Throw Me a Bone - Dog Training & Behaviour (2025)

24/10/2025

You’d think that everyone who is a dog trainer has these two objectives.

Sadly, that’s not the case.

As much as most of dog trainers may be getting into this line of work because they want to help animals, a lot of them show lack the needed skills & knowledge of dog behaviour, and end up harming dogs 👉 physically, emotionally…

If you recognise that you cannot help an animal and you walk away from the case (hopefully having referred on to someone who can), it’s not a failure. It shows that you put the wellbeing of an animal first.

But sadly we see so many, too many, cases where a trainer failed to recognise their shortcomings, kept pushing for results, and the dog ultimately paid the price.

The math here is simple 👉 the less skill & knowledge one has 👉 the more physical force, pain and fear they will try to inflict to achieve their goal.

Not everyone is in a position to help every dog.

But everyone can, and should, have a moral code of simply not causing any harm to animals.

If you are looking for a trainer for your dog 👉 make sure their priorities are in check.

16/10/2025

ABILITY TO COPE MORE IMPORTANT THAN OBEDIENCE.

🟡In today’s fast-paced world, there’s often too much emphasis on ensuring dogs are obedient, while their ability to cope with an increasingly chaotic environment is overlooked. While being well trained is important, it should be secondary to helping our dogs develop resilience and emotional stability. The modern world presents dogs with constant noise, busy streets, and frequent changes to their environment, which can lead to anxiety or stress if they aren’t prepared to cope with these challenges.

🔴Research supports the idea that emotionally balanced dogs are more adaptable and capable of learning. A 2019 study from the University of Helsinki found that training that focuses on a dog’s emotional state, rather than just their behaviour, leads to a stronger overall ability to handle stress and unfamiliar situations. Dogs that are trained solely for obedience without addressing their mental resilience can often struggle in unpredictable environments, which increases the risk of behavioural issues.

🟢When dogs are allowed to learn to cope first, their ability to navigate a busy world with confidence vastly improves. And more confident dogs respond better to training cues, not out of fear or command alone, but because they trust us and understand how to manage their environment. Building that foundation makes all other training a natural extension, rather than the primary focus.

🟣If we want our dogs to be truly well-adjusted, we must prioritise their emotional well-being and coping abilities. By shifting the focus, we are ensuring that dogs not only follow commands but also feel calm and capable in an ever-busier world.

14/10/2025

🚨HELP !!! My dog barks at everything moving past the window !!!!🚨

🔔 Common problem, especially when dogs seem to “like” to spend time by the windows (or glass doors) looking out.

🤔People often think their dogs enjoy watching the world that way (they can do), so quite commonly a designated dog chair gets placed right by the window (door).

🤨But what IF this type of exposure to things outside is stressing your dog out ???

🤨What IF your dog reacts to everything moving and it adds to their anxiety?

🤨What if this visual stimuli (trigger) fuels the barking, which is rooted in anxiety/ stress / frustration ?

🤨And what IF this goes on for hours, day it a day out??? Can you see how this could easily cause chronic stress to your dog?

Before you seek help of a professional (which is always recommended) to remedy this behaviour (which at this point may be deeply rooted and needs to be modified, not “trained out”), try applying a window film to the window (door) to block the virtual triggers, and see if that helps your dog a bit. There is a wide variety of semi transparent and colourful window films available online, and not only they work, they can also give you a stylish vibe to your home.

😇My dogs can be triggered by people walking past the window, which is extremely rare but does happen, so this solution absolutely works for them 😎

➡️Management of your environment is the first key step to success in dog training/ behaviour modification.

06/10/2025

🐾 The Hidden Toll of Stress on Dogs

Stress doesn’t just affect how dogs behave. It changes how they feel, think, and even how their bodies function.

Just like in humans, stress triggers the release of cortisol and adrenaline, which prepare the body to respond to threats. In small doses, this helps survival.
But when stress becomes chronic, the constant hormonal surge takes a heavy toll on both physical and mental health.

💔 Physical effects of chronic stress:

❌Weakened immune system - leading to more frequent illnesses and slower recovery.

❌Digestive issues - diarrhea, stress induced colitis, constipation, loss of appetite.

❌Skin and coat problems - excessive shedding, itching, or poor coat condition.

❌Muscle tension and joint stiffness.

❌Increased heart rate and blood pressure.

Over time, dogs living in a state of high stress can experience inflammation throughout the body - a silent strain that reduces the quality of life and is proven to shorten lifespan (like in humans).

🧠 Mental & emotional effects:

Chronic stress alters the brain’s chemistry and structure. Dogs may become:

🔹Hypervigilant or easily startled.

🔹Reactive or aggressive when overwhelmed.

🔹Withdrawn, lethargic, or seemingly “shut down”.

🔹Unable to focus or learn effectively.

A stressed dog isn’t being “stubborn” - they’re simply struggling to cope. When stress levels are high, the brain’s learning center (prefrontal cortex for any dog geek reading this) essentially goes offline.

⚠️ The Role of environment & training methods.

Many dogs live in conditions that quietly fuel chronic stress - lack of rest, overstimulation, isolation, inconsistent routines, inadequate living conditions or harsh handling.

💯Tools such as prong collars, shock (e) collars, or other aversive training methods, so commonly used for a "quick fix ", but they do so by triggering fear or pain.
Over time, this erodes trust and compounds stress, often leading to new behavior problems like anxiety, avoidance, or aggression.

Aversive methods don’t solve stress - they vastly add to it.

🌿 We should focus on supporting our dogs to let them be their most confident selves. And we can, by making small, but meaningful, changes.

✳Ensure your dog gets enough rest and predictable routines.

✳Offer choice and control wherever possible.

✳Use positive reinforcement to teach and build confidence.

✳Create calm spaces and provide mental enrichment.

✳Recognize stress signals early (yawning, lip licking, shaking off, turning away).

❣Dogs don’t thrive under pressure - they thrive under trust.

❣When we focus on helping them feel safe, the behaviors we want naturally follow.

02/10/2025

Just saying … ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

01/10/2025

What’s more important:

- your dog’s welfare, confidence and happiness, or

- the speed at which you can see training results?

26/09/2025

😕Anyone and everyone can be a dog trainer these days. Seems it requires zero skill or know about dog behaviour.

😕Instant results seem to be the only thing that dog owners care about. Regardless of the cost that their dog pays for such quick, and “desired” outcome. Little time and zero human effort is on trend.

😕Facts and science don’t seem to matter. What matters are big, personal opinions that are “convincing”.

😕Human convenience and satisfaction is all that seems to matter.

🤔But aren’t dog trainers suppose to get into their jobs because they love dogs ???

🤔Aren’t dog professionals meant to be empathetic, including to animals?

Dog training has certainly lost its way.

Can we get it back on track? To put the animal welfare first, human education second, speed of seeing results last???

23/09/2025

Fact ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

09/09/2025

The Importance of Enrichment for All Dogs – Especially Puppies 😊

🧩Enrichment is about more than toys and games. It’s about providing dogs with safe, appropriate and supervised opportunities to explore, learn and adapt to the world around them. For puppies, this starts surprisingly early – even as young as three weeks old. At this stage, puppies are curious and open to new experiences, making it the perfect time to gently introduce:
• Different objects and shapes
• A variety of textures (soft, rough, slippery, bumpy)
• Sounds (household noises, outdoor sounds, recordings played at low volume)
• Things that move, wobble or make noise

🌟This early exposure, done in a positive and safe way, lays the foundation for a confident and adaptable dog.

Long term benefits of early enrichment

✔ Confidence building – puppies grow into dogs that are less fearful and more resilient when faced with new situations.
✔ Reduced risk of behaviour problems – appropriate enrichment decreases the likelihood of anxiety, noise sensitivity, or reactivity later in life.
✔ Better coping skills – dogs learn to tolerate and adapt to change, which is vital in our busy human world.
✔ Cognitive development – mental stimulation strengthens learning ability, problem solving and memory.
✔ Stronger bonds – shared enrichment activities strengthen trust between dogs and their humans.
✔ Improved welfare – enrichment provides natural outlets for normal behaviours such as sniffing, chewing, shredding and exploring, helping prevent frustration

🤔Why it matters?

Too often, training is seen as the priority. But enrichment should come first – because a dog who feels secure, confident and capable of coping with their environment is far more likely to be able to learn, focus and engage positively. By prioritising enrichment from the start, we give our dogs the best chance of living balanced, happy lives.

✨ Things to remember:

🔵 Enrichment MUST be supervised with puppies.
🟢 It needs to be age appropriate (don’t start off with complex puzzles).
🟡 Needs to be easy to start with (and you can, and should make it more difficult later on to keep the brain engaged).
🟣Tap into the things a dog / pup enjoys. Not all enrichment needs to be food based.

References
• Sheppard, G. & Mills, D. S. (2002). The development of a psychometric scale for the evaluation of the emotional predispositions of pet dogs. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 116(3), 248–256.
• Hiby, E. F., Rooney, N. J., & Bradshaw, J. W. (2004). Dog training methods: their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare. Animal Welfare, 13, 63–70.
• Appleby, D. L., Bradshaw, J. W., & Casey, R. A. (2002). Relationship between aggressive and avoidance behaviour by dogs and their experience in the first six months of life. Veterinary Record, 150(14), 434–438.
• Mills, D. S., & Hall, S. S. (2014). Animal-assisted interventions: making better use of the human–animal bond. Veterinary Record, 174(11), 269–273.

08/09/2025

We have 3 more foster potatoes in da house 😍😍😍

All 3 will be available for adoption when the pups reach 8 weeks old, so keep an eye out, especially if you live in North Carolina. Follow Wilkes Rescue Group & contact them for applications.

Throw Me a Bone - Dog Training & Behaviour

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