19/08/2026
❤️🐾 SOMETIMES THE BEST TRAINING SESSION… IS THE ONE YOU STOP. 🐾❤️
Today was a great reminder that dog training isn't always about teaching behaviours, sometimes it's about recognising when training isn't appropriate.
I arrived for a scheduled session and immediately noticed that the dog seemed different from when I'd previously met him. His owner explained that earlier in the day he'd been frightened by a fire siren, so it was reasonable to consider that the experience may have affected how he was feeling.
However, as the session progressed, I noticed something else.
🐕 He appeared to have a slight limp on a front leg. During our walk he would occasionally stop, sit down, turn away and refuse to continue. After some time he'd choose to move again, before later repeating the behaviour. He was also taking food inconsistently, sometimes accepting it and sometimes showing no interest.
None of those observations on their own allowed me to determine what was happening, but taken together, they were enough for me to question whether continuing the training session was appropriate. We returned home, where he settled on the couch and was reluctant to move.
When his owner gently checked his paw, during the handling he gave a growl. Again, a growl doesn't tell us why a dog is uncomfortable with an interaction, but it does give us information that we should listen to.
🛑 At that point, I stopped the training session.
I wasn't going to assume he was being stubborn.
I wasn't going to push him through exercises.
I wasn't going to diagnose an injury, that's a vet's job, not mine.
Instead, I explained my observations to his owner and recommended that they seek veterinary advice before we continued with his training. I'm pleased to say his owner immediately acted on that advice and arranged for him to be seen by a vet. ❤️
That's the message I wanted to share from today's session:
🧠 Behaviour gives us information.
A sudden change in behaviour can have many possible causes. Fear, stress and physical discomfort are just some of the things that may influence how a dog behaves. As a trainer, it's important that I recognise the limits of my role.
My job isn't to diagnose medical conditions. My job is to observe the dog in front of me, adapt when necessary and recognise when something needs to be referred to an appropriate professional.
Today we didn't work on loose-lead walking. We didn't work on recall. We didn't spend two hours drilling exercises. Instead, we listened to the dog.
Sometimes responsible dog training means knowing when NOT to train. 🐕❤️
Hopefully the little lad gets the all-clear and when he's ready, we'll continue his training journey. 💪🐾
🐾 Robinsons K9 Academy
Real Life Training • Real Dogs • Real Understanding
❤️ Love and Peace. ❤️
