Welcome to Sit, Paws and Listen with Will Hodgetts
What if better behaviour starts with better communication?
This week Will is joined by Australian canine behaviourist and author Sarah Rutten, who has more than 20 years of experience helping people understand their dogs through force-free, reward-based training.
Sarah explains what force-free training really means and why using food, play, patience and positive reinforcement can create stronger relationships between dogs and their guardians. They explore why punishment and aversive tools such as choke chains, prong collars and shock collars can often increase fear, reactivity and aggression rather than address the root of the problem.
The conversation also looks at the importance of puppy socialisation, particularly during those crucial early weeks, and why skills such as recall should be introduced from the beginning. Sarah challenges common myths around dominance, pack hierarchy and the idea that dogs are simply “badly behaved”, explaining how many behaviour issues actually come down to communication.
They also discuss the impact of keeping puppies isolated until vaccinations are complete, lessons from the rise of pandemic “COVID dogs”, Sarah’s books and AI-assisted training app, and the wider ethics of how we choose to train our pets.
Ultimately, this is a conversation about changing the way we see our dogs, from animals that need controlling to intelligent, social beings that deserve understanding, structure and compassion.
Because sometimes the best way to improve your dog’s behaviour is simply to understand them better.
Connect with Sarah Rutten & The Canine Perspective
Facebook: The Canine Perspective
Free Facebook Community: The Canine Perspective Community
LinkedIn: Sarah Rutten on LinkedIn
The Canine Perspective App: Access the app
Book: The Canine Perspective: Force-Free Methods for Pawtential — available on Amazon UK: Buy the book on Amazon
Website: The Canine Perspective
Sarah works with clients all around the world, offering online programmes and support, meaning distance is no barrier to accessing The Canine Perspective.
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