Fundog Behaviour and Training

18/07/2025

Kids and dogs. Don’t get complacent. Learn to read the signs of discomfort.

15/07/2025

Rescuing a dog from abroad can be quite a rollercoaster of emotions. Some dogs adapt quickly, others can take years. This case study shows just how much time some dogs need to. Great job by her guardian and behaviourist. 🐾

14/07/2025

https://coape.org/why-we-discourage-aversive-products-and-techniques/

Sadly I am seeing a rise in the use of aversive methods in dog training. This is largely due to a growing social media presence of these types of trainers, a lack of knowledge, frustration at not getting results quickly using positive reinforcement or just plain old bullying, amongst other things. Punishment does work at suppressing unwanted behaviours, but there is a fallout and it can be very damaging to the dog's emotional well being as well as physical. Let's move out of the dark ages into a world where we can train with kindness, knowledge and patience. Coercion and control is never a good basis for any relationship.

Ethology,Neuroscience,Applied Animal Behaviour,Sentient,Sentient beings,Emotions,Animal Welfare,Dog,Cat,Training,Dog behaviour,Cat behaviour,Animal behaviour,Animal rights,Enrichment,Agility,Dog agility,Cat toys,Dog toys,Animals,Behaviour courses,Behaviour problems,Naughty dog,Naughty cat

07/07/2025

It's going to be really hot again this week. Much of our wildlife will be struggling to find sources of water. Consider putting out a few shallow bowls of water to make life that little bit easier for them
🐦🐝🐦‍⬛🐇🦡🐁🦔🐾

02/07/2025

In recent decades, there has been a growing trend both in breeding and public expectation toward dogs who are exceptionally tolerant. Dogs who are quiet, calm, passive. Dogs who accept all handling, tolerate noise, confinement, busy households, and intense human interaction with little or no objection.

In many circles, this is considered desirable the mark of a “good” temperament. But it raises an important ethical question:

Have we gone too far in breeding for tolerance? And at what cost to the dog?

By consistently selecting for dogs who show little resistance, we risk producing individuals who are less likely to communicate distress through early warning signs and more likely to internalise stress, shut down, or ultimately display explosive or health-related consequences when their tolerance runs out.

Studies in canine emotional expression (Mills et al., 2014) and pain masking (Mathews et al., 2014) show that dogs often conceal signs of discomfort, especially when conditioned to associate calmness with reward or safety. Many of the dogs we call “stoic” are, in fact, experiencing chronic stress or discomfort with no safe outlet to express it. Dogs who have been bred or trained to suppress natural behaviours, such as growling or avoidance, may present as "well-behaved" while experiencing internal distress, a state that often precedes behavioural shutdown or reactive incidents. Some dogs bred for “gentleness” or “softness” are, in reality, lacking the behavioural range to express or navigate stress.

When we normalise extreme tolerance, we set dangerous expectations for what “good dogs” should be. We raise children thinking dogs should never say “no.”

This mindset leads to:

Punishment of normal canine communication
Missed opportunities for early intervention
Dogs being kept in environments they cannot cope with
Escalated incidents that “came out of nowhere”

We put dogs in homes where they are never allowed to express discomfort, and then we blame them when they finally break.

When the truth is: the signs were there — we just didn’t want to see them.

28/06/2025

How about we stop saying “my dog is so well trained”. Let’s focus more on “my dog is happy and content because I am meeting their needs appropriately. They feel safe and because of this we have a great relationship built on trust and fun”. It’s not just about ‘training’.

27/06/2025

27/06/2025

Important information. it still boggles my mind that people will exercise their dogs in the heat. Humidity is also a significant factor, so just because it's 22C and overcast doesn't mean that your dog will cope.

23/06/2025

What is pain?

It’s not just physical.

According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), pain is:
“An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.”

This means pain can affect behaviour, movement, and mood, even when there’s no visible injury.

As trainers and behaviourists, recognising this is key to truly helping the dogs we work with. 🐾

17/06/2025

Walking in wild places with the dogs is the best therapy ⛰️ 🚶 🐕 🌊 🌲
(They are in equifleeces to keep them clean and to reduce the ticks that attach to them !)

16/06/2025

Holidays are all about the dogs 🫣 Currently on the Wild West coast of Scotland so apologies if you’ve contacted me and I’ve not got back to you yet ( I am checking emails every now and then 😬)