Barking Glad Dog Training - by Janet Ilett

07/08/2025

Today I worked with beautiful Winter and her owners. What a beauty she is!

11/07/2025

HOT WEATHER & AN INCREASE IN BITE RISK 🥵

We've had some very hot weather recently in the UK, and for many parts of the UK- the next three days are going to be scorchio!

It's important to be aware that being too hot can lower thresholds for tolerance and overt reactions- and not just in 'reactive' dogs.

And not just in dogs!

There's a correlation between human riots and an increase in crime during a significant rise in temperature (27 to 32 degrees).
It is well established that in people, heat stress causes irritability and an increased likelihood of aggressive behaviour.

Being hot and bothered is a physical stressor - the body works hard to return to homeostasis.

Cognitive processes can be negatively affected. So if your dog is not responding to as they would normally, consider the effects of heat.

Furthermore- being too hot can interfere with a dog's ability to rest and sleep. During rest and sleep, stress is lowered, and subsequently compromised rest and sleep affects behaviour.

This can affect (lower) the dog's threshold for emotional stress.


🐕 Two unfamiliar dogs meeting while both are hot and bothered is less likely going to result in a healthy interaction. Now is the time to largely keep yourselves to yourselves on walks, or monitor the body language of both dogs very carefully.

🏡 Extra caution should be taken in situations that your dog may struggle with, such as around visitors to the home.

🧒 But the greatest caution of all should be taken around up-close interactions in ALL dogs, especially those who live children.

Remember these basic safeguarding rules;

1. No faces near faces.

2. Let sleeping dogs lie.

3. Do not forcefully take resources (toys, food or anything the dog has found/picked up) off a dog.
Children should never take things off a dog.

4. Do not 'box dogs in' with your interaction.

- Always ensure they can easily move away by not blocking a dog's ability to move forward/away (for example, wrapping your arms around to hug a dog front on makes it near impossible for them to easily disengage).

- The safest way to interact is to invite a dog to come to you.
Alternatively, if you do approach then do so when they are awake and instead of swooping straight in with strokes- wait for them to signal to you they are keen for an interaction.

- Stop stroking after 2-3 seconds, and see if your dog communicates to you they would like more, or if they are done.
This is called the consent test, and it's something all children (and adults) should be aware of.


Most people who get bitten by a dog know the dog well, didn't think their dog would ever bite someone and didn't see the bite coming.

Most dog bites are on faces and hands of someone close to the dog, and this tells us a lot about what the person was LIKELY doing (Note, there are always exceptions).


As I always say to my clients ......

🗣️ Never take your dog's current level of tolerance for granted.

29/06/2025

BBC News - How dog walks can become deadly when the heat rises

Heatwaves can be dangerous for our four-legged friends, so how can you keep yours safe?

26/06/2025

I worked with this beauty today. This pup needs some help feeling confident when other dogs are nearby. Her owner is doing a fabulous job with her. ❤️

18/06/2025

Dogs don't self-soothe like humans do. What we call "self-soothing" is instinctive comfort-seeking behavior, not conscious emotional regulation.

That's why separation anxiety is so hard to fix.

When your dog licks their paws, chews a bone, or curls up in their favorite spot, it might look like they're intentionally calming themselves down. But what's actually happening is much simpler - and more automatic.

These behaviors are instinctive responses to stress or discomfort, not deliberate emotional regulation strategies. Your dog isn't thinking "I feel anxious, so I'll lick my paws to feel better."

They're just responding to internal signals the way their genetics and evolution have programmed them to.
If dogs could truly self-soothe - if they could consciously calm themselves down and work through their emotions - separation anxiety would be a much easier problem to solve. We could just teach them some techniques and expect them to manage their distress when alone.

But that's not how it works. Dogs with separation anxiety aren't choosing to panic when you leave. They can't talk themselves through it or use coping strategies. They're experiencing genuine terror with no cognitive tools to manage it.

Real self-soothing requires (and what we as humans CAN do)
😀 Recognizing you're distressed
😀 Choosing appropriate calming strategies
😀 Intentionally implementing those strategies
😀 Reflecting on what works

This level of emotional regulation needs complex brain development that dogs simply don't have, as brilliant and as smart as they are. They live much more in the moment, reacting to what they feel without the metacognitive awareness that allows humans to step back and manage their emotions.

Understanding this difference changes everything about how we approach anxious dogs.
Instead of expecting them to "work through it" or "learn to cope," we need to:
🐶 Manage their environment to reduce triggers
🐶 Use gradual exposure training to build positive associations
🐶 Provide actual support during stressful situations
🐶 Use medication to help

Your dog with separation anxiety isn't lacking willpower or being stubborn. They're dealing with a flood of stress hormones and panic responses that they have no conscious control over.

This is why it's so frustrating when people say dogs with separation anxiety are "spoiled" or that owners need to "just leave them to figure it out." You wouldn't tell someone having a panic attack to just calm down and work through it alone.

Dogs deserve the same understanding and support we'd give any creature experiencing genuine distress they can't control.

The next time someone tells you dogs need to learn to self-soothe, remember: they literally can't. And that's not their fault - it's just how their brains work.

01/06/2025

Can dogs really only see in black and white? Not quite…

It’s a common myth that dogs see the world like an old black and white film — but the truth is much more interesting!

Dogs do see colour, just not in the same way we do. In our eyes, we have three types of specialised cells called cones that help us detect colour — allowing us to see a full rainbow of reds, greens, and blues.

Dogs, on the other hand, only have two types of cones. This means their colour vision is more limited — they see mostly yellows and blues, but struggle to tell the difference between reds and greens. This is called dichromatic vision. So, no – not black and white, just a different version of colour.

What dogs lack in colour perception, they more than make up for in other areas. Their eyes are packed with more rods — the cells that detect light and motion — which means they’re brilliant at spotting movement and seeing in low light. That’s part of what makes them so great at dusk walks and noticing a squirrel 50ft away before you’ve even seen a leaf twitch!

So while their world might not be as colourful as ours, it’s still rich, detailed, and beautifully suited to being, well… a dog. 🐾💛💙

13/05/2025

Lovely Lola acing puppyhood thanks to her owners. Well done Team Lola.

15/04/2025

Always give your puppy/dog 24/7 access to drinking water. Dogs that have drinking water restricted can become obsessed with water, which can lead to excessive drinking, which in turn can lead to needing more toilet breaks and medical issues.
I've helped a few, well meaning owners and their dogs with this issue.
Your dog can't tell you when they need a drink. Ensure that water is always available.

14/04/2025

20/03/2025

I met these two today. Two gorgeous rescue dogs. Chalk and cheese (not their names) and loving life together.

20/02/2025

Meet the gorgeous Shadow. He's 3 months old and he's learning to not be so bitey! His owners have made a fantastic start.

18/02/2025

Dog Training for 8 years. IMDT qualified and accredited. Continual professional development updated constantly. Lots of experience with foreign rescues and nervous dogs. Trusted trainer with Therapy Dog Training UK. Science backed modern methods. Follow me on Instagram.
Call, text or WhatsApp on 07989 658867.(Just saying this because I think I may lose access to facebook soon, despite trying to prevent it)