The Pet Friend Pet Behaviourist

16/08/2026

Puppy independence training

Separation learning is one of the most valuable skills we can teach dogs, especially early in life. 🧠 Puppies transition from constant littermate companionship to new homes with unfamiliar routines and environments and eventually, periods of being left alone. 😓 While outdated advice suggests letting dogs "cry it out," supporting a dog through separation shouldn't involve fear or emotional exhaustion! 👍

Here are 3 key tips for SEPARATION SUCCESS! ⬇️

🤔 Focus on foundational skills!
Separation is part of a dog's overall emotional toolkit. Focus on key skills like disengagement from environmental stimuli, tolerance of frustration (I love the tug a jug game for this), and learning to interpret ambiguous situations (like being alone) as neutral or positive! Come and go calmly to avoid over excited pups 😌

🐾 Introduce containment!
Being comfortable in a crate isn't the same as being comfortable home alone. Use containment as a tool to build separation skills gradually. For example, we can use games that temporarily block their visual access to their handler while delivering treats into the crate or behind a barrier. This teaches them that not seeing humans predicts good things while letting them voluntarily drive the process! Remember though we dont need to provide food when we leave the house without them for example to go food shopping. This can lead to poisoning the foods meaning.

☺️ Build calm transitions!
Departures and arrivals can easily spark high arousal. Ease your dog into transitions by practising low-stakes, repeated departures or setting up cool-down periods after arrivals (like calm toilet breaks or temporary containment). The goal is emotional neutrality, not huge excitement!

🥕 Providing daily enrichment such as a long lasting chew, puzzle feeder, or lickimat will promote independence and relaxation

🐩 Did you know pheromones such as Adaptil and Zenidog can help your puppy feel more relaxed? I have some great discounts on these brands if you want to try them!

Did any of these tips surprise you? 💭

If you would like to book in for a puppy home visit please get in touch!
📧[email protected]

24/07/2026

Puppy nipping and toilet training hints and tips

Everyday is a school day with a puppy, that's why I've provided some of my own tried and tested tips when it comes to stopping nipping.

🐕So firstly, ensure your pet is healthy and if your concerned that their gums are causing them pain then speak to your vet for some pain relief. Pain and behaviour are very closed linked
🐕 Overtired pups can be nippy and struggle to settle down, so try to get them to sleep as much as possible. This includes building a routine especially around bedtime, promote daytime naps, and make their pen/crate cosy by adding soft bedding, chewies, and locating it somewhere quiet so they wont be disturbed.

🐕 Redirect any biting with long toys that they can grab without accidently biting your hands. Hands shouldn't be part of play, keep play at their level sweeping the toy from side to side
🥕 Provide calming enrichment that will help to not only provide stress relief but will also soothe their gums. Frozen teething sticks, chews, filled kongs (freezing optional), licki mats and snuffle matts can all be great options given 2 - 3 times a day.

🚫 Avoid punishment! puppies can nip because they are teething, exploring their world, or overtired and overaroused. Punishment wont teach them to stop, and it may harm your bond for the future. Some relationships may breakdown that much that the pup displays unwanted behaviours towards you.

We also want to avoid punishment for any toileting accidents. Here are my additional tips on toilet training:

LOCATION AND SURFACE
Choose the location and surface you want your pet to eliminate in. This should not be a surface your pet will encounter indoors in order not to confuse them. If you are toilet training your puppy to use a p*e pad, ensure it is away from their beds, crates or resting places. You may risk them chosing a similar texture to the puppy pad in future when they want to toilet so this option is not always my favourite one.

MANAGEMENT
Don’t let your pet wander out of sight unless they’ve just had a toilet break. Keep bedroom doors closed,and block access to other unsupervised areas. That makes the margin for error much smaller.

REWARD 🎊
When you take your puppy out take a treat with you. You will have to reward correct toileting habits within seconds of it happening, so you will need the treat with you. Don't worry if you interupt their toileting, in the long run this method is very effective.

CLEANING UP🧽
If your puppy or dog has an accident, quickly and calmly clean it away using a pet enzyme cleaner and bonus points for a deodoriser (caution using scented products with cats in the home)

FREQUENT TOILET BREAK🚽
Take your puppy outside to eliminate every 40 to 60 minutes as well as after naps, mealtimes, and playtimes. First thing in the morning and late at night, just before bedtime, is also a must.
WATCH YOUR PUPPY👀👁🥸
If you see your puppy or dog circle or sniff around, or generally looking a bit restless, drop what you are doing and take them outside right away. As you learn your pet’s behaviours, you will become more accurate.
AT NIGHT
Take your puppy out every four hours to eliminate.Remember, they won’t be able to hold their bladder all night just yet until they are around 6 months old.

KEEP A RECORD
Create a written chart to track your pet’s toilet behavior to track patterns if your struggling.

My puppy home visits are £50 for a limited time only if your puppy is struggling with any of these problems.

19/07/2026

💙🐾 Understanding Testosterone in Male Dogs 🐾💙

Testosterone is a natural and essential hormone that plays an important role in your dog's physical development, confidence, communication, and reproductive health. It also influences certain normal canine behaviours.

🐶 You may notice: 💦 Scent marking 👃 Increased interest in sniffing and exploring 🐕 Interest in other dogs, particularly females in season 💪 Growing confidence and social interactions 🏃 Roaming behaviours 📢 Some competitive or territorial behaviours 🐾 Mounting (which can also occur through excitement, stress, or over-arousal)

💚 Remember: These behaviours don't automatically mean your dog is "being naughty"—they are often part of normal canine biology.

✨ How can we support our dogs? 🐾 Meet their physical and emotional needs. 👃 Provide plenty of opportunities to sniff, forage, and explore. 🧠 Teach calm behaviours using kind, reward-based training. 😴 Prioritise quality sleep and regular rest days. 🌿 Reduce unnecessary stress and avoid trigger stacking. 🩺 Rule out pain or underlying medical conditions if behaviour changes suddenly. ❤️ Seek support from a qualified force-free behaviour professional when needed.

⚠️ Did you know? Neutering doesn't automatically "fix" behaviour. In some dogs—particularly those who are anxious or lacking confidence—it may even make certain behaviours more challenging. Every dog is an individual, and behaviour should always be assessed as a whole, considering their health, emotions, learning history, and environment.

🐕 Understanding your dog rather than simply managing behaviours helps build trust, confidence, and lifelong wellbeing.

🐾💙

19/07/2026

🐾 August Animal Behaviour Consultations – £200 🐾
Is your pet struggling with behaviour that is affecting daily life? Whether it's anxiety, aggression, reactivity, toileting issues, destructive behaviour, or difficulty settling, I'm here to help with kind, evidence-based support.
🐶 Dogs | 🐱 Cats | 🐰 Rabbits
What's included for £200: ✔ Comprehensive behaviour consultation ✔ Full written behaviour report with a personalised treatment plan ✔ Follow-up consultation included (remote or home visit) ✔ Fully insured and qualified clinical animal behaviourist ✔ Ethical, reward-based methods tailored to your pet
Please note: A veterinary referral is required before your consultation to ensure any underlying medical conditions are addressed.
📅 August appointments are now available.
Find out more or book your consultation here: https://thepetfriend.my.canva.site/⁠�
Helping you and your pet build a happier, more confident future together. 🐾

25/04/2026

🎉 WIN • WIN • WIN 🎉

Want the chance to WIN a private 1-2-1 dog training session? 🐾
📍 Location: The Meadow S26 (secure outdoor field)
📅 Date: 23rd May
⏰ Time: 11:15am – 11:45am
All you have to do:
👉 LIKE this post
👉 SHARE it

🏆 Winner announced on 1st May!
Don’t miss out—get involved and good luck! 🍀

T&C: Winner must consent to filming.All dogs must be up to date with vaccinations and flea and worming treatments, dogs must wear an ID tag, inline with the current regulations.

All customers must pick up after their dog, there are waste bins provided in the field.

25/04/2026

📢Puppy and adolescent class now available to book!

There are 2 spaces left on the class at 10.45am on 23rd may!

It's an outdoor private field with very secure fencing. The class is 30 minutes and will primarily focus on basic skills such as loose lead walking.

£10 per dog

Message or email to book
📧 [email protected]

Please note:
⚠️ consent for filming will be required prior to attendance
❗️All dogs must be up to date with vaccinations and flea and worming treatments, dogs must wear an ID tag, inline with the current regulations. All customers must pick up after their dog, there are waste bins provided in the field.
🚫 No banned breeds as per insurance and field terms and conditions
🐕 All dogs under 1 year old welcome

15/04/2026

Has your Vet diagnosed your dog or cat with cognitive dysfunction (dementia)? 🧠

Studies show that approximately 14% to 35% of the general pet canine population (aged 8 years or older) have symptoms of cognitive decline, and 28% of cats between 11 and 14 years, and over 50% of cats older than 15 years, exhibit symptoms consistent with cognitive dysfunction.

Booking a behaviour consultation with me can help ease common symptoms of cognitive dysfunction such as confusion, housesoiling, and changes in sleep patterns.

My behaviour package includes:

✔️ A 1.5 hour initial consultation to discuss how I can help your pet after their diagnosis. This includes a discussion about a good quality diet to help ease symptoms, nutraceuticals, management, and environmental enrichment which could improve your pets quality of life in their twilight years
✔️ A full Vet report and personalised plan including a diary, videos, and step-by-step guides
✔️ A follow up to check in on their progress and tweak the plan if needed
✔️ Email support with a fully qualified behaviourist! (AdvDipCanBeh RVN)

Please message if you'd like to book in!

25/03/2026

21/03/2026

Dogs rarely show obvious pain straight away. Instead, they show subtle changes that are easy to miss — small shifts in posture, movement or behaviour that gradually develop over time.

Things like uneven sitting, slower turning, subtle weight shifting or reduced stride length can all indicate that something isn’t quite right.

Catching these signs early can make a huge difference in managing discomfort, preventing compensation patterns and keeping dogs moving comfortably for longer.

If you’ve noticed small changes in how your dog moves, stands or behaves, it may be worth getting them assessed.

⸻

Karen Goodall Veterinary Physiotherapy
📞 07766145454
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.kgvetphysio.com

11/03/2026

SIGNUP: Protecting your postie webinar- sign up now

We are committing to protecting those who live and work in our communities from the fear and harm that dogs can cause.

Sheffield is nationally the postcode deemed as the most dangerous area for postal workers with the most incidents recorded in the country.

Our Dog Legislation Team work closely with Royal Mail and the Blue Cross to increase education, awareness and ultimately protect workers from harm and injury.

You are responsible for your dog’s actions, and nearly half of attacks on postal workers happen at the front door and could be avoided.

🐶 These workshops are also beneficial to anyone whose dog is reactive when visitors attend your home. If your dog becomes overwhelmed when people approach or attend your house, these sessions will offer advice and training on how to change your dog’s behaviour.

The Blue Cross is holding free online sessions about how you can keep people visiting your house safe, and your dog. The sessions are held online and are free to attend but spaces are limited.

The next sessions are being held on Thursday 19 March and Tuesday 12 May. Other sessions until November 2026 can be found on the Blue Cross Website- https://orlo.uk/B1dMJ