All About The Dog

19/11/2025

Thank you Dogs Disclosed for this information. I feel all of us at one time or another want to take that one step closer to the reason our sensitive dog may be freezing, barking, lunging, staring, hiding, whatever behavior they do to say they aren't comfortable in this environment. Instead of that one step closer consider moving steps further away.

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.
Reactive dogs have a nervous system issue not a training issue.

This nervous system reaction is usually caused by anxiety, fear, feeling threatened, frustrated or may even be pain related.

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 and create as much distance as possible.

If someone was restraining me, forcing me to sit and look at the snake while trying to feed me my favourite chocolate, telling me there was nothing to worry about or trying to educate me about the reptile, 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. 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 and don’t react is the best way of helping them to cope with their feelings.

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

We need to accept our dogs for the unique individual they are, keep working on the things we can improve and change and accept the things we can’t.

12/11/2025

When Harmony arrived my mantra to her was you are safe, you are safe In today's environment all of us may need to repeat those 3 words.

Give yourself PERMISSION to feel safe now.

This is a really important piece and layer, because we can learn all the techniques we can to help us feel safe in our body and brain, but if there’s still an old belief and emotional pattern deeply embedded in our nervous system from long ago that it’s not safe to feel safe or that safety isn’t for us, then we will still feel some resistance or difficulty with REALLY feeling truly safe.

It can help to create affirmations around this and to repeat them daily for as long as needed to help shift this major obstacle, and to also add these to somatic and breathing practices which reassures the nervous system and brain that you are completely safe in this moment.

If safety was absent as a child at home and/or if we weren’t sufficiently co-regulated when we became upset, hurt or scared, then this lays down a foundational belief very early on that safety is not for us. Consequently, feeling safe can feel very alien to us and downright uncomfortable.

This can get further distorted into actually feeling afraid of feeling safe! Because to feel safe we have to shift out of a hyper-vigilant state of fight or flight, and into a relaxed, calm parasympathetic state. Switching off our antennae can feel very scary, at first. And so we have to learn to trust and believe that we truly are safe now; that there is no danger and that feeling safe is OK, good and healthy.

And maybe we need to also tell ourselves that we DESERVE to feel safe.

Like with anything, the more we practise a sense of feeling safe in our body and the more consistently, i.e. every day, we ground and calm ourselves, the more our frightened nervous system and limbic system will start to believe we’re safe and start to get accustomed with feeling safe and living from a place of safety.

Think of it like a horse you’ve adopted who is constantly in a fearful, flight mode, and just how much kind reassurance that horse needs, along with time and consistency every single day with every single task and interaction, for them to eventually trust you and the new environment is safe, and feel safe enough for their nervous system to settle and recalibrate.

This takes time, patience and love.

And so it is for ourselves and our own body and brain. Yet, if we repeatedly tell ourselves that it's OK to feel safe, overtime, we will start to believe this and even get to really enjoy it!

Angela Dunning
The Horse's Truth
www.thehorsestruth.co.uk

Image by Markela Kousalova.

11/11/2025

Thank you Shay Kelly MSc for giving us these 10 ways to communicate to others who want to justify the use of using pain, fear, or intimidation to tell a dog what to do.

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09/11/2025

04/11/2025

Think about this. Be the dog with the shock collar on. You're walking down the street and see a person you want to say hi to, your tail is wagging as you approach and your feet begin to come off the ground and you receive the pain in your neck. WT, you only wanted to say hi and now you hurt. Better avoid people from now on. Oh, there's a pile of pooh I want to sniff, well crap, there is that pain in my neck again, I better avoid sniffing. I better turn into a no thing, nothing because everytime I do something I want to do, what dogs like to do, pain happens.

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01/11/2025

In our times we often suppress behavior through pain, fear, intimidation or even behavior modification when a dog is only doing what they were bred to do generations ago. I like how this this article asks how we would feel if we were told we couldn't do something we enjoy. I want to sing and get yelled at, I want to read and receive a shock. Credit to Kamalfernandezdogtraining for sharing this.

💭 What If It’s Not a Problem… But a Purpose?

When we talk about “problem behaviours” in dogs, we often start from the idea that something is wrong.
That the dog is sick, unbalanced, too much, or needs fixing.

So we try to suppress.
To quiet.
To stop.
To control.
To prevent them from rehearsing the very behaviours that make them who they are.

But let’s take a step back for a moment.
Dogs were not created to be pets. They were designed to be partners.
Every breed, every type, was intentionally crafted by humans for a purpose — a job that served us.

The herder that gathered the flock.
The terrier that cleared the home of vermin.
The gundog that retrieved our game.
The guardian that protected our homes.

Their instincts, their energy, their passion — all of it was by design.
It wasn’t a flaw to be fixed. It was a purpose to be fulfilled.

But as society evolved, those jobs disappeared — or were replaced.
The flocks that once needed gathering are now moved by quad bike.
Homes that needed guarding are now protected by alarms and cameras.
Vermin that once required a tenacious terrier are now kept in check with chemicals and pest control companies.

The dogs, though… haven’t changed.
They still carry their purpose — in every cell, in every line of their DNA.

Now, imagine this.
Think about the thing that gives you purpose.
The thing that makes you feel alive.

Maybe it’s helping others.
Maybe it’s teaching, creating, caring, running, building, painting, singing.
That thing that fills your heart and gives your life meaning.

Now imagine being told you can never do it again.
You can’t sing.
You can’t paint.
You can’t help.
You can’t move.
You can’t express who you are.

How would that feel?
Frustrating? Empty? Sad?
Would it affect your mental health? Your self-esteem? Your sense of worth?

That’s what it’s like for a dog who’s been bred for a purpose — but has nowhere to put it.
It’s not a behavioural “problem.”
It’s a purpose left unfulfilled.

Our job isn’t to suppress that drive.
It’s to honour it.
To find healthy, meaningful ways to let it shine.

That’s why I talk about the Five E’s — the daily ingredients for a fulfilled dog:
💚 Enrichment – mental challenges that engage their instincts.
💚 Exercise – movement that satisfies their drive and energy.
💚 Entertainment – fun and play that builds connection.
💚 Emotional Stability – safety, predictability, and trust.
💚 Education – learning that gives structure and purpose.

When we invest in these, we’re not “fixing” dogs — we’re allowing them to become who they were meant to be.
We’re not managing a problem.
We’re meeting a purpose.

So maybe the next time you see your dog display that unstoppable drive, that intensity, that passion — instead of asking “How do I stop it?”, try asking…
“How can I fulfil it?”

Because when we meet dogs where they are — not where we wish they’d be — something magical happens:
Calm.
Confidence.
Connection.
And a life that feels right.

Maybe it’s time we stop seeing behaviour as a symptom to cure…
and start seeing it as a story waiting to be understood. 🐾

💬 Now I’d love to hear from you:
Does your dog have a purpose that’s being fulfilled?
How do you help them live it every day?
Share your ideas below — you might just inspire someone else to see their dog through a whole new lens. 💚

27/10/2025

Love in Action: What sensitive dogs really need to feel safe and loved. Along with Laura Donaldson, who is speaking on gratitude, (we are grateful for what she has taught us) there are 29 other speakers; Andy Hale, Bethany Bell, Holly Tett, Niki French to name a few. This is free, however, Love in Action is valuable. Even if you don't have a dog I would predict you will learn something of value about relationship. https://www.marilynmele.com/summit-registration-november...

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23/10/2025

What a great way to end the year with a visit to a puppy class centered on relationship building while learning for puppy and their human family. Sign up soon. See how below.

20/10/2025

This is a subject which is important to keep in mind when helping someone with a reactive or reframing that word, the dog who is sensitive to their environment. The dog is not only expressing themselves the person is also going through their own big feelings which can range from embarrassment, frustration, or anger.

🌿 Remembering Our Own Candles 🌿

Something that often gets missed in conversations about reactivity is how hard it can be for the humans, too. Supporting a dog who struggles with the world isn’t just about understanding behaviour, learning new techniques, or recognising patterns. It’s about living day after day with a dog you love deeply, who sometimes feels overwhelmed, frightened, or frustrated and managing your own emotions in the middle of it all.

There are moments when our hearts ache watching our dog react. Moments of tension in our shoulders before we even step outside. The quiet worry that people will judge, misunderstand, or think we are not doing enough. And the exhaustion that builds from constant alertness, scanning the environment, trying to predict what might happen next.

That’s why, in ACE (Animal Centred Education), we don’t only look at our dog’s candles, we look at ours, too. Every small stress, every layer of pressure, every moment we hold our breath, they all add a little heat. Over time, those candles start to add up.

When we begin to notice our own candles, our lack of sleep, that rushed morning, the noise that’s been bothering us, or even the emotional weight of wanting things to be different, we can start to make small changes. We can begin to care for ourselves as much as we care for our dogs.

Because when we feel safer, calmer, and more supported, our dogs feel that too. When we exhale, they exhale. When we soften, they begin to soften.

This isn’t just your dog’s journey, it’s yours as well. Be kind to yourself as you learn and adjust together. Make space to breathe, rest, and notice how you’re feeling too.

Your dog doesn’t need you to have all the answers, just you, as you are, showing up and trying. And that starts with tending to your own candles, one at a time

If you would like to share, pop a note in the comments about what your candles might be right now. Reflecting like this can help other guardians recognise their own, and remind us that we are all learning as we go 🥰

18/10/2025

Impulse control is one of the terms which gets said a lot. In this podcast Bethany Bell explains why teaching a dog to do a behavior such as sit, stay when they are excited may have them doing the behavior, however is it helping them to learn to actually be in a self regulated calm state of mind? She said in the podcast it is like having an internal tug-of-war. I like to say it is like a volcano getting ready to erupt. The dog might be doing the behavior because they have been told to do it, but inside the are getting ready to erupt.

We’ve all heard of “impulse control training” - teaching dogs to wait, leave food, or stay calm when excited. But are these exercises truly helping dogs develop emotional regulation… or just teaching them to perform calmness on cue? In this episode of Rewriting the Rules, Bethany Bell (found...

08/10/2025

Thanks to Too Smart Dogs. as we wait.

05/10/2025

Fort Wayne IN and surrounding area. For years AATD had been talking and promoting the knowing of how dogs communicate. Now is the time to learn more on the subject. The number 1 reason to know their signals is safety. Keeping you, your children, your other pets anyone. To observe their signals and respect their signals. Let the learning begin through these sessions.

We are nerding out over here and we hope you are just as excited! Join us for a 4-part series: Canine Communications 🐶

Series 1: Canine Body Language

📅 Thursday, October 16 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm

📍 Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control Adoption/Education Center
3020 Hillegas Rd, Fort Wayne, IN

Open to dog owners, animal welfare workers, veterinary staff, volunteers who work with dogs, fosters who work with animal rescues, and people in general who love to learn. Please keep your dogs at home - this is a humans only class.

This is an interactive, classroom style 2-hour canine body language session. Participants will review photos, videos and discuss canine body language. The instructors in this series do not give behavior or training advice. These sessions are designed for learning different aspects of how dogs communicate with their body language. We hope participants walk away being able to understand and recognize basic body language for their dogs or dogs they help in everyday life.

We are asking for a $15 donation to the Angel Fund to attend. **Courses are non-refundable**

Limited space available. Register online today: https://igfn.us/form/a4ESgg

Stay tuned for announcements on when the future series will be!