Behaviour & Training

Dog begging is a pleading gaze, big doe eyes, or a cute little whine. If your dog behaves like this every time you sit down to have a meal, you know your dog is begging for food or a delicious treat! Dogs are brilliant at devising new and interesting ways to get exactly what they want from their owners at mealtimes: more food. However, this can be difficult for you as an owner, especially if it happens every time you want to eat. Fortunately, dog begging can be prevented using a few simple steps. Causes of dog begging If your dog or puppy looks uncharacteristically unhappy or hungry when they beg then you won’t be alone. Dogs perfect this method of asking because it is so effective. Playing on your caring nature, they use their best acting skills in the hope of being treated to scraps from the plate. This clever technique means that your dog can often get more food without exerting much effort. The first thing to realise is that your dog’s begging is a learned behaviour from when they are a puppy, which can be trained out of them. Your begging dog has probably realised at some point that certain behaviours yield certain rewards. Whether it’s pawing, whining or barking, if you reward your puppy begging with what they expect, they will only continue to behave in this way. Puppies don’t just beg for food, you may also witness your pet begging for affection, playtime or walks. You probably didn’t realise that you were teaching your puppy that begging was effective, but by giving in to their demands, you may have inadvertently promoted their behaviour, which will carry on with them through to adulthood.

Now that your pup knows basic dog training, it’s time to teach them some cool dog tricks! Read our step-by-step article for advanced training top tips. We all love the idea of having a well-trained dog who hangs on our every word – and now your puppy has all the basics under their belt, it’s time to move on to the more advanced dog training techniques. Learning new tricks and games with your dog is going to benefit you as much as will benefit them and it will enhance your relationship as a result. It’s a win-win! Some of these fun dog tricks are based on mastering basic dog training skills, so if you need a refresher make sure you check our article first. How to focus your dog’s attention for learning dog tricks Having a dog who will give you their attention when you ask means they are ready to listen to you, and this is the first step in every other part of your advanced puppy training. The fun dog tricks below require your puppy’s attention for the learning process to begin. There’s no point asking your dog anything if his mind is elsewhere! Teach your pup to look at you when you say his name. This is something you should have been doing since puppyhood, but this is a good time to have a refresh. Have treats in your pocket while you’re in the house or garden. At various times when your dog isn’t expecting it, say their name brightly and enthusiastically. If they look at you, drop a treat on the ground between you, so the dog moves towards you to get the treat. You are teaching the puppy that their name means “give me your attention and good things happen”. Start doing this when there are no distractions and build it up until you can do it everywhere, no matter what is going on. Positive association like this is an important step in advanced dog training. Top tips for teaching your dog tricks • Be patient. It can take several repetitions over a few days before your dog gets the hang of these advanced tricks. Arm yourself with plenty of patience and treats before every session. • Keep the sessions short. Even when you’re the master of your pup’s attention, dogs will cease to be interested in what you have to say if the training goes on for ages. Limit the sessions to a few minutes each. It’s better to have multiple short dog tricks training sessions a day than a long one lasting the entire afternoon.

Teaching and training your dog basic commands and cues is a fun and rewarding experience for both of you. It’s important to begin training your dog at an early age to get the foundations right before your puppy grows into an adult dog. Puppy training and teaching your dog is a great way to spend time together and can also be lots of fun! Dogs are fast learners, and with your loving guidance, training your dog how to ‘come’, ‘sit’, ‘stay’ and even go to the toilet will nurture your relationship as well as encourage good behaviour. Well-trained dogs are less likely to stray, and generally have more comfortable and fulfilling lives compared to their untrained counterparts. Young puppies make eager pupils, so you can start training your dog as soon as you get them home. It’s a myth that pups need to be at least six months old before they can be properly trained – the younger they are, the easier it is to teach them. Think of them as little furry sponges, waiting to soak up all the learning you can give them! Here you’ll find lots of advice on the basics of dog training. For more detailed and advanced dog training advice, try contacting a professional trainer. Ask your vet for a recommended local pet behaviourist or dog trainer.

We all know dogs are able to sense plenty of things we can’t. So, are ghosts one of them? In this article we’re trying to answer the old-age question: “do dogs see ghosts?”. Our canine friends are loyal, gentle and all-around amazing beings. But it’s their ghostbuster-like behaviour that makes them unlike any other family member: howling at the moon, staring into empty space, getting vocal for no apparent reason or running out of the room as if chasing some invisible enemy.

Your dog is full of curiosity and fun, but they might be frightened of things too – after all, every dog has a different personality. Some dogs are fearful by nature, and some scared dogs are more predisposed to it than others. Dogs are naturally curious and inquisitive so they generally interact enthusiastically with the world around them but they may be times or situations where they become wary or frightened. Every dog has a different personality depending on their breed, type, past experiences and their individual nature. Each dog is different – just like us – and while there are some real canine extroverts out there, there can also be dogs who are more worried about things around them or that they may encounter. The more we take time to understand our dog’s unique personality, the better we can predict when they may behave fearfully, and know how to support them. Most behaviour problems have their roots in fear – even aggression. It’s not the only cause but it is a major one and if you think of the common canine issues, often you will find that the original cause is the dog feeling worried, scared or frightened.

If you have a dog that's constantly digging up your flower beds it can be incredibly frustrating. Find out why your dog digs and how to stop them doing it with our helpful guide. Dogs can develop the urge to dig at any time in their life: it could be a habit they’ve had since being a puppy, or something that comes on later in their adulthood. Find out more about what drives dogs to dig in order to determine how to stop a dog digging. The occasional scuffle in the soil isn’t a problem, but digging as a repeated habit can be a destructive behaviour. If you don’t discourage digging early on, significant damage can be done to your garden and home, and it will become harder to train your dog not to dig. Find out more about what drives dogs to dig in order to determine how to stop a dog digging.

There are many reasons why your dog may be aggressive, and it may require veterinary advice. Read about the causes of aggressive behaviour in dogs here. Your dog has a personality completely unique to them – and like all dogs, they have different moods ranging from joyful to scared. If your dog is behaving aggressively however – either to people or other dogs - you should address it as soon as possible. Aggressive dog behaviour can include: • Aggression to strangers • Aggression to family members • Guarding resources (such as food, treats or toys) • Aggression to other dogs in the household • Aggression to unknown dogs If your dog is showing any signs of aggression, first of all, consult your veterinary surgeon. Your vet will conduct a full examination to see if there is a clinical reason for your dog’s aggression such as pain, discomfort or any other physical cause. If no medical explanation or treatment can be found, the vet can refer you to a professional behaviourist for help. Although taking your dog to see the vet or behaviourist might seem worrying, you should never attempt to treat your dog’s aggression yourself, or ignore it and hope it will go away. If your dog’s aggression is not tackled quickly and appropriately, the problem can escalate and may result in serious injury to yourself and your family, other people or other animals, and even legal issues – and of course, you want to get help for your dog long before it gets this far! This is a problem that is far better - and far easier - tackled straight away. Why is my dog aggressive? All behaviours happen for a reason and occur as a result of the way the dog is feeling – and aggression is no different. A properly qualified and experienced behaviourist will be able to get to the heart of why your dog feels they need to act in this way, what their triggers are, and how to deal with this. The fear response Aggression in dogs nearly always comes from fear – as the purpose of aggression for a dog is one of perceived self-defence, and nearly always is with the intent of making things the dog regards as frightening or unpleasant stop, make them go away, or prevent them from happening in the first place These fears can arise due to inadequate early puppy socialisation, past experiences, or the perception that valuable resources are under threat of being taken away. Some dog who have been roughly or inappropriately handled as a puppy or put in scary situations when they are too young to be able to do anything about it can also grow up to be more reactive as adults. Since fear is the most common cause of aggressive behaviour in dogs, you should never punish your dog for growling or for any other display of aggression. Shouting at a dog for growling at something he is fearful of will simply compound his fear, may escalate the aggression, and quite likely his aggressive response will worsen next time. What should I do if my dog is aggressive? First of all, learn how to recognise how your dog is feeling. Every dog gives warning signals before they bite or attack – especially the first time - but owners aren’t always very good at reading them. Dog aggression warning signs There are several signals that your dog may give to indicate they are worried, fearful or feeling stressed, and if we recognise these, we can keep dogs feeling safe and stress-free, and so prevent a lot of canine aggression long before it starts. Often dogs bite out of self-defence because they feel that it is their only option as all their other warning signs have been ignored.

There’s nothing worse than a puppy that won’t stop pulling on the lead. It can be extremely tiring for both you and your pup and can turn a simple walk into a complete nightmare. If your dog is straining at the lead, or your puppy refuses to walk without pulling with all their strength, it means that you are only controlling them with physical restraint, rather than with the training that should keep them happily trotting at your side. Not only that but, as they get older, the physical effort involved in controlling your dog could be overwhelming, especially if your canine friend is one of the larger, stronger breeds. To make life easier for you and your dog, all it takes is a little training and they’ll be overjoyed at the sight of their lead in no time. Keep reading to find out how to leash train a puppy! Why lead training puppies is important Exercise Being able to walk your puppy on a lead provides an opportunity to exercise your dog and keep them healthy while they grow and mature. Mental stimulation Exposing your puppy to new environments is essential to their growth and development, and walking on a lead is essential to exploring many new places. The act of training itself is also great mental stimulation for your dog! Further training Lead training also improves responsiveness to overall obedience training, and it may become easier to teach other commands such as ‘sit’ or ‘stay’ once your puppy has learned to be walked on a lead. What you’ll need before you start puppy lead training A collar or harness Buy a collar or harness that fits your puppy appropriately, never too loose or too tight – you should be able to fit two fingers between the collar and your puppy’s neck. Treats Use treats to reward them for good behaviour on the lead.

Dog muzzles often get a bad rap, but did you know there are actually quite a few benefits to wearing them for certain types of dogs? Find out more about them and our dog muzzle training tips with this guide. Dog muzzles are fantastic! We know that they get a mixed response from people, but we also know how important they are and have written this article to help you with your dog muzzle training. If you read that and thought, ‘my dog doesn’t need a muzzle,’ then this article is for you. Not only are muzzles perfect for dogs that might be a little bit grumpy, frightened or anxious when they’re out and about, they’re also quite often necessary at the vet's or if your dog has been hurt. If your dog has learnt to love their muzzle then all the stress that’s often accompanied by wearing one goes away. Why do some dogs wear muzzles? Some dogs need to wear muzzles and most of the time, it’s not because they’ve ever bitten anyone. Some ex-racing greyhounds wear muzzles because they have endured years of chasing something small and furry and that’s a hard habit to break. Some dogs wear one because vets and trainers recommend it when they are learning not to eat potentially dangerous objects, like stones or litter. Some dogs wear one because they need space and people tend to give dogs a wide berth if they’re wearing a muzzle. There are misconceptions about dog muzzles, there are judgements and there are quite often some unhelpful comments about them, but when did that stop you from doing your best for your dog?! The more we can all raise awareness about the positives of muzzles, the better! You could face a situation where your dog needs to be muzzled. You don’t know what the future holds and if you’re in a situation where your dog needs a muzzle as a matter of urgency; they won’t be feeling excited about one landing on their face. You can prepare them and take that stress away for them. Baskerville muzzles Baskerville muzzles are popular, safe and lightweight muzzles that allow your dog breathe. Never use a muzzle that clamps your dog’s mouth shut as that affects their breathing and leaves them unable to drink. With the Baskerville muzzle, they can take treats and drink, so once they’ve learned to love it, they’re not prevented from enjoying life while wearing one.