The Positive Canine - Behaviour Specialist

27/05/2025

“Just ignore it and it’ll stop…” Ever heard that advice when your dog’s doing something ‘bad’...like barking, jumping, or whining? 😬

Let me tell you why that doesn’t work, and what to do instead.

I recently worked with two lovely little dachshunds who were constantly barking in the garden and at home. Ignoring it not only didn't stop it, but they would grow more frustrated.

Why? Because behaviour is communication. Dogs don’t act out for no reason. When we ignore them, we’re not addressing the cause, we’re just ignoring the symptom.

These two weren’t being “disobedient.” They were overwhelmed, under stimulated, and trying to tell us something the only way they knew how.

So instead of ignoring them, we started listening.

We looked at why they were barking, made small changes to reduce their stress, and gave them healthier, more appropriate ways to express themselves. And guess what? The barking started to ease, without punishment or constant “no’s.”

Here’s what happens when we ignore behaviour:
⚠️ Dogs can get more stressed and escalate the behaviour
⚠️ Or they shut down, which might look like improvement—but it damages trust
⚠️ The root cause is still there, so the behaviour often returns later

Have you ever tried ignoring a behaviour and found it made things worse?

24/05/2025

Does your dog get bored easily on walks? Instead of doing repetitive fetching, try getting them to use their nose and put those amazing senses to use!

19/05/2025

Hi everyone! I'm Karolina 👋🏼 To all new joiners and those who have followed since the beginning, I thought I would make a post to formally introduce myself and how I got to where I am 🐾

I'm a certified Behaviour Consultant via the International School of Canine Psychology and Behaviour. My interest in dog behaviour started when I grew up around my family dog, Cocker Spaniel called Oliver who really struggled with a lot of different triggers, especially around new people, resources and handling.

I originally went to uni to study Vet Nursing, but quickly realised it wasn't for me and moved into Animal Behaviour instead. Oliver really inspired me to understand why he behaved the way he did. Unfortunately my family had absolutely no experience with overcoming behaviour problems and did ALL the wrong things - prong collars, Cesar Milan, telling off and all that bs. It breaks my heart to think about today, but I can't change the past. I can however do better for dogs everyday through educating guardians and supporting dogs.

I do various bits of CPD and I love learning new things. I love training my dogs fun tricks, but my priority for my and any dogs I work with is their welfare; physical and mental wellbeing. I prioritise investigating the dogs emotional motivation behind any behaviour and addressing all possible underlying factors, not just the symptoms we see on the surface.

Learning to understand your dog is a journey and one you need to enter open minded, as there are a lot of myths and legends out there about dog behaviour and training. We share a really distinct and sometimes complicated relationship with dogs; my goal is to really help you get the best out of yours.

If you are considering getting help with your dogs behaviour, drop me a message for a chat before booking anything in to see how I can help 🩵

17/05/2025

One of the trickiest parts of having a dog who is uncomfortable around strangers can be veterinary visits. It can often mean a very stressful experience for both human and dog, but it doesn't always have to be that way.

The most common step to overcoming stressful vet experiences is bringing the dog in for positive vet trips to acclimate the dog to the environment and show them that good things happen here. But what happens when a dog also really doesn't want to be touched by a vet?

Eevee is one of those dogs - she can cope with being in the environment and can tolerate people being around her as long as they don't get too close. If they do, she gives a very clear warning to say she is reaching her threshold and needs more space. Now Eevee can make friends with most humans overtime, but it would always require meeting in an outdoor setting and going for a walk together - not really possible to do with your vet!

Eevee needed a blood sample taken and sedating her was the least stressful way of doing this.
Side note: we have a FANTASTIC vet and this is the only vet Eevee sees now - this is also a big help.

Our routine:
- Anxiety Medication the night before and morning of appointment (these can be a lifesaver and shouldn't be frowned upon)
- First appointment of the day (clear waiting room)
- We prepare a mat for her to lay on and bring her muzzle that she is accustomed to
- Vet prepares sedative which is injected into the back muscle
- I use a towel to cover Eevee's eyes to prevent extra stress from seeing the vet approach, and I restrain her head and chest (something we always practice beforehand!)
- Eevee's dog-dad is on standby
- After the injection, Vet leaves and we stay with the lights turned off until she is fully asleep
- Vet returns, bloods taken
- Eevee then receives the reversal injection to wake up & we keep her warm

The same routine won't necessarily work for every dog, because they all have different triggers and needs. But sometimes managing a stressful situation to get it done as quickly as possible with the least amount of discomfort is best and necessary, even if it's not most pleasant.

15/05/2025

Oooohhhh thisssss! I don't think I've ever commented on this but I always think about it.
Dogs need to sniff! Sure, they need to run too and some dogs LOVE canicross and it's an amazing way to give your dog more fulfillment if it's what they need.

But if you get a dog because you go for a run everyday and you bring your dog with you, and you don't let them do any sniffing and exploring, that ain't on.

Free running off lead is different; your dog can set their own pace and choose where to go. Being attached to a lead (don't get me started on running clipped onto a collar!), has no option to stop except maybe to toilet, just don't bring your dog!

Go for a run and then give them a walk. That's what having a dog entails.

For YOUR exercise needs
To clear YOUR head
For YOU.
They stop for a second, they are pulled and yanked along.
and if I see one more dog limping beside a runner ....💥
Your dog wants to keep stopping.
You can't see exactly what is happening or the gait change in your dog because your eyes are forward, but you feel the "hesitation" from behind.

Some runners may see it as "interfering" with the pace you have set, so you may just keep "yanking" them along when they are trying to tell you stop...the only way they can.❗
Some people have heard running is great for dogs.
Well, that depends entirely on the length of time, the pace, the breed and the individual dog themselves.
Not every breed is built for what WE expect them to do.

This isn't anti joggers/runners as many walkers can do exactly the same.
You have 30 mins after work and you "must" do that 4 block circuit in 25 mins.

No stopping
No sniffing
No engagement

They stop for a second, they are pulled and yanked along.

If your exercise interferes with what your dog NEEDS....it's well and truly time to separate the two.
For everyone's benefit.

13/05/2025

07/05/2025

Not all foreign rescues have a traumatic or abusive background, some of them just had more choice and freedom. Giving them some of this back after rehoming can make a big difference.

Of course we must always consider medical and health issues which could always be a big factor in making your dog feel less secure, as having pain you can't control is also a loss of choice/freedom.

Do you have a foreign rescue dog? How did they adapt to home life?