Are you as triggered as your dog?
I attended an excellent webinar recently by Dr. Holly Tett from Paws Up Dogs.
Navigating life with a fearful, anxious, and reactive dog.
Sharing our challenges, small wins and lessons learned along the way.
Holiday prep
My trip is fast approaching.
Personalities in tune
People say that dogs develop similar personalities to their owners.
Chickens, a ThunderShirt, and an overnight stay
Yet more firsts for George (and me!) this week.
A yellow vest, a lesson learned, and settling in
It's been another week packed with challenges.
Harnesses
A collar doesn't work great for George as a reactive, small dog.
Progressing training beyond management
I am struggling with this.
George's first physio
We were back at the vet yet again this week for George's first physio appointment.
Stop comparing yourself to others
They told us this at puppy school and I've heard it from countless trainers since.
A break from reaction tracking
I've been trying to track every single reaction (time, what caused it, intensity and duration) since George started medication.
A challenging time
I haven't written a weekly update in a while. It's been a wild ride the last few weeks for George and I.
'Normal' challenges
As I was driving to work the other day, there was a phone-in on the radio about how far you would go for your pets.
About us
Welcome to George The Spicy Dog!
Meet George, a young cavoodle navigating life with generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety, separation distress and noise anxiety.
Life with a reactive dog is challenging, unpredictable, and sometimes isolating - but also full of small victories worth celebrating.
I started this blog to share our journey - the ups, the downs, and everything in between. It's a lonely road at times and I have greatly appreciated the support from those (often strangers!) navigating similar challenges. I have found the personal stories incredibly helpful and relatable.
I'm not a dog trainer or an expert, just a fellow spicy (reactive) dog owner figuring things out as we go.
If you have any questions, feedback, or want to share your thoughts, I'd love to hear from you: georgethespicydog@gmail.com