Gut Instincts Talk – How your dog’s gut affects behaviour and health
Image credit – DoggyBiome
Gut Instincts Talk - How your dog’s gut affects behaviour and health
Over the last few years, there has been an increased focus on the significant role the gut microbiome plays in the functioning of the immune and nervous systems of individuals, influencing their health and behaviour in both dogs and humans.
Problems tend to occur when it comes under so much pressure from outside that it can no longer rebalance itself. It becomes unstable because diversity is lost. The environment can also play a significant role in our gut health.
In this talk, you will learn about gut Instincts and how your dog’s gut affects behaviour and health.
Facilitators: Tamasine Smith, Leadchanges Dog Behaviour, and Naomi Farrow, Paws 4 Training
Imbalances can occur for many reasons including:
- Pollution and other environmental factors
- Stress
- Poor early development or if a dog is a rescue, ex street dog
- Born via C-section
- The food they are eating
- Antibiotics – particularly serious if these have been given in the first months of life
- Vaccinations
- Spay/Neuter
- Illness
- Obesity
- Chemical dewormers, flea/tick treatments
By improving gut health, we can increase health span, not just lifespan, and have a greater impact with our training and behavioural work if the gut microbiome is in balance. They all go hand in hand.
Image credit – DoggyBiome
Some problems directly linked to gut health are:
- Reactivity/aggresive responses
- Anxiety and separation issues
- Allergies
- Over stimulation and excitement
- Poor digestion
- Poor sleep
- Trauma and PTSD type behaviours
- Some compulsive behaviours
- Dementia and ageing
- Arthritis and Pain
While we think that a good diet will help us avoid some of these issues, if the gut is already out of balance and there is a prevalence of one bacteria over another, then we have to address this first, and then we can maintain with diet. Getting this right and having good guidance is essential.
This is where Tamasine and Naomi can help you.
We will discuss diet. The dog food industry is vast, and it can be pretty overwhelming to know what to feed your dog with so many different types of dog food to choose from.
We will also discuss alternative options for worming, flea, and tick preventatives with you.
Canine nutrition and health are as important as ours. Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet is not challenging, and you will have the opportunity to book a personalised diet consultation with Naomi after the talk.
Naomi has over 14 years of experience with raw feeding and alternatives to the chemical products that are overused. She keeps up to date with scientific research on the health and well-being of our canine companions, attending conferences and talks.
She is currently studying a diploma in Canine Nutrition and Health with the International School for Canine Psychology.
When and Where
Find out how you can support your dog for the best life possible, embrace changes for the best gut health and avoid some of these issues in the first place.
Saturday 7th February 2026 10 am – 1.30 pm
£35 per person. The talk is for humans only.
Paws 4 Training, Road Green Farm, Bungay Road, Hempnall, NR15 2NQ
W3W – bonkers.hourglass.interludes
Please keep checking back, as additional dates will be added throughout the year. Book early to avoid disappointment.
How to Book
Please contact us to book by clicking the pink button below or by phone at 07709 539903.
If we aren’t available to answer, please leave us a message and we will call you back as soon as possible to book you onto the talk.
We look forward to hearing from you and welcoming you to our training centre, near Hempnall, Norwich.
