Helen Chapman Canine Behaviour

Helen Chapman Canine Behaviour Canine Behaviour consultations with Helen Chapman (MSc Clinical Animal Behaviour).

30/07/2026

Agency is an animal's ability to make choices and exert control over their environment in a way that aligns with their needs and preferences.

Giving our animals agency can help:
⭐ Increase their confidence
⭐ Improve their problem-solving skills
⭐ Reduce stress
⭐ Give greater satisfaction in their day-to-day lives

So, what changes can we make to give our pets more agency?

▶ Letting your pet choose when and how to interact with you or another human
▶ Letting your dog pick their walking path or direction
▶ Letting your pet pick their preferred resting areas
▶ Offering multiple toys or types of toys for your pet to choose from
▶ Providing multiple types of litter for your cat to choose from

"Animals express agency when they engage in voluntary and goal-directed behaviors that they are motivated to perform, which has both direct and indirect benefits.

Direct benefits—expressing agency can result in positive experiences and emotions such as joy and satisfaction.

Indirect benefits—expressing agency allows animals to choose resources (ex. food and resting areas) or activities that they enjoy." - Credit: https://insightfulanimals.substack.com/p/all-animals-need-choice-and-control

29/07/2026

✨ Keep your pet away from their trigger ✨

❓"Why? This isn't a permanent solution."
▶ We don't want it to be permanent, but...

Managing a pet's exposure to their triggers:

▪ Prevents the problem behavior from worsening. The more a behavior is rehearsed, the emotions and behavior involved get stronger and more resistant to change.

▪ Exposure to triggers should only happen during active behavior modification sessions, and only at a level of intensity your individual pet can successfully handle.

▪ A constant or near-constant state of stress is not conducive to learning.

28/07/2026

Choice and agency often get used interchangeably — but they’re not the same thing. 🙅

Choice is important, but agency goes deeper.
Choice is about options. Agency is about influence. It’s the difference between a dog being allowed to pick between two walking routes… and a dog who feels confident that what they do affects what happens next.

Agency is what helps dogs recover from stress faster, generalize skills better, and trust that the world is safe enough to explore. It’s not just offering choices — it’s following through in ways that make those choices matter. ❣️

When dogs consistently experience that sense of control, their nervous systems learn to relax. That’s where resilience begins. 🌱

28/07/2026

Why does my reactive dog only react to some dogs but not others? 🐕

Great observation! What are the differences you notice between the dogs your dog DOES react to versus the dogs they DON'T react to?

Size differences, breed types, energy levels, whether or not THAT dog also reacts, etc, are just a few components to pay attention to.

It's also incredibly common for a dog whose "stress bucket" is already full (or overflowing) to react more strongly to triggers. We refer to this as "trigger-stacking". Trigger-stacking can happen pretty easily on walks, especially if multiple upsetting events happen in a short period of time that we were unable to avoid or manage.

22/07/2026

When choosing a dog trainer, always ask about their approach to emotional well-being and trust-building.

How will they protect your dog's emotional health during training?

And, importantly, how will they help you both develop a deeper bond based on trust and mutual understanding?

These questions ensure you’re choosing a trainer who respects both your dog and your relationship.

21/07/2026

One of the strongest predictors of resilience is not whether a dog becomes stressed, but how quickly they recover afterwards. Research has shown that dogs who remain physiologically aroused long after a challenging event tend to have poorer behavioural outcomes than dogs who recover quickly. Recovery allows stress hormones to return to baseline and the brain to return to a state where learning can occur again.

Training sessions should therefore include opportunities for decompression, sniffing, resting and processing information rather than moving immediately from one challenge to the next.

How we train matters just as much as what we teach. Studies consistently show that reward based training creates lower stress than aversive methods. Dogs trained using punishment show more stress related behaviours, higher cortisol levels and more pessimistic responses when faced with uncertainty.

Similarly, gradual, positive exposure to situations a dog finds difficult helps build confidence, while repeatedly overwhelming the dog tends to increase fear and reduce learning.

Research demonstrates that the presence of a trusted owner can significantly reduce physiological stress, particularly in dogs with difficult early life experiences. Simply feeling safe with a familiar person helps many dogs recover more quickly and become better able to cope with challenging situations.

Rather than pushing dogs through stressful situations, our goal is to create conditions where learning becomes possible.

That usually means:

- Working below the dog's threshold.
- Increasing distance from triggers when necessary.
- Allowing observation rather than forcing interaction.
- Reinforcing calm choices and voluntary disengagement.
- Building confidence gradually through repeated success.
- Allowing time for recovery between exposures.
- Ensuring any underlying pain or medical issues have been investigated.
- Where appropriate, discussing behavioural medication with a veterinarian if anxiety is preventing learning.

Ultimately, the goal isn't simply to stop unwanted behaviours. It's to help the dog feel safe enough that they no longer need them.

15/07/2026

When the Coat Tells a Story…

This is a dog that came to see me a few years ago.

Can you spot the unusual coat patterns?

The distinct wave-like coat flicks are clearly visible across the lumbar spine (lower back) and sacral region (pelvis). Rather than lying smoothly, the coat forms obvious undulating lines running over the tissues between the lumbar mammillary processes (small bony projections on the lumbar vertebrae that provide attachment for the deep stabilising muscles) and the median sacral crest of the sacrum (the fused bones that connect the spine to the pelvis).

The lumbar spine is responsible for providing both stability and controlled movement, allowing flexion, extension and lateral bending while transmitting forces between the forelimbs and hindlimbs. The sacrum acts as the foundation of the spine, forming the vital connection with the pelvis and helping transfer propulsion from the hindquarters during movement.

On assessment, this dog was particularly reactive to even light palpation over the lumbar region.

There was marked hypertonicity (increased muscle tension) within several of the deep spinal muscles, including the erector spinae group, which helps extend and stabilise the spine, together with the spinalis, rotatores and interspinales muscles. These smaller stabilising muscles play an important role in controlling fine movements between individual vertebrae and maintaining spinal stability.

Before I even placed my hands on the dog, the coat flicks had already suggested that something in this area deserved closer attention. They certainly didn’t provide a diagnosis, but they acted as an important visual clue.

Following a thorough postural, gait and movement assessment, including evaluation of lumbar flexion and extension, I was concerned enough to refer this dog back to their vet. Although advanced diagnostic imaging was not undertaken because the caregiver chose not to pursue further investigations due to the dog’s other health conditions, the vet considered spinal disease to be the most likely cause based on the clinical findings. The dog was subsequently started on appropriate pain management.

This is why I always encourage owners to look beyond the coat’s appearance. Coat flicks do not diagnose disease, but they can sometimes highlight areas of altered tissue tension, fascial restriction or discomfort that warrant further assessment.

Have you ever noticed unusual coat flicks or wave-like patterns over your own dog’s lower back?

I’d love to see your photos in the comments. While these patterns are not always associated with pathology, they can occasionally provide valuable information that supports a thorough veterinary and musculoskeletal assessment.

References

* Stecco C. et al. (2013). Functional Atlas of the Human Fascial System. (Fascial continuity principles relevant across mammals.)
* Schleip R., Findley T., Chaitow L. & Huijing P. (2012). Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body.
* Evans HE & de Lahunta A. (2013). Miller’s Anatomy of the Dog (4th ed.).
* Dyce KM, Sack WO & Wensing CJG. (2017). Textbook of Veterinary Anatomy (5th ed.).
* Levine D., Millis DL & Taylor RA. (2014). Canine Rehabilitation and Physical Therapy (2nd ed.).

Remember: coat flicks are simply one piece of the puzzle. They should always be interpreted alongside a full clinical history, gait analysis, postural assessment, palpation and veterinary investigation.

14/07/2026

Studies on dogs, primates, and rodents show that even mild hyperthermia affects the prefrontal cortex — the part of the brain responsible for impulse control, decision‑making, and behavioural inhibition.

When body temperature rises by 1–2°C, the brain:

🔘processes information more slowly

🔘becomes more reactive to movement

🔘loses fine motor control

🔘struggles with inhibition

Heat alters the nervous system’s ability to regulate arousal

References:
Hall, E. J., Carter, A. J., & Bradshaw, J. W. S. (1999).
Effects of mild hyperthermia on working dogs.
Journal of Comparative Physiology B.

Bruchim, Y., et al. (2017).
Heat stress and the canine nervous system.
Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

Kiyatkin, E. A. (2019).
Brain hyperthermia and behavioural inhibition.

13/07/2026

Ball chasing isn’t harmless exercise 🎾

I don’t often leave a walk feeling genuinely frustrated… but this morning I did.

I know this isn’t the first time I’ve spoken about repetitive ball chasing, and it probably won’t be the last. I’ll always advocate for dogs when I believe we’re asking too much of them.

This morning I watched a larger Labrador repeatedly chasing a ball. What made it even harder to watch was that it was wrong on two counts.

Firstly, although it was early in the morning, it was already far too hot for repetitive, high-intensity exercise. Dogs simply aren’t designed to cope with sprinting backwards and forwards in this kind of heat, particularly those carrying extra weight.

Secondly, the exercise itself was repetitive ball chasing.

When I commented on the temperature, the owner’s response was, “It’s early, it isn’t that hot yet.” Then came the phrase I’ve heard countless times:

“He wouldn’t do it if he didn’t want to.”

Unfortunately, that’s not how dogs work. Many dogs will continue chasing a ball long after their body is telling them to stop because excitement, adrenaline and drive override fatigue and discomfort.

Ball chasing might look like easy exercise, but repetitive ball throwing is hard on the body. It heavily loads the forelimbs, jars the digits, carpi, elbows and shoulders, and places repeated strain through joints, tendons, ligaments and other soft tissues. Add speed, sharp turns and abrupt stopping, and you’ve got a perfect recipe for overload.

Over time, that repeated strain can contribute to microtrauma, inflammation, tissue stress and joint wear, and may play a role in the development or progression of osteoarthritis. You can often spot the regular ball chasers too — misshapen, splayed, knobbly digits are not uncommon.

The risk is even higher when:

* it’s hot
* the dog is overweight or unfit
* the ground is hard, uneven or slippery
* the dog is young, older, or already has joint issues
* the game goes on for far too long

And from a behavioural point of view, I’ll add another unpopular opinion…

If your dog already struggles to switch off, constant ball throwing can be the equivalent of giving caffeine to someone having a panic attack.

Repeated ball chasing doesn’t just create a fitter dog — it can also create a dog that is more adrenalised, more obsessive, more frantic and harder to settle. More ball throwing, more stimulation, more arousal, more chaos. Then people wonder why their dog can’t relax at home, paces the house, screams for the ball, ignores them outside or seems permanently wired.

Physical exercise creates fitter dogs.
Calmness, self-control, decompression and appropriate mental work help create calmer dogs.

Not every dog needs more exercise. Some need less stimulation, more regulation and better guidance.

This doesn’t mean dogs should never have a ball. But it does mean we need a bit more common sense around how we use them — and personally, I’d argue there are often far better ways to exercise and enrich our dogs.

If you do use a ball:

* keep retrieves short
* roll it rather than repeatedly launching it
* avoid endless sprinting and sharp repetitive turns
* and in this weather… just don’t

Because the long-term cost to a dog’s body and sometimes their nervous system is rarely worth a few minutes of “fun”.

I know I’ve written about repetitive ball throwing many times over the years, but if it makes just one owner stop and think, then it’s worth saying again. Please share and spread the word.

References
Rychel JK (2010) Diagnosis and Treatment of Osteoarthritis. Top Companion Anim Med.

Anderson KL et al. (2018) Prevalence and risk factors for osteoarthritis in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. Sci Rep.

Shaffer DM et al. (2004). How Dogs Navigate to Catch Frisbees. Psychological Science.

Marshall WG et al. (2010) Osteoarthritis and obesity in dogs: the role of weight management. Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol.

NOTE:-
I could not find any scientific studies directly proving that repetitive ball throwing causes osteoarthritis, we do know from canine biomechanics and osteoarthritis research that repeated high-speed acceleration, deceleration, twisting and impact increase loading through joints and soft tissues.

10/07/2026

If a behaviourist tells you your dog, who is fearful/distrusting of strangers, is due to you not being “alpha” enough, take that as a big red flag.

Treating a dog's emotional response as a bid for status and a reflection of “soft leadership” centres the dog and their relationship with their guardians as the problem.

Advice to withdraw affection, proximity, safety and comfort measures, and “show them who is boss” doesn’t address the fear driving the behaviour - it just removes their coping resources, strains the guardian-dog relationship, and blocks crucial understanding - ultimately making things worse.

Good behavioural support looks at why your dog feels unsafe and helps them form different associations, rather than making them feel smaller and more controlled.

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