Author: Scott McGuinness

The Emotion behind the ‘Reaction’

‘Reactivity’—it’s a buzzword in the dog world, but what does it really mean? Before diving into training or behaviour modification, it’s crucial to grasp the underlying emotions fueling this reactivity. Sure, we often associate reactivity with aggressive behaviours like lunging and barking towards other dogs or people. But let’s take a step back. Isn’t a […]

Symptoms or Root Cause?

Is your training program focusing on the symptoms of behaviour issues, the root causes of the issue, or both? Many may misinterpret behaviours displayed by their dog as the issue, however, they can often be the symptom of something bigger and more underlying. This is understandable due to many of these symptoms being visual and […]

Let’s talk TIME!

How long does it take to train a dog?How long does it take to “fix” a behavioural issue?How long to “fully” train a dog? These are just some of the questions we often receive, and the answer is always the same, “we cannot tell you that”. Dogs are not a computer we program, they are […]

Managing Canine Behaviour

Every day I tip my hat to those living with and treating a dog with a behavioural issue, it can be challenging, frustrating, costly but can be incredibly rewarding. It can also be TIME CONSUMING; behaviour issues are not fixed in a day (no matter what some claim), they take time, understanding, repetition, clarity and […]

Training directly or indirectly?

If you are struggling with a behavioural issue or struggling to achieve a training goal, it may be worth taking a step back and ask… Should I approach this DIRECTLY or INDIRECTLY? For example, dealing with ‘dog reactivity’. Some jump right into addressing their dogs behaviour DIRECTLY in presence of other dogs. However, many need […]

The importance of foundation

The more dogs the CC Crew assist with two things become more and more apparent; Companion Dogs with no or little foundation work will most likely develop behavioural issues And Foundation is still necessary to elicit change in behaviour, no matter the age or severity. We see countless dogs and their guardians trying to address […]