Brilliant K9s Dog Training and Behaviour

26/06/2026

26/06/2026

26/05/2026

“Don’t walk your dog in this heat.”
Most people hear that and think: “Well obviously… I wouldn’t take them for a big walk.”

But today?
I literally just opened the door for a “quick toilet break.”

No zoomies.
No fetch.
No walk.
No training session.

And still… Sam marched straight outside, lay down in the blazing sun like a giant melted brownie, and absolutely refused to come back in.

Eventually I had to put his collar and lead on just to es**rt His Majesty back indoors.

Meanwhile he looked deeply offended that I interrupted his attempt to disguise as a garden decoration.

The problem is this heat can be incredibly deceptive.
Dogs don’t always make sensible choices when they’re hot. Many LOVE sunbathing, even when their body is struggling to regulate temperature properly. Add excitement, sniffing, wandering, playing, or pavement heat into the mix and things can escalate frighteningly fast.

At 30°C+, especially in the UK where humidity often joins the party, even “quick outings” can become risky.

A few reminders for today:

☀️ Early morning or late evening walks only
☀️ Pavements can burn paws
☀️ Sniffing and excitement still raise body temperature
☀️ Flat-faced, bully breeds, older dogs, puppies, and overweight dogs are at even higher risk
☀️ Shade and water are great — but they don’t make dogs heatproof
☀️ If your dog is panting heavily, slowing down, drooling excessively, struggling to settle, or seeming “off”, take it seriously

And honestly?
Most dogs will survive missing one walk.
They will not suffer because you chose safety over routine.

Use enrichment indoors. Scatter feeding. Snuffle mats. Chews. Find it games. Calm training. Scentwork. Brain games. A nap with the fan on.

Your dog does not need to “earn” rest.

Stay safe out there — and if your dog also turns into a solar-powered potato in the garden, you’re not alone. 🤣 (And still make the choice for them and get them in)

The icing on the cake? He didn’t even go to the toilet 🤦‍♀️

18/01/2026

How does your dog really learn to wait?

Not by you saying the word louder.
Not by waving a ✋ and chanting “wait, wait, wait” while backing away.

The power of WAIT is not in the word.
It’s in the concept.

Waiting is delayed gratification.
Waiting is self-control.
Waiting is disengagement from what your dog wants right now.

And none of that exists unless your dog understands one critical thing:
the release cue.

Get it. Break. Free.

When the release is clear, meaningful, and worth waiting for, that’s when waiting becomes powerful.
When your dog is desperate to hear the release cue, that’s when sit and down become solid without creeping, crawling, or inching forward.

At that point, you don’t even need the word wait or stay.
Because your dog learns that sit means sit and down means down
— until released.

Without that understanding, not charging the food in your hand…
not grabbing the toy before the tug…
not exploding forward…

…it’s just a party trick.

And party tricks don’t hold up in real life.

Real waiting isn’t obedience.
It’s understanding.

Play. Train. Succeed. 🐾

12/01/2026

Before the comments start — Sam had his training before we left, I’d already worked a client’s dog on gundog class, then Spraggan got her session. Everyone trained. Everyone exercised.

Spraggan went through this phase too.
Now? She runs out, toilets, runs straight back in. No drama.

Sam, on the other hand, is currently in his ✨negotiation era✨ when it’s raining — but he’ll happily go out to train.
And that’s exactly how we started with Spraggan.

We built it up.
We transferred the value.
Weather stopped mattering.

So when a client says,
“I can’t come to training — my dog won’t go outside if it’s raining.”

Cool.
We can fix that. 😏🐾

Training doesn’t stop because the weather’s rubbish.
This is England.
Dog “not trained”?
Might be a you problem.

12/01/2026

Before the comments start — Sam had his training before we left, I’d already worked a client’s dog on gundog class, then Spraggan got her session. Everyone trained. Everyone exercised.

Spraggan went through this phase too.
Now? She runs out, toilets, runs straight back in. No drama.

Sam, on the other hand, is currently in his ✨negotiation era✨ when it’s raining — but he’ll happily go out to train.
And that’s exactly how we started with Spraggan.

We built it up.
We transferred the value.
Weather stopped mattering.

So when a client says,
“I can’t come to training — my dog won’t go outside if it’s raining.”

Cool.
We can fix that. 😏🐾

Training doesn’t stop because the weather’s rubbish.
This is England.
Dog “not trained”?
Might be a you problem.

10/01/2026

One of the most common phrases heard after a dog bite or snap is:

“But he came up to me.”

And on the surface, that sounds logical.
If a dog approaches, surely they must be friendly… right?

Not necessarily. And this assumption is where emotional bias quietly causes real problems.

What Is Emotional Bias?

Emotional bias is when we interpret a situation through human logic and emotion, rather than the reality of the animal in front of us.

We project intentions like:
• Curiosity means confidence
• Approach means friendliness
• Stillness means calm
• No growling means no fear

Dogs don’t work that way.

Why Fearful Dogs Still Approach

Dogs are hard-wired to investigate the unknown.
Approach does not equal comfort.

A fearful dog may approach because:
• They need information to feel safe
• They are conflicted between fear and curiosity
• They feel trapped and want control of distance
• Their nervous system is in fight-or-flight, not calm choice

Fear doesn’t always look like hiding or running away.
Sometimes it looks like moving closer.

This is especially true for dogs who:
• Have been punished for growling
• Have learned that retreat isn’t an option
• Are genetically predisposed to boldness under stress

The Dangerous Middle Ground: Conflict

When a dog is scared and approaching, they are in emotional conflict.

That conflict often looks like:
• Slow or stiff movement
• Intense staring
• Sudden freezing
• Lip licking, yawning, head turns
• A sudden bite “out of nowhere”

To humans, it feels unpredictable.
To the dog, it’s the moment fear tips into self-protection.

Why the Bite Feels “Unexpected”

Because we expect fear to look dramatic.

We expect:
• Barking
• Lunging
• Obvious warning signs

But many dogs give quiet signals, especially those who have learned that warnings don’t work—or make things worse.

So when people say “there was no warning”, what they often mean is:

“I didn’t recognise the warning.”

Approach Is Not Consent

This is the most important takeaway.

A dog approaching you is not consent for:
• Touching
• Leaning over
• Reaching out
• Eye contact
• Crowding their space

Especially if:
• The dog is unfamiliar
• The environment is busy
• The dog is on lead
• The dog cannot leave easily

A Safer Reframe

Instead of asking:

“Why did he bite if he came up to me?”

Ask:

“What emotion was driving that approach?”

Fearful dogs don’t bite because they are “bad” or “aggressive”.
They bite because, in that moment, they feel unsafe and out of options.

What This Means for Humans
• Let dogs choose distance, not closeness
• Stop assuming confidence based on movement alone
• Learn to respect subtle stress signals
• Normalise not interacting with unfamiliar dogs

The kindest thing you can give a dog is space and choice.

Because sometimes, the dog that comes closer…
…is the dog that is most afraid.

26/12/2025

High excitement doesn’t mean confidence — it means vulnerability.

When dogs are highly aroused, they’re already right at the edge of what their nervous system can cope with.

Their thinking brain is offline.
Stress hormones are high.
Emotions are running the show.

So when one small extra thing happens —
a dog stares, one barks, the lead tightens —
that excitement can flip straight into fear.

This is why very excitable puppies often become reactive later in life.
Not because they’re “too friendly” —
but because they were never taught how to come back down.

✨ Calm is protective.
✨ Regulation builds resilience.
✨ Teaching dogs to pause, settle and disengage is emotional training — not obedience.

Play. Train. Succeed.

02/12/2025

Please don’t disturb assistance dogs while they’re working. 🐾
So many hours of skilled training go into preparing these dogs for their jobs — and for the young people who rely on them, they’re not just “pets”.
They’re a lifeline. 💗

A quick distraction might seem harmless, but for the person they support, it can make all the difference to their safety, confidence, and independence.
So if you see an assistance dog out and about, admire them from a distance and let them focus on what they do best.

Play. Train. Succeed.
Brilliant K9’s Dog Training & Behaviour