Caryn Charlie Canine Behaviour Consulting

27/10/2026

When a vet suggests behaviour medication, many guardians feel uneasy. Will my dog still be themselves? Is it safe long-term? Will they need it forever? These are fair questions, and they deserve real answers from your vet.

A few things I share with families:

Medication doesn't replace training. For an anxious dog, it can help them feel calm enough to learn, so the behaviour work has a better chance.

Your dog shouldn't lose their personality. If your dog seems flat or "zombie-like", or changes in a way that worries you, tell your vet. The medication or dose may need adjusting.

Finding the right fit can take time. As with people, the first option doesn't always suit every dog.

Your vet guides the plan. Many will want a full check-up, sometimes including blood work, before starting and at intervals afterwards. Any change or stop should happen under their direction.

Anxiety is a welfare concern, and treating it is part of caring for your dog.

22/10/2026

"He's so stubborn." "She's being dominant." "He knows better." Labels like these feel like explanations, but they don't tell us much about what a dog is actually doing, or why. They also mean different things to different people.

When I work with a family, I ask them to describe what they see instead, in terms we could both observe:
• What is the dog doing? Planting their feet on walks, jumping on guests, barking out the window.
• What does their body look like? Ears back, tail tucked, weight shifted back, hackles up.
• What's happening around them? A child running past, a loud truck, a stranger approaching, someone reaching for them.

A dog who "stubbornly" plants their feet on the sidewalk might be worried about what's ahead, sore, tired, or unsure what's being asked. Each of those needs a different response, and a label hides all of them.

Next time you're frustrated, try describing what you see instead of what you think your dog is. It's usually the first step toward solving it.

20/10/2026

Dogs don't always show pain the way we expect. Crying out and limping are the obvious signs, but many are quieter and easy to mistake for a change in personality or "just getting older."

Subtle signs can include:
• stiffness after resting
• less interest in playing, exercising or being touched
• flinching, or turning away when a certain area is handled
• licking one spot over and over
• hiding
• panting or trembling when they aren't hot or excited
• a change in appetite
• new grumpiness, growling or snapping

That last one matters. When a dog's behaviour changes, especially if they've become more irritable, pain is one of the first things to rule out with your vet. No single sign confirms pain on its own, so look at the whole dog and the context.

Keep a note of what you're seeing and when, and share it with your vet. And never give your dog human pain medication unless your vet has told you to.

19/10/2026

Often somewhere between about 6 and 18 months (timing varies from dog to dog), many dogs seem to forget everything they learned as puppies. Recall disappears, manners slip, and new worries or barking can appear. It's frustrating, especially after all the work you put into puppyhood.

This is often when people get told to use "a firmer hand" and reach for tools that work through discomfort or fear: prong and choke collars, leash pops, spray bottles, shaker cans, shock collars. These can stop a behaviour in the moment. The problem is that you can't control what your dog links that discomfort to. A dog who gets a leash correction while pulling toward a child may learn that children predict a painful jerk on the neck, and start to avoid or worry about them. Research has also found that confrontational methods can provoke aggressive responses in some dogs.

What helps instead is a plan with three parts:
• Manage, so your dog isn't rehearsing the behaviour every day. Try quieter walking routes, window film, or a break from the dog park.
• Recreate the positive associations you built in puppyhood.
• Retrain the skills that matter most at this age: recall, checking in with you, and "find it."

Your puppy training isn't lost. Your adolescent dog just needs you to go back a few steps with them.

15/10/2026

When people see a dog in a muzzle, many assume the worst. A muzzle is a safety tool, and it protects dogs as much as it protects people.

Muzzles can:
• help stop a dog from eating dangerous things, or p**p, on walks
• make vet and grooming visits safer when a dog needs care they aren't yet comfortable with
• give everyone peace of mind during a new or uncertain introduction
• keep a dog and their family safe while behaviour work is under way

Training is what makes the difference. A muzzle put on for the first time in a stressful moment can make that moment harder, and can turn the muzzle into something a dog dreads. Introduced gradually and paired with food, at your dog's pace, many dogs learn to push their nose straight into it.

The type of muzzle matters, too. A well-fitted basket muzzle lets your dog breathe and pant freely. Fabric muzzles that hold the mouth closed are only meant for very brief use, and short-snouted dogs may need a specially designed muzzle.

A muzzle isn't always permanent, either. For some dogs it's needed for a phase. For others, it's simply part of being prepared for vet visits and emergencies.

13/10/2026

Guarding valuable things is normal animal behaviour. Food, chews, toys and resting spots matter to dogs, and some will stiffen, growl or snap to protect them. The good news is that you can help your puppy feel relaxed, even pleased, when people come near their things.

The idea is simple: your approach should predict something good, not something being taken away.

While your puppy is eating, chewing or playing, walk by, drop a couple of tasty treats into the bowl or beside them, and keep walking. Do the same when they're in their crate or on their bed. Go at your puppy's pace.

Watch closely as you go. Stiffening, eating faster, side-eye, growling, snarling or snapping can all be signs your puppy is uncomfortable. If you see them, stop. Toss a treat away from them, move away, and get help adjusting the plan. Never punish those signals. They're your early warning.

Give your puppy a quiet place to eat and rest undisturbed, and teach children never to approach a dog who is eating, chewing or sleeping.

06/10/2026

Think of your dog's recall as a bank account. Every time you call and they come running to something great, you make a deposit. Every time you call and they don't come, you make a withdrawal, and too many of those can put the account in the red.

So build up your balance before you spend it:
• Start where success is easy: a quiet room at home, then with family around, then the backyard on a long line. Move to bigger, busier places one small step at a time.
• When your dog arrives, pay well with something they really love.
• Keep practice short and special: a few times a day rather than a long drill session.
• Protect the cue. Try not to use it for things your dog finds unpleasant, like a nail trim, a bath or leaving the park, and avoid repeating it over and over.

Before you call, ask yourself: would I bet on my dog coming right now, the first time I ask? If yes, call, and be ready to pay up. If not, don't use your recall cue. Go to your dog or use your long line instead. Save the cue for when it will work.

A reliable recall isn't about how loudly you call. It's about how much is in the account.

05/10/2026

A growl is communication. It tells you your dog is uncomfortable and would like something to stop or go away, and it gives us a chance to listen and change what's happening before things escalate.

What a growl means depends on the rest of the body:
• Lowered body with ears pulled back: likely fearful. Give space and remove whatever is worrying them.
• A stiff body, freezing or side-eye around food, toys or found objects: this can signal discomfort about someone approaching or interacting with the item. Calmly move away instead of taking it.
• Growling during handling: they aren't comfortable with what's happening. Stop, and work on making it a better experience. If pain could be part of it, involve your vet.
• A loose, wiggly, bouncy body during a game: this may simply be part of play. Short breaks help keep it that way.

Punishing a growl may stop the growling, but it doesn't make your dog feel any safer or more comfortable. What it can do is leave you with fewer warning signs next time.

Listen to the growl, give your dog space in the moment, and then work on why they felt they needed to say it.

01/10/2026

26/09/2026

They may not be able to tell us when somethinghurts—but they can show us. 🐾
Pets are incredibly good at hiding pain. But changes intheir everyday behavior can be their way of saying,“Something doesn’t feel right.”

👀 Knowing what to look for can help you recognizepain sooner.
Here are some common signs your pet may beuncomfortable. And if you notice a change in your pet—talk with your veterinary team. ❤️

Share this with another pet parent who should know these signs.