There’s a phrase we use surprisingly easily around dogs.
“Bad dog.”
The dog who growls.
The dog who lunges.
The dog who won’t do what we ask.
The dog who barks at visitors.
The dog who bites.
The dog who appears unpredictable.
We put a label on the behaviour and very quickly that label can become a description of the entire animal.
My latest guest on The Pet Business Wellbeing Podcast, clinical animal behaviourist and author Alexandra Cooper, wants us to challenge that.
Her new book is called:
Not a Bad Dog.
And the central idea is exactly what the title suggests.
There is no such thing as a bad dog.
That doesn’t mean there are no dangerous dogs.
It doesn’t mean behaviour doesn’t matter.
It doesn’t mean we ignore bites, aggression or risk.
It means something far more useful:
A label tells us how we feel about the behaviour. It doesn’t necessarily tell us why it is happening.
Alex Hasn’t Always Thought This Way
One of the things I appreciated most about Alex’s approach is that she doesn’t pretend she has always known better.
When she first entered the dog world, things looked different.
Dominance theory.
Pack-leader thinking.
Noise aversion.
Corrections.
These approaches were far more widely accepted.
And, like many people who have been in the industry for some time, Alex learned some of them too.
Then she stepped away from the industry for a number of years.
When she eventually came back, she did so partly because of one particular dog.
Zibi.
The Dog Who Made Her Question Everything
Zibi was a rescue dog from Bulgaria.
He came with history.
Trauma.
Fear.
His mother had reportedly been shot when he was a puppy.
When Alex tried to look at the behaviour through the lens she had once been taught, the answers didn’t fit.
Making more noise at a frightened dog?
Correcting him?
Increasing pressure?
It made no sense.
Even some positive training approaches weren’t enough on their own.
So Alex started looking deeper.
Nutrition.
Genetics.
Early experience.
Trauma.
Choice.
Agency.
Environment.
And gradually, Zibi changed the way she saw behaviour entirely.
Change the Question
Perhaps the biggest shift behind Alex’s book is moving from:
“How do I stop this behaviour?”
to:
“Why is this dog doing it?”
That sounds like a subtle difference.
It isn’t.
Because if we begin with “How do I stop it?”, our goal can become simply making the outward behaviour disappear.
Stop the barking.
Stop the growling.
Stop the lunging.
Stop the dog moving away.
But what if those behaviours are communicating something?
Fear.
Pain.
Discomfort.
Frustration.
Stress.
Overwhelm.
If we silence the communication without changing the underlying emotional experience, have we actually solved anything?
A Quiet Dog Isn’t Necessarily a Calm Dog
This is particularly important when discussing quick fixes.
Social media is full of transformations.
A dog reacts.
Thirty minutes later, the dog sits quietly.
Before.
After.
Success.
But what happened in between?
And, more importantly:
How does the dog feel?
Alex’s book makes an important distinction:
Suppression isn’t the same as resolution.
A dog can stop displaying behaviour without becoming any less frightened.
Sometimes they may simply have learned that communicating isn’t effective anymore.
That matters.
Because behaviour work should not only be about making dogs look easier to live with.
It should also consider their emotional welfare.
Why Quick Fixes Are So Appealing
Alex and I talked about why aversive and balanced approaches can still attract so many dog guardians.
And I think we need some empathy here too.
People are busy.
They may be exhausted.
Embarrassed.
Scared.
They may have stopped inviting friends over.
They might dread every walk.
Perhaps they’ve already tried several trainers.
Then someone offers:
“I can fix this in three days.”
Of course that is appealing.
We live in a world of next-day delivery, instant streaming and information on demand.
But behaviour doesn’t always fit that model.
Sometimes ethical behaviour work looks incredibly boring from the outside.
Distance.
Quiet walks.
Management.
Rest.
Small improvements.
Setbacks.
Trying again.
Not particularly impressive for a ten-second Instagram reel.
Possibly transformative for the dog.
Pain Has to Be Part of the Conversation
One of the strongest messages in Alex’s work is that behaviour cannot be separated from physical health.
A dog who suddenly dislikes touch may hurt.
A dog who becomes irritable may hurt.
A dog who refuses to walk may hurt.
A dog who bites when somebody touches their back may hurt.
Before we decide a dog needs better training, perhaps they need a veterinary investigation.
Alex talked about clients where she suspected pain and advised them to go back to the vet, but never heard from them again.
And I understand why owners can be resistant.
Veterinary care can be expensive.
A dog might still eat.
Still play.
Still go for walks.
Dogs can also mask discomfort extraordinarily well.
But Alex’s book contains a line I think is worth remembering:
Before trying to train behaviour away, look at the body attached to the behaviour.
Behaviour Belongs to the Situation Too
Another problem with labels is that they make behaviour sound permanent.
“He’s aggressive.”
But where?
When?
With whom?
A dog may be completely relaxed at home and terrified outside.
Another might cope beautifully outdoors but struggle when strangers enter their home.
They might be comfortable with one person and frightened of another.
Behaviour exists in context.
Alex’s book encourages us to ask:
What is different about this situation?
That question immediately gives us far more useful information than simply deciding the dog is difficult.
Herbie and the Reality of Severe Fear
Alex also talks openly about her own dog Herbie, who is severely fearful of people outside his immediate family.
Herbie is loved.
He goes on holidays.
He has enjoyed activities like Canicross.
His life is carefully managed around his needs.
But Alex does not romanticise his behaviour.
He can be dangerous.
He has required significant management.
And Alex has had to ask difficult questions about his quality of life.
That led us into one of the most sensitive subjects in the episode:
behavioural euthanasia.
There are voices within the dog world who argue that virtually any dog can be “fixed” if stronger training methods are used.
Alex sees it differently.
For a profoundly frightened dog, adding pain, fear or shock may make the emotional problem worse rather than better.
Compassion sometimes means asking an incredibly difficult question:
Is this dog still experiencing a life worth living?
There are no glib answers there.
But welfare has to include emotional welfare too.
Management Is Not Failure
This is another message I really appreciate.
Sometimes success isn’t:
“My dog can now cope with absolutely everything.”
Sometimes it’s:
We walk somewhere quieter.
We use a muzzle.
We don’t allow unfamiliar visitors near the dog.
We use secure fields.
We make holidays work around their needs.
We stop expecting them to become somebody they’re not.
The book recognises that guardians themselves can feel exhausted, embarrassed and overwhelmed.
Living with a reactive or aggressive dog can affect almost every part of someone’s life.
Changing the environment or expectations isn’t failure.
Sometimes it is excellent welfare.
Why Muzzle Training Matters
Alex and I also touched on muzzle stigma.
A muzzle does not automatically mean “dangerous dog”.
Dogs may need to wear one at the vet.
At the groomer.
Because they eat inappropriate things.
During recovery.
Or because there genuinely is bite risk.
If the first time a dog ever experiences a muzzle is during an already frightening emergency, that can add another layer of stress.
Teaching a dog in advance that a muzzle predicts something neutral or positive can be incredibly valuable.
It is simply another piece of equipment.
We Need to Talk About Social Media
Dog-training social media is powerful.
And sometimes problematic.
The dramatic transformation performs well.
The trainer who looks confident performs well.
The dog that was “fixed” in an hour performs well.
Careful, slow behaviour work often doesn’t.
Alex and I talked about whether those of us working in welfare-led, force-free spaces perhaps need to become more visible.
Not to create more online warfare.
But because if ethical professionals are absent from the public conversation, other messages fill that space.
We need to help guardians ask questions.
What methods does this trainer use?
What happens when the dog gets something wrong?
What qualifications do they have?
Are they insured?
What does that before-and-after reel not show me?
We cannot expect the general public to know what they have never been taught.
Ethical Practice Includes Saying “I Don’t Know”
This applies within our own industry too.
Alex talked about referring cases to another professional when she feels someone else has stronger expertise in that particular area.
That should not be embarrassing.
It is professional.
Yet sometimes there is a fear that referring a client means:
“I failed.”
It doesn’t.
It means:
“I care more about getting the right support for this dog than keeping the money myself.”
I’ve done the same in my own work.
And generally, clients respect that honesty.
Will Regulation Fix Everything?
We also touched on regulation within dog training.
Would clearer regulation help?
Probably.
Would it solve everything?
That is much less certain.
Rules require enforcement.
Who checks?
Who investigates?
Who has the resources?
As Alex pointed out, other areas of the pet industry already have licensing rules and yet unlicensed operators still exist.
Regulation can be part of raising standards.
Education and public awareness will still matter enormously.
The Human at the End of the Lead Matters Too
Something I never want conversations like this to become is another opportunity to blame owners.
Most people love their dogs.
Most are doing what they believe is right.
They may simply have received the wrong information.
Or followed somebody who looked incredibly convincing online.
Or been exhausted enough to grab onto the promise of a quick solution.
Alex’s book explicitly recognises that guardians can feel frightened, overwhelmed and embarrassed.
So perhaps we need curiosity for humans too.
Education works better than humiliation.
There Is No Such Thing as a Bad Dog
Towards the end of our conversation I asked Alex what she wants people to remember most after reading her book.
Her answer came back to:
Why?
Why is the dog doing this?
What happened before?
What does the environment look like?
Could they be hurting?
What are they frightened of?
What need isn’t being met?
What are they trying to tell us?
Her book closes with a beautifully clear message:
Don’t ask what’s wrong with the dog. Ask what’s happened to the dog.
Don’t just stop the behaviour. Understand it.
Don’t aim for a dog that looks better. Aim for a dog that feels better.
I think that is something all of us working with dogs can carry into our work.
Not less responsibility.
Not less safety.
Not ignoring behaviour.
Just more curiosity.
More context.
And more compassion.
Listen to the Full Conversation
🎧 Watch or listen to my full conversation with Alexandra Cooper on The Pet Business Wellbeing Podcast here
Get the Book
📖 Not a Bad Dog – Alexandra Cooper
Find Alexandra
🐾 Coxhill Behaviour Services Facebook Page
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