There are three ways we can really start to help our fearful dogs. Understanding what fear is, what it looks like and which strategies are likely to help can make all the difference. Although it overlaps with anxiety, it is different and it’s helpful to understand how they differ as well as where they intersect.…
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If you have a dog who barks and lunges at strangers, at unfamiliar dogs, at other animals, at vehicles or even at inanimate objects, it can be really tough to know what is going on. In the last post, we looked at 10 reasons behind reactive behaviour. We saw that there were two clusters that…
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There can be many reasons a dog is reactive. Understanding their behaviour is crucial if you want to help your dog thrive rather than simply surviving. Many dogs will be a combination of these ten reasons, and it’s important to understand the way they affect each other. In the coming weeks, I’ll be taking each…
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Having asked my Facebook and Instagram followers for their descriptions of reactive dog behaviour, I was really glad to find that it really mirrored my own experience. I’ve worked with reactive dogs for almost ten years now. The more I learned, the more I realised that one size definitely did not fit all. In the…
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When I first started putting materials together for Lighten Up, I wanted to focus on dogs who struggled to cope in some way. Many of these were dogs who were having a hard time, as were their guardians. What became obvious over the last five years of my work is that many of the dogs…
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It’s been really great to have such a positive reception since I started the pre-launch countdown for Lighten Up Dog Training. I really didn’t expect such kindness or enthusiasm. It feels like people are thirsty for what’s coming in September! So what is coming? The first thing that you need to know about what’s coming…
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Way back when I started working with dogs in the shelter, I despaired of ever being able to do anything much. I spent thousands and thousands on training courses to help the dogs I was working with, racking up qualification after qualification, course after course. What I needed was hope. I also needed tools. I…
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