Dogs Behaving Badly, Horsham

25/08/2025

5 week outdoor puppy course in Broadbridge Heath. Starts on Tuesday 16th September at 6pm. £60. Please email [email protected] to book your place 🐾🐾🐾

02/07/2025

Running around like they've had 5 espresso shots? ⚡
All day.
Every day?
You are not alone.....it is a really common issue and done with the best of intentions.
Unfortunately it can intensify this issue.
Not decrease it.

More exercise can just mean a more over stimulated/over aroused dog that cannot calm down unless physically exhausted.

Extremes aren't helpful for these dogs.

Think about scent games, low arousal exercises and teaching them how to settle.

You cannot just stop what you have been doing with these dogs....but you can start to place limits on it while adding in tiring but low arousal activities.
Try adding in food puzzles and scent walks.
Look at other enrichment games that don't necessarily involve heavy and sustained physical activity.

Those low arousal activities have a dual effect.
They calm and tire....in a new way your dog is likely craving.

This alone helps them to rest/sleep more and settle easier.

Running a dog ragged can be unsustainable.
They may always crave more.

It is much more than many people can give.

You are not failing them....you are just learning about the need they may be searching for behind that behaviour.

19/11/2024

Some good simple advice here that I always incorporate into my training plans: Management of the environment so your pup does not get opportunities to practice unwanted behaviours

ARE YOU MANAGING?
Are you managing your dog’s environment to prevent or improve unwanted behaviour?

As people, we tend to prefer and look for the more complicated solutions to problems. This tendency is termed “complexity bias” - the tendency to prefer complicated explanations and solutions instead of looking for the simpler ones.

Surely a complicated, time consuming, detailed solution has to be more effective, superior, impressive, or correct?

Complexity bias is so relevant when it comes to changing a dog’s unwanted behaviour. We often get so stuck on trying to modify behaviour through counter conditioning, desensitization or detailed training plans when sometimes the simplest solution to the problem lies in simply managing the environment.

Dogs will do what dogs do – when an opportunity arises to help themselves to food left on a table, to bark at the gate at anyone passing by, to have a drink from that big water bowl at the perfect height, that we call a toilet, to running off with irresistibly smelly dirty underwear, to rummaging through bins in search of anything that may or may not be edible, to running out an opened door in search of adventure - the list is long - dogs will be dogs.

Parents of little children use management all the time without giving it much thought. Baby locks on cupboards, covers on electrical sockets, valuable or dangerous items put far out of reach, fences and locks around pools, etc.

We wouldn’t just train a toddler not to stick their fingers in an electrical socket, not to open cupboards, not to touch a hot plate – it’s far safer, simpler and logical to first manage the environment, to prevent potential incidents.

The same principle should apply to managing a dog’s environment to prevent unwanted behaviour.

The more a behaviour is practiced the more difficult it is to prevent. The more a behaviour is rehearsed the better dogs become at it.

Preventing the behaviour from happening in the first place by using management is the logical, simple and effective way to address it.

Be a good manager – it’s far less stressful, for both us and our dogs.

30/10/2024

The last puppy course before Christmas starts on Saturday 30th November at 11.15am. This is a 5 week course held outdoors in Broadbridge Heath. Note that the last session will be in the New Year.

Actual dates are:

Saturday 30th November
Saturday 7th December
Saturday 14th December
Saturday 21st December
Saturday 11th January

To register please email [email protected]