Having a dog who shows reactive behaviour can leave you feeling tired, on edge and emotionally exhausting experience at times. It is really important to look after yourself. I hope these ideas help you.

Helping dogs who are nervous of sounds It can be really tricky and feel hard when your dog is feeling nervous of sounds that you do not have control over. They may freeze, startle, growl, try to flee, shake, drool or more. Here are some considerations if your dog is nervous of sounds. As well as the noise, there is the physical vibration too.

Have you ever wondered that even if scared why a dog will run towards something? If a dog is barking and lunging at something that they are scared of then surely they would avoid it... right? This isn't always the case!

Why Emotional Wellbeing Matters at the Vet When it comes to veterinary care, the focus is often on physical health—but a pet’s emotional experiences important If stress and fear are overlooked, it can shape how an animal feels about vet visits in the future. Negative experiences may lead to increased anxiety, defensive behaviour, or even the need for sedation during routine examinations. By considering how our pets feel, we can help create calmer, safer, and more positive veterinary visits. Chat to your vets about how they can support your dog.

Dog play what’s okay? You may have heard that you can be over zealous and you should leave dogs to work it out themselves but this is poor advice. Sometimes play can turn into something else so it’s important to be mindful of play signals. When a dog goes rushing over to another head on it can feel threatening – even if the intention is play. It can be hard to assess intention as the dog is likely to be moving very fast.

I know of many family members who have small children and dog and they live in harmony.

Some dogs do it for hormonal reasons others due to behavioural. Reasons behind humping can include hormones, anxiety, tension attention seeking, frustration, eliciting play or displacement behaviour when stressed. Filling out the diary can help pinpoint more triggers and look at what is happening.

Children and Dogs: A Guide to Safe and Happy Relationships Having a dog in your family is exciting and fun, but it’s important to teach children how to interact safely and kindly with their furry friend. Puppies and young dogs are still learning, and we need to help them grow into happy, well-behaved companions.

Understanding Pica in Dogs: Why They Eat Non-Food Items