Better Nature Dog Training

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Better Nature Dog Training

Separation anxiety and reactivity specialist. Multi-certified, welfare-driven training 🐾
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17/12/2025

If you can’t tell what we’re training here (or if you can’t even tell whether we’re training at all), that means I’m doing my job well!

Senko is a rescue pup with a lot of big feelings. He’s become reactive toward other dogs, as well as unfamiliar noises and the horses he shares a farm with (the latter because he got stepped on 😞)

All we’re doing here is encouraging a little bit of self-regulation by getting Senko to sniff for treats in the grass. Sniffing regulates breathing, blood pressure and heart rate, and as he snacks on the treats in the grass it can also help build positive associations with the horses nearby.

Good training doesn’t have to be flashy, dramatic, or particularly rigid. It can just be sharing space with something the dog finds a little challenging and helping them realise that it isn’t a big deal!

15/12/2025

🐾 Fully Booked for the rest of 2025 🐾

All of my appointments for initial calls, behavior consultations and 1:1 training have now been spoken for for the rest of the year!

I do have a few spaces available for separation anxiety training and other 1:1 training needs starting in January, but anyone who has had an initial call or consultation will have first dibs on those slots. Initial calls are being booked now for January, so if you’re interested in working with me in the new year, make sure to schedule one!

Just head to my website (link in bio) to book!

10/12/2025

If your separation anxiety dogs starts to panic the second the door closes, there are still ways that you can break that down! I don’t mean by picking up your keys or putting on your shoes - I mean by breaking down the actual actions of you approaching and interacting with the door.

If you need dedicated support with separation anxiety, you can book a free Zoom call with me through my profile, or join our online membership! Like and follow for part 3, and let me know if you have any questions!

09/12/2025

How do you teach a dog with separation anxiety that being alone is safe when they start panicking the second you’re out of sight - or worse, they’re already panicking while you’re getting ready to leave?

One way to get started is to simply remove those pre-departure cues - keys, coats, shoes - just step outside for a second or two without them! We can add them in systematically later, but this helps us get right at the root of why your dog is anxious - being alone.

Any questions about this strategy? Drop a comment below! Like and follow for part 2, and if you need specialist help with your dog’s separation anxiety, you can book a free Zoom call through my profile!

08/12/2025

“Dogs correct each other all the time, it’s natural”

“Dogs need to understand right and wrong”

“You can’t just wrap your dog in bubble wrap and never let them experience anything unpleasant”

There is a significant difference between something existing in the world and that thing being necessary or the best way to reach a goal. Just because our dogs will unavoidably experience uncomfortable and unpleasant things in the world, does not mean that we need to become that for them too.

It’s an accepted truth in behaviour science (meaning that in decades of research across multiple species, it has yet to be disproven) that learning principles are consistent across species. That means that things like positive reinforcement, desensitization, and classical conditioning work for every living thing on the planet; and yes, so too does punishment, but we haven’t found it to be necessary to the learning process.

Punishment carries significant welfare risks, not to mention that it can be downright inefficient. Your dog doesn’t need to know right and wrong - they’re a dog. You can teach them by setting them up for success, ensuring their needs are met, addressing the function of their behaviour, and meeting them in the middle.

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06/12/2025

This trend is making the rounds allllll the time, and without fail crates are often presented as a magical, simple, cure-all for behaviour problems. There are plenty of great reasons to use crates and to teach dogs how to be comfortable with confinement, but treating them as a solution to behaviour problems can blind us to the underlying issues driving those behaviours.

Your dog who can’t settle might be in pain.

Your dog who is destroying the house could have unmet needs.

Your dog who scratches your door and escapes your home when they’re alone could be experiencing extreme panic and distress.

None of these are helped by confining your dog, and crates could be detrimental to their welfare in these cases. Please consult a qualified behaviour professional for behaviour problems and implement a comprehensive training and wellness plan, don’t just stick your dog in a crate.

21/11/2025

⚠️ This is oversimplified!! ⚠️

This is intended to highlight some key differences between good and bad desensitization for separation anxiety, it is NOT a complete or individualized training plan.

Desensitization needs to be carefully done or it can have the opposite of the intended effect and make your dog MORE sensitive to alone time. Some of those pitfalls include:

1. Pushing your dog too close to their threshold too often
2. Not allowing adequate time for decompression
3. Practicing absences in a pattern, e.g. always increasing difficulty and never making it easier.

If you feel like you’ve been trying desensitization but it isn’t going anywhere, I can help! Get in touch for a free Zoom call, or send me a DM if you’d like to know more about the separation anxiety membership.

19/11/2025

"Don't tell your dog 'it's okay' when they're upset"

A popular trainer recently posted a reel with this advice, and I received a follower request to address it - I won't link it here to prevent giving him any more eyes on his content than he already has!

This trainer's argument was that dogs respond to 'energy' and body language, and that if you are worried about your dog you will make their anxiety worse.

Beyond the fact that 'energy' is vague, not measurable, and subjective, giving advice that essentially boils down to 'just don't be anxious' is entirely unhelpful. We care deeply about our pets; we don't want them to be in distress, and we may have our own fears about safety issues if they're being reactive - those feelings are valid. And let's not ignore the fact that "your anxiety is making your dog worse" is most often said to women.

If our anxiety gave our dogs anxiety, psychiatric service dogs wouldn't exist - but they do, and they're very good at their jobs!

The reason saying 'it's okay' and stroking your dog while they're having a reaction doesn't really help isn't because they're feeding off of your energy or that you're 'reinforcing their fear' - it's just that it isn't a sufficient substitute for a training plan. Doing that might help reassure your dog, which is always a good thing - but it probably won't be enough reassurance for them to really stop feeling threatened. You need to teach them ACTUAL skills - how to self-regulate, how to increase distance when they need it without barking and lunging, how to communicate when they're uncomfortable, and how to trust that you'll keep them safe.

In the absence of any other strategies available to you, it's perfectly okay to comfort your dog and reassure them. You won't be doing any harm by doing so. If you find yourself reaching for that all the time and you don't know what else to do, then get in touch and let's create a real training plan and skills you can start building to better navigate those moments!

04/11/2025

Nervous dogs are going to feel safest if you pretend they aren’t there. That means not staring at them, not talking to them, not making kissy noises, not walking toward them, and definitely not sticking your hand in their face for them to sniff. Nervous dogs deserve to exist in public with their personal space respected and in a way that helps them feel safe.

03/11/2025

Last week I had my final session with Benny, a newly adopted rescue who was displaying fear aggression to new people in the house. We implemented environmental changes to ensure everyone’s safety, then worked through some training strategies to address the underlying emotion and help Benny feel more secure.

In a few short weeks, Benny has transformed from a dog who would bark, lunge, and even nip if you tried to reach for a drink, to a dog who can calmly watch a guest stand up and walk across the room. He even might ask for some love once he’s gotten used to you!

What helped Benny wasn’t “structure and boundaries”, wasn’t telling him no, and wasn’t scolding him for his behaviour. It was understanding how to read when he was uncomfortable, respecting his personal space, and teaching him that new people are safe and predict good things.

Super proud of team Benny!

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