Bright Animal Training

15/06/2025

Five years of these two absolute loves of my life ❤️❤️ World Horse Welfare

07/06/2025

This is a brilliant post & hits the mark - genetics count for so many behaviours & related Characteristics & traits that guardians find problematic.

Rescue dogs with behavioral problems probably haven't been abused...

It is a really common misconception that dogs who resource guard, do so because they've been starved.

Dogs who fear people, do so because they've been abused.

Dogs who hate dogs, do so because they've been attacked.

Reactive dogs haven't been socialised.

While this definitely can sometimes be the case, it's actually fairly unlikely.

It's more likely that these issues are the reason dogs have ended up in rescue. Contrary to popular belief!

I have met many, many dogs from abuse cases, who have been starved or beaten, Who have no issues with people/dogs/ food.

So what causes these issues to arise?

More often than not- genetics, breeding, pregnancy, personality and early learning.

Most dogs who resource guard do so because they're genetically predisposed to do so. That paired with environmental factors that encourage it ( such as an owner snatching food from them) causes it to escalate into a big problem. This is why Certain breeds are much more likely to resource guard, it's in their genes.

Reactive dogs who are bred from are much more likely to have puppies who grow up to be reactive. Low frustration tolerance being found to have a genetic marker in studies.

Stress in pregnancy, an aggressive mother who over corrects puppies physically (not normal behavior btw, despite these ridiculous videos claiming it is ) has also been proven to produce puppies who are likely to grow up anxious or reactive.

Touch sensitivity, fear of people, fear of dogs, reactivity, separation anxiety and aggression have all been found to have clear genetic markers.

My own pup, shares her behavior concerns with the majority of her siblings, despite being brought up completely differently and in completely different homes! Some of the litter have no issues, because genetics are inherited by each pup differently, and also are then influenced by environmental factors.

It doesn't mean genetics will always result in these behaviors, it also doesn't mean that these dogs are a lost cause.

For example, snatching food regularly from 2 dogs can produce very different results. 1 dog, who is not genetically predisposed to resource guarding may never develop it, even in this situation. Dog number 2, who is genetically predisposed, may quickly develop resource guarding which continues to escalate when managed poorly.

So I'm sorry, but it might not be your amazing training skills that landed you with an emotionally sound dog 😳.

The reason however I think this is important to point out is because people always assume a dog with these issues is a rescue, or, that they have been badly treated.

The reality however often is that these are loved family pets, they have a genetic predisposition to these issues and a family who have raised them in the same way you raised your dog, but have ran into much bigger problems that without extensive training knowledge are very hard to navigate.

Obviously there are other factors, training, socialisation and trauma can and will influence behavior problems in a big way. But you can do everything "right" and still have problems. Just as you can in humans!

This is why the breeding industry needs to be regulated. Behavioral traits can be passed onto puppies from parents and grandparents. No dog should be producing puppies if they have not been thoroughly health and temperament tested by a professional. Their line should not show any behavioral concerns.

The breeder should take huge care during pregnancy and the first 8 weeks to ensure the mother is healthy, happy and very well cared for. This costs thousands of pounds.

In my opinion, you shouldn't be able to breed a dog without a qualification in how to do this properly!

So what can you do if your dog is genetically predisposed to these issues?

Firstly, you need to recognise them early. For example, I recognised my pup was very fearful, and scared of people. This meant normal ' socialisation' that people would do, would have been far too much for her. Pushing her into normal situations such as a BBQ with lots of visitors, would have terrified her and encouraged reactive behaviour down the line. In a naturally confident puppy, it would have caused no problems.

If your puppy is displaying any fear, guarding or otherwise problem behaviours, please get a qualified, experienced force free professional involved. I'd highly recommend a clinical animal behaviourist, not your local ' dog trainer'.

You can manage genetics to prevent them escalating, you can teach your dog alternative ways to cope, you can improve problems with training. You can't " fix" the dog. They're not broken.

It takes a lot of time, skill and support to make improvements. And it takes a lot of management and acceptance to live with more sensitive soul.

03/06/2025

Here, Clio is standing on her haynet (I often feed them on the ground) to make it easier for her to pull the haylage out. Edna does not do this. What does this small behaviour indicate? Clio is a confident optimist by default - Edna is a default pessimist; Clio a 'can do', Edna a 'can't do' personality; Clio an efficient problem solver, Edna less willing to try (due to being less confident).

There is a great deal that simply observing our horses in their natural state, with complete choice in their environment, can inform our understanding & training of them.

31/05/2025

Happy 2nd birthday Inka!

23/05/2025

Today we walked up in the to give our Blue his final resting place. Over 11 years ago, we visited the lakes for the first time with Blue - camping during a particularly cold winter & during a storm. Our tent was flattened & we ended up sleeping in the car 😆 - only Blue enjoyed the cold & insisted on sleeping outside the tent in the ice. We attempted Red Pike during that trip on a reasonable day, only for the weather to turn near the top: sheet ice on the ground, gale force wind & awful visibility. Bouncy Blue got blown off the side of the fell & the 3 of us ended up having to slide the rest of the way on our bottoms, holding tightly onto Blue. Today, that hike felt like yesterday. We scattered Blue's ashes on that blowy spot on the fell. Those memories are all we have left of Blue & are thus treasured. Goodbye my boy, our heart dog.

14/05/2025

You need this controversial opinion on reactivity. It'll stop you feeling s**t.

Real talk now - your dog isn't 'reactive' if:

🔹They occasionally tell a dog to give them space.
🔹If they don't like other dogs taking their things.
🔹If they have had one or two little scraps.

Reactivity, to me, is when a dog has a pattern of behaviour that is 'unnecessary' to the situation they're in, with strong emotions attached to it.

A female dog telling a male dog to stop sniffing their privates? A valid reason to tell them to get stuffed.

A dog screaming at another across the road? Bit less valid.

A dog saying 'That's my bone' to another dog? Valid.

A dog launching himself to attack another dog when he's got a resource? Less valid.

Dogs aren't robots, and they all have grumpy times. Just today a dog growled at one of their friends in class because he got too near his bag. Do you know what happened? The other dog moved away, and all was well.

Doesn't mean that dog is reactive, and doesn't mean that dog was 'wrong' either.

If that was the case, we should label every person who has ever shouted during road rage, or had a heated argument, as violent.

See the absurdity?

Sometimes stuff happens. Dogs have a scrap, they are dicks with their resources, they decide to tell another dog to go away.

It's life. Don't stress about it. A repeated pattern of behaviour? Needs dealing with. A one off incident occasionally? Not end of the world.

24/04/2025

👏👏👏

If you are going to have a dog, you are going to have to make sacrifices. You cannot expect to have an animal that was designed to live primarily outside and bring it into your house and not have to make changes or adjustments. A dog is not an ornament, a commodity or a display. A dog is an animal. You are sharing your life with another species. This is life with a dog.

Your yard will not be pristine. The grass will get burned from their p*e. Holes will be dug, bushes shredded, mud will come in the house. You cannot ask them to not p*e in your house and then also try to control even their outside bathroom. Please see how unfair this is. This is life with a dog.

You house will need management. Your counters will need to be clear. Shoes will need to be put away. Laundry room blocked. Kids toys picked up. Some things will get destroyed anyway. This is life with a dog.

They will bark at noises. They will protect their territory. Sometimes fiercely. They will not welcome strange people into the home easily even if you “know them” because this is in their genetic DNA. They don’t understand family gatherings and they don’t always see things the way we do. They won’t love playing with every dog they meet. This is life with a dog.

They will need enrichment and work and productivity. They will need training that is kind and fair and consistent and then maintenance to maintain that training. They will need guidance and coaching and lots of reinforcement to help them perform unnatural behaviors against their natural phenotypes. This is life with a dog.

They will mature and change and modify in their likes, behaviors and preferences as they age. Their behaviors aren’t guaranteed. They are not robots and they can be mercurial as they grow into their own personalities. They are allowed to change their mind and shift naturally just as we do. They need to be seen for what and who they are, not what and who YOU want. This is life with a dog.

Life with a dog is not a human right. It is a privilege and a responsibility and an education. They are animals and should be treated and expected to behave as such. That doesn’t make them any less loved or family members and it doesn’t make them any less deserving of respect, in fact it makes them more so.

Enjoy your life with a dog, and help them enjoy life with a human.

- Helen St. Pierre

10/02/2025

10/02/2025

When the “Do Not Pet” signs are a little too subtle...