Affinity Animal Training and Behaviour

30/05/2026

While the first 3 domains focus largely on the inputs that influence welfare, the Fourth Domain also asks us to look at behavior itself as evidence of welfare.

In other words:
▪ Is this animal doing what they would naturally be doing if captivity were not preventing it?
▪ Are the behavioral interactions this dog is having with the environment, other dogs, & people reflective of their natural history, behavioral ecology, & natural motivations?
▪ What does that actually LOOK like in dogs?
▪ How can we effectively support natural canine behavior when, as an industry, we have barely identified which natural behaviors dogs need to express for good welfare in the first place?

Worse still, many of the natural behaviors dogs are most motivated to perform have been mislabeled as “behavior problems” when expressed in modern pet environments.

Too often, our efforts have focused on suppressing these behaviors rather than understanding what they were for in the first place or why they are important now.

We were never taught to see many of these behaviors as welfare needs.
But animal welfare science is changing that.

We now have the frameworks, principles, & evidence to begin flipping the script on canine behavior entirely.

Not by creating less dogness in the name of “good” behavior.
Not by shaping unnatural performances.

But by creating healthier, more complete expressions of true dogness.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring these Behavioral Interactions.

We’ll discuss how to identify these behaviors & provide some hacks to support them appropriately in modern life.

Because the expression of natural behavior can be evidence that welfare needs are being met.

And their absence, as well as “behavior problems”, can be evidence that they are not.

This series will also pave the way for the public release of the complete Total Welfare Ethogram, & the Total Welfare client management and behavioral diversity tracking app this July.

We will be redefining our field - together - as welfare literate & competent professionals in 2026.

Whatever your next step is, get ready to take it.

The dogs are counting on us.

30/05/2026

🐾 What if the thing your dog is obsessed with is actually your biggest training asset?

That's the Premack Principle in a nutshell — and once it clicks, it changes how you see the whole environment around you.

Here's the concept: behaviour that your dog finds highly rewarding can be used to reinforce behaviour they find less rewarding. You're not fighting against what they want. You're using it.

Grandma's Rule puts it best:
🥦 Do the less fun thing first → earn the more fun thing.

In practice it looks like this:

📣 Dog rockets back to you on recall → gets released straight back into the game
🚪 Dog waits calmly at the door → the door opens
👁️ Dog checks in with eye contact on a walk → gets to go investigate that smell

No food needed. The real world becomes your treat pouch.

This is one of those concepts that sounds simple but has a huge ripple effect on your dog's impulse control and their relationship with you — so I made a full video breaking it all down:
📺 https://youtu.be/RNkT_oOhLYA

29/05/2026

I hear this almost every day -

“I buy him so many toys - and all he does is destroy them!”

My response? “And?”

Imagine if I said to you “I buy them such good dog food, and all they do is EAT it!”

It’s the SAME THING.

Dogs are not children. They don’t play with toys the way they do. They are different species and therefore have different needs. They don’t put their toys on shelves and wait to play with them again tomorrow.

Shredding, dissecting, chewing, biting, gnawing, shaking, are all part of behavior diversity in toy play that encourages and gives WELFARE to dogs.

They do not give a hoot or know how much it cost. Or how cute it is. They need to do these behaviors and dog toys are how you prevent them (hopefully) from doing it to your other stuff - that again, dogs understand value of. The dog toy industry has increasingly created toys that are not only expensive but also hold sentimental value to us (coffee cup stuffies or favorite cartoon characters etc) and therefore we are always intervening the destruction process. That needs to stop.

You buy the toys. They destroy them, however they choose. That’s all lumped into the cost of living with another species. They NEED to do these behaviors and suppressing them only causes more problems elsewhere.

Kipper is a shredder and tearer. More than most of my dogs combined. So, I go to goodwill and buy stuffed toys in bulk. He shreds and dissects them, i sit and watch and I throw them away and give him another. I supervise so he doesn’t ingest them, and when I can’t I give him something else like an antler. Does it cost money? Yes. But that is all part of the deal I made when deciding to accept the responsibility of having dogs in my house.

To answer a typical rebuttal I hear "if I let them do that then they will do it to other things, including the ACTUAL kids toys. I hear the same with "if I give my dog people food for treats, he will beg at the table"

I have the opposite experience and many clients do too. By giving the toys I've bought in the context I do, I've had my dogs steal less of the kids toys, and actually WAIT until they are given their "okay to shred" toys. Context can and does absolutely matter to many dogs. The majority of stuffed dog toys today resemble kids toys anyway, so Goodwill toys provide a much cheaper outlet without the feeling of throwing away money for 5 minutes of joy. Cardboard boxes, iceberg lettuce, watermelons etc are all great shredding options too, but they don't replace the true joy for many dogs of ripping an ear off a stuffy.

They eat the food, they shred the toys, they dig the holes, they shed, they bark, they need management, they need training, they need medical care. None of this is their fault. They are dogs. If we look at meeting their basic needs as an inconvenience, then we are already doing them an injustice before we’ve even begun to understand them fully.

Here’s kipper destroying his 3rd squish mallow of the week. Thank god for goodwill.

- Helen St. Pierre

29/05/2026

24/05/2026

20/05/2026

An excellent graphic by Train me please!

🐾 Not every dog wants to be touched — and that's okay.

Dogs are not public property, and we should never assume that an unfamiliar (or even familiar) dog is inviting interaction just by being present.

The golden rule: don't approach unknown dogs. Give them space, stay relaxed, look slightly away, and let them come to you.

And even when a dog does approach you, sniffing, standing nearby, or coming close is NOT necessarily an invitation to pat them. Wait for clearer signals — loose, relaxed body language, leaning into your leg, gentle eye contact, a nudge, a paw, or a play bow. Those are consent.

Once you have those signals, you can ask their guardian if it's okay to interact. Keep it brief, and pause to check if they want to continue.

🚫 Avoid: patting on the head, pushing your hand in their face, hugging, or overwhelming them with too many people or too much intensity.

⚠️ Signs a dog is uncomfortable: lip licking, yawning, looking away, moving away, ears pinned back, tail tucked, whale eye (whites of the eyes showing) — and of course snapping or growling, which is an immediate request for more space.

This applies to children too — teaching kids that unknown dogs are not to be approached is one of the most important lessons we can pass on.

I've put together an infographic breaking all of this down — save it and share it! 👆

And if you want to go deeper, I've also made a video exploring whether people should even have the expectation to pat an unknown dog — and why "asking first" doesn't always make it okay 👇
📺 https://youtu.be/K2D8cOGUhs4