Lorraine Tester Dog Trainer & Behaviourist, Canine Massage Therapist

28/08/2026

My livestock guardian dog loves to patrol the garden, keeping an eye out for squirrels and anything else he thinks we need to be guarded from. My Golden Retriever loves carrying things around in his mouth.
Our dogs may no longer have the jobs they were originally bred to do, but the behaviours they were bred for are still there. By understanding these natural behaviours, we can give our dogs appropriate ways to fulfil them.
For example, Spaniels were bred to search, sniff and flush, so you could provide scent trails, scatter their food around the garden, hide treats for them to find or play search games. Labradors and Golden Retrievers were bred to retrieve and carry, so retrieving toys, finding objects and carrying a suitable toy on a walk can help fulfil these behaviours. Terriers naturally enjoy searching, digging and chasing, so a digging box, scent searches and appropriate chase games can give them an outlet. Border Collies were bred to herd and control movement, so activities such as Treibball, directional games, controlled movement exercises and problem-solving can help satisfy these natural behaviours. Greyhounds have a strong natural desire to chase and follow movement, so safe chase games and appropriate activities that allow them to use their eyesight can provide an outlet .
Providing appropriate outlets for these natural behaviours can also help reduce some unwanted behaviours. When dogs don't have suitable opportunities to express behaviours they are naturally driven to perform, they may find their own outlets and these aren't always behaviours we want them to practise. A dog who needs to search may start searching the house for things to steal, a dog who needs to dig may dig up the garden, or a dog who enjoys chasing movement may find their own opportunities to chase.
We don't need to recreate the exact job our dogs were originally bred to do. Instead, we can find safe, appropriate activities that allow them to use those natural behaviours.
Do you know what your dog's job was originally and what could you give them to do today to fulfil some of those natural behaviours?

26/08/2026

This is Digby, he used to be an Italian street dog. When I met Digby a few months ago he was scared of everything. His owners contacted me because for 2 years he had been spending the day in the back garden and only coming in at night. He was too scared to do anything else. I have been working on building his confidence and he is such a different dog. He has gone from being scared of touch to allowing his humans to brush him, he takes time to explore the front garden now and is interacting with neighbours , he has started playing with toys, and is even allowing himself to be stroked. Our next step is to get him out on walks and that will take time. Seeing Digby progressing daily and beginning to love life makes my job so rewarding.😊

23/08/2026

23/08/2026

I wanted to introduce myself for those of you who don’t know me and my recent new followers.
Before I became a dog trainer and behaviourist, I was a personal trainer.
So I already understood how closely the body and the brain are connected. I knew that how we feel physically can affect how we feel mentally, and that the way we move can be influenced by how our body is feeling.
When I moved into dog training and behaviour, I started to see those same connections in dogs.
The more dogs I worked with, the more I realised that sometimes a behaviour problem isn't simply a training problem.
Pain and physical discomfort can affect how a dog feels, moves, copes and behaves. And if we don't consider that, we could spend a lot of time and money trying to change a behaviour without addressing something that may be contributing to it.
That's why I didn't stop learning when I became a dog trainer and behaviourist.
I became a Dynamic Dog Practitioner, which means I can carry out a hands-off assessment of your dog's posture, movement and everyday activities. I can document what I observe and provide a detailed report that can be shared with your vet, giving them information about what I have seen.
I also trained in Galen Canine Myotherapy, allowing me to further asses your dog and provide massage, therapeutic support and rehabilitation where appropriate.
So, when you come to me, you're not just getting someone to look at your dog's behaviour.
I can look at the bigger picture.
I can help with training and behaviour, consider whether physical factors may be contributing to what you're seeing, and if needed carry out a Dynamic Dog Assessment, provide your vet with a report of my observations, and where appropriate, provide myotherapy support.
That doesn't replace your vet. Diagnosis and medical treatment remain with your veterinary team, and working collaboratively with them is an important part of my approach.
But it does mean you don't necessarily have to go from one person to another trying to piece everything together.
I can help bring those pieces together.
Because your dog's behaviour, emotions, movement and physical wellbeing aren't separate things.
They're all part of the same dog.
And that's why I didn't stop learning. ☺️

20/08/2026

“If he does that, I just sq**rt water in his face.”

I hear things like this quite often when talking to dog owners
And I know it usually comes from a good place.
You love your dog. You want the behaviour to stop. You want to help.

But sq**rting water, shaking a bottle of stones, shouting, using anti-bark collars or other aversive methods may stop a behaviour in that moment, but they don't address why the behaviour is happening.

Your dog may stop because they are scared and worried about what will happen if they continue.

But the underlying emotion, motivation, pain, fear, frustration or confusion can still be there.

So what can you do ?
Instead of asking “How do I stop this behaviour?”
we need to ask: Why is my dog doing this in the first place?”

And then

“What would I like my dog to do instead?”

It's good to teach our dogs and alternative behaviour,

Rather than simply telling them what not to do, we can show them an alternative behaviour that we would like them to do instead.

For example, instead of telling a dog not to jump up, we can teach them to sit or keep four paws on the floor.

Instead of telling them not to bark at visitors, we can teach them to go to their mat.

Instead of telling them not to pull, we can teach them to check in with us and walk nicely on a lead.

We don't just want to stop a behaviour. We want to understand it, address the reason behind it and teach our dogs what we would like them to do instead.

Reward-based training isn't about letting dogs do whatever they want. It's about teaching them what we would like them to do, while understanding and addressing the reason behind their behaviour in a kind way.

19/08/2026

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17/08/2026

Max has hip dysplasia, regular canine massage therapy helps reduce his discomfort and aid his mobility so he is still able to enjoy finding balls !🥰