Good Guardianship

18/08/2025

I think this is one of the biggest realisations that can help people living with sensitive and complex dogs who struggle with things they encounter in the world around them, that the daily walk isn't absolutely mandatory.

Yes, we need to find other ways to physically and mentally stimulate them, but going out into a world they struggle with day after day so that they (and we) are never able to truly recover and return to a real sense of calm is not helping either of us.

Find a secure field somewhere they can run around and explore in safety and both of us can relax.

Do some training at home.

Try some food puzzles (pitched to a level where your dog can succeed with a little work).

Maybe a little bit of fun agility in the garden, or some doggy parkour.

Scentwork exercises around the house and garden (one of my personal favourites with all my dogs).

Anything that exercises body and mind will help to keep them contented and happy while taking a break from going out into that world they find so difficult.

Once we have both had a chance to recharge and de-stress then we can start planning a return to walking in a way that will help our dogs to feel safer in the world.

15/08/2025

We sometimes see old fashioned advice that frightened dogs should be ignored as if we react to them we reinforce that fear. The truth is that if we provide quiet and calm reassurance for our dogs when they are scared, they will learn that they can come to us for comfort if something is worrying them. Who doesn't want that?

14/08/2025

"There is a phrase often said that there is no such thing as good or bad behaviour, it’s all simply behaviour. Underneath that behaviour will be an emotion, and underneath that a need that the dog is fulfilling in that moment. If we focus on stopping the behaviour, that does not remove the emotion that the dog is feeling or the need that the dog has right then. This is why it is vital to consider and understand the function of the behaviour."

When we live with dogs, sometimes we can find the things they do problematic. The term 'behaviour problem' is commonly used, but the truth is that most of the dog behaviours we see are normal and natural dog behaviours. They are not really a problem as far as the dog is concerned, but they are somet...

13/08/2025

When dogs do things we don't like it is never personal. Dogs don't do things deliberately to spite us. They are just doing what dogs do - being dogs. If something our dogs are doing is something we cannot live with it's up to us to manage the situation and show them what they can do instead.

• Make sure the shoes are out of reach and redirect the dog onto something they can chew.

• Reward them for having all four paws on the floor when you come in rather than jumping up.

• Consider the possibility that something is wrong with their health or in their environment if they suddenly lose their toilet training.

Most of all, don't punish them. There is always a reason why behaviour occurs, but it is never one that should result in a dog feeling fear or pain.

12/08/2025

This is one of the most important questions we can ask anyone we are considering engaging to work with our dogs. Any mention of 'corrections' or 'telling off' or a refusal to answer the question directly is a red flag - it may mean they use methods that could cause pain or fear.

The best answer is that the dog will be set up to try again and, if they are struggling to get the idea, the exercise is changed to make it easier for them, setting them up for success.

11/08/2025

Sometimes when we post about giving dogs choice, there seems to be an assumption amongst some people on reading the post that we're suggesting dogs should get free choice on everything, and launch into the dangers and inconveniences of that approach. The thing is that it's not what we're saying at all.

Choice is important for dogs, and it has a great effect on their confidence and resilience when they know they have the ability to choose between options offered to them.

But there are, of course, times when offering a choice is not practical or safe.

Of course most dogs would prefer to be off lead, to run and sniff as they wish, but next to a road that's not safe (also illegal in the UK). I'm aware there are people who will say their dogs are fine next to roads because they will never step into the road, but there are also people who thought that up until the moment their dogs did, usually with tragic consequences.

That is just one example of when letting a dog choose isn't safe - they aren't always able to make what would be considered good, safe choices.

What we mean when we talk about the importance of offering choice is to do it as much as possible when you are able to and when it is safe to do so.

Lay out some toys and let them pick which one they want to play with - I'll take the lid off the toybox and let them pick from in there.

If there are multiple options of direction on a walk and you're able to do so, let them pick where to go next (and let them explore and sniff as you go).

Maybe think about letting them try a taster plate of different foods (little pieces of each) so they can pick out the ones they really want to try, and make notes of their favourites for the future.

Give them options of where they can go for a nap or to rest comfortably when they feel like doing so. If you don't want dogs on the furniture, make sure they have other beds to choose from.

Choice is important, but it is also important to make sure that those choices are safe.

07/08/2025

Food-based enrichment can be so simple, making use of various household items like towels or cardboard recycling - toilet rolls tubes or paper packaging make great places to hide food for your dogs to hunt out (and destroying the cardboard afterwards is often a favourite activity too!)

If you want to give your dogs puzzles but aren't feeling so creative, there are so many great food toys available. Favourite in this house are the Nina Ottosson toys which you can find at https://amzn.to/3SyXosk (as an Amazon affiliate I may earn a small commission on products purchased when following the link)

K9 Connectables are also a popular choice, and you can combine elements to give loads of variety for your dog. The site is https://www.k9connectables.com/goodguardianship 😊

06/08/2025

Loose lead walking is an important skill as there are times when it is absolutely necessary that our dogs are close beside us. As the image text says, near roads, or where we are navigating around other people in a small space, for instance.

Outside of those times, dogs can still be walking on a loose lead but given a lot more room to explore their environment and proceed at their own pace.

Using a longer lead (the one I'm using in the picture is 15 feet) means we can give our dogs a much wider area to explore, even when for some reason they are not able to go off lead.
It can take a little getting used to working with a longer line but with some practice most people become good at letting out or shortening the line as needed.

Working with a longer line and more freedom for the dog means that they can reach the places they want to investigate easier so there is much less reason for them to pull, making walks more enjoyable and less stressful for us both.

The picture here is an extreme example, as we were off road but heading back towards the car park, and I wanted to keep my dog from rushing off towards where there may be cars moving. But there is no doubt at all that he is still on a loose lead. 😊

01/08/2025

A photo is a moment in time, but it can be an excellent chance to study our dogs' body language to see the signs we can pick up on.

This is my dog out for a walk so I know exactly what the situation was and what happened. That being so, I thought this might be an interesting exercise.

What do you see, and what do you think might be going on in this picture?

30/07/2025

"If the definition of sentience, as Broom puts it, is having cognitive abilities and intelligence and the capacity to have feelings then, as we have seen above, the answer has to be yes.

What does that mean for how we live with our dogs?"

It is not often I get to bring science fiction into talking about dogs! At first glance the two things mentioned in the title seem to have little connection at all. True, one captain’s dog appeared on screen, and another talked about her dog periodically, but when we think of the Federation boldly...

29/07/2025

Recall is perhaps the most important thing we need to teach our dogs. Whether it is to call them back before we reach an area that could be dangerous, like approaching a road when we've been walking through somewhere they can be off lead, or to prevent them going too far out of sight and getting lost while exploring, or to respect the space of other people and dogs (and other animals) out in the world.

We can start with recall training at home, but there obviously comes a time when we will be stepping into the outside world with our dogs, and so the secure walls and fences of our homes and gardens are no longer there to act as a boundary. We also need to remember, however, that although the dog understands the recall cue in a quiet and distraction free zone at home, they have yet to learn to follow that cue when out and about with all the movement, smells and others in that outside world that can distract them.

This is where long lines are so useful. I use ones that are 30 feet long when I want the security of a physical link to back up while training recall in those earlier days of getting out and about. A 30 feet line gives the dog a good diameter area they can explore and feel free, but we are safe in the knowledge that, should something catch their attention, we can get them back when needed.

When things have progressed a little further we can also drop the line so they drag it with them (I use biothane lines, as they are lightweight, don't absorb water, and easy to wipe clean if they do get dirty) so they have a little more freedom but, if we see they are about to run, we can step on the line to stop them.

It is vital that long lines are attached to harnesses, as a safety measure. If a dog was to take off running and hit the end of the long line at full speed when it was attached to a collar, the potential damage could well be catastrophic - there are many delicate and vital structures in the dog's neck just as in ours, so never attach a long line to a collar.

28/07/2025

Do you know about the International Institute For Canine Ethics?

I'm Jay, the person behind Good Guardianship, and I am also proud to be part of the IICE team.

Amazing CPD is available with your membership, and the vault of webinars is growing all the time, including some of the biggest names in the industry!

There is the IICE Ethical Professionals register, where you can be sure that you are listed amongst professionals all sharing excellent ethical positions and working in a kind and science-based way.

These are both great, whatever capacity you work with dogs in - trainer, behaviour professional, groomer, day care, vet nurse etc. Whatever your role, if it involves dogs, IICE is a perfect fit for you.

IICE also offers a pathway to join the ABTC register for training and behaviour professionals.

Want to know more? You can check out the website here: https://www.canineethics.org/

Or you can contact me on [email protected] with any questions you might have and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.