You’ve probably heard people say dogs can “tell the time” and know when you’re coming home because they can smell how much your scent has faded during the day. Interestingly, there actually is some science behind the idea, although not quite in the way the internet often presents it as absolute fact. Researchers know dogs can detect incredibly tiny changes in scent strength and can even tell how “fresh” a scent trail is. Because of that, some scientists believe dogs may learn that when your scent in the house fades to a certain level, it usually means you’ll be home soon. So your dog probably isn’t sat there thinking “it’s 5 o’clock”, but they may be using scent as a kind of timer. That said, there’s currently no definitive study proving dogs mainly track time this way. Most scientists think dogs are probably using a combination of: • scent changes • daily routines • light levels • sounds in the environment • their internal body clock So the “dogs smell time” idea is currently more of a fascinating scientific theory than a fully proven fact. Either way, dogs are far more incredible than most people realise.

I'll be posting this on Facebook too but I wanted to see what everyone thinks Benji is! This is Benji who's mam is in here. Benji is 5 months old and a cross breed, but can you guess what he is....?

Over the next 5 days I will be posting my top tips for building a calmer dog. Follow these tips and you will begin to notice a gradual improvements in overall behaviour leading to a harmonious household! Tip #1 Reward calm behaviours throughout the day! This is one of the easiest ways to building calmer behaviour over time! Keep some of your dogs own food or some treats in your pocket through the day. If you notice your dog naturally calming down, gently place a treat inbetween your dogs paws. Over time you will start seeing your dog relaxing quicker and offering more calm behaviours.

I’m new here and just wanted to say hello. I really appreciate the tone of this space already, it feels thoughtful and calm in a way that’s rare online. I’ve worked with dogs and dog-shop owners for a while, but I’m always trying to understand them more, especially the nervous system side of things and how much our own energy shapes the picture. Looking forward to learning from the conversations here and seeing what everyone is noticing with their dogs lately. Grateful to be here 🐾

If so, what do they think of their harness being put on? If your dog responds to their harness by: - Zooming around - Biting your hand - Cowering - Hiding - Freezing Then it's likely they just don't like it being put on very much! Most dogs that I see have one of these stress responses, and there is something you can do to change that around - BUT it takes daily training and time to work on! Here is a video I took of a deaf puppy learning all about a harness with the aim to build good associations from the start. As you can see, instead of putting the harness straight over the head, I used food to lure the puppy through the head piece. This helps to save your hands from being nipped and helps to make a good experience! What's your dog's response at the harness being put on?