Tails of Adventure

26/11/2025

The Science Behind Positive Reinforcement 🧠🐶

Positive reinforcement isn’t just a “nice” way to train, it’s scientifically proven to work. Rooted in operant conditioning (Skinner, 1938), it means rewarding the behaviours you want to see more of. When a dog’s behaviour is followed by something rewarding, like food, play, or praise, that behaviour becomes stronger and more likely to happen again.

🐾 Why it works:

Rewards make your dog feel good and motivated to repeat the action.

It builds trust and confidence, helping dogs learn without fear or stress.

Dogs trained with positive reinforcement are more relaxed, more responsive, and have better relationships with their owners than those trained using punishment.

💡 Positive reinforcement isn’t bribery... it’s communication. You’re teaching your dog what to do, rather than punishing what not to do. Science backs it up, and your dog will thank you for it!

19/11/2025

The Importance of Timing in Dog Training ⏱️🐾

In dog training, timing is everything. Dogs learn by association, they connect what they’re doing in the moment with what happens right after. That means your reward must come within quick succession of the behaviour for your dog to understand what you’re teaching.

⚡ Too late, and your dog might think they’re being rewarded for something else

✅ Perfect timing helps your dog clearly understand what earns the reward and what doesn’t. It speeds up learning, builds confidence, and prevents frustration on both sides.

This is why trainers use markers, it bridges the tiny gap between the behaviour and the reward, keeping communication crystal clear.

✨ When your timing is right, your dog learns faster, feels more motivated, and training becomes a joyful conversation instead of confusion.

17/11/2025

*UNIVERSITY STUDY - Dogs 18 months old and Under*

I am conducting research on how sleep affects behaviour in dogs under 18 months of age. I am currently looking for people to comment below to show their interest in taking part.

Criteria:
Owned the dog since the dog was 8 weeks of age
Have a TRACTIVE canine activity tracker capable of tracking sleep and activity
Own a dog under 18 months of age
Must be 18 or over
Residents of the UK
If you are interested in taking part please comment below!

I am a student of Askham Bryan University UK.

16/11/2025

DID YOU SPOT ME?

I've been out and about today! Did you see me?

13/11/2025

💭 Slip Leads, Grots and anything else that tightens: Why We Should Think Twice

A slip lead is often seen as a simple, convenient tool. A slip lead tightens under tension, just like a noose. Historically, nooses were designed to strangle or break the neck by tightening under pressure and while a slip lead might look harmless, it works on the same principle.

When used slip leads:
🔹 Restrict airflow
🔹 Damage the trachea
🔹 Cause pain, panic, or fear
🔹 Create negative associations with walks

Carter et al., (2020) tested seven collars, a padded web collar, rolled collar, padded sports collar, lurcher collar, leather and thread collar, flat webbing collar, rope slip lead and a check chain. They found that no collar provided a pressure low enough to mitigate risk of injury when pulling on the lead.

Cavalli and Protopopova (2025) state that flat collars should not be used on brachycephalic dogs due to potential harmful effects and recommends non-restrictive harnesses for brachycephalic dogs and dogs that pull.

We wouldn’t accept choking as a teaching method in any other situation, so why with our dogs?

12/11/2025

Chronic Pain in Dogs: The Hidden Struggle 🐾

Chronic pain in dogs often goes unnoticed because our dogs are experts at hiding discomfort - as they should be. Unlike sudden injuries, chronic pain develops slowly over time from arthritis, old injuries, spinal issues, or other long-term conditions and can quietly affect your dog’s behaviour, mood, and quality of life.

You might notice subtle changes first:

🐶 Slower to get up or lie down
🐶 Avoiding stairs or the sofa they used to love
🐶 Less playful, grumpier, or withdrawn
🐶 Changes in appetite or sleep
🐶 Increased reactivity or sensitivity when touched

Pain doesn’t always look like limping or crying, sometimes it looks like “bad behaviour.” A dog who growls, avoids being handled, or stops wanting walks might be trying to say, “I hurt.”

A dog can easily make many believe they are not in pain because... "Well they still run after the ball." Of course they will!! The way they feel chasing that ball greatly outweighs any pain they are in so they will do it over and over and over again.

If you suspect chronic pain, don’t wait, book a vet check.

✨ Comfort isn’t a luxury; it’s a basic need. Helping your dog live pain-free means helping them feel safe, happy, and like themselves again.

08/11/2025

Gorgeous new clients Cooper and Riley 😊

05/11/2025

⚠️ What Are Prong Collars?

Prong (or pinch) collars are metal collars with inward-facing prongs that tighten around the dog’s neck when tension is applied to the lead. They’re designed to cause discomfort or pain to stop unwanted behaviour usually pulling but can be used to correct any unwanted behaviour.

🚫 Why I Don’t Use Them:

While they may seem to “work,” that’s only because the dog learns to avoid pain, not because they’ve learned what to do instead.
Research shows aversive tools like prong collars can cause:
❌ Increased anxiety and fear
❌ Higher risk of aggression
❌ Damaged trust between dog and handler

Studies have found that dogs trained with aversive methods show more stress-related behaviours and are less likely to show relaxed, happy body language compared to those trained with reward-based methods.

✅ What I Use Instead:

Positive reinforcement. It teaches dogs what to do, not what to fear.
A well-fitted harness, clear communication, and consistency build confidence and cooperation, not fear and avoidance.

29/10/2025

Do Harnesses Cause Pulling?

You’ve probably heard it... “Harnesses make dogs pull more.”

🙅🏼‍♀️Harnesses don’t cause pulling. 🙅🏼‍♀️

Dogs pull because pulling works, it gets them where they want to go which is rewarding, so they do it all the more. It can also happen because they have not been taught or do not understand what you'd rather they do.

✅ The Real Fix:
Teach loose lead walking through reward-based training, patience and consistency.

Why Harnesses Help:

✅Protect the neck and throat

✅Suitable for all breeds - even those slinky sighthounds!

✅Offer better control and safety

✅Reduce pressure-related injuries

✅Support behaviour training without pain

A harness doesn’t teach pulling, but it does make training safer and kinder. 💚

27/10/2025

🌟 Progress isn’t always huge. 🌟

Sometimes it’s:

🧡 Taking one slow step without pulling
🧡 Focusing for a split second, rather than not at all
🧡 Coping with distractions, rather than jumping up

It might look kind of boring on camera but it’s everything in your training journey.

Because ‘boring’ is better for your nervous system (and your sanity!) and it’s better for your dog’s too. 🙌

Progress isn’t about flashy behaviours or promising quick results.

It’s about building trust and connection, one small progress at a time. 💛

What’s your dog’s version of quiet progress lately?

26/10/2025

Is your dog giving you the Christmas Blues?

Are you worried about them jumping up at guests?

Or that your Roast you've spent so long on is going to end up on the floor or in the dog?

Or that you'll end up like a sleigh behind your dog as they drag you across the ice until you finally deck it?

Training can help you have a less stressful Christmas.

Contact Tails of Adventure to see how training can help you have a peaceful Christmas. - Slots are limited.

17/10/2025