International Canine Behaviourists

20/02/2025

Join us on the 16th March at 7pm GMT for a fabulous webinar

Reviewing training plans for object guarding, techniques used with 4 case studies

14/02/2025

10/02/2025

BUILDING TRUST WITH YOUR DOG: SIMPLE WAYS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR RELATIONSHIP 🐾💖

Trust is the foundation of any meaningful relationship, and it’s equally important in the connection we share with our dogs. It creates a sense of safety, helps us understand each other, and enables us to communicate in ways that make both of us feel secure and comfortable. 🌟🐕

In our busy, fast-paced lives, it’s easy to overlook how important trust is in any relationship. Between work, personal commitments, and everything else life throws at us, it can feel like there’s little time left for meaningful connection. But with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect opportunity to invest in the relationships that matter most — including the one with your dog.

This month presents a wonderful opportunity to focus on building your dog’s "Trust Bank Account," a concept created by the amazing Sarah Fisher, that provides us with an opportunity to invest in small, everyday activities that deepen the connection we share with our canine companions.

What Is a Trust Bank Account? 💰🐶
The concept of a Trust Bank Account is simple, yet very effective. It helps us build and strengthen the trust we share with our dogs, one small deposit at a time.

Just like a financial bank account, your dog’s trust account grows with every enriching and rewarding interaction. These "deposits" can be thought of as small investments that help build a healthy trust account.

Each time you offer your dog a rewarding, enriching experience, you’re adding to their Trust Bank Account. These regular deposits strengthen the foundation of trust, ensuring that your relationship remains resilient enough to handle the occasional “withdrawals” that life may bring.

Simple Ways to Make Deposits
Building your dog’s Trust Bank Account doesn’t require grand gestures—often, it’s the small, regular interactions that make the biggest difference. Here are a few simple ways you can make meaningful deposits into your dog’s Trust Bank Account:

- Opportunities to forage, investigate, and explore
-ACE Free Work
-Opportunities for licking and chewing
-Choice of resting areas
-Sniffy walks
-Mindful body contact (if appropriate)
-Mini adventures
-Quiet, relaxed time together

By incorporating these small, daily deposits into your routine, you can create a healthy Trust Account. Over time, these deposits strengthen your connection, helping you both navigate life’s challenges together.

Understanding Withdrawals
Just like any relationship, there are times when we may need to make a withdrawal from the Trust Account. These moments might be unavoidable, but they can impact the relationship you share with your dog. Here are some common withdrawals that can happen in a dog's life:

-A trip to the vet
-Body contact (especially for touch-sensitive dogs)
-Grooming (baths, brushing, nail trimming)
-Walking on slippery floors
-Wearing poorly fitting equipment (harnesses, collars, etc.)
-Medical treatment or procedures

For example, Harry recently hurt his leg and had to make a trip to the vet. It wasn’t the most enjoyable experience for him, and I could tell he was uncomfortable being examined. That visit was definitely a withdrawal from his Trust Bank Account. Later in the week, we had a lovely walk on the beach, Harry got covered in sand and needed a bath. Not his favourite thing, but it was important to wash all the sand off. Just like the vet visit, the bath was another withdrawal from his Trust Account. You can see how these withdrawals can quickly add up.

Maintaining a Healthy Trust Bank Account 🌱💚
To ensure our dog’s Trust Bank Account remains healthy, we can try to reduce the number of withdrawals where possible and focus on making regular, meaningful deposits. While it’s not always possible to avoid stressful situations, you can help your dog build resilience by ensuring they experience more enriching and positive experiences than challenging ones.

A healthy Trust Bank Account not only strengthens your relationship but also helps your dog navigate life’s challenges with more ease. The more deposits you make, the stronger your dog’s trust will be, making it easier for them to bounce back from the occasional withdrawal.

Create Your Dog’s Trust Bank Account 📊
Why not try creating a Trust Bank Account for your own dog? This simple activity will help you track and balance trust-building moments.

How to Do It:
1. Grab a piece of paper and divide it into two columns:
o Deposits
o Withdrawals
2. Every day, write down at least three deposits and keep track of any withdrawals. If your dog has a tough day with several withdrawals (like a vet visit), try to add a few extra deposits to balance out the withdrawals.
3. At the end of the week, check your dog’s Trust Account balance: Take a moment to review the deposits and withdrawals you've made in your dog’s Trust Bank Account.

What Will You Deposit Today? 💭
We would love to hear how you build trust with your dog! What are some of your favourite ‘deposits’?

02/02/2025

WHY YOUR DOG’S NEED FOR SPACE CHANGES DAY TO DAY & HOW YOU CAN HELP

Have you ever had a day where everything felt overwhelming—where you just needed a little more space from the world? Our dogs feel the same way sometimes.

Just like us, the space they need changes depending on how they are feeling physically and emotionally. Some days, they may be relaxed and confident, while other days, they might need more space to feel safe. Recognising and understanding this can make a world of difference to their behaviour and well-being.

I was reminded of this yesterday with my own dog, Harry. Last week, Harry injured one of his back legs and his lower back, so he’s been in quite a bit of pain lately. He’s currently taking extra pain medication to help him for the next two weeks, which is helping. While he does his best to carry on as normal, often hiding his discomfort, I've noticed small changes in his behaviour.

For example, while we were walking earlier today, I noticed he was more watchful and alert to his surroundings. He seemed to be paying a little more attention to dogs he would normally ignore. It made perfect sense—when we’re uncomfortable, we naturally become more sensitive to what's happening around us. Dogs, too, become more sensitive to their environment when they’re not feeling their best.

To help him feel safer, I simply adjusted how much space he needed from other dogs. This reminded me that our dogs' need for space isn't fixed—it changes depending on how they feel and what’s happening around them.

Why Safe Distances Matter
Every dog has a personal space bubble, the distance they need to feel safe and comfortable. For some, this might be a few feet; for others, much more.

When a dog feels unsafe, they may show subtle signs of stress, such as:
🐾 Licking their lips
🐾 Yawning (when they’re not tired)
🐾 Looking away or turning their head
🐾 Stiffening up
🐾 Increase in respiration
🐾 Moving behind you or trying to avoid something

If they can’t create space themselves, they may resort to barking, lunging, or growling to communicate their need for space. By proactively giving them space, we can help them feel safer and prevent unnecessary stress.

When Your Dog Might Need More Space
A dog’s safe space isn’t the same every day. Some days, they may feel comfortable being closer to people, dogs, or busy environments—other days, they may need extra distance. Here are a few examples:

- Pain or Discomfort – If a dog is unwell or injured (like Harry), they may feel more vulnerable and need extra space.
- Environmental Changes – A quiet space one day might be crowded and overwhelming the next. New smells, loud noises, or unfamiliar dogs can all affect how much space your dog needs.
- Previous Experiences That Day – If they’ve already had a stressful encounter, they may need more space to decompress.

Ways to Create Distance for Your Dog
Sometimes, giving our dogs space is simple—other times, we need to think ahead. Here are some practical ways to help your dog feel safer:

✅ Cross the street – One of the easiest ways to give your dog more space from another dog or person. A few extra feet can make a big difference!
✅ Turn and change direction – If you see something ahead that might make your dog uncomfortable, calmly turning around together can help them feel safer.
✅ Use the 1-2-3 pattern game – This game invites engagement while you move away. Calmly count "1-2-3," giving a treat on the number 3. This helps shift their focus and builds confidence.
✅ Use the environment as a barrier – Walking behind a tree, parked car, bench, or bush can provide a moment of relief for your dog when they need extra space.
✅ Plan your walks wisely – Choose locations where you have options to move aside rather than getting stuck on narrow paths or in busy areas.
✅ Consider quiet locations or secure fields – If your dog is struggling and you need to create a larger safe distance, consider hiring a secure field or walking in quieter places where you’re less likely to run into others.
✅ Practice what you’ll do in advance – Rehearsing different scenarios in your head can help you feel more prepared:
If another dog appears suddenly, will you cross the street? Turn around? Use the 1-2-3 Pattern Game?
If someone tries to approach, how will you politely ask for space?
Thinking through these situations in advance makes it easier to respond calmly in the moment.
✅ Advocate for your dog – Sometimes, our dogs need space, but other times, we also need to advocate for them. If someone wants to approach you, but you know your dog needs distance, it’s okay to politely ask for space. A simple, “Not today, thank you!” can prevent unnecessary stress.
✅ Engage your dog in an activity – If you're in a situation where you can't immediately move away, consider inviting your dog to play “What's This?” or, try a scatter feed, which encourages them to focus on sniffing and foraging for their tasty treats.

Sometimes, we may feel tempted to just carry on or hope our dogs will cope, but creating distance isn’t about avoiding challenges, it’s about giving them the space they need to feel safe and comfortable. It’s not about holding them back; it’s about supporting them in navigating their environment with ease.

Dogs feel safest when they know they can trust us to make the right choices for them. When we understand their need for space, we help them feel safer, build their confidence, and strengthen our connection.

Have you ever noticed your dog needing more space some days? What signs did they show?

31/01/2025

In the lead up to Valentine's day ICB will be celebrating the wonderful relationship we have with our dogs.

27/01/2025

THE NATURE VS. NURTURE DEBATE - WHAT SHAPES YOUR DOG’S BEHAVIOUR?

One of the longest-running debates in the study of behaviour concerns the roles of nature and nurture: is behaviour inherited through genes, or is it shaped by life experiences?

If you have ever wondered whether your dog’s love for adventure or fear of thunderstorms is something they were born with, or the result of their environment, you have probably asked yourself this very same question. The truth, however, is that it’s not a simple either-or. It’s both.

Nature refers to how genetics influence an individual, whereas nurture refers to how the environment impacts their development. However, understanding our dog's behaviour goes beyond the simple nature vs. nurture debate. In reality, behaviour is shaped by a complex interaction of many factors, including genetics, previous experiences, environment, health, and diet. Each of these factors plays an important role in how our dogs respond to the world around them.

The problem with the nature–nurture debate is that it creates an artificial division between the contributions of heredity and learning. The debate wrongly implies that the answer must be one or the other. By framing the argument as a choice between one or the other, the debate oversimplifies the reality of how behaviour develops.

Paul Chance, in Learning and Behaviour, perfectly captures the complexity of the nature versus nurture debate, describing them as being inextricably interwoven in a Gordian knot, two strands so tightly bound that they cannot be separated. Rather than viewing nature and nurture as isolated influences, it is far more accurate to recognise them as interconnected elements, constantly interacting and shaping behaviour throughout an individual’s life.

Psychologist Donald Hebb famously responded to the question, “Which contributes more to personality, nature or nurture?” with the analogy: “Which contributes more to the area of a rectangle, its length or its width?” This answer simply explains that neither nature nor nurture explains an individual's behaviour, there is not one cause. However, it's important to note that there is some historical ambiguity regarding the attribution of this analogy to Hebb. Regardless of its attribution, the message remains clear: behaviour cannot be understood as the result of just one factor. It is the complex and ever-evolving interaction of both genetics and life experiences that determines how an individual behaves.

So as you can see the nature v’s nurture debate has been going on for hundreds of years, perhaps longer. Many people still lean strongly toward the idea that genes or experiences pretty much dictate our behaviour. However, what science consistently reveals is that the two are inextricably intertwined, it is difficult if not impossible to separate them.

When we apply this understanding to our dogs, it becomes clear that their behaviour is shaped by both nature and nurture. But even this dual perspective does not fully explain the complexity of canine behaviour. There are many additional factors, such as health, nutrition, age, reproductive status, and emotional well-being, that also play crucial roles in canine behaviour.

Just like humans, dogs are influenced by an intricate web of internal and external factors that interact in unique ways to shape their personalities and behaviours.

27/01/2025

Join us on Feb 16th at 19:00 GMT https://www.icbdogs.com/event-details/alexis-davison-unchase

From multi-species household challenges to busy urban environments with skateboards, bicycles, and cars—or rural settings with livestock and wildlife—dogs often find themselves in trouble when acting on their natural impulse to chase.
This practical and engaging presentation is designed for canine professionals and guardians looking to effectively address chasing behaviours in dogs. The session will feature real-world examples and video demonstrations of Un-Chase!® techniques.

Dogs often find themselves in trouble when acting on their natural impulse to chase. This practical and engaging presentation is designed for canine professionals and guardians looking to effectively address chasing behaviours in dogs

22/01/2025

Read your labels peeps