Force-Free Training with Candice

02/01/2026

Excellent reminder of what puppies are capable of - and how, sometimes, what we need to adjust first when training a puppy is our expectations.

01/01/2026

I am so pleased to have finished this course! Excellent fundamentals and tons of extra resources that I look forward to going over again more in-depth in 2026. Thank you, Fearful Dogs!

Here’s to more education and continuing to expand knowledge and grow skills. 💕

Dog trainers and other animal trainers are recognizing the importance of understanding the science of behavior. This course will get you started on the path to becoming a more effective and ethical trainer.

31/12/2025

Recall works best when the consequence of being called equals something awesome, if not it’ll never be reliable for your Dog.

31/12/2025

Good info here! I’ll put another resource below.

This will be playing as background noise in my house tonight. Fortunately, Aslan and Cinnamon have done OK with fireworks, so far...but they are both still growing up, so every thing i can do to make fireworks not so stressful will help keep them OK as they mature. And just like dancing around during thunderstorms tossing treats with every boom, I'll probably have a " bacon party" tonight too- reinforcing that the booms equal something good is coming! We work on this throughout the year but because the fireworks will be louder and last longer on holidays like tonight, extra reinforcement will help ensure that the work we've done isn't erased in one night.

The pups will get as much playtime later this afternoon as I can handle, potty breaks before the chaos starts, collars with their id tags on ( they're usually naked at home!) And if a late night potty break is needed, they'll go out on leash even though my yard is fully fenced. Being on leash will not only prevent a panicked escape attempt if a boom happens amd startles them ( dogs can go over a privacy fence or worse, break through it!), and gives me the ability to guide them inside quickly if anything goes south, rather than having them run like lunatics around the yard.

For dogs that already have an extreme sound phobia, a safe, dark space to hide, medications from your vet ( if needed) , sound blockers ( like this video) will help for the immediate need, but slow introduction, desensitization and Counterconditioning throughout the year will help ease the stress next holiday.

( image credit Irwin Dog training)
https://youtu.be/51LrVgWKTQE?si=eGXSsweRZmiR4HVp

31/12/2025

“Reward-based dog trainers avoid the word no precisely because it has a default meaning to humans. It is almost impossible to deliver the word in a neutral tone, especially when your dog is about to do something you don’t approve of. To avoid slipping into the loud or stern category, it’s best to choose a more pleasant word or phrase as a warning (“gentle”, “easy”, “nope”, or how about the Aussie classic: “oi”), give a learned cue for cease & desist (“leave it”) or ask the dog for an alternative behaviour (come, sit, touch, fetch).”

This is exactly why I recommend another cue for a positive interrupter or a leave it behavior, other than “no”. It’s so easy for the human to slip in frustration or anger, and that lingers in our own memory, impacting our relationship and time spent with our dogs (“how many times did I have to tell you ‘no’ today??”), and it can be hard to change that association for ourselves. Better to choose a neutral cue and go from there.

The word "no" is commonly used to stop dogs from doing things we don't like and presumably to teach them what is allowed and what isn't. But what does "no" really mean to your dog? Is the word "no" valuable to teach your dog anything at all?

31/12/2025

And now, 6 years later… still true. Making the same wish. 💕

“Clearly, we know a lot about animal emotions. While we obviously have much more to learn, what we already know should be enough to inspire changes in the way we treat other animals. We need to turn our knowledge into action. We must not simply continue with the status quo because that is what we’ve always done. What we know has changed, and so should our relationship with animals. We must reflect on the fact that many animals experience passion and suffering—they feel love and pain—and then consider all the ways we currently treat animals in our society and decide what is right and what is wrong. When we recognize something that is wrong, we should work to change it.” – Marc Bekoff (The Emotional Lives of Animals)

The idea that dogs have agency, deserve choices, should be taught with kindness and without aversive control is still a radical one, but one whose time has come.

More and more of us are choosing to live a life with our dogs that centers joy, wellbeing, and compassion over compliance and quick fixes.

Each day we’re inching closer to a world where *how* we teach dogs matters as much as what we teach them. We have come a long way, but we still have much work left to do.

Changing what is so very clearly wrong (but deeply ingrained) and disrupting the status quo is never easy, but always necessary.

So as we open the door to this new decade, I wish all of us more courage, more honesty, and more resolve to do this work intentionally, compassionately, and unapologetically no matter what the world tells us. Our dogs are counting on us.

31/12/2025

What gets reinforced, gets repeated!

(WoofCultr has a shirt with this saying, I wear it often!)

30/12/2025

What a great setup!

We love great success stations!!! Check this one out!! There is plenty of comfy room for dog, baby and adults!! Nice barrier in between but the dog is safely included. Success stations look different at every stage. Creative use of play yards, gates and different areas of your home can lead to great inclusion without interaction. Thank you No Monkey Business Dog Training for great example!!! Check out our Dogs & Toddlers webinar replay. https://www.familypaws.com/family-paws-store/
Never leave dog and baby unsupervised even with such a system in place. This photo was taken by a supervising adult.

30/12/2025

Great video clip of some of the more subtle signs of stress (likely resource guarding the item between their paws, in this instance).

29/12/2025

Dogs are excellent at noticing patterns and building associations, even (especially?) ones we don’t intend to create!

Dogs Learn in Pictures, Not Paragraphs

Why Your Dog Knows What’s Happening Before You Do

Dogs don’t sit around weighing up options, debating outcomes, or thinking, “Well, statistically speaking…”

That’s us.

Dogs learn through association. Simple, fast, and brutally efficient.

They don’t reason their way through life, they link things together. One thing predicts another thing. That prediction becomes a picture. That picture becomes reality.

And once a picture is formed?
Good luck un-teaching it without some effort.

Your Dog Is a Walking CCTV System

Dogs are phenomenal observers. They notice things you swear you didn’t even do.

You might think:

“I just grabbed the lead.”

Your dog thinks:

“Lead + keys + boots + jacket = BIG WALK.”

Change the boots?

“Oh… hiking boots. This is not a walk. This is an event.”

Add the car keys?
Now the dog is emotionally halfway up the hill before you’ve locked the door.

It’s never just one cue.
It’s a collection of cues, time of day, your movement, what you’re wearing, the noises in the house, even your mood.

Dogs don’t read the script.
They read the pattern.

When the Picture Takes Over

Here’s where owners often come unstuck.

If the sight of the lead turns your dog into a vibrating mess of enthusiasm, spinning, barking, whining, launching themselves at you like a furry missile, that’s not “excitement”.

That’s anticipation without regulation.

The picture has become so powerful that it overrides:
• Calm behaviour
• Impulse control
• Any semblance of manners

At that point, you’re not leading the situation.
The picture is.

Changing the Picture (Without Losing Your Sanity)

If the lead has become the starter pistol for chaos, the solution isn’t shouting “CALM!” louder.

It’s breaking the association.

Pick up the lead.
Put it down.
Nothing happens.

Pick it up again.
Walk into the kitchen.
Make a cup of tea.
Dog is disappointed. That’s fine.

Clip it on.
Unclip it.
Dog wears it around the house.
Still no walk.

Eventually, the lead stops meaning anything on its own.

And that’s the point.

The walk only happens when you decide, not when the picture demands it.

The Same Rule Applies Everywhere

The Crate

If the crate only appears when:
• You’re leaving
• The dog’s “in trouble”
• You’ve had enough

Congratulations, you’ve built a portable resentment box.

But if the crate means:
• Calm time
• Food
• Chews
• Switching off

Now it’s a safe space, not solitary confinement.

Same crate.
Different picture.

The Car

Vet only?
Dog hates the car.

Vet, woods, beach, nowhere in particular?
Dog tolerates or even enjoys, the car.

Dogs don’t hate objects.
They hate predictable bad outcomes.

The Dinner-Time Psychic Phenomenon (Explained)

Feed your dog at 5pm every day and watch the magic unfold.

4:30pm – pacing
4:45pm – staring
4:55pm – intense eye contact
5:00pm – “I summoned this.”

No.
You rehearsed it.

Light levels, sounds, your habits, cupboard noises, all stacked into one very reliable picture.

This is why:
• Mixing up feeding times helps
• Hand-feeding builds engagement
• Enrichment feeders calm expectation

It breaks rigidity and builds flexibility.

You Are Painting Pictures All Day Long

Every interaction, routine, and habit creates a picture.

If a behaviour keeps happening, it’s because:
• The picture exists
• The dog believes it leads somewhere worthwhile

That “somewhere” might be:
• Attention
• Relief
• Excitement
• Avoidance
• Control

Dogs don’t repeat behaviours for fun.
They repeat behaviours that work.

Better Pictures = Better Dogs

Want:
• Calmer lead manners?
Start before the door.
• A relaxed crate?
Make it rewarding, not reactive.
• A solid recall?
Stop making coming back the end of fun.

Training isn’t just cues and corrections.
It’s environmental storytelling.

You are constantly teaching your dog what matters, what predicts what, and what’s worth getting excited about.

Final Thought

Dogs don’t overthink.
They over-associate.

Once you understand that, training becomes less emotional, less frustrating, and far more effective.

You stop arguing with the dog…
…and start editing the picture.

And when you control the picture,
you control the behaviour, calmly, clearly, and without the chaos.

28/12/2025

🎉 Start the New Year with a Calm, Happy Pet! 🐾

Our Fear Free New Year Info Sheet is packed with tips to help your dog or cat feel safe, relaxed, and confident in 2026. Learn how to:
✅ Reduce anxiety during holidays and celebrations
✅ Keep vet visits and grooming stress-free
✅ Set up a calm, happy environment at home

27/12/2025

‼️ Beware of the following BS statement:

🗣️ Positive reinforcement trainers are always recommending behavioural euthanasia or rehoming. Plus, they’re constantly suppressing dog’s behaviour with medication.

Want to know how many of our cases were euthanised, rehomed or medicated?

Read on.

I could argue with these inflammatory statements until the cows come home. Instead, three years ago I opted to publish our data in an END OF YEAR REVIEW as my response.

Here's this year's figures for the whole team.

➡️ NUMBER OF TRAINING CASES : 90
Note; Training is for learning new behaviours. It’s not for dogs with behaviour problems.

➡️ NUMBER OF BEHAVIOUR CASES : 234
Note: These are cases that are reporting a broad range of behaviour problems from dog-dog & dog-human directed aggression, separation related behaviours, abnormal repetitive behaviours, restlessness & attention seeking and noise phobias.

Assessments include us reviewing a dog's whole life in great detail. As we work via vet referral, we also review the complete medical history of each case.

🛑 NUMBER OF BITE CASES: 53 (22.64%)

➡️ CASES WHERE A MEDICAL CONDITION(S) WAS/WERE IDENTIFIED AS AN INITIATING OR MAINTAINING FACTOR: 72 (30.76%).

Note: Gatro intestinal issues, skin disease and muscular skeletal issues are rife in dogs and often lower thresholds (such as for sound sensitivity, tolerance to challenging situations and escalation to aggressive behaviours). Some of our cases were already diagnosed with a health problem.

This figure is significantly lower than last year!

➡️ CASES THAT WE REFERRED BACK TO THE VET POST ASSESSMENT AND WHO WENT ON TO BE DIAGNOSED WITH A HEALTH PROBLEM: 28 (11.96%)

Our job is to highlight and explain our findings and observations to the vet. These can be easily missed in clinic as so many behaviour cases are challenging for veterinarians to examine.

We have an excellent working relationship with most of the vets in Bristol, and this collaboration has resulted in a significant number of dogs getting the treatment they deserve.

➡️ NUMBER OF CASES WHO MADE NOTABLE IMPROVEMENT WITH POST ASSESSMENT MEDICAL TREATMENT : 26 (11.11%)

This includes when symptoms of a previously (pre-assessment) diagnosed issue were not responding as well as prescribed to treatment and our communication with the vets prompted adjustments to their treatment plan. The figures also include dogs who started treatment after a post assessment diagnosis.


Hopefully this information highlights how crucial it is to consider the physical health of a dog.

If you are working with a professional who does not work via vet referral nor take into consideration your dog's physical health- please seek support from someone who does.

Imagine opting to use an aversive tool on a dog who simply needed pain relief. It happens, but not under our watch.

➡️ NUMBER OF DOGS ON LONG-TERM (non situational) PSYCHOACTIVE MEDICATION: 37 (15.81%).

Hardly every case is it? Do please consider the broad range of behaviour problems we work with, such as separation anxiety and noise phobias. Many cases exhibit challenging behaviour in multiple contexts.

I do personally think that some dogs are medicated too quickly!
But the fact of the matter is that some dogs need support in regulating their nervous system and that training (play), exercise, quality socialisation, rest is sometimes just not cutting the mustard.

All of our cases are montitored closely with regards to how they respond to medication. They should still want to go for walks (and for some, will start to want to go for walks because of their medication). We want them to retain or develop playful behaviour and motivation for training!

Sedation, in the context of long-term/slow acting medication is an UNDESIRED side effect.

➡️ NUMBER OF CASES REHOMED: 4 (1.7%)
None of the clients were instructed to rehome, but we take stigma away by letting such cases know it is an option. In some instances, it was the client who initiated it.

➡️ NUMBER OF CASES EUTHANISED: 3 (1.28%)
Of these three cases, it was considered likely that an undiagnosed medical problem was a motivating factor in the serious owner-directed aggression.

Sometimes, there just isn't enough time to explore potential reasons why, especially when the threat of serious injury is so high.
Sometimes the costs and direction to take with explorative /diagnostic health tests are a factor that influence the decision.

More often than not, the cases that are euthanised appear pathological and are incredibly complex. Subsequently they are highly resistent to the behaviour modification plan that was actioned and adapted (trouble shooting) for a reasonable or lengthy amount of time.

We work our arses off to avoid euthanasia.

None of them were told (by us) to euthanise their dog, but they were offered and provided support.

➡️ I also had 2 cases from previous years euthanised for severe human directed aggression, both of which had chronic muscular skeletal issues.

Note, the clients felt comfortable enough to return to me for support on what is an incredibly hard descision.

When behavioural euthanasia is so openly stigmatised by a professional- consider whether they have clients who make that decision on their own for fear of judgement.

Additionally we have all had multiple cases who listed on their intake forms that they were considering euthanasia or rehoming who didn't- because they made progress post assessment.

Are we 100% effective?

Of course not. No one is.
We aren’t so full of ego that we’ll try and convince you we are.
Please be cautious of anyone who does.

BUT enough of our cases were happy enough with their progress that we are able to fill the diaries of six professionals (on our team) for the whole year through word of mouth and vet referrals alone. We don’t advertise and haven’t had to for a very long time.

Were all of our clients happy with us?

No. But I can count on one hand how many weren’t.
Unfortunately, a 100% satisfaction rate is a high bar. I'm happy with over 96%.

This is what transparency looks like folks.

It's only possible when professionals keep long-term tabs on their cases, which we all do when clients engage in the support that we offer.

Of course, not all do, so there are a few 'unknowns'. However, the vast majority of our clients keep us updated and allow us to keep track of the efficacy of our work.

So, when you read online that R+ / FF trainers recommend rehoming, behaviour euthanasia and meds, I would hope that our data shows you that these statements have the real potential to be a gross exaggeration and that in relation to us personally, it's completely false.