Secure Attachment theory explains how the bond between individuals contributes to emotional well-being. The theory was originally formed to understand the, often, strong bond between mother and child, but it’s also relevant to other close relationships (Bowlby, 1988). One of the components of attachment theory is the Safe Haven effect, which results in an individual seeking comfort, support, and safety from their attachment figure. For dogs, their human caregiver is usually their secure attachment figure. It is not only about seeking comfort in the place of safety, the security of having a sa ..read more

Often in the dog world we discuss how to get the dog to do this that or the other, or even, how to get the dog to stop doing this that or the other. That’s not always a bad thing, I’m not suggesting that dogs should be left unguided to participate in whatever they want. But, quite often we are so preoccupied with what we want the dog to do or not to do, that we fail to consider the dog’s needs. Who are they as individual sentient beings? How do they feel about our behaviour when we try to shape their behaviour. For some, this is wishy-washy dribble, worthy of only scorn and ridicule. I cannot ..read more

This is a difficult subject. It’s difficult to write or speak about it without upsetting a lot of people on either side of the debate. It’s difficult because humans often think in absolutes, all or nothing. It’s difficult because humans are very susceptible to confirmation bias. It’s difficult because humans are often outraged at any perceived criticism. It’s difficult because we are, by nature, quite an aggressive species. But hey, let’s give it a go. There’s an almost constant argument about compulsion vs none compulsion-type training. Many of the same arguments/insults come from each camp ..read more

Writing books is a tough gig. You might spend a year or so writing. Then rewriting and editing. You will spend a ridiculous amount of time looking for errors. You may have spent years, as I did, acquiring the knowledge. You can put everything you’ve got into producing an excellent book, but then what? The average book only sells around 300 copies in its lifetime. For the average self-published book, the figure drops to just 100. Oh, and self-publishing doesn’t mean you get to keep the money instead of the publisher taking it. By the time you pay the printing costs out of your cut, then taxes ..read more

I often see people writing about enrichment in ways that do not quite fit with my beliefs. Strangely, they often don’t want my uninvited opinion. So, ever so slowly, I’m learning to keep out of other people’s realities. But here, I will continue to teach what I consider to be right. But, of course, things aren’t often completely right or completely wrong. There’s usually a lot of ground in-between. So, what is it that I disagree with this week? I’m seeing the opinion, both in books and on social media, that if the dog must work to get their food, then it’s not enrichment. The argument seems to ..read more

Why does any human or animal avoid pain or discomfort?   It’s to escape things which might be harmful. So, imagine we apply some kind of pain or discomfort to a dog who growls at a child (or is reactive to anything else for that matter). What would happen in the dog’s mind? Could it be, child = pain, best avoid children? Or could it be, growling = pain, best avoid growling? It’s most probably a mix of the two, with many other factors thrown in, for example, location, noises, distance from the handler, etc. Whatever happens, I don’t see any possibility of the dog feeling better. I guess pu ..read more

I have two puppy books in my possession. Both are modern and against the use of traditional, punitive, measures. But when it comes to the subject of crates, they could not be more opposite. I’m not going to name the books or authors because, running the largest dog group on Facebook, I already have my quota of haters. However, who is right? According to book 1, if you use a crate there will be no possibility of separation anxiety developing.  The rationale here is that they will always feel safe in the crate so can’t get anxious. Book 2 says the dog is trapped in a crate so is not safe. T ..read more

I began school aged 5. One of my earliest memories is of being told off for not copying from the board. The teacher couldn’t understand why I wasn’t doing it. She thought I must have poor eyesight and sat me closer, but still I produced nothing. She repeatedly asked why I wasn’t doing my work – I just looked blankly, not knowing how to respond.  Life at Buckton Vale Primary only got worse. They sat me in a corner, alone and facing the wall. I was still expected to copy, but this time words from a book. For me, it was more like drawing than writing because I couldn’t read the words – I sim ..read more

In recent years harnesses have become increasingly popular. I’ve written, many times, on the risks of applying pressure to the dog’s neck, see my blog here, but I don’t think I’ve ever suggested the use of a harness (or seen others do so) without some people voicing concerns that a harness will teach/encourage the dog to pull. People often comment that their trainer told them harnesses cause pulling, or that harnesses were originally designed for pulling. So, let’s evaluate each of these ideas. Firstly, the fact that a trainer said something doesn’t make it a fact. I’m a qualified behaviourist ..read more

It can be very easy to get the impression that enrichment is all about food. Don’t get me wrong, food can be an amazingly good tool for enrichment. This is because dogs obviously need to eat, dogs usually find food enjoyable and reinforcing, and dogs usually don’t get to go hunting or scavenging their own meals. This gives us the opportunity to fill the behavioural void and make feeding times more interesting and rewarding. However, the purpose of enrichment is to fulfill the dog’s behavioural needs, not just to keep them busy. Imagine this: you’re locked in a room with no TV, internet, radio ..read more