Dogs
Behaviour advice for dogs, written from real experience.
Behaviour
Blue heelers nip at ankles because herding cattle by the heel is exactly what the breed was built to do, and a moving target with no outlet for that instinct often becomes a running kid or a jogging owner. Here is why it happens and how to redirect it.
Behaviour
Corgis sploot, lying flat with their back legs stretched out behind them, because their long body and short legs make it the easiest way to stretch, cool off and relax. It is a normal, comfortable position for the breed in almost every case.
Behaviour
A tired dog yawns before bed. A stressed dog yawns at the vet, in a crowd, or mid-training session, and that yawn means something completely different. Here is how to tell the two apart.
Behaviour
Legs, toys, the air, another dog at the park. Humping is awkward to watch and often happens at the worst moment, but it is rarely about sex and almost never about dominance. Here is what is actually going on, and what to do about it.
Behaviour
The classic head tilt when you talk to your dog is a hearing and attention habit, not a party trick. Here is what is actually happening, and the different kind of tilt that is a vet visit, not a cute moment.
Behaviour
A dog that suddenly bolts round the garden or living room at full speed is not malfunctioning. Here is what zoomies actually are, when to let them happen, and the one time to stop them.
Behaviour
A dog that whines constantly is trying to tell you something, though not always the same thing twice. Here is how to work out whether it is wanting, worrying, or hurting.
Behaviour
From sirens to an empty house, howling is one of the oldest ways a dog talks. Here is what sets it off, when it is nothing to worry about, and when it is worth a closer look.
Behaviour
From the soft gaze on the sofa to the hard fixed stare over a food bowl, dogs say a lot with their eyes. Here is what your dog's stare actually means, and the version worth taking seriously.
Behaviour
A rushed first meeting is the most common reason two dogs get off on the wrong foot. Here is the neutral-ground, slow-build method that gives dogs the best chance of settling in together.
Behaviour
A stiff body over the food bowl, a hard stare when you walk near a chew, a low growl if someone reaches for a toy. Resource guarding is common and usually manageable, but it needs the right response, not punishment.
Behaviour
Coprophagia is one of the most common questions owners ask, usually out of horror rather than curiosity. Here is why dogs actually do it, what genuinely helps, and the few cases where it is worth a vet visit.
Behaviour
A cratered lawn, muddy paws, a hole under the fence. Digging is one of the most normal things a dog does, and the fix is almost never "make it stop". Here is what your dog is actually doing, and where to point it instead.
Behaviour
The bathroom, the kitchen, the two steps to the kettle. Here is why your dog shadows you, when it is ordinary company, and the point at which following tips into something worth working on.
Behaviour
Licking is one of the most misread dog behaviours there is. Here is what your dog is actually saying, when it is affection, when it is a request, and when constant licking is worth a closer look.
Behaviour
Grass-eating is one of the most common things owners ask me about, and it is usually nothing to worry about. Here is why dogs do it, and the few times it is worth a closer look.
Behaviour
Separation anxiety is real distress, not bad behaviour, and it responds to patient training rather than telling off. Here is how to recognise it and help your dog cope with being alone.
Behaviour
Barking is not one problem but several, and the fix depends entirely on why your dog is doing it. Here is how to work out the cause, and what actually quietens each kind.
Behaviour
Fireworks terrify many dogs. Here is what actually helps, from preparing a safe den in advance to what to do on the night, and what to avoid.
Behaviour
You have walked them and fed them, and still they pace, whine, and pester all evening. Here is what is really behind it, and how to teach a dog to switch off.