Dog Nose Best

16/11/2025

Did you know its St Modestos today? He is considered the patron saint, protector and healer of animals! 🐾

16/11/2025

It seems this one will just not die – caregivers being told to let their dogs with separation anxiety cry it out.

So we need to talk about what’s ACTUALLY happening when with this advice.

I get why it seems logical. Your dog is barking, howling, panicking when you leave. If you go back, aren’t you rewarding that? Teaching them that noise works? And they stop crying eventually, so it worked, right?

Actually, no.

Because here’s what really happens when you let them cry it out.

Sometimes the dog does stop crying. After days, weeks maybe. They’re quiet when you leave. Problem solved? Again, no.

What’s happened is learned helplessness. Your dog has learned that nothing they do matters. They cry for help and no one comes. So they stop asking.

The anxiety is still there. The panic is still flooding their system. They’ve just learned that signaling it doesn’t help, so they shut down.

It’s not calm. It’s giving up.

If your dog was terrified of thunderstorms, would you leave them alone in a room during a storm to get over it? Some people would.

But most of us recognize that’s not how fear works. You don’t cure a phobia by forcing someone through it and hoping they stop panicking eventually.

Separation anxiety is panic. It’s a panic disorder. We’re asking the dog to just stop panicking by themselves while the thing they’re terrified of is happening. It doesn’t work like that.

And of top of that, we’re telling them “No point crying for help. I’m not listening!”

But what’s wrong with dogs learning that when they need us we will be there for them?

So if you’ve ever tried letting your dog cry it out, or someone told you to try this - you’re not a bad person.

You’ve been given bad information by people who should know better. This is old-school thinking that ignores what we actually know about how fear works.

What does work? Systematic desensitization. Staying under threshold.

Teaching your dog that being alone is safe by building up their tolerance gradually.

It’s slower. It’s boring.

But it works because you’re teaching your dog they can handle being alone, not teaching them that crying for help gets them nowhere. And you're teaching them they can trust you to help them feel safe.

That's priceless.

16/11/2025

16/11/2025

Gadget and Vivi want to remind you seniors aren’t “less adoptable”—they’re just sometimes overlooked.

This November, help us change that. Share your favourite picture of your senior dog in the comments below🐾❤️

11/11/2025

Purple poppies are for all the animals that served during the wars. They sacrificed their lives fighting a battle they didnt understand, and continue to guard their humans who still need comfort. 💜

11/11/2025

Today we remember those men and women who gave their lives for our country.
Those who served in conflict or war and never made it home.
Those who physically came home, but lost the most important part of them on the battlefield.

We also remember the animals who paid the ultimate price to help their humans, and selflessly gave their all to their handlers.

We thank them and their families for their service.
Their sacrifice will not be forgotten.

We Will Remember Them

🌹

09/11/2025

A friendly reminder to reward the good! 💜🐾

09/11/2025

🙄

09/11/2025

They're just "off".
Something has unsettled them and we just cant see it.
There's no dog around.
No people either, but they are struggling.
Time to look a bit deeper.

Candles, diffusers and even a change of your perfume can be deeply unsettling for a dog.
If you have two dogs and need to take one to the vet or the groomers, sometimes the welcome home is confusing.
Colder or even aggressive.
Their friend looks the same but they smell totally different (and scent is everything to a dog).

Of course dogs can be stressed by storms but before that thunder and lightning they may be acutely aware of a change in the atmosphere, long before we even notice.
It doesn't need to be an actual storm either, a change of weather is sometimes enough to unsettle dogs.

Those ultrasonic devices we have in our homes, the pest control devices can cause dogs anxiety but so can our modern TVs and devices on standby. Some can emit high frequency sounds that we can barely hear. Even a heat pump turning itself on and off and adjusting output can trigger dogs and even the compressor unit outside cause stress.

We often think of triggers they can see and miss all the other ways our dogs can be affected.

Back to the candles, oil burners and plug in air freshener units for a second.
They may be pleasant for us, but deeply disturbing for a dog.
For some dogs, they can really take a toll.

Maybe rethink if you really need them.

You may be surprised just how relaxed your dog is when you don't use them.

05/11/2025

When we change our wording and think of the real need behind the behaviour. We can meet it with more purpose and calm.

05/11/2025