Diverse Dogs, dog training and behaviour

13/08/2026

My first puppy was a labrador called Gem, and she was a lovable rogue. Oh boy! We didn’t realise how much hard work a puppy was! She was an ankle biter and would hang on to your trouser leg until she was ready to let go, it was impossible to prise her off. She also grabbed hands and arms with her razor-sharp teeth, until they resembled wounds that had come from a war! She stole food from the table, even if she had to jump on the table to get it, she stole washing from the washing line and ran round the garden with it, if you chased her, she could easily outrun you. She used to run around the car after an outing to the park, and I used to imagine her singing ‘you can’t catch me!’ As she got older, she started to steal other people’s picnics and kid’s balls until they burst! She was very aggressive if she had a bone or a chew if anyone came near her, (I now know that she was a resource guarder) and she cried and howled when she was left on her own, (she had separation anxiety).
I knew nothing about any of this before we got her and was sure it was because of something we had done. There weren’t many people around at that time that had a good knowledge of dog behaviour, so there wasn’t anyone really to give us advice. We muddled through with her, putting a long lead on in the park and she did eventually stop the biting, slept through the night and toileted outside, much to our relief! But looking back on it, with the knowledge I have now, these behaviours could have easily been reduced or prevented with some simple exercises done with her as a puppy. We are lucky today that we have a choice of good trainers and behaviourists for our puppy’s and dog’s and it never needs to get to these levels of behaviour. If it does there is always help out there.
I subsequently went on to have many more puppies over the years, including two litters from my golden retriever, Ellie. But, with a better knowledge of puppy and dog behaviour I have enjoyed them a lot more and have known exactly what they need to live a fulfilled, confident and resilient life (and my nerves aren’t shattered anymore!).

Thanks for reading!

Danielle

09/08/2026

There is not a single dog on this earth that has made the choice to be reactive, aggressive and to bite.

A dog will only resort to these responses when they feel like they have no choice.

It is a stress response, which is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, which activates the ‘fight or flight’ response. It is a natural, ingrained, innate and instinctual response when the dog feels like they are in real danger.

During this response, the dog’s body will prepare itself by releasing noradrenaline.

This will cause the heart to beat faster and the lungs to expand to increase breathing.

The dog will not take food at this point as the stomach redirects blood flow to the extremities.

If your dog is showing signs such as reactivity to other dogs, lunging, barking and growling, they are giving a warning to you that they are suffering from stress. This isn’t the time to tell them off or shout at them, this will just add another layer of stress and make the situation much worse.

Please get in touch for an informal chat if you think that your dog is showing any of these signs.

A contact form is available at Diversedogs.co.uk

Thank you for reading

Danielle

06/08/2026

Do you have a dog that has behaviour problems?

Have you tried everything and nothing has worked?

Are you really frustrated and at the end of your tether?

I can help you.

I work on a one to one basis in the comfort of your own home, away from stressful and distracting environments.

Please get in touch for an informal chat via my website

diversedogs.co.uk

Now booking for September.

Danielle

Covering Wantage and surrounding areas.

01/08/2026

‘Nobody should be allowed to have a baby until they have first been required to train a chicken’ (Karen Pryor, 2019)

Did that grab your attention?

You may be thinking, ‘what is she talking about, what has that got to do with dogs?’

Well, it has a lot to do with dogs, they are animals just like chickens.

Chickens can only be trained using force free and positive reinforcement. You can't train a chicken using force in the same way that you couldn’t use punishers to train a baby.
You couldn’t put an electric shock collar or a prong collar on a chicken (or a baby) to make it behave in a certain way, so why do some trainers do it to dogs?

Dogs are sentient beings; they feel emotions in the same way that we do. They feel pain, fear and anxiety and that is the ONLY reason that they are compliant when using forceful and aversive training methods. These methods erode their confidence and can cause them to be reactive and aggressive.

If you are looking for a dog trainer, please find a force free and positive reinforcement trainer. It will be the best thing that you can do for your dog, and you will reap the benefits for the rest of your dog’s life!

Thank you for reading!

Danielle

22/07/2026

22/07/2026

Puppy socialisation. What exactly is it?

Puppy socialisation isn’t just about exposing them to other dogs…

It is also about habituation, getting used to everything that is likely to be in their environment.

The socialisation and habituation window is only open for a limited time in puppies, usually until between 16 and 20 weeks, this is the time that they can be exposed to items or events without being too fearful. It is up to 16-20 weeks that they are more likely to be curious and investigate new things and also normal things that they will find in their environment.

This critical period for socialisation is really important.

The list is extensive, so the more things that they are exposed to the better. They need to be exposed to all age groups of people, different sexes, sizes, shapes and races. In different settings such as in the home, in crowds, in the park, on the street, wearing glasses, hats, beards and animals such as cats and other dogs etc.

They also need to be exposed to non-living things such as cars, bikes, buses, lorries, washing machines and vacuum cleaners etc.

An example of lack of socialisation, might be with men with beards. If a puppy has never met a man with a beard within the critical period, there is more of a risk that they will have a fear response towards men with beards when they are adults.

It is important for all puppies that this critical period comes to an end, after all we don’t want our puppy to grow into an adult with no fear. A certain amount of fear is necessary to protect them from danger. That’s not to say that adult dogs can’t be habituated to novel things it will just take a bit longer.

Danielle
diversedogs.co.uk

19/07/2026

Do you have a multi dog household?

Do you find it a challenge to get them all to come back when you call them?

Whistle training is a really effective way to recall multiple dogs. instead of calling them each by name or using a word such as 'come' the whistle works as one signal for them all to come back to you.

Contact Danielle at diversedogs.co.uk to book a free 15 minute call to find out more.

Based near Wantage.

12/07/2026

Imagine that you live on a planet where you are kept as companion animal to a more intellectual species.
They use telepathy, eye movements and high pitched squeaks to communicate, which are unlearnable by the humans.
The humans only learn by repeated association with sounds made when things that are relevant to them.
There are many rules on this planet which the humans have to try and learn with limited information.
The house that you share with the aliens has a porcelain bowl with a flush but every time you try to urinate in there you are scolded by the aliens and you learn only to use the toilet when the aliens are out.
You are punished for watching videos, reading books, talking to other human beings, eating pizza or writing letters and any other normal human behaviour and these are considered behaviour problems by the aliens. Once again you wait until they are out to do what is normal behaviour for you.
When the aliens are home you just sit quietly and stare straight ahead so as not to rile them. Because they feel that you are calm and well behaved, they put the video watching etc down to 'spite' for being left alone.
You are walked several times a day and left crossword puzzles to do when the aliens go out, but you hate crossword and don't do them: the aliens think that you are ignoring them out of 'revenge'
You do like the aliens despite this treatment, they are mostly nice to you, but when you go to shake hands with another human they punish you again. When you see another human on the street you are curious, excited and sometimes a little bit scared, so the aliens keep you away from other humans and your social skills never develop.
Finally, you are taken to a training school where you have a metal chain around your neck. They are sure that you understand every squeak they make because sometimes you get it right, but you are guessing because you have never been taught what that squeak means. You feel pretty stressed every time they come towards you with the collar and don't always feel up to the baffling coercion about to ensue. You tell them in your sternest voice to go away and leave you alone. The aliens are shocked by this as they thought you had a good temperament.
The aliens put you into one of their vehicles where you look out the window and wonder where you're going. You arrive at a building where there are many humans in cages crying and sobbing.
The aliens that you have spent your whole life with turn and leave you in the building with strangers. They hold you down and give you a lethal injection as this is the 'humane' way to do it.

'The Culture Clash, Jean Donaldson, 2013"

Do you find this shocking?

This is the reality for many dogs who are given up by their owners because they are just being dogs and have never been taught with kind and force free training how we would like them to behave. The dog is being punished for doing what dogs do.

Training you dog with kind and force free methods helps them to understand what we want from them, they will be happier and more confident. You and your dog will enjoy each other's company and have many happy years together!

Get in touch to book a free 15 minute call or more information.

Danielle
Diversedogs.co.uk

09/07/2026

The dominance myth

There is a dominance linear hierarchy in wolves, where the ‘pack leader’ has the job of ensuring the health and safety of his pack. It is NOT to use punishment to make them behave in a certain way.

Unfortunately, this ‘pack theory’ has been taken on by some dog people to explain every conceivable dog behaviour in terms of ‘dominance’: they really have latched onto that one!

Do dogs really misbehave or are disobedient because they haven’t been shown whose boss?

Do we really have to show the dog that we are the ‘alpha’ in the pack?

Is the dog really sitting there thinking up ways that he can dominant his owner, by pulling on the lead, chewing possessions, jumping on people, failing to recall, going through doorways first, eating his meal first, sleeping on forbidden furniture or stealing laundry?

Is it not the case that the dog may be excited?

Has he ever been taught not to do those things that he’s not meant to do? How does he know to do something if he’s never been trained to do it?

Is it the dominance theory not just another way that aversive control and abuse can be perpetrated on any given dog?

Dogs are animals that come with their own innate behaviours, they will resort to those natural behaviours if they don’t have any guidance on how we want them to be and giving them alternatives to those behaviours.

There are so many ways to train a dog, so many tools in the learning box that make the dominance concept simply unnecessary.

Diversedogs.co.uk

05/07/2026

We can often misinterpret our dog's regard for us. It is a complete fallacy that our dogs have a 'desire to please us'. This may come as a complete surprise to many dog owners.

Our dogs will do what works for them and will only do something if it has relevance to them.

A dog will do something because they are motivated to do it by something that they like, all dogs like food, they have to like food to survive.

My dog likes it when I'm in a good mood, because good things are more likely to happen when I'm in a good mood, they like it when I come home, they are socially and genetically unprepared for being left alone for any length of time.

Your dogs brain is constantly checking out your behaviour, does it mean its dinner time? Time for walkies? Time for play and attention?

Next time you think that your dog is doing something to please you, think about what your dog is getting out of it : )