Through the Dog's Eyes - Training and Behaviour

27/11/2025

On Tuesday we went to see this gorgeous little fella, Buddy, for one of his follow-up sessions.

We were contacted by Buddy's owners earlier this year as they were at the end of their tether due to multiple issues with Buddy. The introduction of a baby into the family a year previously had caused Buddy to feel quite unsettled, resulting in a multitude of unwanted behaviours. Buddy spent a lot of time licking the baby and following him around, which was stressful for everyone. He was also reactive to dogs on walks, meaning that walks were a chore that no-one really wanted to do. Buddy also could not be left on his own anymore, having previously been OK being left. His barking out in the garden had upset the neighbours and his owners were left at their wits end and not knowing a way forward.

We spent some time gathering information about Buddy and it became clear that he was very "tightly wound". We put a plan in place to address the underlying emotions behind Buddy's behaviour and help him to feel more relaxed both in the home and outside it.

We have supported his owners along the way and they have been very dedicated to doing what is best for Buddy, whilst still having to balance his care with looking after their child, their home and going to work.

We saw some improvements early on, but training is rarely linear and it is common for things to regress at times. However, after some ups and downs Buddy and his owners have reached a much happier place:

* His barking in the garden has ceased and he no longer upsets the neighbours
* He is able to go on walks in a variety of different places without reacting to other dogs. His owners enjoy walking him much more now
* He is more relaxed around the toddler, although the tables have turned and now the toddler wants to follow him around everywhere, meaning that careful management is required!
* His owners are now able to go out and leave him at home on his own. They have been out more times in the last month than they had in the previous 18 months!!

We are so proud of Buddy and his family, but our support does not stop here. We will be keeping in touch via telephone and email so that Buddy's owners can send us questions and updates when they need to. We care very much about the families we help and our holistic approach to behaviour modification helps to make long-term changes for the better.

26/11/2025

🐶 For anyone who's suffered HPA axis dysregulation, you'll know the long lasting and chronic physical and mental harmful effects. It's no different for dogs and it can't be 'trained out' by using a quick yank here and a bit of punishment there when not complying. Using an holistic approach when looking to change behaviour and also understanding the long lasting effects of trauma (and not adding to it), is the most effective way of supporting a dog.

Many dogs who struggle with behaviour problems are described as “stubborn" or “anxious.” But sometimes, no amount of training seems to work and that’s often because what we’re seeing isn’t just behaviour. It’s biology.

When an animal experiences ongoing stress, pain, or fear, their body’s stress system known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis can become dysregulated. This system is designed to help the body respond to danger by releasing hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. In a healthy system, those hormones spike briefly and then return to normal once the danger has passed.

But in dogs with chronic stress or an underlying medical issue, the system doesn’t switch off properly. Cortisol levels stay high, the body remains on alert, and the brain becomes wired for survival. Over time, this constant state of readiness reshapes how the body and mind function. The result is a dog who cannot regulate emotions or respond appropriately to everyday life no matter how skilled the trainer or how consistent the owner.

These dogs may:

• Overreact to small or harmless triggers
• Struggle to settle or rest even in calm environments
• Display fear, frustration, or aggression that seems “out of the blue”
• Fixate on sounds, people, or objects
• Guard food, space, or people despite ongoing training
• Recover very slowly after excitement or stress

We now know from research that stress can literally alter brain and hormone function. Even a single acute trauma at the wrong developmental stage can leave lasting effects.

Elevated cortisol and adrenaline affect heart rate, digestion, sleep, and immune function and they reduce the brain’s ability to form new, positive associations. In other words, a chronically stressed dog may be physically incapable of learning or calming down until their body starts to heal. You can’t teach calmness to a body that’s physiologically incapable of feeling calm.

The real success stories come when we stop asking, “How do I make this behaviour stop?” and start asking, “What does this dog need to feel safe?”

24/11/2025

🐶 Looking for the perfect gift for a dog loving friend or family member?

🐕 Know someone who's just had a puppy and got the puppy blues?

🥳 We've got the solution right here 😉, our gift vouchers come in a variety of denominations and can be used towards the cost of one of our 6 week training courses or any of our other services.

ℹ️ Our gift voucher purchases can be found by visiting the 'other services' on our website Through the Dogs Eyes https://share.google/hmOcOeBKgCQHGkq1M

18/11/2025

The Christmas Waggy Walk is happening on Sunday 7th December.

The walk as ever is hosted by Waggy Walks.

Get the dogs, get the Christmas jumpers, and get ready for a proper festive afternoon. We’re meeting at 1:30pm at The Redmore Inn, Burntwood for our annual Christmas Waggy Walk.

It’s £5 per dog (cash on the day) and all we ask is that you bring a donation for Rugeley Welfare for Dogs. This can be food, treats, a toy, or even a raffle prize to help the charity through the winter.

What’s happening:

Christmas treasure hunt on Gentleshaw Common with hidden festive surprises.

Meet Santapaws to collect your dogs gift. It's a great photo opportunity too.

Puppacino for the dogs on arrival at the pub.

Discounted food for the humans back at The Redmore Inn. Menu will be available soon.

To book your space, email [email protected] with your name, how many humans are coming, your dog’s name(s), breed(s) and a contact number.

Let’s make this the waggiest Christmas walk yet.

17/11/2025

🥳🥳 We are beyond delighted to have received an email last week informing us that we have yet again been listed as one of the top 3 dog trainers in Walsall.

🤗 This will be our 3rd year that we've been fortunate enough to have received this listing. We work really hard, usually quietly and behind the scenes, to make sure the services we offer are of a consistently high quality as we want the very best for you and your dog 😍

🐶 We are always grateful to those that support us and use our services.

15/11/2025

🐕 Despite the awful weather yesterday, we still got to meet this gorgeous lot as they started their training journey 🐕

👍 It might have been horrible outside, but we were nice, dry, and toasty.

ℹ️ This course will run until just before Christmas, so our new ones will be starting in the New Year.

14/11/2025

Last minute space available for puppy/beginner dog training class this evening.

Due to unforseen circumstances, we have someone who is having to drop out of our class starting this evening, leaving a space available. The class is at 6:30 at St Thomas's Church, Aldridge, and is the first of a series of 6 sessions, finishing before Christmas. This class is suitable for puppies or adult dogs who are working at beginner level.

If you would like to book on then please go onto our website www.throughthedogseyes.com in order to book.

14/11/2025

Does anyone else's dog not want them to go to work today?

12/11/2025

😮 Would you know what to do if you were out walking your dog and a piece of their equipment failed? This could be their collar, harness, or, in this case, the lead.

ℹ️ In classes, we teach how to make an emergency lead and collar for exactly this reason.

🤦‍♀️ This happened with one of the TTDE dogs this week when the lead broke. Fortunately, we weren't by a road. However, even if we were, our dogs have been taught a solid stay. She only needed to stay for a few seconds whilst the emergency collar and lead was made from what was left of the lead.

😬 A man who was close by, kindly held her although I did explain she wouldn't go anywhere so there was no need. She doesn't really like people touching her although she shows no outward signs of this. To manage her emotions after someone has touched her, she always wants to carry her own lead, holding something makes her feel better.

👍 I didn't want to stop her from doing this but it meant rearranging who was holding certain parts of the lead. She normally holds the middle section and I hold the handle. As there was no handle for me to hold, and the length of the lead was now much shorter, I held the middle part and she held the end all the way home so everyone was happy.

🤗 Moral of the story is that while it's unlikely you'll need to utilise an emergency collar and lead, knowing what to do quickly in any given situation is really important.

11/11/2025

🐶 We've been super busy with our foundation classes this term, and we got to meet this beautiful bunch on Sunday and Monday, as they've all started their training journey with us.

🐕 We'll get to meet lots more on Friday evening and we can't wait 😊