we’ll be exploring:

* Why enrichment matters
* Simple scent games
* The benefits of exploration
* Easy ideas you can take home and use every day

📅 Tomorrow – Sunday 23rd August 2026
🕚 11am–3pm
📍 T&T Pet Field & Café, Overton, Hampshire, RG25 3DR

The workshop is completely FREE and open to dogs of all ages, breeds and experience levels.

This is your third and final chance to join us — if you’ve been thinking about coming, now’s the time to book!

✨ Spaces are limited and booking is essential. Reserve your free place here:
https://ttpetcafe-booking.co.uk/eventList.php?month=08&year=2026&serviceID=1

We can’t wait to see you there! 🐾

Paws and love 🐾❤️
Ash

PUPPY TRAINING CLASSES - STARTING SEPTEMBER 🐶Spaces are filling quickly for our new puppy training classes, so we wanted...
21/08/2026

PUPPY TRAINING CLASSES - STARTING SEPTEMBER 🐶

Spaces are filling quickly for our new puppy training classes, so we wanted to share the details again for anyone who may have missed our first post!

We’re bringing a new 4-week puppy training course to Andover, designed to give you and your puppy the foundations for a happy life together.

As two positive, force-free trainers, we believe training should be kind, fun and focused on understanding your dog — not simply teaching them a list of behaviours.

Across the four weeks, we’ll cover:

• Sit, stay, recall and lead walking
• Appropriate socialisation with puppies
• Positive reward-based training
• Building confidence and strengthening your bond
• Practical skills for everyday life
• Understanding your puppy and their behaviour
• Additional live Q&A support between classes

£150 for the four-week course, with small class sizes so we can give you and your puppy plenty of individual support.

📅 Tuesday 8th September
⏰ 6.30pm
📍 Andover, Hampshire

If you’re bringing home a new puppy or want some support getting those foundations right, we’d love to have you join us.

Book now — spaces are limited! 🐾

Paws and love 🐾❤️
Ash and Nick

















Address

Sunflower Way
Andover
SP116GD

Telephone

07490128791

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