So Help Me Dog

30/09/2025

📸 IT'S THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH PHOTO TIME!

🐶 Let's see the last photo of your dog on your camera roll. I'll start....

28/09/2025

🍂 It’s THAT time of year….

❌ And I’m not talking about hunting for your dog’s 💩 amongst the leaves, or nights drawing in and walking your dog in the dark.

Nope.

It’s the time of year when s.p.i.d.e.r.s are coming into your homes looking for mates… 😱🙈😱🙈

If you’re not a fan (and I am definitely not), I want you to think about what you feel when you see one scuttle across the floor. What do you do?

➡️ I’ll tell you what happens in my house (it’s literally just happened. Massive, it was, MASSIVE). My first feeling is my heart hammering in my chest. I’m briefly short of breath and I feel panic. I back away from it but I CANNOT let it out of my sight. I then call for my other half and there is something in my tone of voice that brooks no hesitation because he’s up and out of his seat (despite being glued to the Ryder Cup) to get rid of it. Once it’s gone, I breathe, feel a huge sense of relief, and I calm down.

😱 Those feelings are FEAR. And to those who don’t like spiders, that fear is real and sickening. It doesn’t matter how many people tell us “they won’t do you any harm” or “they eat all the flies” or “they’re more scared of you than you are of them”. Yadda yadda. YOU may think it’s ridiculous and irrational. To us, it’s real.

🤔 You know where I’m going with this, right? What scares or worries your dog? Is it other dogs? Is it people? Is it cyclists? Whatever it is, however ridiculous or irrational you might think it is, to your dog it’s REAL. They will feel that same sense of panic, heart thumping, shortness of breath, they may shout, they may try and move away but they can’t take their eyes off the scary thing. Sound familiar?

🕰️ Now, that spider was only in my presence for a matter of moments. Seconds. And experience tells me, I’m unlikely to see another one for a few days, maybe longer (🤞🤞🤞). But what about the dog who is afraid of other dogs? How many dogs does he see on a walk? How long do you walk him for? How often do you walk him for?

😞 If I was exposed to spiders for an hour every single day, it would take a serious toll on my mental and physical health. I would become routinely stressed, I wouldn’t be able to focus well, I might be less able to settle and relax, I would likely be very jumpy and tense. I might overreact to the slightest thing. I might experience something like IBS, or eczema, or dandruff. I might not sleep very well and become quite grumpy or intolerant as a result. Sounding familiar?

🧠 🫀Being exposed to your fears on a routine basis is not good for your dog (or you). They won’t just get over it. The stress will have a ripple effect and it will start to impact on all other areas of their life. You will see that as ‘bad’ behaviours that are annoying / excessive / hard to live with.

It’s just your dog struggling to cope and asking for your help.

1️⃣ You’ll know what they struggle with so the first thing to ask yourself is how can I stop them having to face their fears every day? What can I do differently to make my dog’s day nicer?

2️⃣ The second thing you do is get help from a qualified Behaviourist….

📧 You know where I am… [email protected]

25/09/2025

A recent testimonial from Ned's mum that tugged at the heart strings. THIS is why I do my job ♥️

20/09/2025

‼️SPOILER ALERT….. ‼️ Did you know that trainers who run Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme Awards don’t actually have to have any formal training qualifications? 😱😮😱😮😱

⁉️Wait…. WHAT??

😱 I know. Bit of a shocker, isn’t it?

‼️Not only that, but if they are ‘old school’ trainers and use outdated, harmful methods such as choke collars, slip leads and water spray bottles, Kennel Club aren’t really that bothered. These trainers don’t have to be assessed by KC in any way.

😱 What’s worse is that that there are still some KC Examiners who use/recommend these methods. The Examiners are the people who visit the training schools and watch you do your stuff with your dog and tell you whether you’ve passed. So, if they go out to judge and see guardians using choke collars or water spray bottles, for example, they don’t bat an eyelid. Which of course doubly reinforces the idea that this way of training is acceptable.

🤔 The problem is that the Kennel Club name has a certain cachet about it. It’s seen as the Gold Standard. When the normal, every day dog/puppy guardian sees “Kennel Club” attached to a trainer’s name, website, marketing etc, they assume (naturally) that the trainer must be decent, proper, qualified etc BUT THIS ISN’T NECESSARILY THE CASE especially when it comes to Good Citizen Scheme trainers.

✅ Yes, there are some amazing fully qualified, ethical, reward-based trainers running KC classes BUT YOU ARE NOT GUARANTEED TO GET ONE OF THESE. There are also some phenomenal Examiners out there trying to change how things are done BUT IT IS NOT A GIVEN THAT THEY WILL BE YOUR EXAMINER.
Kennel Club is changing. But they were slow to catch on, slow to catch up, and changes like this take time, so are also slow.

➡️ Those associated with KC are bound by KC’s Code of Ethics. KC says…

- Training must not cause physical or mental suffering
- Handlers and owners should ensure that dog training instructors have the appropriate training and experience to ensure dog and handler safety at all times. - - They should also be up to date with the latest training techniques and practices
- In addition to these guidelines, dog training instructors should comply with Regulations for The Kennel Club Accredited Instructors

BUT there is no one really following this up and checking, and onus is left YET AGAIN on the guardian to know and understand what they are looking for.

☎️ If you are concerned that a training school associated with The Kennel Club is using outdated and harmful methods, you can call them on 01296 318540 to register your concerns.

🙈🤦🏼‍♀️ So, yes. As I always say… you need to do your research.

➡️ You want to see evidence of up-to-date modern qualifications from organisations like PACT, APDT, or IMDT.
➡️ Remember that “experienced” does not mean qualified.
❓ ASK the trainer what equipment they use.
❓ ASK what they do if a dog struggles to get it right.
❓ASK if they ever recommend lead jerks, slip leads, check collars, pinch collars, or shock collars.
🤨 If they tell you that the above equipment is ‘fine if it’s used properly’, that’s a LIE. Anything that tightens around the neck can cause AS A MINIMUM interrupted blood supply to the brain, spinal cord, muscles, and bone and can lead to tissue damage and even cell death. It can lead to irreversible damage to the trachea (this is the tube that carries air from the nose/mouth to the lungs). It can damage the thyroid - and this little gland affects the functions of all organ systems in the body. The tightening around the neck also increases fluid pressure in the eye to the point of causing corneal damage, glaucoma and loss of vision. I heard about one dog who went to a trainer in Abingdon who je**ed the slip lead so hard, it burst the blood vessels in the dog’s eyes and he had bloodshot eyes for a week 😢

⚠️These trainers are in our area. Because they don’t have the skills to train with kindness (reward-based, positive reinforcement), they start with treats but when they don’t get the results they want, they very quickly move to aversive equipment and methods, and this is what they rely on to get results. And if that doesn’t work, the dog is labelled “untrainable”. True story.

Image taken from KC website.

18/09/2025

YES!! LOVE this analogy written by my fab colleague 👏👏❤️
When I start working with a dog, it’s not always plain sailing. Sometimes the dog struggles to adjust to the changes that are happening and is working really hard to figure out what’s going on. Then we add some extra training in which makes them work even harder, or ask them to do different things in situations where they used to do other, easier (for them) things. All this change and brain work is KNACKERING so if there’s a few hissy fits along the way, that’s ok. Stop. Take a breath and figure out what tipped them over. Did you do a bit too much? Did you pick the wrong day for training (after they’d had a busy/energetic day previously). Did you pick the wrong environment? Were YOU not in the mood, or a bit stressy? Have a break, have a KitKat (or 10) and take a moment to think about all the good things your dog has done lately (because there will be way more than you think) and how well you are doing, too (because this good stuff doesn’t happen without you). Have the next day off and then you and your dog can get back to it refreshed and ready to go ❤️

What's your dog's battery like?

I've recently had a few cases where owners have been working really hard on an issue like reactivity to other dogs, being left alone, or simply adding in extra enriching training. And the dogs are rocking it... but also occasionally showing problem behaviour at home like destruction or snapping at their doggy housemates.
It can initially seem confusing... after all, the idea of training is for them to feel better and behave better. But in the early stages of learning a new 'sport' or a new way of acting around dogs and people are tiring mentally and physically. If your dog has used all their brain energy during training, they might not have the energy to cope with their bouncy housemate, or they might just want to rip something up to help them relax.
Once you know how your dog reacts when their batteries are low, and what drains their battery, you can plan better. Maybe give them some alone time to rest and relax, or offer something safe to destroy... whatever they need.
As they practise their new skills they won't drain the battery as fast and will be able to regulate their behaviour at home better too.

15/09/2025

📚 MY TOP 5 EASY READS ALL ABOUT DOGS…

My clients often ask me if there are any doggy books I’d recommend so I thought I’d share my Top 5 here…

1. The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson
2. In Defence of Dogs by John Bradshaw
3. Meet Your Dog by Kim Brophy
4. The Stress Factor in Dogs by Kristina Spaulding
5. Dominance in Dogs Fact or Fiction? by Barry Eaton (every dog guardian should be made to read this imo)

If you want a list of slightly less easy reads, let me know in the comments ⬇️
Do you have a favourite dog book? Let me know in the comments. ⬇️

12/09/2025

EDITED 17/09/25: I’M NOT TAKING ANY MORE CASE STUDIES - THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN IN TOUCH SO FAR ❤️ I WILL BE IN TOUCH SOON 👍

🐕🐕🐕 CASE STUDIES!! 🐕🐕🐕

As you know, I have been very busy working hard on the Dynamic Dog Practitioner course. This is a course that, on completion, qualifies me to analyse a dog’s movement (through gait and posture analysis) in order to recognise and describe abnormalities that may indicate a dog is in pain or discomfort. On completion of the gait/posture analysis, a detailed report Is written that is presented to your vet, providing them with valuable information that enables them to decide on the next steps towards treatment.

In order for me to complete my qualification, I need to present 5 case studies and this is where YOU come in! Before you fire off an email to me, there are some criteria then need to be followed (listed below). If you cannot fulfil the criteria, you will not be eligible…

🔴 You need to be available in October/November. We will need approximately 2-4 hours together for form-filling and the taking of photos and videos. Some local travel may be required. You will also need to take videos at home to send to me.

🔴 Your dog must not have any prior diagnosis, previous imaging, or history of a pain trial and your dog's medical history should be free of orthopaedic or musculoskeletal concerns. (I will be contacting your vet for a copy of your dog’s medical history, so no fibbing!)

🔴 If there has been a suspicion of physical issues, such as prior lameness, even if a veterinarian cleared your dog, you are not eligible.

🔴 Dogs with unrelated issues, such as ear infections or similar non-orthopaedic conditions, are absolutely fine!

So…

❓ Have you wondered whether there might be something wrong with your dog but you’re not sure what, and you haven’t sought advice/treatment rom your vet?
❓Has your dog had a sudden change in behaviour, or previous behaviours have intensified for no apparent reason?
❓Have you occasionally had cause to wonder if something is off but you’ve done nothing about it?
❓Or would you just be interested in having a Dynamic Gait/Posture Analysis?

✅ If the answer to any of these is “Yes!” AND you fulfil the criteria above, then email me at [email protected].

09/09/2025

🐕 SO HELP ME DOG! IS BACK OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!

If you have contacted me while I have been on holiday, bear with me while I catch up - I will respond to all enquiries/messages by the end of the week 😁

05/09/2025

An FYI Post….

🤐 I will be fairly quiet on social media for the next 3 months. My Dynamic Dog Practitioner course is going well - only another 3 months to go EEEK - but it is an incredibly intense course and is using most, if not all of my brain capacity 🙈 meaning I seem incapable of creating anything meaningful for social media 😂 So, just to keep the FB algorithms happy and keep me in your feed, expect a lot of reposts, testimonials and reshares 😂

‼️ BUT keep your eyes peeled because I will be looking for case studies for my qualification and a post about this will appear later this month.

👍 ❤️ ✍🏻 ✅ Like, Love, Comment and Share my posts to keep me high up in your feed so you don’t miss out on any posts.

31/08/2025

📸 IT'S THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH! YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS...

Let's see the last photo of your dog on your camera roll. I'll start... Sleepy Puppy 🥰