Featuring Nikki Warner from Reservoir Dogs, Cardiff Many trainers, myself and Nikki included, are seeing more and more dogs labelled as reactive. It’s stressful for owners, it’s stressful for dogs, and it can feel like the behaviour comes out of nowhere. But before we can help these dogs, we need to understand what reactivity actually is. What Do We Mean by Reactivy? When owners describe their dog as reactive, they’re usually talking about big, intense, seemingly out‑of‑control responses to...

I have never worked so hard, or learned so much, as I have on my journey to becoming a Clinical Animal Behaviourist. Every day I dive deeper into what truly shapes a dog’s behaviour — not just what we see on the surface, but what’s happening inside the body and brain. Behaviour is rarely “just behaviour.” Pain, illness, discomfort, gut health, stress, medication needs, and emotional wellbeing all play a role. Understanding these connections takes time, study, and a commitment to...

In contrast to the beliefs of many, dog training shouldn’t be about disciplining or punishing your dogs; it should be all about communication, trust, understanding, and cooperation. ​ Sadly, there are some dog trainers who still rely on punishment-based techniques that use fear, discomfort, or pain to control or manage a dog’s behaviour. While these strategies may appear to “work” in the short term, they come at a serious cost to the dog’s mental and physical well-being. ​ In this blog,...