Pure canine services

01/09/2026

Progression is one of the most important parts of training & these beautiful dogs certainly have plenty to celebrate!

Lucy is making fantastic progress. Her owner has already covered so much, is incredibly committed & has now moved on to public access work, helping Lucy learn to settle in busy environments while her owners enjoy coffee & cake! The best part of training if you ask me 😉

And Hiccup… I’m incredibly proud of him. Training & behaviour work can be challenging, particularly when the underlying issue isn’t immediately obvious. My job is to identify those issues through careful assessment & adapt the training methods so they are both appropriate for the individual dog & achievable for the owner.

01/09/2026

Harnesses were historically developed to allow dogs to work against resistance & pull loads.
A back attachment positions the connection over the trunk & distributes force & pressure across a larger area, This allows the dog to lower its body, lean forwards & use its chest, body & hindquarters.
Distributing pressure across the body can then make it easier for the dog to tolerate, meaning the dog may pull with a greater force.

Research comparing a back clip harness with a collar found that dogs pulled harder & for longer when wearing the harness.

*This does not mean that harnesses automatically cause pulling - learning history remains the core, However, when we look at the origins & design of harnesses, they CAN make pulling easier & more efficient for the dog.

- If pulling allows a dog to reach a scent, approach another dog or get to an interesting environment, then pulling is being *functionally reinforced* The harness may simply enable the dog to perform these behaviours more efficiently & comfortably.

There is a place for harnesses & there are dogs & situations which a harness may be the most appropriatee choice, including -
•Long-line training
•Escape risk
•airway or cervical issues

Equally, there are situations in which a correctly fitted flat collar may be more suitable.

We must learn to assess the dog in front of us, a harness is not automatically comfortable, non restrictive, non aversive or humane 🤷🏻‍♀️

(Equally, a flat collar is not automatically cruel 🤷🏻‍♀️)

*Welfare cannot be assigned to equipment according to ideology*
It must be evaluated through anatomy, function, fit, handling & the behaviour of the individual dog….

If a dog avoids the harness as you attempt to fit it, that response deserves investigation…

What does “aversive” mean?

“Aversive” has a functional meaning in learning theory. An aversive is something the dog will attempt to avoid, escape, postpone or reduce. It is defined by its effect upon the individual - not by the handler’s intention.

Equipment does not become non aversive simply because it is described as “force free,” padded or attached around the body rather than the neck.

•If your dog moves away when the harness appears, avoids having it placed over its head, freezes while you are trying to fit it or attempts to escape, then it is likely that some part of the harnessing experience now has aversive value.

This could relate to the fitting procedure, the sensation of wearing it, pressure upon the body, previous discomfort or what the harness predicts.

Harness designs -

* Front clip harnesses rotate & redirect the dog through asymmetric pressure.
* Tightening “no-pull” harnesses increase pressure as the dog pulls.
* Straight front harnesses, often described as Norwegian style harnesses, have a strap running horizontally across the chest - Depending on its position & fit, this may cross or place pressure over the scapula, shoulder joint or upper forelimb & influence movement.

A harness should not be judged by its label or appearance, there is no one size fits all… It needs to be assessed by how it fits, how it functions & how the individual dog responds to it.

A number of my most recent clients dogs have developed aversions to their harnesses (before being with me), yet some owners have been led to believe that anything other than a harness is aversive…

*This is categorically incorrect*

In some of these cases, I am now having to condition dogs to accept & feel comfortable wearing correctly fitted flat collars because the harness itself has become “poisoned” meaning it has developed a negative association through previous discomfort, pressure, handling or experience.

If you need help or advice on harnesses, fitment or lead pulling reach out to a trainer or behaviourist.

28/08/2026

The award recognises the important contribution he made to policing & public safety throughout his career, Boris sadly died in September 2025, the award is a lovely & fitting recognition of both his working career & the partnership he shared with his handler.

The PDSA Commendation specifically recognises animals whose exceptional actions or devotion deserve formal recognition.

Thankyou for your service PD Boris 🏅

A brave police dog who devoted years to protecting others has received a final honour 🐾

26/08/2026

It’s National Dog Day! founded by animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige to celebrate all breeds & types of dogs.
It is recognised internationally as a day to promote responsible dog ownership, canine welfare & appreciation for companion, assistance, working & rescue dogs.

23/08/2026

Any behaviourists in the Dorset area available to work with a Rotti please.

21/08/2026

Training with Lucy today, a beautiful & seriously clever dog!
Some off lead & public space work today

21/08/2026

21/08/2026

Play is high arousal & reactivity is also high arousal.
Play isn’t calm, it’s stimulating.

For a dog that is already dysregulated, adding high-energy play can push them over threshold, trigger defensive responses, reinforce chaotic emotional states & even create fights.

You cannot regulate a dysregulated nervous system by increasing stimulation.

If you have a reactive dog, a daycare environment or an off-lead dog zone is not the answer.

21/08/2026

Demand barking.

Demand barking usually happens because the dog has learnt that “when I bark, something happens.”
This may be attention, food, movement, play or another response from the handler.
In this way, the barking is being reinforced both by the handler’s reaction & by what is happening within the dog’s nervous system.

Giving treats as rewards is one of the most common causes of demand barking during training.
Through repetition, the dog can learn the pattern of “do = food.” As anticipation builds, excitement increases & the dog may begin barking because it has learnt that a reward is likely to follow. Over time, the dog starts to predict the treat & vocalises in response to that expectation.

It may also be that when you take your dog to a particular area, they begin barking incessantly because their excitement levels become so high that they lose control. Over time, the nervous system starts to associate that place/situation with high excitement & vocalisation, meaning the dog may begin reacting before anything has even happened.

Free-for-all play can also contribute to obsessive barking, particularly when arousal levels become too high. A large part of healthy play between dogs involves mirroring & synchronicity, reading each other’s body language, taking turns & responding appropriately to movement & signals.
- You do not typically see two dogs simply standing & staring at each another whilst barking continuously, because that is not balanced social play.
When barking becomes excessive during play, it can indicate that arousal has overtaken regulation & the interaction may be moving away from healthy communication into overstimulation or frustration.

The nervous system link.

When a dog becomes overexcited & starts barking, the sympathetic nervous system is activated.
This causes adrenaline levels to rise, frustration tolerance to lower & impulse control to decrease. If this pattern continues, barking can become a stronger strategy because the brain releases dopamine when the behaviour appears to achieve a result, creating a stronger behavioural loop.

It is important to recognise that this can over time increase frustration & the behaviour may even then escalate into more intense barking, jumping up, spinning or other excitable responses, because the nervous system is learning that “more intensity may work better.”

Simply ignoring the behaviour is not recommended, as barking can also become self-reinforcing to the dog.

•This does not refer to normal or occasional barking, as barking is of course a natural form of communication for dogs.
- It refers specifically to excessive barking, where the behaviour becomes repetitive, difficult to interrupt & linked to over arousal, frustration or loss of impulse control. When barking reaches this level, it is no longer simple communication but a problematic behavioural response that can become reinforced over time if not addressed…

Seeking support from a behaviourist can help address the underlying issue by building impulse control and improving emotional regulation.

20/08/2026

Another Lola follow up ☺️

- Approaching other dogs in a respectful manner, playing with her toy around new dogs, playing WITH a new/unknown dog….

Incredible progress 👏🏻 keep up the great work

(Photo post play tired ☺️)