A2B Dog Training and Behaviour

01/03/2024

Hi everyone,
So sorry for my absence over the last few weeks.
I had a fall and broke my elbow 😟
Working one handed at the moment, so please bare with me.
The culprit was ............... yes Whispa.
Think long line and trip wire 😵‍💫
So I need some cheering up please.
Share those special dog photos with me and give me something to smile again.😃🥰

Hopefully be back with you all soon.
My apologies as will not be able to do face to face training, but still able to do remote training.
Not able to drive for a couple of weeks ☹️

If you need to get, please get in touch. I am still here.😁

01/01/2024

A little belated I know.
Have you made a New Year resolution regarding your dog?

I actually never make them, only because they always get broken.

So why not set goals instead.

Make them doable though.

Think about how you can set your dog up to win.

Whether that is working on your recall
or
Working on walking without pulling
or
Working with your dog that may be anxious.

Start with a small goal.

It might be to come when called.
Starting inside the house, maybe playing hide and seek .Always rewarding highly when your dog finds you. I mean highly, not just a good dog. Would you come running for a dry biscuit :) 🫓

When you have mastered that goal☑️ the next goal might be the garden.
Then low distraction areas. Then an open space on a long line.

Don't set them up to fail by going too fast or expecting too much too soon. Every dog is different and have different learning abilities just like us. Training should be fun for both you and your dog.🥳

Small goals work.
Master each one, each step before moving on to the next one.
Lower your expectations and you will soon be passing them
Set yourself up to win too 😁

Go on, Set a GOAL for 2024

20/12/2023

I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

12/12/2023

What a year it has been.
Every dog and every family I work with means so much to me.
I actually get really down when our time together ends.
This time I wasn't down, I had tears but tears of happiness.

Dottie has found her forever family.
This will be one Christmas card that I will cherish.

Thank you so much Animal Concern Cumbria for all the work you do for all the animals in your care.
An amazing team of people. I feel privileged to work beside you all.

Life for a dog in kennels is not a home, no matter how well they are looked after and cared for.
Please pop onto their page,
have a look at the amazing dogs and cats looking for a home.

Why not apply to Foster??
Some of the dogs just need to know what living in a home is like. Living in a kennel environment can be tough on a lot of dogs.

Seeing a photos of Dottie living her dream life. Having morning cuddles on the bed and looking out of her own window really made my heart soar.

09/12/2023

🔹 **Professional Update: New Certification Title** 🔹

I'm excited to share some important news with you.

As you may know, I’m a Certified Separation Anxiety Pro Trainer. Well, the exciting news is that the title is changing.
It’s officially transitioning from Certified Separation Anxiety Pro Trainer to Certified Separation Anxiety Behaviour Consultant.

This change reflects a more accurate representation of our work. The term 'trainer' didn’t fully encompass the depth of our approach, which focuses on altering emotional states to improve behavior.

As a Behaviour Consultant, my role is centered on providing comprehensive, emotion-focused strategies to help dogs overcome separation anxiety.

I look forward to continuing to offer specialised support and guidance under this new title. The title might have changed, but my commitment to effective, and compassionate care for dogs experiencing separation anxiety remains the same.

09/12/2023

Isn't it a lovely sight watching your four legged friend opening their Christmas presents along with the rest of the family.🎁
Just be aware of the chemicals in wrapping paper,supervise them opening their presents to ensure the paper isn't eaten. Or wrap in ordinary brown paper,with a removable bow 🎀
Remember those presents under the tree could be just too tempting not to be investigated.

08/12/2023

This would be the best time to have a little pre-visit chat to friends and family about not feeding your dog party food.
"one little bit won't hurt him" or "my dogs always share my food, never done them any harm"
Might not do them any real harm, but you may end up with your dog having a dicky tum. Not good for him or for you.💩
Even reminding everyone to be aware where they are putting their alcoholic drinks. Some smell really lovely and certainly could tempt any dog to have a little taste or two.
Alcohol is toxic for our dogs.🍹

07/12/2023

Please don't forget about your dog, make sure he is safe.💜
It is so easy with people coming and going not to be able to keep an eye on them all the time.
Think about people coming and going through your front door. Can your dog get out ? Maybe put a stairgate up, just as a precaution to stop your dog running out the door.

As the drink flows, you might find your favourite cousin becomes the worlds best dog trainer and wants to try out his talent with your dog (we all have one of those cousins).

If your home is going to be ultra busy, why not put you dog away in a safe space, where he cannot be disturbed. Tell your guests to please leave him alone.
Give him a long lasting chew,or a frozen kong.

Remember he may be needing out to toilet,and possibly can't be heard over the party music.
Check in on him frequently. Spend some time in there with him.

If you think of your dog as your toddler,and all the safe guarding that you would do for that child.

06/12/2023

Do you put a present under the tree for your dog ?

Isn't it a lovely sight watching your four legged friend opening their Christmas presents along with the rest of the family
Just be aware of the chemicals in wrapping paper,supervise them opening their presents to ensure the paper isn't eaten.
Or wrap in ordinary brown paper,with a removable bow🎀🎀

Remember those other presents under the tree could be just too tempting not to be investigated 🐾

04/12/2023

One of my clients asked me a great question the other day.
“Why can we not use “Exposure Therapy” with our dogs ?

“Exposure Therapy” is used for a lot of conditions such as :-
Panic Disorders
OCD
Social Anxiety
Phobias

One of the human therapies is called “ in vivo exposure”.
So what does that mean?
It means you directly face the thing, object or activity that you're frightened of.
You face it for real.
The key thing is that this is real life.

Maybe you have a real fear or phobia about spiders.
You might be asked to look at a cartoon picture of a spider, then a photo, then a real spider.
Anxious about being in a crowd of people, you may be asked to meet 2 or 3 people at the start.
PTSD may be asked to talk and remember what it was that brought on the trauma and relive the memory and work on reducing the fear. This is Imaginal exposure. Being able to talk about how they felt in the moment.

Let's think about dogs.
So remember we are asking our dog to face their fears. It may be fear of strange dogs,
So we show the dog that actually other dogs are not scary by exposing him to lots of dogs.
“He will soon get used to it” ........This is known as “Flooding”

Flooding can actually work for some humans , and it can be a real breakthrough when they have faced their fears and actually came out the other side unharmed.

The thing is, humans can rationalise what has happened, they can talk about it, talk about how they felt. Most importantly they can say NO thank you or give their consent. The process will have been explained fully to them exactly what will happen, how they might feel and that they will be ok.

As we know, we cannot explain to our dogs, we cannot tell them that they will be OK and they really cannot give their consent or say NO. There is some evidence that Flooding has worked for some dogs. They have learned over time just to cope. It is a huge risk to take, and can induce something we call “learned helplessness”.

In other words, the dog has given up. Nothing he has tried to get rid of his fear has worked, so he just shuts down. To the untrained eye, this looks like a well behaved, quiet dog. When actually the fearful emotions are still there. THE DOG IS STILL SCARED.

Avoidance of the fear doesn’t work either and actually it can make things worse over time. But making your dog face its fear, making him face something he just can’t cope with doesn't work either and actually may be seen as unethical.

What is needed is gradual exposure and desensitising at a level your dog can cope with without feeling over threshold (react)
Tiny tiny steps at a pace your dog can cope with, without feeling fearful or scared.

Every dog is different, and the best advice I can give is to learn about YOUR dog.
What are the subtle signs he is telling you before he has to SHOUT.
Push too fast and we can easily break that trust.
It can seem like an eternity when doing this method of training, but I promise it works and the bond you will create with your dog will never be broken. 💜

Remember, If your dog feels unsafe or scared, they cannot learn from that headspace.🐾

04/12/2023

With all your rushing about. Getting the house ready for family,spending all day Christmas shopping. Things being delivered,door bells ringing.
This can sometimes make our dogs anxious.

Don't forget to spend time with your dog.
Quality time. Leave your phone at home when you go for a walk. (unless you are taking amazing photos of your dog having fun in the snow.❄️☃️
Enjoy that walk together. Let him have a sniff party, it will really help him calm down from all thats going on at home.

Buy him a new toy that he loves.
Give him plenty of enrichment time,when your time is limited. Filled Kongs,licky mats, snuffle mats, puzzle games, find his ball.etc.

29/10/2023

Whispa posing on the last of the Maple 🍁 leaves today.
Share some of your seasonal photos. Doesn't need to be Autumn themed, any season will do.

26/10/2023

Some fantasic video of how dogs should play.
Many people actually don't realise that their dog is not having a good time, all they see is them running about and chasing each other.
Have a watch and just take note next time your dog is playing off lead with another dog.
Are they having fun or not ?

26/10/2023

This is why I love my job
If you are struggling with your Anxious, Fearful dog or puppy get in touch.

22/10/2023

Reactivity ???
Are you struggling with your dog's reactivity. Tried everything, but nothing works.
Now the clock has changed your dawn and dusk walks are more limited.
This is for you .....

🎃Trick or Treat time🎃

It is nearly Halloween, and I have got a special offer for you.

No Tricks but a real TREAT

Until the 5th Nov you can purchase my amazing "Reactivity Help is Here" self paced home study course with 50% off.

Yes HALF PRICE only £45 for 8 weeks of content, yours to keep. Simple easy to follow videos that will help not just your dog, but you too.

See the link in the comments
Just use the code "trickortreat" at the checkout

17/10/2023

I really love pattern games (Leslie McDevitt) and teach them to my clients.

Whispa was very aware of those big brown things in the field, and was a bit anxious about them.
So to help her I started doing 1 2 3 pattern game.

You have to teach your dog in places with no distractions, and gradually introduce more distractions into the mix.
It doesn’t have to be cows, it can be other dogs, people, whatever your dog reacts to.
A great tool to get you out of tricky situations.

17/10/2023

Case Study
Lindy and Allan

Allan got in touch with me after adopting Lindy from Macedonia.
His main concerns were that Lindy was anxious about coming into the house and would rather stay in the garden even overnight, sheltering under garden bushes.🌳

Allan had dreams of sharing his days and nights with Lindy. Having her for company when sitting watching TV and snuggling up at bedtime.

A little bit of history-
Lindy is approx 6 yrs old. She was a street dog for over 2 yrs and it took her rescuer 2 yrs to gain her trust.
She came to the UK to a foster placement.
Allan adopted Lindy November 2022.

She was fantastic out on walks, and had no serious issues with other dog's people or traffic.
It was just the fact that she was not happy being in the house.
She would come in to eat her meals, but not settle and soon panicked about getting outside again, especially if the Patio doors were closed.

Allan had tried to use the same techniques that the foster had used, which would be going and putting her lead on,and bringing her in the house.
This caused Lindy to become very anxious, she would jump up at Allan, scratch at the patio doors and get really stressed. Allan was now leaving the doors open all the time for Lindy.
Luckily Allan realised that this was not the way to help Lindy and actually wasn’t helping their relationship and breaking trust.

Allan and I started working together at the end of August 23, when he signed up for my 7 week behaviour programme.

🐾Firstly we made the home safer for her by simply adding more rugs throughout the home (For a dog that might worry about being able to get to their safe place, having wooden floors can exacerbate that worry, as can hinder a quick exit and possibly cause injury by slipping/sliding)

🐾Then we made it Lindy’s choice whether to come in or stay out. No pressure on her at all. If she came forward to the patio door, her reward was a high value treat being thrown behind her, which let her know she wasn’t being tricked into coming in, and that actually she could go away if wanted.(treat retreat method)

🐾Building a relationship with Allan when out on walks. Rewarding every check in. Allan also learning the skills to spot when Lindy was worried, and helping her re-set and cope with those moments. Lindy actually wasn’t bothered with Allan being on the other end of the lead.

🐾Allan became Lindy’s safe person, a bond was being created.
Using Ace Free work both inside and in the garden really helped Lindy feel more relaxed and brought her anxiety down.
Lindy chose her own safe place in the home (under the dining table) so we ensured that there was always something tasty in her bed there, and when she was there, yummy food would appear magically from above. We also added another bed in the living room, and would have that primed with yummy scattering of food.

Other methods taught were Nose touch, this can be used in so many ways. Hands off moving from place to place and recall to mention just a few.
The use of a marker word has really been a game changer for Lindy and Allan.

Our work together has ended now😞, but still ongoing for Allan and Lindy.
She has progressively been spending more time inside with Allan, even spending some of the night on Allans bed.
There has been huge progress, some setbacks such as the smoke alarm going off but the foundation of trust has been set.

She is one amazing dog, she may never want to stay indoors fully, it is her choice, and never say never. 😊
Allan is now able to close the patio doors without Lindy panicking to get out and leave them shut when Lindy is in the garden as she will now come and sit at the door to get back in.
Seeing her snuggled up in her cosy bed just melts my heart.❤️

If you have a nervous, anxious dog and need support, please get in touch.

08/10/2023

https://www.a2bdogtraining.com/blog/4-events-that-can-affect-your-romanian-overseas-or-anxious-scared-dogs

How to help your Romanian Rescue/nervous anxious dog and you, survive Halloween, Fireworks and Christmas

05/10/2023

I know, I usually talk DOG 😁🐶
Actually I am a true animal lover and over the years have shared my home with the usual Hamsters, Gerbils, rats, Chinchilla. Cats, Parrots, and horses (at the farm) :)
I would love to know what animals, other than dogs have been or are in your life ?
A photo would be really nice too :)

26/09/2023

Hope everyone has had a wonderful summer😊
Have you been spending the summer with your young pup, having a wonderful time Teaching them all the important stuff, like to come when called. To ignore the other dogs on a walk, to walk nicely on the lead. You got through those tough few months. (boy do we forget just how much hard work a puppy can be) and looking forward to relaxing and having fun.

But whats this !!!
Why does it feel as if everything your amazing puppy has learned has just gone out the window.
Why is he not listening anymore.
He completely ignores you when you call.
He has started jumping up, mouthing, just being an absolute nightmare at times.
Welcome to your dog's TEEN stage.😳
Luckily it is just another stage in your puppies development.
I can assure you that your pup will grow out of it, but might need your help.
Thats where I come in.
There are so many young dogs given up at their teen stage. It can be a really tough time for you and your pup.
I have put together an amazing THRIVING TEEN course that is yours to keep.
It will guide you through this difficult time and beyond.
Check out my Frustrated to Thriving Teen home study programme.

11/09/2023

Remember Dottie ?
I have some amazing news 😁

Dottie is now ready to find her forever family 😍
I have a really soft spot for this special girl. She may be small, but she has the biggest heart and just wants someone to continue to help her see the world as a safe place.

To Dottie her fear of strangers, dogs, livestock, traffic really affected her. Everything was scary.

After a few weeks of working with Dottie, the improvement has been amazing. Dottie is learning that actually the world is not such a scary place, and she doesnt need to tell those scary things to go away (they are not so scary anymore)

She has ooodles of love to give and her true personality is now shining through.
The staff, Lauren and her team at Egremont Animal Concern Cumbria have worked so hard with this special girl and it shows.

I know I should be jumping with joy, but a big part of my heart💖 will miss seeing Dottie every week.

If you would like to know more about Dottie, all her details and lots of photos are on Animal Concern website.


If you have an anxious fearful dog, that may include reactivity, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I have a few spaces available for 1 to 1 behaviour help.

03/09/2023

One of the down sides of helping other pet parents and their dogs is that it can be difficult to work with my own dogs.
I don't think of it as training though, it is all about your dog having fun and choosing to connect with you.
Here Whispa decides that it was getting a bit boring, and she was right.
Little short sessions and chopping and changing can really make a difference to a busy dog like Whispa.
Looks like she was enjoying herself and I was too.

23/08/2023

Are you an adopter of an overseas/ Romanian rescue ?
Every Wednesday from 6pm I hold an "Ask me anything " evening.
Come and Join in.
Romanian and Overseas Rescue Dogs Support UK and beyond

01/08/2023

I was asked If I could help at Animal Concern Egremont branch with some of the dogs that are there.
It has been quite a few years since I had been to Animal concern and all I can say is wow.😲
Even though it is an animal rescue, which means kennel life for the dogs there, I was so impressed.
Lauren and her staff are amazing. The dogs have enrichment time, they get out of their kennels for walks, and do fun stuff, including training if needed. All with positive reinforcement. The dog's welbeing always comes first. The staff are so knowledgable.
They even walked a dog to the vets as he was anxious of car travel.

There is a large indoor area for when the weather is bad, and a great place to minimise distractions when working with a dog.
A fantastic secure outdoor area for free running and an area that is used for enrichment, grassy, natural and a great place for dogs to sniff, chill out and do what dogs do best,be a dog.

While I was there, the staff room had dogs sleeping in comfy soft beds, just being part of the team, enjoying human interaction.

Plus dare I mention CATS 🐱 , an amazing secure outdoor space for them to climb, breath in fresh air, and watch the world go by.

At the moment I am working with an amazing little 7 month Collie pup called Dottie. Very fearful of strangers, but such a love bug when she gets to know you.
Working with the staff for the last 2 weeks, firstly building up a relationship with Dottie, getting her to trust me, after all I am a stranger.
The first session took a little while for Dottie to accept me close to her, a lot of barking and fearful behaviour. I chose the larger outdoor area to start with, just ambled around, gradually reducing the distance, until Dottie chose to reduce the distance herself. We went at her pace and if it took an hour to get her comfortable with me, that was ok.
But actually Dottie chose to be friends, and we soon moved into the smaller area, still on harness and lead. Then off lead. Dottie was amazing.🥰
Our next training session a week later meant going back to me being a stranger again. I didn’t interact with her, just stood quietly. We did get an initial bark, but as Dottie got closer and got my scent (or the sausages) she quickly realised who I was and greeted me like a long lost friend.

The end goal with Dottie is of course to find her a home, but helping her with her fear of strangers is a priority.
I have had Dottie kisses and cuddles, she is a love bug, and I am smitten with her.
I cannot wait to see her progression this week.

Lauren and her staff have a training plan in place and will be working with Dottie in between our sessions

If you have a nervous, fearful dog or puppy, please get in touch.

31/07/2023

ONLY 2 SPACES AVAILABLE
Are you struggling with your reactive dog? Do they react to bikes, people or other dogs? Have you had to be part of the dawn and dusk walkers? Do you feel embarrassed or even been told you should not walk that dog here? Have you searched for help and got nowhere? Maybe what you found has made things worse.

It is a very lonely place when you have a reactive dog.

Look no further! This is for you.
Introducing my exciting new program
“ REDUCING REACTIVITY OUT AND ABOUT “designed specifically for dogs that overreact on walks!

WHAT IT OFFERS: A structured, step-by-step program tailored to you and your dog's needs via fortnightly Zoom calls with me.

PROGRAM INCLUDES:
Minimising stress for both you and your dog to create an optimal learning environment.
Essential foundation skills for progress.
Handling difficult situations with confidence.
Understanding and addressing your dog's reactive behaviour.
Effective communication and recognising subtle cues from your dog.
Strengthening your bond with your adopted dog..
Advancing the new skills you learn throughout the program.

HOW IT WORKS:
4-month program with weekly professional demo videos, step-by-step teaching guides & handouts.
24/7 access to me via Whatsapp for questions and support.
Upload your training videos for personalised analysis and feedback from me.
Fortnightly Zoom calls with me (recorded for you to keep).

During the 4-month program, you'll deepen your bond with your dog, enhance communication, and advance your new skills.
Program materials will be delivered weekly through professional demo videos, teaching guides, and handouts, giving you ample time to practice and absorb the information before our next zoom session Without causing you or your dog to feel overwhelmed.

SPECIAL OFFER:😲
For one month only this amazing program is only £275 (regularly priced at £485).
Limited spots available which will enable me to give you my full support
Availability for this special offer from 1st AUGUST- 1st SEPTEMBER .

WHAT YOU GET:
A minimum of 6 hours of personalised coaching via Zoom.
Access to over 60 learning units.
Training video analysis & feedback.
Professional video demos of exercises.
Step-by-step teaching guides and information handouts.
Support available 24/7 via Whatsapp
Certificate of completion.
An immediate activity on enrolment to jumpstart your learning.

REMOTE CLIENT TESTIMONIALS:
Ian and Janice said “We have made great progress with Harris thanks to Doreen. We spent a few hundred pounds on different courses and advice and got nowhere. Today when Harris was out for a wee walk and a cyclist was coming downstairs our single track road he sat and took treats until the cyclist passed. Believe me this is a miracle. A few months ago Harris would have had him and his bicycle as a snack dragging me over in the process. If anyone is struggling I would highly recommend getting in touch it really is worth it. Thank you Doreen”

THIS COULD BE YOU SAYING THIS IN A FEW MONTHS TIME

Reactivity client Linda transformed her dog’s reactive behaviour in just 8 weeks and said “"I now have the skills and confidence to take her out, and she loves her training. I have such a different dog now to the one I had 8 weeks ago."

DON'T MISS OUT:
Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or to secure your spot today! Act fast to transform your walks with your reactive dog.

06/07/2023

I am really worried.😟
Everyone is feeling the pinch.
BUT
What worries me the most is that new puppy parents now see the cost of their puppy’s learning is not a necessity.
I get it, I really do.
BUT
I see the results of the lack of professional teaching 6 months down the line, even years later.
I see behaviour struggles,
Dog to dog reactivity,
Dogs that are nervous out and about
Dogs that have never learned how to behave in our world.
To me it should be seen as an investment not a cost.
An investment in your pups behaviour as an an adult dog,
An investment to have a happy, well adjusted member of your family.
I also understand that people may be having to work more hours, now you cannot commit to 5 weeks of classes. or traveling to venues is an expensive outlay due to fuel costs. Shift patterns can also make commitment difficult.
Life is tough at the minute for everyone☹️

😄Here is a solution.
Give your new puppy the best start to their learning by signing up to my one to one puppy programme.
You can book at a day and time to suit your shift patterns.
All sessions are in your home, or out and about at your location.
All the family can learn together. The yours to keep videos will make sure you are all on the same page.
It is bespoke to whatever you and your puppy are struggling with in the moment.
Not just once a week support. You can get help and support throughout the week if you are struggling. I am with you 24/7.

02/07/2023

Hi everyone,
I always pop into another group about Romanian rescue dogs as I realise that it is so overwhelming for some adopters that are looking for help and advice with whatever they are struggling with.
I try not to comment that often, unless I see something that could potentially make things worse.
I am never judgmental but there are times I cringe.

An example of what I mean is when I read a reply comment stating that dogs will p*e as a protest and that they push boundaries to assert themselves in the pack.
I felt I did need to comment on this one as it is now known (actually been known for a long time) that dogs are social beings, not pack animals.

The bit that worried me from this comment was that people's perception that their dog was toileting to annoy the human will make people think differently about the situation.
It may even mean that the dog is punished for doing this.

Honestly it worries me that even now people still believe this myth.
I still read about pinning dog's down
Or using your hand to copy a mother biting their pup
No wonder dogs worry about being handled, if that hand means punishment, it becomes associated with bad things.

The one human that your dog should trust is YOU
The modern dog and I mean thousands of years of domestication would rather cooperate not dominate.
They will do what works for them.

A few examples below.

🐾Why do we have to take food away from our dogs?
We don’t, and actually it can make your dog become a resource guarder. They are actually scared of losing their food. More so for a rescue dog, that may have had to fight for food or go hungry.

🐾Why should they not sit on the sofa?
Your dog is not trying to be dominant over you by sitting on the sofa, your sofa is a comfortable place. If you would rather they didn’t then teach them where you would like them to go instead.
🐾Why do you need to go through doorways first?
Another one is that people believe that the dog is dominating you and trying to be pack leader by going out first. No, he just wants to get out there. I teach my dogs to wait, because I want them to be in a calm state, not over excited, and I like to check out what's going on outside first. Not because I am the pack leader.
🐾You need to growl like a dog to stop a behaviour.
We are supposed to be intelligent, do we think our dogs don’t recognise we are not dogs!
🐾Correct your dog when they are being aggressive to other dogs.
Aggression is normally fear based, not that your dog wants to dominate or be top dog.
We expect our dogs not to react to other dogs. But to punish them will make it 10 times worse. Dogs are not two faced like us humans can be. I know if I come across someone that I am not keen on, I will be polite,or make an excuse to move away. Our dogs sometimes are not given the choice to avoid or move away, and maybe they haven't learned to be polite or ignore yet. A learned behaviour because it has worked in the past.

Most unwanted behaviour we see are behaviours that are learned, it works so your dog repeats it. Most of what us humans say are unwanted behaviours are in fact normal dog behaviour.

The word dominance or our dog is trying to dominate you actually makes it easier to use punishment, because we feel we have to dominate our dog. The stern NO doesn’t work, we are on the slippery slope of upping the punishment to see the results.

People will be saying “I have always done things this way, and my dog is fine” You are lucky, but does using punishment make it right !!!

Our rescue dogs, (actually any dog) builds a relationship with us by building trust. A dog that wants to cooperate with us is a joy to see. Build up that trust and watch the relationship blossom.

😞I find it sad that in 2023 there are still these outdated, harmful beliefs out there.
You cannot help a scared dog until it feels safe. Once it feels safe, the learning begins.
Using punisnment, anything that startles, scares or hurt your dog to stop a behaviour only works as a sticking plaster. Underneath that plaster the reason your dog behaves that way is still festering.

So come on lovely people, we are after all the most intelligent species, or maybe as some people still see and treat dogs as wolves,we maybe should be thinking primates 😄