GM News - January 2026

Happy 2026

First, a look back at 2025: During 2025, GMSDT, Melbourne
> Provided 290 one-to-one lessons, plus 44 short sessions (e.g. for clients working towards achieving their Public Access Test)
49 lessons were held at the client’s home
118 were new clients (had not previously worked with GMSDT)
> Ran
2 Ideal Dogs of Australia (IDA) courses
30 Puppy Socials
40 Play+Train sessions
22 shared lessons/small groups for dogs who have difficulty with other dogs
> Produced 8 editions of GM-News

This edition of GM-News, number 74, acknowledges the quirky nature of the month of January. Your routine is probably a bit topsy-turvy with family visits, travel, holiday activities, etc. So we're going to look at

meeting new dogs - friend or foe
prioritising and squeezing in training
car safety
hiking injuries

We wish you a happy, safe and successful 2026
Amanda, David, & Ruth
Gentle Modern School of Dog Training

Body Language

When you're traveling/visiting, you'll be exercising your dog in unfamiliar locations with unfamiliar dogs. It's especially important in these situations for you to be vigilant in reading canine body language to ensure dog-dog interaction only occurs/continues when your dog/other dogs want the interaction.
The Dog Gurus support businesses such as Dog Daycare, Pet Resorts, etc. to operate professionally and successfully. In their publication, The ROI of Canine Body Language, they identify warning signs that indicate interaction is unwanted/should end.

"1. HALF MOON (SHOWING EYE WHITES)
What it looks like: The dog’s eyes get enlarged and the whites of the eyes become prominent creating a “half moon” The dog may also turn his head away while keeping eyes fixed on something, showing the whites of the eyes.
What it means: The dog is experiencing anxiety or fear and may be contemplating whether to freeze, flee, or fight.
Redirect interaction before escalation occurs.

2. BODY STIFFENING
What it looks like: A dog's body moves from neutral and suddenly freezes, muscles tense, weight shifts slightly forward in a confident dog. In a less confident dog, this may appear as stiffening but with a backward weight shift and a tense, crouching body.
What it means: The dog is preparing for potential action, often indicating discomfort that could lead to aggression.
68% of bite incidents are preceded by body stiffening. This signal provides a critical intervention window of 3-5 seconds on average.

3. DISPLACEMENT BEHAVIORS
What it looks like: Sudden yawning, lip licking, scratching, shaking it off or sniffing when these actions don't make contextual sense.
What it means: The dog is experiencing social stress and attempting to self-soothe, communicate discomfort and/or diffuse a tense situation.
Recogni[sing] displacement behaviors can prevent 82% of potential conflicts through timely intervention.

4. PLAY VS. STRESS PANTING
What it looks like: Rapid open-mouth breathing that appears similar to exercise panting but occurs without physical exertion. The mouth is wide, the lips are drawn back along with the panting and is accompanied with other stress signals.
What it means: The dog is experiencing psychological stress rather than cooling down from exercise.
Stress panting is missed in 76% of pre-incident videos reviewed, representing one of the most overlooked early warning signs.

5. CANINE BODY BLOCKING
What it looks like: One dog deliberately moves between two others, breaking their line ofsight or interrupting their interaction to diffuse escalating tension between the dogs.
What it means: The dog is attempting to defuse tension or end an interaction they perceive as potentially problematic."

Top Tip - Manageable, Purposeful Training

(Inspired by Irith Bloom of The Sophisticated Dog)

Apply the SMART framework to your training.
Specific - What is one skill that will make the most positive difference to life in 2026?
Example Training Goal: Calm exits. "I want Rover to wait for my instruction to exit the front door".
What's that going to look like? Rover will sit at my side at the door - "Sit. Wait." I'll open the door, and only when I say "Rover, out" will he move forward and out the door.
Measurable - I'll practice 2–3 minutes at a time, twice a day, starting with achieving a reliable sit at my side. Then "wait": Rover holding his position when I reach for the door handle, then when I open the door a bit, then when the door is all the way open. Then, I'll work on the "Out".
[Remember The Academy for Dog Trainers' Push-Drop-Stick guide to training progress]
Achievable - To begin with, I'll do my training sessions when Rover has had a good run and he's relaxed.
Relevant - Calm exits will help everyone to feel calmer/less stressed around the front door, especially during hectic departures.
Time-Aspiration - This will be our training focus for the school holidays. Knowing that all dogs (and people :-) learn at different rates, our hope is to have calmer exits happening by the kids' first day of the 2026 school year. We will review progress and adjust the training plan as necessary on 22 January.

Top Tip - Car Safety

Whether you're on a road trip or driving day-to-day, there are issues to consider for the safety of your four-legged passengers. Airbags deploy with tremendous force to protect human adults. If you have a front passenger-side airbag, your dog shouldn’t ride in the front seat, independently or on a passenger’s lap. Generally speaking, in a sedan, the centre of the back seat is the best position for your dog to travel. However, if your car has rear-seat airbags that deploy from the ceiling and/or the doors, consult your car dealer/car manual for guidance. If you have a station wagon and your dog travels in the cargo area, consult with your car dealer on appropriate barriersbetween the cargo area and the rest of the car.
For an overview of car safety equipment (seatbelts, car seats, etc), check out Tools to Improve Dog Car Safety by Kate O'Connor for Whole Dog Journal.

Top Tip - Paw Pad Injuries

Bushwalking is a pleasant holiday activity with your dog, but the rough terrain can cause paw cuts. Dog Paw Cuts and Scrapes: How to Treat a Paw Injuryby Kate Eldredge provides a good guide to first aid:

Clean the wound
Control the Bleeding
Evaluate the damage
Bandage as needed (First Aid Kit)

It can reduce the risk of paw injury, if you work your way up to longer/rougher hikes with your dog; give their paw pads time to build up toughness with shorter exposure to rough terrain.

Your Reward for Reading to the End . . .

Kids or grandkids bored? Maybe they could do some baking for your dog!

Check out Busy Little Kiddies' recipes for dogs.