CaroPaws Dog Walking

25/01/2025

I get this a lot. I walk a fair few reactive dogs and we have so many uncontrollable off lead dogs approaching.

I walk my own dogs mainly off lead, but they know as soon as we approach other dogs (on lead or off lead) they are back on lead. I do exactly the same with other dogs I walk if they're off lead.

Unfortunately there are far too many dogs out there who can't be recalled properly, but they are still off lead approaching other dogs.

You just never know if an approaching dog is struggling to deal with the situation so it's always best to be cautious until you know it's safe to let them back off.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with putting a dog back on lead to be safe and respect other dogs and their guardians 🥰🐾

A big issue for many walking their dogs on leads (for any one of a number of reasons) can be uncontrolled loose dogs running up to their dogs. Three of the most common reasons are shown in the image - an older dog who may be hurt in an over-enthusiastic and excitable greeting, a dog recovering from illness/injury/surgery, and a dog who is scared - perhaps the victim of a previous dog attack.

There is a misconception that 'good' dogs will love all other dogs and, if in a public area, should be prepared to play and interact with any other dog in the area. The truth is that, just as we are, most dogs are at least a little selective in who they want to interact with. They will show this in their body language which - subtle as it may be to humans - a socially competent dog will be able to read and respect.

The problem is that these 'good' and 'friendly' dogs as their humans perceive them are generally not actually all that socially competent, and don't respect those subtle signals asking for space and to be left alone. They can keep pushing and pushing until the on lead dog (who is not able to avoid them because they are on lead and can't get away) feels they have no choice but to defend themselves. And then it's often the poor on-lead dog who is labelled as 'bad' when they were just trying to get out of the scary situation.

An off lead dog should not be allowed to approach unknown on-lead dogs. If you see your dog approaching an on-lead dog, call your dog back and keep them close by, either by calling them to heel or putting them on the lead. For the sake of everyone's enjoyment of the space you are in, keep your dog under control for the few minutes it takes to give the on-lead dog space, and then carry on.

If your dog cannot be called back from approaching an on-lead dog, they are not ready to be off-lead in a public place. Use a longline while working on strengthening their recall around distractions - for their own safety, as well as that of the other dogs around.

05/11/2024

Thank you for sharing this Paw Chores 🥰🐾

I am really tired of the hurtful comments directed at those who have dogs with a fear of fireworks. There are so many accusing dog guardians of neglecting to socialize and train their dog or they are insinuating it is the guardian's response to the fireworks that makes the dog so afraid. This is despite the fact that dogs (and other animals) across the UK are having heart attacks, seizures and strokes, some of which have been fatal. How can a dog guardian's response to fireworks possibly elicit such an extreme reaction to fireworks?

And if this is the cause of such extreme fear, what accounts for the deaths of wildlife and farm animals? Are there people ‘coddling’ them too? Let's not forget dogs in rescue shelters. If it's our response that creates this fear, then why do rescue dogs show extreme anxiety and try to escape their kennels? They are in there alone most of the time. Such heartless comments are baseless since studies show that there are many factors that contribute to noise sensitivity and a fear of fireworks, as seen below.

Genetics

A study involving over 13,700 dogs in Finland discovered that around 32% of dogs had sound sensitivities and 26% were afraid of fireworks. The scientists in this study also identified a genetic predisposition to a fear of fireworks (Salonen, M. 2020) Blackwell et al. (2013) discovered that twelve breeds or breed types were less likely to show fear responses to noises than cross-breeds and their data suggest that some breeds may be predisposed to fear of loud noises, including fireworks.( Linn Mari Storengen, Frode Lingaas 2015.) Thus, your dog may be afraid of fireworks, due to their genetics.

Pain & health conditions

A study showed that dogs that experienced muscle or bone pain were more sensitive to sudden noises, loud noises and different pitches than dogs who were noise-sensitive but didn’t have pain. (Lopes Fagundes 2018) The same study found that the average age of onset for noise sensitivity in dogs differed between groups. In clinical cases (with pain), the average onset of noise sensitivity was 5 years and 7 months.

“Although the average ages of the dogs at presentation were similar, the average age of onset of the problem was nearly 4 years later in the “clinical cases.” This strong theme of an older age of onset suggests that the pain may develop later in life and that owners seek treatment more readily, perhaps because the appearance of the problem is out of character in the subject. The average age of onset within the control population also suggests that the problem does not simply relate to a lack of habituation as a puppy and that other mechanisms need to be considered for many cases.” (Lopes Fagundes 2018)

Other health conditions can also trigger noise phobias. Conditions such as endocrine diseases, cardiopulmonary disease, neurological problems, and cognitive dysfunction, can potentially contribute to or exacerbate behavioural problems including noise fears. (Bowen J. 2008) So both pain and health conditions can cause a fear of fireworks.

Age

Studies show that fearfulness is most common in dogs aged 4-8 years and that noise sensitivity often increases with age., ( Milla Salonen 2020) Another study that supports this shows that the average age of onset of noise phobias developed around 4 years 7 months of age. Dogs progressing through adolescence also go through a second fear period from around 10-12 months of age. At this time of development, dogs can develop new fears and phobias, including noises like fireworks. As a dog reaches their senior years, ill health and conditions such as cognitive dysfunction disorder (dog dementia) can also cause anxiety, fear-related behaviours and noise sensitivities.

Anxiety

Studies show that dogs most fearful of noises also presented with a higher chance of separation-related anxiety and being fearful in novel situations. These dogs also took much longer to decompress after a stressful event compared to dogs less fearful of noises. (Linn Mari Storengen, Frode Lingaas 2015.) It makes sense that if your dog is already struggling with anxiety, that they are more likely to develop noise phobias.

Survival Instinct

“An extreme avoidance response to a loud firework going off unexpectedly nearby, given the salience of this event and its unpredictability for the animal, can be interpreted as adaptive (‘rational’), an argument which has also been applied to extreme fear responses in humans”. (Davey, 1995) From a survival point of view, it is logical for dogs and other animals to respond in fear to explosions. Why wouldn't they? They can't reason that it's harmless.

It should be noted that studies have found that dogs that attend training classes are less likely to be afraid of fireworks however, it is unknown why this would be the case, as exposure to fireworks sounds is not usually part of the curriculum.

Many dogs have been desensitized to fireworks as puppies and have been adequately trained and socialized, and yet they still develop a fear of fireworks. The fact that dogs don’t develop this fear until around the age of 4 proves that often the fear is due to over-exposure, trauma, anxiety or health issues. If it was solely due to a lack of training or due to the dog guardians' response to the fear, we would likely see the phobia developing much earlier in the dog’s life.

Therefore, it is hurtful and completely speculative to blame guardians for a dog’s phobia of fireworks. The real blame rests on the shoulders of those who continue to set off loud fireworks, knowing for well the suffering it causes to dogs, pets, wildlife, and even people. - Holly Leake

Huge thanks to my friends at Canine Principles for their help finding studies on the subject. ❤️🐾

References

Bowen J. Firework Fears and Phobias. UK Vet Companion Anim. 2008;13:59–63. doi: 10.1111/j.2344-3862.2008.tb00529.x. [DOI] [Google Scholar]

Camps T., Amat M., Manteca X. A Review of Medical Conditions and Behavioral Problems in Dogs and Cats. Animals. 2019;9:1133. doi: 10.3390/ani9121133. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar

Lopes Fagundes AL, Hewison L, McPeake KJ, Zulch H, Mills DS. Noise Sensitivities in Dogs: An Exploration of Signs in Dogs with and without Musculoskeletal Pain Using Qualitative Content Analysis. Front Vet Sci. 2018 Feb 13;5:17. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00017. PMID: 29487858; PMCID: PMC5816950.

Linn Mari Storengen, Frode Lingaas 2015. Noise sensitivity in 17 dog breeds: Prevalence, breed risk and correlation with fear in other situations Applied Animal Behaviour Science
Volume 171, October 2015, Pages 152-160 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2015.08.020

Salonen, M., Sulkama, S., Mikkola, S. et al. Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs. Sci Rep 10, 2962 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59837-z

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08/08/2024

❤️ this. Dogs are our family 🥰🐾

I wanted to provide an alternative image for my previous post, for those wanting to see the goal not the aversion. It’s important that the message hits home, in whichever way has the best impact. 🙏🐾

27/07/2024

Exactly this ❤️🐾

27/07/2024

A lovely Saturday morning walk with Billy.

Billy is currently learning a few manners, especially around other dogs and people. He is doing SO well! 💙🐾

Send a message to learn more

20/07/2024

❤️ this

20/07/2024

Perfect birthday morning with my lovely ladies, followed by walks with Luna and Billy 🩷🐾💙🐾

13/07/2024

I have thoroughly enjoyed the last 6 days with Fergus. What an absolute star 🌟 he is 💙🐾

25/04/2024

Super chilled girls 🥰🐾🥰🐾

24/04/2024

My new girl Luna. What a beautiful girl she is 🥰🐾

07/01/2024

RIP Luna, I miss you so much already and so devasted that I didn't get to say goodbye to you.

My heart is completely broken 💔 I loved you like my own ❤️❤️❤️

Run free now and I hope you find my Jess and Josie to play with 🌈

See you again Princess, we had a blast 💖

29/11/2023

Love this. We need to help our dogs the best we can to cope in our crazy human world 🥰🐾

04/11/2023

The difference a year makes. Fireworks vs no fireworks. Loving the peace here in the North Yorkshire Moors. I would do anything to help dogs feel more relaxed 🥰🐾🐾

12/10/2023

So very true. Thank you Dogs Disclosed

DISTANCE ASSISTANCE
It’s not easy having a reactive dog. As much as we may feel frustrated, restricted, angry or even ashamed or embarrassed, our reactive dogs are also experiencing a range of negative emotions when they react to something that triggers them.

This reaction is usually caused by anxiety, fear, feeling threatened or frustrated.

These emotions cause high levels of stress and stress prevents both us and our dogs from being able to process information, think clearly or learn a different, more acceptable way of reacting to whatever triggers us.

This is why creating enough distance is so important.

I’m really scared of snakes and even struggle to look at them. The only thing I want to do is run away and create as much distance as possible.

If someone was restraining me, forcing me to sit down and look at the snake while trying to feed me my favourite chocolate (or any type of chocolate!), telling me there was nothing to worry about or trying to educate me about the specific species, it would do nothing to alleviate my fear and would only increase my stress levels.

Doing this at a sufficient distance, where I felt safe would be far more effective and my stress levels would be much lower. I may even eat the entire slab of chocolate!

In time, with patience and practice, I may even be able to get much closer to the snake without having a negative reaction.

The same principle applies to reactive dogs. Creating sufficient distance where they can see the trigger but still feel safe, comfortable and don’t react is the best way of helping them to cope with their feelings.

Some dogs (and people) may never be able to decrease that distance and that’s also okay.

Accept your dog for the unique individual they are, work on the things you can change and accept the things you can’t.

08/10/2023

Absolutely. Our dogs should be able to trust their Guardians. Trust goes a long way and helps so much to build the bond we have 🥰🐾

I NEED TO FEEL SAFE

Like all living creatures, dogs just want to feel safe – it’s a basic need.

When we think about feeling safe it’s natural to just think about not being harmed or being in danger, but it’s not just about physical safety - feeling safe emotionally or psychologically is just as important.

While physical safety may be obvious and simpler to address, emotional safety is far more complex and not always easy to recognise or identify.

The same applies to our dogs – they are sentient beings whose behaviour is very often triggered and driven by an emotion.

Many behaviour problems that we see in dogs stem from them feeling unsafe.

A dog that lunges and barks or behaves aggressively with another dog or person is probably doing so because they feel unsafe. They are trying to make the scary thing go away.

A dog that is guarding resources is doing so because they are afraid that the resource will be taken away – they don’t feel safe when another animal or person approaches that resource.

A dog that is reacting to fireworks or thunderstorms or other noises is doing so because they don’t feel safe.

The same can be said for separation anxiety, certain types of aggression and other behaviours.

We can help our dogs feel safe by acknowledging their fear even if that fear doesn’t make sense to us.

We can be a source of comfort, predictability, allow them to make choices where we can, never force them to face a fear, never use punishment but positively reinforce their good choices, all while doing what we can through management, desensitisation or counter conditioning to help them feel safer.

Some dogs may never get over a specific fear, but doing what we can to help dogs feel safer in our world is so important.

Be the person that your dog can rely on and trust to help them feel safe.

Be a secure, reliable, stable base that they can count on when they feel unsafe.

08/10/2023

07/10/2023

Hello, I am Caroline and started my dream job as a dog walker over 3 years ago.

After being made redundant from my role at Barclays Bank I decided to follow my dream and set up my own dog walking business.

As a child I always wanted to work with animals and as a dog lover what better than working with dogs!

I have level 4 diplomas in Canine Training, Behaviour, Communication and Nutrition. I am dedicated to providing the best care for our dogs and will only help to guide dogs make the best choices in an ethical way using force free methods.

I specifically do solo or dual dog walking which enables me to completely focus on the individual dogs needs.

I have set up this page again mainly to save/share positive thoughts and interactions in relation to dog walking and training (both being completely unregulated).

Thank you for following me on my journey 🐾🐾