Lucky’s Paws

21/11/2025

FEAR REACTIVITY IN THE HOME 🏠

In almost every session we attend, the dogs are reactive to people coming into the home; ranging from the over excited, in your face, frustrated greeter to the “oh my good god who is this terrifying person entering my house, please leave immediately and never come back” fearful dog.

The second scenario is common, especially in rescue dogs (happy to go into detail on this one if people would find this interesting, let me know!)

So, the big question! What can we do to change this highly stressful situation? The short answer? Lots! The longer answer….⬇️

- teach an alternative behaviour when the doorbell/knock happens; this is generally the first sign of reactivity and so is a good place to start!
- Teach your dog some simple patterns that can later be applied and used around new people.
- Working on consent around touch.
- Advocate for your dog!! Create the space they need when they need it so they don’t have to react to get it.
- Build interactions with people outside first and foremost so that your dog is able to create space if needed. Work on patterns that teach your dog every interaction looks the same and those interactions are positive.
- Set realistic expectations! Your dog doesn’t need to be friends with every single person you meet and it’s okay to use management when needed.
- Build on your dog’s general confidence - chances are if your dog is scared of people, they’re scared of other things too. Building confidence, resilience and curiosity is key.
- There is more! And this isn’t a cookie cutter sort of approach.

If you want help with your dog and don’t know where to start, get in touch!
If you enjoyed this post please like/comment/share
If you want to hear more, let us know that too!

18/11/2025

CANINE TOUCH WORKSHOP 🤩

🕰️ : Sunday 25th January @ 10am
📍 : Skelmanthorpe Community Centre
💰 : Working Spot - £150 Audit Spot - £50

A workshop for dogs who struggle with all things touch! Including:

- Vet trips
- Grooming
- Application of ear/eye drops
- Paw checking
- Drying off
- Physio

This can look like;
- Aggression/reactivity
- Inability to stay still
- Freezing
- Trying to run away

What does this include?

- A full day workshop
- And most importantly, a WhatsApp group set up 2 months before to start to learn the commands and behaviours required for the workshop so you and your dog arrive with the skill set required for the day
- Feedback on your videos submitted in the WhatsApp group.

After attending the Tactical Paws Canine Touch Programme earlier this year, I am now hosting workshops to help those in need.🙏🏻

All information on the slides! Any questions, let me know.

🌟 You can book your spot over on the website 🌟

Www.luckys-paws.com/bookings

14/11/2025

✨Are you ready for a new adventure?✨

We are looking for another dog walker at Lucky’s Paws 👀

We might be bias BUT we genuinely do believe we have the BEST job in the world!

As Emily will be going on maternity leave, ready for the arrival of her little one in April/May 2026 -which we are so incredibly excited about 😍 this means there will be some changes for her dog walking clients…

We’re looking for someone who is passionate, has a love for dogs, eager to learn and wants to expand their knowledge in dog training/behaviour 🙏🏼

If you think you could be the right fit bob us a DM or comment “Interested” and we’ll reach out to have a chat or meet for a coffee ☕️ 🥰

11/11/2025

🎆 Fireworks & Dogs 🎇

Has anybody noticed their dog’s behaviour and feelings around and towards fireworks has worsened as the years have passed?

I have. Luna isn’t their biggest fan, but in previous years, we’ve used a mixture of management and training so that she actually came to see them quite positively associated the noise with food.
Over the last couple of years something has changed.

The difference? Is the sheer volume of them over such an extended period of time. Bonfire night is no longer bonfire night but bonfire week and even month. It’s no longer fireworks when it goes dark but fireworks in the daylight all the way through to the early hours.

Our dogs are not being given the time to recover. Their stress levels remain high and without recovery, this builds and builds. Imagine being exposed to something you are fearful of every night for weeks on end.

I’m not a big fan of them anyway, give me a light show any day, but the way things have escalated over the last few years is insane.

There are a few solutions but for me, the easiest one would be to ban sale of them to the public and just have them at organised events on 1 (at a push 2) set nights.

Would love to know your thoughts and your experience ⬇️

There are things you can do to help around bonfire night - if anyone would like a post covering this in time for NY let me know ❤️

06/11/2025

Bella 🐾 – Brave steps forward

Investing in 1:1 sessions can feel like a big commitment - financially and emotionally. But when you’re living with behaviours that make everyday life harder for both you and your dog, that investment becomes life-changing.

Bella is a beautiful girl with a gentle soul, but her world has been a little scary. Her fears have caused stress not just for her, but for her owner too.

When we first met, our goal was clear: help Bella feel safe, understood, and confident again. 🌿

Since that first post a couple of weeks ago, Bella’s owner has already completed her second session — and even managed a few successful meet-ups! 🙏🏻

Building Bella’s confidence isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about learning to read her world — recognising her cues, advocating for her in the moment, and gradually expanding her comfort zone through calm, structured experiences.

Together, we’re building her social circle, her resilience, and her owner’s confidence to guide her every step of the way.

Huge well done to Team Bella 💪🐾
Can’t wait to see how far this brave pair go. ❤️

04/11/2025

⭐️ The Nervous Dog Workshop ⭐️

Do you have a nervous dog and want to understand and support them more?

Do you walk/groom/see nervous dogs in your job and want to provide the best care for them

Or, like me, are you interested in canine behaviour and want to learn as much as possible...

This workshop is the one for you!

📍 Where: Skelmanthorpe Community Centre, 32a Elm Street, Skelmanthorpe HD8 9BH
🕰️ When: Saturday 17th January 2026 1-5pm
💰 Cost: £75 for 4 hours

For full info, check out the slides.
To book, head over to our website;

Www.luckys-paws.com/bookings

04/11/2025

🐾Adolescent Class 🐾

These guys absolutely smashed our first adolescent class 🤩

Some of these dogs have completed 1-1 sessions with us while others have only completed the 6 week puppy class course but every single person did absolutely incredible!

Open to our 1-1 clients or clients who have completed a puppy class with us in the last 6 months 🐶

The adolescent classes are design to push your training to the next level, they also act as a great way to refresh your skills and knowledge whilst working amongst like minded people 🙏🏼 ♥️

Our next class dates are:

15/11
22/11
29/11
06/12

We also have a class starting in January but the reserve list is getting full! DM us if you’re interested 🫶🏻

30/10/2025

💡 You will never EVER train this OUT of your puppy…AND nor should you want to…

Instinct. Drive. Natural abilities…

But you absolutely can use them to everyone’s advantage with the right techniques…

All dogs are BORN with these and it’s up to us to harness those skills.

If you make the mistake of not fulfilling your dogs purpose this is when you are more likely to see unwanted behaviours like biting, digging, barking, chewing etc

It’s not enough to just walk them and train basic obedience. Some dogs it is BUT the majority need more and that’s where you have to look at the bigger picture.
🐾 What were they bred for? 🐾 What is my puppy’s motivator?
🐾 What are they good at?
🐾 What are they not so good at?
🐾 How do I meet the needs of not only their breed but their personality?

Capitalise on what they excel at.

If you’re dog prefers a ball > food then use toys as their reward for completing a task

If your puppy would rather sniff than be rewarded with food or affection then use the environment as their reward

If your puppy has no motivation to work for you then you can ABSOLUTELY build motivators by using daily food allowance, removing free access to a specific toy to build value and more! However there’s probably something else missing that’s making them choose a negative behaviour > a positive behaviour

Don’t make the mistake of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole because it’s never going to fit. You’ll get frustrated. Your puppy will fail and training becomes unenjoyable

It will be your biggest downfall if you treat your working line Labrador like a couch potato.

It will be your biggest downfall if you constantly try to get your spaniel to walk in heel with their nose off the floor, expect frustration and lack of engagement.

It will be your biggest downfall if you think that little dachshund is satisfied having 10 minute walks for those tiny legs and sitting in cafes watching the world go by… you might be in for a surprise how feisty and prey/driven these guys can be!

29/10/2025

One more space available for my 1-1 clients - can be existing or previous 1-1 clients

To book;

Head to www.luckys-paws.com/bookings

👻 Do you have a dog who is spooked on their night time walks 👻

Do you have a dog who struggles with seeing other dogs?

THEN THIS IS FOR YOU! 👊

As winter draws in and the nights become darker much earlier, some of our dogs can really struggle with the transition and become more on edge and much more reactive.

We are offering a night time pack walk to help you and your dog build confidence together and also to give you much needed exposure to other dogs too 💡

We have 8 spaces available for grabs. The walk will be located in Huddersfield (Message for details) on the 18th November 6-7pm 🎃

This is a opportunity for you to strengthen your handling skills under pressure and it is not one to be missed! These spaces will fly out and once they are gone they are gone! 👻

27/10/2025

🤑💰What gets YOU motivated to do a task? 🍔 🏠

Read until the end for a challenge 😎 ‼️

Something we always say to clients…

“You wouldn’t go to work if you weren’t going to get paid”

…well maybe us guys at Lucky’s Paws would because we have the BEST job in the world but you catch my drift 😂 😉

There needs to be a reward. An incentive. A motivator to WANT to do a task. Particularly when you’re first teaching it.

Go to the gym = get fit/ loose weight/ feel good

Go to work = I get paid and can afford to do nice things

Dogs are the same!!

Whyyyy would your dog recall when running towards that dog is WAY more fun?

Why would your dog sit if they were getting no reward, no food, no verbal praise, no toys

Want to find out what motivates your dog?! Try utilising opposition reflex to get the answer:

🐾 Have someone hold onto your dog. Lay out some different treats in a line spaced equally apart. Release your dog and see which one they go for first. What’s their favourite flavour? You could even do this a few times to see if they eat them in the same order 👏🏼

🐾 do the same with a selection of toys. Hold them back to build frustration, lay the toys out maybe even wiggle them a bit to get your pup excited and then release them, so they go for the ball? The tug? Or none? 🫠

🐾 you could then try it with food AND toys… which will they go for! Place your bets guys!!

Check out our stories to see what our own Lucky’s Paws dogs are motivated by 😍

25/10/2025

Bobby 🐕

Bobby is a high energy, very lovely terrier with wonderfully committed owners

BUT

His behaviour around guests coming into the home is causing problems for both him and his owners.

His obsessive behaviours are causing high levels of stress for all and makes having friends into the home very challenging.

By giving him an alternative behaviour that is incompatible with what he currently does, rewarding where appropriate as well as using a tether to help him switch his brain off and self soothe, we are creating a calmer, less stressed Bobby.

And with all that energy? We’ve focused on giving him appropriate outlets so that he can burn energy in the right way!

If you’re struggling with your dogs behaviour and don’t know what to do next, get in touch ❤️