Right Start Dog Training

05/06/2026

As the weather is heating up this is a very important message if you are planning to travel your dog in the car

25/05/2026

It's too hot out there for us and way too hot for our dogs. Please keep them indoors and in the cool - missing a walk won't kill them but heatstroke may

🌡️ HOT WEATHER WARNING 🌡️

With temperatures expected to reach 30°C this weekend and into next week, please take extra care with your pets 🐾

Dogs can very quickly suffer from heatstroke, which can become life-threatening. Avoid walking during the hottest parts of the day (typically 11am–4pm) and opt for early morning or late evening walks instead.

⚠️ Extra care is needed for:
• Brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds such as Bulldogs, Pugs, French Bulldogs, Boxers, Shih Tzu, Chow chows
• Overweight dogs
• Elderly pets
• Puppies
• Dogs with heart or breathing problems
• Thick-coated breeds

Helpful hot weather tips:
💧 Always provide fresh water
🌳 Keep pets in shaded, cool areas
🚗 Never leave pets in a parked car — even for a few minutes
🔥 Check pavements with the back of your hand — if it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for paws
🧊 Use cooling mats, damp towels, frozen treats or paddling pools to help keep pets comfortable

Signs of heatstroke include:
❗ Excessive panting
❗ Drooling
❗ Lethargy or weakness
❗ Vomiting or collapse

If you’re concerned your pet may be suffering from heatstroke, contact us immediately.

Enjoy your bank holiday, and should you need us, we have vets Gemma and George on call this bank holiday 🍦🌞🕶️🐾

21/05/2026

Exciting breaking news!!!!

The new Right Start Dog Training A5 leaflet has arrived!

How cool are these and Reuben, Kaye's sadly missed Bedlington Terrier x Whippet has pride of place!

12/05/2026

As the guardian of a very allergic Bedlington Terrier who takes a lot of care working alongside my great vet, Elands Veterinary Clinic, Lisa Webb at Canine Thinking and the lovely ladies at The Herbal Vets, I will definitely be joining Canine Thinking for what looks to be a very interesting evening.

The additional bonus is that 10% of the proceeds will go to my much loved rescue charity - Bedlington Terrier Rescue Foundation

If you also have an allergic / itchy dog this will be an evening for you too!

Register here: https://caninethinking.com/dog-itching-step-by-step-webinar/

Stop managing the itch and start understanding the insight.

If you are tired of trying "quick fixes" for your dog's skin and behaviour, it is time for a different approach.

Our upcoming webinar, 'From Itch to Insight', provides a structured way to look at your dog's health and wellbeing.

In this Brand New Webinar, we cover:

🔹 How skin irritation influences emotional regulation.
🔹How to keep a useful diary of observations for your vet.
🔹Identifying patterns that connect physical health and behaviour.

✔️ Join us Monday 15th June, 7 – 8.30pm BST
Early bird pricing ends 31st May.
Link in Comments.

At Canine Thinking, we meet you where you are with your, using practical language to help you make sense of what you are seeing every day.

09/05/2026

It’s been such a joy working on a one-to-one basis with this little lad and his devoted guardians 🥰

After they rescued him, it became clear that his early experiences with car travel had left him feeling very worried. His reaction was so intense that even the prospect of car travel triggered a significant fear response.

By helping his guardians learn to recognise the very earliest signs of stress through his body language, they were able to slow things right down and work at a pace he felt comfortable with. We also introduced them to the wonderful world of ACE Freework, which helped him feel safer, more relaxed and fully in control of the process.

Gradually, his association with the car has started to change and he is now happily choosing to hop in and out of the car on the drive and engage with the process positively.

There is still more to do, as this type of fear can take time and patience to work through, but they are making such lovely progress together and are well on their way to much happier journeys 🐾🐾💜

29/04/2026

Really interesting article - limping and stiffness are classic signs of pain in our dogs but so are other behavioural signs - learning to recognise these other signs is also important to help our dogs live their best life

🐾 Can We Really Recognise Pain in Dogs?

This new study by Gardeweg et al. (2026) confirms something many of us working in canine therapy see regularly—pain is often recognised when a dog limps, but much less when it shows through behaviour.

In the study, 647 people were asked to identify signs of pain in dogs.

Most people easily recognised movement-related pain such as limping, stiffness, or reluctance to move.

But behavioural signs were far less likely to be recognised, including:

• changes in sleep
• reduced play
• clinginess or shadowing
• reduced sociability
• lower tolerance
• difficulty settling
• restlessness at night
• grooming changes
• personality changes
• mood changes

Even experienced dog owners were no better at spotting these subtle signs than non-dog owners.

This is important because chronic pain rarely starts with obvious lameness.

Often, the first signs are small changes in behaviour.

Things like:

❗ “He seems grumpier lately”
❗ “She doesn’t want to play as much”
❗ “He follows me everywhere now”
❗ “She struggles to settle at night”
❗ “He seems less tolerant than usual”

These are often dismissed as behaviour problems, ageing, or just “slowing down.”

But sometimes, they are early signs of pain.

By the time obvious lameness appears, compensation patterns, muscle tension, and long-term discomfort may already be well established.

Pain doesn’t always look like limping.

Sometimes it shows up in the quiet changes first.

Recognising those signs earlier means earlier support, better welfare, and better long-term outcomes.

📚 Reference:Gardeweg, S.M.A., Picard, D.E. and van Herwijnen, I.R. (2026) The abilities in dog pain sign recognition as assessed by presenting seventeen listed dog behavioural signs and three case descriptions to dog owners and non-dog owners. PLOS ONE, 21(4), e0344512.

28/04/2026

That's a wrap!! Another Paws and Progress Course graduated recently and very well they all did too! Here are the lovely Waffle and Ruby collecting their certificates and rosettes!

It was a joy to help and guide them and their amazing guardians on their 'adolescent' journey!

Next course starts on Tuesday 19th May and there is just one space remaining! Call Kaye on 07779 500129 or email her at [email protected] if you would like to book - first come first served for this last place!

28/04/2026

Who has a grazer and wondered if this is ok? Really nice article from Canine Thinking to explain!

26/04/2026

A very important message to bear in mind….

⚡️DOGS IN PAIN STILL RUN, PLAY, AND KEEP GOING⚡️

Not a week goes by without a client saying:

“But my dog can’t be in pain—they still…”
• Play ball
• Go for walks
• Do agility
• Run and play with the grandchildren
• Compete in sports
• Jump on the sofa
• Chase squirrels
• Act ‘normally’

…and this is one of the biggest misconceptions we see in canine rehabilitation.

🐾 Dogs in chronic pain often continue to perform normal activities

Unlike humans, dogs are incredibly stoic. Pain behaviours are often subtle, gradual, and easily dismissed as “just getting older” or “slowing down.”

Many dogs with musculoskeletal pain, osteoarthritis, compensatory strain, or soft tissue dysfunction will still run, play, and remain active—because movement is instinctive, routine, and often driven by adrenaline, excitement, or habit.

They do not always cry, whimper, or limp.

In fact, by the time obvious lameness appears, pain may have been present for weeks, months, or even years.

🔬 Common subtle signs of pain include:
• Slower to rise after rest
• Reluctance to jump into the car
• Hesitation on stairs
• Reduced stamina on walks
• Behavioural changes or irritability
• Changes in posture or weight shifting
• Licking joints or limbs
• Difficulty settling comfortably
• Reduced performance in sport or exercise
• “Good days and bad days”

Pain is not always loud. Often, it is silent compensation.

Early recognition matters—because chronic pain changes movement patterns, increases compensatory strain, and can significantly affect long-term mobility and quality of life.

As therapists, our job is not just to treat pain—but to help owners recognise it.

Because “they’re still playing” does not always mean “they’re pain free.”

08/12/2025

Even donkeys can enjoy enrichment - really important for the feel good factor and wellbeing 🥰