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.

20/09/2026

Enrichment is not just about keeping your dog busy. It is essential for their mental health, especially if they struggle with reactivity.
Reactive dogs often carry a heavy emotional load. They live with ongoing frustration, anxiety and stress that can build up until it spills out as barking, lunging or restlessness. Meeting their mental and emotional needs through enrichment helps relieve that pressure.
Simple activities like puzzle feeders, scent work or interactive toys engage their brain in healthy, rewarding ways. These experiences lower stress, build confidence and help your dog feel more secure in their environment. That is what helps reduce reactive behaviour.
But enrichment is not about filling every moment. It is about creating small, thoughtful changes that meet your dog’s needs.
For example, if your dog is chewing your belongings, they are not being bad. They are trying to self-regulate. Instead of reacting with frustration, make sure they have safe chew items in textures they enjoy. That small change gives them an appropriate outlet and lowers the stress levels for you both.
A well-enriched environment creates more calm, more resilience and more capacity for your dog to cope with everyday challenges.
If you feel stuck and want practical, compassionate support for your reactive dog, reach out using the link in the first comment.
🧠

18/09/2026

If your dog is reactive, sleep is not just a break. It is medicine for the brain.

During deep, uninterrupted sleep, your dog's brain processes stress, stores memories and restores emotional balance. Without it, reactivity increases. So does frustration. So does fear.

Dogs need around 12 to 14 hours of sleep every day, and that must include quality REM sleep. If your dog startles easily, wakes often, or reacts to every noise while resting, they may not be getting the deep rest they need.

Sleep is not just about time. It is about quality.

A quiet, comfortable space where your dog feels completely safe can transform their ability to cope with the world. It is one of the simplest, most powerful ways to reduce reactivity and build emotional resilience.

If your dog is struggling to settle or seems constantly on edge, reach out for support using the link in the first comment. Rest is not optional. It is vital for healing.

16/09/2026

How many dogs do you dread seeing, even for routine procedures?

Natalie Turton FdSc BSc (Hons) CDBC from Pawsitive Dog Behaviour is presenting a one-hour webinar for veterinary professionals alongside Alice Watts BSc MSc ABTC-ATI/CAB from Education4Paws.

We will examine how handling choices and cooperative care influence patient outcomes in veterinary practice, including:

- identifying patients at higher risk of handling intolerance before arrival
- assessing behaviour and handling tolerance before contact begins
- how travel, waiting, pain and previous experiences affect the consultation
- comparing passive handling with restrictive handling
- how arousal affects handling tolerance
- practical changes to booking, the clinical environment, examination order and handling
- increasing the likelihood of completing essential procedures without making future visits more difficult

Date & Time: 23 November 2026 at 7.00 pm

Purchase via the QR code or link in the comments.

14/09/2026

Does your dog struggle at the vets?

Some dogs become worried during the journey or while waiting. Others freeze, stop taking food, move away from handling or try to escape once an examination begins.

Natalie Turton FdSc BSc (Hons) CDBC from Pawsitive Dog Behaviour is presenting a one-hour webinar for dog caregivers alongside Alice Watts BSc MSc ABTC-ATI/CAB from Education4Paws. We will cover:

- preparing puppies, newly adopted dogs and dogs with previous difficult experiences
- how veterinary anxiety can develop
- what to discuss with the veterinary practice before the appointment
- recognising when your dog is no longer coping and what to do
- waiting-room arrangements, cooperative care, basket muzzles and pre-visit medication
- advocating for your dog while helping the veterinary team provide essential care

Date & Time: 29 October 2026 at 7.00 pm

Purchase via the QR code or link in the comments

13/09/2026

Did you know pain is often closely linked to reactive behaviour in dogs? 🐾 Once we get to the root of a dog’s discomfort and they start on pain medication, I often get asked how to give tablets to dogs who are tricky about meds.

My top tip? Use liver paste as a daily treat, even when they are not on medication. That way, when they do need a tablet, it’s easy to just pop it inside. It turns medicine time into a no-fuss routine. 😊

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

11/09/2026

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.

09/09/2026

🐾 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.

07/09/2026

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.

06/09/2026

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.

04/09/2026

Harley is a Romanian street dog rescue I took on as an emergency foster after a serious bite that put someone in hospital. She was so feral she had outgrown her collar and it had damaged her neck because no one could get close enough to remove it. She could not be walked, let alone cope with any kind of vet visit.

Through force-free co-operative care, without needing to lure with treats, she can now walk into the vets, step onto the scales, wait in the waiting room and go into the examination room. She still shows signs of stress like panting, but she is coping.

Close collaboration with our vets meant she could cope with a procedure that confirmed she had bladder stones the size of ping pong balls, helping explain part of her fear-aggression and aversion to handling. This is what is possible when behaviour specialists and vets work together for reactive dogs who “cannot go to the vets”. Huge thank you to Rob at Ashfield House Veterinary Hospital for his consistent, hands off care.

If you need support with a reactive or aggressive dog who struggles at the vets, you can book a free initial consultation using the link in my bio or comments

Address

26 Mensing Avenue, Cotgrave
Nottingham
NG123HY

Telephone

+447852725259

Website

https://linktr.ee/PawsitiveDogBehaviour

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