A recent post by equine behaviourist Nicky Ross of Horse Play stayed with me. Writing about horses, she reflected on the difference between simply watching a horse and being in genuine conversation with him/her. What struck me immediately was how deeply her words also apply to dogs. Many of us begin by watching. We notice “behaviours”. Very naturally, as humans, we try to interpret them, manage them, prevent what worries us and encourage what we like. We react, guide, redirec