Know Your Dog - Behaviour & Body with Sally Lewis

Know Your Dog - Behaviour & Body with Sally Lewis South Devon. Certified Canine Behaviourist. Reactivity, fear/anxiety, and stress specialist. Holistic, fear free methods.
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🐾 Home needed for little Rex 🐾EDIT: DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF MESSAGES, I WILL NOT BE RESPONDING TO FURTHER MESSAGES/COM...
30/08/2026

🐾 Home needed for little Rex 🐾

EDIT: DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF MESSAGES, I WILL NOT BE RESPONDING TO FURTHER MESSAGES/COMMENTS AT THIS TIME, UNTIL DISCUSSIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE REGARDING A POTENTIAL MATCH.
I AM NOW OFF WORK UNTIL 7TH SEPT.

Absolutely NO judgmental comments please. I can attest to how much Rex's guardian loves him, and puts his needs first, having met and worked with them myself. This has arisen through nobody's fault. Below is wording from his guardian, plus my notes at the bottom, having recently worked with Rex. If you think you might be the right person for Rex, please DM me, and I will put you in touch with his guardian. Rex is located in South Devon.

💙 Rex is a 4-year-old Miniature Dachshund who is an incredibly loving, affectionate and loyal little dog. He is very calm around children and absolutely thrives around people. He loves his walks, sniffing and exploring, and is particularly food-motivated when it comes to enrichment.

Rex is happiest when he has company and can find being left alone difficult. Since becoming an only dog, it has become increasingly clear that he needs more companionship and consistency than his current home and lifestyle can provide. His owner works long hours and, as the only person in the household, simply cannot be around as much as Rex needs.

This is an incredibly difficult decision and has not been taken lightly. His owner loves him very much, but ultimately feels that Rex’s happiness and quality of life have to come first. We are therefore looking for a home where he can have more company.

Rex has already come a long way with his behaviour and confidence. He is eager to learn, responds well to positive reinforcement and enjoys learning and exploring new things. With the right environment and support, there is lots of potential for him to continue developing.

His new family would need to understand that companionship is particularly important to him and be willing to support him patiently with being left.

If you feel you could potentially offer Rex the right home, please get in touch. We would particularly love to hear from people with experience of Dachshunds and/or dogs who struggle with being left alone.

🐾Behaviourist's note: Rex is a truly wonderful little dog who will make a fantastic companion & family member in his new home. I feel that Rex could live with another dog pending meet and greets going well. Rex would be happiest in a home with companionship available through the day, as he finds being alone very difficult. He would also benefit from a home who will continue building on the fantastic work his guardian has been doing to help with his feelings around other dogs on walks, using understanding and kind methods. Rex is eager to learn and responds very well to positive reinforcement.

Note: for anyone concerned, Rex will not be rehomed to "just anyone". His home will be chosen by his family to suit his needs.

** out of office **I'm now taking a break from work until 7th September. I will not be accessing messages or emails unti...
30/08/2026

** out of office **

I'm now taking a break from work until 7th September. I will not be accessing messages or emails until then.

Looking for help with your dog's behaviour?I am now taking bookings for October.My name is Sally, and I'm a behaviourist...
27/08/2026

Looking for help with your dog's behaviour?
I am now taking bookings for October.
My name is Sally, and I'm a behaviourist with 10 years professional experience. I specialise in helping reactive, anxious, or stressed dogs. I can also help you with over stimulation, frustration, recall, and other challenges you may be facing.
During appointments, we assess your dog's physical wellbeing (which so often feeds into their behaviour), emotional wellbeing, and lifestyle, in the context of understanding their behaviour. My approach prioritises both physical and emotional wellbeing. The result in happy, comfortable dogs, and improving the CAUSES of their behaviour, not just masking the symptoms. I use holistic, ethical methods, and do not support the use of shock collars, prong collars, or choke chains. DM me if you'd like to start your behaviour support journey.

It's been a while since Oggy has just popped himself in a "middle" between my legs ♥️😂 absolutely smashed his appointmen...
26/08/2026

It's been a while since Oggy has just popped himself in a "middle" between my legs ♥️😂 absolutely smashed his appointment this week despite the fact he is going through a tricky patch. His family's continuous support and understanding never ceases to bring a smile to my face. Some dogs are so blessed to be with the right people, and Oggy really is one of them.

Sorry I've been quiet this week. Summer holidays involve a lot of juggling!🐾 Daisy and Ella. I have been working with Da...
21/08/2026

Sorry I've been quiet this week. Summer holidays involve a lot of juggling!

🐾 Daisy and Ella. I have been working with Daisy for a little while now. She came along to my recall classes. E ause her recall around other dogs was...not great! She also liked to chase birds. Now, Daisy processes other dogs calmly, makes the choice to return when called, or keeps her greetings quite short. She can watch birds without bolting. Now that off lead time can be significantly increased, we have brought her sister into the equation. Ella, the smaller cockapoo, LOVES to chase birss. She spends most of her walk searching for birds to flush out. Her high arousal levels impact Daisy's ability to focus and respond. We have a plan for both girls, including improving Daisy's impulse control further, whilst acknowledging that Ella's high arousal levels, and chasing her sister when she goes after birds, tends to affect her responsiveness. Although Ella's recall is good, we are working on helping her to slow down too, so that her emotional energy doesn't tip over to Daisy ans cause her to go over threshold.

🐾 A check in with Luna. It is always such a delight seeing this big softie. We went for a walk in a place that was busier than we have for a while, to check in on her progress, responses, regulation, and also her movement.

Proud behaviourist moment!This little lady is Darcy. When I first started working with her, she looked to most people li...
13/08/2026

Proud behaviourist moment!
This little lady is Darcy. When I first started working with her, she looked to most people like an excitable dog that liked to run around, and pulled on her lead. But Darcy was actually a very nervous girl and struggled because of this. Things with wheels, traffic, loud noises, kids, busy areas - it was all too much.
One of the first things I noticed with Darcy was an abnormal gait. Based on her movement and behaviour, I did suspect pain was a factor. Most people think that dogs who are in pain won't want to run, play, or go about their day "normally", but this is not how chronic pain presents. Darcy's mum got her some x-rays and a diagnosis which means her exercise can be adapted to suit her condition, and she has a pain management plan.
Alongside all of this, her and her mum have worked very hard together to support confidence building, slowing down, calm processing, and to help Darcy feel differently in areas where she may have struggled before. Behaviour change rooted in confidence building and not suppression does not happen overnight, and Darcy's mum has put the work in.

Yesterday we were able to go for a walk in Dawlish Warren during the summer holidays. Darcy enjoyed herself, mum worked with her beautifully. She was able to check in with mum if she wasn't sure, calmly process, and carry on. Yesterday's walk was an incredible testament to how far Darcy has come and I am really proud of her. Trains, the noise of the go karts, children on scooters, people, dogs. She took it all in her stride ❤️

Well done Jo & Darcy 👏

Two of today's dogs...I am actually helping with Spud (the spaniel at the back), but Diesel likes to be very much involv...
11/08/2026

Two of today's dogs...I am actually helping with Spud (the spaniel at the back), but Diesel likes to be very much involved and makes sure I leave covered in a sufficient amount of slobber 😂 always happy to receive rottie cuddles.

I always post about how proud I am of everyone else's dogs, but now it's my Frankie's turn 🐾Frankie had to go to the vet...
04/08/2026

I always post about how proud I am of everyone else's dogs, but now it's my Frankie's turn 🐾
Frankie had to go to the vets yesterday for a routine medication check (if your dog is on long term meds, this takes place at the frequency that suits them as a dog). Every now and again if your dog is on long term meds, they may need a blood test to make sure everything is fine inside as well as out.
Frankie can be conflicted at the vet. He loves the new friends but does not want to be poked. He tries his hardest but the whole situation can be a bit stressful for him. He has come so far with veterinary handling over the years. Yesterday he let the lovely team at Whiskers Veterinary Practice take his bloods. Afterwards, he was able to sit on the scales and wait with me with multiple other dogs in the waiting room while we paid. This was such a big vets trip for him and I am so proud of how he did.

It is really important than you feel you are with the veterinary practice that is right for you and your dog. I can't recommend Whiskers more highly. They go above and beyond for the emotional wellbeing of every dog that I know is registered with them. They don't rush, they listen, and you can tell they really care.

The good news is that Frankie's bloods were fine ❤️

🌞 Hot Weather Policy - one to one appointments 🌞With the unusually high temperatures this summer, I’ve had to postpone a...
29/07/2026

🌞 Hot Weather Policy - one to one appointments 🌞

With the unusually high temperatures this summer, I’ve had to postpone a large number of one to one behaviour sessions, and as a small business, this has already resulted in hundreds of pounds in lost income before August has even arrived.
To protect dog welfare and keep behaviour plans moving forward, I’m introducing a clear Hot Weather Policy.

What this means:
I have always approached appointments on an individual basis, considering:
Breed type,
Age,
Weight/body condition,
Health conditions,
Behavioural goals,
Environmental factors such as shade, humidity, and the type of work planned.

This allows me to make safe, informed decisions.

Adapted sessions:
If full outdoor work isn’t suitable, your session will be adapted, not automatically cancelled. Adaptations may include indoor consults, garden‑based observation (if you are local to me), short outdoor assessments, owner‑only coaching, enrichment planning, or video‑based follow‑ups. These are all valid, effective behaviour services which allow me to review your dog's behavioural presentation, provide continuity in support, and make ongoing recommendations. An exception to adaptations is full behavioural assessments which do need to take place over 1.5 - 2 hours outside.

Postponements:
If an adapted session isn’t appropriate for the work we’re doing with your dog, I will offer one postponement.
If conditions still require an adapted session at the rescheduled appointment, then we will proceed with an adapted session to avoid long gaps in behaviour work.

Why this matters:
This policy keeps dogs safe and keeps behaviour plans progressing.

I will always make appropriate judgment calls based on our plan for your dog - the work I do with reactive dogs (which often involves a lot of slow sniffing around and calm watching) is extremely different to say, teaching an adolescent dog recall.

Thank you for your understanding and for supporting ethical, welfare‑led behaviour work. If you have any questions about how this applies to your dog, just drop me a message.

Puppies 🐾 I am contacted about puppies a lot, so here is a little update on what I offer & why.If you’re looking for a c...
27/07/2026

Puppies 🐾 I am contacted about puppies a lot, so here is a little update on what I offer & why.

If you’re looking for a class that teaches positions like sit and down, that’s not what I offer. Traditional puppy classes teach obedience cues. My work teaches understanding, confidence, and emotional stability.

A puppy can learn a sit in minutes.
But that doesn’t help guardians understand why their puppy behaves the way they do, what developmental stage they’re in, or how to prevent issues like frustration, worry, or overwhelm before they start.

My focus is on giving you the knowledge and skills to raise a confident, resilient young dog. That means we work on the following.

🐾 Behaviour understanding: reading signals, spotting early stress, recognising displacement behaviour, and knowing what’s normal.
🐾 Developmental periods: fear periods, adolescence, and how these affect your young dog (potentially shaping adult behaviour).
🐾 Confidence building: helping puppies feel secure enough to explore, learn, and make good choices.
🐾 Calm processing: teaching puppies how to handle novelty, excitement, and frustration without tipping into overwhelm.
🐾 Safe interactions around people and resources: preventing guarding, conflict, and stress.
🐾 Long‑term resilience: building the foundations that matter in real life.
🐾 Puppy troubleshooting: how much sleep they need, how to avoid over exercising, teething, providing mental stimulation, and facilitating healthy joint growth.

These skills create dogs who can cope with every day life. Importantly, they also give you the knowledge to understand and read your dog.

Traditional classes absolutely have their place, and many trainers run them brilliantly. They’re simply designed for teaching behaviours. My work is designed for long‑term behaviour stability and emotional wellbeing. I'm not knocking traditional classes, and if that is what you're after, then I can signpost you to those who run them. Many people choose to go to traditional classes but see me as well, which is absolutely fine.

I am booking for September now. If you would like to work with me for supporting your puppy's growth and resilience, it is sometimes worth getting in touch before you bring your pup home, so that we have time scheduled in when you need it.

Address

Dawlish
DEVON

Telephone

+447824512885

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