Know Your Dog - Behaviour & Body with Sally Lewis

30/05/2026

Chronic pain is complex.

It is not always linked to a single injury or condition and can be influenced by factors such as compensation patterns, muscular tension, previous injuries, and mobility changes.

Dogs experiencing chronic pain may show subtle signs including changes in movement, posture, behaviour, performance, or sleep.

Because chronic pain is multifactorial, support often involves a multidisciplinary approach to help improve comfort, mobility, function, and quality of life; and this is where a Galen Myotherapist is an invaluable member of your dog’s team.



Canine Posture | Soft Tissue Therapy for Dogs | Canine Myofascial Health | Canine massage

21/05/2026

What is the Difference Between Acute and Chronic Pain?

Understanding whether a condition is acute or chronic helps veterinary professionals and therapists choose the most appropriate treatment and rehabilitation approach.
Acute conditions develop suddenly and are often associated with recent pain, inflammation, heat, or swelling — such as a recent injury or conditions that require surgical intervention.

Chronic conditions develop over time and may involve ongoing stiffness, compensatory patterns, reduced mobility, or long-term musculoskeletal/myofascial changes.

Your veterinary surgeon diagnoses your dog’s condition, while a Galen Myotherapist helps support comfort, mobility, and wellbeing through tailored treatment approaches. Working alongside a multidisciplinary team, they can also help guide and support you throughout your dog’s care journey.



Canine Posture | Soft Tissue Therapy for Dogs | Canine Myofascial Health | Canine massage

19/05/2026

I was recently having a chat with somebody about what is going on with dog behaviour in this country. Because truthfully, more dogs (and people) are struggling than ever before. I think there are a few factors at play. Bad breeding. People thinking dogs are right, and not a luxury that you need to make time for, be around to care for, and meet the needs of. More dogs generally, resulting in more issues between them. The list could go on and on.
But something that is really relevant....
The situations people put their dogs and other dogs in.

In the last 7 days alone, here are some things I have encountered:
🐾 A highly stressed dog being taken into an amusement arcade, likely known for struggling in some contexts by the "I'm a bit of a pr*ck" label that had been put on their harness. This dog and another dog nearly started fighting in said amusement arcade. They could very easily have redirected onto one of the many nearby children.
🐾 Multiple reactive dogs being taken to a busy food festival.
🐾 Puppies being taken to the busy food festival to be "socialised" (overwhelmed).
🐾 Six off lead dogs charging at an on lead dog that I was with (in a 65 acre, huge space where they could have easily avoided us), none of them had any recall and I received an eyeroll from the person with them when I asked her to come and get them.
🐾 A large off lead dog charging a footfall fields length to get to us (the chap with the dog could not see us so had no idea if his dog was running at a toddler who was scared of it). When I intercepted the dog half way and took them back, I was asked "is your dog in heat?". No, they weren't. A massive dog charging at people and dogs that do not know them, with no recall (again), going well out of sight, is not a dog that is under control.
🐾 Dogs being off leads next to roads and running into the road.
🐾 Off lead dogs in car parks running at and pinning down on lead dogs.
🐾 Dogs struggling in cafes. There is a modern day expectation that dogs should be able to settle under the table in pubs or cafes. For many dogs, this is an overwhelming space where they can feel confined and struggle to relax. Some dogs can settle in this environment, but not all find it easy. This id especially difficult for dogs who experience issues with pain, as often they are taken into these environments after walks, and asked to settle on an uncomfortable floor, with lots of people moving around them.

There is a common theme here. People are choosing to put their dogs in some really crap situations. Nobody can read dog body language, either, so everyone happens "with no warning" when there are escalations. Ultimately, this results in stress to their dog (and potential physical harm), stress to other people, and stress to other dogs.
So when we wonder why behaviour problems seems to be on the rise...perhaps we need to look at human behaviour first. Dogs don't need to be in arcades. They don't need to be at food festivals. They shouldn't be off the lead unless it is safe for them to be, and they should be in sight and under control.
I see constant uproar when dogs stop being allowed in certain establishments, nobody likes tighter dog control rules. But this is why it is happening. Accountability lands with humans first.

Edit: if your dog is genuinely comfortable in certain situations e.g. under the table at the pub, snoozing away, then this doesn't apply to you! This post is about when dogs who cannot cope with certain situations are put in them anyway, or about dogs who are put in risky situations because little regard is given for the consequences.
Second edit...
If you disagree with this post then that is absolutely fine, but please do it respectfully. What I witnessed this week (two dogs who needed to be separated due to a very quick escalation between them, in an amusement arcade full of 2 - 7 year old children) was not alright, and totally unnecessary. The dogs did not need to be in an amusement arcade where neither of them were comfortable, and had nowhere to go.

17/05/2026

I've met lots of new dogs this month, two of which were Sia and Fenra!
Fenra (on the right) is a Tamaskan Wolf Dog, which is a breed you don't see around a lot.

I am now fully booked for new clients for June, but will be opening my July diary next week, so drop me a message if you wanted some behaviour support.

09/05/2026

What a great morning! A one to one follow up with Darcy, who is doing so incredibly well. She has come a very long way from the highly nervous girl I first met. Darcy would pull a lot, was spooked by a lot, ran around in a way that would appear as excitement, but really she struggled with taking the world in and was a bit frantic. Now she engages beautifully with her mum, stops to process things she isn't sure about, has a nice slow mooch to information gather, and takes new things in her stride. She still has a couple of areas where we can offer her further support, but she is such a different dog, and this is a reflection of how hard her mum has worked to support her confidence building.

Next up today was a social walk. A small group, but the dynamics between these dogs was really beautiful, and they enjoyed a calm walk together.

01/05/2026

At Atticus, we believe it truly takes a village. No matter how much any of us study or specialise, none of us will ever know it all, and that’s why we’re so grateful for the incredible professionals who share their knowledge with us. Atticus isn’t built on our expertise alone, but on the collective wisdom of brilliant animal practitioners who are working every day to make the world kinder and safer for animals.

This week, we want to say a huge thank you to our friend Sally Lewis from Know Your Dog - Behaviour & Body with Sally Lewis

Sally is an exceptional behaviour practitioner with a deep understanding of how animals communicate, learn, and cope with the world around them. Her insights bring so much clarity and compassion to the way we support both guardians and their animals. Sally is also amazing at canine movement and is currently studying to become a Galen Myotherapist.

We’re incredibly lucky to have Sally contributing to our Guinea Pig Course, helping guardians understand these sensitive, often misunderstood little animals with more confidence and empathy. And we’re equally grateful to have her, along with other members of the Galen team contributing to our Dog Tools Course (coming later in the year), offering thoughtful, welfare‑centred guidance on how to choose and use equipment in ways that truly support dogs’ physical and emotional wellbeing.

We’re honoured to have such generous, knowledgeable professionals in our village, and we can’t wait for you to learn from them too.

30/04/2026

The term “mild” is used constantly in both human and veterinary medicine. Mild arthritis. Mild disc disease. Mild inflammation. On paper, it sounds reassuring. It suggests something small, manageable, perhaps even insignificant. But when it comes to pain, “mild” means almost nothing.

Pain is a subjective, individual experience shaped by the nervous system, emotional state, environment, and prior history. A “mild” finding on a scan can exist alongside severe, life altering pain. Equally, a “severe” diagnosis may present with very little outward discomfort. For example, “mild disc protrusion” describes the degree of displacement, not the impact it is having on the individual.

Pain is produced by the brain after integrating multiple inputs. These include sensory input such as tissue damage, inflammation, or nerve irritation, but also emotional state, including fear, anxiety, and frustration. Environmental context plays a role, such as predictability, safety, and noise levels. Learning history matters, including previous experiences of pain or repeated stress exposure. Internal physiology is also relevant, including fatigue, illness, and hormonal state.

This is why two individuals with the same “mild” diagnosis can have completely different experiences. One may cope relatively well, while another may be overwhelmed.

In practical terms, a dog with “mild” spinal changes may react strongly to handling, show sudden behavioural changes, or become noise sensitive and easily overwhelmed. These are not disproportionate responses. They are often indicators of how that individual is experiencing their internal state.

Dogs do not report pain verbally. Instead, they communicate through behaviour. When a diagnosis is labelled “mild,” it becomes very easy to dismiss what we are seeing. People may say, “It’s only mild, so it can’t be causing this,” or assume, “It must be behavioural,” or interpret the dog as reactive, stubborn, or anxious.

Pain increases anxiety. Anxiety increases pain. Because pain is subjective and difficult to measure directly, pain trials are often one of the most informative tools available.

“Mild” means nothing if the experience is not mild.

22/04/2026

Link absolutely smashed it today 🙌 this was our first follow up after meeting four weeks ago. We went somewhere a little busier, but with plenty of space, options to create distance from triggers, and choices for Link. Given than this was a new spot for him, I wasn't expecting that we would spend too long around additional triggers, but he did so well. Mum's handling was also fantastic, which helps! Well done Link.

When introducing your sensitive dog to new spaces, try to:
✨️ Go on a quieter day, and make sure they aren't overwhelmed
✨️ Let them spend time watching things in the environment
✨️ Let them explore through scenting
✨️ Ensure they have the ability to move away from things, avoiding narrow spaces
✨️ Encourage them to be a dog and decompress through activities like scatter feeding

21/04/2026

It was great to meet Leo today - such a handsome boy! Might be one of the chillest beagles I have met in a long time. Leo and his mum came to me for some help understanding some of his behaviour around certain dogs and people, and what we can do to help him with this. My behavioural support plans always start off with physical health and wellbeing, so a couple of tweaks here to help him be his best inside & out, which is the foundation of helping him to regulate in certain situations.

19/04/2026

Today, I saw a post about a topic that is being presented at a dog behaviour event that is not small. I'm not going to lie. I sighed. I saw the subject matter and thought "how is this still the focus? How are we still talking about arbitrary training for complex dogs?" By this, I mean training that really holds no benefit to the dog.
And that is why I am so excited to speak at the Canine Wellness Conference in November.

So often, I see dogs who have been to many other trainers and even behaviourists before me. The suggestions made haven't been "bad" or unkind - but they haven't been right for the dog. They haven't been what that dog needed because they haven't considered the full picture. You can't train away issues with pain, diet, illness, lack of restorative sleep. You need to address these issues in their own right.

Sometimes when positive methods "don't work", it can lead to the guardian using aversives instead. In so many cases where people have come to me because they are stuck and don't know what to do next - they love their dog dearly and feel stuck - there has been a huge physical component missed out which is effecting behaviour.

This conference is not going to be full of arbitrary information that you can learn from a lot of other sources. This is holistic dog welfare. This is behaviour that is supported from the inside & outside. This is when I see real change happening. I am delighted to be speaking alongside some truly amazing professionals, for what is going to be a wonderful weekend.

Hope to see you there.

We’ve been absolutely blown away by the response to the conference.

Dan and I have spent time at The Falcon Hotel making sure everything is perfect for you, checking the layout, the food (hard job, but someone has to do it), confirming the bar is close enough 😉, and of course making sure the goodie bags are bursting.

Our ridiculously low Early Bird price genuinely doesn’t reflect the quality of this event.

We have 11 incredible speakers, a beautiful venue, a stunning location, and even entertainment. We simply believe that education should be accessible , and that’s why we’ve kept the cost so low.

Early Bird tickets end on 1st May, so don’t miss out.

And don’t forget: you can always pop in to see me and Dan in the shop on Mondays for harness fittings, behaviour support, and nutrition guidance. We love seeing you and your dogs in person.

https://www.thedogwitchwholehealthandbehaviour.com/the-canine-wellness-conference