Helen Chapman Canine Behaviour

30/05/2026

🐕New research from the Royal Veterinary College has revealed that three-legged dogs use different movement strategies at different speeds, including a gallop-like gait at higher speeds that resembles movement in four-legged dogs.
It gives important new insights about limb loss which could help inform both rehabilitation strategies for canine amputees.
🤖 The findings may also help inform the development of adaptive legged robots capable of responding to limb loss.
📸Photo credit: Courtesy of Jorn Cheney
https://rvc.uk.com/tripawd-dog-research-news

21/05/2026

Behaviour = Communication.

There is a tendency to put behaviour into one of two categories: 'good' or 'bad', labels which move us away from the realisation that we need to understand the 'why' of the behaviour.

The truth is that there is no 'good' or 'bad' behaviour. It is all simply behaviour. It is something that tells us about how the dog feels in that moment.

The 'good' behaviours, the ones we like, generally mean that the dog is happy, relaxed, joyful, excited, and these are occurring in a context that we humans like.

The 'bad' behaviours will see the dog doing things we don't like, such as barking a lot, pulling on the lead, growling, etc. These we can find problematic, and we will often want those behaviours to stop.

The most important thing we can do is look at the situation and try to work out why the behaviour is happening.

Is the dog barking and/or growling because something is making them uncomfortable in that situation?

Are they pulling on the lead because they haven't really been fully shown how to walk on a loose lead?

Are they trying to run away from something that has scared them?

When we can understand the why, we can begin to understand what our dogs need in that situation and, if the behaviour is one that we find difficult and shows that the dog is struggling in a situation, we can find kind and gentle ways to make it easier on both of us.

20/05/2026

18/05/2026

It's Exercise Month at CAM! To keep your dog moving safely without triggering a painful flare-up, stick to our four golden rules of exercise:

1️⃣ Pace over Race: Slow down and let them enjoy a 'Sniffari'.
2️⃣ Ditch the Ball: Say no to high-impact twists and sudden braking.
3️⃣ Watch the Terrain: Stick to flat, even, and grippy surfaces.
4️⃣ Gear Up Safely: Protect their body with the right equipment.

The Ultimate Tool: A collar puts dangerous pressure on a sore neck and spine. A high-quality, well-fitted harness distributes weight safely, doesn't restrict their shoulders, and gives you gentle control to help them if they stumble.

🛍️ Protect their joints on every walk. Visit the CAM Shop to view CAM approved walking equipment:
https://www.camonlineshop.com/accessories/harnesses-leads-slings

18/05/2026

15/05/2026

Muzzle training isn’t about having a “dangerous dog” — it’s about being prepared, 'just in case'.

Even the calmest, friendliest dogs can react differently when they’re frightened, injured, stressed or in pain. In emergencies, during vet visits, after surgery, while travelling, or through big life changes like moving house or welcoming a new baby, a muzzle can help keep everyone safe while reducing stress for the dog.

Some dogs may also become more sensitive with age, illness or chronic pain, while others may need to wear a muzzle due to travel rules or changing legislation. Having a dog that is already calmly and positively muzzle trained means these situations are far less frightening if they ever happen.

Some example include:

• Emergencies & accidents — even friendly dogs may react when frightened, injured or in pain
• Vet visits & grooming — helps make stressful procedures safer and calmer
• Ageing, illness & pain-related behavioural changes — supports safer handling over time
• Travel & public transport — some airlines and transport services require muzzles
• Surgery recovery — can prevent licking wounds or chewing stitches
• Big life changes — useful during moves, new babies or unfamiliar visitors
• Breed-specific traits — proactive support for dogs with stronger prey drive or reactivity tendencies
• Legal requirements — some dogs may legally need to wear muzzles in public

The Just in Case campaign from The Muzzle Movement is helping to normalise muzzle training as a positive life skill — like a seatbelt: something you hope you never need, but will be grateful for if you do.

Free educational resources are available for both veterinary professionals and pet owners to help make muzzle training safe, calm and stigma-free.

Sign up here:
https://themuzzlemovement.com/pages/just-in-case-sign-up

08/05/2026

"I think the most important thing for guardians to know is that training method is a very important aspect when selecting a trainer and they should seek clarification if this information is not readily available, as this is as much (if not more!) important as knowing logistical details such as which classes are offered.”--Camila Cavalli, PhD.

If you're hiring a dog trainer, always double-check that they will only use reward-based methods.

07/05/2026

We do odd things.

We want behaviour to stop while unintentionally allowing it to be rehearsed everywhere else.

We focus heavily on the moment the behaviour appears, but much less on everything leading up to it.
The excitement beforehand.
There’s repeated rehearsal.
The environmental intensity that never changes.
And the inconsistency between situations.

They can be the exact reasons nothing changes.
Because behaviour is not isolated to just one moment.

Dogs learn from patterns.
From repetition.
From emotional outcomes.

That’s why behaviour change can sometimes feel so incredibly frustrating.
The issue is often much, much bigger than the single moment we are trying to stop.

Sometimes “nothing works” because the behaviour is still being strengthened in ways we don’t initially recognise or we miss when the same behaviour shows in a different setting.

Training the exact moment is not always the same as changing the behaviour.

07/05/2026

FRUSTRATION IN DOGS, WHATS THE BIG DEAL?
Frustration in dogs is often misunderstood, we’ve all heard people talk about ‘frustrated greeters’ and it implies that a dog may be vocal and bark but once they get there and can say hi, they are totally fine!

In my experience, frustrated greeters are actually rare. Many dogs who are reactive at a distance aren’t fine when they actually get chance to say hi! Frustration issues around other dogs aren’t always due to a lack of social contact. Frustration is complex and we need to think about what frustration actually is:

Frustration is defined as an aversive emotional reaction that results from unexpected absence of reinforcement (Domjan, 2003) or as any interference in the performance of goal-seeking activity (Dollard, 1939). That’s quite a mouthful but what it really means is that frustration feels bad, it’s a negative emotion that happened when things don’t turn out the way dogs (or people!) expect. Frustration also occurs if dogs are prevented from doing something they are driven to do, particularly if they miss out on a reward because of it.

Many dogs are frustrated around other dogs but it’s not as simple as just letting them say hi to fix it. Why isn’t it that simple?!

🛑 Frustration may be due to prevention of other goals, the dog might not actually want to say hi! They may just want to be near dogs but without interaction or they may want to get closer to investigate or they may even want to drive the other dog away! We need to think about what their goal actually is.

🐕 Frustration can occur if the expected reward is not obtained- if the other dog does not play or does not play in the desired way. We may then see a burst of frustration that can tip over into aggression.

💊 Some dogs may have pain or health issues which mean they are then sensitive about interactions when they get to the other dog and things may then go wrong. Pain issues can cause dogs to become generally frustrated as they can’t do the things they’d like to do

😑 Some dogs are conflicted and want to go and say hi but then suddenly become anxious when they get there (and may then lunge etc to try and increase distance). This is really common

🐕 Some dogs have what appears to be frustration issues but it’s due to past trauma and issues with attachment. I see many dogs with this issue and it’s not frustration at all, they are deeply traumatised dogs who are looking for safety

🐩 Some dogs have more generalised frustration issues- it’s not just about dogs, they are struggling with frustration in multiple aspects of their lives and we need to work on the underlying cause of this (pain and poor health are a huge factor in this foo)

🐶 Some dogs have very poor communication skills and so don’t do well when they actually get the chance to interact with other dogs. They may be too much for most dogs and may then get negative feedback and that can then also tip over into aggression.

Frustration based issues need a qualified and experienced professional to help as they can be complex.. So many dogs with frustration issues have underlying health issues and pain or have anxiety issues too that are contributing to stress. We need to look at the dog as a whole to see how we can help them. I’m lucky and have a team of dogs who help me and they are far better skilled than I will ever be at reading other dogs and can tell if a dog is frustrated and what help that dog needs too.

We help many dogs with frustration issues in our classes and 121s

Laura McAuliffe, 2026 Dog Communication