Unaware of what the little dog was trying to tell him, he carried on touching her, so she now growled. Unfortunately he took no notice of that either. So, she snapped. The child recoiled and, bingo, Asha succeeded in what she had been trying to achieve from the start, which was to be left alone.
A wonderful thing about reinforcing the behaviour you do want as opposed to punishing the behaviour you don’t want is that it makes you feel good. It rests so much easier with people who love their dogs than does punishment and correction.
Why do some common behaviour problems often have the same underlying cause? What a dear little dog! Finn is about one year old and was found as a stray on the streets of Dublin. Over the past six months the couple have come along way in building up his confidence. Read more
What is your dog really trying to tell you through their body language? Three beautiful Lurchers, all rescues left behind by travellers. 16-month-old Maggie, the one I was called out for. She is the dog on the left, stretching. I was told that she was very withdrawn, does not interact Read more
Could your dog’s excitement actually be a sign of anxiety rather than happiness? From her owners’ perspective, adorable Bichon-Maltese mix Charlie is given everything a dog could possibly want for a happy life. They always thought that the more excited she is the more joyful she feels. From Charlie’s perspective, Read more
He is shouted at for licking them whilst being encouraged to jump onto them. He is more or less force-fed from human plates whilst refusing to eat his own food – though he is partial to doughnuts. He only has to bark at the box, and he is given one. He is becoming increasingly scared out on walks, running back to the car at the slightest sudden noise.
Benny is a four-year-old Corgi. He lives in what one might imagine to be a dog paradise. He is free to go wherever he likes in a very large country house. He has a caring family and the company of two other dogs. Signs that he’s stressed and on alert Read more
Lizzie is a Patterdale Staffie mix. Her previous owners split up and Lizzie has now lived in her new home for four weeks. She used to live with another dog. She is a quiet little dog. She also seems a rather worried little dog. She is only three years old Read more
My gentleman client has had Monty for just six days. Monty is a small and extremely cute Jack Russell. He has previously had two homes that probably had young children and Monty may have felt threatened and shown aggression to protect himself. He then spent six weeks in Wood Green animal shelter. Read more
For days ago I went to see Jack, a Jack Russell/Staffie mix. He lives with Amelia who is three years old. Jack is only fourteen months old himself. Jack is scared when Amelia approaches him. He doesn’t want to be touched, pulled about or played with. Poor little Jack was Read more