Training & Behaviour

Hands up if you have a dog who loves balls, sticks, squeaky toys and other innate objects to the point that it is now starting to drive you crazy? My hand is raised here and Darcy's ball obsession is something that I’ve been working on with him over the past few months. At first it’s all fun and games, but the impact that a ball...

Dogs with anxiety can suffer from chronic stress, which decreases their quality of life and leads to many common dog behaviour problems, so understanding anxiety in dogs, its causes and treatments is critical. Anxiety traits can include noise sensitivity and phobias, separation related behaviour, commonly known as separation anxiety, fear of different surfaces and heights, a lack of impulse control, compulsive disorders, car travel anxiety...

I’m a big advocate of crate training dogs, because when it is done right, it provides your dog with a secure and happy place they can go to when they want a rest or are feeling anxious. It helps keep your dog safe and prevents escaping while traveling, or  may also be used to keep them safe during thunderstorms or fireworks. However should they be...

Around five thousand or more years ago we began selectively breeding the herding dog. Our canine companions at this time would have shown some inherent behavioural traits or motor patterns that we would have seen as being useful in keeping the shee \p herd together and moving in the direction needed. These behaviours or predatory drive motor patterns, would have only been displayed by our...

When adopting a pet there are a number of key things you need to think about, in the same way you would if considering buying a puppy, kitten or other pet, to ensure that it is the right fit for you and your family - and for the long term!  As we celebrate the Petstock Foundation National Pet Adoption Month, here's some things to consider....

Many dog owners complain about their dog pulling on the lead and want to know what to do about it. The problem often arises from the fact that their dog has been allowed to rehearse this behaviour over and over again. So, if you have a puppy get on to it straight away. Dogs often pull from excitement, especially if they don't get walked every...

In a recent blog I discussed how dog behaviour problems in adult dogs often start due to a number of key reasons. These include: the dog having an aversive experience or series of events poor leadership and/or handler/owner inconsistency long standing behaviours that have been exhibited over an extended period of time (ie: from puppyhood) a lack of proper socialisation as a puppy genetics. The...

Most puppies and many adolescent dogs love to explore and chew, so it should be no surprise when they steal household objects.  A puppy stealing socks is a big one, and many a puppy has ended up in emergency surgery after digesting one. Teach them 'leave it' One of the first things we should be teaching our puppy is the 'leave it' command, so that...

In multiple dog homes, harmonious relationships are common if each dog is treated fairly and if the owners understand dog body language. However, scuffles can occur. Learning how to read your dogs’ cues, especially signs of stress and anxiety, is crucial to maintaining peace in a multi-dog household. Understanding Dog Body Language and Stress Signals Dogs often communicate through body language, and recognizing stress and...

When it comes to training our dogs, it is important that we use methods that support their physical and emotional wellbeing, strengthens our bond and allows them to still express their natural dog behaviours, rather than using excessive dominance and punishment - methods often used in the alpha dog training approach. What are some of the alpha dog training methods used Alpha dog training methods...