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You’re Not to Blame, and You’re Not Alone in Dealing with Behaviour Issues
This blog was inspired by a client I saw last week who, throughout the session and particularly at the start, repeatedly said things like, “I know we created this problem ourselves,” “I know it’s my fault,” and “I know I caused this.”
Even after I said, “You absolutely didn’t,” and repeated that reassurance several times, I could tell she still felt that she was part of the problem. In her case, she had previously had a trainer out who used very aversive and unkind methods with her dog. Unfortunately, people who do not use ethical, science-based methods with dogs often tend to be more aversive not only to the dog, but also to the client.
There often isn’t the same level of compassion. There can be a tendency to tell owners that they are the ones to blame, that they let their dog get away with it, that they caused the problem, or that if they had only done things differently, the dog would not be behaving this way.
I want to say very clearly that this is not true.
Whenever we are facing a behavioural problem with our dog, it is really hard. It is awful to have to try to deal with it day in and day out. Behavioural issues can be overwhelming, frustrating and really isolating, and unfortunately, we have a tendency to blame ourselves for causing them.
If you have a reactive dog who is scared of people coming into the home, or a dog who reacts to other dogs on walks, life can become very isolating. If your dog is struggling with separation anxiety and crying or barking when you leave, it can feel completely overwhelming. If they are destructive, guarding, growling, snapping, jumping up on counters, barking excessively, or behaving in a way that feels unpredictable, it is very easy to start thinking, “Why is it just me?”
You will know somebody else who has a dog who seems super easy. Maybe you knew a dog when you were younger who made you want a dog in the first place, and now you find yourself wondering why your dog is not like that. This is often where the blame comes in. Nobody else seems to have this issue. It feels like it is just you. So naturally, people start to think they must be doing something wrong, or that they did something wrong to create the problem.
The thing I would like people to take away from this blog, and what I say to my clients all the time, is that the research backs up the fact that you are actually in the majority. You are not in the minority. The minority of people are the ones who sail through puppyhood, adolescence and adult dog life without any behavioural challenges at all.
Every behaviourist and trainer I know works really hard to train certain behaviours, and many of us still have dogs who are reactive, anxious, sensitive, or who struggle with separation-related behaviours or other issues, because behaviour is complex.
You are in the majority because behavioural issues are extremely common in dogs of all breeds, ages and sizes. The research shows that a very high percentage of dogs experience some form of behavioural issue or behavioural problem during their lifetime, so again, you are not alone in this.
A lot of these problems also put a real strain on the relationship between you and your dog. Many clients describe it as feeling like they are dealing with Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. One minute their dog is lovely, affectionate and the best dog in the world, and the next minute something happens and they suddenly snap, bark, growl, lunge, panic or react in a way that feels completely out of the blue.
In the same breath, people often start to reflect on their own capabilities as an owner. They wonder why they did not stop it sooner, why they cannot control the behaviour, whether they did something wrong when the dog was younger, or whether they somehow made the problem worse.
But when we get that Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde situation, where a dog is lovely and amenable one moment and then suddenly something changes, there is often something else going on. It might be pain, discomfort, fear, stress, anxiety, a medical issue, or another underlying cause that no amount of training in the world was ever going to fully solve on its own. So you were never to blame for it in the way you may have been led to believe.
That is why getting the right help matters. Hopefully, when you bring in an expert, they are someone who can point you in the right direction rather than make you feel worse. That is how I work. I look at the root cause, use ethical, science-based methods, consider the medical side of things, and involve your vet where needed so that we can support both you and your dog properly.
The client I mentioned at the start of this blog is a good example. During the session, it was very clear to me that there was likely an underlying physical discomfort, including a luxating patella. As I said to her, all of the training and management she had already been doing had not caused the problem. In many ways, it had probably helped prevent the behaviour from becoming more aggressive or escalating further.
She had already done a lot to mitigate the situation, reduce stress and anxiety, and set her dog up for success as much as she could with the information she had at the time. Once we could identify the likely root cause of the pain and combine that with appropriate behavioural modification, they were in a much better position to move forward.
So if you are looking for help for your dog, that does not mean you have failed. It means you are actively trying to support them.
You are not to blame.
You are not alone.
And you are actually in the majority of people who will face some kind of behavioural challenge with their dog during their lifetime.
Common behavioural Issues in Dogs
Behavioural challenges are not only common in dogs, but they can also show up in lots of different ways.
Some behaviour problems are really obvious. They cause disruption in the home, make walks stressful, or leave owners feeling like they cannot manage day-to-day life in the way they expected. Other behaviours may seem like a little quirk at first, or something that is just part of the dog’s personality. Some may not seem like a behaviour problem at all until we start looking at what might be going on underneath.
For example, coprophagia, which is when a dog eats their own faeces or the faeces of other dogs, is often dismissed as “gross” or “just something dogs do.” And yes, it is disgusting to live with, but it can also be a sign that there is something else going on. It may be linked to learning, diet, stress, gastrointestinal issues, attention, management, or other underlying factors. So while it might not look like the kind of behaviour problem people usually think of, it can still be something worth understanding properly.
Separation Anxiety
Then there are behaviours that people are much more familiar with, like separation anxiety. However, even that term does not always capture the full picture. We often now talk about separation-related behaviours because not every dog shows the same signs, and not every case is the same.
Separation-related behaviours are one of the most commonly reported behaviour problems in dogs, and they can be hugely distressing for both the dog and the owner. Some dogs bark, cry, howl or whine when left alone. Some urinate or defecate in the house. Some destroy household items, chew door frames, scratch at exits, pace, drool, or become visibly panicked. Other dogs may show quieter signs of distress that owners only discover when they set up a camera.
For some people, separation-related behaviour can also become a legal or neighbour issue. If a dog is barking, crying or howling while the owner is out at work, neighbours may complain, councils may get involved, and in some cases it can become a formal noise complaint. So on top of the emotional distress of knowing your dog is struggling, there can also be a very real practical pressure on the owner.
It is also one of those problems that can make people feel trapped. Some owners become prisoners in their own homes because they feel they cannot leave the dog. They may stop going out, cut plans short, avoid social events, or arrange their whole day around whether the dog will cope. And because people often describe it as “my dog is just really attached to me,” they may not always realise that there is support available.
The reason we use the phrase separation-related behaviours is because it is a wider picture than one simple label. Not all dogs show all behaviours. Not all behaviours cause the same level of difficulty in every home. A dog who destroys household items may be dismissed as “just chewing because dogs chew.” A dog who barks in the garden or when left alone may be dismissed as “just a dog barking.” A dog who follows their owner everywhere may be described as “very attached” rather than a dog who is struggling to cope with separation.
It can also be complicated because what looks like separation anxiety is not always separation anxiety. I often meet clients who list separation anxiety as one of their concerns, but when we look more closely, there may be other behaviour issues, unmet needs, pain, skin problems, gastrointestinal discomfort, or another medical factor involved. Sometimes, by changing one or two key things, we can make a huge difference.
I had a client a couple of months ago who listed separation anxiety among other concerns. When we looked at the full picture, the dog also had a dermatological issue linked to nutrition and an intolerance to beef. Once beef and dairy were removed from the diet, the nutrition was changed, and the skin issue was properly supported, the skin problem disappeared and so did the behaviours the owner had associated with separation anxiety.
That does not mean separation anxiety is never real. It absolutely is, and it can be extremely serious. But it does show why we need to look at the whole dog rather than assuming every case fits neatly into one box.
Separation-related behaviours can be influenced by genetics, breed predisposition, early learning, attachment, changes in routine, previous experiences, unmet needs, health, pain, environment and how safe the dog feels when left. It is complex, and it is very common.
The same is true for many of the behaviour problems people contact me about. Aggression, growling, barking, destructive behaviour, fearfulness, reactivity, resource guarding, toileting issues, compulsive behaviours, food-related behaviours and handling difficulties can all have different causes. Some may be rooted in fear. Some may be linked to pain or health. Some may be about frustration, stress, learning history, lack of appropriate outlets, or a dog who simply cannot cope in a particular situation.
That is why understanding the behaviour matters so much. The label is only the starting point. The real work is figuring out what is driving it.
Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Understanding the Causes and Finding Solutions
Aggression Towards People or Other Dogs
Aggression towards people or other dogs is another behaviour I am often called out to, and it is very common. We generally refer to these as aggressive behaviours, but sometimes people describe them as dominance, stubbornness, bad manners, or the dog trying to be in charge.
In many cases, what we are actually seeing are distance-increasing behaviours.
In other words, the dog is trying to create distance between themselves and another person or another dog. For the purpose of this section, I am going to talk about people and other dogs together, although there can absolutely be differences between them. Not all dogs like other dogs. Not all dogs like every person. And that is okay. But when a dog is showing aggressive behaviour towards people or dogs, it can become a very serious concern for owners.
When it comes to people, I often refer to it as “stranger danger” because there is usually an element of fear involved. Barking, lunging, shying away, growling, snapping, biting, avoidance, or trying to hide can all be ways a dog communicates that they are worried, uncomfortable, or trying to keep themselves safe.
These behaviours are often linked to fear, anxiety and stress. They can also be linked to associative learning, where the dog has learned to associate a person, a type of person, another dog, or a particular situation with something scary, painful or unpleasant. Sometimes that learning is very obvious. Other times, we may never know exactly where the association started.
The reason we have to take these behaviours seriously is not only because they are scary, although they absolutely can be. They can also have legal implications. If a dog bites a person or another dog, there may be consequences from the state, and people can also take legal action. So it is really important that these behaviours are managed carefully, ethically and safely.
A lot of dogs present early warning signs before we get to a snap or a bite. They may stare, freeze, move away, growl, bark, lunge, show tension in their body, or try to avoid the situation. How we respond to those early signs really matters.
Sadly, a lot of aversive trainers will still tell owners that the dog is being dominant and that the behaviour needs to be punished. But this is the wrong approach, and it can make the situation more dangerous.
If we punish a dog for growling, barking or lunging, we might stop that behaviour in the moment, but the behaviour was communication. The dog was telling us they were uncomfortable and needed distance. If we remove that communication without changing how the dog feels, we can end up with a dog who no longer growls or barks, but who goes straight to a snap or a bite.
There is also the issue of associative learning. If every time the dog sees a stranger or another dog, they are punished for reacting, then that stranger or dog becomes even more strongly associated with something unpleasant happening. Instead of helping the dog feel safer, punishment can make them more fearful and more likely to react in future.
The research suggests that around 19% of dogs display aggression towards other animals, dogs or humans at some point in their life. These behaviours can be rooted in fear, stress, lack of appropriate socialisation, previous experiences, genetics, breed tendencies, and very often, underlying medical issues or pain.
If a dog is sore, uncomfortable or worried about being approached, touched, crowded or jumped on by another dog, they may use distance-increasing behaviours to try to protect themselves. From the outside, it can look like aggression. But from the dog’s perspective, they may simply be trying to create enough distance to feel safe and comfortable.
That does not mean the behaviour is not serious. It is serious. It needs to be managed properly. But if we only label the dog as aggressive or dominant, we miss the reason the behaviour is happening in the first place.
The Root Causes of Aggression in Dogs
The other issue that I see, and I won’t dive into in too much detail here because I think I’ve covered it in the question, is excessive barking. If you want to learn a little bit about that, you can have a read of my blog, which is linked here, which is Help! My Dog Is Barking and Won’t Stop!!
Destructive Behaviour, Chewing and Pica
Destructive behaviours and house-training issues are also very common reasons that people contact me for support. They can sometimes overlap with other behaviour problems, and they are often dismissed because people will say, “Well, dogs chew things,” or “That is just what dogs do.”
And yes, dogs do chew. Chewing is a normal behaviour for dogs. But chewing and eating non-food items is not something we should simply dismiss as normal.
When dogs chew furniture, tear apart household items, eat their teddy bears, chew skirting boards, or ingest things that are not food, this can fall under a behavioural issue known as pica. Pica is where dogs eat or ingest inedible items. I see a lot of dogs where skirting boards are chewed to pieces, household items are destroyed, or soft toys, bedding, plastic, fabric, wood or other non-food items are being eaten.
Dogs do not naturally want to eat things that are not edible. So when a dog is repeatedly chewing and ingesting non-food items, it is usually an indication that there is something else going on from a health, behaviour or wellbeing perspective.
It may be that their needs are not being met. It may be linked to stress, frustration, boredom, anxiety, gastrointestinal discomfort, nutritional issues, or another underlying medical problem. In some cases, we may also see it alongside coprophagia, where a dog eats their own faeces or the faeces of other dogs.
One of the reasons I take this seriously is because pica and destructive behaviours can also become linked with resource guarding. If a dog is picking up and eating items that could make them sick, cause a blockage, or require veterinary intervention, owners naturally try to take those items away. But if this happens repeatedly, the dog may begin to guard the item, run away with it, swallow it quickly, growl, snap, or become more defensive when people approach.
So what can start as chewing or eating things in the house can become a much bigger behaviour issue.
There is also the very real health risk. If a dog ingests something they should not, they may need to have vomiting induced by a vet, or in more serious cases, they may need surgery to remove the item from their stomach or intestines. So this is not just annoying or frustrating behaviour. It can be dangerous.
Studies have shown that over 30% of dogs engage in some form of destructive behaviour, so again, this is a common issue. But common does not mean we should ignore it.
We need to be careful not to simply say, “Dogs chew things,” and leave it at that. If a dog is chewing and eating items that are not food, we need to investigate why that is happening and look for a better way to support them.
If we do not, the problem may continue, escalate, or develop into resource guarding, which can be much harder to resolve. And again, in many cases, these behaviours are not about a dog being bold or naughty. They can be a symptom that something else is happening in the body, the environment, or the dog’s overall wellbeing.
As you can see, these are very high-level overviews of some of the common behavioural issues I see when working with dogs. Each of these topics could be a full blog in its own right, and in many cases, I have linked to more detailed blogs above if you would like to read more about a specific issue.
The last one I want to mention here is fear and phobias.
Fear and Phobias
I have already talked about aggressive behaviours and how they can often stem from fear, stress and anxiety, but in this section I want to talk more specifically about fear of certain sounds, noises, sights or stimuli.
A lot of the time, this falls into sound sensitivity. Most people are familiar with dogs being afraid of fireworks, thunderstorms or loud noises, but fear and phobias can also be linked to separation-related behaviours and aggressive behaviours because they all sit within that wider picture of fear, stress, anxiety, avoidance, high reactivity and, in some cases, aggression.
Some dogs may hide, tremble, pant, pace, bark, howl, try to escape, freeze, shut down, become clingy, refuse to go outside, or react strongly to things that seem small or insignificant to us. But to the dog, the fear is very real.
Unlike more general worries or mild fears, a phobia can be much more intense and can present very differently. Specific phobias, such as thunderstorm phobia, firework fear, or noise anxiety, can escalate significantly without proper support and behavioural modification. These are not usually issues that resolve by simply waiting for the dog to “get used to it.”
I have worked with clients whose dog was terrified of a crow banger. A crow banger is used to scare crows away from farmers’ fields when seeds are being laid, and it makes a loud banging noise, almost like a cannon. It is seasonal, but for some dogs the effect is enormous.
In this case, the dog became so frightened that he did not want to leave the house. He would cower, howl and cry, and the impact lasted for days, weeks and months. This is not something we can dismiss as a dog being dramatic or overreacting. This was a dog who was genuinely terrified and needed proper support.
With very slow, carefully planned behavioural modification, support from his vet, appropriate medication, and a tailored plan that started months before the crow bangers were due to begin again, he is now in a much better place. But it did not happen overnight. It took preparation, management, multiple sessions, and making sure he was set up for success before the season started again.
Fear and phobias around sounds, sights and specific triggers can be difficult to navigate. They can affect a dog’s quality of life, their behaviour in the home, their ability to go outside, and their ability to cope with everyday life.
They are also another category of behaviour problem where expert help can make a huge difference, because the goal is not just to stop the outward behaviour. The goal is to help the dog feel safer.
Why Is This Behaviours Happening?
One of the main questions I get asked by clients is, “Why is this behaviour happening?”
And I completely understand why people ask that. There are usually two reasons owners want to know why, and they are not always the same reasons that I want to know why from a behavioural assessment point of view.
The first reason is that people want to know what caused the problem so they can make sure they never make that mistake again. This goes right back to what I said at the start of this blog. People often feel like they are to blame. They feel like they did something wrong, missed something, caused the behaviour, or made the problem worse.
I can tell you from my own horse, cats and dogs, if we have an issue, whether it is medical, behavioural, or something has gone wrong, I absolutely blame myself too. I also want to know why. Why did this happen? What did I miss? What should I have done differently? How do I make sure I do not make that mistake again?
And the honest answer is, you will probably just make all sorts of different mistakes instead.
You can have all the knowledge and expertise in the world, and I have quite a lot of both, and still make mistakes with your own animals. We all do. We beat ourselves up and wish we had known more, noticed sooner, or done something differently. But that does not mean the problem is your fault.
The second reason people want to know why is simply because that is how human brains work. We like answers. We like explanations. We like to understand why something happened. If you were anything like me in maths class in primary or secondary school, I always wanted to know why certain rules applied in algebra. Why do we do it this way? Why does that work? I never really accepted the answer, “Well, that is just how it is done.”
As humans, we naturally try to understand problems by asking why. And it is an important question.
But when it comes to behaviour, “why did this happen?” is not always the most useful question on its own.
Of course, there are parts of the “why” that matter. If a dog is in pain, fearful, anxious, under-stimulated, over-stimulated, frustrated, unwell, or living in an environment that is not meeting their needs, we absolutely need to know that. But the question I am often more interested in is: what factors are maintaining this behaviour now?
That is a slightly different question, and it often gives us a better treatment plan.
If we only ask why a behaviour started, we may end up with an answer that does not help us support the dog in front of us. We might say, “It is genetics,” or “It is because of early socialisation,” or “It is because of a bad experience when they were younger.” Those things may all be relevant, but on their own they do not necessarily tell us what to do next.
If we ask what is maintaining the behaviour, we can start to look at the current picture. What is keeping this behaviour going? What is the dog learning? What are they avoiding? What are they gaining? What emotions are involved? Is there pain? Is there stress? Is there fear? Are their needs being met? Is the environment making it worse? Are we accidentally reinforcing something? Is there a medical issue that has not yet been addressed?
That gives us much more useful information.
A simple way to think about this is to imagine going to the doctor with a bad cough. The cough is the behaviour. The doctor asks, “Why are you coughing?” They listen to you and decide it must be a bacterial infection, so they prescribe antibiotics.
But what if it is not a bacterial infection? What if it is viral? What if it is asthma? What if the cough is being maintained by something else entirely?
If the treatment is based on the wrong assumption, it is not going to work. So you go back because you still have the cough. Now the doctor asks a better question: what is maintaining this cough? If it was not a bacterial infection and antibiotics did not resolve it, what else could be going on? They do more tests, ask better questions, and perhaps they find asthma. Now they can apply the correct treatment because they have identified what is maintaining the coughing.
This is the same kind of approach we need in behavioural modification.
Many common behavioural issues stem from lots of different factors, including genetics, environment, past experiences, medical issues, pain, the dog’s mental and physical needs, and their emotional responses to all of those things. If we focus too narrowly on one “why,” we may miss the bigger picture.
For example, if we say a dog’s behaviour is “just genetics,” that does not give us a useful plan. I sometimes see this with brachycephalic breeds, such as bulldogs, where people may shrug and say, “That is just their genetics” or “That is just their conformation.” But these dogs can have very real dental issues, breathing issues, skin issues, pain and discomfort that affect their behaviour. If we stop at “it is just genetics,” we miss all the things we may actually be able to do to support them.
The same can happen with dogs who are barking, lunging, destructive, reactive or struggling in the home. Fear can be a primary driver for many behaviours, including aggression, barking, lunging and destructive behaviour. Some dogs develop anxiety because of a lack of early socialisation, early traumatic experiences, puppy farming, abandonment, rescue history, genetic predisposition, medical issues, or a combination of many different things.
All of that can help explain the dog’s behaviour, but it still does not always give us one single answer. People often want one clear reason because it feels easier to understand. They want to be able to say, “This happened because of that.” But in reality, there are often several things happening at the same time.
That is one of the reasons it is so important to look at the whole dog.
Dogs are intelligent, energetic animals and they do need appropriate mental and physical stimulation. Without enough activity, enrichment and outlets for normal behaviour, they can become bored, frustrated and more likely to show destructive behaviour, excessive barking or other problem behaviours.
But if we decide the whole answer is, “They are acting out because they are not getting enough exercise,” and then we increase their walks without looking any deeper, we can make the problem worse.
If that dog has hip dysplasia, a luxating patella, pain, gastrointestinal discomfort, or another medical issue, adding more exercise might not solve the behaviour. It may actually exacerbate it. We may think we are giving the dog more physical and mental stimulation, when in reality we are increasing discomfort and seeing more behavioural problems as a result.
In that situation, I might do the opposite. I might reduce the length or intensity of the walks, change the type of activity, add slow sniff walks, focus on mental enrichment, adjust the environment, support the dog’s body, and work with the vet to investigate what else may be going on.
That is why behaviour needs to be viewed holistically.
We do not just want to know why something started. We want to understand what is maintaining it, what the dog is experiencing now, and what changes will genuinely help them feel and cope better.
How to Support Your Dog
The next question, if you have gotten this far, is usually, “How do I support my dog?”
With all due respect, if you are reading this blog because you are dealing with a behavioural issue, reach out for support. Contact me, have a look through some of the other materials I make available, and if I am not the right person for you, find someone whose approach and ethos fits with how you want to support your dog.
I often say to people that when you are choosing a behaviourist or trainer, you are allowed to ask questions. Ask what methods they use. Ask how those methods work. Ask why they work. Ask more than once if you need to.
A good behaviourist or trainer will be happy to explain the rationale behind what they do. They will be able to explain why they use ethical methods, how those methods support your dog, and how the plan will help you move forward. If someone is not willing to answer your questions, or something feels wrong, or it feels “off” in your gut, you can walk away.
You do not have to hand your dog over to an approach that makes you uncomfortable.
We know from the research that using compassionate, science-based methods not only improves behaviour, but also supports the relationship between you and your dog. This matters, because most people do not just want the behaviour to stop. They want to understand their dog, feel safe again, enjoy their dog again, and rebuild confidence in the relationship.
One of the key techniques I use is positive reinforcement, which is a component of learning theory. Positive reinforcement focuses on rewarding the behaviours we want to see repeated. Rather than shutting dogs down or simply trying to stop behaviours, we teach them what we would like them to do instead and make those behaviours worthwhile.
This does not mean ignoring serious behaviour. It does not mean letting dogs do whatever they want. It means training in a way that changes behaviour without causing fear, pain or intimidation.
The research is very consistent that dogs trained with positive reinforcement are more likely to develop behaviours we want to see and are less likely to show fear and anxiety linked to training. It also means the dog is learning in a way that preserves trust, which is incredibly important when we are already dealing with fear, anxiety, aggression, separation-related behaviours, or other complex issues.
Because I work clinically, my assessments also go beyond training alone. I look at the whole dog. If I see something in your dog’s movement that suggests a possible musculoskeletal issue, I will support you in working with your vet. I provide gait analysis and look carefully at how your dog moves, sits, stands, walks, turns and uses their body, because pain and discomfort can have a huge impact on behaviour.
I also look at nutrition, gastrointestinal health and any signs that the dog’s body may not be coping well. This is especially relevant in cases involving resource guarding, separation-related behaviours, pica, coprophagia, skin issues, gastrointestinal discomfort, or dogs who seem uncomfortable, restless or difficult to settle. Sometimes there are simple, safe and affordable changes we can make that better support the dog’s health and wellbeing, alongside veterinary care where needed.
Supporting behaviour is not just about walking your dog more or doing more obedience training. Dogs need appropriate physical activity, but they also need mental stimulation, enrichment, rest, safety and outlets for natural behaviour. The right kind of enrichment can help prevent and reduce a lot of behavioural problems, but it needs to be realistic for the person as well as helpful for the dog.
Not everyone has the time, energy or capacity to set up elaborate puzzle feeders or interactive toys every day, and that is okay. My job is to help tailor things to the individual dog and the individual household. There are lots of ways to keep dogs engaged, meet their needs and support their wellbeing without making life more complicated than it needs to be.
When I am working with fear, anxiety, aggression or phobias, I use ethical techniques such as systematic desensitisation and counterconditioning. These are highly effective, evidence-informed approaches that help dogs change how they feel about something they find scary or overwhelming.
Systematic desensitisation involves gradually exposing the dog to something they find difficult in a controlled and careful way, without flooding them or pushing them over threshold. We start at a level the dog can cope with and slowly increase the challenge as they are ready.
Counterconditioning is where we pair the presence of the trigger with something positive, so that over time the dog’s emotional response can begin to change. The thing that once predicted fear, stress or threat can start to predict something safer and more positive instead.
These techniques are often used together, and they need to be applied carefully. The goal is not to force the dog to “get over it.” The goal is to help them feel safer and to build new, more appropriate responses over time.
Because I am a Clinical Animal Behaviourist, I also work primarily on veterinary referral and have a good working relationship with vets. This is a really important part of my approach because it helps protect the welfare and best interests of the dog.
A lot of behavioural issues are tied up with medical issues. If I suspect there is pain, discomfort, illness or another underlying medical factor involved, the worst thing we can do is simply train through it. That is not fair to the dog, and it is not likely to give us lasting results.
In those cases, I support my clients by communicating directly with their vet. I can explain what I am seeing, what my concerns are, and why I think further investigation or support may be needed. This can take some of the pressure, noise and confusion away from the owner, especially when they are already stressed and trying to explain everything that has been happening.
I really do understand how challenging behavioural issues can be. I do not want you to face them alone, and I do not want you to feel like you are to blame.
This may be your first serious behaviour problem. I hear that all the time from clients: “I have had dogs my whole life and this has never happened before.” But it is not my first time seeing it. This is what I do.
I specialise in compassionate, science-based methods that look at the true root cause of your dog’s behaviour, support the whole dog, and help create a better road towards lasting change.
The aim is not just to stop behaviour.
The aim is to understand what is happening, support your dog properly, reduce stress for everyone, and help rebuild safety, confidence and trust between you and your dog.
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Reference List
- Gates, M. C., Zito, S., Thomas, J., & Dale, A. (2018). Post-Adoption Problem Behaviours in Adolescent and Adult Dogs Rehomed through a New Zealand Animal Shelter. Animals, 8(6), 93. [DOI:10.3390/ani8060093]
- Salonen, M., Vapalahti, K., Tiira, K., & Lohi, H. (2020). Inadequate socialisation, inactivity, and urban living environment are associated with social fearfulness in pet dogs. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 3527. [DOI:10.1038/s41598-020-59837-z]
- Tiira, K., Sulkama, S., & Lohi, H. (2016). Prevalence, comorbidity, and behavioral variation in canine anxiety. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 16, 36-44. [DOI:10.1016/j.jveb.2016.04.008]
