Vicki Burton - Professional Dog Behavioural Trainer

05/07/2025

Butter & Jelly - Siberian Huskies
Farm visit too make us all feel happy
In memory of Hughie 🫶🐾

Jelly and Butter and their family have been feeling sad after the loss of their beautiful boy Hughie.

So a trip to our farm, for some off lead zoomies, a paddle in the dam and a sniffari of sheep, horses, rakalis, ducks, turtles, kangaroos, bunnies and fresh water mussels was just what the girls needed, whilst we remembered the beautiful times we shared with Hughie and how much joy he brought into everyones lives 🤍🐾🥰

He was certainly a one in a million dog that everyone who knew him, would fall in love with him 🤍🐾🩶

Butter and Jelly had such a wonderful afternoon, whilst we reminisced Hughies awesome life 🫶🐾🤍

04/07/2025

04/07/2025

MANAGING MULTIPLES
Chaos or calm or sometimes a mixture of both!

The picture in this graphic is of my 4 Schnauzers waiting patiently in the back of the car to go to the park for a walk.

Pictures can be deceiving though, and this is certainly not always how it is.

Having multiple dogs can be challenging and time consuming.

Dogs don’t get to choose their housemates. We expect them to just get along with any other dog we choose to add to our home and are often frustrated and stressed when this sometimes isn’t the case.

Just like people sharing a home, dogs certainly don’t always get along – at some time, there will be conflict and sometimes this can develop into a serious problem if not addressed early on.

Different personalities, different needs, energy levels, ages, conflicts over resources, spaces, people, entrances, exits, health issues etc. are just some of the things that can lead to issues.

The importance of learning, recognizing and taking note of body language is so important, especially when caring for multiple dogs.

When we ignore the “whispers” of body language or simply don’t understand or notice, the whispers may soon become shouts or screams and we have missed an opportunity to manage and diffuse conflict.

Over time, sometimes just seeing the other dog becomes a trigger, when initially it was only the specific circumstance or situation.

Prevention is always better than trying to “fix” a problem. Being proactive instead of reactive is so important in managing multiple dogs.

For more information on this subject, I recommend this book by Ethologist and Certified Applied Animal Behaviourist, Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D., CAAB -
https://www.dogwise.com/feeling-outnumbered-how-to-manage-enjoy-a-multi-dog-household-2nd-edition/?srsltid=AfmBOoqBJswlYAUHzxvKzo5kVgRPsVsUPqY_Zyn6Lp8N58uBEqJbaUsp

03/07/2025

HU***NG HOUNDS
It’s not always about what it looks like.

Some dogs do and some dogs don’t, but if you have a dog that humps at the most inopportune times it can be particularly embarrassing or annoying.

Other dogs, other people, visitors, toys, cushions, furniture, anything that can be mounted and clung to may be fair game.

As people, it’s natural to assume that this behaviour is of a sexual nature, that our dogs must be oversexed, sexually frustrated or the all-too-common incorrect belief that our dogs are just trying to be “dominant” or “the alpha”.

Hu***ng, like many other dog behaviours does not always have a simple reason. It can be a complex behaviour which is usually emotionally or socially based.

When hu***ng is annoying another dog or person or causing frustration, discomfort or harm in any way, then obviously this behaviour needs to be addressed, but sometimes we need to consider if it’s really something we need to stop because as people, we see it as socially unacceptable?

Is it just a harmless way of relieving stress or anxiety or a way to release excess energy. Is a little hump now and then okay if it’s not causing any harm?

One of my boys (I’m referring to my dog - just to prevent any misunderstanding!) humps one of my other dogs every Saturday morning without fail.

This happens when we get back from a long walk in nature. I allow him to do this because I understand it’s his way of releasing excitement and calming himself down.

As long as the other dogs don’t mind, I don’t believe it’s causing any harm as it’s a healthy way of self-regulating.

If we prevent this, correct it, or at worst punish this behaviour are we removing a harmless natural outlet and risking another unwanted behaviour taking its place?

Hu***ng is one of the most misunderstood behaviours.

Very often, behaviour is not about the way it looks, but the way we perceive it from our human perspective.

03/07/2025

DOGS AND BABIES
Prepare, plan and always, always supervise!

Babies bring big changes for everyone in the family, but the change this brings for dogs is so often underestimated and overlooked.

The sudden arrival of this “strange creature” often means less attention, a lack of usual, predictable routine, strange noises and scents, unfamiliar equipment, perhaps restricted access to certain areas or even lots of visitors.

Just as it takes time in planning, preparing and getting ready for a baby, time should also be taken in getting a dog ready for changes this brings.

Change is not always easy. Any stress about how dogs may react will be easier to cope with by knowing you have planned and prepared well in advance.

Think about the different scenarios a dog will need to get used to and gradually introduce these so that dogs don’t negatively associate changes and different routines with a baby’s arrival.

Closely managing interactions between your dog and baby is always really important for safety, peace of mind, building positive associations and creating secure relationship.

Dogs generally adapt well to the arrival of a baby but this should never be taken for granted.

Planning and preparation are so important to help this transition be as stress free as possible for dogs.

For more detailed information - here are some links to some specialists in this field -

https://poochparenting.net/

https://cooperandkids.com/preparing-dog-new-baby/

https://www.familypaws.com/resources/

Dr Lewis Kirkham – Preparing your dog for new sounds with a step-by-step guide and baby and toy noises -
https://babyandpet.com.au/about-the-book-tell-your-dog.../

03/07/2025

02/07/2025

I LIKE TO LICK YOU!
Dogs just love to lick - themselves, other animals and people. Have you ever wondered why, though?

Whether you love it and it makes you smile or you hate it and it makes you run for the soap and sanitiser, licking people is a very normal, natural behaviour for dogs.

Historically, dog licks were considered to be medically beneficial to humans. Dogs were used in Ancient Egypt to heal injuries and cure diseases.
Fisherman in Fiji allowed dogs to lick their wounds, believing this practice would speed up healing.

The French have a saying: “langue de chien, langue de médecin” which translates to “a dog’s tongue, a doctor’s tongue.”

Gentle licking of some types of wounds may help to remove dirt or debris that slows down healing as the tongue catches foreign matter, which then sticks to the saliva and is removed.

Although dog saliva has some antimicrobial properties, allowing dogs to lick either their own wounds or ours can lead to serious infection from the bacteria found in their mouths.

Whether or not to allow your dog to lick you (when you don’t have wounds!) is a completely personal choice. I personally don’t mind occasional licking as long as it’s not my face and it doesn’t become excessive.