09/10/2026
🐾 Bobby's Journey – We're Changing Two Brains, Not Just One! 🧠
Behaviour modification isn't just about teaching dogs new skills. It's about teaching their humans new skills too!
And Bobby and his human are doing brilliantly. ❤️
Bobby is a lovely Spaniel who has developed some strong learned responses towards certain dogs, particularly around his home environment.
So, rather than throwing him straight into situations he finds difficult, we've been carefully building the skills that both Bobby AND his human will need to navigate those encounters successfully.
🐾 First, we build the foundations.
We've been working on practical management and coping strategies, including our Sarah Walk, 1-2-3 pattern games and a reliable "Let's Go" cue.
We've also been building confidence through activities such as Super Bowls, helping Bobby notice another dog, disengage, reconnect with his human and return to exploring his environment.
And importantly, we're gradually fading our prompts so Bobby can begin making those choices more independently.
🐾 Then we practise around real dogs, in controlled conditions.
With the help of our wonderful stooge dogs, including Clara the Giant Schnauzer, we've been carefully working at distances where Bobby can notice another dog without becoming overwhelmed.
As his confidence and skills improve, we can gradually adjust that distance.
And all the while, his human is practising too!
Because here's something I think is incredibly important...
🧠 Humans have learned behaviour patterns too!
When something unexpected happens, we often fall back on whatever we've done before.
Even when we've learned a better strategy, our old responses can be surprisingly automatic, particularly when we're feeling stressed or under pressure.
And our dogs aren't so different.
Learning a new skill in a quiet environment is one thing. Being able to access that skill when something unexpected happens is quite another!
That's why we practise. And practise. And practise.
Not just so the dog knows what to do, but so the human doesn't have to stand there thinking, "Oh goodness, what do I do now?"
🐾 And then came Rook!
Rook, our wonderful stooge Spaniel, joined Bobby for some confidence-building activities.
Bobby was doing so well that we were able to carefully introduce them into our sniffy log area together.
And it was lovely to watch!
They explored, sniffed, searched for treats, and Bobby even enjoyed a good old bum sniff!
There was a brief moment when Bobby became still and closed his mouth. A little change in body language, but an important piece of information for us to notice.
His human recognised the moment, used their practised skills, and Bobby responded beautifully to his "Let's Go" cue.
That's the progress we're looking for. ❤️
Not simply two dogs being close together, but a dog who can communicate, respond, disengage and move away when needed, supported by a human who knows how to help.
And because this was a carefully managed environment, we could observe those little moments, make adjustments and practise without leaving things to chance.
🌿 So what's next for Bobby?
We'll take these skills into a different location, then gradually introduce more of the unpredictability that comes with everyday life.
Eventually, we'll return to Bobby's home environment, where those old learned responses are particularly strong.
But this time, his human will have a growing toolkit of practised skills, and I'll be alongside them to help put everything together.
Because successful behaviour modification isn't about hoping your dog behaves differently next time.
It's about giving both ends of the lead the skills, confidence and experience to make different choices. 🐾
Well done, Bobby and your lovely human. You're both working incredibly hard! ❤️
Thanks to Aubrey, Clara and Rook and especially Lee 🥰.
