Stress Doesn’t Have To Be Stressful
When stress isn’t stressful Much is now written about stress in dogs – in fact it has become a bit of a trend for dog trainers to be told that dogs should be greeted sideways on, with narrowed eyes and a substantial amount of lip licking. The idea...
Dog Watching
Ah, the joys of modern technology. OK, I know that it drives us crazy when it doesn’t work, but when it does, well… it opens up whole new avenues for study and research in the arena of canine behaviour. For many years, I have videoed dogs...
Shape yourself to do more training
There’s little doubt that most of us could do more of it – training that is! Trying to juggle dog training in with the rest of daily life can be quite a task, especially in a busy household where there are literally hundreds of other factors...
Practical steps for polite lead walking
Gently does it There’s no need for punishment or harsh equipment when training your dog to walk nicely on the lead. Prong collars and choke chains have no place in today’s training and can cause behavioural and physical injury. Let’s be more imaginative. Modern training techniques...
Pulling on a Lead – The Secret Your Dog Doesn’t Want You To Know
Want to know a dog-training secret? One that your dog would rather you didn't know? Shhhh! Dogs like pulling on the lead. There are lots of reasons for this. Some breeds are simply designed to pull: Staffies and Huskies spring to mind, but lots of other dogs...
Safety First
Ever heard something like this? “I don’t need to train my dog, he’s ….only tiny/is naturally obedient/is good with the family …” You can fill in the blanks… but what I always want to ask, is ‘what about in an emergency?’ Preparing your dog in advance for any...
Dog in the City
It’s tempting to think about the quintessential British dog out enjoying the beautiful UK countryside, with green-wellied owner in tow. Of course, many of our dogs do live the perfect country life, ‘hunting, shootin' and fishin’ (aka, sniffing for squirrels, running in the woods and...
Difficult breeds, special needs?
Do you own a Greyhound that sits on command, or a Beagle that comes when it’s called?! Well done! You have managed to put yourself in a class of your own! All too often we are given definitions and descriptions of breed characteristics which we...
Think Dog!
I try not to confess how many years ago it was that I did John Fisher’s original home-study course “Think Dog!” However, the effect that it had on me was utterly profound. Within only a few short months, my interest in dog behaviour went from...
Early days – why puppies can be fearful
Puppies should be bright, bouncy and into everything. They should be filled with natural curiosity and sociability. They should be friendly and have the confidence to approach and be handled. I have just returned from seeing a puppy as a behaviour case which was anything...