Victoria Cooper - Certified Canine Behaviourist & Mentor

04/02/2025

"If you don't have empathy with animals, then you don't have empathy at all."
Spot on from Ricky Gervais

03/02/2025

ENRICHMENT What does that mean for your dog?It means to enrich their life with enjoyable activities that allow them to express natural behaviour. For dogs this includes: ripping, shredding, chewing, carrying, licking, sniffing, rolling, digging, running, exploring, playing, interacting with the environment and others. Here is Daisy enjoying practicing her predatory skills ripping into a cardboard box in 2023

Note how she holds it with her paws and is satisfied by tearing into it with her teeth. IF she had been a wild canine such as a Dingo or Fox she would do this everyday either with a kill or with something she had scavenged. It’s really important to accept and understand that our dogs are animals that we chose to have living with us within our homes but they still have the right to be a dog and should be allowed to exercise their choices as a dog to maintain their mental health. Try to give your dog some enrichment every day - a simple cardboard box with some treats inside it is hugely satisfying for most dogs. Note: remove staples. Volume off if you don’t want hear the builders next door! 🙄😄 # @

02/02/2025

Positive Muzzle training is a useful skill for ALL dogs not just those with a bite history. Some people are worried about their dog wearing a muzzle. They feel it’s like a stigma and reflects badly on their dog. But realistically it’s just another piece of training kit and as long as the dog is positively conditioned to wearing it - it should not be aversive.
You never know when a dog might need a muzzle so it’s always best to plan ahead and positively train and habituate your dog to wearing one before it’s needed.

Muzzles are one of the most misunderstood tools in dog training. Far from being a punishment, they’re a vital resource for ensuring safety—for dogs, their guardians, and everyone around them.

From the Aggression in Dogs Master Course, here’s what you need to know about muzzles:

1. Muzzles Provide Safety and Confidence:
A properly used muzzle allows dogs and their guardians to navigate difficult situations—vet visits, public walks, or training sessions—without fear of escalation. Safety gives everyone the confidence to focus on learning and progress.

2. Acclimation is Key:
A muzzle is only effective if a dog is comfortable wearing it. Proper acclimation involves gradual, positive exposure, teaching the dog to see the muzzle as a neutral or even positive experience.

3. They Enable Positive Reinforcement Opportunities:
With a muzzle in place, guardians and trainers can safely introduce stress-free, rewarding interactions. This not only reduces risk but also helps change the dog’s emotional response to triggers over time.

4. They Support Long-Term Behavior Change:
When combined with a comprehensive behavior plan, a muzzle serves as part of a broader strategy to modify aggressive behavior. It’s not the solution on its own but a critical tool that supports safety and growth.

Muzzles, when used thoughtfully, are not just about protection—they’re about opening doors to positive change and a safer, more confident future for dogs and their people.

30/01/2025

So many of you who follow me know I lost my beloved Daisy suddenly at Christmas. Her sudden death affected me deeply and i felt unable to support anyone else with their dogs or needs. I had nothing left to give and felt empty. So I took some time out for self care and to process my feelings of loss. Our dogs mean so much to us - they leave such a big hole in our lives.

But yesterday was a good day and so rewarding
I started back at work with a new collaboration with Sheffield RSPCA shelter. I’ll be teaching and coaching the kennel staff about behaviour and working on their practical skills with the dogs in their care.
We discussed a range of behaviour subjects and worked with 2 shelter dogs. Both dogs had anxiety and lacked confidence around strangers and other dogs. I have a lot of respect and admiration for rescue centre staff. It’s a hard and emotionally draining job especially when animals are mistreated.
The team of carers at the kennels are dedicated animal lovers who are working hard to help these dogs learn new skills so they can become more adoptable and less stressed around triggering situations.
Yesterday was a really fulfilling day supporting these young adults to learn new training and behaviour skills which ultimately enhances the lives of the dogs in their care. I’m delighted to be able to help support our local rescues centres with their dogs.
Please support your local rescue if you can. Volunteering, with donations or adopting.

If you need help with your dog please do get in touch. My diary is now open and I’m taking on new clients from the end of February.
Note: all methods of training and rehabilitation are completely force free, positive and kind with your dogs welfare as a priority. Details of my expertise and services on my website : www.victoria-cooper.co.uk

22/01/2025

Still missing my little girl like a physical ache where her warm solid little body used to nestle against me . She loved cuddles- climbing into my lap and resting her head under my chin
She was such a good girl. So bright. So clever and smart. 🥰🥹

21/01/2025

I would say that at least 80% of my clients need to be referred to either Sarah Edge Chartered Physiotherapist and ACPAT Physiotherapist or to their vet . Many of my cases last year were suffering from pain - with a triage approach between my behavioural expertise, Sarah’s physiotherapist skills and diagnostic veterinary tests and / or pain relief we successfully rehabilitate dozens of dogs. Remember: if a dogs behaviour changes it’s a priority to rule out pain as a contributing factor

Pain and Behaviour ⚠️

Let’s talk about why there is such a strong correlation between dogs in pain and behavioural problems 🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐

As I have talked about before, many of our dogs suffer from “Silent pain” - their natural instinct is to hide pain, to carry on, to pretend all is ok (bless).

When it gets to the stage where a dog is showing physical signs of chronic pain, this pain is usually well established and has been ramping up for a long time.

Chronic pain will often initially manifest as changes to behaviour before any clinical signs appear as the dog tries to cope with what he/she is feeling.

I see many dogs in my clinic that have been referred to a behaviourist for problem behaviour involving a wide range of issues including reactivity, anxiety, resource guarding, repetitive or obsessive behaviours, sensitivity to new things like noise or traffic or hyper-vigilance.

Before working to address their behaviour the first thing to do with these dogs is to be sure that pain is not the cause or at least a contributing factor.

We know that up to around 80% of behaviour cases can be pain related - that’s massive 😱

However, chronic pain is notoriously difficult to assess and issues causing such pain often won’t show on up on an X-ray.

To add to the complexities, studies have shown that when owners are asked if they think their dog is in pain they will generally focus on changes to movement and have difficulty associating behavioural changes with pain in their dogs.

A common phrase I hear from owners is that …if it hurt, their dog wouldn’t do it……….this is simply not true‼️

Dogs will often still be performing activities they are highly motivated to do such as play, run, chase, jump etc. despite having underlying pain.

The only changes that may happen might be to their general behaviour or demeanour. This may include subtle things like restlessness, excessive sniffing, licking, yawning, air licking, scratching or frequent body stretching or shaking or it could be the more obvious changes like aggression or reactivity.

So why do these dogs have these behavioural changes ❓❓❓

At a very basic level- dogs do not have the ability to distinguish between acute pain that may kill them and chronic pain that won’t. They therefore assume that the pain they feel is dangerous and as a result can feel constantly under threat.

They live in this heightened state of stress until we take that pain away .

We know that heightened stress levels results in reduced serotonin and increased levels of cortisol.

Cortisol is the primary stress hormone and increased levels can be linked to such as hyperactivity, reactivity, compulsive behaviors, and increased aggression. Serotonin is the hormone that helps regulate emotional responses. A reduction of serotonin has been linked to aggressive behaviour in dogs. These stressed dogs have increased levels of fear and anxiety which in turn makes them more nervous and reactive 😣

Sadly, we can’t teach our dogs to not see pain as a constant threat like we can with people.
As a human physiotherapist when patients come to see me with chronic pain, I can reassure them and I can tell them their pain won’t kill them.

We don’t have this ability with dogs so the only option we have is to take their pain away .

The right medication and treatment can do this.

Adressing the pain can then lead to improvements in problem behaviours as the dog starts to relax, the cortisol levels drop and the serotonin levels increase 😃

We can then work on what caused the pain in the first place .

📣 So please please always consider pain as a potential cause for your dogs behaviour and seek the advice of your vet or physiotherapist 📣📣

Thanks for reading - please share to spread awareness and just to finish- a picture of my beautiful arthritic girl living her best life 💕💕

21/01/2025

There are SO many ways we can reinforce our dogs desirable behaviours that does not necessarily include using food.
I think it’s easy for some to think in black and white terms , carrot or stick. Reward or punishment. Reward with food or no reward. And that old chestnut “my dog doesn’t like treats”

Dogs find value in lots of different activities including our attention, praise, play, opening doors to gain access to a desirable environment or activity, taking the lead off to give access to freedom or chasing a squirrel, taking part in a fun activity that boosts dopamine, or playing with another dog or greeting a favourite person.
These are all examples of ‘reinforcement’ which strengthen behaviour. To those who use derogatory terms and call positive reinforcement trainers “cookie tossers” they don’t know we have a myriad of ways of reinforcing behaviour that does not necessarily include food.

A common misconception is that rewards only mean treats ❌ 🧀

Food is usually an easy motivator because all dogs eat 😂 therefore theoretically all dogs should be motivated by food (but we know stress, type of food, hunger etc. etc. can influence food motivation).

Food rewards are also convenient because they allow for fast and easy positive reinforcement, for instance, I could give 10 food rewards faster than one game of tug.

However, the most effective reward is what your dog enjoys the most. And that is unique to the dog in front of you.

19/01/2025

Do you know how your dog walker transports your dog?
What if an accident happened? Has your dogs safety been considered?
Please don’t entrust you dog to a walker who shoves them all together in the back seat or boot of a car or loose in a van with no inner security. When accidents happen your dog could pay the price . Buyer beware

18/01/2025

Just DONT DO IT. Your dog deserves better
There’s so much vile abusive stuff in social media now normalising animal abuse 😢

Just seen a terrible video of a shock collar being used on a poor dog. Sadly, It seems the internet and various media platforms are a safe space for this rubbish, and the people buying into it is in their thousands. No matter WHO tells you, any 'training' should not, under ANY circumstances, hurt your dog! If you aren't happy with something you are told to do, just don't do it! Your dog is your best friend: a great relationship is based on trust and understanding NOT fear and pain!

17/01/2025

Can you read your dogs facial expression? Your dogs facial gestures are an insight into how they feel . Learning to read your dog is an essential part of a trusting relationship with them. After all they are non verbal communicators and so it’s up to us to take time to understand them. Great graphic from 👍🏻

16/01/2025

Do you know the difference between a dog trainer and a dog behaviourist ?

For a list of accredited certified behaviourists you can use the link in the article below or the organisation I’m accredited with is www.ICBdogs.com
Or www.APBC.org.uk

Knowing which professional you need to contact to help you with your pet is vital. Use this handy infographic to decide whether you need a trainer or behaviourist. Keep In mind, some behaviour challenges may require both training and behaviour modification so often these go hand in hand. What's great is that when you choose a COAPE Certified Animal Behaviourist, you can be sure that they have the skills to help you with both training and behaviour. ​
​
For a list of COAPE-endorsed trainers and behaviourists you can go to our website here: https://coape.org/find-a-behaviourist/

16/01/2025

A good recall is essential for all dogs. It’s never ok to let your dog run up to someone else’s dog even if your dog is friendly, it’s not fair on the other dog, especially if it’s on the lead. If your dogs recall is not reliable keep it on a long line around distractions.

15/01/2025

Brilliant ! Emotional secure attachment is THE most important need for dogs and babies, as well as other sentient beings. Please don’t follow the old fashioned advice of “let them cry it out” The damage this can cause to your puppies emotional development is immense . Equally with a new rescue dog - build the secure bond, relationship and trust before you expect any training or learning to take place.

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

15/01/2025

I’ve said it before and say it again there’s NO NEED to hurt dogs to train them. NO NEED to use force fear threats intimidation electric shock choking kicking etc
If your trainer recommends you use equipment like this I urge you to WALK AWAY !!
Put your dogs emotional and physical welfare first and work with an accredited qualified humane trainer.

Yesterday and today I saw clients who were using these instruments of torture.
They were told to use them by their previous “trainers”
They were told that they didn’t hurt.
They hurt and damage the delicate neck, the thyroid gland, the trachea….many get terrible arthritis in their neck as they age, from this equipment.

I train humans.
I train humans to treat their dogs with kindness, love and care.

Does pain and intimidation work?
You bet it does.

Does the little boy threatened with a beating clean up his room before his dad gets home? Of course.

 Does the little boy down the street clean up his room just as well when his dad promises a hot fudge sundae if he gets it accomplished?

I don’t know. Maybe the little boy who is threatened cleans up his room better? Maybe the boy excited to get a hot fudge sundae does a better job?

One relationship will leave the child living in a state of fear. Emotional scars will last.
Nobody wants to live their life afraid of what’s around the corner.
Nobody should want to inflict this on their dog.

I want my dogs to be happy and excited when I walk in the door. Happy about what fun we will have and what wonderful thing we will do next. Not afraid about what will happen and what pain will be inflicted.

Can’t believe this kind of stuff still goes on, but it does.
It’s not OK. It does hurt.
It really really does.
❤️‍🩹🐾

Grateful to have made a difference today.
We can’t help every dog, but for those that we do help, by training and educating their humans, their lives have been changed forever. 

11/01/2025

Snow and Ice Paw Care for Dogs: Essential Tips

❄ Protect Your Dog’s Paws This Winter! ❄

🐾 Trim Paw Fur
Keep the fur between your dog’s paw pads neatly trimmed. This prevents ice balls from forming, which can be painful and uncomfortable.

🐾 Paw Balm
Apply a pet-safe paw balm before walks to create a protective barrier against ice, grit, and salt. Reapply as needed after walks. This is a good one https://www.northumberlandhoney.co.uk/shop/nose-and-paw-balm-dog-paw-balm

🐾 Wipe Down After Walks
Always rinse or wipe your dog’s paws with warm water after a walk to remove salt, grit, or de-icing chemicals that can irritate or damage their pads.

🐾 Avoid Rock Salt and De-icers
Watch out for areas treated with salt or chemical de-icers, as these can harm your dog’s paws and are toxic if ingested. Use pet-safe alternatives for your home.

🐾 Invest in Dog Boots
Boots are a great option to protect your dog’s paws. Choose a pair that fits well and give your dog time to get used to them before heading out.

🐾 Check for Cracks
Regularly inspect your dog’s paw pads for cracks, redness, or dryness. Use a dog-friendly moisturiser or paw wax to keep their pads healthy.

🐾 Shorter Walks, More Often
In extreme cold, opt for shorter, more frequent walks to reduce exposure to freezing conditions. Smaller dogs might be prone to frost bite.

🐾 Carry Essentials
Bring a small towel and paw balm on winter walks to handle any issues that may come up.

Pro Tip: Keeping your dog’s paws clean and protected will make winter walks more enjoyable for both of you!

🐾How do you keep your dog’s paws safe in winter? Share your tips below! 🐾

09/01/2025

🐾Hi 👋🏻 I’m Jenny - Principal Instructor at People and Dogs
Did you know January is Train Your Dog Month!?🐾

New year, new opportunities to build a stronger bond with your dog! January is Train Your Dog Month here in the UK, and there’s no better time to set training goals, address those tricky behaviours, or simply have fun teaching your dog something new.

Whether you’re raising a playful puppy, managing a reactive dog, or just want to fine-tune those skills, consistent, kind and force-free training can transform your dog’s confidence—and yours too!

✨ This month, I’ll be sharing tips, resources, and success stories to inspire your training journey. Stay tuned for:
✔️ Simple training exercises you can try today
✔️ Advice for handling challenging behaviours
✔️ The secret to making training fun and rewarding for both of you

Let’s make 2025 the year of understanding, communication, and connection with your furry friend. 🐕💖

What training goals are you setting this month? Drop them in the comments—I’d love to hear about your plans! 💬

Need help with your dog? Get in touch using the button below or check the website ⬇️
💻 https://peopleanddogs.co.uk