Pretty Happy Dogs

🐾 WHAT KAYDA TAUGHT ME 🐾

Sometimes the biggest breakthrough in dog training isn’t when the dog finally understands what you’re trying to teach.

It’s when you finally understand how the dog needs to learn.

I met Kayda when she was about 12 weeks old.

Bright. Curious. Beautiful.

And absolutely FRANTIC. 😝

She barked. She zoomed. She struggled to settle. She wanted to investigate absolutely everything. Sometimes she was so overwhelmed by the world that it felt almost impossible to reach her, let alone teach her.

I remember leaving one of our early sessions feeling like a complete amateur.

Why couldn’t I get through to this puppy?

Eventually, I realised I was asking the wrong question.

Instead of:

“How do I get Kayda to behave?”

I started asking:

“Under what conditions can Kayda learn?”

So we slowed down.

We stopped worrying quite so much about obedience and started paying attention to emotional states.

We rewarded soft eyes.

A quiet lie-down.

A moment of observation without investigation.

A quicker recovery after excitement.

We gave her time to sniff.

Time to move.

Time to decompress.

And importantly, Rachael and Alistair learnt to notice those moments too.

A few weeks ago at Manning Park, we discovered something particularly important.

On a short lead, Kayda looked bonkers. 🤣 She pulled, spun around us and seemed desperate to move.

So we gave her more space on a long line.

And suddenly…

Run.

Sniff.

Check in.

Run.

Explore.

Come back.

Lie down.

Kayda began organising herself.

It taught me something I’ll carry into my work with other dogs:

Movement isn’t always the opposite of calm. Sometimes movement is the road that gets us there.

Fast forward to puppy class yesterday.

Two weeks earlier, Kayda had still been so frantic that getting sustained engagement from her was difficult.

Yesterday?

💥 BREAKTHROUGH. 💥

We spent the entire class working on recall.

We started with Find It.

Then This Way.

Then combined them into a recall game.

Then came tornado tosses, mark-and-toss games and different variations.

And Kayda…

DID. IT. ALL.

Not only did she recall beautifully, she stayed engaged with Rachael.

There was another puppy in class, Storm, whom she could quite happily have spent the entire session pestering.

She didn’t.

She chose Rachael.

Again and again.

And perhaps that’s the part I’m most proud of.

Not the recall.

Not the technique.

Not even the focus.

It’s that this little dog who once seemed to believe that absolutely EVERYTHING in the world required her immediate involvement is learning that she can notice something…

and choose what she does next.

That’s regulation.

That’s learning.

That’s growing up.

And that’s Kayda. 💚

Rachael, Alistair and I were absolutely delighted.

Willow, meanwhile, appeared to regard the whole thing with the weary satisfaction of a senior faculty member:

“Finally. She’s got it.” 🙄🐶

Kayda still has plenty to learn.

So do we.

But that’s perhaps my favourite part of working with dogs.

Sometimes we’re teaching them.

Sometimes they’re teaching us.

And Kayda has taught me a lot.

Don’t just train the dog in front of you.
Find the conditions in which that dog can learn.

Huge kudos to Racheal and Allistair for trusting me and working with me to get Kayda to this point!

Pretty Happy Dogs 💚🐾

🐾 NEW ARTICLE JUST LANDED!

It's been a while since our last article! Time flies when you're having fun. Or, in my case, when you're juggling about three different sets of balls at once! 🤹‍♀️😂

I've met many dogs whose humans have asked me to help with "their separation anxiety."

And one of the things I've learned is just how many different stories can sit underneath that description.
Sometimes they're little velcro dogs who have simply become accustomed to being wherever their humans are.

Sometimes they're dogs who haven't quite worked out yet that their world doesn't necessarily depend on their person being right there beside them.

Sometimes they're more sensitive souls who need a little guidance in discovering that solitude can be safe, and perhaps even an opportunity to enjoy a bit of their own dogness.

And sometimes, we see genuine separation-related distress where the absence of their person triggers a powerful emotional response.

Whatever the reasons behind it, one thing matters enormously:
Their emotional experience is real.

For some dogs, being left isn't merely disappointing.

It can be genuinely frightening.

My latest article, Every Goodbye Tells a Story, looks at separation anxiety through the dog's eyes, including a recent case that reminded me just how much we can learn when we stop looking only at the behaviour and start asking what might be happening underneath it.
We talk about cameras, pre-departure behaviour, gradual absences, management, veterinary support and why the goal isn't simply to stop a dog barking when we leave.

(Read the article here: https://www.prettyhappydogs.com/post/every-goodbye-tells-a-story )

The goal is to help them feel safe when we're gone.
I'm also very sure I haven't come close to covering the enormous range of doggy personalities and experiences that can contribute to separation distress. It's an area I continue to find fascinating, and one I hope to keep learning about as I work with more dogs and their families.

If you're fortunate enough to have a dog who happily watches you leave and promptly returns to bed, I hope you'll still find something in the article that makes you curious about your dog's emotional world.

Have a read and let me know what you think! 💚🐾

And if there's a topic you'd like me to explore through the Pretty Happy Dogs lens, please tell me. I would be more than happy to oblige.

Look a little closer. 💚

Every Goodbye Tells a Story Understanding separation anxiety through what happens after we leaveMost of us know what our dogs do when we're home.We know where they sleep. We know which window they like to look through. We know the peculiar little dance that means breakfast should have happened approximately three minutes ago.....

Baby Storm goes adventuring! 🖤🌿💦

Today we took little Storm out to Bells Rapids with Willow for a very important piece of puppy training…

We went exploring.

No puppy class. No drilling sits. No marching nicely beside us.

Just rocks. Water. Mud. Strange smells. Wobbly ground. New sounds. A big river. A little bit of climbing. Plenty of sniffing. And one very steady older dog showing her that the world is a pretty wonderful place.

At this age, this is training.

Socialisation isn’t about meeting as many dogs and people as possible. It’s about giving a puppy lots of different experiences while helping them feel safe enough to investigate, retreat, watch, sniff, think and try again.

And Storm did exactly that.

She followed Willow into the shallows, scrambled around the rocks, investigated everything her little nose could reach and periodically came back to her humans for reassurance and connection.

Willow, meanwhile, required absolutely no briefing on her role as Adventure Auntie. 😂

She simply went about being Willow: exploring, paddling, sniffing and demonstrating that none of this was particularly alarming.

That’s one of the loveliest things a well-adjusted adult dog can offer a puppy.

Not instructions.

Information.

“I’ve been here before, kid. The world is interesting. Come have a look.”

By the end we had one wet puppy, one wet Willow, muddy shoes, tired legs and a tiny Staffordshire Terrier with a whole collection of new experiences tucked into her growing brain.

A grand ol’ day at Bells Rapids. 🖤

And I suspect this little adventurer is only getting started.

Whatever you are doing this weekend with your puppers, Willow and I hope you have a blast and a splash!

Pretty Happy Dogs
Training starts inside. 🐾

One of the hazards of going for a morning run with Lilly… 🐾😂

You don’t necessarily get very far.

Our daily run took us past Spilt Milk Espresso this morning, where we discovered that apparently every dog in Fremantle had also stopped for coffee.

So naturally, we had to stop and say hello.

There were Border Collies. There were fluffy little faces. There were raincoats. There were hopeful eyes fixed firmly on the café counter. There was an impressive amount of dog hair per square metre.

And Lilly, of course, was delighted to join the morning meeting. 😂

I love these little moments.

One of my favourite things about getting out into our neighbourhood with Lilly is how many dogs and humans we meet along the way. Sometimes the best part of a walk or run isn’t the kilometres you cover, but the little community you bump into while you’re doing them.

Although judging by these photos, I suspect Lilly now believes our morning runs should routinely include a café stop.

Fair enough, really. ☕️🐶💚

Happy Monday from Pretty Happy Dogs!

I was lying on my physiotherapist’s table this morning talking about dogs, as you do.

We got talking about Staffordshire Bull Terriers—or what we’ve affectionately come to call “Staffies.”

She was very intrigued by the breed and began asking me about their history, what they were originally bred to do, and what they are like to live with today.

And I realised how difficult it is to talk honestly about Staffies without falling into one of two stories.

They are either portrayed as dangerous, unpredictable fighting dogs—or as faultlessly gentle “nanny dogs” whose history and physical intensity apparently no longer matter.

Neither story serves the dog.

Staffies can be hilarious, affectionate, irreverent and extraordinarily devoted to their people. They often greet with their whole body, play with their whole body and love with what feels like their entire muscular soul.

But the same intensity that makes them such joyful, wholehearted companions can also make life difficult when enthusiasm becomes over-arousal, persistence becomes fixation, or sociability becomes an inability to cope without being involved in absolutely everything.

I have friends with Staffies who struggle. I also meet many Staffies through my work who require behavioural support—and, in some cases, veterinary care and medication.

These dogs are not monsters. But nor are they helped when serious distress or dangerous behaviour is dismissed as “just how Staffies are.”

So, by the time I climbed off the physiotherapist’s table, I knew I needed to write this article.

The Staffy: When a Great Love for Life Becomes Too Much
It explores where Staffies came from, why people adore living with them, how their historical qualities may find expression in modern life, and what can happen when a dog with tremendous strength, persistence and emotional intensity cannot find their way back down from excitement.

The goal is not to take the Staffy out of the Staffy.

It is to help each Staffy carry all that enthusiasm without being consumed by it—to play wholeheartedly, love enormously, cope with disappointment and learn that not every moment requires their full muscular participation.
Because Staffies deserve neither denial nor condemnation.

They deserve to be understood.

Read the full article here: https://www.prettyhappydogs.com/post/the-staffy-when-a-great-love-for-life-becomes-too-much

Photo of me and little Storm, a bright little Staffy with probably the best doggy parents in the 'hood!

🐾 Friday Dog Thought

Dogs don't spend much time wondering whether today was productive.

They don't worry if they sniffed enough trees, chased enough balls or met enough dogs.

They're surprisingly content with simple things:
A good walk, a familiar face, a quiet nap in a patch of sunshine, or just hanging out with someone they trust.

Sometimes I think our dogs are gently reminding us that a good life isn't always a busy one.

As we head into the weekend, maybe we can borrow a little of their wisdom.

Slow down.
Take the longer walk.
Stop to notice the birds. the waves, the clouds, or simply just your dog.

Watch your dog sniff that fascinating tuft of grass that apparently contains the secrets of the universe.

The world will still be there when you get home.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.
💚 Look a little closer.

Kirsten

🐾 This is something I’d encourage every local dog owner to take a few minutes to complete.

The City of Melville is developing its new Dog and Cat Management and Exercise Plan, and they’re asking for community input on everything from:

🐶 Dog exercise areas
🌳 Shared parks and public spaces
❤️ Animal welfare
🐕 Responsible dog ownership
🤝 Community safety

As someone who spends a lot of time helping dogs and their humans, I know how much thoughtful planning can improve life for everyone, whether you have a dog or not.

If you’ve ever wished for:
• better dog exercise spaces,
• clearer signage,
• more opportunities for dogs to explore safely,
• or simply parks that work well for both dog owners and non-dog owners…

…this is your chance to have a say.

Every perspective helps build a better community.

You can take part here:
🔗 https://www.melvilletalks.com.au/dogcatplan

I’d love to see our local dog community represented. 💚🐾

Paws for thought Dog and Cat Management and Exercise Plan Have your say on the City of Melville's Dog and Cat Management and Exercise Plan. Share your feedback on dog exercise areas, responsible pet ownership, cat containment, animal welfare and community safety.

What if your dog isn’t being difficult?

“My dog is so stubborn.”

It’s one of the most common things I hear as a dog trainer.

But what if what looks like stubbornness is actually something else?

✨ Overwhelm.
✨ Fear.
✨ Confusion.
✨ A world that is simply more interesting than we are.

Dogs don’t wake up each morning planning to make our lives difficult. Their behaviour is shaped by what they’re feeling, noticing and experiencing in that moment.

Sometimes the biggest change we can make isn’t teaching our dog a new cue.

It’s asking ourselves a better question.

What is making this difficult for my dog right now?

I’ve written a new article exploring why the label “stubborn” so often gets in the way of understanding our dogs, and how curiosity can change the way we train.

🔗 if this resonates with you, I’d love for you to read the full article: https://www.prettyhappydogs.com/post/the-myth-of-the-stubborn-dog

💚 Look a little closer.

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