The Mutty Professor

23/10/2026

My upcoming webinar on chasing and predatory behaviour is scheduled for December.

It will cover;

✅ The neurobiology of predation

✅ Ethogram and prevalence

✅ Frequent misconceptions resulting in the 'label' being commonly incorrectly applied

✅ What’s the motivation? Picking apart whether what we see truly is prey drive!

✅ Frequently overlooked factors that may escalate the behaviour

✅ Interventions & Practical solutions with plenty of video demonstrations

You can sign up via the link and you will received a link to the live webinar 24 hours before the event. After the event a recording will be sent to all participants (including those who didn't make it of course).

Why do dogs chase? A webinar exploring the neurobiology and ethogram of predatory behaviour, common misconceptions and ethical training solutions.

22/10/2026

FIREWORK WARNING / LISTING SITE - linked below.

A client has made a fab website that helps people know when firework displays are on locally to them - check it out!!

https://fireworkfriend.com/

Pic for attention :)

19/10/2026

This month we have featured 16 dogs with dog-dog issues on WALKS with dogs.

While profiles with 50k + followers show < 5 🤷‍♀️

18/10/2026

Little Wally features again! Last time it was in a busy cafe area on holiday, this time it’s practising street passes and then having a walk and mooch with Hazel, Debs’ chocolate Labrador!

Keep up the good work Team Wally! 🤘💕

16/10/2026

Ziggy the rescue Border Collie presented with a range of challenging behaviours soon after arrival into his new home with Tabby. One of them being refusal to get into the car.

Emily assessed and supported Tabby & Ziggy, identifying that pain may be involved with muscular skeletal issues soon after being diagnosed.

Despite his pain being well managed and Tabby observing an overall improvement in his behaviour the car remained a challenge. Subsequently Tabby felt somewhat trapped - only being able to walk in a couple of local places and unable to spend too long away from home.

I stepped in to review the car situation as I know Tabby well (we have climbed together and were even going to go on a bouldering holiday together- but Covid derailed it!).

After lots of tweaks and adjustments (which included steps into the car to make it comfortable and easy) this is now where we are at.

Their world is a lot bigger, visiting new walk locations, staying with Tabby’s mum for dog sitting, going to cafes with Tabby’s mum and driving over 30 mins to join my training classes twice.

So proud of them! 💕🤘💪

14/10/2026

Team Rowan (Malinois X) has received support for dog-dog issues from my long standing team member and all time legend Emily.

Here she is making huge leaps forward on a walk with Amigo and Emily, recalling (verbal cue) from a GSD nearby and even responding to her emergency whistle to bring her away from approaching a group of dogs (sadly no footage!).

Before the muzzle police come after us- she has a custom fit muzzle being delivered next week that’s a bit deeper.

I love how these two dogs match each other so well, standing and waiting in the same pose, scuttling around and also wearing the exact same harnesses!

Team Rowan have put the work in since their assessment in May and their dedication is paying off!

Perhaps the very outspoken harsh critics of harnesses and force free ‘snowflakes’ or 'extremists' should replace their repeatedly critical posts (of harnesses and gentle training methods) with some footage of their clients making progress with their dogs on walks, rather than just in a training facility?

13/10/2026

The crows are getting bolder and closer and the dogs are completely used to having them around 😆

Amigo forgets himself for a moment and bombs the camera 📸🤣

13/10/2026

It's that time of year again...... firework season! Urgh!!

Your dog may have been fine last year, but don't assume they'll be fine this year. Sound sensitivity tends to onset post-puppyhood and often increases with age.
It's not uncommon for puppies to not bat an eyelid at really loud fireworks, but for some individuals to then become highly sensitive to them by age 2-3 years of age.

If your dog struggles with fireworks, it's advisable to NOT shut them in a crate UNLESS that crate is well sound insulated AND your dog genuinely enjoys being in that space. Keeping the door open to enable choice to enter/leave makes that space truly safe.

Also remember, it's absolutely fine to reassure your dog providing your dog has come to you for reassurance. Just be mindful that your reassurance is delivered in a calming manner. It's very easy for us to get stressed when we see dogs in distress, but staying calm is more likely going to help your dog see that you are not alarmed.

If your dog becomes severely distressed at the sound of fireworks then now is the time to have discussions with your vet about what options there are available to help your dog.

Firstly, get a thorough health check. Sound sensitivity and noise phobias are strongly linked to pain- so ensuring your dog is physically comfortable and well is paramount.

Should you end up trying situational anxiety medication- you want to 'test' whether the medication and dose is right for your dog (helps them cope better, relax and sleep) BEFORE 5th November.


Here's my blog on how to support your dog with fireworks, whether that be managing the environment, creating prediction errors (ad-hoc counter conditioning) or pharmacological support.

Research shows that a multi-pronged interventions tend to be the most effective in supporting dogs.

Preparing for fireworks If your dog is okay with fireworks, don’t take this for granted! It doesn’t matter if they’re a puppy, adult or a senior dog. Sound sens

11/10/2026

Often when dogs rush up to animals they have little experience of - it’s because they’re unsure of what they are and are proactively approaching to obtain information.

Rushing in triggers behaviour change in the other animal which then often triggers chase. That then often gives justification for people to label it as prey drive, whereas the original motivation to approach may not have ever been to catch prey.

Alternatively, the dog hits the end of the lead at speed or pulls intensely and becomes highly frustrated. Behaviour thresholds are breached, arousal levels intensify and undesired associations with the stimulus (animals) or context are swiftly made. Additionally, the behaviour escalation and physiology changes in the dog affects the behaviour of the animals- who will then very likely start to act like prey.

This is a long video- with just a couple of minutes edited out. It won’t please the algorithms, but it does show how I help my dogs habituate to new things.

The last time he saw sheep was a year ago, and this same process is why he can be so calm walking near them. In other videos you can find him ignoring cows, horses etc.

He’s a highly curious dog who was a stray dog for years. He use to bulldoze into situations as a means of gathering information, including approaching dogs too quickly to sniff if given the chance. But over time, he’s learned to stand and watch or approach things more carefully.

The motionless smelly boulders with a face (the pigs) posed a challenge, but I can completely understand why! Yet- he still managed to sit-stay two metres away at the end and most importantly, looked relaxed whilst doing so!!

It’s a balance between giving them opportunity to obtain information and using your training when needed to prevent escalation. Strict obedience and ‘neutrality’ just puts the blinkers on or potentially causes motivational conflict and won’t always promote the eventual habituation we desire.