Lucky Dogs Training and MORE LLC

06/05/2026

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The “immediately friendly equals well-socialised” myth

There’s a widespread assumption - particularly in Western dog culture - that an immediately friendly dog is a well-socialised one. But sociability and social health aren’t the same thing.

A dog that rushes up to every stranger isn’t necessarily confident. It can equally reflect overarousal (due to varying emotions), a lack of impulse control, or a lack of clear social boundaries.

Natural reservation and fear are not the same thing. This distinction matters enormously, and the two are frequently collapsed, which is a significant equivocation with real consequences for dogs.

Fear-based reservation tends to involve active avoidance, visible stress signals, and an inability to recover. Natural reservation looks quite different - the dog may be calm, observant, and fully functional - simply withholding engagement until they’ve made their own assessment. Conflating the two pathologises a healthy characteristic.

Some breeds were never bred for indiscriminate friendliness: Chow Chows, Akitas, and many Nordic and Eastern breeds among them. Applying a universal social template to every dog and finding them wanting does a real disservice to both the individual and the breed. The Eurasier standard, for example, describes the breed as reserved with strangers, but without signs of aggression - and in my experience, that’s accurate. There’s a spectrum, as with any breed, but natural reservation was genuinely one of the things that drew me to them.

The pressure for dogs to be immediately friendly with strangers largely serves the stranger, not the dog. A dog that takes their time is exercising due diligence. Appropriate social boundaries. Something we’d readily respect in a human.

There’s also a persistent assumption that reservation in adult dogs signals inadequate early socialisation. Sometimes that’s true - but a well-socialised dog of a naturally reserved breed, or any breed, may still be reserved. Socialisation does shape confidence and resilience, but it doesn’t necessarily alter how much social contact a dog seeks, or from whom.

Every dog deserves to be read as an individual - not measured against a template, or unrealistic expectations that we wouldn’t apply to other humans.

06/01/2026

Important!!
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06/01/2026

This should be the focus 🥰

When we work closely with our dogs, take small steps, we often forget to look back. We are so focused on our current challenges, that we don’t notice the huge progress we have already achieved.

While we want to move forwards, don’t forget to glance back every now and then to remind yourself just how great you are really doing.

Pint now available (in stories & bio)
trickwoofscomic

05/30/2026

Listen up!!

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.


Images Commissioned By: Trick Woofs