Helena Woodfield Why does walking our reactive dog get us down so much? Why does walking our reactive dog get us down so much. Well, our dogs are very emotional creatures. They have feelings just like you and me, they can feel worried, scared, threatened, unsafe, and then... Mar 11, 2025
Helena Woodfield Trigger stacking - The main thing holding reactive dog owners back Have you ever been in that place where you have been walking your dog, they see so many other dogs (or insert your dogs trigger here), and then randomly out of nowhere.... you get a HUGE almighty reac... Feb 23, 2025
Helena Woodfield The side of reactive dog ownership that nobody talks about There is a side of reactive dog ownership that nobody ever really talks about. The side that is emotionally draining and challenging for you. The side that leaves you isolated and alone. The side that... Feb 13, 2025
Helena Woodfield Vet Handling - The underlying welfare concern Controversial opinion alert, but I strongly believe that veterinary handling has become the most overt welfare concern affecting pet dogs. Vet handling is the necessary handling required for our dogs ... Jan 16, 2025
Helena Woodfield Multidog households and how to manage resource guarding Multidog households - what does it mean? Well a multi dog household would count as any household with more than 1 dog in it....But they can be a bit difficult to manage. There are a lot of key things ... Jan 1, 2025
Helena Woodfield Is using food a bribe and punishment a threat? The pontifications of an animal behaviourist who doesn't get out much..... In the dog world you won't readily find a trainer that never uses food to help get dogs to do the behaviours they need them t... Dec 18, 2024
Helena Woodfield Setting your dog up for success with visitors during the holidays When we have people over for festivities it can sometimes be a prime scenario for our dogs to become overwhelmed. It may be noisier than usual There may be more people There may be other dogs There co... Dec 8, 2024
Helena Woodfield Are you that owner that likes to geek out? There has been a huge shift in recent years towards an emotion centred model of understanding our dogs and how they behave. This is good, it's based in scientific evidence, lots of research has been d... Dec 4, 2024
Helena Woodfield Why is the vet referral so important? For many prospective clients, when I go through the process of how to book in, and clients hear the words "vet referral" they almost go "oh god! Another step...another hidden cost". Let's clear someth... Nov 27, 2024
Helena Woodfield Why are vets so important to treating our dog's behaviour? Our dog's medical status and their behaviour are closely connected. I love to draw comparisons and analogies so bear with me on this: Imagine you have a sore back. You are resting, you are taking time... Nov 1, 2024
Helena Woodfield Repetitive behaviours Repetitive behaviours, stereotypical behaviours, compulsive behaviours, or whatever you would like to refer to them as, can creep up on anyone. They are common in breeds that people refer to as "needi... Oct 14, 2024
Helena Woodfield Crufts We generally go to CRUFTS every year, sometimes multiple days. We will find some opportunity to represent our breed, or to show off Bonnie's skills. Our first year together we were in the Good Citizen... Mar 11, 2024