Any visit a dog has to the vet can be a stressful experience, not only for a pet, but for an owner too. We can’t explain to them that they will be ok and it can be upsetting to see them stressed or difficult to manage their behaviour. Recognising and acknowledging early signs that a dog is stressed is an important factor to being able to work towards helping them to feel calmer and try to make the experience less stressful for everyone. There are ways we can ease this stress

Being calm and in control of their own behaviour does not come naturally to dogs; they need support and training.   You can teach calmer behaviour, known as impulse control, with training guidance using positive reward based techniques. Teaching behaviour control will help prevent jumping up, snatching food or toys, bolting out of doors, lead pulling and improve general good 'manners'. Just a couple of minutes each day using every day tasks will help your dog to get an unde

Training is not like it is on TV, most programmes are heavily edited to provide entertainment. Effective training take weeks of patience and consistency. Basic obedience - 4 – 6 weeks, for a dog to achieve some understanding.   Results and time scales can depend on each individual. Behaviour problems - 3 – 12 months, to expect to see some improvement.   Depends on complexity and severity. Understanding how dogs learns is the first step. How d

Stress is the body's response to physical, mental, or emotional pressure and behaviour and/or health can be affected. When we, or dogs, get stressed the brain releases hormones to allow the body to respond, such Adrenaline, Noradrenaline and Cortisol. Theses hormones have an influence on heart rate, blood pressure, glucose, many non-essential body functions and can alter immune system function. A certain level of stress in life can be expected for all of us, humans and dogs,

The Origin of the “Alpha” Dog Theory. This idea came from a paper written by Rudolph Schenkel, the study was on unrelated wolves in...

Most dogs lead lives mainly controlled by people… when and what they eat, when and where they walk, when they can go outside, where they...

Basically … Trainers teach you and your dog how TO DO  something. Behaviourists support you and your dog to   NOT do  something. There...

Dogs reach adolescence or teenage stage around 8-12 months. This can vary depending on dogs breed and size, with most dogs reaching full...

Adopting a rescue dog can be a hugely rewarding experience, and the companionship, friendship, trust, and devotion of a dog is a...

Dogs can detect up to a  trillionth  of a gram of scent.   “A dog’s sense of smell is … so sensitive that (dogs can) detect the...

Christmas and the build up to the day can be a whirlwind of activity and excitement, but for dogs it can be a stressful and even...

Watching your dog grow old is never easy, but with the right type of care and support you can help them stay happy and healthy. When is a dog considered senior. A dog’s breed and/or size generally guides when a dog is classed as senior:   Dogs less than 10 pounds  - 9-11 years – Toy or miniature breeds,                                   Larger dogs 25-60 pounds  - 8-10 years - Labradors, Collies Dogs greater than 90 pounds - 6-7 years – Mastiffs, Great Dane

Your dog’s behaviour when fireworks go off may appear irrational, and maybe even at times extreme. The noise, flashes and smell of...

On my website I use terms such as ‘… positive, force free, ethical and science-based methods…’   And my blogs cover… ‘ Emotions, Body...

Picture from Freepik.com There is often much debate on whether a dog’s have emotions that are similar to ours. I’m sure very dog owner...

Dogs can’t tell us directly what they are thinking, what their intentions are, or how they are feeling. They do, however, give us a lot...

Enrichment is meeting an animals needs to allow them to perform species typical behaviour in a healthy safe and appropriate way....

Reactive behaviour in dogs is often displayed as barking and lunging, but it can also take many other forms such as jumping up, or what appears to be over excitement, running away, freezing, ‘over’ sniffing or even excessive scratching. Much of this behaviour can often referred to as the 6 F’s – fight, fidget, flirt, flight, freeze or fiddle.  Any of this behaviour can have a basis on stress, anxiety or even fear.   There can be several reasons for this behaviour and the firs

The guidance offered below is a basic outline to considerations with a new pup. Your breeder or Vet are the best placed to offer you any...

Loose lead walking is not about walking at heel, but a relaxed enjoyable walk for all. When a dog is pulling on the lead, they are often...