Kaleidoscope K9 Training and Life skills

05/09/2026

HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all the dog dads out there. Have a great day.

03/09/2026

Eddie struggles with seeing or meeting other dogs. While he is happy to be around his own family of dogs he is not keen on others. We will be working to help him be less anxious and reactive. He did well yesterday at his first session.

01/09/2026

Allowing your dog to use their nose to seek their dinner is an enriching activity for them. By switching on the seeking mechanism in their brain we can minimise the areas of the brain that contribute to fear and anxiety. This in turn can reduce reactivity - to dogs, noises and other scary things or events. That’s why it is such a good activity for Kiwi our foster dog as he overcomes his anxiety. We are getting Kiwi ready for his forever home - he is off to live with a friend and dog trainer colleague in Canberra. Lucky Kiwi. He will have the best life.
Here he is using a homemade snuffle mat. If you would like instructions on how to make one for your dog(s) comment below and I will send you the instructions. It is easy. Must be if I can make them!!!!!

30/08/2026

Do you despair at the jumping up? Worried when visitors come? Here are some clues to help.

JOLLY JUMPERS
Dogs jumping up is a common, normal behaviour, but it’s one that’s relatively easy to change as long as our reaction is consistent and everyone that interacts with the dog, follows the same approach.

When dogs have been jumping up for a long time, probably since pups, it takes time to teach an alternative behaviour and doesn’t happen overnight.

Allowing your dog to jump up when you wearing an old pair of jeans because it really doesn’t matter, but getting annoyed when you’re wearing smart clothes, causes confusion.

As with all behaviour we want to change, consistency is really important.
Dogs will continue to do what they find rewarding and we often inadvertently encourage and reward this behaviour by our reactions.

Pushing our dog away, shouting, scolding or interacting with our dogs when they jump up is still providing attention, even though it might be “negative” attention.

We need to show our dogs that jumping up results in no attention, but having 4 paws on the floor, searching for a treat that is thrown, retrieving a favourite toy, or a hand or chin touch is far more rewarding.

Dogs will soon realise that - “I don't have to jump up to get what I need. I can do something else that works much better.”

25/08/2026

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DOG DAY 2026
A day to celebrate all dogs - and here is a selection of dog breeds from around the world. Where in the world is your dog from? Post a pic and tell us.

19/08/2026

WHAT THE F…?

The F words of stress responses

Fight or flight are well known when it comes to fear and stress, but dogs don't always respond to something frightening or overwhelming with reactivity or running away.

Sometimes the signs are much less obvious.

Freezing, fawning, fidgeting or fooling around are also stress responses that may be seen when dogs are feeling uncomfortable, conflicted, overwhelmed or just don’t know how to cope with a situation.

FIGHT
Fight isn't necessarily about a reactive or aggressive dog. Barking, growling, lunging, snapping or biting can all be attempts to make something uncomfortable go away. From the dog's perspective, the behaviour works because "You came too close - I reacted - you backed off." - the behaviour is reinforcing / rewarding because it works.

FLIGHT
Moving away, creeping backwards, hiding, running away or attempting to escape are all ways a dog may try to create distance from something they find threatening or overwhelming.

FREEZE
Sometimes dogs respond to stress by doing nothing. Being still, stiff, not moving, not responding normally or appear to be holding their breath. Dogs that have learnt that struggling or attempting to escape doesn't change the outcome may also show signs of being shut down. That's very different from looking calm and well behaved.

FAWN
Fawning can be described as an attempt to appease, avoid conflict or try to make the interaction stop. Dogs may roll over, crouch, make themselves appear smaller or show submissive behaviours. Context always matters - A dog rolling onto their back doesn’t mean they’re stressed.

FIDGET / FOOL AROUND
This one can be easy to miss. Some dogs respond to stress or conflict with behaviour that looks completely unrelated to the situation. Sudden intense play, jumping up, mouthing, frantic sniffing, zooming around, acting silly, displacement behaviour - actions that seem out of context or irrelevant to the situation are often triggered by stress or conflicting emotions.

Stress responses are individual and may change depending on the situation. The earlier we recognise stress, the more opportunity we have to intervene.

19/08/2026

DOG TRAINING HOLIDAY - Due to demand I am holding an extra weekend this year on October 9-11. Come and enjoy a weekend of dog training with your dog(s). Limited spaces available. Send a message or comment below to receive more information.

12/08/2026

KIWI UPDATE.
Kiwi has a new home. He will be moving to his new forever home in Canberra in mid-September. His new owner is a dog trainer friend and colleague and used to have corgis. He has grown in confidence so much and has enjoyed meeting new dogs; been to dog parks and cafes; been groomed and vet checked. He is a new dog. I will miss him when he moves ( as will my friend Sally who has been caring for him for the past couple of weeks). He is good at stealing hearts and now loves pats and cuddles. Thanks everyone for your interest in Kiwi - just know that his new life is waiting.

09/08/2026

Lucy and her kelpie cousin Tilly had a great day at the beach the other day (before all the rain!). Does your dog like the beach and swimming? Is your dog a water baby? Would love to see your dogs enjoying the beach and the water. Post a pic.

05/08/2026

A WORD ABOUT WAGS

A wagging tail doesn’t necessarily mean a dog is happy.

The tail is part of a dog’s communication system and the position, height, speed, direction and movement of the wag can all provide information about how a dog might be feeling.

The tail should never be read in isolation. Just like any other type of body language, we need to look at the whole dog, the context, situation and what is happening at the time.

Body language always needs to be seen as a video, not a still photograph.

A loose, sweeping wag accompanied by a soft, relaxed body may look very different from a fast, high wag on a dog whose is stiff, still or tense. Both dogs are wagging their tails — but they may be experiencing very different emotions.

It’s also important to consider the individual dog. Breed, anatomy and natural tail carriage can dramatically change what a tail looks like.

A tail carried naturally high in one dog may be unusual for another. Curled tails, very short tails and heavy coated tails can also make subtle changes more difficult to see.

This is why one of the most useful things we can learn is what is normal for our individual dog.

Notice where the tail sits when they are relaxed. Notice what happens to it when they see or experience something they love. When they notice another dog. When they hear something outside. When they are interested in something. When they are uncertain, excited, frustrated or stressed.

Changes from that individual “normal” can provide important information.

Next time you see a wagging tail, don’t automatically assume the dog is happy, but notice what the rest of the dog is saying.