Imagine only ever having small talk with other people, never getting the opportunity to have more personal conversations with those you have an established relationship with. For some of you who are less relaxed talking to friends and family on the phone, you may have experienced having limited diaglogue with people across the past two years- as we moved in … Read More
Behaviour & Training Experts and Specialists- what to look for in a professional and what to avoid!
“I’m Roz Pooley and I’m one of the UKs TOP dog trainers and behaviourists”……..are NOT words you’ll ever hear me say! The reason being that just because someone can talk the talk, who says they can actually walk the walk? If they say it, it doesn’t make it so! The dog training and behaviour industry is unregulated, which is a … Read More
Why isn’t my dog’s behaviour improving?
1. The dogβs internal environment isnβt at optimum. To support future learning our dogs need to be: Pain/Discomfort free (Skeletal, Muscular, Skin and Digestive issues) Low Stress. Positive or negative, too high levels of stress have a big impact on the body and mind. Well Rested. Your adult dog needs 12-16 hours of quality rest and sleep a day! It’s … Read More
Tips on running with your dog
πββοΈ RUNNING WITH YOUR DOG πββοΈ Mohawk is now 14 months old and as of last week we started to introduce him to running with us. πͺ Exercise needs to be carefully built up! Heβs an active dog so is already fit, but running at our pace may inhibit self-regulation (sniffing, checking in, slowing down). We started with 3k for … Read More
Should I feed before my dog’s walk and should I ‘starve’ to train
Let’s talk about feeding and exercise! Should you feed before or after your dog’s walk?What about feeding your dog their full food allowance on the go? Here’s my opinion, based on my experiences as an academic and my experiences as an athlete. With some science thrown in for good measure. NO FEEDING BEFORE WALKS? Yes or no? My answer: Feed … Read More
Our Guide to Promoting Chewing and Giving Chews
Chewing is an excellent activity for dogs. Free ranging dogs participate in chewing, when resources are available, for up to 5% of their day (Mujumder, 2014). It is therefor considered a species specific behaviour we should promote in our dogs. Chewing can stimulate increased activity of dopamine (neurotransmittor associated with the feeling of reward) and Gabba (neurotransmittor that is associated … Read More
How to stop your dog jumping up at people during greetings?
The answer to this question lies within rephrasing it. It should be…. βHow do I stop people over stimulating or overwhelming my puppy? ( which causes them to jump)β. Undoubtedly, some dogs may jump up at people regardless of what the people are doing, and here a longline should be deployed to prevent approach and practise of the behaviour. But … Read More
What to train and when to train
WHAT TO TRAIN YOUR PUPPY? WHEN TO TRAIN YOUR PUPPY? Applies to rescue dogs also, and much of the content is applies to all training scenarios) SETTLING IN PERIODStress inhibits learning (and appetite) so your puppy may need some time to adjust to their new home after relocating. FROM THE GET GO, REINFORCE WHAT YOU LIKETune into unprompted behaviours you … Read More
The Emotional Rollercoaster and Challenges of Raising a Puppy
Breaking news – raising a puppy is time consuming, not to mention being physically and mentally tough. I think most people are aware it requires effort. This post provides a reality check to those thinking about getting a puppy and reassurance to those with a puppy- it can take a huge emotional and physical toll on you. Over the past … Read More
Those first few days with your puppy…..
Setting the foundations for a happy puppy! I’m coping (just about) during the first few days….Mohawk is on day three and we’re all figuring things out. Here are some things we have been working on…… 1) Toilet TrainingThe pressure is off with this. It’s really not a race and there’s no ‘normal’ for when pups get this nailed. Stress from … Read More