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http://www.themuttyprofessor.co.uk/

The Mutty Professor, Bristol (2026)

01/06/2026

I woke up to find this lovely review from Team Stan this morning!

Stan was assessed in February this year for noise phobia.

He was refusing walks, panicking on walks - even escaping his harness and collar and running home. Trips to a secure field still couldn't guarantee respite- as he would sometimes panick and run back to the car.

This was despite him already being on psychoactive medication when he came to me.

Stan's behaviour was not just a training related issue. Looking at his medical history suggested that pain was potentially a factor as well as compromised gastro intestinal health.

As behaviourists are not - by law- able to give direct nutrition advice, I'm a big fan of using Biome4Pets for in depth insight and suggestions on how to support the individual's gut.

A holistic approach looking at physical health, environment, routine and training being the last step has resulted in a very different dog in a very short space of time.

Here's a video of Stan enjoying a walk with just Lynda and Millie, something he's refused to do in a long time.

We've got him through shooting / hunting/ crow scarer season- so we now need to ramp up efforts to help him cope with firework season.

He's also getting support from a colleague more local to them for recall and loose lead walking, so he can get back to being off lead again!

We didn't force Stan to face his fears.

We helped him feel strong and emotionally stable enough to cope with his fears.

Here's the lovely review ❤
Thanks so much Lynda x.........

Roz has changed our lives!

Stan, our 3 year old border collie, has had real issues with anxiety, noise sensitivity and not wanting to go for walks.

We had tried all sorts, health checks, various training methods and different trainers, calming medication - you name it, we’d tried it!

After our initial visit from Roz, we started to see a difference almost straight away. Her common sense, expert advice allowed us to see how to help Stan simply by making subtle changes to his environment and (the big one!) restricting his access to his ball plus changing what we did with the ball. Rather than just throwing it for him, we now do games such as hide and find - this works his brain and 15-20 minutes two or three times a week is plenty.

On subsequent visits, Roz has helped with getting Stan more confident about going on walks and showing us how to do ‘counter conditioning’ around his noise sensitivity.

Roz also picked up that some of his issues might be related to diet - we’ve tweaked this and seen significant improvements.

We’re making great progress and we are very grateful to Roz for all she’s done. A lot of it was training us rather than Stan!

Roz really is a font of knowledge for all things dog and we felt she had a very good understanding of breed specific issues/solutions.

We absolutely recommend her without reservation. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

31/05/2026

A little video of us training in the garden in replacement of their usual second walk of the day (due to the heat)

29/05/2026

IS IT REALLY PREY DRIVE?

Last week I uploaded a compilation of the boys showing steadiness around livestock and recalling off squirrels.

At long last, I have managed to capture a video of one recalling off a rabbit. This is despite him sadly killing one a while back as he stumbled across one in the undergrowth (no chase, no recall opportunity).

It’s a low intensity chase- but both can recall off higher intensity chase too, as featured before.

Amigo, doesn’t JUST have chase drive, but a strong grab drive too! I’m not sure if he’d eat the rabbit - as I never gave him the chance- but I suspect he would.

Just because a dog likes to chase, it doesn’t make it prey drive. The same goes for a dog that loves bitework. It’s not by default harnessing the dog’s 'predatory aggression'- despite it often being labelled as such to make it sound more sexy and dramatic.

Predation - by definition- is the motivation and subsequent behaviour that intends to catch, kill and potentially consume prey.

However the more frequently and determined a dog is motivated to do such, the higher/stronger we can likely consider their prey drive to be.

The consumption part is not black and white- as prior experience, hunger, the environment and human intervention can all interfere with a dog consuming prey!

A dog exhibiting aspects of the predatory sequence - including hypertrophied behaviours such as a border collie stalking, a malinois grabbing or a dog with a strong tendency to chase - does not immediately equate to that dog having prey drive.

A dog can enjoy chasing with no desire to catch. A dog can love biting with no desire to dissect and consume. Too often, the focus is on the dog's tendency for a specific behaviour and how rewarding that behaviour is rather than the considering what specific function the behaviour serves to the dog.

Enjoying rummaging through bushes at speed doesn’t mean a dog is looking for something to capture.

Stalking in anticipation or to control another individual’s movement is different to stalking to sneak up on prey without being detected.

Chasing for fun is very different to chasing to capture.

Biting to control another individual or because the action of biting and holding on simply feels good is very different to biting to kill and consume.

Dogs are too easily labelled as having ‘prey drive’ even though there doesn’t appear to be any motivation to engage in crucial parts of the predatory sequence or sometimes even to even seek actual prey. They simply engage in and enjoy certain behaviours.

Despite Amigo catching a rabbit before (no chasing involved, just grabbing), that doesn’t mean to say in this precise moment he has predatory motivation. To me his body language reads more like 'I think I just saw a rabbit!' rather than 'I'm going to catch and kill the rabbit'.

Either way, I didn’t wait to find out.

How often and intensely he seeks or has sought rabbits tells me whether he has prey drive or not and his behaviour when he has found them previously confirms the extent of this drive.

For me personally- prey drive is directed at things perceived to be prey and functions to catch, kill and if the dog is hungry enough and able to- consume.

Whilst prey drive and predatory behaviour is - in my opinion- often incorrectly applied as a label, it doesn’t make these behaviours any less challenging to manage. What’s undeniable is that these behaviours are often highly instrinsically rewarding to engage in and subsequently- justification for aversive methods is often used. “Not all dogs can be trained without them (aversive tools)”, apparently.

It must be quite the coincidence that I’ve had seven dogs to date- including sighthounds, Podenco Xs, Border Collies and my Thai street dog- and I’ve not needed to use aversive tools.

Almost all of them - very sadly- proved to me that they are capable of having prey drive. Yet, they spend (or spent) most of their walks off lead and we don’t leave a trail of death behind us.

So my bias is that if you put the graft in, have a high level of awareness of your environment and know how to support your dog (if they need your support) in their emotional and arousal regulation - then it’s completely doable to prevent chasing and manage what *may be* prey drive.

28/05/2026

NO CONTACT CONVERSATIONS

Not always easy to facilitate in 'the real world', as not all dogs are able to pause at a distance like this lovely Labrador- especially at this proximity.

However, they’re a great way of increasing a reactive dog’s exposure and help them revisit inter-dog communication without them panicking and reacting in the moment.

FOR CONTEXT: This dog was walking ahead and when pausing to sniff, we also paused. He’d glance at us before moving on and across 50 metres of path walking, we gradually got closer as and when both appeared relaxed (his owner appeared relaxed also).

This dog’s ability to look and move on told us this was a dog who could take or leave interactions- the perfect candidate for closer encounters.

We went to pass (a little wider than this) and the Labrador turned towards her, signalled he was prepared to engage and Kya counter approached.
As he was so measured, we were able to gently pause Kya’s approach to allow for them to ‘chat’ across space.

Now, many of you will likely think Kya is on the brink of reacting due to her tail carriage. It’s her default tail carriage so my focus is on her mouth (open), eyes (soft) and ears (not fixed in a pricked forward position).

Having integrated her with my dogs and observed her body language a lot, I can see she’s more curious/interested rather than poised and ready to react. That said, her tail in this video has a left hand bias which suggests she’s not overly relaxed - which doesn’t surprise me given her inexperience. This is new territory for her and it’s a head to head encounter which is higher pressure.

He’s looking and asking for a more clear signal that she’s ready to interact and that all will be well if they do get closer.

Had the car not turned up on this estate track (there's rarely cars travelling through here) then I think one of the dogs would have likely invited the interaction by taking a step towards the other.

Had this ‘stand off’ continued- I would have prompted Sienna to cue Kya to disengage.

It’s common for people with reactive dogs to get stuck prompting them to disengage, and early into their journey it’s usually necessary to prevent reactions. But down the line, we need to spot opportunities where they can start communicating with other dogs- having an opportunity to develop social skills.

For most, this is best initiated with helper dogs in controlled set ups. But if they're ever going to cope with dogs more on walks- the next step is identifying calm and 'measured' dogs and increasing exposure if and when appropriate.

The term I coined for this is 'no contact conversations' and they do not have to happen this close to be of benefit, nor do they have to go on for ages. You allow the dogs to start communicating, and you still bring your dog away ideally BEFORE they react.

Sometimes you can bring them away for a break and then allow a second ‘chat’. The preview and knowing the other dog lets them easily move away often promotes things to go well should the dogs get closer on round two (or three). In this instance, we moved on and ended it there.

26/05/2026

When my dogs encounter another dog and it’s appropriate for all to mingle, I do not let them all go in to sniff at once, instead creating a staggered greeting.

They (and me!) are all a little fogged over at the end of a long walk here, so this isn’t the cleanest version of a demo but it shows me ensuring Boyo the senior Corgi is easily able to move out of the interaction and get to his owner.

Even if a dog knows a group of dogs well- having multiple individuals swoop in for a sniff can be overwhelming as the dog will be well aware that they’re outnumbered and at a disadvantage.

I tend to recall two dogs, let one dog sniff and as that dog disengages release the second to sniff and repeat for the third. (Rusty the fourth dog is a friend’s dog and they’re walking with us).

In this video, Kanita (who fancies Boyo as he’s an entire male) continues her sniff and as Mohawk curves to sniff his bottom a couple of seconds after she starts- I let him continue knowing Kanita will soon disengage.

If I can observe that my dogs will do all of this without my input- I back off and leave them be whilst monitoring the situation. But when they’re all in close proximity to me a ‘trickle in’ approach is often needed out of respect for the other dog.

So often owners don’t realise what I’m doing and say “oh they’re fine” when they see me recall away. Observing their dog’s body language reassures me it’s the right thing for me to do!

Their discomfort can be discreet!
Hesitation, freezing, ears pulled back, tension in the face and tails lowering slightly are all signs they may feel overwhelmed.

But every now and then a dog’s owner thanks for as they acknowledge their dog can find it difficult to be ‘swarmed’. This is especially the case for older and smaller dogs.

Of course if a dog needs space altogether - none of my guys will be released to interact and we simply pass by!

25/05/2026

💕 THANKS AND FAREWELL TO HAYLEY 💕

Sadly, this is Hayley’s last week with us as she gears up to head for pastures completely new - a job in the sustainable energy industry!

Hayley has been on the team for 3.5 years and during her first year gained her Clinical Animal Behaviourist Accreditation.

During this time we have often met for walks and also had some cracking team get togethers. Although I am still emotionally recovering from the time she beat me at crazy golf by one mere point.

She comes across as a nice lady, but in a sporting environment her severe competitive side is revealed.

Abi and I screeched with excitement and terror during laser quest as Hayley went all Terminator, springing out from around a corner, silently walking straight towards us with purpose and shooting at us with ZERO emotion on her face!

That said, Emily was the one who fired the most shots… the dark horse!

I’ll be taking on most of Hayley’s cases who need support and the rest of the team will be chipping in the with separation anxiety support and walk n trains.

We are a close knit team and will continue to stay in touch with Hayley- and my guys will continue to see Otto the Silken Windhound aka POS for walks!

I’m not sure if I will invite her to any sporting activity the team does as it inevitably will mean I’ll lose….I’ll mull it over! 😂

Thank you to Hayley for all of your hard work and well done for getting out of this industry in one piece 😂

24/05/2026

Despite what some loud voices on social media say - we aren’t all consistently encouraging avoidance!

When dogs and clients are ready - exposure out on walks is a crucial part of dog-dog rehab. Working in secure fields, in more controlled environments or even ‘neutrality walks’ risks missing opportunity to rehearse for the experiences our clients struggle with.

I want my clients to get maximum opportunity to practise on my sessions- including with unfamiliar dogs in unpredictable situations - so we can be sure they and their dog are making the desired progress.

However, sometimes there aren’t other dogs around! Then what?!

A couple of weeks back I had two clients travel from afar to work with me. The weather wasn’t great so I anticipated there may not be many dogs around! Both clients had shorter 1-2-1s - so not to neglect coaching on navigating walks (and both had a few close encounters with dogs each) before over lapping their sessions to finish with a 30 minute social walk.

Whilst we don’t want to put two explosively reactive dogs together, we shouldn’t be so cautious of teaming up dogs together when they cope well with controlled experiences.
Whilst helper dogs help sensitive dogs succeed - at some point we need to carefully weave in the challenges dogs face on their walks.

Other dogs on walks may stare, take longer to disengage, put dogs under higher pressure to interact. Some will appear less relaxed about a potential interaction, some may behave and move around in a less than predictable manner others may be more aroused.

Not all calm and experienced helper dogs will provide the opportunity for dogs to experience these things at an intensity they can work through.

Relying on brief encounters on walks risks things going t**s up- resulting in a negative experience that is more likely to be consolidated in the memory.

We don’t want dogs lunging and screaming at one another- but teaming them up with dogs who behave less than perfectly gives an opportunity for them to experience a little increase in challenge, without it going too far.

I say all that- but both Leo and Kya were both really relaxed the whole time! 😂🤷‍♀️

22/05/2026

PRIMITIVE BREEDS / TYPES WILL HUMBLE MOST DOG TRAINERS!

After working with dogs for 16 years- there are a few breeds I’ve not yet worked with. So when Team Rhea inquired about training for their young, Korean Jindo- I made space in my diary!

I have a soft spot for primitive breeds. I love how complex they are.

Their high level of independence means that training requires patience, a good understanding of premack and a refined ability to read what they are motivated for and when.

They may not feel food motivated right now, but they could be ten metres down the road!

They may be up for play as a reward, sometimes…. but be prepared to feel judged if you dare to use the wrong toy, get the intensity wrong or try too many times.

They enjoy novelty- until something isn’t novel anymore. So good luck testing whether chasing a treat is rewarding for them after a two-walk break and I wish you even more luck thinking up all the different ways you can use food, toys, praise, movement and your facial expression to reward.

They love problem solving- but if your training sessions are too long, they can saunter off mid session and leave you stood alone considering your life choices.

They are energy efficient dogs. A wait/stop often makes more sense to them than doing a u-turn only to resume travelling in the direction they were heading.

Social- but VERY selective as they mature, most primitive breeds develop a VERY refined criteria for mutually enjoyable social interactions. They can be terrible ‘bullies’ towards less confident dogs and quick to provide steep learning curves to those who make a perceived social faux pas.

If they don’t like a person, given the opportunity they’ll be aloof and discreetly avoidant- but their motivation to acquire information (looking, sniffing) can be easily mistaken by some as pro-social cues.

You don't request an invitation to their social circle, instead you wait and see whether an invite turns up in the post.

Quick to make strong negative associations- forward planning is a must in terms of preventing unpleasant experiences- such as when visiting the vets or attending to some healthcare matters yourself.

Sensitive - but still often very confident. These dogs will often help you learn more about the world through a dog’s senses than you ever thought was possible. You learn about the activity and potential whereabouts of wildlife, prey and potential threats through how your dog responds to the environment- providing you are observing closely enough.

Their phenotype gives the impression of being 'assertive', 'dominant' and confident- so you have to learn to spot small muscle movements and micro second moments of hesitation to recognise when they are starting to feel anxious.

By the time you see the more obvious and 'classic' signals and behaviours - the window for successful intervention is long gone.

Your next job is to help them let you help them! Primitive breeds are reluctant to relinquish or share responsibilty to and with us mere mortals.

One of the most important lessons to learn with primitive breeds (and any dog from any breed- of course) is when to back off and leave them be! How to give them space without them rehearsing undesired behaviours. In my experience, primitive breeds require extra consideration towards when your well intended attempt at motivating and rewarding becomes nagging and subsequently- aversive.

There’s so much talk online about working with powerful ‘high calibre’ and ‘high drive’ breeds being epitome of dog training skill.

Of course, they bring their own challenges- all dogs do! But in my experience- primitive breeds can provide learning opportunities we may miss when we focus on other breeds.

Their genetics often motivate fierce independence. If you can motivate them to enjoy working and being with you without utilising avoidance, higher intensity pressure, startle, discomfort - then I promise you that you’ll have learned more about body language, motivation and training than you thought possible.

*Disclaimer- within every population there is variation. Not all individuals of a primitive breed will match this description, nor are the descriptions unique to primitive breeds alone.

20/05/2026

I had a lovely time yesterday presenting to the wonderful trainers at Hearing Dogs for Deaf People on Resource Guarding covering both theory and practical - including a lovely demo with George the Labrador!

Thanks to Hearing Dogs for asking me to support their team’s CPD!

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People

19/05/2026

Something I remind all of my training clients is to avoid repeating a cue over and over.

“sit….. sit……. Sit!!!”

“Staaaaaaay……..staaaaaay……staaaaay”.

In some instances, something in the dog’s internal or external environment can happen at the same time as the cue and block perception and/or interefere with processing of that cue. This happens and repetition in those instances is needed - and a little pause before cuing again may support the dog perceiving and processing the second.

But constantly repeating a cue is usually a result of the training foundations of that behaviour being rushed through and the dog lacking clarity as to what is being asked/invited.

You can see in most of my videos that I am using some prompting to help Mohawk get it right. I keep an eye on whether there is reliance on prompting in the longterm and will then focus on breaking things down further- focusing on that behaviour alone in a mini session rather than mixed up amongst others such as in this
sequence.

The Mutty Professor

01/06/2026

31/05/2026

29/05/2026

28/05/2026

26/05/2026

25/05/2026

24/05/2026

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20/05/2026

19/05/2026

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