Hi, and thanks for stopping by to read our waffle.
If you’ve found your way here, there’s a good chance one of two things is going on. Either you’ve got a new puppy and you’re wondering what on earth you’ve let yourself in for, or your dog is doing something that worries you, embarrasses you, or just leaves you stood in the middle of a field not knowing what to do next.
Either way, you’re in the right place. And whatever it is, it’s probably more common than it feels right now.
If you don’t know us already, we’re Jazz and Nadia, and between us we run Ergonomic Dogs. This blog is where we’ll share the things we explain to owners every week: why dogs do what they do, what actually helps, and what’s worth ignoring. Before we get into all that, it seemed only fair to say hello properly.
Who we are (you can skip this part if you already know us),
Jazz here first. I’ve been around dogs for as long as I can remember. I trialled my first gundog at eight years old, and that set the direction for pretty much everything that followed, including ten years as a Dog Trainer in the British Army. Then onto working with civilian dogs and university to gain my degree in canine behaviour.
These days I still compete in the international protection sport GlobalRing NVBK with my dog, Venom, and we’ve represented the UK at the World Championships in 2024 and 2026. People sometimes assume sport and pet training are two separate worlds. They’re not. Training under that kind of pressure keeps me honest, humble and constantly learning about what works and what only looks good on paper.
And from Nadia: my background started with people, not dogs. I have a Master’s in Psychology and spent more than ten years applying behavioural science professionally. To me, dog behaviour and psychology are the same subject, just applied to a different relationship. I’m just as interested in what’s going on for you as the owner as I am in what’s going on for your dog, because the two are always linked.
At home, I compete in PSA with my rescue dog, Rex, and I’m preparing to move into Ringsports with my German Shepherd, Jester. Rex didn’t arrive as a blank slate, so a lot of what I understand about real behaviour problems I’ve lived through myself, at home, with my own dog.
We’ve both fostered and rehabilitated rescue dogs with all sorts of behavioural problems, long before it was ever part of the job. So when we say we know how overwhelming it can feel, we mean it.
Something we’re often asked is Why “Ergonomic” and what does it even mean?
It’s the question we probably get asked most, so here’s the short answer. Ergonomics is about designing things to fit the people using them, rather than forcing people to fit the design. We think training should work the same way.
Too often, a dog gets labelled as stubborn, naughty or “just like that”, when really something hasn’t been understood yet. The dog might be missing information, struggling to cope, or simply not motivated by what’s on offer. Every behaviour has a reason behind it. Once you find that reason, the way forward usually gets a lot clearer.
So we don’t hand out one programme to every dog that comes through the door. We look at what motivates your dog, what’s driving the behaviour, and what will realistically fit into your life. Then we build the plan around that.
What we help with
Most of our work falls into a few areas:
- Behavioural coaching for things like reactivity, overarousal, recall problems, pulling on the lead and impulse control
- 1-2-1 puppy training, for owners who want to get the foundations right from day one
- Virtual consultations, so we can help you wherever you are
- Sport and performance training, including our Scentwork Club, for those who’ve caught the bug
What you’ll find on this blog
We’re going to try and keep it practical. Expect posts on puppy basics, reactive dogs, lead walking, recall, settling and the everyday stuff that makes life with a dog easier. We’ll also tackle a few myths along the way and share some real stories from the dogs and owners we work with (with their permission, of course). And if you know us, you can guarantee there will be some absolute nonsense in there too, as well as some updates on what’s going on over here at Ergo’ Dogs!
What you won’t find are quick fixes or miracle tricks. Lasting change comes from understanding your dog properly, and we’d rather give you something that still works long after you’ve finished reading.
Come and say hello
If you’ve got a question you’d love to see us answer, tell us. There’s every chance someone else is wondering the same thing.
And if you’d like to talk about your own dog, you can book a free 30-minute consultation call through our website or drop us a message on WhatsApp (you’ll find the links at the bottom of all our webpages). No pressure, no judgement, just a chat about where you are and where you’d like to be.
We’re really glad you’re here.
Jazz and Nadia
Ergonomic Dogs
