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Yes, you read that correctly. The perfect number of dogs to own is zero. Before anyone starts sharpening their keyboard, putting together a strongly worded Facebook comment or questioning whether I've finally lost the plot, hear me out. I love dogs. I'm trying to make a living working with them. I've spent an awful lot of my time studying them and helping dogs and their owners build better relationships. But loving dogs doesn't automatically mean you should own one. In fact,

Well, here I am being the bad guy again. Let's talk about something that might upset a few people in the dog training industry. Are we actually teaching owners how to understand and manage their dogs, or are some of us building a business model that relies on them continually coming back for more? Now, I'm not suggesting that repeat appointments are automatically a bad thing. Behavioural problems can be complicated. Some dogs need months of support. Some owners genuinely enjo

It's not the tool that's the problem. It's the tool using it. Well, congratulations! Whatever problem you're having with your dog, there's probably a tool for that. Isn't capitalism great? Dog pulls on the lead? There's a tool for that. Dog reacts to other dogs? There's a tool for that. Dog won't come back when called? There's a tool for that. Dog is frightened of the world? There's probably a tool for that too. In fact, if you believe some of the marketing, there's practical

I originally started thinking about this while doing my tax return. There's nothing quite like sitting down looking at your bank account to make you question your life choices. At some point, I looked at the numbers and thought: Christ. I really need to make more money. I've spent quite a bit of time looking at other dog-training businesses recently. Some are hugely successful. Busy diaries, full courses, impressive client numbers and what appear to be rather healthy business

A practical guide to helping dogs through fireworks, Halloween and other frightening events Because every dog deserves to feel safe. BOOKLET ONE PRACTICAL NIGHT-TIME GUIDE Introduction – It's not just another night for everyone For many people, fireworks are an enjoyable part of celebrations. Halloween means children in costumes, sweets, decorations and visitors at the door. For some dogs, however, these occasions are anything but enjoyable. Sudden bangs, flashes of light,

Apparently, consistency is the key to successful dog training. Well, that's reassuring. I was beginning to think it might involve understanding the dog, recognising their emotional state, considering the environment and occasionally admitting that perhaps we're asking a little too much. But no, apparently we just need to be consistent. Every minute. Every day. In every situation. Because naturally, dogs live in a perfectly predictable world, their owners never have a bad day,

Apparently, we're not just dog trainers anymore. We're competing in the canine equivalent of the numbers game. A little credit where it's due. Before I get accused of stealing someone else's homework, I should mention a post I spotted recently by Fitz at Cosford Dog Training. Fitz has already beaten me to the punch on this one, raising some very reasonable questions about the rather impressive numbers being thrown around by some trainers. And honestly, I love seeing it. It's

When did having a good time become more important than allowing everyone else to feel safe in their own home? Well, it's that time of year again. The pumpkins are out, the fireworks are going off, children are wandering the streets, and apparently we've collectively decided that basic consideration for other human beings is an optional extra. Before anyone gets excited, let me clarify something. I'm not particularly interested in Halloween. Never really have been. However, I

Now, I know some of you probably think, I spend an unhealthy amount of time criticising the dog training industry as well as the Socal and the News media. You'd probably be right. Apparently, pointing out questionable practices, challenging industry nonsense and occasionally upsetting people isn't quite enough to qualify me as a proper dog trainer. So, in an attempt to prove I can actually be useful, here's something a little different. An article offering practical advice th

Apparently, one in four dogs is aggressive. Should we be worried, or should we perhaps read beyond the headline? One in four. 25%. That's the figure reported in a UK study of pandemic puppies. By the time those dogs were 21 months old, 224 out of 893 owners who answered the relevant question reported that their dog had displayed at least one behaviour researchers categorised as aggressive. That's quite a headline, isn't it? One in four dogs is aggressive! Imagine the newspape

Dog attacks, media hysteria, government legislation and the rather inconvenient question of whether any of it will actually prevent the next incident. Another dog attack has made the news. Cue the dramatic headlines. Cue the photographs of dogs looking vaguely menacing, usually because they're dogs and that's what their faces look like. Cue the comments section, where thousands of people who have never met the dog, the owner, the victim or anyone remotely connected to the inc

Breaking news: someone with a microphone has an opinion about dogs. I keep seeing news articles with headlines along the lines of “Dog Behaviour Expert Says…” or “Dog Training Expert Reveals…” And every time I see one, a small part of me wonders what I've missed. Is there an official ceremony? Is there a secret handshake? Perhaps a special hat? Or do you simply wake up one morning, decide you've learned everything there is to know about dogs, and start introducing yourself as

Can Dogs Get the Winter Blues, or Are We Just Projecting Our Own Misery? It's dark, it's wet, nobody wants to go outside, and the dog is suddenly being accused of having an attitude problem. But what if winter affects our dogs more than we realise? And how much of what we think we're seeing is actually a reflection of how we're feeling ourselves? It's that time of year again. The sun disappears at what feels like lunchtime, the rain arrives horizontally, and leaving the house

It’s the time of year when people contact me about helping their dog with fireworks. I’m here to tell you you’re too bloody late. You should have started eight months ago. Before anyone starts throwing things at me, eight months isn’t a magic number. It’s a reminder that helping a dog cope with fireworks can take time, and the end of October is a rubbish time to start preparing for something that’s already happening. If your dog is frightened of fireworks, you probably won’t

We spend a lot of time teaching dogs to listen to us. Perhaps we should spend a little more time asking what they're telling us. We love an obedient dog. The dog that sits when asked. Comes back when called. Walks beautifully on a lead. Ignores distractions and makes its owner look as though they've got this dog-training business completely figured out. Lovely stuff. Stick it on Facebook. Get the likes. Everyone's happy. But here's a question I'd like us to consider. Is a dog

Half of Europe is on fire. People are losing their jobs. Adults and children are being killed every day. The Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than it has been since the height of the Cold War. And yet, in the world of dog training, we're afraid of a word. Balanced. Apparently, that one word is enough to tell us everything we need to know about a trainer, their methods, their ethics and their character. No questions required. No conversation necessary. I don't call myself

The whole dog, alternative medicine, and why a fancy label doesn't necessarily tell you much. I've got a problem with the word "holistic". Not necessarily with the idea behind it. Looking at the whole dog makes perfect sense. It's the word itself that makes me suspicious. It sits in my head alongside words like "alternative", particularly when they're used to sell something that sounds impressive but is difficult to explain or demonstrate. There's an old joke about alternativ

Is ethical dog training about the methods we use, the labels we wear, or the decisions we make when nobody is watching? I've described myself as an ethical dog trainer. There. I've said it. Someone fetch the ceremonial badge. Except lately, I've been questioning whether I should use the word at all. Not because I've suddenly stopped caring about dogs. That would be a rather unfortunate career development. It's because the more experience I gain, the more I question what ethic

There’s a phrase in dog training that seems to have acquired a little more importance than it probably deserves: science-based. Before anyone starts sharpening their keyboards, let me establish something. I'm not anti-science. I spent the better part of twenty years working as a laboratory technician in science education, and I like to think I came away with a reasonable understanding of what science means. To me, science isn't an absolute set of answers. It's a process of qu

I've been thinking about something I'm seeing more and more in dog training lately. “I'm 100% force-free.” “I'm completely positive.” “I never use force.” They all sound rather lovely, don't they? And before anyone gets worried, this isn't me announcing that I've suddenly decided dogs need to be marched around on choke chains while I shout “BECAUSE I SAID SO!” Far from it. I actually think we should all be trying to use as little force as reasonably possible when working with