Raising My Rescue - Canine Behaviourist

16/04/2025

In support of South East Dog Rescue the wonderful My Rescue - Canine Behaviourist has donated a month's free subscription to The Dog Club for 5 lucky winners.

Molly at Raising My Rescue is a qualified canine behaviourist and ensures that you can get the advice and support you need. As a behaviourist, she looks at your dog as a whole to ease behavioural challenges. There is SO much that comes before a behaviour and she helps you deal with the root of the concern. After a session with her, you will understand your dog better and have guidance on how to live a happier life with them.

Qualified Behaviourists could cost £200+ meaning you might struggle to afford the help you and your dog need. The Dog Club was built so that you can have the support of a qualified Behaviourist at a fraction of the cost.

With around 50 Behaviourist-built guides, videos & tutorials, grow your relationship & create a happier life with your dog.

Enjoy fascinating monthly Live Sessions, learn about dog behaviour & be part of a community of people just like you.

Need a 1-1 session? Save up to £25. Benefit from numerous other perks like discounts on food, supplements, physiotherapy & nutrition advice.

One pet each week (or five in this one-off case) who receives the highest number of new votes that week will win a mini-contest prize from one (or two) of the participating businesses. In the event of a tie for that week's most votes or if there are no new votes for that week, a random computerized drawing will be held for all eligible pets.

Certain individual business restrictions and limitations may apply and may vary by business. Conor Kerrigan Photography is not responsible for these restrictions and eligibility requirements as determined by each business.

Submit your dog for the chance to win now by visiting the link in the comments. Winners will be announced here next Saturday, so be sure to follow for updates.

15/04/2025

We are constantly forced to consider and question what type of guardian we want to be for our dogs - by social media, friends, family, trainers, sitters, walkers, TV and more.

Sometimes, this can lead to an overcomplication of what really matters. Ultimately, our dogs are living in an alien world governed by us. They're learning, doing their best and understanding our world.

If you were in their position, wouldn't trust be the most essential and crucial first step to learning to live in that world?

Thank you to Louise for the question that sparked this insightful chat.

14/04/2025

Exciting news! The next Live Session in the Dog Club will be with Alex, Co-Founder of Different Dog 🐕

I'm a big fan of this dog food - I researched extensively before making my decision about what to feed my dog and landed with Different Dog.

As a Behaviourist, I'm always looking at the important connection between diet and behaviour, and a great diet is absolutely key to progress. 👌

Lots of Dog Club members are fans of the brand too, so it felt only right we chat to Alex in a Live Session, to learn more about the brand, ethos and what inspired the idea for creating a fresh dog food. 🥩🥬🥕🫐

If you're a member of the Raising My Rescue - Canine Behaviourist Dog Club, you'll get an email with the details soon, but pop the date in your diary so you can watch the Live Session on Wednesday 30th April at 7.30pm GMT ⏰️

www.raisingmyrescue.co.uk/dog-club

14/04/2025

Tamar and Rune were among my first clients, and are loyal members of the Dog Club. Rune is a beautiful golden doodle who has found herself in Tamar's kind and caring hands. 🤲

Rune struggles with Trigger Stacking and overwhelm, meaning walks can be challenging for her. Tamar has been ever so patient, taking things really gently so Rune can adjust gradually, with realistic expectations.

Something I really commend Tamar for is her understanding that physical needs and behaviour are so closely linked, and remaining curious about this - she's putting in the work to understand Rune's behaviour as best she can, and is really committed to helping her feel more at ease with the world. 🐕

Sometimes when we get a puppy, it can be so confusing when life isn't as we expected it to be - they are all individuals, just as we are, and need our careful thought and guidance. If we take the time to listen to them just as Tamar does with Rune, we can learn a lot from them, too. 😌

13/04/2025

Join the 5-star rated Dog Club for a happier life with your dog, and build your bond, communication and understanding of your best friend.

● Affordable, behaviourist-level support
● Community of like-minded people
● Find relief in easy-to-follow guides
● Monthly LIVE sessions
● Ease common behavioural challenges
● Build your bond & grow your confidence

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "I'm so happy I joined your group"
"Within 2 weeks we're having better walks"
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "She's doing so well I could cry"
"I'm honestly thankful for this every day"

The Raising My Rescue Dog Club is just £12 a month and built by a qualified Canine Behaviourist to give you affordable support 🐾

Www.raisingmyrescue.co.uk/dog-club

The Raising My Rescue Dog Club helps you learn about Canine Behaviour for just £12 per month, train your dog affordably with a Behaviourist on hand for advice. Learn about your dog and understand them better by signing up to the Raising My Rescue Dog Club.

06/04/2025

A HUGE well done to Vicky with Trigger for achieving this!!! If she can do it with a Great Dane the size of a horse, you can help your reactive dog too!

We've been working on creating TRUE calm though, meaning Trigger has the capacity to make excellent decisions for himself. 🙌

He is soft all the way through his back to his expression. He voluntarily moves away.

No neck tugging, no collar zapping, correcting or yanking - just an actual, true, calm, happy dog and it shows through his whole body. 😌

Vicky didn't have treats on her either, but we've set up these good decisions to be so rewarding for Trigger that he gets the opportunity to look, process, and disengage happily now.

What is "true calm" rather than "masking reactivity"?

I see lots of posts online where reactivity is masked, but true calm hasnt been achieved. You can tell from things like:

● Stiff body language
● Panting
● Wide eyes
● Sitting, standing or lying with muscle tension
● Anxiety signals like lip-licking

Check out Trigger's body language here. Usually, men in high vis carrying stuff around his house would be a massive trigger for Trigger the Great Dane, but he stays calm and it helps him make the decision to disengage all by himself.

Absolutely smashing it 💪

28/03/2025

An absolute treat to see two Dog Club members for Behavioural sessions today, including 💕

It was lovely to have a chat afterwards and get feedback on the session style I offer too - It's not always what people are expecting. Often, when they've worked with trainers who are quite practical, my approach of observe, analyse and understand can be surprising - we might actually spend a lot of time talking everything through, rather than training there and then.

My aim is always to make life about 20% easier per session, but we usually do better than that. Often, I see people for about three sessions, because the work we do is powerful and impactful. We start with foundations, which are thorough and can seem a little "off piste" but can lead to a HUGE breakthrough. ✨️

Honestly, sometimes people are happy to leave it there - the breakthrough can be so helpful that they feel really confident to continue to work with Dog Club support after that. I've had lots of people now say their dog's reactivity has been resolved after one or two sessions. 🐕

That's not to say it will always be easy (it won't - each dog is unique!) but you should expect to find that working with me gives you some brilliant rewards:

● A better understanding of your dog
● A better relationship with your dog
● Knowledge that benefits you for your dog's entire life

Being thorough, careful and offering you a wealth of affordable support is at the heart of what I do, and I'm making some wonderful friends along the way 🩷

16/03/2025

Vicky has been working really hard with Trigger, and it's definitely paying off 💪

As one of my earlier clients originally, it was brilliant to visit Vicky & Andy recently and see the incredible progress they've made with Trigger. He was a fairly new adoptee when I first met him, and having been sadly rehomed during a fear phase, he was struggling to feel confident and relaxed despite the fantastic and knowledgeable home he found himself in.

Having such a big dog from a puppy is one thing, but taking them on during adolescence is completely different. They already have ingrained habits, disjointed training and lack a bond with you.

To give Trigger the best start, Vicky originally contacted me for 1-1 help and joined the Dog Club. 🐕

Seeing them again recently for another 1-1, they have come SO far - Trigger is understanding Vicky's training style, while she has learned his communication style really well. His confidence has grown, he's keen to learn from her, and his training is coming along brilliantly. 👏

Big dogs rarely get lucky enough to find such experienced and committed homes, and Trigger really landed on his giant paws when he found a home with Vix, Andy & Beryl 🐾

12/03/2025

Next Live Session in the Dog Club is Veterinary Surgeon Charlotte Gray, founder of Vetsy 🩺

On Saturday 22nd March at 5pm GMT, we'll be discussing skin, spring allergies and preventative care to keep your dog healthy. 🐕

See you there! Not yet a member of the Dog Club? Join here: www.raisingmyrescue.co.uk/dog-club

09/03/2025

Connie is one of the original members of the Dog Club. We've had loads of great chats about Dog behaviour over the last year or so, and I LOVE hearing their amazing stories of Josie, a Galgo rescued from Spain.

Galgos are used for hunting, then at the end of the season, discarded of (to put it very gently - I urge you to petition against this tradition wherever possible). Many Galgos are rescued, finding refuge in the UK just like Josie has with Connie.

Due to Josie's breeding and upbringing, she has an incredibly high prey drive, and I remember Connie once telling me Josie ran UP a tree to catch a squirrel! 🌳

Despite their difficult past, Galgos make fantastic companions and Josie is one lucky dog to have found a home with Connie, who is not only incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to dog behaviour, but an excellent trainer with a calm and understanding approach.

Having members like them in the Dog Club is such a treat for me - being able to talk about brilliant dogs with a brilliant person - thank you Connie! 🐾

08/03/2025

The next Live Session in the Dog Club will be a treat - our guest host is Veterinary Surgeon, Charlotte Gray from Vetsy 🩺

Pop the date in your diary: Saturday 22nd March at 5pm

Not yet a Dog Club member? Join here:
Www.raisingmyrescue.co.uk/dog-club

06/03/2025

What's the difference between a Behaviourist and a Trainer? Why does this matter? 🤔

When you need a hand with your dog, it's important to know you're asking the right person, with the right qualifications for your needs. Many people claim to be one or the other, but don't have the qualifications to back that up.

A Behaviourist is a bit like an animal psychotherapist - they would have a degree or specific diploma that has qualified them in Behavioural work. 👩🏼‍🎓

Behavioural work generally relates to behaviours that have an emotional cause. For the sake of this post I'll need to generalise, but we're talking things like reactivity, fear, aggression and over-excitment.

Good Trainers and Behaviourists will work together, because the work can compliment each other. For example, a Behaviourist may recommend training for something like scentwork, as part of the work you're doing with them for reactivity. Likewise, an adolescent dog training class tutor may refer you on to a Behaviourist if you find your dog struggles with fear of people, for example.

If you're looking for the help of a Behaviourist, you should expect them to:

✅️ Happily work with, and report to, your vet, physio, nutritionist and/or other professionals
✅️ Fully assess your dog's entire lifestyle, including asking for medical history
✅️ Check there are no underlying health concerns that could affect your dog
✅️ Have a Behavioural qualification

If you're looking for a trainer, you should also expect training qualifications - it's a completely unregulated industry so it's sadly up to you to know what you're looking for.

Make sure you get the best for you and your dog - Behaviourists are not cheap, and neither are qualified trainers, so it's important your money is being spent on someone with up to date and correct qualifications. 🎓🐾

06/03/2025

We've been teaching Trigger and Beryl to "leave it" so they can enjoy the stunning countryside around their home more safely.

We've built this up gradually from showing temptations that are still to temptations that are MOVING (the ultimate test!)

We progress in tiny increments to set the dogs up for success 🙌 The first stage is the most important so we did this together in our session.

I normally post about Trigger so here's Beryl giving it a try - isn't she so beautiful! She's doing brilliantly, I love the tail wag when she finds out she did the right thing 🥰

02/03/2025

Pain & body language are intrinsically linked - Whiskey is here to demonstrate what we mean!

These stills are taken milliseconds apart from Whiskey’s online gait assessment videos. His facial expression is a huge indicator of discomfort in the right forelimb.

Initially, we teamed up to check Whiskey’s gait in case it was influencing his behaviour. Uncomfortable dogs could be:
● Reactive
● Hyper
● Unable to settle
● (& much more, each dog is unique!)

By the time you notice overt lameness, unless it is sudden onset, chances are your dog has been in discomfort for some time - we should learn to listen with our eyes!

Are you curious to learn more about your dog’s movement and what it could mean? Consider an online gait assessment with - Dog Club members get 15% off!

The Dog Club helps you start responding to your dog’s emotional & physical needs, so your training is effective.

Thank you so much Whiskey for being such a lovely model!

28/02/2025

We had a brilliant time at East Kent Dog Fields yesterday! It's really secure with lots of fun equipment for the dogs to play on. Perfect for building confidence 👌🐾

27/02/2025

Sarah has supported Raising My Rescue since the very beginning, giving me the most incredible advice that I have taken on board for pretty much every 1-1 session I've ever given.

Sarah doesn't give herself enough credit - her animals (there are PLENTY, all the varieties 😄) are some of the luckiest on this earth, and Indi is no different. Indi is a collie who literally has a smile on her face in every video and photo I see, and she put a smile on mine the whole time I visited her!

She's smart and sensitive, just as you would expect from her breed, so can find situations take a minute to adjust to. She's currently doing amazingly well with her new family member, little Larry, and Sarah says he's given her a new lease of life in her older years 🥰

In just 8 weeks, Indi has gone from feeling a bit confused and grumpy by this puppy toddler in her house, to happily playing near him and loving the new job helping him learn about the world.

Sarah has felt worried (understandably) but guided both dogs wonderfully through this transition. Not many dogs are afforded the care and attention these two have received, and they should all be SO proud to have navigated this together.

The journey continues, and Indi is so loved. And that's all they really need sometimes ✨️🐾

23/02/2025

Kuki would like to know why Behaviourists are priced so inaccessibly? Most Behaviourists in the South East will charge £400+ for a service I offer for less than a hundred. Some will have higher qualifications than me, I get that - a clinical or veterinary Behaviourist could even set you back £700 an HOUR!

Qualifications are super important, and it's much better than spending your hard earned cash on someone who ISN'T qualified - this is detrimental to you and your dog.

As an Advanced Behaviourist, I'm a Level 4 - meaning I am well-equipped to help you, but don't need to charge the earth. I also have no intention of doing so - I want to help your dog, and I want to help you soon.

If we leave Behavioural issues, 99% of the time they get much worse. I'd rather you came to me to nip it in the bud, rather than waiting until it was a complex and well-trodden neural pathway. If I charged hundreds, you're much more likely to wait and see if you can resolve it yourself.

I pride myself on accessible pricing, which is why I'm so passionate about getting people in the Dog Club too - I offer really affordable options for those in the club, including new £30 1-1 'Rescue Remedies' for quick support.

The Dog Club itself is £12 for a reason - it's supposed to give you the most I can for the absolute best price. The funds help me do volunteer sessions for rescue charities too.

I never want to charge you excessively to give you the help you need. If you're stuck, I've got you, we've got this, and it's not going to cost you the earth 🌎

Www.raisingmyrescue.co.uk/dog-club