Lorraine Tester Dog Trainer & Behaviourist, Canine Massage Therapist

11/06/2026

🐾Man’s Best Friends-Earlham Explorers🐾

Welcome to the next outing of our men’s wellbeing scheme ‘Man’s Best Friends’. This time we are gathering at the dog friendly Earlham Park for a walk and talk stroll around the UEA lake, followed by tea and coffee at the Earlham Park Cafe afterwards. Meeting point is at the cafe in Earlham Park.

This FREE social group is designed to get men out, moving, and talking in a safe, non-judgmental environment—accompanied by some amazing dogs. You don’t even have to own a dog to join so come on down. But the more dogs the merrier. There is an out outdoor seating area too.

Our aim is to build a supportive community where stories, thoughts, and emotions can be shared—breaking the stigma that men shouldn’t open up about their feelings and struggles.

From the stress of relationship or family breakdowns, to job worries, money pressures, or addiction—this is a place where you don’t have to carry it all alone. And what better way to start the weekend than over a walk/coffee alongside lovable hounds and a bunch of new friendly mates?

Always FREE.
Always supportive.
Always here.

In this together… always.
Damion 🐾💙

10/06/2026

07/06/2026

When I first met Rocket and Samantha, two Romanian rescue dogs, they were too frightened to even come out of their crate. The garden felt overwhelming, they were too scared to go to the toilet outside, and the world beyond their home was simply too much for them to cope with.

Fast forward just two months, and look at them now.

With the incredible dedication, patience and commitment of their guardians, we've been working together to carefully build their confidence and help them feel safe. Their owners' dream was simply to be able to take them out for a walk one day.

Today, not only are they enjoying walks, but they also met my dog Max. Having had very little experience with other dogs, Max was the perfect calm and friendly role model to help make the experience a positive one.

Seeing dogs who were once too frightened to step outside now running freely, exploring and enjoying the world around them is one of the most rewarding parts of my job. Progress like this doesn't happen overnight, and it certainly doesn't happen without dedicated owners willing to put in the work every single day.

I'm incredibly proud of Rocky, Samantha and their guardians. What a journey it has been so far. ❤️

06/06/2026

Episode 37 is LIVE!

This week’s episode of We Love Dogs is one of the most important conversations I’ve had on the podcast.

I’m joined by Maya Badham from Loop Safeguarding to explore a subject that many people in the dog world may never have considered—the connection between dogs, animal welfare, and domestic abuse.

Throughout our conversation, Maya shares her knowledge and experience, helping us understand how the welfare of animals and the welfare of people are often more closely linked than we realise. We discuss the role dogs can play in coercive and controlling relationships, why awareness matters, and how dog professionals and owners can better understand the bigger picture behind some of the situations they encounter.

This is a sensitive topic, but it’s one that deserves attention. Conversations like this can be uncomfortable, but they also have the power to educate, raise awareness, and ultimately help both people and animals.

⚠️ Please note: this episode contains discussion of domestic abuse, coercive control, trauma, and animal harm.

If any of the issues discussed affect you personally, support is available through the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.

A huge thank you to Maya for sharing her expertise and for the incredible work she continues to do in this field.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts or by using one of the links below

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4rHMIng40Fjw3I8gmSz7wI?si=bJP2GB7wSBGwOdbV7OBQTQ

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/we-love-dogs/id1791033868?i=1000771213455

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/we-love-dogs/id1791033868?i=1000771213455

06/06/2026

Chronic pain is complex.

It is not always linked to a single injury or condition and can be influenced by factors such as compensation patterns, muscular tension, previous injuries, and mobility changes.

Dogs experiencing chronic pain may show subtle signs including changes in movement, posture, behaviour, performance, or sleep.

Because chronic pain is multifactorial, support often involves a multidisciplinary approach to help improve comfort, mobility, function, and quality of life; and this is where a Galen Myotherapist is an invaluable member of your dog’s team.



Canine Posture | Soft Tissue Therapy for Dogs | Canine Myofascial Health | Canine massage

05/06/2026

I am going to say something that might ruffle some feathers and I genuinely do not care.

DO THE FU***NG PAIN MED TRIAL.

I have a dog in my program right now. She came to me for biting people in the house when being touched. Which, yes, that is a serious behavior. But before we do anything else, we do the right thing. We rule out pain first. So we sent her to the vet for a full workup. X-rays. The whole thing.

Hip dysplasia confirmed.

And the vet cleared her.

"She is not limping. The hip dysplasia does not seem to be bothering her."

She is biting when touched. She is crying out during normal activity. She cannot settle. She is escalating.

I am not a vet. I want to be really clear about that. But I have been doing this long enough to know that not limping does not mean not hurting. Stoicism is a survival mechanism. Dogs are wired to mask pain. That is not a green light. That is a dog doing exactly what dogs do when their body hurts and nobody is listening.

And here is the thing I keep coming back to. I wrote about this a few months ago when my own back was out and I noticed how much shorter I was with my dogs. How sounds that never bothered me suddenly did. How Rumor's normal snuggling felt impossible. My behavior changed because my capacity changed. Pain does that. To all of us.

Research out of the Autonomous University of Barcelona found a direct link between pain and aggression in dogs. The most common cause? Hip dysplasia. Dogs with no previous history of aggression who developed pain became more impulsive, bit more frequently when handled, and were more likely to assume a defensive posture than dogs who had shown aggression before. And their owners were often completely blindsided because nothing in that dog's history prepared them for it.

Sound familiar?

When a dog is in pain, the brain shifts into survival mode. The pathways that normally handle sensory input, coordination, and emotional regulation get taken over by pain signals. You cannot train your way around that.

You cannot train your way around that. Behavior modification does not fix a body that hurts. The downside of trying is minimal. The downside of not trying is a dog who keeps suffering while everyone looks for answers in the wrong place.

About 80% of my cases have a medical component. That was not something I set out to specialize in. It just kept showing up case after case until I could not ignore it anymore. And now I feel a responsibility to say something when I see it being missed.

So I am genuinely asking, not coming for anyone. What is the hesitation with a pain med trial? What do you actually lose? A few weeks and the cost of the medication. What do you lose by not doing one? A dog who keeps getting labeled a behavior problem while her body is quietly screaming that something hurts.

She is telling us. In the clearest way she knows how.

You don't lose anything by doing the trial but you have everything to lose if you don't.

Picture of Roulette just because.