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Anxiety
What is Neutrality in Dog Behaviour?
Neutrality has different meanings depending on who you ask. So what is neutrality in dog behaviour and how can you get closer to achieving it?
What to Expect in the First 3 Days with Your New Rescue Dog
pictured two dogs in a kennel behind a fence. Both german shepherd types, one lies down behind the front dog that is sitting and looking through the fence.
Separation Anxiety in Dogs: What you should Know
Did you know…? There are at least nine types of separation related behaviour problems in dogs and they all have different solutions. Here’s what you should know before you start working with your dog.
Marci – A rescue dog story
Marci is such an inspiration. Coming all the way from Bulgaria at the end of 2022, she was a bag of nerves when she arrived. In the first few days she panicked, slipped her lead, and went missing for several…
What is Fight or Flight in dog behaviour?
The fight or flight response in dog behaviour is an automatic response to something that is, or is perceived to be, scary. When dogs become reactive to something, their flight or flight response has been triggered. Sometimes it’s referred to…
Changing Dog Behaviour using Behaviour Sequences
Behaviour sequences are pretty powerful things when it comes to dog training and behaviour. Dogs recognise them quickly and use them to predict outcomes – good and bad!
Sympathy vs Empathy in Dog Rehabilitation
People often suggest you can reinforce a dogs anxious behaviour by showing sympathy, but is that true? And if you aren’t being sympathetic, does that mean you don’t care? There is a big difference between sympathy and empathy when it…
Do dogs feel guilty?
Many people tell me that their dogs feel guilty about stuff. Maybe they’ve come home to find something has been chewed or broken, or perhaps a little “gift” has been accidentally deposited in the hall! But, can you really trust…
The dogs advocate
Whether you call yourself pack leader, caregiver, dog mum/dad, or owner, today dogs need us to advocate for them more than ever before.
Food guarding in dogs
Food guarding in dogs is a big problem. At best you’ll be on alert much of the time, and at worst it can be dangerous to you, and your dog. But where does it come from, and how can you…
Why you shouldn’t use punishment as a dog training tool
I thought long and hard before writing this blog because I don’t want to be misunderstood. So before I start I want to make it very clear, I do not support the use of punishment as a dog training tool.…
Using Predictors to Reduce your Dogs Anxiety
Dogs are very good at noticing behaviour sequences. Once they spot one, all the steps in that sequence will become predictors of the trigger. If you can figure out the sequence, or create your own, you can often use these…