Dogs are expected to tolerate so much unwanted behaviour from humans and other dogs these days! Society has high expectations of our dogs...

We frequently hear dogs labelled as hyperactive or that a dog is displaying over the top behaviours at times. These dogs may be over or highly aroused.   Arousal, simply put, is the dog’s level of excitement and emotional control (or rather the lack of it). A highly aroused dog will be very excited, with increased heartrate and respiration and dilated pupils. They will have little or no impulse control. They may become mouthy, vocalise, jump up and even grab clothing or hand

Dogs, depending on their life stage, breed or mix, and personality, will have different needs for exercise, social interaction, and mental stimulation. A puppy or young adult will usually be more “busier” than an older dog. If we look at the evolution of the dog, selection has been primarily for behaviours such as hunting, guarding or companionship to humans. While individuals within a breed category can vary, a dog bred for hunting (such as an English Setter) or for herding

Dogs don’t have a say in choosing their owner/guardian but the person(s) they end up with will have a profound influence on their life. Co-operation with humans and learning from humans are facilitated by a high degree of social attentiveness.   Bonds between dogs and humans are selective, intense, and will vary in quality. It is important that we bear in mind the spectrum of positive duties that this relationship engenders, including the duty to live up to the trust that dog

The human-dog relationship is deeply rooted in the biology of both species, the significance of which we are only just beginning to...

The olfactory system of the dog is extremely sensitive compared to that of humans. Smells play a much more important role to the dog. ...

A common situation many dog owners face, on a daily basis, is their on lead dog being harassed or frightened by off lead dogs running over, followed by owners shouting, “ It’s OK, my dog is friendly ” or another dog owner and their dog coming right up close so they can say “ Hello ” because their dog is sociable and “ just wants to say hi ”. Having a sociable dog is great but it doesn’t mean that just because they are sociable, they should be in other dogs faces, especially i