The Dogs Behind the Name Buttons & Leash

Clients often ask me where the name Buttons & Leash came from.

The name itself came from my partner’s dog, a Chocolate Labrador called Buttons who I shared a very close relationship with.  

Whilst I’m good at training dogs, I suck at coming up with the more creative stuff like names and brand colours.  So when it came to finding a name my ideas were ‘Redhill Dog Training’ or ‘Surrey Dog Training’ - not very original.

So I asked my partner to think of a name and after a lot of thought, she suggested we use the name Buttons, after her dog and she chose Leash, as it is a way of connecting with your dog plus it sounds better than lead.

A Little Bit About Buttons

Buttons or Beans as I liked to call him was probably the most chilled dog I’ve ever met.  He loved nothing more than snoozing on the sofa and then running around his local park, carrying sticks and if possible swimming in a pond or two.

He was an excellent big brother to Chippy and one of the few dogs Tywin got on with when at home.  Buttons lived to the age of 13 and we said goodbye to him on the 8th August 2021.

Buttons (Left) & Chip (Right)

The Reason for Buttons & Leash

Whilst the name came from Buttons, the inspiration and reason behind Buttons & Leash existing, is down to the unexpected arrival of a Belgian Shepherd puppy named Tywin, who was a “surprise” birthday present from my partner.

Tywin at the end of his car journey to us.

I say “surprise” because not only did I know nothing about his arrival but it turns out, my partner had fallen in love with him and wanted to rescue him from a pretty bad situation.

Now as cute as Tywin was, he had a few behavioural issues that quickly became apparent: fear of people, barking and lunging at traffic, noise sensitive, generalised anxiety and to top it off, he was born missing half his front left paw.

Tywin after the first of many surgeries to his left paw.

These issues led to me trying to find a dog trainer who could help.

Unfortunately, I struggled to find anyone who could actually explain what was going on or how to improve things. When I couldn’t find the help I needed, I began learning how to help Tywin myself and as a result Buttons & Leash was born.

I plan on writing a blog post all about Tywin, his behaviour, issues and how we overcame them.

What Tywin Taught Me

My struggles with Tywin showed me just how hard it can be for dog owners to find help that actually helps.  I know that might sound weird but during my search for help, all I encountered were people telling me ‘I needed to be firmer’, ‘To show him who’s boss’ - there was no-one who could actually explain what and why was going on with Tywin.

It was this experience that led to me creating Buttons & Leash and eventually, creating my ‘Beyond Behaviour Programme’ for anxious, aggressive, reactive and fearful dogs.  It’s designed to help owners uncover the root cause of their dog’s behaviour and implement specific and effective training to resolve the behaviour.

 If you want to discuss your dog's behaviour, feel free to book a call or send me a message.