The Good Dog Coach

25/05/2026

Our dogs have had no time to acclimatise to this heat. Dogs die in these temperatures. Please don’t risk it!

☀️ YOUR DOG DOES NOT NEED A WALK IN THIS HEAT. ☀️

They need to stay alive.

We are seeing far too many dogs being dragged around parks, pavements and fields in temperatures that can KILL them.

Let’s be blunt.

By the time your dog is collapsing, vomiting, unable to stand, drooling excessively or struggling to breathe… the damage is already happening.

Heatstroke is not “a bit overheated.”
Dogs DIE from this - Dogs have died in LEAMINGTON from heatstroke!

And even the ones that survive can suffer organ damage for the rest of their lives.

Your dog panting heavily is not funny.
It is not them “loving the sunshine.”
It is their body desperately trying not to overheat.

If you are sweating in shorts and a T-shirt, why are you forcing an animal wearing a fur coat to walk on boiling pavements?

NO dog has ever died from missing one walk.
Dogs HAVE died because owners ignored the heat.

So please stop:

❌ Marching dogs around retail parks
❌ Throwing balls until dogs collapse
❌ Taking dogs on walks in midday sun
❌ Walking dogs on scorching pavements
❌ Assuming water alone prevents heatstroke
❌ Leaving dogs in cars — even for 2 minutes.

If it is hot enough that YOU are uncomfortable — it is too hot for dogs to exercise safely.

Walk them at sunrise.
Walk them late evening.
Or don’t walk them at all for one day and use enrichment toys and ideas off the internet.

Because we can promise you this:
The guilt of skipping a walk lasts minutes.
The guilt of carrying your dog into an emergency vets surgery lasts forever. 🐾

(*And before the Tesla owners start writing essays in the comments 😅 yes… we know your dogs are sat in ‘Pet Mode’ with air con, mood lighting and probably watching Netflix. We’re not talking about you.🙄)

13/05/2026

Skilled trainers don’t learn reward based methods further down the line. That’s where we start. Then we add other things on top.
These arguments just show that these “trainers” weren’t good trainers, lacking the skill and understanding to using both reward and aversives skillfully.

23/03/2026

This!

18/03/2026

Today the changes to the law are coming into force. While it is great that attacks and worrying are now clearly defined, higher penalties do not result in fewer incidents. They simply result in fewer reports being made, meaning farmers will not get the compensation they are due. I think these amendments fall short of bringing about actual, meaningful change that PREVENTS the suffering of livestock rather than focusing on penalties after the fact.

The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025 has come into effect today, Wednesday 18 March 2026. It updates the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953.

Farmers, gamekeepers and livestock owners now have clearer and stronger legal protection against livestock worrying.

Livestock worrying can happen when a dog attacks, chases or is loose among livestock. Dogs don't need to make contact for harm to occur. Fear and stress alone can harm livestock, and, in severe cases, cause them to die. The resulting impact on livestock keepers can be devastating. They face financial loss as well as personal distress.

THE CHANGES

The act:

▪️is worded so that attacking livestock is treated separately from worrying livestock. This reframing helps make the violent nature of livestock attacks much clearer. It doesn’t create a new offence as both behaviours are already covered in the 1953 act, but it does make the distinction explicit

▪️extends the law to cover livestock worrying and attacks that take place on roads and paths

▪️ includes camelids (as llamas and alpacas are commonly farmed)

▪️introduces a new defence for dog owners to exempt them from liability where the dog was in the charge of another person at the time of the offence without the owner’s consent, for instance if the dog was stolen

▪️introduces new powers allowing a court to order an offender to pay expenses associated with seizing and detaining a dog

▪️provides a clear deterrent by increasing the penalty from a fine of up to £1,000 to an unlimited fine

In addition, the law gives police new and improved powers to improve their investigations, including:

▪️the power to seize and detain a dog where they have reasonable grounds to believe there is a risk that the dog could attack or worry livestock again. The dog can be detained until an investigation has been carried out or, if proceedings are brought for an offence, until those proceedings have been determined or withdrawn

▪️ the power to take samples and impressions from a dog or livestock where the police have reasonable grounds to believe the dog has attacked or worried the livestock, and that a sample or impression might provide evidence of an offence. The sample or impression could then be used as evidence to support a prosecution

▪️the powers to enter and search premises to identify, seize and detain a dog for the prevention of future incidents, to collect samples or impressions, or seize any other evidence

This legislation is only for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own legislation on this matter.

Read our news article here: https://www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk/articles/dog-owners-and-walkers-livestock-worrying-law-important-update

Read the full act here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/32/enacted

12/01/2026

Obesity is an ever growing problem in the dog world. About two thirds of my clients i have to have this conversation with. They usually don’t see it. And, annoyingly, their vets often told them the dog was fine regardless of how overweight they are.
The thing is, I have no gain from telling you your dog is fat. On the contrary - I might risk offending you and you not wanting to work with me.
Your vet, on the other hand, benefits financially from the medical issues your dog is going to have as a result of being obese.

New year, new me… and an immediate influx of weight clinic patients.

Apparently January inspires reflection, resolutions, and dogs of increasingly generous proportions.

On the Examination of a Dog of Indistinct Boundaries

“The subject presented as a Labrador in spirit, though its physical composition suggested a near equal union of retriever and lipoma. Anatomical landmarks were rendered largely theoretical, owing to a generous and enthusiastic accumulation of adipose tissue, complicating efforts to locate anything of clinical interest.”

Palpation proved speculative.
Dietary advice was offered.
Compliance remained uncertain. 🕯️🐕

04/01/2026

If you want maximum freedom for your dog while protecting the safety of other animals, join ARDO. 2026 update article below.

Keeping Our Supporters Informed On 22 December 2025, the Government published its “Animal Welfare Strategy” (applies to England only) Included in this was its intention to carry out a consultation, "later in this Parliament on whether to ban the use of electric shock collars” While no dates or...

16/12/2025

There's a lot of good content on that page and I certainly enjoyed reading this particular post. Very well written and a point well made.

THE “P WORD” SOME DOG TRAINERS HAVE FORGOTTEN

Training is going on all around us all the time.

So too is bad behavior.

Most of the time, however, bad behavior is put in check, not by rewards but by aversive consequences.

These two men will stop fighting pretty quickly once the police come, and they will not be quick to fight again after the police haul them to the station, book them, and they have to explain to their spouse, children, and boss why they have to go to court, pay a fine, and spend the weekend in jail.

No policeman ever said: "We have to know why they are fighting in order to change their behavior"

No policeman ever said: "It will take a long time to teach them not to fight."

Police and the criminal justice systems know something; Fighting is a self-rewarding behavior.

Sometimes it feels good to get the adrenaline up and pop someone in the nose.

And yet, it doesn't happen too often in our daily lives because time and experience has shown us that staying calm and walking away results in a better long-term outcome almost every time.

When did we learn that? Was it second grade when we were pulled down to the principals office and our parents were mortified because we were suspended for a day?

That didn't take? Then the penalties got higher until they did. How much do you want to lose? Your allowance? The car? Your freedom? Your job? Your future?

Our entire legal system swings on penalties to stop self-rewarding behavior, whether they are penalties for simple assault or robbery, sexual assault or embezzlement.

Why is our legal system focused on penalties?

Because they work.

Rewards are great for encouraging people to show up early, study hard, and help paint the gym, but none of those behaviors are internally self-rewarding, which is why they have to be externally self-rewarding.

How do you stop internally self-rewarding behavior, and how do you stop it pretty damn quick?

Punishment. The "P" word.

And does punishment work? What if it physically hurts these two men? What if it psychology damages them or their community? Is there a better way?

Those last three questions are good ones to ask, but they are subordinate to the FIRST question: Does it work?

Did having the police show up, book these guys, and send them to court and jail (while taking a deep dive into their wallets) discourage them from rushing out to fight again?

Yep. That works. Significant memorable consequences are remembered and shape future behavior.

That's why punishment is the core response used to stop self-rewarding anti-social behaviors all over the world.

But that's not how the modern dog trainer does it, is it?

They suggest we try to distract these two men with something shiny or fun. Perhaps a girl, or a martini, or a five dollar bill.

They suggest we exercise these two men more so they are too tired to fight.

They suggest letting them fight and as soon as one slows down and is not swinging quite as hard as the other one, that we jump in and say "what a good boy" and toss them an Oreo cookie to encourage more of that kind of behavior.

They suggest turning our back on them and just ignore the fighting.

They suggest having one work the night shift, and the other the day shift, so they never run into each other.

They suggest that we try to figure out why they are fighting. Maybe they need to be socialized more? Maybe it's a medical thing? Maybe they're bored or its a dominance thing? Have they both been neutered? Is it smell? Are they resource guarding? Is a woman in heat nearby?

But you know what they never quite get around to suggesting? Punishment.

And you know what they never quite get around to asking? Did the punishment work?

Ask the trick trainer how to stop a dog barking at every squirrel it sees through a window, and it's either "pull the blinds" or "teach a down stay," or my absolute favorite: "teach the dog to bark on cue and then never give the cue."

Putting a bark collar on the dog is not suggested. That's too easy. Where's the 50-hours in training at $20 an hour in that?

But does it work?

Like new money.

09/12/2025

“Humane”
“Safe”
“Revolutionary!”
“Incredible!”
“So clever!”
“Conservation in action!”
“Amazing technology!”

But when it’s a dog wearing something that actually delivers NOWHER NEAR the electrical pulse that that chain delivers, and the purpose is not to ‘guide grazing’, but to ‘save f4cking animal lives’ … We hear ..

“Barbaric!!😡”
“Shock!”
“Pain!”
“Fear!”
“Abuse!!😡”
“Cruelty!! 😡😡”
“Sign our petition to BAN THEM!!!😡😡”

That’s how screwed up society is.

Spoon fed whatever bu****it narrative the mainstream media is influenced to feed you.

To any WELSH politician with children who sees the collars for livestock and dogs as being somehow different - who sees the livestock collar as being more morally acceptable …

Remember, a cow can feel a fly land …

Let me put each one on your child.

The dog collar first. I will completely control that collar. I will incrementally match what your child feels in accordance with their individual sensitivity, the behaviour required to protect them and the given context. I will TEACH your child without ever subjecting them to harm.

Then the other one - the livestock collar … I’m not prepared to attach that one to your child I’m afraid. I know better.

You can do that.

You’re “OK” with that one …

Now let technology demonstrate how humane it is - minus any human judgement. The tech doesn’t require any kind of human understanding - it’s fabulous right! It’s a ‘breakthrough in conservation grazing and livestock movement control’.

Let the lack of human compassion, understanding and empathy guide what your child experiences.

You are not to get involved at all. That’s a definite, because YOUR involvement renders the technology abusive and subjects your child to untold harms.

Your government banned one - the one which is repeatedly proven to save lives, and allows for human decision making as to the necessity and benefits of it’s occurrence, yet welcomes the other with open arms - the cattle collar - which simply does what it does, at whatever level the electrical pulse is set to, regardless of context or
Individual sensitivity.

It’s a one size fits all - to protect grasses and cut the trouble and costs of standard fencing and training.

So there it is .. A simple offer …

Yes or no?

28/11/2025

Life with a dog in London can be… exhausting. 😔

Take Aura, a gorgeous Lab – terrified of traffic, overly excitable around dogs and people, and with zero recall. Off lead? Absolutely impossible. On lead? Pulling, lunging, making every walk stressful. Imagine juggling that in busy London streets, surrounded by traffic, crowds, and dogs you can’t avoid. Walks stopped being fun. Days felt tense. Home life wasn’t much better.

After working together, everything changed. Aura is calmer, listens, and her family can finally enjoy walks again – stress-free, safe, and actually fun. The difference isn’t just in her behaviour – it’s in how much easier and happier their lives have become.

✨ If your London dog makes walks a struggle, don’t wait – I’ll be in London 4–8 December. Limited sessions, so book now to start seeing real change before Christmas.

📖 Read the full review on Trustpilot – it’s a story every London dog owner who’s struggling will relate to.

26/11/2025

This!!!! Over the past decade I’ve seen a great many dogs that were reactive or aggressive towards dog and / or people. None of them were ever “under-socialised”. All of them had been to doggy daycare, taken on group walks with dog walkers to “socialise” and “play”. And the owner ended up with the very thing they tried to prevent.
Professionals keep saying this openly and publicly, even though if people followed the advice it would be money out of our pockets. Yet there are still troves of people arguing that their dogs need to “play and socialise” as they’re ripping through the park off lead and uncontrolled.