16/07/2025
***CURRENT SURVEY FINDINGS***
WHEN SHOULD WE, IF AT ALL, EXPOSE OUR DOGS TO STRESS?
Its been 12 days since we released our survey and here are the results so far, if you feel you want to voice your opinion to influence the current results please click the link and complete the survey!
1 - Overall so far EVERYEONE has said "YES we should expose our dogs to stress", and then it gets very murky. This starts to get murky because most people have conflicting opinions in when we should do this and how.
2 - Some believe it should only be if the dog has a medical issue and needs to be seen by a vet but its a stressful situation for the dog and any other stress should be avoided like saying "no", using crates, or having a reactive dog around other dogs etc etc.
3 - Others fail to identify stress in certain scenarios altogether and place blame on incorrect parties like dog related businesses, the dog itself or the owner at the wrong times, thus failing to help the dog and adding to potentially extremely dangerous situations.
4 - A good handful of people have been in direct conflict with themselves with statements like "prong collars/slip collars/e-collars should be illegal" and when given a scenario when one is used, have said this was the correct method for the dog, thus making it clear there is a lack of understanding in regards to certain equipment and how they can impact dogs.
5 - There has also been a direct conflict in how people feel about Breed Specific Legislation. Some would rather euthanise all dogs of a certain breed as they feel they cannot be trusted and/or feel its unfair to add restrictions to otherwise safe and healthy dogs and limit their quality of life so its more humane to euthanise them than to treat them as "guilty until proven innocent", others would rather follow the legislation and keep the dog alive or believe the legislation is a complete and utter joke.
6 - The biggest contradiction most people seem to internally struggle with is that they feel certain equipment is "unkind, painful, abusive, cruel and adds an unfair amount of stress onto a dog and should be illegal" and would rather euthanise a dog than to use them or others have quickly changed their tune saying if it was a "last resort" they would use them in order to save their dogs life.
Others have stated instead they would rather refuse to use "cruel, unsafe and harmful methods" and either medicate their dog for anxiety, reactivity, aggression etc and/or avoid all things that cause their dogs stress like being around other dogs or allowing them access to the items they resource guard like toys, bones, treats etc.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT HOW OTHERS SEE THESE SITUATIONS?
Let your voice be heard by taking the survey and we will post our updated findings!
Over my years of owning dogs, training dogs and complete canine rehabilitation, stress if often one of the biggest common denominators and highly debated components in dog behaviour. Whether it's a fellow dog owner giving unsolicited advice on what you're doing right and wrong while on your dogs wal...
