Kay 9 Dog Behaviourist

02/10/2025

RIP dear madam

19/09/2025

Kamala hits the nail right on the head here.
The first thing I ask when I'm told by owners that this or that is a 'bad behaviour' is "what's this dogs original job?"
It's up to us to look at why a dog behaves like they do, and how are we meeting their needs... emotionally and physically.

A great article by Kamal 🙏

We throw the word “reactivity” around way too easily.
Bark at a dog? Reactivity.
Lunge at a jogger? Reactivity.
Spin on the lead? Reactivity.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth — most of the time, what we’re calling “reactivity” is just… a dog being a dog.

Take Aslan, the Australian Shepherd currently staying with me. On paper, he’s a conformation-bred Aussie — a show dog, bred for looks. But Aslan is a walking contradiction. He’s aloof with strangers, fiercely loyal to his people, has chase drive for days, is highly food motivated, and shows a level of protectiveness that is classic Aussie. He’s not just a pretty face — he’s got the heart and soul of a working dog.

And here’s where it gets interesting: the very traits that make him who he is are also what people would label “reactivity.” He’s hyper-aware of his personal space, and if someone barges in uninvited, he lets them know. He’s alert, he’s responsive, and he takes his role seriously. To the untrained eye, he might look like a “problem dog.” To me? He’s exactly what he was bred to be.

It’s also worth saying that Aslan’s owners have gone above and beyond to understand this dog. They’ve worked tirelessly to meet his needs, to provide training, outlets, and structure. They’ve even gone to great lengths to investigate underlying health issues — things that could have been adding fuel to the fire of his reactivity. This isn’t a case of a neglected or misunderstood dog. This is a dog whose humans are doing the work — and he’s still a dog with big feelings, big instincts, and big needs.

The reality is, we’ve deliberately selected dogs over generations to show us very different traits. Anyone who has owned both a working-bred dog and a conformation- or pet-bred dog will tell you they think, behave, and operate differently. And sometimes, the lines blur — you get a show-bred dog who carries all the intensity and drive of a working-bred one, or a working-bred dog who has a softer, more easygoing temperament you might expect in a show line. These “outliers” can be challenging for owners because they don’t fit the expectations that usually come with their type — but that’s exactly why understanding the individual dog in front of you matters more than anything.

We have to stop acting like barking, lunging, and growling are moral failings or behavioural disorders. Generations of breeding have shaped dogs into what they are today. And we — humans — did that. We decided what traits mattered: appearance for the show ring, drive for the field, guarding instinct for our property or our homes. Then we get mad when those traits show up in a way that’s inconvenient for us.

A high-drive, working-bred dog stuck in a city flat, under-exercised and under-stimulated, is going to “react.” A show-bred dog pushed into endless social situations they find overwhelming is going to “react.” This isn’t broken behaviour — it’s predictable behaviour.

Instead of slapping the label “reactive” on every dog that expresses a big emotion, we need to ask ourselves:
🔍 What did we breed this dog for?
🔍 Are we giving them a job or outlet for their drives?
🔍 How are we contributing to this situation?

Aslan isn’t a teddy bear. He’s a dog with purpose, and when you meet him where he’s at, he shines. The problem isn’t him — it’s the expectation that he should ignore his genetics, suppress his instincts, and behave like a robot.

“Reactivity” isn’t a disease to cure. It’s feedback. It’s communication. It’s information about the dog in front of you. And it’s time we stopped blaming dogs for doing exactly what we bred them to do.

08/09/2025

So exciting! If you can help, please do! Xx

21/08/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14GutmAzqYJ/

07/08/2025

Please sign xx

Can you spare a minute to help this campaign?

06/08/2025

This is what everyone with a dog should know.
This is why a solid recall needs to be worked on.
This is why we teach dogs to ignore distractions
This is what a well socialised dog is.
Any deviation means the dog stays on a lead so that they, the wildlife and livestock around them and everyone they meet, can be safe.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AfXqZrPNq/

26/06/2025

Please help support this amazing charity. We are working towards building new kennel facilities, but as you can imagine, this takes a lot of funding, so anything you feel able to give will help enormously.
Thank you ###x

Help kay goddard raise money to support R.A.T.S.

03/06/2025

People with herding breeds need to understand that the space control ethics is born out of over 150 years of breeding and training. It's a 'breed trait' and why they are so good at their jobs. They are brave and fearless, but find it so hard without an outlet for their natural behaviour. If you live with a herding breed (collies, kelpies...) try to find games and activities that replace the work they were born to do.
Just an example: my crazy Luna (border collie) desperately needed to work her brain, so I taught her the sheep herding techniques and words and we substituted sheep for the crows in our playing field. She learned to work them with such gentle pressure, she could move them into a little huddle and not cause them to fly off!
10 minutes in the morning with our very accommodating crows, and she was a different dog.

Learn your breed, and tap into their incredible abilities.

If you need support with your dogs behaviour that is unwanted, or difficult to live with, please reach out 😊🐾🐾

31/05/2025

What a lovely training session this morning at RATS - Rehoming Animal Telephone Service kennels. It was all about walking techniques and working with trauma victims. Our wonderful Amber continues to overcome her fear of humans and the kennels now have some more techniques to work with.
Great turnout and thank you all for such lovely feedback xx

30/05/2025

Really looking forward to running a volunteer training session tomorrow morning for the fab folk at the RATS - Rehoming Animal Telephone Service kennels 🐾🐾

26/10/2024

https://kay9dogbehaviour.wixsite.com/kay-9-dog-behaviour/watching-listening

Behaviourists are often referred to as ‘Whisperers’ and I have certainly been called this, but I see my role as more of a watcher and listener for both my clients and their dogs.

15/04/2024

This explains things so well!!