Oxfordshire Animal Behaviour and Training

23/06/2026

Hot weather and behaviour: why your dog may seem different in the heat

Most owners know the basics:
- Provide plenty of fresh water
- Offer shade and cool resting areas
- Exercise during the cooler parts of the day
- Never leave dogs in cars
- Be aware of the signs of heat stress

However, hot weather can influence behaviour as well as physical wellbeing.

Like people, dogs vary in how they cope with higher temperatures.

For some dogs, heat and physical discomfort may reduce their tolerance for situations they already find difficult. Dogs experiencing fear, frustration, conflict, or pain may find it harder to cope, meaning behaviours such as growling, snapping, barking, or avoidance may occur more readily than usual. In other words, the threshold at which they respond may be lower.

For other dogs, the opposite may appear to happen. They may seem quieter, calmer, or less reactive. However, this should not automatically be interpreted as an improvement in the underlying issue. In some cases, dogs are simply conserving energy or are less able to respond because of the heat.

Importantly, behaviour and emotion are not the same thing.

A dog that is barking less, reacting less, or appearing more tolerant may still be experiencing the same underlying emotional state as they would on a cooler day. The absence of behaviour does not necessarily mean the absence of fear, frustration, or discomfort.

For dogs with ongoing behavioural difficulties, hot weather should not be viewed as an opportunity to push boundaries or test progress. If your dog normally benefits from management and support, those measures remain just as important, even when they appear to be coping better.

As temperatures rise, remember to consider your dog's emotional wellbeing as well as their physical comfort.

19/06/2026

10/06/2026

Sometimes, the smallest environmental changes can make the biggest difference.

As Benji, my dog, has got older, I’ve become increasingly aware of how ageing changes the way he experiences the world.

We know that pain (e.g. arthritis) and noise sensitivity can interact. In older dogs, hearing loss can also create new challenges.

Interestingly, my dog initially seemed less bothered by noises as his hearing declined, but recently he has become more startled and unsettled again. My suspicion is that pain and hearing loss may be interacting together. Living in near-silence means that the only sounds he now hears are the louder ones, which can be startling. Startling whilst already in physical discomfort makes things even more emotionally charged. We’re investigating possible pain and he is already attending hydrotherapy.

But it has also made me wonder about something else: what about feeling socially connected (loneliness)?

As dogs lose their hearing, they also lose access to the constant stream of information that tells them where their family members are. Footsteps, conversations, doors opening, and the general hustle and bustle of the home all help dogs keep track of their social world. I wouldn’t be surprised if losing some of these cues can leave some dogs feeling less connected and more uncertain about where everyone is.

I’ve certainly noticed this with my own dog. He spends much more time searching the house for me. Yet once he finds me, he simply goes off to bed, curls up and goes to sleep. And while it always makes me smile, I’ve become very familiar with the awkward creak of the bathroom door slowly opening, followed by a little beagle’s nose poking around the edge whilst I’m showering, just to check I’m there. Cute as it is, I suspect there may be a slightly sad undertone to this. As dogs lose access to sounds that tell them where we are, perhaps they need more reassurance that we’re still nearby.

The challenge is that repeatedly checking where I am means more wandering around the house. For an older dog who may be coping with pain, reduced mobility, or general age-related changes, all that searching can be tiring and uncomfortable.

So, rather than teaching anything new, I made one small environmental change.

I moved his bed in my office around 30–40 cm closer to the doorway. From that position, he now has a view of the upstairs landing and can easily see me move around from room to room without having to get up, follow me, or wonder if I’ve disappeared downstairs.

The result? He’s noticeably more relaxed, spends far less time wandering around looking for me, and settles more readily throughout the day.

Behaviour isn’t always about training. Sometimes it’s about asking:

“What information does my dog need to feel safe, comfortable, and settled?”

Often, the answer is surprisingly simple.

04/06/2026

Topical post for a session we had today with a lovely dog and his owners, discussing consent-based interactions to help dogs cope with the pressures of social life.

Yes, of course we should ask the dog! Except when we shouldn’t...

I was at the airport the other day and there was a gorgous "therapy" dog there. The man had his leash wrapped tightly around his hand and he went around from person to person, physically positioning the dog while hands groped his body. The dog looked as though he had completely shut down.

He came over to me and I simply smiled, had a short conversation, and kept my hands to myself. There was clearly no reason for me to even ask this dog.

When it comes to touching a dog, especially for "petting" purposes, I almost always prefer to let the dog ask me, rather than the other way around. This is especially true if they are unfamiliar to me, eating, chewing, sniffing, exploring, resting, sleeping, watching something interesting, or already engaged in another activity.

Asking is important, but asking is not always neutral. Sometimes the question itself creates social pressure. It asks the dog to respond to us, manage our proximity, and make a choice in a moment when they may have preferred not to be included in the interaction at all. That is why “ask the dog” should not mean interrupting whatever they are doing to offer touch.

Sometimes the more respectful question is the one we don't ask. Their body is not an open invitation just because they are nearby.

So, first: Don’t ask. Wait!

Notice what the dog is already doing. Notice whether they are awake, relaxed, and available for interaction. Notice whether they are choosing to come closer, stay nearby, orient toward you, soften, nudge, lean, or re-engage.

When there is some indication that the dog may be asking us, or is at least fully awake and engaged with us, then yes, ask before assuming. When we do ask, it needs to be an actual question, not a polite announcement before we do what we wanted to do anyway. We can ask by inviting them into our space. By turning slightly sideways instead of looming. Soft eye contact without staring. By inviting interaction without closing the distance.

The most important part is whether “no” was easy, safe, and respected.

A dog who turns away, ducks, freezes, licks their lips, goes still, moves off, exposes their belly, or simply does not re-engage has answered.

But better yet, LET THEM ASK YOU!

Dogs ask us in quiet and not so quiet ways. They come closer, sometimes guns blazing with tail wagging widely and a loose, wriggly body. They choose to stay. They make soft eye contact in conjunction with these other asks. They press into us. They nudge a hand. They lean a shoulder or hip against us. They paw our hand, they rest a chin on us give us a soft look. They return after we stop. They make the interaction mutual.

And even then, it is still a conversation, not a contract!

The dog who wanted touch thirty seconds ago may be done now. The dog who leaned in for a chest scratch may not want a hand over their head. The dog who enjoys affection on the sofa may not want it while chewing a bone.

So yes, ask the dog and never assume! But first, ask whether this is even a moment in which the dog should have to negotiate an answer.

16/05/2026

A lovely meet-up with the team!

Team night out with the OABT crew yesterday.
I’m very lucky to get to work with and learn from these guys who know so much about dog behaviour!

02/05/2026

Lovely ‘reactive’ dog session this morning, supporting dogs with overcoming fears, coping with frustrations, and building independence.