28/08/2026
An amazing session with Luna today!
Luna first worked with us when she was a puppy, and she did amazingly well. Over time, however, her behaviours began to escalate. She was jumping all over visitors, climbing on furniture, destroying items around the home and becoming incredibly over excited whenever she saw other dogs.
Mum understandably sought help from other trainers, but unfortunately, some of the methods used were not right for Luna. She was exposed to equipment and techniques that Mum was uncomfortable with, including an e-collar, prong collar and being tethered to a radiator during a board and train stay. She was also encouraged to chase a simulated rabbit as an outlet for her energy.
Mum wasn't happy with the methods being used and, more importantly, she wasn't seeing the changes she was hoping for.
From everything Mum described, it sounded as though Luna was being trained more like a working dog than a family pet.
So, we took a completely different approach.
I could see that Luna's behaviour was driven by hyper-reactivity and hyper-focus; not aggression.
That distinction is incredibly important.
Rather than trying to suppress Luna's behaviour, we have been working on helping her understand what we do want from her.
Today, we worked on something incredibly important:
Learning how to switch off.
We worked on helping Luna relax, chill out and have positive, calm interactions with people.
And the result?
Mum was absolutely beaming.
Luna became so relaxed that she fell asleep during the session..
Sometimes the answer isn't more equipment, more intensity or trying to exhaust a dog.
Sometimes the answer is understanding why the behaviour is happening, giving the dog clarity, and teaching them that they don't always have to be switched on.
