K9ology - Dog Psychology & Training

22/08/2025

I know some of my clients, past & present, who have ex racing greyhounds. This looks like it’ll be a fab episode for them, & anyone else with an interest in them 😊🐾

21/08/2025

All Catch up’s, Reports & messages have been sent & answered. Pls check your junk files etc 😊🐾

21/08/2025

Looking forward to seeing everyone in class this evening! 🥰🐾Please remember your pooches bed/blanket

19/08/2025

Wins of the Day? 🤔

One of the practices I always recommend to clients who are feeling overwhelmed or struggling is to jot down their wins of the day, no matter how small.

When we’re in the thick of a challenging situation, it’s so easy to focus only on what’s going wrong. But by intentionally noting our daily wins, we begin to shift perspective. We start to see the positives that are happening, and on tougher days, we have something tangible to look back on, a reminder of the progress we’ve made and the resilience we’ve shown.

Bad days are normal. Ups and downs are part of the process.
But when we zoom out and look at the bigger picture, those small wins add up to something truly powerful 💛

18/08/2025

Fab post from Chel's Tails Canine Coaching 👏👏

🐾 Expectations 🐾

When we bring a dog into our lives, we usually have dreams of what we will be doing with our new family member.
Long walks, splashing in rivers, picnics, trips to the pub or out for something to eat, our dog playing with other dogs, coming on holiday and joining us to visit family and friends and the list can go on.

But what if this isn’t something that your dog enjoys or copes with??

In this job I do see at times expectations from some families, expecting their dog to just do these things, expecting their dog not to bark, dig, chew, expecting their dog to walk perfectly on a lead, expecting their dog to return to them when called, expecting their dog not to steal food, expecting their dog not to jump up.

First we need to meet our dog’s needs! Are they getting enough exercise? (physical and mental)
Are they getting enough rest?
Are they being given a safe outlet for their instincts?
Is their health good?
Do they have a diet that suits their needs?
Do they feel safe in their environment?

Have these behaviours been reinforced in the past? (They usually have)

Then we have to make sure in a kind and positive way that we help our dogs learn what we like to see. (They do not come into our lives knowing this stuff)

If your dog struggles in busy places, why take them to busy places? Do they need to go to the pub or the restaurant?
Does your dog really have to play with dogs that they do not know?
Do they have to go everywhere with us if they are happy to snooze at home?

Expecting dogs to just enjoy these things is not fair!

We don’t all enjoy certain situations, people or places.

Each dog is an individual with their own likes and dislikes.

If your dog is doing something that you do not like or want, then take time to understand your dog and help them!

We cannot just expect all this stuff from a species that does not speak our language!

If you are struggling, reach out to a certified force free trainer 🐾❤️

17/08/2025

I forgot to post this beautiful girl from the other week 🙈🥰

She recently completed her programme, where we explored moments of reactivity.
After carefully reviewing the situations where she’d reacted, and observing her in a range of environments it became clear, she simply values her personal space. And so she should be allowed too as well! ✅

In the park with her humans and walking through a high street and through the streets, she was absolutely fine. She did not take any notice of dogs passing by. Yes she had her space, but not miles by any means.
We noticed the difference when dogs came bounding into her space without warning, she understandably became unsure. And really, would we appreciate a stranger running up and getting in our face? Of course not.

One moment really stood out: a dog rushed over quickly, and her communication was brilliant. She gave every signal that she was uncomfortable. But instead of the dog backing off or the guardian calling them away (they didn’t even try), the dog kept coming. We calmly stepped in and all was fine, but it could have gone very differently 😕

Dogs shouldn’t be expected to get along with every other dog!
Most dogs have preferences, and those deserve respect.
As guardians, it’s our job to support them, whether that means helping a dog who sometimes makes poor decisions, or advocating for one who simply has boundaries or anxieties. No dog should be judged for this. And it’s our responsibility! ✅

If your dog is reactive, excitable, or nervous, always help them by giving space. That might mean calmly changing direction or creating distance from a trigger. This isn’t “giving up”, it’s helping your dog process the world in a way that builds trust and confidence and setting them up to succeed 😊

I see so many reactive dogs lately too, being walked right past others, with the expectation that everyone else should move. What on earth?! 🤯The reactive dog is set up to fail and the other dogs expected to be ‘neutral’ 🤦🏼‍♀️Again, the pressure we put on our dogs! 😕🤦🏼‍♀️
It’s a two-way street - literally! We should be helping our dogs and each other!

Whether it’s your dog or someone else’s, offer space when needed ✅

Otherwise, dogs end up rehearsing behaviours we’re trying to change. Worse still, they may begin to feel that the person they trust most keeps putting them in situations they can’t escape. From their point of view they’re on lead, they know they can’t ‘escape’ the feelings they’re experiencing. That lead can therefore quickly become a negative association😔

And then what we sometimes see? People punishing their dogs for their reactions or putting them in a slip lead, grot or prong, to ‘stop’ them communicating their discomfort - Where’s the sense in that? 🤯

Dogs aren’t being “naughty” when they’re reacting for whatever reason - they’re struggling. They need our help! ✅

Dogs are not robots! They’re sentient beings with likes, dislikes, quirks, and personalities. Just like us all these things should be respected and they should be helped ethically!

If you and your dog are struggling always get the help of a fully properly qualified accredited trainer, behaviour consultant or behaviourist 😊🐾

17/08/2025

🐶Let’s talk about dogs and socialisation - The right way! 🤔

Socialisation isn’t about having your dog greet every dog & person in the park or out on walks 🚫
It’s about helping them feel safe, confident and emotionally resilient, in a world full of sights, sounds and surprises ✅

We often hear ‘he just wants to say hi!’, but for many dogs, being rushed into interactions (especially with unfamiliar dogs) can feel overwhelming or even threatening 🙁It can also affect the other dog too.
Just like us, dogs have preferences, boundaries and moods.
Good socialisation respects that 😊

So what does healthy socialisation look like? 🤔

It’s slow, thoughtful exposure to new experiences - dogs, people, places and objects, paired with positive associations ✅
It’s teaching your dog that the world is safe, and that they can trust you to advocate for them 🙌

🚫 Common socialisation mistakes (and what you can to do instead)

❌ Greeting every dog or person.
➡️ Try instead - Calm observation from a distance. Focus on helping them self regulate, learning to just relax more & building their confidence, not constant engagement.

❌ Flooding with too much too soon.
➡️ Try instead - Gradual desensitisation. Let your dog process new things at their own pace.

❌ Missing stress signals.
➡️ Try instead - Learn to spot lip licking, yawning, turning away, or freezing, and respond with empathy and space. Really get to know your dogs body language and what they’re ‘telling’ you! This is so important! 👏

❌ Assuming all play is good play.
➡️ Try instead - Supervise interactions, match play styles, and calmly step in early if things get too intense.

❌ Punishing reactivity.
➡️ Try instead - Understand the fear behind the behaviour. Use counterconditioning and marker training to build emotional safety. Always get the help of a properly qualified professional who’s ethical if your dog is struggling with reactivity.

When we support them through tricky moments, we build resilience! ✅
And when we stop measuring “social” by how many dogs they greet, we start seeing who they really are, and that’s where the magic happens ✨

If you’re curious about how to support your dog’s emotional wellbeing through ethical, science-backed training, do get in contact.
We are all about calm, connection, building trust and confidence ☺️🐾

16/08/2025

Just for fun!!! - what does your dogs paws ‘mean’? 🤣🐾

www.emlabradors.com

09/08/2025

We had so much fun at today’s workshops! 🥰🐾

From recall practice to cueing “middle,” emergency stops, and plenty of other fun activities - our pooches and their families absolutely smashed it! 🙌☺️

Everyone did amazingly well and should be so proud of their progress.
A huge well done to you all! 👏🐾

08/08/2025

Fun moments from this week’s Pawsitive Pup / Beginner’s class! 😊🐾

Our brilliant pooches continued building their loose lead walking skills, and they’re absolutely smashing it! 👏
This week also marked the start of their recall training, and wow… they nailed it! 🙌

A huge well done to all the pooches and their wonderful families, your progress and teamwork are a joy to see! ☺️🐾

07/08/2025

Workshop peep’s coming this weekend! 📣

Emails have been sent to you all with more info for these 😊🐾