Yuletide Blessings, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Or simply a peaceful few weeks - whichever works best for you.

Image created by DALL-E

It’s the final newsletter of the year.

Hello, all you good boys and girls.

Twyla and I wish you all the best at this time of year, no matter who or where you are, who you are with and whether you celebrate or not.

Today, for me, is Yule, which means I will be lighting candles and uttering blessings, much to the amusement of my adult kids, for most of the day.

They, of course, celebrate Christmas, and I would be rude not to join in, so in our home, we have a double whammy of tasty food and sparkly lights over the course of this week.

Of course, some people do not celebrate or do not feel much like it, which is also entirely OK, and nobody has to do anything they don’t want to.

But I encourage anyone struggling to cope to reach out - not just with your dogs, but with your own struggles too. 121 clients have my phone number. I WILL always get back to you.

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In 2024

In 2024, we were still struggling from the effects of COVID and the cost-of-living crisis which has had an effect on MANY businesses over several years. So we began to think of ways to help dogs that reflected our new reality while still providing the best service for anxious dogs and anxious dogparents.

So we rolled up our sleeves and got VERY busy.

• We moved the entire Fun Not Fear® Club from the old platform to its new home (here on Substack) and even gained some new members, for which we are always grateful and glad. This meant we saved some cash, so we didn’t have to raise our prices like many other businesses had this year to stay afloat. (And as an added bonus, we like it here very much!)

• We added (and helped) new dogs to our 121 client base, and we were able to help many, many more, with our FREE phone call service.

• We recreated our main website and added a shop to it, with things we either recommend or books we wrote ourselves!

• We wrote two new ebooks and started on a second “big” book for print.

• Twyla created a website of her own.

• We made sure we had the correct insurance in place to work with XL Bullies

• We added a dogsitting service for anxious dogs, to our list of things we offer to clients local to Newmarket. This means dogparents who can’t normally leave their dogs were able to have breaks and get some much-needed respite and relaxation.

• We judged two local dog shows for charity.

• I went and did a two-day seminar with Simone Mueller to learn all about Predation Substitute Training, to help dogs (like Twyla) who have a high drive when it comes to critters (and blowing autumn leaves)

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In 2025

• We will finish our second print book and have that ready for publishing

• I’ll finish my second Level 6 canine behaviour qualification.

• I will give talks to other dog professionals, the first at International Canine Behaviourists in January.

• I will be at Crufts as part of the Kids Around Dogs Team.

• We will be further involved in the committee at The Association Of INTODogs, taking on not just the secretarial role but also acting as Treasurer so that the application process for membership for the wonderful behaviourists and trainers there becomes more streamlined.

• Continue to grow The Dog Welfare Alliance, where dog professionals, dogparents, and anyone interested can declare force-free intent publicly while supporting good causes related to dog welfare.

• Grow the Fun Not Fear® Club to help provide more online support and resources for both our in-person and online members.

• All while continuing to provide the best 121 services for building confident dogs and dogparents that we can!

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The heart of Fun Not Fear®

At the heart of everything we do here at Fun Not Fear® is a desire to help anxious dogs and dogparents with their struggles. We make it our life’s work to create a world for dogs that feels safe. Where they can enjoy accessible reward-based teaching. Somewhere they can grow a secure relationship built on fun, compassion, understanding, love and trust with their humans.

Our entire business (and life) is built on our motto:

“There is nothing that can be taught with fear, that can’t be taught with fun, apart from fear itself “

We hope that in 2025, even more of you wonderful dogparents will enjoy the incredible benefits that a Fun Not Fear® life will bring not just your dogs, but you too.

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Wishing you all the good things,

Warm ‘n’ Fuzzies,

Freya xx