If you're considering bringing a new companion into your life, there are lots of things to think about. Getting a puppy can be very overwhelming and with advice everywhere, who can you trust to help your pup have the best start in life? As a behaviourist, here are my top tips. 1) Arguably the most important tip. Do your research. Make sure the breed you would like is the breed that would suit your lifestyle. What do you like about this breed? If it is mainly aesthetics, then you're barking up...

Since becoming a dog behaviourist 4 years ago, I have become increasingly interested in the link between physical health conditions and behaviour issues within dogs. It comes up in my work time and time again, a dog who has a behaviour issue also has one or more physical health problems and when we address the physical health, we see an improvement with the behaviour challenge. Asking about physical health has always been a part of my initial consultation for all of my behaviour clients, but...

Recent research suggests that 88% of dogs with noise sensitivity also have separation anxiety and 74% of dogs with separation anxiety also have noise sensitivity. This is a huge link and it is not coincidental. There is evidence to suggest that the occurrence of either one of the issues can directly affect the occurrence of the other. Let's have a look at the reasons for this. A dog who has either a separation anxiety disorder or a noise phobia is already of an anxious disposition. The dog...