17/07/2026
I was recently having a chat with somebody about what is going on with dog behaviour in this country. Because truthfully, more dogs (and people) are struggling than ever before. I think there are a few factors at play. Bad breeding. People thinking dogs are right, and not a luxury that you need to make time for, be around to care for, and meet the needs of. More dogs generally, resulting in more issues between them. The list could go on and on.
But something that is really relevant....
The situations people put their dogs and other dogs in.
In the last 7 days alone, here are some things I have encountered:
🐾 A highly stressed dog being taken into an amusement arcade, likely known for struggling in some contexts by the "I'm a bit of a pr*ck" label that had been put on their harness. This dog and another dog nearly started fighting in said amusement arcade. They could very easily have redirected onto one of the many nearby children.
🐾 Multiple reactive dogs being taken to a busy food festival.
🐾 Puppies being taken to the busy food festival to be "socialised" (overwhelmed).
🐾 Six off lead dogs charging at an on lead dog that I was with (in a 65 acre, huge space where they could have easily avoided us), none of them had any recall and I received an eyeroll from the person with them when I asked her to come and get them.
🐾 A large off lead dog charging a footfall fields length to get to us (the chap with the dog could not see us so had no idea if his dog was running at a toddler who was scared of it). When I intercepted the dog half way and took them back, I was asked "is your dog in heat?". No, they weren't. A massive dog charging at people and dogs that do not know them, with no recall (again), going well out of sight, is not a dog that is under control.
🐾 Dogs being off leads next to roads and running into the road.
🐾 Off lead dogs in car parks running at and pinning down on lead dogs.
🐾 Dogs struggling in cafes. There is a modern day expectation that dogs should be able to settle under the table in pubs or cafes. For many dogs, this is an overwhelming space where they can feel confined and struggle to relax. Some dogs can settle in this environment, but not all find it easy. This id especially difficult for dogs who experience issues with pain, as often they are taken into these environments after walks, and asked to settle on an uncomfortable floor, with lots of people moving around them.
There is a common theme here. People are choosing to put their dogs in some really crap situations. Nobody can read dog body language, either, so everyone happens "with no warning" when there are escalations. Ultimately, this results in stress to their dog (and potential physical harm), stress to other people, and stress to other dogs.
So when we wonder why behaviour problems seems to be on the rise...perhaps we need to look at human behaviour first. Dogs don't need to be in arcades. They don't need to be at food festivals. They shouldn't be off the lead unless it is safe for them to be, and they should be in sight and under control.
I see constant uproar when dogs stop being allowed in certain establishments, nobody likes tighter dog control rules. But this is why it is happening. Accountability lands with humans first.
Edit: if your dog is genuinely comfortable in certain situations e.g. under the table at the pub, snoozing away, then this doesn't apply to you! This post is about when dogs who cannot cope with certain situations are put in them anyway, or about dogs who are put in risky situations because little regard is given for the consequences.
Second edit...
If you disagree with this post then that is absolutely fine, but please do it respectfully. What I witnessed this week (two dogs who needed to be separated due to a very quick escalation between them, in an amusement arcade full of 2 - 7 year old children) was not alright, and totally unnecessary. The dogs did not need to be in an amusement arcade where neither of them were comfortable, and had nowhere to go.
