Jackie Pritchard Dog Training

09/29/2026

Most people know about the fight or flight response.
Did you know that there are 5 F’s?
This great post describes them all.

Dogs, like many other animals, have instinctual responses to stressful or threatening situations. These responses are commonly known as the , , , , responses, which describe different ways dogs may react when faced with danger or perceived threats.

‼️🚨 Keep in mind the dog decides what he/she perceived as danger!

‼️🚨 The dog decides if he/she feels safe or intimidated or insecure!

: The fight response is characterized by the dog's inclination to confront and engage with the perceived threat. When a dog feels cornered or believes that aggression is necessary for self-defence, it may choose to fight back. This can involve barking, lunging, growling, snarling, or biting. , .

: The flight response is when a dog decides to retreat or escape from a threatening situation. Dogs that choose flight as their primary response may try to run away, hide, or seek shelter in a safe place. They may display signs of fear, anxiety, or panic, such as tail tucking, lowered body posture, cowering, or attempting to flee. , , Keep in mind that we take the flight option away with having the dog leashed up!
: The fidget response is seen in dogs exhibiting restlessness or agitation in stressful situations. Instead of immediately resorting to fight or flight, these dogs may display behaviours such as pacing, whining, panting, excessive drooling, or restless movements. , , Fidgeting can indicate that the dog is uncomfortable or anxious and is seeking a way to cope with the situation.
: The freeze response is when a dog becomes completely still and motionless in the face of a perceived threat. It is an instinctive reaction to avoid drawing attention or potentially appear less threatening. A dog in a freeze response may hold its body tense, maintain direct , and may not respond to commands or stimuli. It's important to note that freezing does not necessarily mean a dog is calm; it can indicate fear or anxiety. Keep in mind if we stop and stare, our dogs will perceive this as us freezing! Don’t face and stare at what your dog is worried about, turn your side to the dog or person and look at them from over your shoulder while moving from one foot to the other. This will help you dog be less worried as the “threat” is not worth your full attention.

: The fawn response is when a dog tries to appease or placate a perceived threat by displaying submissive behaviour. This can include actions like lowering the body, avoiding eye contact, licking the lips, or showing the belly. Dogs that fawn are attempting to signal that they are not a threat, aiming to reduce the tension and avoid conflict. This behaviour is often seen in dogs that are socially sensitive and aim to mitigate stress through pacification. 🐾👇, 😌 Remember, recognizing and understanding the fawn response is essential in supporting dogs to feel more secure and preventing misunderstandings in their behaviour.

Understanding that these responses are innate survival mechanisms deeply rooted in a dog's evolutionary history is crucial. Each dog may have a different tendency towards these responses based on temperament, past experiences, and genetic predisposition. Additionally, a dog's response can be influenced by the specific circumstances and perceived threat level in a given situation.

If you notice these behaviours in your dog, especially during interactions with you, other people (notably children), or other pets, recognizing and addressing their needs is paramount. Ensuring safety and cautiously managing the situation by providing your dog with the necessary space is vital. If these reactions occur in the presence of another person, child, or dog, it's important to ask for more space to prevent stress. Consulting a professional dog trainer or behaviour consultant can offer guidance on understanding, managing these reactions, and teaching your dog new ways to cope. Adjusting the environments or activities to cater to your dog's well-being and that of others around them is essential. Recognizing our dogs' stress signals and appropriately responding helps meet their needs and ensures a positive environment for everyone.

09/29/2026

From the archives:

Trigger stacking is a topic I cover with new clients in great detail. Trigger stacking is something that occurs frequently in our hectic world…for us and our dogs. It’s important to understand that just like us, our dogs might have an overwhelming and stressful day. We need to be aware of the environment and all the triggers that contribute to trigger stacking. Allowing dogs (and ourselves) time to decompress and unwind from the hectic world around us is crucial for health and wellness.

09/29/2026

Every dog is unique. Just like us, some are social butterflies, some have a few select friends, and some are perfectly fine just being with their person and nobody else.
It’s important to understand your dog for who they are.

I like the socially weird ones 😂

The one with that one best friend.
The one who has a very specific type.
The one who’ll happily walk with another dog for an hour but has absolutely no interest in playing with them.
The one who thinks other dogs are fine, but people are clearly still the "bee's knees".
The one with a tiny, carefully selected friendship group and apparently no vacancies.
And then there’s the dog who meets another dog for approximately twelve seconds and there's that beautiful, instant play connection.

Dogs can be wonderfully particular about their social lives.
And I think that gets missed when we put them into just two enormous boxes.

Social.
Not social.

There’s a whole lot living in between those two.

They can enjoy company without wanting interaction.
And that gets missed a lot by us.

Some will adore certain dogs and completely ignore others.
Prefer particular play styles.
Choose familiar friends.
Enjoy meeting everyone.
Or simply have very little interest in dogs at all.

None of those dogs need to be squeezed into somebody else’s idea of what a “social dog” should look like.

Sometimes it’s much more fun to notice who the dog in front of us actually is.
And who their little tail wiggles for.

09/28/2026

It’s horrible when we go into a home where a previous “trainer” has told them to use these devices. Most people want to do right by their dogs.
When seeking guidance from a supposed professional, and the answer is to cause pain, don’t just walk away…run!

I’m back.

This is my prize today. Getting to leave with these terrible devices in my hands.

I left the home of two dear sweet dogs whose mom called a “trainer” when her young rescue started to go after her older dog.

The rescue was an abandoned dog, early trauma and having nothing made her feel as though she needed to hold onto what she had.
I inderstand that, how about you?

The older one was a nice old man who had always been welcoming but now felt the need to defend himself in his home.

What advice was given?

Was it to try hard to understand why both were feeling this way with wonderful strategies to help them to see that there was plenty for each and that they were heard and safe.
NOPE

Sadly, the answer was to put electrodes into their neck and shock them if they even looked at each other the wrong way.
Do not allow them on the furniture, do not allow them to sleep in the beds anymore.
Shock and crates unless all is well.

Guess what?
Just like yesterday’s client, the shock made things worse.

The shock showed my sweet Rescue girl that the world is as scary and dangerous as she thought it was.
The shock showed my dear old man that her coming into his home, made it into an awful unsafe and painful place. Now his safe home had vanished.
His loving people also now caused him pain.
Sad story for sure.
Luckily not the end of their story

Grateful that these people felt uncomfortable watching what was happening to their dogs.

When she told this man that it wasn’t working, he said it was because she didn’t turn it up high enough. 

What does that mean? Is it high enough when it burns the skin? When it shocks enough to make you stop dead in your tracks? When you feel like you just need to get out of your own body? (But you cant 😞) When your head aches?
What is high enough?

What is this that humans do to dogs? What shoukd it really be called???
Training? No. It is nothing less than torture.
How? Why? Does this continue????

I am so thankful when I am called that I can go in there and make things better. When I tell the dog that life is going to be filled with kindness, patience, understanding, and care I often do so with tears in my eyes Mom had them too

I cry for those pups who never meet me or someone like me. Real tears. 
💔😞

09/27/2026

I would have to say this is the number one misunderstanding between dogs and humans. If humans would simply stop trying to touch dogs who just want to sniff them, the world would be a much kinder place for dogs in general.

A dog sniffing you is not an invitation for an interaction.

Dogs sniff your clothes, shoes, socks, your hands and your bum or your front side (yes it happens). But why isn’t this an invite for an interaction? Dogs are sniffing- using their acute sense of smell- to gain sensory input about you- where you’ve been, what you’ve eaten, what you drank, your health (good ol’ bum sniff), who you’ve been with, if you’ve been with another dog (traitor), or a cat (the audacity!!), the people you’ve been with and so much more.

Dogs can sniff a teaspoon of sugar in two Olympic sized pools (Dr. Alexandra Horowitz). A dog’s sense of smell if 10,000 to 100,000 times more acute than ours.

But what to do when a dog sniffs you??? NOTHING. Don’t touch them. A sniff is not an invitation for an interaction!! The dog is learning about you not asking to be touched.

When to pet a dog?
- When they lean against you
- When they put their body against you
- When they paw at you
- They pull your hands towards them with their paw
- When they put their head or body under your hand

A sniff is to learn about you- not an ask for a pet.

09/24/2026

Improving welfare for modern dogs may require a major shift in perspective. Rather than focusing primarily on controlling behavior, we may need to focus more deeply on creating environments and lifestyles that support natural behavior, agency, emotional regulation, social stability, and meaningful engagement with the world. The future of dog welfare may depend less on making dogs fit modern life perfectly and more on reshaping modern life to better meet the needs of dogs.

Myth #2: "Well-loved pet dogs do not have welfare problems."

This is one of the most persistent myths Kim Brophey tackles in Paved With Good Intentions, and one of the most understandable, since it feels intuitively true. Surely a dog who is fed well, taken to the vet, and adored by their family couldn't be struggling with welfare. But love and welfare aren't the same currency, and most caretakers were never taught the difference.

Even as behavior problems in pet dogs continue to rise, and even as the genetic and behavioral diversity of the species becomes better documented and understood, both the mainstream pet industry and the general dog-owning public tend to resist acknowledging that captive conditions come with real, measurable welfare costs, no matter how much love is in the home. Animal welfare science has largely failed to be practically extended to the pet dog population as a result.

Affection alone doesn't guarantee a good life. Understanding what a dog actually needs, biologically and behaviorally, does. A well-loved dog can absolutely still be missing critical pieces of their welfare, and the loving intentions behind their care don't change that reality.

Want to learn more? Read the full piece on the Dog Blog ⬇
https://www.familydogmediation.com/paved-with-good-intentions-the-hidden-welfare-crisis-facing-modern-pet-dogs/

09/24/2026

Be your dog’s advocate. You are all they’ve got to keep them safe.
RUN from anyone who uses pain, fear, intimidation!
💔
Kindness always for the win.

09/23/2026