Behaviour Tips Archives

April 11, 2025

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Unleashing Natural Instincts: The Power of the Flirt Pole in Dog Training

A flirt pole is essentially a giant cat teaser toy for dogs. It’s a long pole (usually made of PVC or lightweight plastic) with a rope or cord attached to one end. At the end of that cord is a lure, typically a tug toy or strip of fabric designed to simulate prey. You swing, drag, or flick the lure across the ground in unpredictable ways while your dog chases and pounces. You can add other types of lure to stimulate your dog if you have a flirt pole with the ability to detach and change them. It’s part exercise, part training tool, and fully engaging for most dogs, especially those with a high prey drive.

January 28, 2025

the difference between reactive and aggressive

Published by Katey Aldred

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Understanding the Difference Between Reactive and Aggressive Dogs

The terms "reactive" and "aggressive" describe distinct behavioural patterns in dogs, each requiring unique management strategies. Reactive dogs display heightened emotional responses to specific stimuli, such as other dogs, people, or noises. These responses, which often include barking, lunging, or growling, are typically driven by fear, frustration, or over-arousal, rather than a direct intent to harm. In contrast, aggressive dogs exhibit behaviours intended to protect themselves or their resources, such as biting or snapping, often motivated by fear, pain, or learned responses to perceived threats (for example) (Horwitz & Mills, 2009).

November 10, 2024

Published by Katey Aldred

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Preparing Your Dog for Holiday Guests: Tips for a Calm Christmas

The holiday season is a wonderful time to gather with family and friends, but for many dogs, the influx of guests and change in routine can be overwhelming. Ensuring a calm, safe environment for your dog during the festivities not only makes for a smoother gathering but also lets everyone, furry friends included, enjoy the holiday spirit. Here are some tips to help your dog feel relaxed and at ease around holiday guests this Christmas.

April 12, 2024

Published by Katey Aldred

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The Canine Connection: How Dogs Understand Human Body Language and Emotions

Dogs have long been regarded as man's best friend, cherished for their loyalty, companionship, and uncanny ability to understand us on a level that seems almost magical. From interpreting our body language to sensing our emotions, dogs possess an extraordinary capacity to connect with humans in ways that defy explanation. Let’s delve into the fascinating world of canine cognition, exploring how dogs perceive and respond to human body language and emotions.

October 14, 2023

Published by Katey Aldred

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Navigating the Challenges of Adolescent Dogs

Adolescence is a challenging time for humans, and it's no different for dogs. If you've ever raised a puppy, you know that the early stages are filled with cute moments, cuddles, and lots of training. However, as your puppy grows, they enter their teenage years, and just like human teenagers, they start to be challenging, exhibit new behaviours, and push your patience to the limit. Adolescent dogs are more likely to end up in rescue than any other age bracket. In this blog post, we'll explore the challenges that adolescent dogs can present and provide some tips on how to deal with them.

October 7, 2023

Published by Katey Aldred

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Dogs and Separation Anxiety

Dogs are known for their loyalty, affection, and unwavering companionship. However, this loyalty can sometimes result in separation anxiety when they are left alone. Separation anxiety is a common behavioural issue in dogs, characterised by distress and destructive behaviour when they are separated from their owners. This condition not only affects the dog's well-being but can also be challenging for the pet owner. Fortunately, there are various strategies and techniques that can help alleviate separation anxiety in dogs, promoting a happier and healthier relationship between pets and their human companions.

April 15, 2023

Published by Katey Aldred

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Barking at the door

Does your dog bark at the door? This is a very common issue for many dog loving households. Barking at the door means that a dog is trying to create distance between them (or their house) and whoever it is at the door. This is their first warning that they might escalate their behaviour further if the intruder does not back off. This might be triggered when hearing a car door close, footsteps outside, seeing someone approaching through a window, on hearing the letter box, doorbell or knocking.

February 16, 2023

Published by Katey Aldred

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Increase Your Dog’s Engagement

Engagement with your dog is one of the most useful tools you need for any aspect of the dog-owner relationship. It is the base for everything that follows, bond, trust and achieving those training goals. The training goals you have will vary hugely depending on your level of requirement from pet owner to training enthusiast, working dog owner or dog professional. Everyone needs engagement to get to where they need to be.

January 17, 2023

Published by Katey Aldred

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Dog Bites

We’ve all heard the news, right? 😬 Dog attacks and fatalities seem to be on the rise. Medical data looking at human mortality rates between 2001 - 2021 averaged a death rate of 3.3 dog-related deaths per year, which meant less than 0.6 deaths per 10 million population. Unfortunately, there have been no 'official stats' announced for the year 2022 but the media have reported 9 fatalities (this doesn't include non-fatal dog bites). This indicates that dog attacks rose significantly last year. Breaking news this week is that a dog walker has been mauled by the dogs that were being walked. Though we don't know all the details so we can't speculate, the outcome never less is devastating.

November 8, 2022

Published by Katey Aldred

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Allergies in Cats & Dogs

New pet owners must understand that caring for a pet comes with challenges. Sometimes your pet may become sick or ill; unlike humans, they cannot tell us what is wrong. Pets also sometimes suffer from allergies, which can stem from multiple sources. An allergy occurs when there is exposure to a foreign substance. A few different types of allergies can occur in cats and dogs. Some questions you might ask yourself if you’re concerned about allergies may be: What types of allergies do cats and dogs suffer from? Why do some pets have allergies while others don’t? How do I treat my dog or cat suffering from allergies? Here are the answers to some of those questions. It will help you be more equipped and understand what to expect and how to help combat allergies in your pet.

September 30, 2022

Published by Katey Aldred

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PICA in Dogs: How to identify and treat it

What Is PICA? PICA refers to when an animal starts consuming non-edible foods that bring no nutritional substance to them. This can be on a very large scale, from harmful consumption to less dangerous consumption. PICA has many forms, and one of the most common in dogs is called Coprophagy. This is when dogs engage in eating feces.

May 11, 2022

Published by Katey Aldred

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Adders & Dogs

DOGS MOST AT RISK Any curious dog but puppies or young dogs may be more at risk. Dogs with a strong hunting/scenting instinct and ability as they tend to be in the undergrowth more. At certain times of day Adders might be basking in the sun, for example, on a cool morning they may be out in the sun to warm up. Risk of a bite is also increased when Adders are first coming out of hibernation.