Alison Scott Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist

05/07/2026

⚠️ THINGS PEOPLE DO ON WALKS THAT MAY BE ACCIDENTALLY PUTTING THEIR DOG IN DANGER

Most weeks I encounter at least one person who appears unaware that the situation they are allowing their dog to get in may be putting them in danger of getting into a conflict with another dog.

Here's the what and why....

🚗 Allowing their dog to go up to an unfamiliar dog who’s unloading or loading into their vehicle.

A dog full of energy at the start of their walk or tired and ready to go home at the end of their walk may be less tolerant of an unfamiliar dog in their space, let alone by what is effectively an extension of their territory.

🚪 Coming up behind or towards a dog who’s navigating their way through a gate or doorway.

Enclosed spaces are not the places for dogs to meet for the first time. Consider how many exit points a dog has in a gateway - if you're approaching head on or from behind, the other dog is likely to feel more trapped and may respond defensively.

💦 Taking their dog up into the space of another dog who is drinking from a communal water bowl (such as at an outdoor cafe).

Only yesterday I had to ask someone to wait a second with their dog while my three dogs finished drinking.

Bowls are often associated with high value resources and water is a resource- especially if a dog is very thirsty! Dogs often tend to want to be able to drink in peace, unless it's alongside a well establish dog friend. They need to drop their guard while drinking and may be more sensitive to having an unfamiliar dog suddenly approaching.

🥷 Coming up behind a dog who doesn't know they are there.

This happened to us yesterday, despite me looking up a path as I moved onto it. I briefly got lost in my own thoughts looking into the deer park and then heard my mostly deaf and semi blind geriatric dog growl. I turned around and there was an entire, young male labrador metres away (with his owner close by).

The dog wasn't being rude- but I was startled, and so were all my dogs. When startled- dogs have no time to assess the situation and will choose 'fight' or flight. A group of dogs are more likely to work together (safety and strength in numbers) and move at speed towards a perceived threat to repel them. Fortunately, I have conditioned myself to rapidly deploy my emergency whistle in these situations- so the boys were quickly called away.

After this encounter, my heart rate was elevated. I'm not even a very flighty person, but I was just so startled by the person and dog suddenly being there when I was under the distinct impression it was just me and my dogs present.

🏃‍♂️ Running with their dog directly towards or up from behind another dog, especially on narrow paths.

For similar reasons above, the less time dogs have to assess a threat- the more likely they'll make a swift assumption the individuals running into their space are on the offensive!
Even without a dog, this is how many runners get bitten- running too quickly and closely past a dog (startling them if approaching from behind).

The best thing people can do is alert people of their presence in good time when approaching from behind (as a runner, I do this), slow down to pass or curve when space allows.

🥎 Allowing their dog to run up to a dog engaging in training and/or playing with toys.

Quite simply, resources! But also arousal spikes from higher intensity training can lower thresholds for tolerance and lead to rapid decision making (friend or foe) that generally sways towards foe.

🥎 Chucking a ball for their dog to chase towards another dog!

Similar to reasons given for the previously mentioned points. Resources, high speed and unfamiliar dogs are not a winning combination.

🐕 💨 Allowing their dog to rush over at speed towards another dog from afar.

Imagine you were walking along minding your own business and someone started making a high speed beeline for you. What might you think and would you perceive this as an intrusion to your personal space?

🌳 A dog tearing around and/or springing out of bushes right in front of another dog/s or whizzing past another on a narrow path.

Again, think about the concept of threat assessment. The less time there is (distance, speed of approach) to assess a threat- the more likely flight or fight (repulsion behaviours) will take place.

In some instances, dogs just freeze or appear bemused and confused. Other times a dog whizzes out and past so quickly they're gone before there's time to respond, but if a dog is fast and of a breed and/or personality with a fast chase>grab drive, your dog may be in trouble.

I know I can recall my dogs off this - and did so when two dogs appeared metres away from them out of bushes and charged 100+ metres across the meadow back to their owner- but not everyone can.

We could argue their recall needs to be better, but we could also argue that you need to help your dog be more mindful of adjusting their behaviour within a social context.

💩 Letting their dog go up to another dog having a poo!

Many dogs want privacy and space when defecating as they are vulnerable whilst doing so.

🐕‍🦺Allowing their on lead dog to pull intensely up to another.

Intense pulling elevates the heart rate, respiration and alters the body language of a dog to that more associated with tension.
This could promote a defensive response from the other dog and even if that were proportionate (such as tensing up, growling) a dog pulling intensely on lead is at a greater risk of disproportionate emotional and behavioural responses, due to the physical stress and frustration caused by pulling!

I could go on!

The mindset that 'my dog is fine so what's the problem?' needs adjusting to one of understanding dogs for what they are.

They're animals.

What they aren't is being completely immune to feeling threatened and neither are we!

As mentioned multiple times across this post, SPEED/TIME & SPACE all influence a dog's threshold and recognising this can help us see the world through their eyes.

The less time and space a dog has to assess a situation, the greater the risk of proactive assumption of a threat and escalation.

Even the most resilient dog has off days. I was uncharacteristically stressed by being startled yesterday! Maybe it was the heat, perhaps it was my hormones or was it just because my mind was so focused on something else ....

Pain, health, sensory loss (such as with my old dog), tiredness, heat, stress, individual social histories and traits and SPEED, TIME AND SPACE all influence how dog-dog interactions go.

Just because your dog is consistently tolerant that doesn't mean other dogs are going to be exactly of the same level of tolerance across the board.

The ‘effort’ needed to reduce risk is normally briefly slowing down, pausing or waiting for a matter of seconds or saying something to alert others of your presence (to avoid startle).

In some instances it’s that people need to improve their dog’s recall and/or help them adjust their behaviour depending on the context - rather than expecting everyone else to adjust to what you and what your dog wants to do right there and then.

We don't expect that of people, so we shouldn't expect it of dogs.


This post is not AI and has been written by myself from scratch. If you wish to share, you are welcome to. But please do the courteous thing and share using the button below so to make it clear as to who spent the time and energy writing the post 😀

25/06/2026

HOT WEATHER & AN INCREASE IN BITE RISK 🥵

We've had some very hot weather recently in the UK, and for many parts of the UK- the next three days are going to be scorchio!

It's important to be aware that being too hot can lower thresholds for tolerance and overt reactions- and not just in 'reactive' dogs.

And not just in dogs!

There's a correlation between human riots and an increase in crime during a significant rise in temperature (27 to 32 degrees).
It is well established that in people, heat stress causes irritability and an increased likelihood of aggressive behaviour.

Being hot and bothered is a physical stressor - the body works hard to return to homeostasis.

Cognitive processes can be negatively affected. So if your dog is not responding to as they would normally, consider the effects of heat.

Furthermore- being too hot can interfere with a dog's ability to rest and sleep. During rest and sleep, stress is lowered, and subsequently compromised rest and sleep affects behaviour.

This can affect (lower) the dog's threshold for emotional stress.


🐕 Two unfamiliar dogs meeting while both are hot and bothered is less likely going to result in a healthy interaction. Now is the time to largely keep yourselves to yourselves on walks, or monitor the body language of both dogs very carefully.

🏡 Extra caution should be taken in situations that your dog may struggle with, such as around visitors to the home.

🧒 But the greatest caution of all should be taken around up-close interactions in ALL dogs, especially those who live children.

Remember these basic safeguarding rules;

1. No faces near faces.

2. Let sleeping dogs lie.

3. Do not forcefully take resources (toys, food or anything the dog has found/picked up) off a dog.
Children should never take things off a dog.

4. Do not 'box dogs in' with your interaction.

- Always ensure they can easily move away by not blocking a dog's ability to move forward/away (for example, wrapping your arms around to hug a dog front on makes it near impossible for them to easily disengage).

- The safest way to interact is to invite a dog to come to you.
Alternatively, if you do approach then do so when they are awake and instead of swooping straight in with strokes- wait for them to signal to you they are keen for an interaction.

- Stop stroking after 2-3 seconds, and see if your dog communicates to you they would like more, or if they are done.
This is called the consent test, and it's something all children (and adults) should be aware of.


Most people who get bitten by a dog know the dog well, didn't think their dog would ever bite someone and didn't see the bite coming.

Most dog bites are on faces and hands of someone close to the dog, and this tells us a lot about what the person was LIKELY doing (Note, there are always exceptions).


As I always say to my clients ......

🗣️ Never take your dog's current level of tolerance for granted.

19/06/2026

⚠ A new law means dog walkers could face £500 on-the-spot fines from June 29.

🐕 Local authorities and councils will gain the power to issue fines of up to £500 to dog walkers from the end of this month.

❗ The Crime and Policing Act 2026 will see the maximum Fixed Penalty Notice for breaches of Public Spaces Protection Orders and Community Protection Notices rise to £500.

This figure is currently capped at £100 but will increase at the end of June. John Roberts, chief services officer of Kingdom Local Authority Support, said: "The Crime and Policing Act 2026 is due to give local authorities unprecedented powers to combat issues such as dog fouling and public drinking."

He continued: "The legislation increases the maximum Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) level for breaches of Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) and Community Protection Notices (CPNs) from £100 to £500

"It's important to note that this is not an automatic increase, but it does give councils the ability to set penalties at a higher level where appropriate."

In public areas with PSPOs, dog owners may be required to keep their dog on a lead, or to put their dog on a lead if instructed to do so by a police officer, a police community support officer, or a council representative.

Owners may also be required to prevent their dog from accessing certain areas.

This could be in places such as a farmland or sections of a park, and restricts the number of dogs they have with them at any one time, a rule that also applies to professional dog walkers.

The Government website also advises that dog owners should always clean up after their pet and carry a p**p scoop and disposable bags at all times.

Local councils are obliged to inform the public of any areas where PSPOs are in force.

Should a council intend to introduce a new PSPO, it must display a notice and publish the details on its official website.

The notice must clearly state the area to which the new PSPO will apply, along with details of any accompanying map and where it can be viewed.

✍ James Rodger & Chloe Dobinson,

11/06/2026

10/06/2026

I watched a clip from Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly recently, and honestly, I was left feeling frustrated and quite angry.

The dog was a German Shepherd who was frantically biting and pulling at the lead, rolling around, almost appearing completely overwhelmed by the experience of being outside. It was difficult to watch, not because the dog was “bad,” but because everything about its behaviour was screaming, “I can’t cope with this environment.”

The solution presented was to fit the dog with a muzzle. Then, once the dog wasn’t biting or pulling, the owner was encouraged to reward that calmer behaviour with food.

To me, this is such a surface-level way of looking at behaviour.

The muzzle may stop the physical act of biting the lead, and the food may momentarily interrupt the behaviour, but neither of those things addresses the emotional state driving it. They don’t create safety. They don’t repair the underlying developmental gap. They don’t help the dog process an environment that it clearly finds overwhelming.

Behaviour is communication. It doesn’t happen in a vacuum. A dog that is obsessively biting the lead isn’t choosing to be difficult any more than a child who compulsively bites their nails, rocks, paces, or engages in repetitive behaviours when they are overwhelmed. Those behaviours emerge because the nervous system cannot cope with what it is experiencing.

Imagine seeing a child who constantly bites their nails through anxiety and deciding the solution is simply to tie their hands behind their back. The behaviour might stop, but the emotion driving it remains exactly where it was. The child is still anxious. They have simply lost their way of expressing it.

The same applies here.

We cannot create emotional safety simply by preventing the outward expression of distress or by rewarding its temporary absence. Mammalian nervous systems are infinitely more complex than that. Safety isn’t something we train into an animal through reinforcement schedules; it emerges through connection, co-regulation and the experience of being emotionally held by another.

From a behavioural perspective, I would be asking questions about attachment, early development, the dog’s emotional systems, its relationship with its owner, and whether it ever truly learned how to regulate itself through connection. What happened before this behaviour emerged? What is this dog trying to tell us?

Lead biting, spinning, frantic pulling, these are often signs of a deeper developmental gap. Somewhere along the line, this dog has not developed the internal safety needed to process the world around it. Covering the symptom does not heal the wound.

This is one of the reasons I think television dog training can be some of the worst advice available. It teaches people to suppress behaviour rather than understand it. It encourages us to focus on what the dog is doing instead of asking what the dog is feeling.

And until we start listening to behaviour as communication, we will continue treating symptoms while missing the suffering underneath them.

06/06/2026