Pawsome Behaviour Solutions - Dee

Pawsome Behaviour Solutions - Dee Services available
DOG BEHAVIOUR THERAPIST:
understanding your pet can change their behaviour. I service Caboolture through to the Gold Coast.

I have a cert 4 in Animal Behaviour, im Fear Free Certified and a certificate in Dog Behaviour psychology and training as well as one in Cat behaviour psychology and training. I have been working with animals for 10 years and worked along side a behaviour vet for 3 years. I am more than just a trainer, most trainers work on the behaviour, I work on the emotion that causes a Behaviour.

Understanding the Difference: Correction vs. Resource GuardingWhen managing a multi-dog home, it is critical for owners ...
25/05/2026

Understanding the Difference: Correction vs. Resource Guarding

When managing a multi-dog home, it is critical for owners to tell the difference between healthy canine communication and dangerous possessiveness. Misinterpreting these behaviours can lead to broken trust and serious household blues or fights.

1. Natural Correction is a Teaching Method

A natural correction is a functional, everyday conversation between two dogs. A classic example is when one dog is holding an item (like a toy or a bone), another dog walks up too close, and the dog with the item lets out a controlled growl.

Why it is Teaching: That growl isn't an attack—it is a clear, polite boundary telling the approaching dog to back off and respect their personal space.

The Goal: It is intended to educate and maintain social harmony. The moment the approaching dog heeds the warning and steps away, the growl stops, and the situation immediately de-escalates.

Owner Action: If the warning growl is appropriate and the other dog respects it by backing away, you should let this natural learning process happen without stepping in.

2. Resource Guarding is a State of Panic

Resource guarding is an intense, defensive behaviour driven by fear, anxiety, and a deep-seated worry that something valuable is about to be stolen.

Why it is NOT Teaching: The dog isn't trying to teach a polite boundary; they are reacting out of sheer panic to control the asset (whether it's food, toys, a favourite couch spot, or even you).

The Danger: Unlike a calm correction, guarding often escalates incredibly fast. Even if the other dog shows submissive signals or backs away, a guarding dog might still stiffen up, flash 'whale-eye', lunge, or snap aggressively because they are trapped in a state of high stress.

🔄 The Golden Rule: Always Swap Items (Guarded or Not)

To stop resource guarding from ever kicking off or getting worse, owners must practice the "Trade Up" or "Swapping" protocol. This means you never forcefully sn**ch an item away from a dog; instead, you always exchange it for something of equal or higher value.

Why You Must Always Swap (Even if They Don't Guard)

Builds a Top Association: Trading teaches your

Understanding the Difference: Correction vs. Resource GuardingWhen managing a multi-dog home, it is critical for owners ...
25/05/2026

Understanding the Difference: Correction vs. Resource Guarding

When managing a multi-dog home, it is critical for owners to tell the difference between healthy canine communication and dangerous possessiveness. Misinterpreting these behaviours can lead to broken trust and serious household blues or fights.

1. Natural Correction is a Teaching Method

A natural correction is a functional, everyday conversation between two dogs. A classic example is when one dog is holding an item (like a toy or a bone), another dog walks up too close, and the dog with the item lets out a controlled growl.

Why it is Teaching: That growl isn't an attack—it is a clear, polite boundary telling the approaching dog to back off and respect their personal space.

The Goal: It is intended to educate and maintain social harmony. The moment the approaching dog heeds the warning and steps away, the growl stops, and the situation immediately de-escalates.

Owner Action: If the warning growl is appropriate and the other dog respects it by backing away, you should let this natural learning process happen without stepping in.

2. Resource Guarding is a State of Panic

Resource guarding is an intense, defensive behaviour driven by fear, anxiety, and a deep-seated worry that something valuable is about to be stolen.

Why it is NOT Teaching: The dog isn't trying to teach a polite boundary; they are reacting out of sheer panic to control the asset (whether it's food, toys, a favourite couch spot, or even you).

The Danger: Unlike a calm correction, guarding often escalates incredibly fast. Even if the other dog shows submissive signals or backs away, a guarding dog might still stiffen up, flash 'whale-eye', lunge, or snap aggressively because they are trapped in a state of high stress.

🔄 The Golden Rule: Always Swap Items (Guarded or Not)

To stop resource guarding from ever kicking off or getting worse, owners must practice the "Trade Up" or "Swapping" protocol. This means you never forcefully sn**ch an item away from a dog; instead, you always exchange it for something of equal or higher value.

Why You Must Always Swap (Even if They Don't Guard)

Builds a Top Association: Trading teaches your dogs that a human or another mate approaching them while they have a resource is a good thing. They learn that giving up an item results in getting something even better, completely removing the fear of loss.

Prevents Sudden Triggers: A dog might be perfectly fine sharing a standard tennis ball, but might suddenly switch into extreme guarding mode over a high-value item like a fresh marrow bone or a bit of rubbish they found on a walk. If swapping is a regular, everyday routine, the dog will happily drop the item instead of panicking.

Maintains Absolute Trust: Ripping items straight out of a dog's mouth creates a scarcity mindset. That exact panic is the number one root cause of defensive guarding behaviours.

Home is Not Enough: Why Dogs Need More Than Just a Couch 🏡🐾When people think about adopting a dog, they often picture a ...
21/05/2026

Home is Not Enough: Why Dogs Need More Than Just a Couch 🏡🐾

When people think about adopting a dog, they often picture a peaceful companion sitting beautifully on the rug or lounging on the sofa all day. But at Pawsome Behaviour Solutions, we see the hidden cost of the "couch potato" lifestyle every single day.

Dogs are not statues or home decor. They are complex, intelligent, and highly driven animals. Adopting a dog just to have them sit around an empty house for 8 to 10 hours a day is a recipe for behavioural disaster.

Here is why a house and a yard simply aren't enough to meet a dog’s fundamental needs:

🧠 1. Boredom Causes Destructive Behaviour
Dogs are natural problem-solvers. If you do not give their brains a job to do, they will invent their own. This usually means destructive chewing, digging up the garden, endless fence-running, or non-stop barking at passing noises. Mental stimulation is just as exhausting—and necessary—as a physical walk.

🏃‍♂️ 2. Physical Energy Must Be Spent
Every dog is an athlete in a furry suit. Pent-up physical energy doesn't just disappear; it morphs into frustration, hyperactivity, and anxiety. Regular, structured physical exercise keeps their bodies healthy, prevents obesity, and helps reset their nervous system so they can actually relax when they are at home.

👃 3. Natural Instincts Need Safe Outlets
Dogs need to do "dog things." Sniffing, foraging, dissecting, and tracking are hardwired genetic needs. Suppressing these natural behaviours is highly stressful for them. They need enrichment activities—like sniffari walks, lick mats, and puzzle toys—that allow them to express these instincts safely.

👥 4. Social Creatures Need Connection
Dogs thrive on companionship and thrive within a social structure. Leaving a dog completely isolated for the vast majority of their life leads to profound separation anxiety, depression, and a loss of vital social skills, making them reactive when they finally do encounter the outside world.

The Bottom Line:
Before adding a dog to your family, ask yourself if you have the time to commit to their mind, body, and soul—not just their basic food and shelter. A truly fulfilling life for

Home is Not Enough: Why Dogs Need More Than Just a Couch 🏡🐾When people think about adopting a dog, they often picture a ...
21/05/2026

Home is Not Enough: Why Dogs Need More Than Just a Couch 🏡🐾

When people think about adopting a dog, they often picture a peaceful companion sitting beautifully on the rug or lounging on the sofa all day. But at Pawsome Behaviour Solutions, we see the hidden cost of the "couch potato" lifestyle every single day.

Dogs are not statues or home decor. They are complex, intelligent, and highly driven animals. Adopting a dog just to have them sit around an empty house for 8 to 10 hours a day is a recipe for behavioural disaster.

Here is why a house and a yard simply aren't enough to meet a dog’s fundamental needs:

🧠 1. Boredom Causes Destructive Behaviour
Dogs are natural problem-solvers. If you do not give their brains a job to do, they will invent their own. This usually means destructive chewing, digging up the garden, endless fence-running, or non-stop barking at passing noises. Mental stimulation is just as exhausting—and necessary—as a physical walk.

🏃‍♂️ 2. Physical Energy Must Be Spent
Every dog is an athlete in a furry suit. Pent-up physical energy doesn't just disappear; it morphs into frustration, hyperactivity, and anxiety. Regular, structured physical exercise keeps their bodies healthy, prevents obesity, and helps reset their nervous system so they can actually relax when they are at home.

👃 3. Natural Instincts Need Safe Outlets
Dogs need to do "dog things." Sniffing, foraging, dissecting, and tracking are hardwired genetic needs. Suppressing these natural behaviours is highly stressful for them. They need enrichment activities—like sniffari walks, lick mats, and puzzle toys—that allow them to express these instincts safely.

👥 4. Social Creatures Need Connection
Dogs thrive on companionship and thrive within a social structure. Leaving a dog completely isolated for the vast majority of their life leads to profound separation anxiety, depression, and a loss of vital social skills, making them reactive when they finally do encounter the outside world.

The Bottom Line:
Before adding a dog to your family, ask yourself if you have the time to commit to their mind, body, and soul—not just their basic food and shelter. A truly fulfilling life for a dog requires active engagement, training, and daily adventure.

💡 Need help unlocking your dog's full potential or tackling boredom-based behaviours?
Let’s work together to create a customized enrichment and training plan that works for your lifestyle!

👉 Visit us at PawsomeBehaviourSolutions.com to book a consultation today.

Some good news. I have started a question and answer page on Facebook, to answer behaviour questions. Here is the link b...
19/05/2026

Some good news. I have started a question and answer page on Facebook, to answer behaviour questions. Here is the link below. I also have a cat behaviour question page called, The Cat Behaviour Connection, and now The Dog Behaviour Connection.

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/14Wf4yQn4z5/

🚨 Dogs do NOT usually bite “out of the blue.” 🚨One of the biggest myths I hear is:“My dog just bit with no warning.”In m...
13/05/2026

🚨 Dogs do NOT usually bite “out of the blue.” 🚨
One of the biggest myths I hear is:
“My dog just bit with no warning.”
In most cases, that is simply not true.
Dogs are constantly communicating with us through their body language long before a bite happens. The problem is, humans often don’t recognise or understand the warning signs.
Before a bite, dogs will often show subtle signs such as:
⚠️ Turning their head away
⚠️ Lip licking
⚠️ Yawning when not tired
⚠️ Whale eye (showing the whites of the eyes)
⚠️ Ears pinned back
⚠️ Freezing or becoming very still
⚠️ Tense closed mouth
⚠️ Stiff body posture
⚠️ Tail held stiff or tucked
⚠️ Moving away or trying to create distance
⚠️ Growling or showing teeth (this is actually a warning, not “bad behaviour”)
A growl is a dog saying:
👉 “I am uncomfortable. Please listen.”
If those warning signs are ignored, punished, or missed, the dog may feel they have no other option but to escalate to a snap or bite.
A bite is usually the final stage of communication, not the first.
This is why it is so important to: ✅ Learn canine body language
✅ Respect your dog’s boundaries
✅ Supervise children around dogs
✅ Never punish warning signs such as growling
If we punish the warning, we don’t remove the discomfort — we just teach the dog to stop warning.
And that is when people think:
“The bite came out of nowhere.”
Dogs are always talking to us. We just need to learn how to listen 🐾🧡
Prevention is always better than rehabilitation.

🐾 Why are my dogs fighting? Understanding Inter-Dog Aggression 🐾Does your home feel like a constant battlefield? Inter-d...
13/05/2026

🐾 Why are my dogs fighting? Understanding Inter-Dog Aggression 🐾
Does your home feel like a constant battlefield? Inter-dog aggression—conflict between dogs living under the same roof—is incredibly stressful for the whole family.

Many owners think it happens out of nowhere, but specific household combinations are statistically at a much higher risk of clashing.

🚨 The Primary Risk Groups

Same-Sex Pairs: Clashes between two blokes or two girls are very common. Female-to-female aggression is often the most intense and tricky to sort out.

Littermates: Raising siblings from the same litter can trigger "Littermate Syndrome." Intense sibling rivalry often flares up as they grow.

Dogs Close in Age: Raising two pups similar in age means they hit social maturity (around 1 to 3 years old) at the exact same time, sparking battles over boundaries.

Parent and Offspring: A mum or dad living with their grown pup can experience unexpected friction as the parental dynamic shifts into adult competition.

⚠️ Common Triggers & Early Warning Signs

Conflict is highly driven by the environment. Watch out for resource guarding over high-value items like tucker bowls, favourite toys, or your attention.

Keep an eye out for early warning signs before a proper blue breaks out:

Stiff, frozen body language or hard staring.

Low growling, lip curling, or air snapping.

Hovering over or blocking the other dog.

💡 What's the next step?

Managing household aggression requires strict management, separation strategies, and professional behaviour modification to keep everyone safe. Punishing the dogs will only increase their stress and make things worse.

You don't have to deal with this alone. Professional, force-free intervention is the safest way forward to get your pack sorted.

A lovely email just sent from an owner.
19/04/2026

A lovely email just sent from an owner.

A dogs sense of smell is 100,000 times greater than a human. Let dogs sniff on walksLet dogs sniff food from snuffle mat...
17/04/2026

A dogs sense of smell is 100,000 times greater than a human.
Let dogs sniff on walks
Let dogs sniff food from snuffle mats
Let dogs sniff the grass through scattering dry food or treats.
DO NOT pull dogs away from sniffing.
It causes stress in their system when we do not Let them use this highly functional natural instinct.

Dog Bodylanguage around toddlers.
16/04/2026

Dog Bodylanguage around toddlers.

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