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In this episode of The Yappy Hour, host Nathan Dunleavy sits down with Tracey Ordish, founder of Dishys K9 Care, to talk honestly about what it really means to live with an anxious dog.
Tracey shares her journey from dog boarding to becoming a dedicated behaviour trainer, and how her own experience supporting her son through social anxiety shaped her compassionate, person-first approach to dog training. Together they unpack the guilt, exhaustion, and isolation so many guardians feel, and why supporting the human is often the first step to supporting the dog. Grab a cup of tea and settle in for a conversation full of warmth, honesty, and hope.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ How to recognise the subtle signs of anxiety in your dog, long before it escalates
✅ Why supporting the guardian’s emotional wellbeing is the real foundation of helping an anxious dog
✅ A simple traffic light system to map out your dog’s triggers and progress
✅ Why comforting a fearful dog does not “reward” the fear, and what to do instead
✅ How family inconsistency can unintentionally set back your dog’s progress
✅ Why progress with an anxious dog is rarely linear, and how to keep going through setbacks
✅ How reframing success around your own dog’s small wins builds real, lasting confidence
Key Takeaways:
- Anxiety in dogs shows up in small, everyday ways many guardians miss until it builds up
- You are not failing your dog. You just haven’t learned what he needs yet
- Building the guardian and dog relationship comes before fixing any specific behaviour
- Small, consistent wins matter more than chasing a perfect end result
- With patience and the right support, anxious dogs and their people can thrive together
Thanks for tuning in! Let’s celebrate the joy and challenges of dog parenting together, because we’re all here for the dogs.
Connect with Tracey Ordish
Connect with Nathan and Yappily
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