Dog Communication

Dog Communication Based at Priory Farm. Redhill, Surrey, UK. Dog Communication use kind, effective methods and specialise in dogs that have aggression & anxiety issues.

Laura is a Full member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors & an ABTC registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist. Penel is a member of the Professional Association of Canine Trainers & an ABTC Registered Animal Training Instructor & a member of the Pet Professional Guild. Dog Comm is based at Priory Farm in Redhill. Please see our website for further details.

FEELING SAFE IS THE TREATMENT ❤️So much of the dog training world focuses on obedience, control and “fixing” behaviours....
14/06/2026

FEELING SAFE IS THE TREATMENT ❤️

So much of the dog training world focuses on obedience, control and “fixing” behaviours. For anxious dogs, the answer isn’t more training, it’s helping them to feel safe.

When a dog actually feels safe- they learn better, they recover better, they start to explore again. The world feels less overwhelming when you feel safe.

Creating that feeling of safety is often the work- not 101 training exercises. That might mean walking in quieter places. Giving them more distance from dogs or people. Letting them make choices. Listening when they tell us they’re uncomfortable. Advocating for them. Reducing stress. Making sure they feel well. Helping them predict what will happen next.

None of it looks dramatic and from the outside it can look like we’re doing very little at all but what we are doing can be life changing.

My anxious dog classes are built around exactly this principle. We don’t force interactions, we don’t flood dogs with things they find difficult and don’t worry about whether they can sit perfectly or walk to heel.

Instead, we focus on helping dogs feel safe in the environment and around the other dogs present.

As this wonderful quote says- feeling safe is the treatment and creating safety is the work ❤️

Laura McAuliffe Dog Communication 2026

What breeds do you think make up Baxter? (Clue- there’s no gremlin in there 😂).Baxter joined his first class today for d...
13/06/2026

What breeds do you think make up Baxter? (Clue- there’s no gremlin in there 😂).

Baxter joined his first class today for dogs who can be anxious or reactive and he was an absolute star 🌟

He’s also incredibly cute 🥰

STRUGGLING WITH WALKS? DO THE LITTLE THINGS THAT BRING THEM JOY ❤️This is an old photo of my first Inuit, Elsa, rolling ...
11/06/2026

STRUGGLING WITH WALKS? DO THE LITTLE THINGS THAT BRING THEM JOY ❤️

This is an old photo of my first Inuit, Elsa, rolling in the compost pile at my local park. She’d come out green and a bit stinky but it made her really happy.

Elsa had agoraphobia linked to extreme noise sensitivities. She would show a panic response if she heard a car engine quietly cooling down or if someone bounced a ball half a mile away. When she was at her worst, she was unable to walk from the house at all because she was so anxious.

She couldn’t do “normal” walks for a long time but she did enjoy going in the car and getting out for a short time in places she felt safe.

Despite her extreme anxiety, she still had many joys in life. Dogs were her greatest joy and we’d arrange playdates with her many friends at freedom fields and in their gardens. She loved all dogs and pretty much every dog she met loved her too ❤️

She also loved a tiny corner of my local park and she absolutely adored the compost bins. If she’d had a difficult day because of noises she’d heard, we’d take a drive to the park and let her roll in the compost. It was a bit of a hassle for me as she’d be quite stinky afterwards, but it brought her so much joy.

Noise phobias can be incredibly hard to live with and I see so many cases every year and we can make huge progress with the right help. I really do understand because I’ve lived it too ❤️

When you’re dealing with big anxiety issues, the small joys become even more important.

It’s easy to focus on what our dogs can’t do, but sometimes the most important thing is making sure they still get plenty of opportunities to do the things they love.

Noise phobias are very commonly linked to pain, so it is crucial to rule this out. Please get in touch or seek help from a qualified clinical behaviourist or veterinary behaviourist if your dog is struggling with noise issues. This is not a simple training problem.

Laura McAuliffe
Dog Communication 2026

We ❤️ behaviourally aware vetsA huge thank you to Windlesham Village Vets for their care of Twig today. Twig was booked ...
10/06/2026

We ❤️ behaviourally aware vets

A huge thank you to Windlesham Village Vets for their care of Twig today. Twig was booked in for sedation to have a damaged dew claw removed (and then managed to damage the other one yesterday too 🙈) as well as needing an ultrasound for a hernia.

Her care has been absolutely fabulous. We had medication to reduce anxiety before her visit and it made such a huge difference. Twig isn’t awful at the vets, but she does get scared. She’s had so much veterinary care since she was just 6 days old and a lot of it has been uncomfortable for her, including lots of splints on her legs as a tiny puppy, that she doesn’t have a great association with going to the vets.

With the pre-visit meds she was still completely herself, still went for a walk beforehand and was totally with it, but she was much less fearful about handling and needed less medication to sedate her too.

They saw her first so I was also able to stay with her and hold her while she was sedated and until she fell asleep, which meant the whole experience was almost entirely stress free for her.

While she was asleep we were also able to check a few other things I’d been wanting looked at, which was hugely helpful.

The practice is very behaviourally aware. They have a separate waiting area for anxious dogs plus a garden area and cosy room that can be used for consults, which can make such a difference for dogs who find normal consult rooms overwhelming.

I’m so grateful to have such wonderful care for my dogs. I’m also lucky to work with lots of other vets across Surrey who are behaviourally aware and who make veterinary care so much less stressful for their patients and clients ❤️

I went to Walkies at Wisley this weekend. They have a few evenings over the summer when you can take dogs and I almost a...
07/06/2026

I went to Walkies at Wisley this weekend. They have a few evenings over the summer when you can take dogs and I almost always bump into some previous Dog Comm clients. Seeing them not just coping, but genuinely happy and relaxed in that environment is honestly what makes my work so worthwhile ❤️

This time I saw one of my lovely clients from a few years ago, Otis, and his equally lovely family. He said a very sweet hello to Twig, looked like he was having a brilliant time and I got to hear all about his new girlfriend 😂

It absolutely made my evening.

I often think about clients I haven’t seen for ages and wonder how they are doing. Once you’re part of the Dog Comm family, you’re in it forever and I really do love a catch up ❤️

We are so lucky at Dog Comm to have a whole team of incredible helper dogs ❤️Today we had 10 dogs on hand helping with s...
06/06/2026

We are so lucky at Dog Comm to have a whole team of incredible helper dogs ❤️

Today we had 10 dogs on hand helping with stooging, interactions and generally being absolutely fabulous!

My lovely friend Jo (Collie Jo as she’s known!) arrived with SEVEN dogs. One of my clients today laughed that it was like having a wine list of dogs to choose from 😂. We had everything from tiny 2kg super social females, to older steady larger males, to giant Northern Inuits and big bouncy entire males who are much more challenging for some dogs.

Every client dog today needed something slightly different and we had the perfect helper dogs for each one. Having access to calm, appropriate and carefully selected dogs makes such a huge difference to behaviour work and I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who gives up their time to help ❤️

Here’s Sarah with some of the tiny helpers… how many can you count? 👀🐶

All helpers were paid liberally with snacks and had a fun day 🍪

Thank you so much to Jo and Sarah for all your help as always ❤️

COMMON SOURCES OF FIGHT AND FALLOUTS IN MULTIDOG HOUSEHOLDSLiving with multiple dogs is generally great but it can take ...
05/06/2026

COMMON SOURCES OF FIGHT AND FALLOUTS IN MULTIDOG HOUSEHOLDS

Living with multiple dogs is generally great but it can take some management. It’s rare that households with several dogs don’t need management and it’s often not a Disney film where everyone shares bones, sleeps in a big pile, happily lets other dogs walk over them and they never fall out 😂 in reality, it takes MUCH more management to make sure dogs don’t fall out.

I work with many cases each month where dogs in a household fall out and the triggers are generally really predictable and are often avoidable.

This is just guide to potential issues and if you have concerns about issues with your own dogs please seek qualified professional help.

COMMON TRIGGERS FOR FIGHTS ARE:

🥩 RESOURCES - food/toys/access to favoured people

Feeding separately and giving chews separately is just common sense if you have potential issues. New toys may be worth guarding but old toys may not be. Long lasting chews may be an issue especially if buried or hidden. Stairgates and having separate space can prevent so many issues!

📦 TIMES OF HIGH AROUSAL - e.g postman knocking on the dog

Being excited at the start of a walk can also be an issue for some dogs and they may fallout as everyone piles out of the car. We can try to keep arousal low by doing calm activities and scent work as we get out the car. Outdoor post and parcel boxes can often help postman related issues

High arousal in play can also be a factor- some dogs need careful management in play to make sure that arousal doesn’t get too high.

High arousal and frustration can also cause issues if dogs are fence running etc in the garden and the other dog gets in the way. Seek professional help if you are struggling with reactivity issues.

🚪 NARROW SPACES- gateways/hallways especially if combined with high arousal
Postman at the door combined with a narrow hallway is a recipe for disaster in some dogs. Doorways can also be an issue- running into the garden at speed whilst very excited etc.

🛑 STRESSED DOGS- other sources of stress can disrupt household harmony

Even if dogs get along brilliantly normally, if one is very stressed they may not cope with things they would normally cope with (trigger stacking). A house move, owners changing work pattern, a new dog walker etc are common themes. Other sources of anxiety like noise worries and separation issues all contribute to stress.

Being really tired can also be a factor and reduce tolerance- we see this lots with puppies and adult dogs. By 8 or 9pm many adult dogs just want to rest and sleep without being disturbed and many issues with adults getting cross with puppies happen in the evenings. Let your adults rest in peace away from annoying puppies.

🏥 PAIN AND ILL HEALTH- tolerance may be lower and stress higher

The first sign that a dog is unwell can be loss of tolerance around their housemates. Pain may make them suddenly unable to cope with another dog lying on them in the night for example or bumping into them as they run into the garden. Any changes- see your vet!

🐕 GROWING UP! moving into adolescence can be a trigger for fall outs

Dogs may get along swimmingly but maybe fall out as they mature. Dogs change a great deal emotionally and mentally as they go into and through adolescence and it can be a tricky time to manage. They may be finding life generally difficult to navigate at this age and may have lower tolerance around their housemate or they may change in confidence and the dynamic with older dogs may alter.

Hormones may also make things more complex- females approaching a season or who are having a phantom may be much more bothered about resources and you may need more household management. Boy dogs may change when hormones peak in adolescence and this may impact on dynamics in the household too.

Most multi dog households do get along well with some simple management and for me, the benefits of having several dogs and the rich and complex relationships they have far outweighs any negatives.

Laura McAuliffe, 2026 Dog Communication

05/06/2026

Huge congratulations to Steve on his PACT membership and ATI accreditation! Steve is one of the Dog Comm family and we are so proud of him. He’s a fabulous trainer and highly recommended by us. Well done Steve! x

ACCEPTANCE MEANS LOVING THEM FOR WHO THEY REALLY ARE ❤️My lovely Sylvi is 11 this year and I genuinely don’t have any re...
03/06/2026

ACCEPTANCE MEANS LOVING THEM FOR WHO THEY REALLY ARE ❤️

My lovely Sylvi is 11 this year and I genuinely don’t have any regrets about our life together. There isn’t a single thing I would change.

That doesn’t mean she’s “perfect”, whatever that is. She has so many wonderful qualities. She has fostered many rescue puppies, she is wonderful with people, gentle, kind and absolutely hilarious.

She also has traits many people would want to change. Although she has loads of dog friends, she really doesn’t like some dogs, especially unspayed females and she is exceptionally bossy. She’s a very strong character! The dogs who love her absolutely adore her and she couldn’t care less about the others.

I could have spent years trying to change her and “make” her like every dog. It would have taken so much time away from all the fun things we do together and it wouldn’t have been successful anyway. I don’t like every person I meet, so why would I expect her to like every dog?

I lost my first Inuit at just 26 months old. When she died, I realised I had spent so much of her short life focused on training and trying to help her cope with situations she found difficult. I still regret the amount of time I spent focusing on the things we “couldn’t do” instead of all the wonderful things we could. Ironically, she loved every single dog on earth.

Of course there are plenty of behaviors we should help our dogs with- if it’s impacting their lives and causing them anxiety or it’s presenting a danger. But it’s not a good use of our lives with our dogs spending inordinate amounts of time just trying to make them something that’s more convenient for us or trying to make them meet the expectations we had.

You don’t want to spend the short time you have with your dog wishing they were somebody they’re not. Embracing who they really are and loving them for it is a far more rewarding way to spend your life together

Laura McAuliffe Dog Communication 2026

NO FACES NEAR FACES.. I say this lots as I work with families that need help getting their dog used to children in the h...
30/05/2026

NO FACES NEAR FACES..
I say this lots as I work with families that need help getting their dog used to children in the household. I give this advice as it can prevent bite incidents.

Dogs often don’t like faces right near theirs as it’s not how they communicate and they can find it confrontational and quite intimidating. Also, if we are going to have an incident and a dog snaps, the last thing we want is a bite to the face 😢

To avoid bite incidents children’s faces should NEVER be near a dogs face- no lying down on the sofa with heads together, no leaning over the dog to kiss them, no toddlers popping up to face height of a dog on a sofa, no toddlers crawling towards dogs on dog beds etc.

If a dog gets worried and tries to use distance increasing behavior- a growl, or even an air snap to ask the child to move away, it’s a huge worry of faces are anywhere near the dogs face. It’s a totally avoidable source of risk.

It’s also good advice for adults too! This photo is just a tiny amount of the blood that came out of my head two years ago as I had an accidental injury from my northern inuit.

I feel asleep with my head on her chest (as I often do, completely ignoring my own advice 😳), as she’s really cuddly and likes it. She woke up and did a huge open mouthed sneeze (she’s quite a dramatic sneezer)… and a canine tooth went into the top of my head. She has humongous canines and it caused a wound in my scalp that poured and poured with blood. My house looked like a crime scene.

Totally accidental, it was just a sneeze, but it could have been even worse. Hurt my head (lots) and also hurt her tooth but it could have been my face. It’s made me really remind my kids not to put their faces right next to the dogs (and my dogs LOVE my kids).

We also model for our kids with our own behaviour and it’s no good us telling out kids not to put their head on the dog if we are doing it ourselves!

So really- NO faces near faces and NO faces exceptions (even for me and I’m trying hard to stick to it!)

I also still startle every time Sylvi sneezes and that’s two years later!

Laura McAuliffe 2026 Dog Communication

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