Posts that look at aspects of dog behaviour, including how to modify behaviour with training.
As a dog walker in Newcastle, my co-workers are always hearing me say “Once you’ve established relationship, you can let him off.” But what does this mean, and how can you go about building relationship with your dog? In this case, relationship is not so much about feeling (though feeling often follows), but about connection […]
According to a Blue Cross survey, published in 2011, the UK pet products market is worth around 15 billion pounds a year. It’s clear we spend a great deal of money on our pets (and dogs make up a large portion of the pet population), and the producers are more than happy to keep up […]
If your dogs is friendly towards other dogs and like to greet them enthusiastically this post is for you – some dogs need space from your dog. AND If your dog is sometimes reactive towards other dogs this post is also for you! Your dog needs space from other dogs. It is a hard post […]
In the first half of Separation Anxiety in Dogs, we looked at why some dogs struggle with being left on their own, and what signs indicate that your dog might be suffering stress in your absence. This article looks at the nuts and bolts of helping bored, lonely dogs and those with separation anxiety, to […]
Before I begin to write about separation anxiety, I would like to start by pointing out that every dog is an individual, and while the principles outlined here will apply to a greater or lesser degree, only you know your dog’s history and circumstance. It is important to begin there and to carefully work out […]
Dog walking Some of my happiest childhood memories involve dog walking… in those days it was multiples of shelties around the village where I grew up, then as a young adult I walked with Patch, my rescued border collie with whom I enjoyed twice daily beach walks. A decade later, it was Ben – another […]
How to train a dog – part 1 A dog is a relatively straightforward creature, whose behaviour is driven almost entirely by what could be described as gaining reward and avoiding ‘punishment’ (more accurately, avoiding bad things happening). In many ways this is true of humans as well, except that we then moderate our behaviour through cognition. The […]
Why do dogs need toys? Most people that I know, who own a dog, consider their canine companion to be part of the family, and Christmas means presents for dogs, just as surely as it does gifts for children! So are dog toys more than just a momentary distraction? Do dogs need toys? What do […]
Today I did my first walk with Willow who is a beautiful black and gold Hovawort. We’d met on a couple of occassions and got along well, indeed she was positively affectionate at the initial booking visit. I’d done a ‘test drive’ with her human waiting down the street only yesterday, just to be sure […]
Does it matter what we call things? People? Animals? It seems to be human nature to label; to reduce complex situations down to a single word. She’s insecure, autistic, gregarious, selfish, intelligent or a doormat. We do it with our dogs all the time… he’s stubborn, reactive, clingy, friendly, anxious, full of himself. Labelling seems […]
