Calming Canines

13/10/2026

Last night we heard the first proper fireworks of the season at around 7.30pm. We’re barely into October. I had the window open as it’s still quite warm, but thankfully they were distant enough for Ash to cope without extra medication.

This is the reason I don’t walk my dogs after dark; the risk of being spooked by fireworks whilst outdoors is too high.

Walking dogs during daylight hours is ideal, but realistically it isn’t an option for everyone. Work schedules often mean we aren’t home before it gets dark, particularly as the days start getting shorter and of course, there’s those dogs who just won’t go to the toilet in the garden.

Other, lower risk options are:

🌜 Doing some training in the evenings instead of a walk. Trick training is a fun way to spend some time with your dog whilst working their brain. Challenge yourself to train a new trick or two over firework season instead of that evening walk.

🌜 Driving out to the countryside for a walk (take your head torch!) where you are less likely to hear fireworks.

🌜 Hiring a secure field. These are often further away from suburban/urban areas so there’s a reduced risk, plus if you do happen to hear them, at least your dog is confined and unlikely to bolt and get lost.

If you really do have to walk your dog in the dark in an area where you’re fairly likely to hear fireworks (for some people there really is no other option, so no judgement here) here’s a few things to think about:

🌜 Keep your dog on lead. It’s not worth risking them bolting if they suddenly panic.

🌜 Check your walking equipment is still sound – I've had equipment fail myself as I hadn’t checked it.

🌜 Check that your walking equipment fits correctly and your dog can’t easily back out of it if they panic.

🌜 Invest in a tracker in case your dog does escape their harness and bolt.

🌜 Make sure your microchip details and ID tags are up to date.

I expect I’ve missed some things so let me know how you have adapted your evening walk to make it safer over firework season and I’ll add them to the list!

12/10/2026

I'm sure that every single person reading this has heard that you shouldn't comfort your dog when they're scared because you'll reinforce the fear. I know I heard it a lot!

The reasoning goes something like "comforting them makes them think they're right to be scared" and, as with so many of these things, there is a kernel of truth to it. It boils down to how you do it. If you're panicky and anxious while comforting your dog, they will pick up on that, but if you're calm and comforting there's absolutely nothing wrong with cuddling or stroking your dog when they're scared.

There is another time when comforting your dog when they're scared isn't advised, and that's when they don't want comforting. Not all dogs seek comfort from humans when afraid, some prefer to hide in a small space, so preventing that in order to comfort them won't really have the desired effect.

Helping your dog through firework season doesn't have a one size fits all approach, each dog is individual and the things that help them cope may be very different to the things that help another dog cope.

12/10/2026

Leaves Glorious Leaves

11/10/2026

Firework fears don’t always look like fear.

Hiding, trembling and shaking are commonly associated with a fear of fireworks, so when we don’t see these behaviours, we sometimes don’t see the fear.

Barking when fireworks are going off is often not seen as an issue, but it does mean that the dog is uncomfortable. I’ve spoken to so many people who have brushed off their dog’s barking at fireworks as excitement or nothing to worry about.

A dog who is truly unbothered by fireworks may raise their head and bark once or twice or orient towards the sound when they first hear them but return quickly to whatever they were doing previously.

Take note if your dog is unable to settle, barking, pacing or scratching at the door as these are all signs that your dog is not comfortable with fireworks. Helping them cope when they are at this stage may prevent them sensitising further.

09/10/2026

Does your dog sometimes sit or lie down on a walk? There are many reasons for this, and gut pain or discomfort is one of them.
That's why both Wren and Kite are intermittently sitting down this morning as we seem to have picked up a bug (they've all got it :( ).
The root cause of behaviours is very often pain related, it's just easier to put the pieces together sometimes.

08/10/2026

Noise phobias, particularly for those dogs who have shown sensitivity to noises from a very early age, can be incredibly difficult to solve. We’re now heading towards the season where we’ll start seeing all the smug people commenting on Facebook posts about fireworks suggesting that all you have to do is play firework sounds to a puppy and they’ll be magically immune to being afraid of them forever. They’ll also imply that you clearly didn’t do this because your dog is scared of them, therefore it’s all your fault. After all, they did this with their puppy, and they’re not bothered by them.

IGNORE THESE PEOPLE – IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT

The chances are that their dog was never going to develop a fear of fireworks to start with. Yes, playing sounds over speakers can help a puppy get used to them, but it can also have zero effect, particularly when it comes to real life fireworks. Ash can sit in a room with the TV playing huge firework displays at full volume and he’s not fussed. Set off a real firework a mile away and he’s petrified.

Dogs who are slightly concerned by fireworks can quickly become dogs who fear them. Dogs who are slightly concerned by them may also never develop a fear. There are far too many variables at play to suggest that playing firework sounds will prevent all firework fears. Genetics, age and physical health all play a part, as does the dog’s individual experience with fireworks as well as noises in general.

It’s easy to put the blame on the dog’s guardian, but that’s almost never where it should fall.

08/10/2026

My old boy, Dan , used to wag his tail when I smiled at him. I used to smile, just to see him wag :)

DOGS RESPOND TO HUMAN SMILES WITH INCREASED ACTIVITY IN AREAS OF THE BRAIN LINKED TO HIGHER COGNITIVE AND REWARD-PROCESSING FUNCTIONS.

In new research from the University of Vienna, researchers not only demonstrated that dogs are able to distinguish and interpret human emotions, but when the dogs looked at smiling faces, activity increased in areas of the brain linked to higher cognitive and reward processing ~~ so smile at your dog when you're training them! Stop with the harsh commands and stern looks!

~ Cindy

Laura V. Cuaya, et al: Dog brain representations of human facial expressions: Encoding happiness and differentiating specific negative expressions. iScience, 2026.
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.116900

07/10/2026

In the UK, we no longer have Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter we have:

Mud Season

Winter (2 days)

Fake Spring

Mud Season 2

Dust Season (Occasionally omitted to allow Mud Seasons 2 and 3 to merge)

Mud Season 3

Really Muddy Season.

We are now leaving the glorious Dust Season and entering the third Mud Season. This is the time when Britons have just got used to having mud-free floors and walls and have forgotten where the dog’s coat is.

This season starts with Good Intentions which usually decline after 3 weeks as our floors are submerged under layers of mud, bits of leaf, twigs, wet toys, and things we can’t identify.

We remember why we chose shades of brown for our floors and furniture.

We invest in coats for our dogs to keep the mud and burrs out of their fur, but somehow, we still have to spend hours picking seeds off them to separate their tail from their leg after a walk.

Yep, you have no choice but to embrace the mud!

06/10/2026

Thinking of getting a second dog?

When you have a single dog, adding another can seem like a great idea, especially if your dog enjoys playing with other dogs. They’ll keep each other company, tire each other out by playing together and as you already walk one, adding another to the walk won’t be any more work, right?

Honestly? Sometimes, yes, if your existing dog is highly social, not territorial, has no behavioural “quirks” and you're adding another adult who is also highly social with no behavioural issues.

Often, at the very least, it is more work, particularly if you’re introducing a puppy to your existing adult dog. Worst case? They hate the sight of each other and fight at any given opportunity.

Even if they get on well, you will likely find it’s more work down the line, as one dog ages. When two (or more) dogs of different ages live together, there will come a time when their needs are very different. The younger dog may still enjoy long walks and playing, whereas the older dog will probably prefer shorter, calmer walks where they can sniff and mooch. This may mean you have to walk them individually to meet their individual needs. There are doggy pushchairs and the suchlike, if you want to take your elderly dog along on longer walks, but you’ll still have to make changes to accommodate.

It’s not uncommon for people with two or more dogs to have to walk them separately. Any quirks one dog has can easily be picked up by the other, so individual walks for training is often necessary. Do you have the time for that?

I currently have four dogs, three are walked together and one alone. My eldest is almost 14 years old and I’m anticipating needing to give her an individual walk eventually. I walk my dogs twice a day, so that will be 6 walks per day.

Then there are the costs. There’s no escaping the maths, two dogs cost twice as much as one dog. Food, vet care, insurance, grooming, training, toys, I could go on!

These are just some of the issues that can crop up when you move from a single dog to multi-dog household. There are a lot of plus points to having more than one dog but make sure you’re prepared for the challenges that might crop up. They’re more common than you might think!

Was adding a second dog plain sailing for you or fraught with difficulty? It definitely wasn’t plain sailing for me!

This photo was taken back in 2017!

05/10/2026