Alistair Kirk's Canine Academy

14/07/2025

Myth: “If my dog’s X-rays don’t show arthritis, then they’re not in pain.”

✅ Fact: X-rays often don’t reflect the level of pain a dog is experiencing. Arthritis pain comes from many factors, including inflammation, joint capsule stretching, and soft tissue involvement - not just bone changes seen on imaging.

A dog can be in significant discomfort even if X-rays look ‘mild.’ Always assess behaviour and mobility, not just diagnostics.

If you're interested in tailored advice for your dog, our Teleguidance service is for you!
https://caninearthritisteleguidance.co.uk

02/07/2025

Another year, another fantastic Butternut Box Nutrition school!

23/06/2025

A whopping 7 more awesome 🐕 puppy and caregiver teams graduated from their Puppy Progression Course last week and what a course it was! 🎓

A massive variety of 🐩 breeds, sizes, and behaviour patterns really kept us on our toes, but as always it was an absolute thrill to see them all progress and improve, especially when it came to socialisation! A humongous well done and congratulations to all of you! ✅🤓💪

08/05/2025

3 More graduates 🤓 from our Puppy Progression Course and as always, the transformation from when they started 6 weeks ago to last night was remarkable -
✅ More focused and engaged
✅ Lots of behaviours learnt,
✅ Their ability to play appropriately improved
And all that is to say nothing of the growth in their confidence 💪🐕🐩
Congratulations to all three Puppy and Caregiver teams who've worked so hard!
🥰

25/04/2025

Settling in for four days of top-notch CPD with the CAM Chronic Pain Symposium. Looking forward to expanding my knowledge and staying up to date on all things chronic pain related — snacks at the ready!

31/03/2025

⚠️ We know that some coastal vets have been posting about the dangers on the beaches, particularly Llansteffan beach. These practices have mentioned that they have had dogs becoming unwell after walking in this area.

😔 Sadly we had a fatal case last week 💔

‼️We must stress that we do not know the cause, or the cause of the other cases that have been reported by other vets. All we do know is that these dogs have all been exercised at Llansteffan beach, Carmarthen.

⚠️ We just want to make dog owners aware of this. We also want to remind everyone, regardless of where you walk your dogs to watch them at all times and ensure they do not ingest or come into contact with anything that could cause them harm.

💔Our hearts go out to all the dogs and owners that have been affected in any way. Please, everyone take care and be vigilant.

27/03/2025

Last night saw these two amazing puppy and caregiver teams complete their Puppy Progression Course and they've absolutely smashed everything we could throw at them. Loose lead walking, recall, send to bed, stay - you name they've been awesome at it! A massive well done to Team Atlas and Team Mabli for all your hard work and congratulations on completing the course!

09/03/2025

Our goal is to prevent, treat and effectively manage behavior problems in companion animals to enhance and strengthen the human-animal bond. If you have any questions about your pet’s behavior please contact us.

25/02/2025

If it feels like you're missing something with why your dog behaves like they do... it might be they're in pain!

This Week’s Myth:
"A dog’s chronic pain is just a medical concern, and has nothing to do with their behaviour."

FACT: A dog’s chronic pain not only affects their physical health but also has a significant impact on their behaviour.

Chronic pain can cause dogs to become more irritable, anxious, or withdrawn, and they may show signs of frustration when they are unable to engage in activities they once enjoyed.

Pain can also make it difficult for them to perform basic tasks, like walking, eating or playing, which can result in changes in their usual behaviour. In some cases, they may become more aggressive or start avoiding certain situations altogether, as they associate them with discomfort or pain.

This connection between physical discomfort and behavioural changes underscores the importance of addressing both the medical and emotional needs of dogs in pain.

Let’s bust these myths together and make life better for our pups! 🐕✨

Sign up to our FREE course on how to recognise if your dog is in pain:
https://www.cameducation.co.uk/course/is-my-dog-in-pain