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THE ART AND SCIENCE BEHIND PRETTY HAPPY DOGS' PHILOSOPHY
Who are we and what do we do? In these articles, I would hope to help you deepen your understanding of the bond beneath the behaviour.
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Stop Talking to Your Dog.
They're Listening to More Than Your Words. "Sit." "Stay." "Leave it." "Come." "Good boy!" If you spend a few minutes at your local dog park, you'll hear hundreds of words directed at dogs. Some are clear. Others are repeated over and over again, growing louder with each attempt. "COME!" "I SAID COME!" "COME HERE!" It's easy to assume that if our dog isn't responding, we simply haven't found the right words. But what if our dogs have been listening all along? Just not to the p
Kirsten Koh
3 min read
Calmness Is a Skill, Not a Personality Trait
One of the most common things I hear from dog owners is: "My dog just isn't a calm dog." Usually, this is followed by a description of a dog who is enthusiastic, excitable, energetic, vocal, or constantly on the move, at best. In worse examples, the dog is impulsive, runs away when approached, hypervigilant and hyperreactive to any slight change in the environment. Many people assume that calmness is something dogs are either born with or without. Temperament is often raised
Kirsten Koh
5 min read
Why Socialisation Isn't What Most People Think It Is
Teaching Puppies to Feel Safe, Not Just Say Hello One of the most common pieces of advice new puppy owners hear is: "Make sure you socialise your puppy." It's good advice. The problem is that many people misunderstand what socialisation actually means. For years, puppy socialisation was often described as exposing puppies to as many dogs, people, places, and experiences as possible. As a result, many owners feel pressure to introduce their puppy to every dog they meet, allow
Kirsten Koh
5 min read
Not Every Dog Needs to Be “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once”
Photo: Rowan and Willow at Heathrow Airport Animal Lounge waiting for their flight to Melbourne. There is a quiet pressure in modern dog culture. Dogs are expected to: settle in cafés, walk perfectly through busy markets, ignore scooters and skateboards, greet politely, tolerate children, travel well, hike mountains, paddleboard peacefully, pose for photos, socialise beautifully, and then calmly snooze under the dinner table at the pub afterwards. In many ways, we are asking
Kirsten Koh
2 min read
Understanding Fearful Dogs: What’s Beneath the Behaviour
A calm, science-backed explanation of what fearful dogs are really experiencing. Fearful dogs are often misunderstood.Their behaviour can look dramatic — barking, freezing, hiding, lunging, shaking, refusing to move — but the emotions underneath are anything but dramatic. They are real.They are heavy.And they are deeply rooted in the nervous system. When we learn to look beneath the outward behaviour, everything makes more sense.The dog is not being “difficult.”They’re trying
Kirsten Koh
3 min read
The Three Stages of Rescue Dog Decompression
Understanding the “3 Days, 3 Weeks, 3 Months” journey — gently, thoughtfully, and through your dog’s eyes. Bringing home a rescue dog is an act of hope — for both of you.But for a dog who has experienced stress, change, or uncertainty, settling into a new home takes time. Not days. Not even weeks.Time to breathe.Time to observe.Time to feel safe again. This slow settling-in period is known as decompression, and the classic framework of “3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months”offers a simp
Kirsten Koh
3 min read
The First 8–12 Weeks: Setting the Emotional Blueprint - Critical early-stage development.
How early experiences shape your puppy’s confidence, calmness, and lifelong wellbeing. The first weeks of a puppy’s life are not just adorable — they are foundational. Between 8 and 12 weeks, your puppy’s brain is developing at extraordinary speed, absorbing experiences that will shape who they become as an adult dog. This window is often called the critical socialisation period, but it goes deeper than that.It’s not only about exposure — it’s about emotional imprinting. Duri
Kirsten Koh
3 min read
What is Pretty Happy Dogs about?
More than dog training. A calmer, happier way of living together. There are many ways to train a dog. You can teach cues. You can shape behaviours. You can stop unwanted habits. You can build routines and skills and beautifully polished obedience. But underneath all of that sits a quieter question: How does your dog feel while learning? That question is the heart of Pretty Happy Dogs. Pretty Happy Dogs was never created simply to teach dogs how to behave.It was created to hel
Kirsten Koh
3 min read
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