Fairy Dog Mother Pet Services

15/07/2024

The meaning behind lip licking.

https://www.positiveresponse.com.au/book-now/

02/07/2024

28/06/2024

✨Time available tomorrow for nail trims. PM me to book in✨

13/05/2024

Have you thought about the difference between a hug and a restraint ?
How do dogs perceive a hug ? We know the intent is to show affection but dogs do not pick up on intent as easily as we do.
Though it is difficult to hear, many dogs don't like to be hugged.
They may accept it, tolerate it but some certainly don't like them.
Children especially are often "huggers" of dogs and if they are small enough they will pick them up to cuddle and hug.

The two lists in the graphic are identical and that is to show just how dogs can perceive a hug or cuddle.
Some will wriggle away so we can often squeeze harder.
We accept the licks as affection, but could they be from appeasement ?

If you look at the other signals given they can help you interpret exactly how your dog feels.
You won't harm your bond by stopping cuddles/hugs if your dog doesn't like them...you will make that bond STRONGER.

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14/04/2024

⭐️COMPETITION TIME⭐️

What you will win:
- 1 x free one-on-one training session
- 1 x free nail trim
- 1 x snuffle mat
- 2 x packets of Zylkene

How to win:
*LIKE/FOLLOW this page
*LIKE & SHARE this post
*COMMENT a picture of your dog/s

Winner will be announced Sunday 21st April.

Good luck! 🐶🐾🧚🏻‍♀️

03/04/2024

🦠 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗴𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀?

👉🏽 Does your dog have horrible gas? Inconsistent stools? Poor skin and coat? Average behaviour?

🤔 You might be dealing with poor gut health.

🦠 Poor gut health can have various negative effects on dogs. The gut, or gastrointestinal tract, plays a crucial role in digestion, absorption of nutrients, and overall immune function. When the gut health of our dogs is compromised, several issues can arise:

💩 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀

👉🏽 Dogs with poor gut health may experience diarrhea, constipation, excessive gas, or vomiting. These symptoms can be a result of imbalances in the gut flora, inflammation, or damage to the intestinal lining.

📊 𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀

👉🏽 The gut is responsible for absorbing nutrients from food. If the gut is not functioning optimally, your dog may not absorb essential nutrients properly, leading to deficiencies long term. This can result in poor growth, weight loss, muscle weakness, and a weakened immune system.

🤧 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺

👉🏽 A significant portion of the immune system resides in the gut. When the gut is unhealthy, the immune system may become compromised, making your dog more susceptible to infections, allergies, and other immune-related disorders.

😈 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀

👉🏽 We talk about gut and mental health A LOT! Surprisingly, poor gut health can also impact a dog's behaviour. The gut produces various neurotransmitters and communicates with the brain through the gut-brain axis. Imbalances in gut bacteria can affect the production and balance of these neurotransmitters, potentially leading to mood disorders, anxiety, and altered behaviour.

🐕 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀

👉🏽 After inheriting a BLUE Stafford 🙄 let me tell you, I know all about skin issues and the role probiotics and good diet plays in managing this.

☝🏽 Dogs with poor gut health may exhibit skin issues such as itching, rashes, hot spots, or excessive shedding. The gut plays a role in the metabolism and excretion of certain compounds that can influence skin health. Imbalances in the gut can contribute to skin inflammation and other dermatological problems.

🧫 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲

👉🏽 A compromised gut can compromise the overall health of the dog, making them more vulnerable to various diseases. Poor gut health has been linked to conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), leaky gut syndrome, and gastrointestinal infections.

☝🏽 It is important to note that the causes of poor gut health in dogs can vary and may include factors such as inappropriate highly processed diet, food allergies or intolerances, genetics, stress, medications (like antibiotics), and parasites.

✅ What you can do to support your dog and ensure they have good gut health:

🍖 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘁 (𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀).

👉🏽 https://www.freshfoodtribe.com/how-to-start

🦠 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘇𝘆𝗺𝗲.

👉🏽 We recommend rotating through different brands at the end of each pack to get access to different strains in different amounts unless of course your dog is doing awesome on one, stick to that one. What works for your dog is an individual thing.

☝🏽 The below are ones I have tested and can comfortably recommend.

✅ My Doggie Boosters - Gut Dust, Brain Crumbs, Allergy+ & Dump Dust
https://mydoggieboosters.com/shop/ols/categories/gut-health

✅ Canine Ceuticals - Gut Protect, Gut Restore & SB-10
https://canineceuticals.com.au/collections/digestive-health

✅ EAC Animal Care - Inside Out
https://eacanimalcare.com/products/dog-probiotics-gut-health-inside-out

✅ Vetafarm - Synbiotic
Various online stores

✅ Big Dog Probiotic
Various stores and online

🧑🏼‍⚕️ 𝗜𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀.

👉🏽 You will need to touch base with your veterinarian if your dog is consistently having digestive issues. If your vet doesn’t support your vision of fresh food feeding, consider checking out these practitioners that do:

👉🏽 Dr Kelly Halls Bentons Road Veterinary Clinic
👉🏽 Dr Nicole Rous Mont Albert Veterinary Surgery

💬 How do you manage your dog’s gut health?

30/03/2024

I’m obsessed with how adorable the doggos from this weekend are! 😍😍

16/03/2024

It was a dachshund kind of day today 🥰💅🏻

29/01/2024

17/01/2024

Handsome Bowie had a one-on-one training session today to help with walking on lead and recall! Looking forward to more sessions with this gorgeous boy 😍🩵

26/12/2023

Did you get a puppy for Christmas?
Please ensure they get socialisation even before their final vax are done!

Message me for more information or if you would like to set up a training session to help with this 🥰

👋Did you get a puppy for Christmas this year? 🐶

👉Now is the time to start looking for a puppy school for them! 🏫 🐕

🧑‍🏫Did you know dogs go through the "Critical Period for Socialisation" during the first 3-14 weeks of their life!?

👉This is THE MOST important time to start your dogs socialisation in the real world 🌎

✅ A wide range of good exposures to things your dogs will encounter in every day life during this period, will imprint on them for the rest of their life! 🤯

👉This includes things like: people 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦animals 🐄 , cars 🚗 , bikes 🏍️, skateboards 🛹 , vacuums 🧼, lawn mowers 🌱, sudden movements 😳, loud noises 💥, (and many, many more!)

⏱️By waiting for them to finish their vaccination period, you miss a good chunk, or sometimes completely ALL of this crucial period 😣⚠️…

🔻A dog who has been isolated during this period, is much more likely to develop nervous, fearful, or aggressive behaviours⚠️

🔻It also slows down cognitive development 🧠 which can lead to much more difficult behaviours to deal with such as dog aggression towards other dogs or people, and separation anxiety (just to name a few!)

👩‍⚕️ Your vet or breeder has likely advised you to keep your dog at home until they are fully vaccinated - this is due to the risk of parvovirus. 🦠 Parvovirus is spread through dog-to-dog contact, and grows in heavy dog traffic grassed areas

✅We can minimise this risk by avoiding contact with unknown dogs, other dog faeces 💩 and staying off public grassed areas 🌱

✅Sealed surfaces (such as sealed concrete) that is exposed to sunlight ☀️does NOT allow parvovirus to grow 🦠 - so it is perfectly safe for your puppies!

✅ We encourage you to speak to your vet and ask if there has been any outbreaks of parvovirus in your area - if there has, you need to be a bit more careful 👨‍⚕️

⚠️The risk of contracting parvovirus is MUCH LOWER than the risk of your dog developing behavioural issues due to lack of critical period socialisation…

🌎Whether you sign up with The Canine Classroom or another dog training school, the best thing you can do with your new puppy is to start responsible socialisation from 8 weeks.

We run many group classes such as
👉Puppies
👉Foundation levels
👉Advanced levels
from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast at FOUR great locations! Our lifetime members can come along to ANY (or ALL) of these fantastic spots!
📍Peregian Beach, Kawana, Coorparoo, Kedron
We also offer private lessons and walk and trains 🧑‍🏫

👩‍🏫To find out more today, give us a call or send us an email to have a chat
📧 [email protected]
📱 0499 440 909

24/12/2023

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a magical day and your pets get spoilt rotten 🥰 ❤️💚🐾

17/12/2023

Found an iggy client in Gladstone! I’m content now 😂💕

14/12/2023

👩🏽‍⚖️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗲 ⚖️

👉🏽 Crate training is one of those things you are either all for it, or you are totally against it.

👧🏽 Unlike most pet parents, I’ve been both. I didn’t believe that dogs should be in crates until I had to crate train my dogs when I started to participate in dog sports. My oldest dog was 5 when she was crate trained and my youngest dog was crate trained as a 6 week old puppy.

✅ As a trainer, a huge part of my job is simply helping pet parents prepare their dog for the stresses of life. Whether that be going to the vet, overcoming fears with noises, or people etc and essentially helping them create a dog that will coexist in an easy manner with humans.

🌍 𝙈𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙇𝙄𝙁𝙀 𝙎𝙆𝙄𝙇𝙇.

👉🏽 Crate training is often used in these circumstances:

- At the vet after a surgery (desexing)
- At the groomers
- Recovery from injury
- In the car for transportation
- In an emergency (such as bushfires)

😬 Most of these are already stressful situations. It makes a whole lot of sense not to have the stress of being in a crate for the first time compounded to the experience.

➡️ Crate training can also be utilised in these areas of normal living:

- Dog sports
- Developing independence
- House breaking
- Managing multi dog households
- In house dog fighting
- Creating calm
- A bed for sleeping time
- Keeping your dog safe
- Camping with your dog
- Storm phobias
- Developing impulse control
- Helping with resource guarding issues

🙌🏽 Most people that have a crate trained dog will tell you that their dog LOVES the crate. I know that is the case for my own dogs. The reason this is, is because our dogs don’t view the crate as a negative place, in fact is has 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆.

✅ When I first started crate training I simply fed my dog their meal in the crate daily. Before long my dogs were running to the crate before dinner time in excitement. I have since built drive to and from the crate. We utilise stuffed KONG’s regularly to continue to build value for the crate.

👉🏽 So before you make a quick decision that crate training is not for you, consider what it could do for your dog and how instead of thinking it’s a cruel way to live with a dog, it could be in fact a useful tool.
🙂

📸 If you have a crate trained dog, post a photo below of your dog in their crate and how it’s helped you in your life:

13/12/2023

Some of the adorable clients I have had since moving to Gladstone! The others I have forgotten to take pictures of as I’m too busy giving cuddles! 😂

Just a reminder I am offering $20 nail trims and $80 for one-on-one training. I come to you so it’s easier for your doggo!
Message me to book in 🥰

03/11/2023

The new IGroom - Luxury Pet Beauty Care nail clippers arrived today! Sharp and quiet, making nail clipping quicker and easier! Can’t wait to start using them 😍💅🏻

20/10/2023

Gladstone!

I am currently available for one-on-one training and nail trims on weekends!

I come to you to make things more comfortable for your pooch.

$20 per dog for nail trims
$80 for up to one hour for training.

Please message me for more info or to book in 🥰🧚🏻‍♀️🐾

26/09/2023

Turns out we are leaving this weekend instead of in December. Definitely wasn’t expecting everything to happen so quickly!

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported me over the past 3 years, and to those who started off as clients, but quickly became friends and family. You make what I do worth it.

I’m going to miss you and your doggos so incredibly much. I get sad every time I think of all the fur babies I won’t see for a while.
I loved your dogs like they were my own. Please give them a huge cuddle for me!

I will hopefully be back at some point. So please stay in touch! I’m still always here if you need help, I am just a message away!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Renee
Fairy Dog Mother 🧚🏻‍♀️

23/09/2023

Last ever shift at Petstock done and dusted! Thank you so much to the incredible friends I’ve made along the way! What a crazy journey it’s been. I’ve loved being able to work with such a huge variety of dogs across multiple stores. Thank you to the amazing people who stayed with me after doing Petschool. I’m going to miss your fur babies sooooo much!

12/09/2023

✨Big news✨

My family and I have made the decision to move to Gladstone where my family is, when our lease ends at the start of December, which means I unfortunately won’t be offerring Christmas/New Years boarding.

We will hopefully be back at some point, but while the cost of living is continuously rising, we have chosen to go somewhere where we can save a bit more a live a bit easier as Brisbane is becoming far too expensive.

I am still offerring boarding now until November for dogs that I have boarded before or are toilet trained / trained in general.

If you have any questions please message me and I’ll do my best to help you find a new boarder ❤️

03/06/2023

The next generation of dog trainers has arrived!

Ivy Willow Bland born 2/6/23 at 8:52am weighing only 5 pounds 11 ounces!

Can’t wait to bring her home to meet her fur siblings 🥰💕

23/05/2023

So I’ve started noticing the popularity in people starting up businesses and becoming “pet sitters” to make money on the side.
While their intentions may mean well, PLEASE if you are searching for a pet sitter, please ask them:
1. What their experiences are with dogs/pets. Have they worked with animals before etc
2. What qualifications/certificates they have.
Do they know pet first aid? Do they know how to read animal body language? Do they know correct socialisation/mixing with other animals? Do they know how to handle behavioural issues if they arise? Do they know how to provide enrichment for your specific breed?
3. Do they have pet insurance?
This is HUGE!
Even with over 10 years experience, I am still always covered incase an accident occurs. The less knowledge you have with animals, you are less likely to know how to handle emergencies.

While it may seem well because they’re cheap and have their own dog/pet, it doesn’t mean they are the right choice. Please do your research and ask questions.

My goal is to be back and running within the next 6 months! But in the meantime I’m happy to answer any questions and help where ever I can! 🧚🏻‍♀️🐾

08/05/2023

So this might stir the pot, but really it would be nice if people considered others.

Yesterday while training with a client in an on leash park, we were visited by 3 separate off leash dogs.

It was very obvious we were working.

All owners called their dogs…. But the dogs ignored them.

Please, don’t walk your dog off leash in designated on leash areas.

This is especially important when you have no control over your dog, and I don’t care “how friendly” he or she is.

Other people and dogs have the right not to have to say hi to your dog, not to have equipment urinated on etc.

Not all people like dogs, not all dogs like dogs, some dogs might be working, some dogs might be sore, young, old, blind or deaf and have every right not to engage with unknown off leash dogs.

22/04/2023

We need to talk about rehoming dogs. I realize I will stir up some … conversations with this.
But there's a stigma associated with rehoming that we have to change.
Ideally, everyone researches breeds and gets exactly the dog that fits their family.
And that dog does pretty well and everyone manages to get along, circumstances don’t change too much and all live (reasonably) happy ever after.
I would estimate that far more than 95% of my dog training students are in this situation.
In some cases however - things don’t go so well.
Perhaps the dog’s breed and personality are a poor match with the owner (I have seen dog and owner teams that were definitely not cut out for each other).
Or maybe, there is already a pet in the household and they really do not get along at all with the dog, no matter how much training and management is put into place.
Or circumstances change - jobs are lost, someone gets seriously sick, and there are just not enough time, money and other resources to make things work.
I have seen many families in exactly these situations. Situations in which *responsibly rehoming* the dog would make everybody happier.
But it’s not done out of fear of the stigma around rehoming.
I want to be very clear:
If your dog doesn’t behave the way you want, you should train them (don’t bring them to the shelter).
If your dog chases the cat, you should put up baby gates and - also - train them (don’t bring them to the shelter).
If you move to a different city, take your dog with you (don’t bring them to the shelter).
There are irresponsible pet owners who do not invest the care, time, effort, finances and love into their dog that they should and simply give them away instead. That's not okay.
But I know that those people will probably not read this post anyway ;)
I also am in no way saying that rehoming should be the first - or second - or even third solution for any issue that pops up.
But there’s a difference between having an “issue” and living in a situation that’s a profound daily challenge for everyone.
Many years ago a close friend rehomed one of her dogs because the setup was a BIG daily challenge for everyone (not going into details here - trust me). While I didn’t say so, deep down I initially judged the decision.
But then, in the following weeks, I saw what an improvement it was for *everyone involved*.
My friend and their spouse were much happier. The dogs that lived in their household were much happier. And the dog that was rehomed was actually happier than I had ever seen her.
In the years that followed, I have witnessed many other cases where the same was true.
If you are ever in a situation where you feel like *responsible* rehoming is the one option that would increase your and your dog’s happiness: Consider it.
And if others judge you for it, write to us. We’ll have an open ear.

06/04/2023

Yesterday I saw a video from a well-known trainer on social media that discussed how there is no such thing as “too much exercise” for dogs. This discussion was accompanied by b roll of dogs fetching balls in a variety of places.
I don’t usually get involved in trainer arguments but I need to say something about this.
There ABSOLUTELY is such a thing as too much high-arousal exercise. And you probably don’t want to find out for yourself what happens next.
Activities that tend to *physically* wear dogs out the fastest are also the ones that create the highest excitement levels. Fetching balls. Playing frisbee. Racing around at the dog park. Chasing water from the garden hose. Running next to a bike.
All of these are physical exercise, but they also create intense arousal states. And if you put your dog into high-arousal states repeatedly you better know how to train around this, too.
I have a lot of students who fell into this trap. They got a high-energy dog (a GSD, a herding breed mix of some sort, a retriever etc.).
They figured out that the fastest way to make the dog physically really tired (the tongue-hanging-to-the-floor-kind-of-tired) was by playing chuck-it for half an hour. Or by taking the dog to the dog park every day for a wild romp.
The dog started to crave these arousal states (as programmed in their DNA).
But at the same time, no impulse control training happened. So now we have a dog who knows the fun of adrenaline and who seeks it, without having been taught to listen and regulate when in a state of high excitement.
This dog will start to show other problems. They might get frustrated to the point of redirecting when they cannot access fun immediately. They might be vocalizing or unable to settle and then I get messages that say “My dog just cannot be normal in public”.
If your dog gets to enjoy a high-arousal activity every time they leave the house, they will start to expect (and eventually demand) a high-arousal activity every time.
And this is not fun.
Your dog needs a balance of high-arousal and low-arousal activities. Furthermore, the more high-arousal activities your dog has, the more you have to balance these with impulse control training. It’s not fair to make our dogs crazy without teaching them the skills to un-crazy ;)
“Exercise” can have four quadrants:
- Low-arousal, not physically demanding (sniff walks)
- Low-arousal, physically demanding (hiking)
- High-arousal, not physically demanding (excited waiting while another dog works)
- High-arousal, physically demanding (fetching)

Make sure you are aware which type of exercise you are providing for your dog, and try to reach a balance that works for your dog.
If you are unhappy with your dog’s arousal level or impulse control in daily life, look at whether this is amplified by the type of exercise you are providing.

21/02/2023

𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀:

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗴𝗮-𝟯 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗱𝘀: Sardines are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain health, heart health, and reducing inflammation in the body.

𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻: Sardines are a good source of protein, which is essential for building and repairing tissues in the body.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀: Sardines are a rich source of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, and selenium. These nutrients are important for maintaining strong bones, supporting the immune system, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

𝗟𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀: Sardines are a small fish that are low in contaminants such as mercury, which can be found in larger fish like tuna.

𝗟𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀: Canned sardines are widely available and relatively inexpensive, making them a convenient and affordable way to add important nutrients to your dog's diet.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘃𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 "𝗼𝗶𝗹" 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆.

If sustainability is something that is a criteria for you, additional research may be necessary.

Can you give whole fresh sardines? Yes!

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲?
We recommend you give a good amount of oily fish 2-3 times per week (let common sense guide you) to help reach vitamin D and omega-3 requirements. It may soften your dog's stools on these days.

30/01/2023

What I always try to teach in puppy class! Socialise and expose your pup as much as possible as soon as you get them home!

19/01/2023

🫢 You think my post about pet sitters and dog walkers was controversial. Hold on to your knickers.

✅ Doggy daycares should only be run by highly knowledgeable and experienced dog trainers with experience running groups of dogs together. Period.

🤚The amount of posts I see where people are advertising this in back yards is horrifying.
Once again you need to worry about
- Insurance
- Permits
- Experience and much more.

🐕 Dog daycare (if run properly) requires a high level of knowledge surrounding canine behaviour, training and interactions.

❌ Reading a couple of books, loving and owning dogs and taking an online course doesn’t cut it.

☹️ So many dogs are ruined by daycares run by people who like dogs and want to make money and they think daycare is an easy way to do it. WRONG. It’s hard work getting it right on the best of days.

⛔️ Sending your dog to someone inexperienced and well meaning may save you money short term but it will cost you in the long run and potentially cost your dog a lot.

🙅 If your daycare isn’t run by qualified and experienced trainers- forget it 🙅

15/01/2023

MYTHBUSTING MONDAY: It's not dominance. Seriously, it's not. There is no dominant breed. You don't have a dominant dog. Your dog's behavior is not a "dominance thing."

Now, I realize those statements might be causing some hardcore cognitive dissonance right now. Because from the moment you even became aware of dogs, you have been told that dogs are pack animals and a bunch of dominance stuff based on that assumption.

From the Merck Veterinary Manual:

"The dog’s social structure has been referred to as a pack hierarchy, but this does not accurately or entirely describe the relationship of dogs with other dogs or with people."

"The term dominance...is a relative term established by the value of the resource to each individual and the cumulative effects of learning."

For example, Animal A might challenge Animal B for a mate. Animal B might defer. But does that make Animal A the dominant animal?

What if Animal B waits until Animal A is distracted and mates with that female at another time? Is dominance even relevant at this point? I would argue that learning is far more pertinent than hierarchy.

The problem is that people tend to think of hierarchies in dogs just like hierarchies in humans. Governments, militaries, churches, schools, corporations all have linear hierarchical structures.

However, when it comes to dogs, it's not that simple.

"Hierarchy in dogs is neither static nor linear, because the motivation to obtain and retain a specific resource, together with previous learning, defines the relationship between two individuals for each encounter."

In other words, if you push me out of the way to get the last chocolate truffle, and I walk away...but I don't actually like chocolate truffles (I don't), you're not actually establishing dominance. I didn't want the resource, anyway. Or maybe I learned that, by walking away, I will be given the key to the room full of caramels. Mmmmm. Caramels.

What about aggression?

"A 'dominant' animal is not the one engaged in the most fighting and combat. Most high-ranking animals seldom have to contest their right of access to a resource. Instead, high-ranking animals are usually better identified by the character and frequency of deferential behaviors exhibited by others in their social group and by their ability to respond appropriately to a variety of social and environmental circumstances."

So, it is not the "dominant" dog who growls over a bone or fights with other dogs at the dog park. When your dogs are fighting at home, identifying the alpha is about as productive as a snipe hunt.

Why does it matter? Because if you are told that your dog's behavior is the result of dominance, the solution is almost always some form of rank reduction. Everything from making the dog sit for every bit of affection to methods that are too disturbing to detail. And it's all called "leadership."

Trying to change a dog's rank in an imaginary hierarchy only serves to delay behavior modification. In many cases, it makes the situation much worse.

If we want to change behavior, we need to explore the dog's health, environment, and learning history, as well as identify triggers and consequences for the behavior. From there, we can develop a complete plan that addresses the needs of the individual dog, reducing their stress, increasing tolerance, and reinforcing desirable responses.

Next time someone tells you that if your dog jumps, pulls on the leash, leans on you, sits on your foot, sleeps on top of the couch, barks, mounts/humps, doesn't listen, or anything else that isn't obedience or cowering in the corner, it's dominance, what they're really saying is that they don't understand dog behavior and are probably not someone you want to take advice from....let alone pay for that advice!

Relax. It's not dominance. Now we've got that out of the way, let's focus on changing behavior!

See more:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/behavior/normal-social-behavior-and-behavioral-problems-of-domestic-animals/social-behavior-of-dogs
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