C S Canine Behaviour & Training

11/07/2025

Please read and be vigilant during the heatwave. Walks early morning or late evening when it’s cooler. REMEMBER dogs don’t die from missing a walk but they can die from heatstroke!

Recent research by Vet Compass and the The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) showed correlation between human heat warning and heat stroke cases.

Yellow heat health alerts are now in force with temperatures expected to hit 34C (93F) in parts of the UK this weekend.

Is it true that if we use cold water on heat stroke pets they will go into shock?

One of the most common things we still hear is that we can only use tepid water on a pet with heat stroke, incase they get some complications like hypothermic overshoot, peripheral vasoconstriction hindering a cooling response, and cardiogenic shock...

We have heard not to use cold water in case it causes shock... this rarely happens!

But guess what? In a recent study over 26% of dogs presented with heat stroke died, with flat faced breeds making up nearly half of heat stroke cases seen in the study.

You should:

💧Get someone to call the local veterinary practice and tell them you're going to travel down with a heat stroke patient
💧Pour, hose or if safe immerse the pet in very cold water (this should obviously be done under constant supervision, ensuring the head is fully above water and immersion should not be attempted if the animal is too large, or you are unable to do so without hurting yourself)
💧NB: If using a hose pipe, make sure it has run through until cold, as they can often contain water that is extremely hot in the tubing initially
💧Do not drape in towels and leave them in situ. Keep the cold water flowing.
💧Move to a cool, shaded area
💧Prepare to transport to vets in a cold, air conditioned car

In studies they found that:

🌅International consensus from sports medicine organisations supports treating EHS with early rapid cooling by immersing the casualty in cold water.
🌅Ice-water immersion has been shown to be highly effective in exertional heat stroke, with a zero fatality rate in large case series of younger, fit patients.
🌅Hyperthermic individuals were cooled twice as fast by Cold Water Immersion as by passive recovery.
🌅No complications occurred during the treatment of three older patients with severe heat stroke were treated with cold‐water immersion.
🌅Cold water immersion (CWI) is the preferred cooling modality in EHS guidelines and the optimal method applicable to UK Service Personnel
🌅Studies suggest using either ice-water or cold-water immersion

The best intervention is PREVENTION, but if you find yourself with an animal with heat stroke, using cold water either by pouring, hosing or ideally (if safe) immersion then this may help reduce their temperature to safe levels while you transport to a veterinary practice.

Read more below with updates from Hot Dogs - canine heatstroke education for dog owners

https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/cool-icy-cold-or-tepid

06/07/2025

I will often ask a vet to consider a pain trial when dealing with a client. This article explains why.

Imagine living in discomfort every day without the ability to tell anyone. That’s the reality many dogs face. They may not cry out, limp, or yelp, but that doesn’t mean they’re not hurting. Because of how stoic dogs can be, the only clue we often get is a change in behaviour and that’s where so many people go wrong.

Behavioural issues like aggression, reactivity, withdrawal, or anxiety are assumed to be purely emotional or psychological. But what if it's pain?

This is your wake-up call.

A pain trial involves a veterinary professional prescribing pain relief for a set period to assess whether there is a behavioural or physical improvement. It's a diagnostic tool, not a final answer. If your dog has had a behavioural issue for a long time, the pain trial should last at least 6 to 8 weeks to give enough time to observe any meaningful changes

Critically, it’s often used when there are no overt signs of lameness or injury, but the dog’s BEHAVIOUR suggests possible pain, think sudden reluctance to be touched, changes in posture, agitation, growling, or even withdrawal. Dogs don’t dramatize. They cope.

Let’s be brutally honest. If you don’t do a pain trial and the dog is, in fact, in pain, you risk:

- Prolonged suffering: Dogs endure silently. Pain can cause constant distress that no behaviourist or training technique will resolve.

- Worsening behaviour: Pain-induced behaviours can become ingrained and more extreme, including biting or phobia-like shutdowns.

- Misdiagnosis: Your dog may be labelled “anxious,” “aggressive,” or “stubborn” when in reality, they’re simply hurting.

- Unnecessary euthanasia: Tragically, some dogs are put down because their behaviour was misattributed to temperament or training failure, when the true cause was untreated pain.

The most common objections: “I don’t want to medicate my dog unnecessarily” or “I can't see any pain”

Here’s the reality: A properly managed pain trial is safe. A short-term use of analgesics is extremely unlikely to cause harm. The risk of side effects is minimal compared to the risk of ongoing undetected pain.

The danger of a pain trial? Almost none.

28/06/2025

The 1000th partnership Canine Partners have created. James is one of our amazing dogs and Sue is a pleasure to work with. I am very proud and privileged to be a part of this wonderful team as their Partnership Trainer 💕

Our commitment is lifelong. We support each partnership until the dog retires and continue to stand by our partners for life, providing dogs for as long as they are needed. Some of our partners have been with us for decades, benefiting from the support of multiple dogs 💜

Our specialist Partnership Team offers tailored aftercare support across the UK, ensuring the success and well-being of each partnership. Through regular visits and telephone support, we provide ongoing care and guidance throughout the dogs' working lives until their well-deserved retirement🌟

Together, we're transforming lives, one partnership at a time. Thank you for being part of our journey!

28/06/2025

Four days a week I work for this Charity. This is the story of James and his partner Sue. I am privileged to be their partnership trainer and support them throughout their life together.

08/05/2025

And another one! I love my job, helping people and their dogs to enjoy life!

"Christine has been so helpful. She has made a personal plan for us to keep looking at .
Gave us games , ideas and techniques to take her mind off stressful situations.
We have been having good walks
Not all the time but we now know how to deal with certain situations a lot better.
It’s a work in progress and if needed, I know she is a phone call away.
More important she has given me confidence in how I approach our day"

07/05/2025

I have just received this amazing feedback from a client I have been working with. Had to share! I have to say though they have worked so hard and followed every piece of advice I gave them. Their dog was in last chance saloon and I was their last hope of turning things around. It just goes to show, if you really want to help your dog, you can but it takes time and patience. Its a bit of a long read!

"Feedback For Christine Spencer - CS Canine

We were referred to Christine through our vet after a number of bite incidents our dog had with myself and my wife. We were very concerned but wanted to do what we could with a behaviourist rather than taking more drastic action at that point.

Christine asked us to fill in a comprehensive questionnaire regarding our dog before we met . This allowed us to fully describe what had happened in our own words and also give a full picture of our dog's history (breeding, training, daily habits , behaviour, etc). We really like that we had this as it helped us prepare in our own minds for conversations with Christine rather than answering off the top of our heads

As our issues involved aggression, Christine recommended we had our first conversation online so she could get a fuller picture of our dog's behaviour and decide how best to approach him. This worked out really well and we had a full stress free conversation without wondering if our dog would misbehave in some way. Christine advised we keep a daily diary of our dog's behaviour so we could identify triggers that may stress him and any positive or negative behaviours that we saw.

Following this conversation, Christine then visited us in person the following week . She was very calm with our dog and let him calm himself and approach her when he was good and ready - this took 15/20 minutes . Christine gave us some great insight into our dogs behaviour at this visit and also gave us a few tips and games which would help him be less anxious and stressed and more focussed. The diary really helped us all here.

Within 10 days , Christine had furnished us with a comprehensive report analysing our dogs behaviour and detailing a strategy for us to follow. We found the report really useful and the advice and tips and strategy both easy to understand and comprehensive .

Christine has been available for queries and questions through the whole process and answers them quickly and professionally.

We found Christine to be both very knowledgeable and approachable. Whilst having the expertise she is able to explain things in layman’s terms . As well as her behavioural expertise , she comes with a lifetime of dog training experience which is highly beneficial . We would thoroughly recommend Christine to others seeking help with behavioural issues with their dogs.

12 weeks on from when we first saw Christine we have had no repeat incidents and our dog seems much happier in himself. We understand much more now what stresses him and how to minimise the risk of stressful events for him stacking up. Trust has been rebuilt between us and our dog and we will continue to use the toolkit Christine has given us.

Send a message to learn more

28/01/2025

I have just received this lovely review from a client I have been working with. I love my job helping people to work with their dogs to improve their life together and receiving a review like this makes it extra special.
"Christine has been so helpful. She has made a personal plan for us to keep looking at .
Gave us games , ideas and techniques to take her mind off stressful situations.
We have been having good walks
Not all the time but we now know how to deal with certain situations a lot better.
It’s a work in progress and if needed, I know she is a phone call away.
More important she has given me confidence in how I approach our day "

Thank you, Tracy

05/01/2025

The animal training world has lost a very special person today. Karen Pryor was instrumental in teaching thousands of people how to teach animals using kindness. Developing science based methods to help people understand how animals learn so improving welfare and strengthening the bond. This book was read by millions and used not only by animal trainers but by anyone wishing to develop not only coaching skills but an understanding of relationships. Her legacy will live on 💕

31/12/2024

Best wishes to you all for a happy, healthy and prosperous
2025

24/12/2024

Merry Christmas to everyone from
C S Canine

14/12/2024

Some excellent advice here. I often advise people on providing a safe space for their dog. Somewhere to retreat to when they need some peace and quiet or are feeling overwhelmed. Please read and think about how to provide this for your dog(s) not just at Christmas but throughout the year.