Mendmydog Dog Behaviourist

26/01/2025

Fizz is waiting for her morning Brazil nut at my feet. Yes weird I know but she’s mad about them. I allow her to ask for food as she is very good at going to her bed if I want her to, she’s not pushy and it doesn’t bother me for her to sit by me and ask for leftovers and tidbits. It actually helped her to learn to trust humans again when she first arrived with us and was highly reactive towards visitors. We used food as counter conditioning and desensitisation. Sometimes my clients are surprised that I allow her on the sofa, I allow her to beg for food at times and don’t have strict rules about this. I believe that dogs are members of the family and it is up to each individual family what they choose to live with with their dog’s rules and boundaries. I can teach a dog not to beg, that is no problem and often work with this issue with clients, but for me personally, I let her be part of the family as it makes me happy to see she’s learned to trust humans again. She enjoys her princess status in our family and I’m happy to let her keep that crown after her rotten start in life. Good girl Fizz and yes you can have your nut 😂🥰👑

26/01/2025

So very true and this was obvious in my survey of dog reactive dog owners as to what they think caused their dog’s reactivity - most had a bad experience in a multi dog setting and became dog reactive after that. So many owners think they are doing the right thing and ‘socialising’ their dog but often it does more harm than good .

There are some very serious problems with pack walks and dog day care and it needs to be recognised. While there are some good and GREAT dog day cares and walkers, there are also some that will affect your dog for a very long time.There really are some great ones out there, no doubt about it. They t...

17/01/2025

Such a great article on attachment and how such poor advice is still in wide circulation on encouraging owners to leave puppies to ‘cry it out’. This is more likely to create separation anxiety than taking this slowly at your puppies pace and when they feel confident to be left for short periods - remember that separation anxiety is a tough issue to overcome

Accidental attachment ‘parenting’

Taking on a tiny 6 day old puppy unintentionally taught me a great deal about attachment and how crucial secure attachments are for our dogs’ emotional health.

It’s pretty easy to meet our dogs physical needs and that was even quite easy with a tiny puppy- she needed feeding, she needed help toileting and she needed to be kept warm.

It was apparently straight away that meeting these physical needs and leaving her on a heat pad in a pen was in no way going to meet her emotional needs. It’s not just warmth that puppies need, it’s physical contact with a living being. Heat pads, fake heart beats in toys etc for a solo puppy, just doesn’t do it. She was more settled and content in close physical contact- she preferred with me but any other human or dog would do. She wanted to be next to skin and near a heartbeat, at all times and so that’s where she stayed, for as long as she needed it.

The option of close physical contact with someone they are attached to is such a basic need. I’m sure most of us remember hearing about the awful Harlow experiments where monkey babies had the choice of a wire ‘mother’ (with milk) or a soft, cloth ‘mother’ and would choose the soft mother even at the expense of milk, such is that basic need.

I have children and it felt so similar to when my kids were tiny babies too. I certainly didn’t deny them a need to be near me and I didn’t with this tiny puppy either. When they are developmentally ready (human babies and tiny puppies), they choose to be more independent from you and they spread their wings.

Of course it’s not just about the need for physical contact anyway when they are tiny- it’s about the need to feel safe too and that’s a fundamental need that must be met.

When puppies go into new homes at 8 weeks old they don’t suddenly stop having this need for physical contact and to feel safe near a living being. They go from feeling safe near to mum and siblings to being totally dependent on their new human family. It breaks my heart to think of them relegated to a crate in a kitchen. Of course they stop crying after a couple of nights as they give up any hope that anyone will help them. It certainly doesn’t help them to feel safe and secure in the world.

The same goes for an adult rescue dog who has often suffered so much upheaval and broken attachments along the way and who needs more than anything to just feel safe and secure and to have a bond with someone. This need for connection is a basic need that must be met, the same as being fed and watered.

I know people worry that if you ‘pander’ to them and give them lots of company they will become clingy or overly dependant but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Letting them develop a secure attachment results in resilient and confident individuals who feel safe in the world.

I see so many clients who’ve had awful advice and who have been told that their dog has behavioural issues as they are too nice to them, love them too much etc. it’s all absolute rubbish and they won’t turn into a monster if you meet their needs for safety, it’s quite the opposite and you help them to develop to their full potential ❤️

Laura McAuliffe, Dog Communication 2024

16/01/2025

Beautiful Cyprus rescue dog Tolly is adolescent (we think) and has been in her new home for a couple of months. Today we looked at building up her recall as it’s a little patchy, being a hound she likes to sniff out all the local wildlife but smashed it today with her lovely owner with some practice techniques that worked well for both of them. Well done team Tolly great start 🌟🌟❤️🐾

11/01/2025

Ozzy has only been in his home a week and already knows ‘touch’ and ‘sit’ - what a superstar 🌟🐾

31/12/2024

Getting in early to wish you all a Very Happy New Year. It is a sad one for me this year as I lost my wonderful 100 year old Mum on Sunday 😢 We are having a quiet New Year’s Eve in Northumberland whilst raising a glass to remember her with Fizz in our little Coach House retreat 🥂😢💔 we walked on this beach near Amble yesterday and found a little floral tribute left in the sand dunes which made me think of Mum 🥰 Love to you all and hug your loved ones close ❤️

24/12/2024

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year with your best friends ❤️🐾

21/12/2024

Unbelievably irresponsible dog owner, if you can’t recall your dog, do not let them off lead, especially around horses and other hazards not to mention other dogs on leads who may be nervous. If your dog charges over and just makes someone feel unsafe or afraid then you can be prosecuted under The Dangerous Dog’s Act for having a dog dangerously out of control. I have first hand knowledge of cases like this. Such a patient rider in this case

16/12/2024

Such wise words, I am frequently suggesting safe spaces to clients and it really isn’t worth the risk over Christmas if your dog feels uncomfortable and invaded in their home

02/12/2024

This feels uncomfortable for many dogs and can result in bites to the faces of people who do not understand this. If another dog put their face into a dog's face and put their paws around their neck, it is extremely rude and quite offensive, often resulting in an aggressive response. Many dogs will tolerate this from trusted owners but don't necessarily enjoy it. I have heard many tales first hand of this going wrong and the result is that both dog and victim suffer in the end. It is time to educate humans on how to act around dogs, keeping both humans and dogs safe and comfortable

New research highlights that human gestures of affection like hugging, petting, and playing with dogs may often be misunderstood by dogs, leading to stress and discomfort. A study analysing popular videos on media-sharing platforms found that many dogs displayed signs of anxiety and fear during these interactions, largely due to miscommunication. The findings suggest a need for better education in understanding canine body language and promoting respectful, cooperative human-dog interactions to strengthen bonds and avoid potential welfare issues. Let’s learn to communicate better with our dog companions!

Read more about the study here: (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159124000546)

02/12/2024

Wise words from Laura on how to repect that not all dogs like the human Christmas activities that owners often take them to. Many anxious dogs like Fizz would rather avoid a lot of these situations (along with many other dogs I know) so please give them what they need and they will love you for it.

❌AT CHRISTMAS YOUR DOG DOESN’T HAVE TO:

🧑‍🎄 Visit Santa at the garden centre

🎄 Be around your visitors

🎅🏽 Go to other peoples houses

🎄 Go to see the Christmas lights switch on

🍺 Go to the busy pub on Christmas Eve

If they are anxious or get worried about people, dogs or busy places or if they just don’t like doing these things. It’s not a fault if they don’t like doing these things, many dogs don’t enjoy ‘human activities’ like this (some do, I have one that loves all of it and two that would be 🫤 ).

✅ Instead they may prefer to:

🚪 Be in their safe space (see upcoming post on this), a quiet room they like being in with a dog gate on the doorway when you have a house full of people who may scare them

🐕 Have an extra trip to a freedom field on Christmas morning and some extra enrichment at home while you go and visit family for a few hours if they’d find it stressful to come with you

🐶 A meet up with a dog or human friend at a place they like rather than a trip to the heaving pub on Christmas Eve

🦴 A trip to a dog enrichment centre or a 121 in an activity they love (scent work, mantrailing etc) rather than an outing to see the Christmas lights switched on

🍖 Some dog safe Christmas biscuits you’ve made them rather than dressing up in a dog Santa outfit

Loads of these Christmas ‘traditions’ that we enjoy are not enjoyed by our dogs, especially if they are anxious or more sensitive. Even the most robust dog may tolerate these activities rather than love them.

Please be mindful of your dogs wants and needs and don’t put them into situations they find stressful just because we want them to be part of Christmas. It’s your Christmas, not your dogs, they really won’t mind not being included in everything you do ❤️

Laura McAuliffe Dog Communication 2024

30/11/2024

Handsome Rupert has started barking at lots of things now that he is turning adult and his lovely owners are seeking help with this and some other issues, such as car fear. He made a great start today with me and we are looking at rewarding the right behaviours at the right time as part of their homework

30/11/2024

Lorcan, who is on the far left is struggling with life with a toddler. He was fine when she was a baby but now that she’s started to move around, he is becoming increasingly worried. He also has some issues with Dog reactivity and two of his brothers have separation anxiety. There’s a lot going on here but his lovely owners have rightly sought some professional advice. We are looking at ways to keep everybody safe and the dogs relaxed.

27/11/2024

Is your dog reactive or selective towards other dogs? Most adult dogs do not want to play with all other dogs, just like adult humans, we get to know who we like and who we don’t and act accordingly. This is normal behaviour in street/feral dogs. It’s normal for adult dogs to form selective social circles. Puppies are generally tolerant of all dogs but may become selective or reactive as they mature (6–18 months). Negative experiences during this period, especially in multi-dog settings, can trigger long-term reactivity.
Fizz, my Romanian rescue dog, who many of you know had a difficult start in life, exemplifies this. Despite her early trauma and lack of socialisation, patient training has helped her manage her reactivity, build trust. She has learned to relax because I have taught her some strategies to help her cope with this and not freak out, like she used to. She also has learned to enjoy the company of chosen dog friends. While she may still react to unfamiliar dogs in close proximity, careful management and positive coping strategies minimise stress. Some trainers you see on television are only desensitising the dog to those in front of them that day that they have walked past repetitively for several hours – I know as I appeared on one of these programmes. Once the dog goes home and gets up the next day, facing new unknown dogs in their neighbourhood, all the previous day’s ‘training’ can be quickly forgotten.
Reactivity in dogs is complex, often requiring time and tailored approaches. Quick fixes or punitive methods can exacerbate stress rather than resolve issues. Accepting your dog’s individuality and focusing on relaxation and trust-building are key to meaningful progress. For support, and help with your dog get in touch.

24/11/2024

Here are a few of the dogs I have painted and drawn for clients (and one of Chip) as a hobby and pastime between jobs. I have sold some and donated to Battersea Dogs Home (where my first dog Milo originally came from). They are always in desperate need and especially so in the run up to and aftermath of Christmas. I love doing them, so if you would like one of your dog please get in touch. A3 or A4 for £30. All I need is a photo and it is for a great cause 🐾❤️

23/11/2024

Teddy, the handsome Cavapoo is starting to growl at his owners and their children at times, we are doing some investigation into what is causing this but in the meantime his lovely owners and their children are learning how to correctly read Dog body language and understand the world from a dog’s perspective as well as setting clear boundaries for Teddy. We spoke about possible resource guarding and the picking of dogs up and putting your face into theirs, this is read very differently between dogs and can easily trigger aggression if the dog feels unsafe. Teddy is in the middle of the secondary fear phase that happens during Dog adolescence so careful handling on how the family will move forward together is required. It was a pleasure to work with the gorgeous Teddy and his wonderful owners who are doing the right thing by seeking help to understand and work on these issues.