Pawsitive Dog Behaviour Consultancy

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Pawsitive Dog Behaviour Consultancy

Natalie specialises in helping reactive and aggressive dogs feel safe, transforming behaviour with a holistic evidence-based approach.

Natalie is a seasoned Holistic Dog Behaviourist specialising in addressing reactivity and aggression issues across all breeds and rescues. With over eighteen years of experience and qualifications at levels five and six and professional accreditation at the highest level with the IAABC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants), Natalie has dedicated her career to helping dogs and their owners build harmonious relationships. Based in the UK, Natalie offers her expertise online worldwide and in person to dog caregivers and professionals alike. Her journey into the field of dog behaviour began in 2007, with a deep-rooted passion for understanding canine behaviour and helping her first-ever heart dog overcome the behavioural challenges associated with reactivity. This subject has continued to be an obsession all this time. Throughout her career, Natalie has worked with thousands of dogs, including rescues, police dogs, and cases referred by veterinarians and other professionals. Her approach is rooted in applied neuroscience for affective behaviour, focusing on a holistic, force-free, coercion-free, positive-based methodology. Natalie believes in investigating and addressing behavioural issues at their root cause, delving into sleep, nutrition, exercise, socialisation, and freedom from pain and discomfort. By prioritising the emotional wellbeing of companion dogs and their caregivers, she empowers them to navigate life's challenges confidently together, overcoming behavioural issues.

19/12/2025

If your dog is reactive, the world already feels like too much. Loud noises. Fast movements. Sudden changes. It can all tip them over the edge.

But you can be the one thing they always know they can count on.

Predictability is not boring for a reactive dog. It is safety. It is relief.

When they know how you will respond. When they trust you to step in and help them leave the situation. You will not punish. You understand their struggle, so you will not get frustrated. You represent safety. That changes everything.

Your calm and consistent support becomes the anchor they need.

That stability helps them feel safer and more in control. It is what allows healing to begin.

If you are supporting a reactive dog and need guidance, reach out using the link in the first comment. We get it, and help people like you every day.

18/12/2025

Working as a reactivity and aggression specialist is not glamorous 🌧️🐾

Real behaviour work happens outside, in all weathers, and it rarely looks impressive. It looks like dogs coping. It looks quiet. It looks uneventful. And that is exactly the point.

You cannot build resilience in dogs without agency. Dogs learn to cope when they are allowed to move at their own pace and access what feels safe to them. That might be choosing space. That might be choosing comfort from a family member.

In this reel, a reactive Labrador is meeting helper dog Alfy and me for the first time, and the weather was awful. There is no pressure, no forced interaction, and no performance. Just a dog learning they are safe and supported.

This is what real progress looks like.

If you need support with reactivity or aggression, book a free initial consultation using the link in my bio.

17/12/2025

A dog that FEELS safe does not need constant direction. They rest. They observe. They choose calm on their own, even when things are happening around them.

This is not the result of training. It is emotional safety, a feeling gained from being supported by you.

When we shift from managing behaviour to meeting needs, something changes. A dog who feels understood and supported starts to recover faster and react less.

Letting your dog pause and take in their surroundings does not mean you are doing nothing. It is how your dog self-regulates. It builds confidence. And it tells them they are allowed to feel, not just perform.

If you are stuck in a cycle of managing your dog’s every move, you are not alone. I have one space left this month for reactive dog families ready to do things differently.

Click the link in the first comment to get help today.

15/12/2025

If you have a reactive dog, you have probably been told NOT to comfort them. That it will make things worse. That you are reinforcing fear.

This is a myth. And it leaves too many families feeling helpless.

The truth is, just like us, dogs need support when they feel overwhelmed. Gentle touch, soothing words, or simply being present can calm their nervous system and help them feel safe.

Comforting your dog does not reward fear. It teaches them they are not alone. It builds trust. And over time, that trust helps reduce reactivity.

If your dog is struggling and you feel lost, I can help reactive dog families who are ready to take the next step.

Click the link in the first comment to get help today.

12/12/2025

Sometimes, the best way to support your reactive dog is simply by being present with them. We can't fix everything for them. That is the reality; sometimes they will react badly and be inconsolable, and there is absolutely nothing we can do to help them other than be there, by their side as a supportive presence, like when fireworks are going off outside, and your dog is cowering under the table in fear in response.

🧠 Dogs are incredibly attuned to our emotions, and your calm, reassuring presence can powerfully affect their emotional state. Spending quiet, undistracted time with your dog, whether through gentle touch, eye contact, or simply sitting together, can help regulate their nervous system and reduce anxiety. This mindful presence reinforces the bond of trust between you and your dog, making them feel more secure and less likely to react to stressors.

11/12/2025

If your dog barks, lunges, growls or snaps, you already know how exhausting it is to live on edge. Every walk becomes a battle. Every noise outside makes your heart race. People stare. You feel judged. You feel like you’re failing them.

You’ve tried what you’ve seen online. You’ve followed the advice. Maybe even worked with trainers and behaviourists. But your dog is still struggling and no one seems to really get it.

That’s because most approaches oversimplify things. They pick apart behaviour like it’s a broken machine. They ignore physical health. They ignore the fear driving that reactive behaviour. They ignore your dog’s whole world and the 35,000 years of co-evolution that shaped them to live alongside us. Your needs might be ignored too.

Quick fixes sell training programs and look flashy on social media. But they don’t heal. They don't give you a happy, healthy dog that doesn't overreact.

Your dog isn’t broken, but they are struggling. And that struggle will not go away unless we understand their emotional world and meet their needs without pain, fear or punishment.

Holistic training is not flashy. It won’t go viral. But it works. It builds trust. It builds safety. It gives your dog their life back and gives you yours too.

You do not have to do this alone.

If you’re struggling with your reactive dog, reach out using the link in the first comment. Help is here.

09/12/2025

🐾 Reactivity is a behaviour issue, not a training issue.

If your dog is not responding to instructions like sit in the moments you really need them to, it is not stubbornness and it is not disobedience. Behaviours such as barking and lunging on the lead, jumping up and down at strangers, or taking flight at sudden noises are automatic fear and stress responses. These reactions happen faster than conscious thought, and your dog has no control over them.

In those moments, your dog is not ignoring you or choosing not to listen. They simply cannot respond. A reactive dog in a high state of stress is operating on instinct, not training. Their brain is saying, “I can’t hear you; I don’t feel safe.”

This is why reactivity requires a behaviour and wellbeing approach, not obedience drills. When we address the root cause, reduce stress, and build emotional safety, dogs become able to learn, respond, and cope. That is when real progress happens. 💛

If you need help with a reactive dog, book a free initial consultation using the link in my bio.

09/12/2025

Does your dog overreact on walks? Do they bark, lunge, excessively pull on the lead or panic at everyday sights and sounds, leaving you feeling stressed, embarrassed or helpless?

Your dog isn't trying to make life difficult; they're overwhelmed. Slow, mindful walks can truly transform your reactive dog's behaviour, even for those dogs that act like a bull at the gate, desperately pulling at the end of the lead. Vigorous exercise often makes reactive dogs more alert, tense and overstimulated. Slower, more relaxed walks give your dog time to sniff, explore and process the environment at their own pace. This helps them relax by reducing stress and anxiety, making them less likely to react to the usual triggers.

Your dog deserves to feel safe and relaxed, and you deserve stress-free walks too.

Don't struggle alone. Click the link in the first comment and get expert help today.

05/12/2025

Helping your reactive dog thrive starts with understanding their emotions and meeting their needs. I'd like to share my top 10 tips with you, based on 19 years of experience and education in helping reactive dogs just like yours.

Guiding you towards a more balanced, confident, and happy companion. Let’s create safe, supportive spaces where your dog can truly flourish! 🐾

1. Understand Emotions Drive Behaviour: Recognise that reactivity stems from your dog’s emotional state, not intentional misbehaviour.

2. Prioritise Safety: Ensure your dog feels safe by managing their environment and avoiding overwhelming situations.

3. Respect Natural Behaviours:
Allow your dog to express species-specific behaviours like sniffing, as they reduce stress.

4. Use Predictable Routines: Establish consistent patterns to help your dog feel more secure and reduce anxiety.

5. Avoid Suppressing Reactions: Focus on building confidence rather than stopping reactive displays through force or coercion.

6. Incorporate Decompression Walks: Choose low-pressure environments where your dog can explore and relax without expectations.

7. Honour Choice and Consent: Give your dog the freedom to opt into interactions or exercises to build trust.

8. Foster Calmness Through Touch: Gentle physical contact, like Tellington TTouch, can soothe and help regulate emotions.

9. Provide Mental Enrichment: Use scent work, foraging, and problem-solving games to meet their cognitive needs.

10. Work with a holistic behaviourist who works closely with your veterinarian: Reactivity often stems from overlapping emotional,
physical and environmental causes. Behaviour professionals working collaboratively with vets, physiotherapists, etc, can offer solutions. Early intervention and comprehensive assessment lead to real change.

If you need help, reach out by selecting the link in the first comment.

03/12/2025

In our modern world, it’s easy to fall into the trap of imposing rigid rules on reactive dogs that suppress their natural behaviours. After all, most people can’t imagine how isolating and challenging it can be to live with a reactive dog, having not experienced it firsthand. When I take on a behaviour assistant like Kym, having lived with a reactive dog is a huge advantage for candidates. My employees and I can really put ourselves in your shoes.

Therefore, we truly understand that a control-oriented mindset (except for basic safety and management) does not support behavioural change in reactive dogs, because it stifles their ability to meet their needs, build resilience, and adapt to situations. Therefore, we should be extra careful not to let control creep into how we play with these dogs, such as insisting on a strict “drop” command during tug-of-war instead of allowing the game to reach its natural conclusion. While structure has its place, focusing solely on it can stifle the intrinsic joy and spontaneity that come with play.

Some structured games can support reactive dogs when they are in challenging situations, and may be focused on triggers otherwise. These games provide predictable patterns that reduce anxiety, but they don’t involve putting behaviour on cue like formal training.

The real magic happens in unstructured play, where dogs take an active role in shaping the rules through their body language in real-time when playing with you. This approach allows them to rehearse scenarios, explore behaviours without pressure, and build problem-solving skills and resilience.

Finding the right balance between structure that makes life easier and creates safe boundaries, while allowing dogs to use their instincts, is key to fostering a happy, confident, and emotionally balanced dog.

Let’s create spaces where our dogs can truly thrive. Reach out for help using the link in the first comment.

01/12/2025

Your mood matters to your reactive dog. 💛

Reactive dogs tune in to how we feel more than most people realise. Our stress, tension, frustration, and even our body language can influence how safe they feel. That means your emotional state is just as important as your dog’s when deciding what they can cope with on any given day.

If you are not feeling up to a stressful walk, that is a completely valid reason to skip it on that occasion and choose something you both enjoy instead. The same applies when your dog is not in the right frame of mind. Meeting needs does not always mean going for a walk. Sometimes play, being silly together, and reconnecting is exactly what you both need to recover from stress. 💛

Supporting a reactive dog is not only about what we do for them, it is also about how we feel with them. When both ends of the lead feel safe, we see real progress.

If you need help with a reactive dog, book a free initial consultation using the link in my bio.

28/11/2025

From reactive to ready to groom. This is what holistic behaviour support can achieve when it is done right and we assess the whole dog’s health and not just their behaviour in isolation.

Part of the Pawsitive Dog Behaviour approach is identifying the root cause of the problem and treating it. Through gait analysis and conformation assessment we gathered clear evidence of a musculoskeletal issue, which we shared with her vet. That veterinary collaboration confirmed that pain was the reason grooming had become so difficult for her.

Physical issues like this can easily slip through the net, especially in small dogs who work so hard to hide discomfort. When we bring behaviour science together with veterinary support, this is the kind of progress we see. A dog who once struggled to be groomed is now able to cope because the underlying cause has been addressed.

If you need help with a reactive or handling-sensitive dog, book a free initial consultation using the link in my bio.

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26 Mensing Avenue, Cotgrave
Nottingham
NG123HY

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+447852725259

Website

https://linktr.ee/PawsitiveDogBehaviour

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Our story

This is our story. In loving memory of Scrappy, to whom I owe everything!

I started my journey with rescue dogs in 2006 when I spoke to Graham Shelbourne, a course leader at Nottingham Trent University who inspired me to follow my dreams, and do a Foundation Science Degree in Animal Studies and Bachelors of Science with Honours in Animal Biology, all with canine-specific modules that I focused on behaviour.

I got my first rescue dog in 2007, Scrappy the Jack Russell had an entire fleet of behavioural problems, severe separation anxiety, a lack of impulse control, no bite inhibition, he was extremely reactive and afraid of other dogs, and it took many years to work through all of his problems, and initially, I did everything wrong, I made massive mistakes!

"When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion." - Abraham Lincoln

This is also my approach to dog training. At the beginning of my training journey, I was what you could call a balance trainer, this meant I was instructed to do many things that made me feel bad, giving the lead a good tug when my dog pulled on it, using a loud noise to interrupt watchdog barking etc. I did these things because I was told to and initially, it seemed to stop the behaviour issues with my dog almost at once, at least for a couple of weeks until my dog learned to ignore what I was doing but not before it had soured our relationship previously based on trust.

I did not understand how my behaviour was damaging my dog and how suppressing behaviour was having a terrible knock effect. What I should have been doing is helping my dog choose a more desirable behaviour in a kind, compassionate force-free way. My dog forgave me and fortunately for the last part of his life I had already learned the error of my ways, but it still upsets me now that I made those mistakes.

Since my degree studies, I have dedicated my life to training and working with rescue dogs, through many different roles, such as an animal welfare visitor for the police commissioner for 7 years where I personally was responsible for having the kennel cough vaccine introduced at the Nottingham police headquarters after presenting my case. I have volunteered as a behaviourist for many rescues, and still devote some of my time to this, currently fostering for a wonderful rescue to whom I offer support. I worked professionally as a dog trainer for a large organisation in 2007 which I did for nearly two years, homing my training skills with many different breeds and gaining invaluable experience with puppies. I have achieved accreditation with the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants as an Associate Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant. All while promoting no-pain, no-fear and no-force dog training.

Nobody gets into dog training because they don't like dogs, everyone wants the best for them and to help them, I certainly did, and hands up I got it wrong! Really wrong! Not everyone has an understanding of behaviour to help dogs like they want to, and I didn’t at that time. For the last ten years, I have been putting that right, and assisting others to people and trainers to help our companion dogs live their best life!

If you are ever asked to do anything to your dog that makes you feel uncomfortable, question it, training should not make you or your dog feel bad, it should be uplifting, enjoyable and both of you should be working as a team. Through the work the PDBC does we can spread the message about force-free dog training, help balance trainers use kinder training methods by recognising not everyone has the exact same beliefs as us and making sure our training programmes are inclusive as long as our codes of conduct are followed throughout our sessions. Together we are working with the general public, a fantastic network of other dog trainers and behaviourists, and a couple of amazing rescues to raise awareness and improve the welfare of our canine companions, not just in our local area but all of the world.This is our story. In loving memory of Scrappy, to whom I owe everything!

I got my first rescue dog in 2007, Scrappy the Jack Russell had an entire fleet of behavioural problems, severe separation anxiety, a lack of impulse control, no bite inhibition, he was extremely reactive and afraid of other dogs and it took many years to work through all of his problems, and initially I did everything wrong, I made massive mistakes!

"When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion." - Abraham Lincoln

This is also my approach to dog training. At the beginning of my training journey I was what you could call a balance trainer, this meant I was instructed to do many things that made me feel bad, giving the lead a good tug when my dog pulled on it, using a loud noise to interrupt watchdog barking etc. I did these things because I was told to and initially, it seemed to stop the behaviour issues with my dog almost at once, at least for a couple of weeks until my dog learned to ignore what I was doing but not before it had soured our relationship previously based on trust.

I did not understand how my behaviour was damaging my dog, and how suppressing behaviour was having a terrible knock effect. What I should have been doing is helping my dog choose a more desirable behaviour in a kind, compassionate force-free way. My dog forgave me and fortunately for the last part of his life I had already learned the error of my ways, but it still upsets me now that I made those mistakes.

Since my degree studies I have dedicated my life to training and working with rescue dogs, through many different roles, such as an animal welfare visitor for the police commissioner for 7 years where I personally was responsible for having the kennel cough vaccine introduced at the Nottingham police headquarters after presenting my case. I have volunteered as behaviourist for many rescues, and still devote some of my time to this, currently fostering for a wonderful rescue to whom I offer support. I worked professionally as a dog trainer for a large organisation in 2007 which I did for nearly two years, homing my training skills with many different breeds and gaining invaluable experience with puppies. I have gained accreditation with the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants as an Associate Certified Dog Behaviour Consultant. All while promoting no-pain, no-fear and no-force dog training.

Nobody gets into dog training because they don't like dogs, everyone wants the best for them and to help them, I certainly did, and hands up I got it wrong! Really wrong! Not everyone has an understanding of behaviour to help dogs like they want to and I didn’t at that time. For the last ten years I have been putting that right, and helping others people and trainers to help our companion dogs live their best life!

If you are ever asked to do anything to your dog that makes you feel uncomfortable, question it, training should not make you or your dog feel bad, it should be uplifting, enjoyable and both of you should be working as a team. Through the work the PDBC does we are able to spread the message about force-free dog training, help balance trainers use kinder training methods by recognising not everyone has the exact same beliefs as us and making sure our training programmes are inclusive as long as our codes of conduct are followed throughout our sessions. Together we are working with the general public, an amazing network of other dog trainers and behaviourists, and a couple of amazing rescues to raise awareness and improve the welfare of our canine companions, not just in our local area but all of the world.

Pawsitive Dog Behaviour Consultancy

19/12/2025

18/12/2025

17/12/2025

15/12/2025

12/12/2025

11/12/2025

09/12/2025

09/12/2025

05/12/2025

03/12/2025

01/12/2025

28/11/2025

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