Treat Play Love (2025)

20/11/2025

Patrick is 20-weeks old and has been losing teeth for a few weeks now. He has most of his adult incisors and he lost his first canine tooth on Wednesday this week.

Many people will say that their 8-week old puppy is teething because they are biting like a fiend and gnawing on furniture. This has everything to do with how puppies engage with their world and discover things and nothing to do with teething.

When your puppy begins to lose teeth, that's when they will start to chew and gnaw on items that offer some relief from the discomfort of losing and growing teeth. They might appreciate a variety of textures to chew on, and especially things that are cool and soothing on their gums (e.g. Kong with frozen food inside, ice cubes, etc).

Whether a puppy is 8-weeks old or 20-weeks old, I always work on the assumption that they're doing things for a reason. If they're repeatedly seeking out certain kinds of objects for chewing (e.g. chair legs, couch cushions, rubbery shoes), I will try to offer them appropriate alternatives that are similar in firmness or texture.

Imagine for a moment that you are a teething puppy with achey gums, and a firm chair legs was offering exactly the relief you needed. Your human keeps telling you "No!" and offering you a plush toy instead. It doesn't offer the relief you're so desperately seeking.

Help your puppy out - match like for like, as often as you can. They will grow through this phase, and will do so with good habits in place if you do a great job meeting their needs in safe and appropriate ways.

19/11/2025

Congratulations to Murphy and Quinnie who completed Puppy Classes at Treat Play Love with their families.

Little Murphy is whip smart and loves play, while beautiful Quinnie took a couple of weeks to warm up and reveal her sassy side. They've both been having fun learning new skills and making new friends.

It's truly a pleasure to watch young pups grow and gain in confidence from week to week. I'm confident that this pair will continue to learn with their families as they develop into happy young adults.

We've got no more classes scheduled for 2025, but keep an eye on our page for class dates for 2026. In the meantime, in-home puppy training is a flexible option that offers a ton of benefits, too.

14/11/2025

We've been fortunate to experience several thunderstorms during Patrick Russell's early development. From the first storm, he's mostly ignored the lightning flashes and thunder claps. If we go out to the patio to watch, he comes with us.

While Patrick appears to feel just fine about storms, we still aim to give him fun things to do during storms. This helps build happy associations, rather than just neutral ones. We mostly pick activities he can do independently, and ones that are "busy" rather than exciting.

During yesterday evening's big storm, Patrick kept very busy with some recycling. You'll see his ears swivel with the loud thunder, but he sticks with his very important shredding business.

If your dog is not as confident as you g Patrick, it is 100% appropriate to provide them with comfort if that helps them. They might be most comfortable if they are indoors and able to sit close to you, or with a gentle massage, or in a section of the house where the sound is slightly less and the space is darker (e.g. a covered crate or a walk-in robe).

If your dog is profoundly fearful or panicked during storms, it is essential that you speak with a veterinary behaviourist or vet with an interest in behaviour to explore ways to support your dog and reduce their anxiety.

11/11/2025

Here's a snippet of Patrick Russell practicing "drop it" and "get it" during play this afternoon. We're playing with two identical toys, though Patrick would likely play this just as happily with mismatched toys.

Using this method, I initiate play with the first toy, play a bit of tug, then let Patrick take the toy. I hold up the second toy with the cue "drop it" given in a cheerful voice and when Patrick drops the first toy I cue "get it" to invite him to grab the second toy. The game continues. I spend more time enjoying the game than cuing the behaviours - this isn't about sucking the fun out of play time!

I also practice a couple of "go" cues which signals to Patrick that I'm about to toss the toy. He is beginning to start to turn in anticipation of the toy being thrown when he hears his "go" cue, which I'm so pleased with.

Patrick is very enthusiastic about playing, and games like this will develop into useful reinforcement strategies as we continue to train and learn together. Having a variety of cues to let him know how to engage with the toy (chase it, grab it, release it) gives me flexibility in how I might use play in training in future.

Practicing these cues during an exciting game is also excellent experience for Patrick, as he learns to use his clever brain even when he's in what we might call a state of higher arousal.

We've been working these little cues into our play since he was 8 weeks old, but it's never too late to start if this looks like it could be useful for your pet!

06/11/2025

The rule in our house is if it's beside the bin, it's free for Patrick Russell to take - this mostly means cardboard boxes that don't fit in our standard recycling tub. He gets most cardboard recyclables, regardless of size, before we toss them away.

As I made myself a coffee this morning, I could hear cardboard box shenanigans in the media room. I stood and enjoyed the fun as I sipped my coffee.

Shredding cardboard is a zero-cost activity that most dogs LOVE. It's an opportunity to rip, tear, and shred. These are all normal parts of the predatory sequence that comes naturally to dogs.

When I look at the tiny pin hole bite marks from Patrick's baby teeth, which he has started loosing in the past week, I'm grateful for the box to be on the receiving end of his play biting and not my hands or clothing.

It takes a few minutes for me to clean up shredded cardboard, but it provides endless fun for Patrick. This makes it a worthwhile activity in my books!

Obviously, if you've seen evidence that your dog is inclined to swallow bits of cardboard, you would choose different activities for them, but most dogs spit out the bits they shred.

Give it a go! Do you have a dog that's passionate about recycling? Share in the comments!

02/11/2025

As Patrick Russell ventures out for daily walks, one of the most important lessons he is learning is that he can't say hello to every person and dog that he sees. In my experience, this is an often overlooked step for many young dogs.

Patrick is a confident, enthusiastic, and friendly young boy. He is certain that every person and dog has been put on this planet to be his best friend. He's also a cute puppy and most people would be happy to give him a cuddle when we're out and about.

Dogs who learn that they can approach and greet everyone often become frustrated when that's not possible - the other dog isn't sociable, the person isn't a dog person, or it's just not practical to stop and say hi. Frustration can look like pulling on the lead and vocalising - a common problem I'm called to help with.

When I'm out with Patrick and we see people or dogs, we move off to the side of the walkway. Depending on Patrick's interest, we might continue to walk past or we might stop and watch before continuing to walk. If he moves towards them, I simply hold the lead to prevent him moving forward and relax the lead as soon as possible so he can watch in comfort. I will also offer him a couple of tasty treats as he watches - people and dogs predict good stuff coming from Mum!

He's not in trouble for being interested in people and dogs - quite the opposite! I like that he's a happy and friendly young dog. He has lots of opportunities to greet and interact with people and dogs within our social circle.

If he were not so confident, I would still drastically limit his opportunities to greet strangers and their dogs on walks - it's better to enlist the help of friends and family who you can coach on how best to support a nervous pup as they get to know new friends. I'm not interested in gambling a pup's sociability on a stranger asserting that their dog is friendly or that dogs love them.

I think I must have a spectacular "leave us alone" face, because I have largely been left to my own devices when walking with Patrick around home, at parks, and even with him in Bunnings. I think the key is to look focused and busy with what you're doing with your dog.

To the lovely lady with two kids and two dogs who we passed twice on our walk this morning, THANK YOU for asking from a distance if they could say hello. Even better, when I said "I'm teaching him that we can't say hello to everyone." she smiled and replied "That's a good idea!" and kept walking. Every dog trainers dream come true!

**Note: Patrick is wearing his collar and lead today as we're still working to overcome his aversion to putting his harness on. A comfortable harness is always my preference when walking dogs.**

30/10/2025

It's breakfast time and I decided it was a great morning to let Patrick discover the snuffle mat.

This week I've really seen his persistence for and interest in food increase, making food puzzles a good option for prolonging mealtimes and giving Patrick new sensory experiences.

I may have also forgotten to defrost his Lyka in time for breakfast, so he's having some puppy biscuits that are well suited for a snuffle mat. 😅

It was a pleasure to watch and listen as Patrick busily sniffed his way around the mat, finding every last morsel of food. Not only is his tummy satisfied, but he's worked busily for his meal and is likely to be ready for a snooze on the couch.

What's your pet's favourite food toy? Do they work methodically to get the food out, or are they a "flip the table" and get the food by brute strength character? Share you favourite mealtime photo or video of your pet in the comments!

27/10/2025

Patrick has been going out for short walks since the weekend, now that he's fully vaccinated. It's exciting to be able to take him out to explore on foot, rather from the safety of his carrier.

When it comes to walking young puppies, there are multiple things to consider:

🐾 Physical limitations on their growing bodies
🐾 Emotional safety as they're exposed to neighbourhood sights and sounds
🐾 New training skills as they learn to walk on lead

The goal is for walks to be safe, comfortable, and fun.

For a 4 month old puppy, going for their first walks, just 15-20 minutes is more than enough. This should be at an easy pace with as much time as they need to look, listen, and smell things that catch their attentions. As they grow, you can slowly increase the duration of their walks, still allowing plenty of time for them to take in the world around them.

Long duration hikes, fast paced walks, or jogging/running should wait until they are fully grown - 12 to 18 months for most breeds, but check with your vet if you're unsure.

For Patrick, I have done some short walks around our neighbourhood, but more short walks in local parks (which I drive to).

Our area, like most, has lots of dogs that run and bark along fence lines. Patrick stops to look/listen when he encounters these barking dogs, and I encourage him along with a happy voice as needed. A couple of times he has asked to be picked up, which I facilitate - coming to me for safety is a response I would like to encourage.

I want him to feel safe when walking, so I break up barky neighbourhood walks with less stimulating park walks. As he pays less attention to the local barking dogs, we might choose to take more of our walks from home. Until then, parks are a good choice.

I have been walking Patrick almost exclusively on a 5m long lead (NOT a retractable lead), which I handle in such a way that it doesn't drag on the ground or trip him up, but also so it doesn't go tight. The longer lead means I can keep slack in the lead as he learns to walk with me, avoiding early habits of pulling on the lead. If he moves in a direction that is unsafe or he nears the end of the lead, I gently stop the lead from sliding out further, bring him to a stop, and encourage him in the direction I want with a happy voice.

As he gets into the routine of walking, he's more interested in treats that I bring with us. When he responds to his name, looks at me to see what I'm doing, or walks close to me, I offer him a treat. This is the beginning of loose lead walking, which we will eventually do on a 2m lead instead of a 5m one.

Prior to being fully vaccinated, Patrick had practiced these skills on the long lead on our block and at friends properties. He had also had lots of exposure to various sights and sounds from his carrier as I took him places for early socialisation experiences. By the time we went for a little walk up the street, the experience was not entirely new.

If you want help prepping your new puppy for future walks, or help with an older puppy or adult dog who has maybe got some bad habits already developing, get in touch to learn about our training services. We'd love to help!

26/10/2025

Patrick Russell has had some positive early experiences with water and swimming, and I would like that to continue. ❤️

Last time he visited this little stream, he was not terribly interested in getting more than his paws wet. That's okay and I won't push him to go in if he's not comfortable, but I thought he would likely enjoy the experience if he had a confident adult dog to model water play for him.

Our friend Claudia at Academy for Canine Companions joined us for a walk this morning with her beautiful Teddy. He and Patrick had a ton of fun running back and forth through the water, and Patrick even lay in the stream to cool off.

Social facilitation can be such a powerful way to build confidence in new or unfamiliar situations. Confident and friendly adult dogs are worth their weight in gold!

Thanks Claudia and Teddy!!

23/10/2025

Day by day, week by week, things that were incredibly challenging are feeling easier.

Patrick Russell is nearly 16 weeks old. He's been for a few short walks in new places this week. He's met some new doggy friends. He's been for car rides and shopping trips.

Compared to just a couple of weeks ago, Patrick is better able to focus on basic training exercises in places outside the home. He sat on the scales at the vet today, when we popped in quickly to confirm that he weighs a ton (well, 4.6kg, but he feels heavy to carry).

Patrick responds well to his name most of the time, including out on our short walks. He can pause to watch something interesting and then come along and continue walking past. He will take an offered treat, even when things are a bit interesting around him.

He takes himself out to the toilet most of the time, with mostly unlimited and loosely supervised access to the carpeted areas of the house.

He rarely activates feral bitey puppy tornado mode, mostly choosing to subject toys and recyclable materials (cardboard, paper, plastic bottles) to the wrath of his teeth. When he does get bitey, he's almost always tired and ready for a nap if we pop him in his pen.

Our biggest challenge is teaching him to feel safe and comfortable at home alone, but we're working through a training plan to build this gradually and in a way that avoids leaving Patrick to cry it out. We're fortunate to have the flexibility to make this plan work.

We can see the clever and cheerful little personality of Patrick Russell blossoming each day. He is foolishly confident and endlessly happy. It's a pleasure to watch him grow, even when it feels incredibly hard and tiring at times.

If you're currently raising a puppy and surviving, good on you! It's hard work and it's sure lucky they're cute. ❤️

19/10/2025

The most important training project little Patrick Russell has worked on... 🤪

Yesterday we started to play with "stick your head through this" and a pair of Christmas antlers. It's not completely new, because Patrick regularly sticks his head through his harness.

If you enjoy taking silly seasonal photos of your pet wearing themed props or clothing, that is totally okay, BUT please take the time to make it a fun game for them, too.

There are practical reasons to teach a dog to be comfortable wearing jackets, coats, and harnesses. As much as possible, encourage them to approach and move into the clothing/equipment, rather than you putting it on them. Make it so fun things happen while they're wearing the items, and take it off before they try to remove it themself.

For props like antlers, ears, or hats, there is rarely a reason to keep the costume on beyond a photograph or two. My goal is for Patrick to see a headband as a fun opportunity to earn a few treats, not for him to wear it all day.

For all day holiday fashion, bowties and bandanas tend to be well tolerated and comfortable for most dogs.

As you can see, Patrick is unphased by the antlers, enjoying some treats and even practising some of his other basic training while wearing them. Each time, I remove them before he feels the need to try to swipe them off.

Cute, fun, simple! If you enjoy holiday snaps of your pets, make a start on helping them enjoy the game too.

17/10/2025

This is a clip of a whole session with Patrick Russell as we work on "mat training". The goal is for Patrick to move to his mat when asked and then lay down and settle.

The entire session lasted for just 3 minutes, and even that can be kind of long depending on Patrick's mood. We worked on moving to the mat, sitting on the mat, laying on the mat, staying on the mat, and resetting by following a tossed treat. Lots of opportunities to reward the good behaviours that Patrick offered.

Having just finished some work on my computer, I got up to get a bread roll out of the freezer to defrost for lunch. This won't take long. While I wait, I grabbed a small handful of Patrick's food for the day and invited him to practice with me.

That's really all most things take, especially the basic skills that make life with dogs easier - a small handful of treats and just 2-3 minutes of your time. It doesn't need to be a big event. Keep the treats and any required equipment (e.g. a mat) handy in the main living area, so you can see them and use them often.

On any given day, I might do just a couple of short training sessions with Patrick or I might do a handful. We also practice simple training cues, like come, wait, and sit, during play time.

There are other practical training opportunities throughout the day, too. Patrick can go into the garage for a car ride if he sticks his head into his harness. He can get some tidbits at mealtimes if he sits quietly nearby. If he settles in his pen, the door will probably be open and he can come out for a cuddle or a play.

We're all learning from our experiences all the time. Teaching your pet something new doesn't need to take up a lot of your time, but is is important that you are clear and consistent, and that you make the right behaviours worthwhile for your pet to repeat.

Patrick is learning that the world is full of opportunities to make good things happen by behaving in certain ways. My goal is to be part of that picture for him, to help him learn good habits in the pursuit of a happy life together.

Tuesday	08:00 - 18:00
Wednesday	08:00 - 18:00
Thursday	08:00 - 18:00
Friday	08:00 - 18:00

Treat Play Love

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06/11/2025

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30/10/2025

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