The Ethical Dog: Behaviour and Nutrition

26/07/2026

Hi everyone 👋 I am blown away by the number of enquiries I've had this weekend. I've got some availability left for video calls but apart from that I'm fully booked until the third week in August.

September/October is mostly reserved for the four week intensive so it's only getting busier from there!

It's not all bad news. You'd be absolutely amazed how much ground we can cover in a single video call, and it's a great budget friendly intro if you're considering doing a longer course.

So don't wait around, get yourself booked in!

Email [email protected]

Or visit www.theethicaldog.co.uk

21/07/2026

⚠️ LIMITED AVAILABILITY ⚠️

Hi everyone 👋 I've had so many lovely intro chats over the last week or two.

If even half of the people I've spoken to try to book intensives for July/August, I'm going to be fully booked for the rest of the summer.

So. In all seriousness. If you've been thinking about booking but keep putting it off, this might be your last chance until the Autumn.

HOW TO BOOK

Step one: head to the behaviour page on the website

Step two: choose your appointment type

Step three: pop it in your basket, check the calendar and pick the date/time that suits you best.

Step four: check out and confirm.

All availability is first come first serve so get yourself over to www.theethicaldog.co.uk and get yourself booked in.

Award winning Canine Behaviourist specialising in anxiety and reactivity. Fully formulated natural diets and holistic support.

20/07/2026

Please, if you only take one piece of advice from this page, let it be this.

Do not outsource your healthcare to faceless, anonymous corporations with little to no accountability.

I practice Herbalism and Zoopharmacognosy every single day, but I spent years learning and honing my craft before I even thought about using those skills on another living thing.

I would never, ever source one of my remedies from a third party seller.

Amazon is one of the world's biggest marketplaces. Their model is based on maximising the volume and mass of their sales. They cannot and will not ever be able to vet every single product that passes through their own warehouses, let alone the ones from third partie.

There was a similar issue with flea and tick medications a few years ago, and I honestly couldn't tell you how many people have told me they've tried to better The Dog and Hound Stewarton prices by going to a big box retailer, only to find out the treats are brittle, low quality, imported/irradiated imitations.

You are living a life nobody else will ever live, and you only get to live it once. Whether it's for you, or your dog, take your supplements and your health seriously.

Work with a qualified, legitimate holistic practitioner. Do your own research. Read the product inserts and know what side effects to be on the look out for if things don't go to plan. ❤️

20/07/2026

PUNISHMENT VS MEDIATION

this morning I came across the story of, Colegio Las Margaritas IED- a school in Columbia that...

Reduced student conflict by 85%
Reduced dropouts to below 1%
Eliminated bullying

And is now a finalist for a World's Best School prize in the Supporting Healthy Lives category.

Believe it or not, they did it by REMOVING punishment, and replacing it with mediation and empathy training, just like we do here at The Ethical Dog.
..

In a side by side observation study from 2008, high performance military dogs trained using balanced or punishment led techniques were consistently outperformed by those trained with force free approaches.

When given the choice, force led dogs were more likely to disengage and distance themselves from their trainers, where the force free dogs remained close and showed fewer stress signals.

I see the same thing every single day in my coaching.

Reactive behaviours are largely emotionally and environmentally driven (the exception being internal issues- ie neurological disorders or pain). So we manage the environment and teach tools for communication and self regulation.

On the handler's end of the lead, I support owners to recognise the subtle shifts in their dog's posture, body language and gait.
..

Wherever possible, I address reactions before they escalate- especially for dogs who are strong and physically capable. They trust me, and learn to engage with me consistently, so there is no need for force.

If you want to find out what you could achieve with a force free coaching plan, get in touch

[email protected]
www.theethicaldog.co.uk

References:

Haverbeke, A., Laporte, B., Depiereux, E., Giffroy, J.-M., & Diederich, C. (2008). Training methods of military dog handlers and their effects on the team's performances. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 113(1–3), 110–122.

https://colombiaone.com/2026/07/13/colombian-public-school-reaches-top-10-in-worlds-best-school-prizes-2026/

19/07/2026

⭐ ONE MONTH TRAINING INTENSIVE FAQ ⭐

WHEN, WHERE and HOW MUCH?

📆 14th September - 11th October
⌚ Pick your own schedule
📍Video call or in person sessions available.
🏷️ £250 for face to face, £150 for video call only.

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

🐾 Four one to one sessions
🐾 Four group video calls
🐾 Downloads and resources
🐾 24/7 Behaviour Support

WHO'S IT FOR?

🐾 Dogs who struggle with frustration or destructive behaviours
🐾 Reactive or aggressive dogs
🐾 Dogs who struggle with anxiety or socialisation
🐾 Dogs who need seasonal support for fireworks/noise sensitivity
🐾 Dogs who struggle with lead walking or recall

WHY BOOK WITH THE ETHICAL DOG?

✅ Fully insured, five star rated services
✅ Prestige Awards Scotland Behaviourist of the Year 2026/7
✅ National Pet Awards Specialist Pet Service of The Year 2026
✅ Small Business Awards Innovation Finalist (tba)
✅ Approved Reactivity Specialist
✅ Dip. Canine Training and Behaviour, Dip. Zoopharmacognosy, Dip. Canine Nutrition

WHAT DO PREVIOUS PARTICIPANTS SAY?

"Katie's knowledge is exceptional and she backs up everything she explains with the research. She immediately puts you at ease and has a very calming way about her, which means she gets the best out of everyone."

"Katie is an absolute magician with dog behaviour. She’s helped us so much across the years"

"Katie is AMAZING. Anything dog-related you may need, she can help. So knowledgeable about behaviour, training, nutrition and more... Iook no further, it's all here"

17/07/2026

The pet services industry has a massive, massive problem with accountability.

Every day I speak to owners who have had pain dismissed as stubbornness, fear dismissed as a personality trait, concerns dismissed as undermining professional opinion.

The Animal Welfare Act is a massive document, and quite explicit about professionals who inflict pain, distress or push animals towards adverse reactions. Keeping dogs under control is just one part of a much wider framework, and at no point does the law support the idea that control necessitates force.

That said, the systems that actually monitor professional standards/reporting lack accessibility, clarity and coherence. There have been small shifts in recent years, but we're waaaaay behind the times as a nation.

So when a professional recommends a tool or service you are well within your rights to ask to see their justification and to do your own research, because the buck stops with you.

I encourage all of my clients to be outspoken (most of you are anyway 😄) and to challenge me if you feel uncomfortable. I am always happy to provide clinical, documented proof to back up my recommendations.

I want every family I work with to feel empowered by their training and confident in handling their dogs.

Because reading the small print doesn't make you difficult. You are capable- and you owe it to yourself and your dog to be an active collaborator in the decision making process.

So next time a professional recommends something that sounds too good to be true or makes you feel uneasy.

Read. The. Small Print. 🙌

(Ps, these are a selection of warnings from shock collar product leaflets. You'll also find similar manufacturer warnings in head collars and other aversive devices)

16/07/2026

PROOF YOUR WORK.

Last week I told you all about my "dominant" big girl and the foundations we were building together.

This week all of that preparation paid off.

For the first time, she dropped her toy at my feet without being asked.

She found a treasure in the long grass. A discarded foootball that she absolutely cherished for the rest of our walk. She shared it with me and let me carry it for safe keeping as we passed other dogs. When the time came to leave it behind, she happily left it back where she had found it.

Two off lead dogs appeared in front of us, both showing provoking and challenging behaviours. She turned to me, I held out my hand to gesture for recall, and away we went quite happily.

It didn't take any work in the moment, because the work was already done. We'd prepared for these scenarios and proofed our responses over and over and over again from the moment we met.

I'm incredibly proud of her, as I am of all my dogs, but the road doesn't end here. Reliability is built over time- through repetition, consistency and experience- and I can't wait to see what we can achieve next.

I have limited availability for the rest of the summer but you can always book in for a free intro call at

www.theethicaldog.co.uk

15/07/2026

DOG TRAINING WITH A DIFFERENCE

Hello 👋 I am Katie Stephen CPCN CMA- multi award winning Behaviourist, Nutritionist and dog owner on a budget.

I offer affordable, accessible training programmes for owners and dogs in need of specialist support.

A few years ago, I realised that all of my graduates and biggest success stories had one thing in common.

They'd tried other, more traditional approaches. Youtube tutorials, how to books, residential bootcamps, tools and punishment- none of them worked.

Because those programmes were never built for them.

They were built for perfectly generic families with generic dogs and perfect schedules. Many were built for a world that doesn't exist anymore, using outdated methods and limited understanding of canine learning patterns.

My training programmes are built for rescue and foster families, night shift workers, neurodivergents, creatives and small business owners. They're built for exceptional dogs, quirky dogs, awkward dogs (not to mention their awkward owners). They're built for people like you.

This Autumn, I'm breaking the mould again. A brand new, accessible, flexible, month long programme that lets you...

🐾 Pick your aim- reactivity, destructive behaviours, recall, lead walking- or any combination of the above

🐾 Set your schedule and choose your learning style.

🐾 Work at your pace- with downloads, optional group calls, regular check ins and one to one support whenever you need it.

Imagine what you could achieve with 4 weeks of bespoke, specialist support that's built to your needs.

To find out more email [email protected]
Or head to www.theethicaldog.co.uk

13/07/2026

A few years ago I had a benign lump removed from my chest. What I didn't know then was that I have a very high resistance to local anesthesia (a rare quirk of ADHD). Even after multiple, multiple attempts, I could still feel eeeeeverything. The surgeon shrugged. I'd maxed out the dosage and there was nothing he could do.

I grimaced through the procedure with raw, fiery tears streaming down my face.

When the surgeon left I looked around the room at the horror story I'd just endured. Pale and sweating, I tried desperately to avoid looking at the bloody gauze strewn around me.

I sat up, shakily.

"You stay there. You're not going anywhere yet." the nurse said with an experienced tone- warm yet efficient so that you knew better than to disagree. "You're in shock. I'll bring you a nice hot, sugary cup of tea."

It was a small moment of compassion that's stayed with me ever since.

No matter how hard we try, we cannot always shield our dogs from challenging situations. We cannot always protect them from pain or stress, but there are so many simple ways we can show up for them when they need us, and that's what really matters.

That nurse could have moved on to the next patient, focused on productivity and forward momentum, but they didn't. They made one simple gesture that changed my entire experience. When I look back on that day, her kindness still stands out all these years later.

Your dog doesn't need you to have all the answers. They need you to see their experience for what it is, to recognise when they are struggling and to be their advocate when the world doesn't make sense anymore.

Find a small gesture (a game, a trick, a routine) something that connects you, anchors you and gives you strength no matter where you are or what changes in the world around you.

Something that gets you back on your feet, reminds you what's important and gives you time away from the madness... something not unlike a cup of tea.

Want to know more about targeted support for dogs who experience pain, overwhelm or anxiety?

drop me an email at [email protected]

Or visit www.theethicaldog.co.uk

13/07/2026

Hi everybody 👋

I need help.

Somehow, I've made it to the finals of the Small Business Awards- TWICE!!

I'm in the running for both Service Small Business of the year and Innovation of the year.

Over the next few weeks, I need to put together a three minute video showcasing exactly how The Ethical Dog: Behaviour and Nutrition works. That's everything from the Anxious Dogs Club to Behaviour Assessments, Intensives, Bootcamps, Enrichment and more.

Talking on camera is something that's horribly far out of my comfort zone, so that's where you guys come in!

I need to collect video testimonials of...

🎥 Anxious and Reactive dogs socialising, hanging out in pubs, recalling, playing- anything that would have seemed impossible before we worked together.

🎥 Owners talking about their Ethical Dog experience

🎥 Reformed fussy or sensitive dogs who are now happy, healthy dogs who eat happy, healthy meals. .

You can send them to me at [email protected] or via WhatsApp video/voice notes.

Or, if you're not tech savvy, let me know next time you pop into the shop and we can record a short video together

Thank you in advance 🙏