The Dog Centre Kilkenny: Dog Training & Behaviour

26/10/2025

Thank you so, so much!!

26/10/2025

Notes all ready for my podcast with ready to share all the giant / guardian breed behavioural knowledge with you all . Thank you so much to Killian, Chris and Ruby for having me on again ✨️🙌

23/10/2025

22/10/2025

Its one year from the first video 🎊🎊
From frightened foster puppy to chunky, adopted, confident dog, Nyx

The 1, 2, 3 pattern game is brilliant for building confidence and comfort with uncertain things for nervous dogs or to help dogs that are working through confidence building skills after a trauma, like learning to go outside after being frightened by bangers or fireworks

20/10/2025

🐾 Why Dogs might show "Reactive" Behaviours
As a behaviour consultant, one of the most common concerns I’m asked about is when a dog barks, lunges, or growls at triggers such as other dogs, people, or moving things. Let's be clear, "reactivity" is the term given to overt physiological responses to underlying emotions

These sequences of behaviours are too complex to put under one umbrella term. Simply put, behaviour is communication and those communications are functional to our dog in that moment.

Here are some of the most common reasons dogs develop these behaviours 👇

🐶 Fear or past negative experiences
A dog who’s been frightened, startled, or hurt (even unintentionally) may react defensively to prevent it from happening again.

🐶 "flooding" or overexposure in early life - all of this should be done at your dog's own pace giving them control and agency over interactions and with new sights, sounds, smells and objects. Although adult dogs can develop reactivity due to "flooding" as well

🐶 Frustration or over-arousal
We can see this behaviour when our dogs are held back by a lead or fence. This is where a dog demonstrates a frustration-based reaction

🐶 Protective or guarding instincts
Dogs who are purpose bred to have specific ritualised behaviours to eliminate threats or guard their people or territory from anything that may be perceived as an “intruder.”

🐶 Pain or health issues
Even mild discomfort can lower a dog’s tolerance. A sore back, ear infection, or musculoskeletal issues make a even a previously comfortable, calm dog more defensive.

🐶 Unintentional reinforcement
Sometimes, our reactions, tension on the lead, raised voices, or pulling away, can reinforce the cycle of stress and reactivity without us realising it.

✨ The good news: Reactive behaviour can be changed. With patience, understanding, and the right approach, dogs can learn to feel safe and confident again.

If your dog is struggling with reactivity, please know you’re not alone- and it’s not your fault. With positive, science and evidence-based training, we can help your dog build better coping skills and restore calm walks again.

18/10/2025

A little bit of life recently
• rough collie sisters Rua and Siun
• mantrailing days with Bertie & Brian and their fab owners
• Meeting new little staffie puppy girl, Bailey
• Nico and his army crawl during his session
• catching up with
• Dillie doing "sausage tree"
• Hollie's catch up session in Waterford to work on reactivity in busier areas
• addressing dog / dog reactivity with Zuma

18/10/2025

Bear is pure poetry in motion 😍

17/10/2025

Groundbreaking progress for Margot around her human directed anxious behaviours
She's a phenomenal girl, with the most amazing owners 💖

17/10/2025

Swipe ---> to see Lucy mid-bark 🤣

The best days spent with little baby Viszlas

15/10/2025

Little Frankie 🩵
He has had such a journey overcoming huge reactivity and separation anxiety issues in his young life.

Since I first met him, Frankie had been highly noise sensitive, worried by everything, even the idea of going for a walk was stressful for him and his people, even the idea of his owners taking out the bins was stressful for them.
Having just come from a follow up catch up session with him and his fantastic owners, it's so hard to believe that he is no longer the worried little dachshund I first met. Not too long ago, we'd be working at an enormous distance from triggers. Today, he's so regulated and gliding on by triggers engaged with the environment and his owners, totally relaxed, no longer pulling or hyper-vigilant. I could and have cried tears of joy with his owners. This is incredible success

What allowed us to get here?
• strict decompression periods and cortisol holidays intermittently as needed
• his owners focusing on understanding his triggers and body language
• some basic training cues to build motivation and responsiveness
• Ruling out health issues with his vet
• medication
• desensitisation to walking equipment
• relaxation training protocols
• enrichment frameworks that focused on engaging his parasympathetic nervous system
• Working around habituation sessions
• blocking and minimising stress build ups for him in his home environment and walking routes

Go !! I'm so happy for you

09/10/2025

The greatest thing you can hear as a behaviour consultant:
“We can enjoy walks again.”
“He’s finally relaxed at home.”
“She trusts me now.”
Those moments are why we do what we do. 🐾💛