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🌿 Tiny Toxins: Paws Off Plants 🐾 (A little series combining my love of plants and pets 🌿🐶) Today’s tiny check: Peace Lily Those glossy green leaves and elegant white flowers? Beautiful. Snack? Not so much 😅 Peace lilies contain insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the mouth and digestive tract if chewed. For some dogs, this may mean: 🐾 Drooling 🐾 Lip smacking 🐾 Pawing at the mouth 🐾 Vomiting 🐾 Reduced appetite 🐾 Mouth discomfort Before anyone

Are you struggling with your dog's behavior? Whether it’s reactivity (emotional challenges), separation anxiety, or sensory sensitivities, there’s a solution waiting for you. 🐕✨ 📚 I’ve poured my heart and experience as a qualified behaviorist into writing a series of books that go beyond the surface of training and to understanding your individual dog's behaviour. From understanding your dog’s emotions to creating a stress-free home environment, these books will guide you t

🐾 Your dog does not need a walk every day in hot weather. Yes, really. Rest days are enrichment too. Sniffing in the garden.Scatter feeding.Lick mats.Scent games.A chew in the shade. Sometimes the kindest thing we can do is say: “Today, we rest.” Skipping a walk in the heat is not laziness. It’s care 💙 🐾 Tiny action today: check tomorrow’s temperature before planning your dog’s day.

Sometimes you just need to replenish together! 🩵

Today’s tiny check: the Monstera (also called a Swiss Cheese Plant). Those gorgeous dramatic leaves? Beautiful. Snack? Not so much 😅 Monstera contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals, which can irritate the mouth and tummy if chewed. For some dogs, this may mean drooling, lip smacking, pawing at the mouth, vomiting, tummy upset, or discomfort. Before anyone panics — many dogs live happily alongside houseplants and never touch them. But curious puppies, adolescent dogs, en

Why Building Trust With Your Dog Matters Sometimes when a professional says: “We need to build trust with your dog.” A guardian may hear: You don’t love your dog enough. Your dog doesn’t love you. You’ve done something wrong. You’ve failed. But that is rarely what is meant. Because love and trust are not always the same thing. Your dog may adore you. They may follow you room to room, sleep beside you, greet you like you’ve returned from vacation after taking the bins out. And

Why “being good” isn’t the same as feeling safe There’s a phrase I hear a lot in dog training spaces: “They’re such a good dog.” And often, what people mean by that is: They sit when asked They don’t bark They tolerate handling They “ignore” things that bother them They stay still They comply On the surface, it looks like success. But here’s the question we don’t ask enough: Are they actually safe… or are they performing safety? A Moment From a Walk We don’t just see this in

When we wake up in the morning, some days… we’re just not feeling it. Not awful. Not broken. Just… a bit off. Our dogs are exactly the same. But because of how dogs are often portrayed — in the media, on TV, or through outdated training advice — we’re taught to see them in very simple ways: Happy. Naughty. Guilty.Boisterous. (We’ll come back to “guilt” another time) What We Don’t Always See What we don’t always consider is what our dog might already be carrying before the da

Before we talk about behaviour, we need to talk about support. Last week, during—and after—recording my podcast, I noticed something in myself. I felt… heavy. Not in a bad way.But in that quiet, emotional way that comes from sitting with something important. Because this is what I see every day. By the time many guardians reach out for help, they are already drained. They may have: spent a lot of money received conflicting advice had difficult or even harmful experiences felt

Love, frustration, grief, and everything in between—this is part of the journey too. There’s something we don’t talk about enough in the dog world… You can love your dog deeply……and still feel overwhelmed. You can be doing everything “right”……and still feel frustrated. You can advocate for your dog every single day……and still feel exhausted. Especially if you’re living with a reactive, anxious, or emotionally sensitive dog. Because this isn’t just about walks and training pla

Why Behaviour Change Takes Time One of the hardest parts of supporting behaviour change is that the effort we put in doesn’t always produce immediate visible results. And this can be incredibly discouraging. Especially when guardians are doing everything thoughtfully — adjusting walks, managing environments, supporting regulation, and building trust. But much of the most important learning happens long before behaviour visibly changes . From a neuroscience perspective, behavi

There is a version of professionalism that looks generous. Responsive.Available.Always kind.Always accommodating. And in caring industries — especially dog behaviour, rescue, welfare, education — that version is quietly rewarded. You answer messages late at night.You respond to “quick questions” that take 40 minutes to write.You rewrite resources so they’re easier to understand.You absorb frustration when someone is overwhelmed.You soften your tone so nobody feels judged.

It’s not uncommon for me to see frustration when someone clicks on a blog and realises it sits behind a paywall. Sometimes that frustration turns into a refusal to pay — and the content is simply left unread. I understand where that reaction comes from. We’ve become very used to information being immediate, free, and endlessly available. At the same time, as a student and professional who regularly pays to access academic articles, journals, and the work of authors I value, I

People often assume that because you’re a professional, you must already have confidence. That you must be comfortable speaking. That you naturally “have a platform.” But something we don’t talk about enough is how hard it can be to use that platform when you are autistic, an individual with disabilities, have had difficult past experiences, and are used to shrinking yourself to fit into rooms that were never built with you in mind. Recently, I’ve been invited into spaces tha

If your dog has been barking more, reacting faster, or struggling with things they used to cope with, you’re not alone. Many guardians describe this as their dog “being difficult,” “naughty,” or “acting out.” But these labels hide the real story. Behaviour is never random. It is communication — driven by the nervous system. Your Dog Isn’t Being Difficult or Naughty — They’re Coping Dogs experience the world through their brain and body together. When something feels overwhelm

This is where sustained public pressure becomes essential. Evidence from other countries suggests that mandatory standards and guardian education are significantly more effective at improving animal welfare outcomes than voluntary guidance alone.

I’m proud to share that Mutts & Mischief is now an official Business Supporter of the Association for Firework Legislation Reform. https://www.facebook.com/groups/fireworkcampaign/permalink/1520968475971416/ This comes after watching the incredible movement behind the Redwings petition — and the incredibly disappointing UK Government response that fireworks won’t be banned because they bring enjoyment to “some" before this year's Redwings Petition. The Government’s standard

Real Examples, Real Fear, Real Support — Helping Your Dog Through Fireworks Every autumn in the UK, the air fills with more than just bonfires and sparklers — it also brings fear, flight, and, too often, tragedy. Our pets, livestock, wildlife, and even people can all suffer when fireworks light up the sky. As a canine behaviourist specialising in sound sensitivities, I see the fallout every year: the trembling dog pressed against a wall, the horse that bolts through fencing,

Understanding what positive reinforcement really means — and why it matters. This week, I had the pleasure of joining the Pet Professional Guild Advocacy Team discussion panel, where we explored Kind Alternatives to the Use of Shock and Aversives . You can find the recording linked below for your viewing pleasure. One of the key topics that came up was how often we see people within the industry describe themselves as positive reinforcement trainers . But what does that real

Even today, some dog guardians worry that giving their dogs treats is a form of bribery. In reality, rewarding your dog isn’t a shortcut—it’s like depositing love into their emotional bank account. When you reward your dog with treats, you’re not just paying them for behaviour; you’re reinforcing learning by showing that certain behaviours lead to positive outcomes. For example, if you’re redirecting unwanted barking, tossing a treat and cueing a “find it” game doesn’t reward