Polite Pups Training

02/11/2026

02/11/2026

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DO "NO”!?

It’s natural to automatically correct our dogs for unwanted behaviour by saying — “No,” “Stop it,” “Be quiet”, without giving it much thought.

It’s easy to tell dogs what not to do, but how can they possibly know what we want them to do instead, if we don’t show them and teach them how to succeed?

When we replace corrections with wanted alternatives, dogs begin to understand what works, feel less confused and frustrated, build trust and confidence in us, start to work it out for themselves and make better choices.

Sometimes the best option to prevent unwanted behaviour is by simply managing or making changes to the environment.

Baby gates or barriers to prevent access, visual barriers, clearing counter tops, not leaving food around, putting objects out of reach or providing more enrichment activities.

This isn’t about letting dogs do whatever they want, it’s about setting them up to get it right.

When we teach alternatives instead of just stopping behaviour, dogs begin to understand what works. When wanted behaviour is rewarded it’s far more likely to be repeated.

When we are about to say “No!” … stop and ask - what would I prefer my dog to do instead and focus on teaching that behaviour.

This is where real and lasting behaviour change begins.

02/11/2026

If your dog taught a class, what would the course be called?

02/11/2026

02/11/2026

02/10/2026

Dogs don’t learn well under pressure.
Neither do humans.

Patience.
Encouragement.
A bit of chocolate (or snacks).

Happy Monday to everyone learning, growing, and doing their best. ❤️

02/10/2026

02/10/2026

02/10/2026

02/10/2026

I NOSE HOW YOU FEEL
Our dogs are highly tuned in to our human emotions, not necessarily because they understand those emotions, but because their brains are wired to scan and decide if our emotional state feels safe to them.

From an ethological perspective, dogs evolved and survived by recognizing which humans were safe to be around and which were a threat to them.

When we experience emotions like fear, stress, sadness, happiness, or calmness, our bodies release different chemicals.

These internal changes affect our sweat, breath, and skin chemistry. We aren’t able to detect these subtle scent shifts, but our dogs can.

It’s probably a good thing that we can’t detect these chemical changes - “I can smell that you feel really stressed today!” – may not be socially acceptable.

A dog’s sense of smell is extraordinarily sensitive and far more developed than ours. It allows them to pick up tiny chemical changes linked to emotional states. Through scent alone, they can often distinguish between someone who is relaxed and someone who is anxious or distressed.

Dogs are also skilled at recognizing our expressions, body language and tone of voice.

Over time, dogs also learn to associate certain emotional scents with specific outcomes. For example, the scent of stress may signal tension or unpredictability, while calm, happy, familiar scents signal safety.

Working with a dog when we’re feeling angry, stressed, frustrated or having a bad day is not a good idea. It’s far better to wait until we feel more relaxed and calmer.

So while dogs may not “understand” emotions in a human psychological sense, they can detect the chemical signatures of those emotions and respond to them in ways shaped by both biology and experience.

Dogs have rich emotional lives of their own, so just as it’s important to consider their emotional state, it’s also important to be aware of how our emotions affect them.

02/10/2026

02/10/2026

Cats care about your mental health

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