Know Your Dog - Behaviour & Training with Sally Lewis

01/07/2025

Does your dog bark, lunge, or growl at other dogs, people, cyclists, traffic, or other things on their walks?
Do you want to help your dog to behave differently, and understand why they behave that way in the first place?
Do you work with dogs, as a dog walker or other canine professional?

I will be running my "Understanding Reactivity in Dogs" seminar on 23rd August, 9:45am - 11:45am (plus Q&A time at the end) in Holcombe (just outside Dawlish). This is my third time running this seminar, it has sold out on previous occasions and the feedback has always been very positive, with attendees saying that they learnt a lot of new things which enabled them to help their dog.

In this seminar we will be going through lots of potential causes of reactivity, talking about what is happening within your dog's body during reactions, contributions to reactive behaviour, buckets and bubbles (this will make sense after the seminar!), having a brief look at body language, and more. Your reactive dog is not being stubborn, naughty, or dominant. Come along and join us for an informative, but informal two hours. Only £18 per person.

There are no dogs at this event, this is an opportunity for you to learn more about reactive behaviour, causes, and some ways you can start to help your dog. Prior booking essential. This usually sells out so don't miss out. Message this page, or email [email protected]

About me: I'm an award-winning, highly qualified canine behaviourist with eight years of professional experience working with dogs of different breeds, sizes, and ages. I specialise in helping reactive dogs. I am also a published author on the topic of dog behaviour.

Where: Holcombe, EX7 0JT
When: 23rd August 2023 9.45am - 11.45am
How much: £18 per person
Who can come: anyone who lives with or works with dogs, prior booked attendees only
In-person or online: in-person

30/06/2025

We tried to make the most of shade and cool areas today on our social walk. It is nice to see some of the regular dogs getting to know each other (still with personal space respected) on these walks and growing in their confidence & sense of calm 😀

I have rare spaces on some social walks coming up through the summer. Places usually go like hot cakes and I don't often advertise them so do message me if you're interested in social walks. They're £10, on lead in an on lead only area, max 6 dogs per walk. Great for excitable dogs to learn not every dog and person is a meet and greet. Great for sensitive dogs to build their sense of safety and their confidence. If I haven't met you or your dog then I may suggest doing this first to assess your dog's suitability plus give you training tips for the walk, as these are not training classes. If you've worked with a trusted colleague and they've assessed your dog as suitable to come, then I will trust their assessment, but do need to speak to them first 🐾

30/06/2025

I've had a rare postponement, and have availability this Thursday 3rd July 11.30am - 12.30pm. Let me know if you'd like the space!

This is suitable for a one off appointment (1 hour) for life skills e.g. recall, a social walk suitability assessment, or a follow-up with an existing client. This is not suitable for a behavioural assessment for complex behaviour e.g. reactivity as I can't complete a full assessment between now and Thursday.

My usual wait time is 6 - 8 weeks so a chance to skip the queue.

30/06/2025

The recent adventures of Frankie pig in the heat 🌞😂 Frankie overheats very easily so his preferred activity on a very warm day is....sleeping. What have your dogs been doing recently to stay cool?

I also wanted to put up a post about payment terms. This isn't new information, just a reminder. When you book with me, you are sent details confirming the cost of whatever you've booked (of course you are told this before booking too), and how to pay. I request payment within 3 days of booking with me. I generally give people a nudge after this, but your appointment is not secure until payment is received, and non-payment may result in you losing this.
If you communicate with me that you need extra time to pay, then I always work something out with you! Communication is key.

I don't do this to be difficult, and believe me, nothing feels more uncomfortable for me than sending payment reminders. The reason I have these strict payment terms is because this job is my profession and my sole income. If people choose not to pay me for several weeks, to then cancel their appointment, this potentially results in me losing income. It happened before (hence why I now have these terms). I can't risk that, especially when I take limited new clients per month to ensure that I offer all of my clients the time that they need going forward in my diary. If I've taken you on as a client, there's a pretty high likelihood that somebody else has been referred on or put on a waiting list, and might have found help elsewhere.

Please remember that I am a one man band and this isn't a hobby, it's how I keep a roof over my head & food on our table.

27/06/2025

Over the last week, some of my clients have shared some of their stories about my observations of their dog's movement/posture/coat, and what this lead to for their dog. Thank-you all so much for sharing. Physical health is such a huge factor in behaviour and should never be overlooked.

The way a dog stands, moves, and carries tension tells us a great deal about their daily physical experience—but subtle changes are often overlooked, especially in a vet setting, where time and environmental factors make thorough movement analysis difficult.

This online movement & data gathering service, helps dog guardians collect detailed observations to support their dog’s well-being and ensure concerns aren’t dismissed due to undetected physical discomfort. Many dogs receive a clean bill of health despite subtle gait abnormalities or posture adaptations, which, when identified, often lead to relief through physiotherapy or veterinary intervention.

What’s Included:

✔ Gait analysis – Assessing movement in both a walk and trot
✔ Posture & coat pattern review – Identifying subtle physical shifts
✔ Guardian observations – A structured form for tracking daily movement, past injuries, and surgical history
✔ Behavioural insights screening – A yes/no questionnaire for spotting potential discomfort-related behaviors
✔ Detailed report – Comprehensive findings with recommendations for veterinary or physiotherapy follow-up

💡 This is not a behavioural assessment or a diagnosis—it’s a data-gathering tool designed to give dog guardians the evidence needed to advocate for their dog’s health. No diagnosis will be provided, but the insights can be instrumental in securing treatment when movement irregularities are missed in standard check-ups.

This is not a behavioural assessment, and behaviour advice will not be given. This is a data gathering assessment to help you pull together essential observations so that your dog can get the help that they need.

I am more than happy for behaviourists who are not confident in gait analysis themselves, to refer their clients to me for this service, and I can provide you both with the report so that you can continue together with this information in hand.

Below are some examples of how my observations have helped dogs receive the medical investigations they have needed, to receive treatment, relief, and in some cases a medical diagnosis.

https://knowyourdogdevon.com/online-movement-assessment-data-gathering/

24/06/2025

Places are now being booked for this. There are limited places available for this so don't miss out. This is a great option if you want to learn more about dog behaviour, have a reactive dog yourself, or work with dogs in any capacity (rescue, groomer, vet, vet nurse, dog walker/sitter/boarder, trainer).

Do you have a dog that barks or lunges at people, dogs, cyclists, traffic, or anything else?
Do you work with dogs?
I will be running my "Understanding Reactivity in Dogs" seminar on 23rd August, 9:45am - 11:45am (plus Q&A time at the end) in Holcombe (just outside Dawlish).
In this seminar we will be going through lots of potential causes of reactivity, talking about what is happening within your dog's body during reactions, contributions to reactive behaviour, buckets and bubbles (this will make sense after the seminar!), having a brief look at body language, and more. Your reactive dog is not being stubborn, naughty, or dominant. Come along and join us for an informative, but informal two hours. Only £18 per person.
There are no dogs at this event, this is an opportunity for you to learn more about reactive behaviour, causes, and some ways you can start to help your dog. Prior booking essential. This usually sells out so don't miss out. Message this page, or email [email protected]

23/06/2025

Thanks to Trick Woofs for this very relatable post.
Anyone who has had a sensitive or fearful dog knows how this feels.

My Frankie was attacked and received several bites from an off lead dog. He never retaliated. But that, compounded with lots of over friendly dogs charging up to us, made life hard for a while. We worked hard to build his confidence back up. He is fine around other dogs nowadays and can make friends, he just doesn't want them charging up in his face when he doesn't know them (which isn't abnormal as it's pretty rude).
But please spare some thoughts for the dogs & people who have gone through it like that.
If a person is terrified by an off lead dog, we don't hold it against them for being wary of other dogs, so we shouldn't hold it against dogs either.
It could very easily happen to you, even if it hasn't before.

Keeping your dog under control can make a huge difference to someone who is facing a struggle you haven’t yet lived.

23/06/2025

I am often asked for dog walker recommendations. Knowing what to look out for in a good, trustworthy dog walker can be tricky especially as there is no industry regulation and a highly saturated market, so I have put this blog post together.

I am asked for dog walker recommendations a lot. There’s a lot of dog walkers around, with so many new ones popping up regularly. I thought it would be more useful for me to share my dog walker & #8…

21/06/2025

It was great to meet Maize this weekend, after chatting to her Mum over the last couple of months. Maize's behaviour largely comes from over stimulation and a full emotional bucket, so we have put together an action plan to help her with feeling less wired, to set her up for success in situations that she could otherwise find tricky. I look forward to seeing them all again soon 🐾

Shout out to Jordan from New Leash of Life. Jordan is a dog walker, and has been walking Maize for a long time now. She came along to our assessment today to participate, provide her insights from her time walking her, and take on board any recommendations so that she can continue to help Maize while she is in her care. A dog walker taking an active role in helping with your dog's behavioural support is a very good sign about how much your chosen professional cares about your dog's wellbeing.

21/06/2025

It's a special thing when two formerly reactive dogs buddy up on a social walk ❤️ understanding, patience, and empathy pays off.

20/06/2025

Do you have a dog that barks or lunges at people, dogs, cyclists, traffic, or anything else?
Do you work with dogs?

I will be running my "Understanding Reactivity in Dogs" seminar on 23rd August, 9:45am - 11:45am (plus Q&A time at the end) in Holcombe (just outside Dawlish).
In this seminar we will be going through lots of potential causes of reactivity, talking about what is happening within your dog's body during reactions, contributions to reactive behaviour, buckets and bubbles (this will make sense after the seminar!), having a brief look at body language, and more. Your reactive dog is not being stubborn, naughty, or dominant. Come along and join us for an informative, but informal two hours. Only £18 per person.

There are no dogs at this event, this is an opportunity for you to learn more about reactive behaviour, causes, and some ways you can start to help your dog. Prior booking essential. This usually sells out so don't miss out. Message this page, or email [email protected]

19/06/2025

Well done to Skyla, Cooper, Sherlock, Betty, and Riley who finished their recall course today! We built on our existing learning and practiced recalling away from people, past other dogs, and even from out of greetings with other dogs including with leads off or long lines dropped. We also practiced what many of my clients know as "loitering" and reinforcing calm during potential exciting moments. Amazing work from this group of dogs and their families.

I have one space remaining on my next group recall course. The dates are 17th July, 24th July, week off and 7th August all 7pm - 8pm. £59 for the course.