Welcome to The Yappy Hour, powered by Yappily!
Georgie Bleza is a dog trainer, self-taught artist, and the creative mind behind Trick Woofs – a body of work that uses comics and illustrations to make dog behaviour accessible, relatable, and genuinely joyful.
In this episode, Nathan chats with Georgie about the power of visual learning, what consent-based training really looks like in everyday life, and why trick training is far more useful than most people think. If you’ve ever struggled to explain what you know about dogs to someone else, Georgie’s work might just do it for you.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ Why visual resources help dog guardians understand behaviour in a way that words often can’t
✅ What consent-based training actually means and how to start building it into daily life
✅ How to read when your dog is giving or withdrawing consent, from grooming to walks
✅ Why trick training builds confidence in anxious and nervous dogs
✅ How to slow down and give your dog processing time and why it makes all the difference
✅ What the “hold” trick can do for resource guarders and why a hand touch is one of the most versatile skills you can teach
Key Takeaways:
- Consent isn’t just a buzzword, it’s about opening up a conversation with your dog and giving them a genuine stop/start button in situations they find difficult
- Slowing down is one of the simplest and most powerful things you can do, whether that’s with a harness, a vet visit, or a training session
- Trick training gives dogs a sense of purpose and confidence and there’s a practical use for almost every trick you can teach
- Your dog feels your emotional state. If you’re frustrated, they notice. A calm handler makes for a calmer dog
- Science-based trainers are stronger together, division creates noise that confuses dog guardians who are just trying to do right by their dogs
Thanks for tuning in! Let’s celebrate the joy and challenges of dog parenting together, because we’re all here for the dogs.
Connect with Georgie Bleza
Connect with Nathan and Yappily
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