Canine by Nature

Canine by Nature Behaviour & Education All animals are learning and behaving all the time. No Fear, No Force, No Intimidation. You will find this book utterly fascinating.

They operate on their environment, get feedback and then repeat or change their behaviour depending on the outcome. To ensure you and your dog live the most productive, fun-filled and stress-free life together, be a positive, active part of that behaviour process. There is no dog too young or old, too wild or timid, too brave or shy to start learning from you, in fact they already are. I teach (an

d learn from) animals through the practical implementation of a combined knowledge of science based technologies - Learning Theory, mostly Applied Behaviour Analysis, Neurobiology, Ethology, and Physiology. All that, along with a deep understanding of the nature of dogs, means your dog gets the best possible positive and productive training or behaviour modification. NZ's only certified Fear Free Trainer, NZ's only practicing CED trainer (Canine Emotional Detox), LLA Susan Friedman 2012/13/14/15 and proud member of Pet Professionals Guild and author of Dogs in Action. Dogs in Action - a book on working dogs and their stories. "Dogs in Action is a truly delightful and wonderful book — a must-read whether you live with a dog or not. All dogs are human companions, exercise partners, furry psychologists and couch snugglers but some dogs devote their lives to help people by performing an extraordinary array of tasks — guiding the blind, hearing for the deaf, search and rescue, biosecurity and cancer detection. Dr. Ian Dunbar
Veterinarian, Author and Animal Behaviorist
Founder of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers

If you have worked with me, we would have dug deep into the sleep patterns of your dogs. I like this post thanks &traini...
05/09/2026

If you have worked with me, we would have dug deep into the sleep patterns of your dogs. I like this post thanks &training.

Dogs are polyphasic sleepers, which means they naturally sleep in lots of shorter periods across the day and night rather than having one long consolidated sleep like most adult humans. They move repeatedly between wakefulness, drowsiness, NREM sleep and REM sleep.

So rather than obsessing over whether a dog has reached a particular number of hours, I think the more useful questions are:

Can this dog genuinely switch off?
Can they sleep without being repeatedly disturbed?
Has their sleeping pattern changed?
What keeps waking them up?

A dog lying quietly in a bed is also not necessarily asleep. They may be resting, drowsy or still monitoring everything going on around them. This is particularly relevant in anxious or hypervigilant dogs who may appear physically still while remaining very environmentally aware.

Experimental studies have shown that after sleep deprivation, dogs demonstrate a measurable recovery response, including increased subsequent rest. Sleep also appears to play an important role in learning and memory.

Large owner studies have found associations between disturbed sleep and more reported behaviour problems, while poorer sleep efficiency has also been associated with greater hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Canine studies also show that learning experiences can alter subsequent sleep, and features of NREM sleep have been linked with later learning performance. So after difficult behaviour work, I am much more interested in allowing a dog to decompress and genuinely rest than immediately giving them another stimulating activity.

And finally, sleep quality matters just as much as apparent sleep quantity. So when I'm assessing behaviour, sleep is something I increasingly ask about.

Where does your dog sleep?
How easily do they settle?
How often do they wake?
What wakes them?
Do they move position frequently?
Do they pant, scratch or pace?
Can they sleep during the day when the household is active?

And perhaps most importantly: has any of this changed alongside the behaviour problem?

A tragic cautionary tale to always know who is caring for your precious ones. My heart goes out to the family.
26/07/2026

A tragic cautionary tale to always know who is caring for your precious ones. My heart goes out to the family.

Walter's owners were told their dog had been attacked. A specialist post-mortem raised very different questions.

26/07/2026
01/04/2026

Conflict / aggression is an energy dense behaviour. Energy, like many things, is a limited resource. Animals are only going to use up that energy, which is otherwise better spent, when they perceive they have no other options available to them. That is why animals will only engage in conflict behaviours as a last resort. The reason bite and fight are last on the canine hierarchy of conflict resolving behaviours, after all calming behaviours have failed.

No only does conflict / aggression burn a lot of energy, it also brings with it the potential for injury or death. Another reasons non-human animals will avoid it at all costs. If they get into a fight there is no guarantee they will be the winner and injury brings vulnerability.

Here is a video I took in Egypt that prompted me to write this post. The dogs from the street are trying to break into the Temple over the wall. Probably because people in the temple equals potential food I suspect. But the Temple dogs are saying no you don’t. Street dogs - we’re coming over. Temple dogs - no you aren’t . Watch the posturing of the dog kicking his legs.

This is as far as it went. The street dogs ended up snoozing on the wall and the Temple dogs within the Temple grounds.

Please, next time your dog feels they’re at breaking point, like there are no other behavioural options, take a moment to reflect on why and how they got to this end point. And, ask yourself how you may be able to help them.

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