Many dogs who struggle aren’t short on training – they’re short on safety. This blog explores why training isn’t the answer to trauma, and why healing begins with gentleness, emotional safety, and understanding the whole dog.

Trauma in dogs isn’t always about one big event. It’s the lasting impact of feeling unsafe, unheard, or overwhelmed. From subtle micro-traumas to one-trial learning, these experiences shape how a dog feels and behaves. Healing starts not with training, but with safety, choice, and connection - helping the body and mind rediscover calm and trust through relationship.

True understanding comes when we stop seeing dogs through a human lens and start seeing them for who they are — sentient, emotional, and beautifully canine. Have you ever been told, “Don’t humanise your dog – they’re not people” ? It’s advice many dog guardians hear. The concern is that if we see our dogs as too much like us, we’ll misunderstand them. And yes, dogs are not people. They experience the world differently, with their own instincts, senses, and needs. But does that mean...