Canine Advocate 1-2-1

Canine Advocate 1-2-1 Mindful Dog Walking 1-2-1 & Pet Sitting 🐕🐾
🔹️Specialising in Solo Dog Walks🔹️
️Wolverhampton and South Staffs

23/09/2025

DISTRACTED DOG WALKERS

The distracted dog walker is commonly seen chatting on their cell phone, wearing headphones or socializing with other people while oblivious to what their dog is doing, how their dog is feeling or what is going on in the environment.

This may not sound like a problem, but it is something that many of us have a problem with, even more so if we have a reactive, sensitive dog.

I always compare walking a dog to driving a car. It’s not so much about our driving skills, but having to constantly be aware of the driving skills of others – trying to predict what they will do, which rules of the road they will ignore and how distracted they are. This is especially true in the country I live in, where driving can be a really stressful experience.

I understand that we often need to multi task – there simply doesn’t seem to be enough time in our day to accomplish everything we need to, but walking our dogs should not be one of these times.

Some may say – “but my dog is really friendly, well socialized, gets on well with everyone, is well trained, knows this environment well etc. and I hear that. But another dog might not be – maybe they need space, are reactive, sensitive, selectively social, have health issues, might be terrified of another dog racing straight towards them chasing a ball thrown from a ball launcher etc.

If distracted dog walkers have no regard for other dogs or other people, they should at least have regard for their own dogs.

Walking your dog should be a time of bonding, of connecting, of seeing the environment through the eyes of your dog, of reinforcing and rewarding wanted behaviours, of keeping them safe and protected.

Our dogs need us to be focused, to pay attention, to be aware and attentive. Our dogs depend on us to advocate for them.

08/09/2025

We might have had a different idea of what life with our dogs looked like. Sometimes we can do everything right but our dog’s personality, insecurities, learning history and chemistry are their own. Their own journey.

It takes quite a dog to be able to show up everywhere and so we sometimes have to let go of that image. It can be hard, we may even mourn the life we had with less ties, where we were free to go out, go away, stay out without making arrangements.

It’s okay to feel sad about it, it’s okay to miss what we had before or what we dreamed of. It doesn’t take away how much we love them and appreciate every part of them. ❤️

04/09/2025

When we see emotional pain as the same as physical, it helps us understand the healing process better. That a quick fix isn’t realistic, that wounds take time to heal and have to be done by ourselves, our own bodies with the right support or environment.

Our dogs are always there to support us through ours and we can be there for them too. The first step being an understanding, listening to their signals and figuring out the best way we can help them through.

02/09/2025

I NEED TO FEEL SAFE!

Like all living creatures, ourselves included, dogs need to feel safe – it’s a basic need for survival.

It’s hard wired into our brains to keep asking and checking – “Am I safe?” or “Is this safe?”

When we think about feeling safe it’s natural to just think about not being harmed or being in danger, but it’s not just about physical safety - feeling emotionally or psychologically safe is just as important.

While physical safety may be obvious and simpler to address, emotional safety is far more complex and not always easy to recognise or identify.

The same applies to our dogs – they are sentient beings whose behaviour is triggered and driven by emotions.

So many behaviour problems that we see in dogs stem from the brain saying– “I don’t feel safe!”

A dog that lunges and barks or behaves aggressively with another dog or person is very likely doing so because they feel unsafe. They are trying to make the scary thing go away.

A dog that is guarding resources is doing so because they are afraid that the resource will be taken away – they don’t feel safe when another animal or person approaches that resource.

A dog that is reacting to fireworks or thunderstorms or other noises is doing so because they don’t feel safe.

The same can be said for separation distress – the feeling of intense panic when left alone – “I am not safe!”

Some dogs may never get over a specific fear, but doing all we can to help dogs feel safe in our world is one of the most important gifts we can give them.

Our first responsibility should not be about training, obedience or trying to change behaviour, but to focus first and foremost on building trust, self-confidence, resilience, creating a safe and secure base and being the person that our dogs can rely on and trust.

In the words of Dr. Gabor MatĂŠ - "Feeling safe is the treatment and creating safety is the work".

In my words (as it pertains to dogs) – It is our responsibility to put in the work to enable our dogs to feel safe and when they feel safe, this will be part of the treatment or the solution to the problem.

29/08/2025

How Agency Helps Us

The other evening, Murphy and I went for a walk somewhere new with a couple of friends and their dogs. As we headed down a path, a sudden sound made Murphy stop and unsettled him.

Murphy stood still, head turning away, tail low, ears back. I offered Murphy time to paddle in the water, time to sniff. But nothing else mattered to him except feeling safe. So we turned back to where the car was parked.

He wasn’t pulling, but it was clear he wanted to leave. Our friends came with us as we headed back to the car.

But instead of going straight to the car, which I thought he would do, as he would have chosen to do in the past, he walked past it, choosing a different route.

Turning back didn’t mean giving up. It gave Murphy the space and agency he needed to try again in a way that felt safe for him.

Sometimes dogs choose to pause, needing more time on their walk. Sometimes they’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or in pain, or just needing time to process their environment. There’s always a reason, they’re communicating how they feel.

It’s not about our dogs being spoilt or stubborn, but about us listening to our dogs, for them to communicate what they need and able to trust us.

All the dogs did wonderfully on their walk, sniffing, exploring with curiosity and confidence. Each dog showed us in their own way how capable to make great choices and felt very proud of them all.

By supporting our dogs with their choices, we can help build their confidence, trust and safety, engaging with the world at their own pace.

29/08/2025

It’s totally human to say “no” when our dogs are doing something we’re worried about, especially if we worry they might hurt themselves.

Dogs are amoral and their behaviour is just information. That means they have no concept of what’s “right” or “wrong”, “good” or “bad”. Hence, they do not actually know what “no” means if we have not associated it with anything punishing and aversive for them.

And if we are committed to humane and ethical care for our dogs, we shouldn’t be trying to associate “no” with anything punishing and aversive.

What’s most important is that if we find ourselves saying “no” as a natural response to a scenario, we should then reflect on why our dog is engaging in that behaviour, figure out what we can do to change the environment, meet our dog’s needs to prevent them from engaging in that behaviour, and help them feel and be safe.

For example, back when Dave used to jump into the raised plant beds, in the immediate moment, my natural reaction is “nooo” which would have no effect on him. I would then toss treats onto the grass so he gets out of the plant bed, I’d recognise that he needs more safe scavenging opportunities and provide that for him, as well as put nets over the plant beds.

Any frustration I felt was not his problem. It wasn’t “bad” or “wrong” behaviour. If anything, I also enjoyed how he felt safe and was fit and agile at the time to jump into the plant beds!

The onus should be on us to find ways to help our dogs that center our dog’s wellbeing so that we don’t find ourselves having to say “no”. Upon reflection, we may also find that some things we’ve been saying “no” to our dog doing isn’t even such a big deal and is okay if they do it.

Our dog’s behaviours are never “wrong” and they never need to know what “no” means. It’s also more effective in the long run to understand our dog and meet the function of their behaviour.

Instead of debating and trying to justify whether saying “no” is “fine”, let’s push ourselves to be curious about our dog’s behaviour and recognise that there are always ways we can do better to improve our dog’s wellbeing while keeping them safe.

ID: The photo shows Dave, a brown Singapore Special dog with pointy ears standing on a raised plant bed in the garden and the text on the right says “Instead of just trying to justify saying “no” to our dog, we should relect on what we are missing with our dog’s environment and needs.”

17/08/2025

Curiosity is a beautiful thing.

13/07/2025

I keep hearing, “Dogs live in hot countries — they’re fine in the heat.”
No. They’re not. Not here. Not in England. Not during a sudden heatwave.

Dogs in hot climates are acclimatised over time.
They’re walked early morning or after dark.
They grow up in heat, adjust gradually, and even then — people there take serious precautions.

Your dog?
- Lives in a cooler climate
- Is used to walks in mild temps
- Has NO time to adjust to a 30°C+ heatwave

This sudden heat is a shock to their system. They haven’t adapted. They can’t just “deal with it.”

And here’s the reality:
- Dogs overheat fast
- Heatstroke can hit in minutes
- Panting doesn’t fix everything

Don't justify walking your dog in dangerous heat with bad comparisons.
Acclimatisation matters. Your dog hasn’t had that chance.

Keep them cool, hydrated, and inside, and don’t risk their life because of a myth

You wouldn’t go running in a heatwave if you’d spent all year in 10°C weather. Why make your dog?

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