I have a new puppy: will I ever get any sleep again?

It’s a frequent cry from new puppy-owners. You bring home your cuddly fluffpup - you are overflowing with parental emotions for this little scrap and determined to do the best for her. 

Trouble is, that cuddly fluffpup turns into a screeching monster as soon as you put your head on your pillow. So you go down to see what’s wrong - is she hungry? is she cold? does she need a wee? By the time you’ve exhausted all these possibilities, both you and your puppy are well and truly awake. The puppy is now refreshed and ready to start the day. But it’s half past midnight and you have to be at work tomorrow morning!

This seems to be the stage when one of the pup’s new owners fetches the duvet downstairs and tries to sleep on the sofa. In no time it’s 4 a.m., the puppy is refreshed and you are not. 

Next night you eschew your comfy double bed and start out on the sofa. You wake up hearing chewing and crunching noises as your puppy discovers the interesting textures of your computer cables. And being awake and mobile, she now needs to relieve herself - this bit of carpet will do …

As you stagger into work on the fourth or fifth day you realise that This Is Not Working! That’s when I get a phone call. The caller is usually desperate: sleep-deprived, anxious, guilty, worried, their work is being affected, they see no light at the end of this tunnel. Some people actually return the puppy to the breeder at this stage: really! 

So what’s going wrong?

I often find they have a crate for their dog, but haven’t used it, or they’ve tried using it but won’t shut the door, or it’s in the wrong part of the house. They may think it’s cruel to confine the puppy to a crate - but I can assure you that the breeder confined the puppies (3? 6? 10 of them?) at night! 

Most people are comfortable putting their baby in a cot - for their own peace of mind as well as the babe’s safety. What’s the difference?

The next thing I learn is, “I don’t want the dog in the bedroom”.  

As they are usually at the stage where they are actually paying me to give them a night’s sleep, this is particularly shortsighted.

Your puppy is used to snuggling up with those 3, 6, or 10 warm, furry, littermates - suddenly being alone is a loss and causes fear. 

They’ve also perhaps been making this common mistake, which one desperate terrier-owner told me about: “I come straight downstairs, knock on the door, and tell her to be quiet.” 

Your puppy is not barmy - she’s able to work out that if she barks and wails long enough, someone will respond. Now you’ve told her she just has to keep going for as long as it takes! You’ve made things worse

Blissful, peaceful sleep

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My own puppies sleep through the night from the day they arrive. They quickly get into a pattern and will be clean and dry by night from anything between 7 and 9 weeks. 

I’ve given my sleep recipe to anyone who has difficulty settling their new pup, and get responses like these:

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“Got a whole night’s sleep last night! Thank you!!” Vizsla puppy 9 weeks

“Good morning Beverley, Just had to let you know that I followed your guidance re settling Gertie at night and we had a peaceful sleep with no crying and no mess in her bed, a very big thank you.” Miniature Dachshund pup 11 weeks

“Your suggestion about the size of the crate worked wonders! No mess in crate this morning.” Labrador pup 14 weeks

Want to know what the secret is?

Here you go: 

1. Use a crate

It doesn’t need to be the size of a ballroom - only big enough for the puppy to get up, turn around, and lie down again. It’s a bed, not a playroom. If you’ve bought a large one because your pup is a large breed but is currently still tiny, you can either buy a crate divider - or simply fill the extra space with cardboard boxes to make a smaller sleeping area. No problem if he chews the boxes. A well-reared puppy will not normally soil his sleeping area (unless very distressed) so this helps with your housetraining program. If you have a whippet, earthdog or other tunnelling breed, provide masses of blankets your pup can burrow into like a hamster, rather than a flat single piece of bedding which will better suit a hot dog like a border collie or a golden retriever.

2. Shut the crate door

Shut the crate for every nap, every sleep, every meal. Never open the crate door if your dog is hollering, “I’m going to get my lawyer if you don’t let me out of here!” Only calm and silence will get that door opened. (Genuine distress is something else, and needs attention - you should be able to distinguish between annoyance and distress with ease.) Darken the room and/or partially cover the crate - this makes it a cosy den. For naps, leave the room and shut the door.

3. Put the crate by your bed at night

Your puppy will hear you breathing and moving, sighing and snoozing. If she wakes up anxious, you can just reach a hand out to touch her through the bars so she is reassured she’s not alone. You’ll hear if she’s genuinely agitated and needs a wee. If you don’t want your dog to sleep in your bedroom, you can move her out again once a pattern is established and she feels confident in her new home and routine.

4. Once pup is in crate, there’s no talk, no interaction

The crate is a quiet area for s-l-e-e-p-i-n-g. And chewing chew toys, and eating meals. It’s not a chatty place. 

Imagine the crate is soundproof - both ways!

You have now taught your dog to relax and settle anywhere she finds her crate. This is invaluable training for the rest of your lives together! No separation anxiety, no pacing and worrying when you holiday in a new place, no danger of damaging the carpets or cables when visiting friends. When your dog goes into her crate, she lies down and sleeps!

Let me know in the comments below how you’re getting on!

Want a step-by-step guide to everything you need to know about your new puppy? Get New Puppy! here, and start on the right paw!

Once your puppy is about 9 weeks old and has settled in with you, you can start working through the Brilliant Family Dog series of how-to e-books. Everything is broken down for you into little steps - and what’s more, the first book in the series is free! Go get it now.

Try some of our lessons right away - you'll be amazed how quickly your puppy learns!

Check other post that might help your brilliant dogs:

I love my dog AND I love my sleep!

How much time does your dog spend sleeping?

How much does your dog sleep?

Errorless Housetraining and Crate Training

Puppy Crate training demystified

Can my dog be stressed? Part 2

This post was first published on positively.com and is reprinted here with permission.

Here is the second of three articles based on excerpts from my book, Essential Skills for your Growly but Brilliant Family Dog, Book 1: Why is my dog so growly? - which points out an area which will be affecting your dog mightily. Read the first excerpt here.

While you’re doing your best to improve the situation and you take a look at what may be making things worse, you cannot overlook stress.

• Stress causes reactions to be exaggerated

• Stress causes us to snap

• Stress wears us out

Here’s another area of your dog’s life that may be building stress that may surprise you.

2. Not enough sleep

This one floors so many people! Adult dogs need to sleep 17 hours a day for mental and physical stability. 17 hours a day! Is your dog getting anywhere near 17 hours a day? If your dog paces and runs, chews and barks, jumps and dives, plays and chases all the time at home, he is not living the carefree life you may imagine! I have seen the dramatic improvements that result from getting this one right.

The ability to switch off, to relax and restore, is much sought after by people with enormously busy schedules and responsibilities. The most successful build naps and quiet time into their day as a matter of course - and that downtime is inviolable! They have learnt its importance.

Teaching your dog how to switch off is essential to his mental wellbeing. Some dogs don’t need to learn this! Cricket the Whippet is happy to spend 22 hours a day under a duvet, reserving her activity for mealtimes and short bursts of awe-inspiring speed. But she has an even temperament and no hang-ups over other dogs or people. Nothing even startles her!

But it’s a sure bet that your reactive and anxious dog will keep pacing and worrying and staying on guard-duty all day, unless rest-time is enforced.

Relaxation and sleep

If ever a dog needed its rest and restorative sleep, it’s the growly, fearful, or reactive dog.

Think how you feel when you’re short of sleep and have a challenging day ahead with the family, or at work! You start off on a short fuse, and that may get shorter as the day goes on.

Ensuring your dog gets enough downtime is critically important. It’s often at the root of her troubles. Once she’s getting enough restorative sleep she’ll be better able to cope with all the trials and tribulations of life. As indicated above, dogs need a massive 17 hours of sleep a day for optimal stresslessness. Is your dog getting anything like that? If not, you need to help him into a comfortable routine which does not involve endless pacing and activity.

A quick case study

Have a look at Tim, the rescue Border Collie, who I was visiting to work on his dog reactivity outside the house:

While I was there, it became clear that this hyperactive dog was wearing himself out. For the first twenty minutes of my visit he never stopped. He raced in and out of the room, jumped up my front, my back, chewed my hair, poked the other dog, ran off again, paced … never rested.

So I quickly amended my training plan to include some relaxation work straight away. After some active games to get Tim to engage with me, I started teaching him to slow down and relax. After just five minutes of this, his owner expressed amazement at seeing her frantic dog actually lying down still for more than ten seconds at a time!

When I finished the short session and released him, what did he do? Do you think he went straight back into busybusy mode, panting and racing?

Nope. He just slid onto the floor beside us, and as he lay there his head started to loll, his eyelids drooped, and he was … asleep! To the total astonishment of his owner, who had never seen him sleep in the day.

Want to know what I did to achieve this blissful calm state? See the first book in the Essential Skills for a Brilliant Family Dog: Calm Down! Step-by-Step to a Calm, Relaxed, and Brilliant Family Dog  to get the exact program. Quite apart from the usefulness of this skill for any dog, anywhere, your reactive dog will hugely benefit.

It's about changing your dog's mental state

Watchpoint: teaching calm and relaxation is not teaching a stay exercise (although you will get a solid stay as a result) with the traditional stern shouting and finger-waving. The object is quite different - to change your dog’s mental state, not to anchor his physical position.

Learning how to switch off can also help with Separation Anxiety. And, of course, your dog will be better able to cope with the challenges he’ll meet outdoors if his nerves aren’t jangling.

Did you find this excerpt interesting? Here's what Book 2 looks like! 

For a free e-course to help remove the stress from your life, and your dog’s life - and news about the new book! - go to www.brilliantfamilydog.com/growly

“Designer Dogs”: what are they really made of?

It’s all the rage - dogs with cute monikers. 

You can find a Jackapoo, Cockerpoo, Labradoodle, Goldendoodle, Jackahuahua, Maltipoo, Puggle, Schnoodle, Cavapoo, Yorkipoo … and I have yet to discover the name of a Shih-Tsu crossed with a Poodle.

In many cases, people are seduced by the cuteness of the name and the celebrities who have also been seduced - and bought one. 

It tends to be first-time puppy buyers who go down this route, as they often have little understanding of breed characteristics. 

It’s not just about looks!

The problem is that as many of the crosses are inappropriate, you end up with a much more challenging dog than if you had gone for either a pedigree dog from a first-class breeder, or a genuine mixed-breed mutt from the shelter.

As a friend put it recently, describing a cocker spaniel x poodle (a so-called “cockerpoo”) she’d met:

“You have a dog who couldn’t care less about people crossed with a dog who wants to rule the world - not a good combination.”

I have found that this tremendously popular cross creates a lot of problems for the new puppy-owners I work with. It’s one of the most difficult crosses to manage and needs skill and knowledge of the characteristic behaviour of both breeds involved. I’m quite sure that the funny name is what has swayed many of these buyers. This is why I never use the cutesy titles people give me for their dog (which they usually say in an exaggerated way and accompanied by a shy giggle “It’s a cockerpooooooo!”). I call them what they are: a spaniel x poodle. That way I can keep their make-up in the front of my mind when working with them.

Oh, and having one parent from a non-shedding breed means you have on average a 50% chance of your puppy being non-shedding, or suitable for allergy-sufferers and the houseproud. Puppies barely shed any hair in the first year anyway, so the new owner doesn’t find out the truth for some time.

What happens when you mix them up?

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You need to look at the characteristics of the breeds you are crossing. A terrier, for instance, has been bred for centuries to hunt down and kill small rodents. This is why they are so popular on farms and in stables. They need to have an outlet for this instinctive drive. If you expect them to perch on a velvet cushion all day long because they’ve been crossed with some kind of fluffy, you are going to build up tremendous frustration and conflicts in your little dog.

Cuteness in appearance is not necessarily matched by cuteness in behaviour.

We all know people who look just like one parent while having all the personality traits of the other. 

Another friend was toying with the idea of mating his two dogs - a reactive, longhaired, collie bitch and a cuddly, fast, whippet. He thought he would get lots of fluffy cuddly puppies. Genetics is a tricky and unpredictable game - even for those who know a lot about it. I warned him he may instead get a litter of very fast reactive dogs. 

Fortunately he realised that in any case his reactive bitch should not be bred from. “Reactive” is a catchall word for fearful, anxious, defensive. There would be a high likelihood of all the puppies following their mother’s example and being reactive too. The world does not need another six or ten reactive dogs!

And this leads me to the source of most of these “designer” dogs. 

What difference does the breeder make?

Good pedigree breeders spend a lot of time and money on producing the best puppies they can. The genetic testing they do is expensive and time-consuming. They choose pairings with enormous care, studying the history of the lines for behaviour, temperament, and health, and will only breed from the very best. 

They then devote months to caring for the bitch and rearing these puppies in an enriched environment - usually their kitchen and living room - taking special care over their socialisation and temperament, then carefully vetting prospective owners. The best remain available for advice and guidance throughout the life of the dog.

Do you think the same level of attention is given by the puppy farmers who produce many of these crosses? Do you think they pay for those expensive tests? Do you think they start off with the best possible stock? No pedigree breeder would let their puppies go to such a person, so they’re starting off with inferior animals right off the bat.

UK TV Vet Marc Abraham says, “You end up cross-breeding breeds which each often have their own genetic faults. So Labradors are prone to hip problems, and Poodles to eyesight problems. Cross-breed them and you get puppies prone to both conditions.”

Another Frankenstein

While these dogs tend to attract the inexperienced, they are by and large not a dog for the first-time buyer.

Even the person who bred the first, notorious, “Labradoodle” (a mistaken attempt to provide a guide dog for a blind person with allergies), Wally Conron, says, “I opened a Pandora's box, that's what I did. I released a Frankenstein. So many people are just breeding for the money. So many of these dogs have physical problems, and a lot of them are just crazy. I've done so much harm to pure breeding and made so many charlatans quite rich. I wonder whether we bred a designer dog—or a disaster!" 

People will pay absurd amounts of money for these unfortunate puppies. They don’t realise they are being duped by callous people who are cashing in on a craze. They fall for the puppy mill tricks and believe the puppy they’re getting is from the bitch that they’re shown, and reared in the comfortable house they visit. 

Some sharper buyers have doubts, but they still go ahead with the purchase as they want to “rescue” the puppy - thus perpetuating this evil trade.

Sadly, many of these puppies are bred from sickly breeding-machine bitches who are kept caged in appalling conditions, with none of the social environment that makes for a stable and healthy dog. 

The UK Kennel Club, who campaign actively against the puppy farmers, conducted research that indicated that one in five puppies bought via social media or the internet dies before it’s six months old. “It is irresponsible breeding and it is done purely to make money”, says the KC Secretary Caroline Kisko.

Before all you owners of designer dogs berate me in the comments, saying how lovely and healthy your dog is - I can tell you that you are one of the lucky ones. 

So what dog should I get?

There are people who spend more time and attention buying a new washing machine than they devote to choosing the right dog - a real live creature with an individual personality - to share their home for the next 12 - 15 years.

So what options are there for getting a healthy, well-bred, carefully-reared puppy?

1. You can go to a careful, genuine, breeder.

 In the UK the Kennel Club has a list of approved breeders - but you still need to do your own vetting! That’s especially so with a breed that has serious genetic problems, like the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, at least 70% of whom will have developed a debilitating and painful brain disease by their sixth birthday. 

2. You can get a neighbourhood mutt born to a family pet in a home local to you.

For someone whose beloved family pet has a litter of pups this is the highlight of their year, and massive amounts of time and love will be lavished on the pups. If there is enough cross-breeding there will be plenty of hybrid vigour. You will be able to meet the dam and quite possibly the sire too. Puppies reared with loving care in a busy family home have the best start in life. 

3. Or, of course, you can take pot luck on a rescue dog from a shelter. 

This can be a winner all round. But unsurprisingly, many of them have baggage and behavioural problems, and some of those posh crosses end up in rescue because they’re so hard to manage. You need to be prepared to work with someone else’s cast-off and you may need specialist behavioural advice (make sure it’s force-free!). But the results can be fantastic and rewarding.

Either way, you should spend months on this project. 

And don’t be deceived by something as paltry as a name. Wally Conron, the Labradoodle man, freely admits that the name was invented as a marketing ploy, as nobody was interested in having a “mongrel”. Would you really spend more money on the washing machine you’re researching if it was called a “Washypot” or a “Clothesyclean”? Or if a film starlet had one?

For free training for your new puppy - of whatever type! - get your free email course here.

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Can my dog be stressed? - Part 1

This post was first published on positively.com and is reprinted here with permission.

Those of us who have a reactive, anxious, or fearful dog, work very hard to make life easier for them (and us!).

We try this idea and that technique, perhaps with distressingly little success. Some days our dog just seems worse!

Here is the first of three articles based on excerpts from my book Essential Skills for your Growly but Brilliant Family Dog, Book 1 Why is my dog so growly? - which points out an area which will be affecting your dog mightily.

While you’re doing your best to improve the situation and you take a look at what may be making things worse, you cannot overlook stress.

• Stress causes reactions to be exaggerated

• Stress causes us to snap

• Stress wears us out

And there are some areas of your dog’s life that are building stress that will really surprise you.

1. Too many walks

“What!” you squawk! “I thought I had to take my dog out for a walk every single day! I thought I was doing the right thing!”

Well, like so much in life, that depends. It depends on how your dog is experiencing these walks.

A happy-go-lucky dog who loves meeting people and other dogs will relish his daily walks. But that’s not the dog you have, or you wouldn’t be reading this.

It may be that your dog gets sick with anxiety at the very thought of a walk. The walk may consist of you getting upset or telling him off while he runs the gauntlet of narrow paths, fence-running dogs, squealing children, dog walkers walking their dog straight towards him, traffic noises, people wanting to pat his head …

This is not an enjoyable walk for an anxious, shy, or reactive dog!

There are two reasons for walking your dog. One is for exercise. The other is for socialisation. Clearly the second reason here is a fail. So cut your losses, exercise your dog with vigorous play in the garden or on solo walks in a relatively dog-free zone - a forest trail, for instance - and save road walks for when your dog is calm and you can avoid most of the hazards.

Energy-burning games

There are great games you can play with your dog to exercise him - without ever having to leave your home. Free running and jumping about till your dog’s sides are heaving, his tongue lolling, and his eyes shining, are what you want for exercise.

If you have outside space you can play with balls or frisbees, reinforcing the connection between you all the while. Tug is a game that uses a load of energy - and you can really go to town on harnessing your dog’s instinctive drives by playing with a flirt-pole.

The joy of these games is that you can use them to build your dog’s impulse control at the same time. He’ll learn never to jump up or snatch the toy from your hand in Tug. And the flirt-pole teaches the collection and restraint needed for a successful bunny-hunt.

And no, it won’t turn your dog into a predatory nightmare. I used the flirt-pole to build Cricket the Whippet’s impulse control around small furry things, with the result that I can call her off rabbits. I have known dogs who were so full-on in their play that their owners had to wear thick gloves to play with them and stay in one piece! Once the dog learns the rules of the game, it becomes rewarding for both parties - and no more need for gloves.

If you have no outside space, you can rely on Tug to tire your dog out - especially as you’re getting him to use his brain in this puzzle too.

Using wobble cushions and planks will help to build muscles and balance that your dog didn’t know he had. Walking down the stairs, then walking up again backwards, step by step, is a skill which uses lots of brain and brawn.

Hide and Seek is always a popular, tiring, and satisfying, game, especially if you have children to join in. My boys used to love rolling themselves up in their duvets and waiting to be found - which didn’t take long with all the squealing going on!

Choose a good time for an outing

Once your dog is rested from having to face the daily challenge of a walk, you should see some calmness entering the picture.

Then when you feel ready, you can take him out. The aim of Puppy Socialisation is to expose your pup as much as possible to all the experiences of our world - while the puppy enjoys the experience. The same goes for your older dog. Taking him places where he is scared or uncomfortable is just tormenting him without any good resulting: in fact this could make him more fearful.

So find a quiet time when you can take your dog out for a walk, and be flexible with your plans! You can turn away from anything your dog finds upsetting.

The garbage truck is collecting and making a huge noise? Just turn and go the other way. There’s a school outing of excited children heading towards you? Go! Heavy rain is making the traffic very noisy? Head home.

Resist the temptation to say “I always go this way,” and go right, then left, through the street market, across the railway bridge … Your walk can just be the same 100 yards in front of your house repeated several times!

As long as your dog is viewing this as a positive experience, then you are succeeding. Know that you can assess the benefit of the walk - to both of you - and give yourself permission to decide where to walk your dog, and whether to walk at all.

What is the result we want?

We’re focussing on the outcome here - calm walks with a happy and relaxed dog. If your daily walks are not a step in this direction, then you need to cut them right back.

Read the second excerpt here.

Did you find this excerpt of interest? This is what Book 1 looks like.

Click here for a free e-course to help remove the stress from your life, and your dog’s life - and news about the new book!

5 Surefire Tips to Get Your Dog to Jump Up on People

There’s a ring at the doorbell.

While you make your way to the door your dog is running rings around you, barking, jumping, grabbing at toys. 

You yell “Stop! Get down! Be quiet!” Now you’re both barking!

You open the door and your dog launches himself at your visitor, striking her amidships, sending her reeling.

You yell “Stop! Get down! Be quiet!” 

Your visitor staggers through the door with your dog dancing in front of her on hind legs, grabbing at her sleeve and leaving drooly smears on her bag.

You yell “Stop! Get down! Be quiet!” 

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Your panting dog stands still for a moment.

You yell at him for being a bad dog.

Your visitor says “I won’t stay,” and starts to make her escape.

As she leaves you grab at your dog’s collar to stop him running out after her.

You close the door and shake your head in exasperation at your happy dog.

Look familiar? 

Here are my 5 Surefire Tips to ensure that this happens every time:

1. Make sure dog is super-excited and racing around loose, barking

2. Shout “Get off! Stop! NO!”, wave arms, dance, add to the excitement

3. Give dog lots of attention for jumping on people and no attention whatever when his feet are on the floor

4. Make sure dog knows that wherever he goes and whatever he does, it’s WRONG

5. Don’t bother to train your dog. After all your old dog didn’t do it (though he was 12, come to think of it)

WAIT! You don’t want this to happen? 

You really want to change things? Ok - have a look at these:

1. To contain the flying excitement, clip a lead onto your dog’s collar and put your foot on the lead so that he’s still free to sit, stand or lie down, but can’t jump up

2. Greet your guest and ask them to ignore dog

3. When your dog is sitting or standing patiently, ask guest to hold their palm out for the dog to sniff

4. Reward your dog with a treat and gushing praise as you draw him gently back to your side

5. Cleverclogs stuff: teach him to go to his bed near the door when the doorbell rings, and stay till invited off

Practice makes Perfect - so try this out with a friend who is prepared to wait outside the door while you take your time and calmly lead up your dog without having to worry about someone waiting for you. 

You could practice each stage with your friend, so that if your dog tries to leap up when the door opens to reveal the visitor, you can simply close the door gently and open it again when he’s calmed down a bit. 

Your dog will soon understand that it’s his good choices that enable you to open the door and admit the visitor! Such empowerment will have him making those good decisions over and over again.

Your regular visitors will be astonished and amazed, and glad that they’re able to wear ordinary clothes to visit you instead of disposable overalls. 

And they won’t need the ear-defenders any more either!

Maybe your dog’s been doing this since forever - but you can change it! It’ll take a bit of time and application, but you’ll be so glad when you can welcome a visitor to your home without them getting mobbed! You’ll be proud of what you’ve achieved, proud of your dog, and relieved that you’re no longer the big bad shouting joy-killer.

Is your dog or your little puppy throwing up more challenges than you anticipated? Watch our free Workshop and find how to change things fast!

Puppy dogs' tails tell their own story

Wouldn’t it be great if we had tails!

Dogs’ tails are so expressive. You can see what they’re thinking when you’re behind them, beside them, at a distance. There is a whole chapter in the Dog Body Language Primer on Tails. You may not have heard of this volume, but all dogs get it downloaded into their brains at birth - it’s how they naturally express themselves.

And we - people - tend to dismiss it. “Oh, he’s wagging his tail - he must be happy.”

Some of the time he’s wagging his tail - yes, he’s happy. But some of the time he wags his tail out of anxiety, anger, anticipation. Many a person has been bitten by a dog with a wagging tail!

It’s how they are wagging it that’s important

Did you know, for instance, that when a dog is greeting someone he knows and loves, he’ll wag his tail to the right? Sometimes, when really delighted to see his person, the whole back-end will wag to the right. Your dog will be in a kind of banana-shape as he runs towards you, tail a-wag on his right side, ecstatic grin on his face.

You can see some great info in this article by Stanley Coren which tells you about some of the finer points of tail carriage and movement. But if you just realise that your dog is speaking to you through his tail, you’ll learn an awful lot of his lingo by just tail-watching. 

The skeleton all being connected, it’s impossible, of course, for the tail to go a particular way without affecting the whole body posture. A terrier standing with tail stiff and erect will also have a stiff and erect body, stiff face, closed mouth, and unblinking eyes. A spaniel in full pleasurable wiggle will have trouble keeping any part of himself still - he’ll stay close to the ground, wriggling in a blur.

And a gundog on point will do just that - stand as still as a statue, every fibre pointing towards his prey, foreleg poised, neck stretched forward, tail stretching straight back: one big arrow pointing at the bird.

So you need to look at the whole dog when you decide whether this dog is friendly or not. His body - and especially his tail - will tell you more than just a bland “He’s happy”.

For lots more puppy essentials, get our free e-course on everyday dog problems and their force-free solutions.

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