Fundog Behaviour and Training

28/06/2025

How about we stop saying “my dog is so well trained”. Let’s focus more on “my dog is happy and content because I am meeting their needs appropriately. They feel safe and because of this we have a great relationship built on trust and fun”. It’s not just about ‘training’.

27/06/2025

27/06/2025

Important information. it still boggles my mind that people will exercise their dogs in the heat. Humidity is also a significant factor, so just because it's 22C and overcast doesn't mean that your dog will cope.

23/06/2025

What is pain?

It’s not just physical.

According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), pain is:
“An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.”

This means pain can affect behaviour, movement, and mood, even when there’s no visible injury.

As trainers and behaviourists, recognising this is key to truly helping the dogs we work with. 🐾

17/06/2025

Walking in wild places with the dogs is the best therapy ⛰️ 🚶 🐕 🌊 🌲
(They are in equifleeces to keep them clean and to reduce the ticks that attach to them !)

16/06/2025

Holidays are all about the dogs 🫣 Currently on the Wild West coast of Scotland so apologies if you’ve contacted me and I’ve not got back to you yet ( I am checking emails every now and then 😬)

12/06/2025

❤️

Imagine being in a world where every decision, when to eat, where to go, how to act, is made for you, not with you. No explanation, no dialogue, just expectations.

That’s the reality many dogs face every day.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Dogs are intelligent, emotional beings with preferences, fears, joys, and boundaries, just like us. Yet too often, they’re treated like programmable machines: expected to obey instantly, regardless of context or comfort.

When they hesitate, communicate, or resist, they’re labeled “stubborn,” “dominant,” or “bad.”

This mindset leads to coercion. It shows up in harsh tools, fear-based methods, and the belief that “quick obedience” is the highest measure of success. But obedience rooted in fear isn’t a sign of respect, it’s a symptom of stress.

However, when we give dogs agency, real choices in their environment, in how they learn and in how they engage, we unlock their potential. We reduce anxiety. We build trust.

A dog who can make choices is a dog who feels safe with you. And safety is the foundation of everything: behavior, bonding, and a truly fulfilling life.

Every time we give a dog a choice to opt in, to take a break, to communicate their needs we affirm their agency. We raise the standard of care.

We make a quiet promise: You are not here to be controlled. You are here to be understood.

Choice is not a privilege to be earned; it is a right for every dog, in every home, in every moment.

Because dogs deserve choice.

Not coercion.

08/06/2025

Yup 🐾

07/06/2025

Lots of fun at hoopers this morning. Well done to PiP, Marvin and Bella for passing their Bronze Assessments 🤩

03/06/2025

I have 1-2 spaces left on my next Foundation Pet Gundog course. It will run for 6 weeks and starts on the 2nd July at 6pm. We look at teaching skills like impulse control, lead walking, recall, and retrieves. Ideally suited to young dogs from 6 months of age. Please e-mail me on [email protected] for further info. Cost is £120.