Dog Only Knows - Behaviour & Training

27/11/2025

I never like saying this.🫣
We see it as affection.
Dogs can see it as a restraint.
That's the issue here.

As humans we feel a desire to show our love and affection the exact same way we show it to our family.
We wrap our arms around, pull closer and squeeze tight.
They may wriggle, so we hug tighter.
We might playfully wrestle with them when they move away or try to leave, we often do that to other people we know well.

That doesn't mean it translates well to dogs.

If a dog is trying to leave or is not accepting or receptive to a hug, don't insist.
If we need to use our strength to hold our dogs from leaving, they don't want a hug.
They want space.
Space equals safety to a dog.

Don't take it personally, many dogs don't like hugs.
It goes back to feeling restrained and having their freedom of movement restricted.
Being able to move away from anything they're uncomfortable with builds trust way more than insisting they accept that very close, tight physical contact.

Children often greet family dogs with hugs and that's absolutely fine if that dog is happy to be hugged by that child, but this may form a habit of greeting other dogs by getting low, face to face and restraining/hugging a dog they don't know.

Hugs aren't a right we should insist on.
If a dog accepts them and enjoys them, that's trust built over time and feeling safe.

It's not from restraining and removing options to move.

14/11/2025

I’m very proud to be a member of INTODogs.

14/11/2025

A recent U.S. class action (Hernandez v. Radio Systems Corporation) has resulted in compensation for consumers after claims that e-collars were misrepresented in sales and marketing as “safe” and “humane.” The complaint also outlined that such devices can cause both physical injury and psychological harm to dogs. Details are in the link below.

https://www.classaction.org/media/hernandez-v-radio-systems-corporation-complaint_1.pdf

At the UK Dog Behaviour & Training Charter, we uphold a strict no-shock collar and non-aversive policy. Training should build trust, promote wellbeing, and respect the dog’s experience, not rely on pain, fear, or coercion.

If you’re looking for humane, ethical training support that puts the emotional wellbeing of your pet first, you can find qualified professionals through our Charter member organisations and their members, who are all committed to kind, science-led methods.

Let’s keep bringing out the best in dogs through kindness, clarity, and care.

https://dogcharter.uk

01/11/2025

Dogs may not understand every word, but they do recognize the warmth in your voice. Studies have shown that the areas of a dog’s brain linked to emotion respond strongly to affectionate speech and tone.

Research from Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest found that dogs process positive intonation and words of praise in a way similar to humans — using both the left and right hemispheres of their brains. This means when you speak lovingly, your dog truly senses your affection.

So while there’s no verified “46 % heart-rate jump,” your kind words still make their tails wag — and that’s scientifically proven love.

Source: Andics, A. et al. (2016). Neural mechanisms for lexical processing in dogs. Science, 353(6303), 1030–1032.

01/11/2025

Spot on!

💭 What If It’s Not a Problem… But a Purpose?

When we talk about “problem behaviours” in dogs, we often start from the idea that something is wrong.
That the dog is sick, unbalanced, too much, or needs fixing.

So we try to suppress.
To quiet.
To stop.
To control.
To prevent them from rehearsing the very behaviours that make them who they are.

But let’s take a step back for a moment.
Dogs were not created to be pets. They were designed to be partners.
Every breed, every type, was intentionally crafted by humans for a purpose — a job that served us.

The herder that gathered the flock.
The terrier that cleared the home of vermin.
The gundog that retrieved our game.
The guardian that protected our homes.

Their instincts, their energy, their passion — all of it was by design.
It wasn’t a flaw to be fixed. It was a purpose to be fulfilled.

But as society evolved, those jobs disappeared — or were replaced.
The flocks that once needed gathering are now moved by quad bike.
Homes that needed guarding are now protected by alarms and cameras.
Vermin that once required a tenacious terrier are now kept in check with chemicals and pest control companies.

The dogs, though… haven’t changed.
They still carry their purpose — in every cell, in every line of their DNA.

Now, imagine this.
Think about the thing that gives you purpose.
The thing that makes you feel alive.

Maybe it’s helping others.
Maybe it’s teaching, creating, caring, running, building, painting, singing.
That thing that fills your heart and gives your life meaning.

Now imagine being told you can never do it again.
You can’t sing.
You can’t paint.
You can’t help.
You can’t move.
You can’t express who you are.

How would that feel?
Frustrating? Empty? Sad?
Would it affect your mental health? Your self-esteem? Your sense of worth?

That’s what it’s like for a dog who’s been bred for a purpose — but has nowhere to put it.
It’s not a behavioural “problem.”
It’s a purpose left unfulfilled.

Our job isn’t to suppress that drive.
It’s to honour it.
To find healthy, meaningful ways to let it shine.

That’s why I talk about the Five E’s — the daily ingredients for a fulfilled dog:
💚 Enrichment – mental challenges that engage their instincts.
💚 Exercise – movement that satisfies their drive and energy.
💚 Entertainment – fun and play that builds connection.
💚 Emotional Stability – safety, predictability, and trust.
💚 Education – learning that gives structure and purpose.

When we invest in these, we’re not “fixing” dogs — we’re allowing them to become who they were meant to be.
We’re not managing a problem.
We’re meeting a purpose.

So maybe the next time you see your dog display that unstoppable drive, that intensity, that passion — instead of asking “How do I stop it?”, try asking…
“How can I fulfil it?”

Because when we meet dogs where they are — not where we wish they’d be — something magical happens:
Calm.
Confidence.
Connection.
And a life that feels right.

Maybe it’s time we stop seeing behaviour as a symptom to cure…
and start seeing it as a story waiting to be understood. 🐾

💬 Now I’d love to hear from you:
Does your dog have a purpose that’s being fulfilled?
How do you help them live it every day?
Share your ideas below — you might just inspire someone else to see their dog through a whole new lens. 💚

28/10/2025

28/10/2025

SECONDS COUNT
This post is not advocating that dogs meet every other dog, but rather about how to go about it in a safer way, if and when it does happen.

The 3 second rule for dogs meeting each other is used as a guideline to help foster positive introductions, prevent either dog from feeling overwhelmed or trapped and prevent any potential reactivity and stress.

A short 3 second introduction is enough time to provide important information to both dogs.

Enough time and information for dogs to decide – “are you a threat?”, “do I like you?”, “do I want to learn more about you?”, “do I really dislike you?”, “do I want you to go away?” etc. Both dogs may not feel the same way – one may not be happy to engage while the other may want to.

All interactions should ideally happen like this, not just initially. Just like us, dogs can have off days – things like pain, trigger stacking, lack of sleep or a host of other reasons can influence a dog’s emotional state and whether a dog wants to interact or not.

There are countless times I have witnessed meetings or introductions between dogs that have gone on just a few seconds too long and have not ended well.

This can have long lasting effects on future behaviour when meeting other dogs.

Understanding body language is critically important. If we are going to share our lives with another species, protect them, advocate for them and help them feel safe, then we need to understand and respect their language.

The examples in this post of red and green flags are just a few general ones to look out for – there are many more and these will differ depending on the individual dog, context and circumstances.

Here are some resources that provide more detailed information about body language –

The Veterinary Behaviour Centre
https://bit.ly/4hwC8k1

On Talking Terms With Dogs - Calming Signals, 2nd Edition by Turid Rugaas
https://bit.ly/4oftWqW

Make sure those first 3 seconds count – they can make all the difference.