See Spot Learn by Emily Dustan

01/09/2026

Resource guarding doesn’t always start with a growl.

Sometimes the earlier signs are much more subtle.

A dog may eat faster when someone approaches, become still over an item, move away with something they value, position their body over it, or closely watch someone coming towards them.

These behaviours can be easy to miss, particularly when we think of resource guarding as a dog growling or snapping over a food bowl.

Guarding can involve chews, toys, stolen objects, resting places or access to other things the dog values. Dogs may also show protective behaviour when someone approaches or attempts to touch a particular area of their body. In these cases, pain or discomfort is one of the things we need to consider.

Repeatedly taking things away or putting our hands into a dog’s food to “get them used to it” can have the opposite effect. The dog may learn that someone approaching means they are about to lose something.

I’ve written a new article looking at some of the less obvious signs of resource guarding, why it can develop, and what we need to consider when responding to it.

You can read it here:

Resource guarding in dogs can involve food, objects, spaces or body parts. Learn what it can look like, what to avoid and when to ask for help.

28/08/2026

Teaching a dog to use a scratch board 🐾

At this stage, I’m not worrying about getting the perfect scratch or targeting particular paws. I’m just helping the dog learn the first part of the pattern which is interacting with the board.

Those early interactions can be reinforced and gradually shaped until the dog understands that scratching the board is what earns the reward.

Once that pattern is learnt, we can start getting more specific and teach them how to target different paws, including both the front and back paws.

For some dogs, a scratch board can be a great alternative to having their nails clipped, particularly when nail handling is something they find difficult.

Start with the interaction. Build the behaviour. Then refine it from there.

24/08/2026

Last Thursday afternoon I visited the Pippins at Air Scouts in Pt Chev to talk about dogs, body language and staying safe around them.

We read A Friend Named Dog, a book I wrote to help children see interactions from the dog’s perspective and start noticing what dogs may be communicating through their body language.

Rather than teaching children a list of rules about what they should and shouldn’t do around dogs, I want them to learn to look at the dog in front of them. What is their body telling us? Are they choosing to stay? Are they trying to move away? What might we notice that tells us we need to give them more space?

Learning to notice those small signals can help children make safer choices around dogs, while developing empathy and respect for the dog’s experience too.

And at the end of our afternoon, every Pippin went home with their own copy of A Friend Named Dog to keep. 🐾

21/08/2026

And that’s a wrap on another puppy class! 🎓🐾

A big congratulations to our latest group of graduates and their families. It has been lovely watching each puppy grow in confidence, learn new skills and, of course, bring their own personality to every class.

Puppy class is never about having the “perfect” puppy at the end of five weeks. It’s about giving families a strong foundation, helping puppies learn about the world at a pace they can manage, and building skills that can continue to grow beyond the course.

Thank you to all of our families for showing up each week, putting in the work between classes, asking questions and supporting your puppies along the way.

Congratulations, graduates! 🎓🐶

19/08/2026

We notice when a dog barks, growls, lunges, pulls away or tries to leave. When those behaviours reduce or disappear, it can be tempting to assume the dog is now “fine”.

But seeing a behaviour change is only part of the picture. We still need to understand what may be influencing that change.

A dog may stop barking at another dog because they are becoming more comfortable in that situation. They may also stop barking while remaining tense, vigilant or unable to disengage.

A dog may stop pulling their paw away during handling because they have become more comfortable with being touched. The pulling away may also stop while other signs suggest they are still uncomfortable with the handling.

The absence of the original behaviour cannot, on its own, tell us which of those things has happened.

We shouldn’t assume that because the barking stopped, the dog is comfortable. But we also shouldn’t automatically assume that the dog has shut down, or conclude that we are seeing learned helplessness or behavioural suppression.

Those are interpretations, which is why we need more information before deciding what that change may mean.
We shouldn’t judge behaviour change only by what has stopped. We also need to look at what has appeared in its place.

This doesn’t mean putting a dog into a difficult situation to see what they do. It means gathering information from their behaviour and what their family tells us about their responses in everyday situations, while avoiding unnecessary exposure or pressure.

* Can the dog disengage?
* Are they exploring their environment?
* Are there changes in their posture, muscle tension or movement?
* Are they showing behaviours we would normally expect from them in that context?
* Can they shift between different behaviours, or does their behaviour remain restricted?
* What do they do when they have the option to move away or re-engage?
* Does their behaviour change when they have more distance or the situation becomes less intense?
* How quickly do they recover afterwards?

None of these observations should be interpreted in isolation either. Behaviour needs context, and we need to consider the individual dog and what is normal for them.

A reduction in behaviour can absolutely be part of progress. It gives us information, but it's only one part of what we need to consider.

Quiet doesn’t always mean the dog is fine.

💜 We need to understand behaviour before changing it.

10/08/2026

Just a little behind the scenes of what happens when I try to quickly film something for a client at home. 😂

Cooper was ready. I was ready.
The cat had not been consulted, but apparently decided his involvement was required.

What started as a quick training demonstration somehow ended with me brushing the cat.

Not quite the video I planned, but probably a more accurate representation of working with animals anyway. 😂

Could I have managed the environment and kept the cat out? Absolutely. But I was just trying to get a quick video done, and apparently he had other plans. 😂

08/08/2026

Rainy Sunday breakfast for Cooper. 🌧️🐾

Today’s breakfast is going into a Kong with a mix of his regular breakfast, K9 Natural and Ziwi Peak.

Stuffed food toys turn an ordinary meal into an enrichment activity, giving dogs the chance to lick, work for their food and spend time on behaviours that come naturally.

14/07/2026

🐾Looking for a simple way to make your walks more fun?

Try hiding a chunky treat in a patch of long grass and let them search for it. This encourages sniffing, foraging, and problem-solving while giving your dog the chance to interact with the environment at their own pace.

This is an easy and fun activity that can add variety to your walk while giving your dog the opportunity to engage in behaviours that come naturally to them. 🌿🐾

28/06/2026

💜

12/06/2026

Family cricket in the park, and Cooper has the most important job as the fielder. 🏏

Play with your dog does not have to mean endless ball throwing. If your dog already loves fetch, you can build it into games the whole family plays together. Cooper gets to chase, retrieve, and bring the ball back into play, and he gets to do it as part of the team.

A job to do, people he loves, and a behaviour he already knows. That is a pretty good afternoon for a dog.💜