Meet My Gang: A Trio of Love and Wisdom

DIESEL
Forever in our hearts - March 2015 – May 2025 🐾💙



There will only ever be one Diesel. He was quite simply a one-in-a-million dog - and the dog who started everything.

Diesel was calm, confident, incredibly steady and, make no mistake about it, he was the boss. 😂

But he never needed to prove it. There was something about his presence that other dogs seemed to understand. He could walk into an environment and somehow make everything feel calmer without actually doing anything.

If another dog barked at him, he wasn’t bothered. If a dog snapped at him, he couldn’t have cared less - he’d simply walk away.

He didn’t need to react, challenge them or prove a point. He was completely secure in himself, and that quiet confidence made him an extraordinary dog to have alongside dogs who were anxious, reactive or unsure.

He Just Knew How to Be a Dog. 

Diesel wasn’t interested in being everybody’s best friend. In fact, he couldn’t have cared less about most people either. 😂

He didn’t need attention from strangers, didn’t need to greet everyone he passed and wasn’t constantly looking for interaction. He was simply happy existing. And there was something incredibly special about that.

He could come with us anywhere - travelling around Europe in our motorhome, exploring new places, walking through busy environments or simply lying somewhere watching the world go by.

Very little fazed him. He was comfortable in his own skin and happy just being part of our lives.

The Dog Who Helped Hundreds of Dogs. 

Diesel became an incredibly important part of my journey into dog training. Over the years, he helped hundreds of dogs through their own training journeys.

As a stooge dog, he was invaluable. For a reactive, nervous or uncertain dog, Diesel could provide something that I couldn’t teach through a lead or a training exercise. He showed them.

His calmness gave other dogs space to think. His confidence helped uncertain dogs realise there wasn’t always something to worry about. And because he wasn’t desperate to interact, he allowed dogs to simply exist around another dog without pressure.

If they reacted, he didn’t take it personally.
If they needed space, he gave it.
If they wanted nothing to do with him, that suited Diesel perfectly too. 😂

He taught me an enormous amount about neutrality, communication and the value of a truly balanced dog.

More Than a Training Dog

From the age of two, Diesel also worked as a therapy dog, visiting nursing homes, universities, mental health drop-in centres and other environments where his calm presence brought comfort to people.

It’s funny really - for a dog who wasn’t particularly fussed about people, he had an incredible ability to make people feel better simply by being there.

He never had to perform.
He never had to demand attention.
He just had to be Diesel.

The Dog Who Started It All

Diesel is the reason I started learning about dog training. He is the reason our German Shepherd training club began.
And ultimately, he is the reason Dugs Paws exists today.

He taught me that dogs don’t need to love every dog or every person they meet. He taught me the importance of confidence and neutrality. He taught me to look at the individual dog rather than what people thought that dog should be.
And perhaps most importantly, he taught me just how much we can learn when we stop trying to make dogs fit into our human expectations and start understanding them for who they actually are.

Even when arthritis began slowing him down in his later years, he remained Diesel - steady, stubborn, dignified and very much still in charge.
We supported him with hydrotherapy, chiropractic care and acupuncture, adapting life around what he needed as he grew older.

In May 2025, at the age of 11, we had to say goodbye.

There are dogs who come into your life and become part of your story.
And then there are dogs who change the direction of the story completely.

Diesel was that dog.

Dugs Paws wouldn’t exist without him. Hundreds of dogs have benefited because he existed, and so much of the trainer I am today was shaped by the years I spent beside him.

Radar, Bleu and now Axal may continue the journey, each in their own way, but Diesel will always be where it began.


AXAL

The newest adventure begins… 🐾



And then along came Axal - the newest member of the Dugs Paws gang and one of Radar’s very own puppies.

From the beginning, Axal has been a confident, calm and incredibly quick little learner. Growing up surrounded by some pretty good teachers, he has learned not only from us but from Radar and Bleu, gradually finding his own place within the pack.

He is very much his dad’s boy. Like Radar, Axal is naturally aloof with strangers and isn’t overly interested in unfamiliar dogs. He doesn’t feel the need to say hello to everyone he meets - he’s happiest with his own pack and perfectly content in his own little world.

And then there’s Radar…

Those two are absolutely joined at the hip! 😂🐾

Watching their relationship develop has been brilliant. Axal follows his dad, learns from him and spends so much of his time by his side — although we’re sure Radar occasionally wonders when his little shadow is going to give him five minutes’ peace!

But while Axal may have inherited some of Radar’s nature, he is already showing us that he is very much his own dog.

He is developing his own confidence, his own way of communicating and his own place within the world around him. He doesn’t need to be the loudest, the busiest or the first to greet everyone. His strength lies in his calmness, his thoughtfulness and the quiet confidence he carries with him.

Axal is already doing brilliantly with his training, and his naturally steady nature has meant he’s even started joining me as a stooge dog during training sessions, helping other dogs learn how to be around a calm, neutral dog.

For such a young dog, that’s something we’re incredibly proud of.

There is still plenty of growing, learning and adventure ahead of him, and we’re excited to see where it takes him. He may have started life following in Radar’s pawprints, but with every new experience, Axal is showing us more of the dog he is becoming.

And perhaps that is the most exciting part of all.

Because Axal’s future won’t be about becoming another Radar.

It will be about becoming Axal — quietly confident, completely himself and ready to leave pawprints that belong to him alone. 🐾


RADAR

The new boss of the pack 🐾



Radar is our strong, confident boy, resident mama’s boy and the new boss of the Dugs Paws pack.

He has so many qualities that remind us of Diesel, which isn’t surprising considering just how much of his early life was spent learning alongside him.

Diesel was an incredible teacher.

Radar watched him, walked alongside him and learned so much about simply existing calmly in the world. That influence can still be seen in Radar today — but while there are plenty of similarities between the two boys, Radar has very much grown into his own dog with his own personality.

And what a personality it is. 😂

Confident, Calm & Very Much His Own Dog

Radar is a strong, confident male who knows exactly who he is.

Within our own pack, he’s naturally taken over Diesel’s role and become the new boss. He adores the dogs within his family and has a fantastic relationship with his pack — although he definitely has his own ideas about personal space!

Like Diesel, Radar is naturally aloof.

He doesn’t feel the need to interact with every person he meets and he certainly doesn’t feel the need to make friends with every dog.

And that’s absolutely fine.

He’s incredibly neutral around other dogs. A dog can bark at him and Radar generally couldn’t care less. He doesn’t feel the need to answer back or become involved.

But neutral doesn’t mean tolerant of everything.

Radar doesn’t appreciate unfamiliar dogs getting right into his face or invading his personal space, and he’s definitely not a fan of very high-energy dogs bouncing around him.

He’s a chilled-out dude. 😂

Give him his space and he’s perfectly happy to share the environment with other dogs without needing to interact with them.

For me, that’s one of Radar’s greatest qualities.

Neutrality Doesn’t Mean Friendship

Radar is a brilliant example of something I teach owners all the time:
A well-socialised dog doesn’t need to want to play with every dog they meet. Good socialisation isn’t about creating a dog who loves everybody. It’s about creating a dog who can navigate the world confidently, communicate appropriately and exist around other dogs without feeling that every dog needs to become their friend.

Radar has his pack.
He loves his pack. And he’s perfectly content with that.

Following Diesel’s Pawprints - In His Own Way

Radar has also followed in some very special pawprints.

His calm confidence has made him an invaluable stooge dog, helping me work with dogs struggling with reactivity, frustration, anxiety and confidence.

Because he isn’t desperate to interact, he can simply exist around another dog and give them the opportunity to learn that another dog’s presence doesn’t always mean excitement, conflict or interaction.

He’s also worked as a therapy dog, following in Diesel’s footsteps and bringing that same naturally calm presence into environments where sometimes simply being there is enough.

But Radar isn’t Diesel 2.0.

Diesel helped shape him, but Radar has developed his own personality, his own boundaries and his own way of communicating with the world.

He’s confident.
He’s independent.
He’s wonderfully aloof.
He’s chilled until someone gets in his bubble.
He’s an incredible stooge dog.

He’s now a dad himself, with Axal following closely in his pawprints. And despite being this big, strong, confident male who’s taken over as boss of the pack…
he’s still an absolute mama’s boy. 😂🐾

Diesel may have shown Radar the way. But Radar has taken everything he learned and made the role completely his own. The new boss. The next generation. And unmistakably Radar. 🐾

BLEU

The bombproof one 💗🐾



Bleu came into our lives during an incredibly difficult time after tragically losing her handler, who was also one of Wullie’s best friends.

Suddenly, her whole world had changed.

She had lost her person, her home and everything that had been familiar to her. So when Bleu joined our family, there were no expectations. We simply gave her the time and space she needed to adjust, grieve and find her place within our pack.

And find her place she certainly did.

The Steady One

Bleu formed a fantastic relationship with Diesel and Radar, and the three of them got on like a house on fire.

She’s an incredibly well-balanced, steady and bombproof dog. Very little bothers Bleu and she takes most things in her stride.

Is she the brainiest member of the Dugs Paws gang?
Absolutely not. 😂 Bleu can be a very slow learner and you’re unlikely to see her volunteering for Mensa anytime soon!

But that’s part of what I love about her.

She’s never needed to be the most obedient or highly trained dog in the world because she’s naturally very good at simply being a dog.

She’s sensible, predictable, neutral and easy to live with — qualities that can sometimes be far more valuable than knowing a hundred commands.

She Doesn’t Need to Love Everyone Either. Bleu is naturally neutral around both dogs and people. She doesn’t go looking for trouble, she doesn’t need to be involved in everything and she’s generally very happy just getting on with life.

Now that Axal has joined the family, Bleu isn’t entirely sure what she’s supposed to do with this fluffy little puppy. 😂

The two of them don’t interact a great deal - and that’s perfectly okay.

We don’t force relationships between our dogs.

Axal has learned to respect Bleu’s space, Bleu is allowed to choose how much interaction she wants, and they happily coexist as part of the same family.

Dogs don’t need to play together, sleep together or be constantly interacting to have a successful relationship.

Sometimes peaceful coexistence is more than enough.

A Natural Stooge Dog

Bleu’s steady temperament has made her an invaluable part of my training work. She’s particularly good when working around dogs who are reactive, anxious, frustrated or lacking confidence because she doesn’t put unnecessary social pressure on them.

She can simply be there.
That gives another dog the opportunity to observe her, move around her and learn that sharing space with another dog doesn’t automatically mean they have to interact.

She’s helped many dogs during training sessions and you’ll often find her joining Radar and me during classes too. She may not always understand what exercise we’re supposed to be demonstrating quite as quickly as Radar does…

…but she’ll stand there looking lovely while we figure it out. 😂💗

Growing Older, Her Way

Bleu is getting older now and, unfortunately, her body is beginning to remind us of that.

She has arthritis in her front legs and hip dysplasia, which means we’re having to adapt things as she becomes stiffer. Like we did with Diesel, we’re supporting her with treatments including hydrotherapy and acupuncture, alongside making adjustments to her lifestyle and activity to keep her as comfortable as possible.

Getting older doesn’t mean she stops being part of everything. It simply means we listen to the dog in front of us and adapt to what she needs now.

And that, in many ways, sums Bleu up perfectly.

She doesn’t need to perform.
She doesn’t need to prove anything.
She doesn’t need to be the cleverest dog in the room.
She just needs to be Bleu.

Steady.
Sweet.
Bombproof.
Slightly lacking in the brains department. 😂
And very, very loved.

Our beautiful girl and a very special part of the Dugs Paws family.