Leadchanges

01/06/2026

Annette Bramley says Holly’s Law would stop perpetrators acquiring pets and raise awareness of domestic abuse link

21/05/2026

I have to share this as I couldn’t put it better myself. There’s generally no such thing as a quick fix!!! It’s going to take time and there will be rocks along the way. Thank you Balance Behaviour

On Patience - Yours and Theirs
Behaviour change takes time! A single session might show you what is possible - all very shiny and impressive - but this doesn't automatically transfer into daily life without some ups and downs along the way. After I leave owners are often on a high, but within days are feeling flat.
I can explain, demonstrate and coach you through it, but this needs to be internalised by both yourself and your dog and it can be a learning curve for both. It can be messy, there will be wins, and there will bad days and that is TOTALLY NORMAL. It really is. Often a really bad day comes after an excellent day - or vice versa!
Because I work with complex cases, this might not be measured in weeks, it might be months particularly where there's a history of trauma, chronic stress, or deeply embedded patterns – we're talking about an ongoing commitment rather than a fixed endpoint.
I think one of the best things I can do for an owner is to be honest about this upfront, because unrealistic expectations are one of the main reasons people give up before the work has had a chance to take hold. They've done everything right for three weeks and the dog is still reactive, and they conclude that it 'isn't working'. But three weeks is nothing for a nervous system that has been in a pattern for years. In many cases the first three weeks are a case of laying foundations so that the later training will stick!
The other thing worth saying is that progress is rarely linear. There are plateaus, and setbacks that feel like going back to square one but almost never are - it's how you handle them that really matters. There are days when everything falls apart and days when something clicks and you see a glimpse of what's possible.
What the dog needs from you, consistently and over the long haul, is a handler who doesn't give up on them when it gets hard - it's like any other goal in life, the really hard parts are the parts that make all the difference when you push through. When the going get's tough keep going!
I believe in you 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻You've got this

13/05/2026

Would be great if this got more research

S Sassaroli, F Dini, V Sisti, V Riccio, S Meggiolaro, L Bellodi, A Palumbo Piccionello

05/05/2026

Absolutely!!! Please also read my input in the comments! If you want to discuss it more please arrange a call.

Some Honest Thoughts On Neutering and Behaviour

I'm going to say some things here that I know not everyone agrees with, and that's fine.
Neutering is often presented as a behaviour solution that will calm a dog down, reduce aggression, make them easier to live with. In some specific scenarios, particularly in males where the behaviour is confidence-driven and testosterone-fuelled, there may be some truth to that.
But as a general claim, the evidence just doesn't support it.

Spayed females actually show increased aggression compared to intact females in the data.

Fear and anxiety tend to be higher in neutered dogs overall.

Earlier neutering is associated with worse behavioural outcomes, not better ones.

S*x hormones aren't just about reproduction, they also regulate mood, motivation, bone density, muscle development, sleep quality, and cognitive function!
Removing them suddenly from a young, developing dog has an impact that goes well beyond the reproductive system – and we don't always talk about that honestly enough.
This isn't an argument against neutering, but it's an argument for making that decision thoughtfully, with accurate information, on a dog-by-dog basis rather than treating it as a routine first step that solves behaviour problems it often doesn't solve, because once it's done it's done (and don't get me started on chemical castration. Spoiler: I'm not a fan.)

Most of my dogs have come through rescue and been neutered. Ava went downhill after we neutered her in later years. Rain will likely be done but not yet.
What are your experiences re: neutering?

05/04/2026

Very well put!

A BEHAVIOURIST IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE CHANGES THEY CAN MAKE. A discussion.

Sometimes a success story is that the "unwanted behaviour" is resolved entirely. Sometimes.

Sometimes the success story is that the dog LESSENS in intensity or generalisation of an "unwanted behaviour".

Sometimes the success story is that the humans finally understand the dog and know how to avoid triggering the "unwanted behaviour" in the first place.

All three of these scenarios are successes.

Yet it still permeates society today that a professional can only call themselves that if they can categorically change behaviour to exactly what the human wants ALL THE TIME.

It's setting up the majority of professionals to fail. Because the majority of us prioritise welfare over results.

And the majority of dog guardians are WANTING that foundation to the help they are seeking.

Because if we cut out all the lies about corrections being harmless and pain and fear are a part and parcel of life, if we are true to ourselves that our dogs are harmed by a results-driven outcome rather than welfare driven, we know deep down that we don't want to punish our dogs for daring to feel. Because how would we like it? If we felt fear and we were punished for doing so?

Some of clients will come to me and tell me that "Joe bloggs down the street says to use a shock collar" or "my colleague says I should go to a trainer who will help me punish the behaviour to get rid of it" and all sorts of quick fix securing statements like that.

Thankfully, they don't, because ultimately they care about their dogs overall wellbeing. But I won't lie, it makes me cross to be judged only on how much I can force a dog to behave how society says they should. It's quite clear that society isn't correct about everything. And dogs being seen and not heard is not one of the things that's correct.

I want to change a dogs behaviour but ONLY because the behaviour is a direct result of a distressed feeling state. Because my interest is alleviating the distressed feeling state. Not just the behaviour per se. And sometimes the only way to alleviate the distressed feeling state is to avoid that scenario.

Let's look at resource guarding, dog-dog. For some dogs treats can fall from the sky and they won't feel they need to compete with others to receive them. For others, the competing will be top priority. Many reasons for this, a history of needing to guard things, gut imbalances, nutritional issues, genetics... But the point is a dog does not HAVE to learn to share their food. It's OK to just not put your dog in that position. Much rather that than punish a dog for being anxious about sharing when we are EXACTLY the same. We'd kick up a fuss too if a waiter came and started eating our food. We might worry about the waste of money as we bought it, or the disappointment of having the best bit taken away, or the forced and intrusive interaction. But we think we have the right to punish our dogs so they have to sit and feel the emotion, but not show it on the surface?

It's poor. It's really poor.

I'm all for not being completely anthropomorphic but I think not allowing for any comparison at all is limiting our understanding of canines.

Dogs are feeling beings. Feeling beings can feel uncomfortable. And that isn't helped by focusing solely on behaviour change. The discomfort will still be there whether you've told your dog to shut up or not.

I am not ashamed of my priorities in my work.

No I will not always achieve perfect behaviour change.

But that isn't my goal.

My goal is to alleviate distress. Without causing MORE distress to do so 🐾💜

Pic of two of the dogs with guardians intent on kindness in their training. Both dogs have achieved substantial behaviour change due to an alleviation of their distress. But can these boys do EVERYTHING other dogs can? No. They may still struggle at a dog show for example. But can this just be avoided? Sure it can 🤷🏻‍♀️