CD Dog Training Norfolk

19/04/2026

Sound advice from Kamal as always. Many people expect responses the dog has not been trained for.

13/04/2026

13/04/2026

Approaching other dogs in a calm manner can make a huge difference to the interaction. One of many useful skills we work on in puppy class.
May classes at Ketts Hall now filling.

27/01/2026

Training a dog should never just be about the outcome, and the outcome should never be at the expense of your dog's emotional wellbeing. Sally Gutteridge is an amazing advocate for the welfare of dogs and I wholly subscribe to her ethos.

Here's why aversive training is damaging. Here's why you should walk away from 'balanced' and other unaware trainers.

Your dog isn't only learning what to do when they have that prong collar on - they are also learning how to feel.

You cannot teach dogs with operant conditioning without also affecting them through classical. You can't teach them the action without the emotional learning.

Classical conditioning, because it shapes emotional responses, carries ethical weight. It's always happening, it decides what your dog learns to feel.

Every time you create an association in your dog's mind, you're affecting how they feel about something, potentially for the rest of their life.

This power demands careful consideration.

Are you creating associations that support your dog's confidence and wellbeing, or are you building associations that create anxiety, fear, or chronic stress?

I have an ebook coming out on this topic on the second. If you want to come to the launch drop a comment.

07/12/2025

This is such a brilliant example of how important it is to consider pain as a driver for a whole range of behaviour changes before anything else. Fortunately this dog was lucky with his owners and dog trainer

You may have heard me mention Zeppie before.
When he first came to me, he was massively reactive, over-stimulated, and had virtually zero impulse control.

What a lot of people don’t realise is that dogs in pain will often put themselves into a state of arousal because adrenaline and endorphins help them cope.
Significantly common in working breeds. They are, quite literally, self-medicating.

Dogs are stoic. They hide pain incredibly well physically,
but behaviourally, it leaks out.
Aggression, reactivity, hyper-arousal, handling issues, grooming sensitivity, they’re all common signs.

This is why reward-based trainers doing behaviour work liaise closely with vets and physiotherapists.
And it’s also why we don’t rely on corrections or punishment.
Imagine being disciplined for reacting to pain.

It turns out Zeppie had torn both his cruciate ligaments.

We got him started on treatment, and alongside that, we got started on training.
He began to improve beautifully, better impulse control, better emotional regulation, more confidence around other dogs, and we gradually got him working in my training centre and out and about.

In July, he had his first surgery and began recovery.

A few weeks ago, he came to see me… and something wasn’t right.
His behaviour had regressed significantly. His pain meds had recently been reduced, and I noticed he wasn’t weight-bearing properly on the operated leg.
He was due to have the other cruciate repaired next week, but I recommended his owners speak to the vet again and share what I’d observed.

They got an appointment the same afternoon.
The vet agreed: something wasn’t right. His pain medication was increased, and he was referred back to the specialist.

It turns out he has an infection under the plate that was put in.
He’s still going in on Monday but now to deal with that.

I’ve seen Zeppie make incredible progress this year.
He is a good boy, and he really does try his best.

I’m so glad he found owners who are kind, caring, and most importantly compassionate.

We learn to read dog body language and behaviour so we can have conversations with our dogs.
I'm here to listen, isn't that what 'therapists' are meant to do?

Zeppie’s behaviour wasn’t “bad,” “stubborn,” or “naughty.”
He was trying to communicate something.

I often wonder what might have happened if his owners had ended up with a trainer who viewed his behaviour simply as “good” or “bad” and punished the bad.

It’s been a tough journey for Zeppie and his family, and my heart genuinely goes out to them.
They are amazing humans and I’m so glad Zeppie is theirs. 🥰

If you’ve had a dog whose behaviour changed because of pain, feel free to share your experience or a kind message for Zeppie’s family. They’ve been fighting so hard for him, and a bit of community support goes a long way. 🐾💕

13/11/2025

How much choice in life does your dog have? Could you give them more?

The dog who is scared of crowds, shut down in a coffee shop.

The dog who is barking and lunging, creeping along in a prong collar.

These dogs have no agency, none.

They may have struggled or protested a few times and given up.

These dogs may have realised that they will be touched, picked up, taken to places they don't feel safe and no-one even considers how they feel about it.

Our dogs need agency.

They need autonomy.

They need emotional safety.

They need consideration.

And they need us to see them - really see them - as the sentient beings they are.

02/11/2025

I have to share this brilliant post. Your dog acting like a dog should not be labelled as a problem that needs fixing.

💭 What If It’s Not a Problem… But a Purpose?

When we talk about “problem behaviours” in dogs, we often start from the idea that something is wrong.
That the dog is sick, unbalanced, too much, or needs fixing.

So we try to suppress.
To quiet.
To stop.
To control.
To prevent them from rehearsing the very behaviours that make them who they are.

But let’s take a step back for a moment.
Dogs were not created to be pets. They were designed to be partners.
Every breed, every type, was intentionally crafted by humans for a purpose — a job that served us.

The herder that gathered the flock.
The terrier that cleared the home of vermin.
The gundog that retrieved our game.
The guardian that protected our homes.

Their instincts, their energy, their passion — all of it was by design.
It wasn’t a flaw to be fixed. It was a purpose to be fulfilled.

But as society evolved, those jobs disappeared — or were replaced.
The flocks that once needed gathering are now moved by quad bike.
Homes that needed guarding are now protected by alarms and cameras.
Vermin that once required a tenacious terrier are now kept in check with chemicals and pest control companies.

The dogs, though… haven’t changed.
They still carry their purpose — in every cell, in every line of their DNA.

Now, imagine this.
Think about the thing that gives you purpose.
The thing that makes you feel alive.

Maybe it’s helping others.
Maybe it’s teaching, creating, caring, running, building, painting, singing.
That thing that fills your heart and gives your life meaning.

Now imagine being told you can never do it again.
You can’t sing.
You can’t paint.
You can’t help.
You can’t move.
You can’t express who you are.

How would that feel?
Frustrating? Empty? Sad?
Would it affect your mental health? Your self-esteem? Your sense of worth?

That’s what it’s like for a dog who’s been bred for a purpose — but has nowhere to put it.
It’s not a behavioural “problem.”
It’s a purpose left unfulfilled.

Our job isn’t to suppress that drive.
It’s to honour it.
To find healthy, meaningful ways to let it shine.

That’s why I talk about the Five E’s — the daily ingredients for a fulfilled dog:
💚 Enrichment – mental challenges that engage their instincts.
💚 Exercise – movement that satisfies their drive and energy.
💚 Entertainment – fun and play that builds connection.
💚 Emotional Stability – safety, predictability, and trust.
💚 Education – learning that gives structure and purpose.

When we invest in these, we’re not “fixing” dogs — we’re allowing them to become who they were meant to be.
We’re not managing a problem.
We’re meeting a purpose.

So maybe the next time you see your dog display that unstoppable drive, that intensity, that passion — instead of asking “How do I stop it?”, try asking…
“How can I fulfil it?”

Because when we meet dogs where they are — not where we wish they’d be — something magical happens:
Calm.
Confidence.
Connection.
And a life that feels right.

Maybe it’s time we stop seeing behaviour as a symptom to cure…
and start seeing it as a story waiting to be understood. 🐾

💬 Now I’d love to hear from you:
Does your dog have a purpose that’s being fulfilled?
How do you help them live it every day?
Share your ideas below — you might just inspire someone else to see their dog through a whole new lens. 💚

01/11/2025

These gorgeous puppies did really well working on settling and relaxing on their beds in puppy class this week. Practicing and being rewarded for calmness is every bit as important as training your dog to do things.

21/09/2025

These lovely puppies started puppy class today at Ketts Hall. Great mix of breeds 🥰

Guess who is who:
Terrier


Terrier




These lovely puppies and their owners will learn lots if valuable skills preparing them for a good life ahead and will make friends in the process.

05/09/2025

I admit I have been guilty of leaving dog hairs in my garden for birds but, no more!

PLEASE RECONSIDER GROOMING YOUR DOG WHILST OUT ON WALKS (or in the garden!)

This - along with letting them swim in waterways - could be killing wildlife.


It's that time of year when you see random distributions of dog fluff out on walks.

Kanita is also blowing her coat, and Mohawk has been having a big coat change too recently. There's something very satisfying about gently pulling those loose tufts of hair out. If you know, you know.


I don't blame people for thinking that it's easier to groom a super floofy dog outside to save covering their house in hair- BUT if that dog receives anti-parasitic treatment, this may be harming wildlife.

A study in the Netherlands detected two active substances used in routine pet anti-parasitic treatments in the nests of great t**s- who had collected hair in order to build their nests.

Another study by The University of Sussex found that screened nests contained 17 out of 20 insecticides screened for. 100% of nests contained fipronil and 89% contained imidacloprid.
A higher number of unhatched eggs and dead chicks were associated with higher numbers of chemicals present in the nests (with dog hair being used to build the nests by the birds).


Many of these chemicals in these treatments are thought to be harmful to birds. It is also thought that they are damaging to insect populations (including bees) as well as contributing to pollution of waterways and damaging aquatic ecosystems - contributed by people letting their dogs swim in ponds, lakes, streams, rivers etc.


If you routinely use parasite control medication on your dog please do not let them swim outdoors (especially soon after treatment) and avoid grooming them outside (or bag up the hair as you groom).

There are some suggestions that oral medications are less damaging, but they don't just sit in the digestive system. They are transported around the bloodstream- which supplies nutrients and oxygen to the whole body. Toxins leave the body via excrement, urine, sweat, hair and skin cells- albeit predominantly via the former two.

Whilst topical treatments pose a greater risk - especially soon after treatment- it cannot be assumed that there is no negative affect from oral treatments. The research identified that dog hair is linked to bird deaths and that specifically states that dogs owned by volunteers donating nests received parasite control via collars, spot on and tablets.
Chemicals from Nexguard and Bravecto were not screened for in the study and thus are not ruled out as safe nor established as harmful (to birds).


The recommended frequency of use of these products continues to be called into question, as is the risk of adverse side effects in pets!

Veternarians are being encouraged to prescribe them based on risk to the individual.
Assessing individual risk is not easy for veternarians to do in the time that they have, so you can help your vet help you by intensively reading information on these products rather than administering them every 1-3 months in blind faith that it's the right thing to do and without consequence.

Our wildlife is in decline and if we care about nature- we all need to do our bit.

That may include reviewing the specific medication you purchase from your vet or you may decide to use them less frequently, such as treating as needed or seasonally (instead of across the year).
You may delay letting your dog swim post treatment for as long as possible, or consider alternative prevention such as worm counts, flea combing or natural repellents (although do note, some ingredients in these could still be toxic to some species of wildlife).


Again, whether to treat or not should be down to INDIVIDUAL RISK. What poses a risk to individuals in one area may differ to others elsewhere.

But it's also your personal choice and I want to make it clear that this post is NOT telling people to NOT treat their pets but simply to be aware of the potential impact of such treatments and to adjust our habits (swimming, grooming outside) accordingly.


Are there other things that damage the environment? Of course.
But this is a page about dogs, so content will be relevant to dogs.

You can use the fact that XY and Z also harm the environment as a justification for doing nothing, or you can consider whether there are small changes you are able to make. The cumulative effect is what causes these issues to escalate, and thus the cumulative effect is also capable of making some positive change.


Note: If you don’t use anti parasitics on your dog & groom them outside, then the hair may be beneficial for the birds. However, do consider that grooming products and other medications may pose a risk - should you use these.

These were the resources linked into the comments, but Ive opted to bring them here for ease. Within some of these you can be linked to the research on this topic and you will find much more detail on this emotive topic.

https://www.sussex.ac.uk/broadcast/read/66973

https://www.veterinaryirelandjournal.com/small-animal/359-cat-and-dog-parasiticides-and-the-environment

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969725000737?ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=908a988c1c6d63c1

https://www.songbird-survival.org.uk/post/veterinary-drugs-found-in-bird-nests/

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/243875/toxic-flea-tick-treatments-polluting-uk/

https://www.pan-uk.org/garden-birds-are-being-poisoned-by-pet-flea-treatments/

https://www.broads-authority.gov.uk/looking-after/managing-land-and-water/water-quality/flea-treatments-and-their-impact-on-water-quality

https://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/blog/flea-treatment-toxic-to-wildlife

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/feb/23/flea-treatments-cats-dogs-environmental-hazard

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7738705/

https://www.bva.co.uk/take-action/our-policies/responsible-use-of-parasiticides-for-cats-and-dogs/

https://www.bsava.com/position-statement/parasite-control/