CLAWS

17/10/2021

🚨🚨 Happy Sunday furry friends and hoomans alike!!!
It's that time of the week again..... CLAWS LAWS time!! 📣 📣

This week for our 27th edition of CLAWS LAWS, we'll be discussing routine again, why it's important for canines, the benefits a stable, consistent routine can have on both yours and your fur babies lives, and how to set one in place 🥰🐾

So here goes!! 👇

Canines, like ourselves are creatures of habit! We both crave stability and routine in our lives to get us through the day! Take yourself for example; how do YOU normally live your life? To a schedule right? Days of the week that you may be at work; days of the week you may have a day off; days of the week the kids have after school activities, you name it, you plan it!
Dogs are no different! The only difference here, is it is YOU as the caregiver(s) are the ones that set that routine in place for your dog! 🐶🐾👌
Now, may that be the place where they sleep, their feeding time, or when they're walked during the day. 9 times out of 10 YOU will be the one who sets the schedule and builds this routine if you like for your fur baby, and that's why it's SOOOO important to remain consistent with it!🤚⏰

Take "bedtime" and a dog's personal sleeping area. 🛏🌙
Dogs NEED their own personal space and area; a place where they can escape to if needed! 🙏
If it's possible, try and dedicate a separate room for your pooch(es) that they can call their own! Now I know it's not always possible to give a dog their own bedroom, however if separation anxiety is an issue you have with your dog, this is an absolute must! Having their own space will create a sense of security, it'll also make "bedtime" a LOT easier when you're either going out or, simply want to go to bed! 😴🥱
Again, not always possible, try and make bedtime a similar time every night! You'll find with a lot of dogs, the last walk of the night indicates that it's time to go to bed once it's complete! 👌

Another important piece of the routine puzzle is feeding time! 🍴😋
Again, not always possible to keep it to the hour, and I appreciate that, but try to atleast keep it to a time period. For example; Morning and Night. Afternoon only, Morning only, etc etc. Your dog WILL start to expect to be fed at the same time every day when you're consistent with it, therefore minimising begging, stealing of food and controlling toilet breaks! 🚶‍♀️💩😄

Whilst we're on "that" subject 🤣🤣 let's discuss WALKIES!! and how important it is to have a walking schedule! This is soooo important in younger dogs and puppies if you're still in the toilet training stage! (oh I feel for you! 🙈)
Creating a schedule/walking routine is ESSENTIAL in house training your dog! If they eventually work out their walking schedule and how long they need to "hold it" for; guess what?! It'll minimise accidents in the home! 👏
See where I'm going with this.....? Routine is EVERYTHING! 🙏

Creating a routine or a schedule if you like will also minimise discructive behaviour at home. Whether that be toy destroying, destruction of their own possessions like beds, or even worse.... YOUR FURNITURE! 🙈🙈 We've ALL been there at some stage as fur baby owners, 😠 and the main reason dogs destroy possessions is because they're bored or lack some form of structure in their life.

Try and stay consistent with your routine no matter what it is, and remember, it HAS to work for YOU as well! YOU are the one who will be setting it, but also sticking to it; So make sure that you actually can! There's no point in setting a walking or feeding schedule that you cannot commit to, so always set yourself up for success! 🏆💪

I hope this has helped you understand the importance of structure and what's involved peeps. 😄👌

This comes with great sadness but unfortunately this will be my last CLAWS LAWS 😔 I will effective immediately be taking a step back from CLAWS.

For the time being Malcolm will be your port of call for any current bookings and his contact details will be on the CLAWS home page.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your incredible support and trust me, this won't be the last you see of me! 🐾

Lots of love to you all and your fur babies, Laura xXx 🐾🏡

10/10/2021

🚨 Happy Sunday furry friends and hoomans alike!! It's that time of the week again.... CLAWS LAWS time!!! 📣📣

This week we're going to discuss this one again as it's a great read! We're going to talk about how animals perceive humans, and a term called "Anthropomorphism" which I found absolutely fascinating! 🤔

So let's start off explaining what that big complicated word, that I still can't pronounce! 🙈 "Anthropomorphism" and what it actually means.... 💡💭

"Anthropomorphism is the scientific term for the act of us humans applying human emotions to animals"

Think of it this way; Dogs cannot communicate with us through speech, only body language; and although we may think that we know EXACTLY what their thinking, we actually don't! 🐶💭
Take the perfect example; pooch chews up his new bed that we spent a weeks wages on 🤦‍♀️ How do WE feel....? Angry most likely!! 😡😡
I must admit, Elvis as a puppy was a chewer!! 🙈 Brand new trainers, makeup, sofas!! You name it, he chewed it! And it was infuriating!
Now the fact that "I" was angry and that adorable little face of his, 🥰 meant that I personally passed on the "guilt" emotion to Elv;
I mean if I was THAT angry, surely he felt guilty right?? Wrong!! 🙅‍♀️ and this is exactly what that big complex word means! The fact that we either empathise with our animals; feel the emotion ourselves or simply WANT them to feel that way, it doesn’t mean they do!
Scientifically speaking, there's no evidence that dogs can feel the same emotions that we do and it's highly unlikely....
I don't doubt that they feel happiness, sadness or even love, but complicated emotions such as "guilt" or "regret" are highly unlikely in canines.
As with many things though, will we EVER know the truth? 🤷‍♀️ Will we EVER actually know how they're feeling....? Probably not in our life time, but I do find the concept of this term fascinating!
How we perceive our fur babies is all about how WE WANT them to be and act.....🤔

Another fascinating subject in the all things "doggy world," is how animals perceive us! What do they think about us humans...? 🤷‍♀️💭

A dog will normally react differently to a complete stranger in comparison to how they'll act towards their owner or a family member.
Is this because they recognise their owners faces? Is it their scent? Well it's actually both! 😉👌
Dogs have a much superior sense of smell to us humans; in fact around 1000x stronger! And although their colour range isn't as good as ours, their sight senses are also far superior than of us humans!
Dogs are creatures of habit and perceive humans due to their association with their habits!
They'll remember the humans in their lives due to the habits, or the impact we could say, that that particular person has on THEIR life.
For those of you who employ "dog walkers," or are indeed a dog walker yourself, when your furry customer sees you or indeed the dog walker, they will get super excited and go straight for their lead or to the door as that's how they perceive or remember you, due to the fact that you always take them out.
How about the friend who when visits your home always brings along treats? 😋😋
How do you think the pooches will react when they see or smell this person? You got it! Excited!! 😁 They'll associate this person with the fact of receiving yummy treats every time they're in their home.
Dogs aren't anywhere near as complicated as we think they are! You just need to understand their way of thinking and association with things to "get them" 😉👌

This subject can, and will be discussed in further detail on next week's CLAWS LAWS edition, alongside the effects of human emotions on dogs, but for now team, I hope you've enjoyed this weeks read as much as I enjoyed writing it! 💭✍

As always, any questions, suggestions or past experiences are very welcome! 🥰

Love from all @ CLAWS xXx 🐾🏡

06/10/2021

Day 2 of "Can you spot baby Diego!"

This little bundle of personality ALWAYS picks THE biggest bed! 🤣🤣 that's all you're getting from us! 🤫

Happy Wednesday from all @ CLAWS, make it a fab one however you spend it! 🐾🏡

05/10/2021

Brownie points for spotting Baby Diego.. 😴💤

With lap warmers as good as the CLAWS gang, roll on winter! ☃️🥶🌨

03/10/2021

@ CLAWS we like to give back to our loyal customers and supporters alike with our weekly CLAWS LAWS! 🥰

This week we're going to continue with socialisation and how to perfect it! 😉👌

Hopefully you enjoy reading our weekly editions as much as I love creating them and find them helpful and informative! ✍💭
Our aim is for a happy, healthy life with your furry companions! 🐾🐶

Whether you use our services or not, every single like, share, comment and recommendation is sooo appreciated! You're helping make the CLAWS dream a reality without even knowing it..... ❤

🚨🚨 Happy Sunday furry friends and hoomans alike! It's that time of the week again..... CLAWS LAWS time!! 📣📣

Last week we touched on socialisation and how to do it in the home, so this week I thought I'd discuss tips and tricks for socialising your furry friends outdoors with other fur babies! 🐶🐶

As discussed last week the best time to socialise your furry friends is when they are puppies. Dogs are at their most sensitive and receptive between three and twelve weeks of age, so the earlier that you can get your dog socialised, the better. After twelve weeks, it can be very difficult to get a puppy to accept anything new or unfamiliar, however not impossible! 😃

It’s not always possible to socialise a dog properly within this window. Maybe your dog was very sick as a puppy and your vet recommended that you keep them inside and away from other dogs. Or perhaps you rescued them at an older age and they just never had the chance to properly socialise with other dogs.
Whatever the reason your dog wasn’t socialised as a puppy, it doesn’t mean that they have to be relegated to a life without dog friends or free play with others though and below you will find several tips on how to socialise adult dogs, outside of the home 🏡

1. Walk your dog daily and introduce them to other dogs!
Dog walks are great opportunities for your four-legged friends to see and possibly meet other dogs and people. This is also an opportunity to practice proper behavior when out and about! 👌
Walks are wonderful for socialising dogs as they’ll have less pent-up energy due to the exercise and should be calmer and more submissive 😉
Remember not to pull back on the lead or yell at your dog if they bark or act up! This will increase their excitement level making the experience negative 🙅‍♀️
Instead, maintain calm-assertive energy and distract them with a correction, whether it’s a sound you’ve trained them with, a quick tug of the leash sideways, or touch. When all else fails, you can always calmly walk away... 🦮🚶‍♀️

2. Use a muzzle when other dogs are coming over!
If you know that your dog barks or growls at other dogs, it can help the experience by using a muzzle.

Obviously, this prevents the danger of biting or attacking, but it can also make both dogs calmer so they’ll be more receptive to meeting.

3. Safely expose your dog to different social activities! 🏏🥎
Don’t rush things! If you can introduce your dog to one new activity a week, it will go a long way towards helping them socialise and remain calm and well-behaved.

A great exercise that you could try is instead of just taking your unsocialised dog into a dog park and hoping for the best, slowly walk them around the outside of the fence and let them see the dogs play and have fun!

4. Ensure your dog has an escape route! 🐕‍🦺
When your puppy is meeting a person or new dog, make sure that they have the choice to escape and back away. Don’t restrain them while people and dogs come up to them as they might feel trapped.
If this happens your dog may learn to snap as a first defense, rather than to escape from situations that are too much for them.

As always have FUN with socialising your dog outdoors, stay calm and relaxed at all times, your dogs CAN sense your fear and react to our emotions 🥰

I hope this has helped team! As always any questions, suggestions or past experiences are very welcome!

Until next week!
Love from all @ CLAWS xXx 🐾🏡

03/10/2021

🚨🚨 Happy Sunday furry friends and hoomans alike! It's that time of the week again..... CLAWS LAWS time!! 📣📣

Last week we touched on socialisation and how to do it in the home, so this week I thought I'd discuss tips and tricks for socialising your furry friends outdoors with other fur babies! 🐶🐶

As discussed last week the best time to socialise your furry friends is when they are puppies. Dogs are at their most sensitive and receptive between three and twelve weeks of age, so the earlier that you can get your dog socialised, the better. After twelve weeks, it can be very difficult to get a puppy to accept anything new or unfamiliar, however not impossible! 😃

It’s not always possible to socialise a dog properly within this window. Maybe your dog was very sick as a puppy and your vet recommended that you keep them inside and away from other dogs. Or perhaps you rescued them at an older age and they just never had the chance to properly socialise with other dogs.
Whatever the reason your dog wasn’t socialised as a puppy, it doesn’t mean that they have to be relegated to a life without dog friends or free play with others though and below you will find several tips on how to socialise adult dogs, outside of the home 🏡

1. Walk your dog daily and introduce them to other dogs!
Dog walks are great opportunities for your four-legged friends to see and possibly meet other dogs and people. This is also an opportunity to practice proper behavior when out and about! 👌
Walks are wonderful for socialising dogs as they’ll have less pent-up energy due to the exercise and should be calmer and more submissive 😉
Remember not to pull back on the lead or yell at your dog if they bark or act up! This will increase their excitement level making the experience negative 🙅‍♀️
Instead, maintain calm-assertive energy and distract them with a correction, whether it’s a sound you’ve trained them with, a quick tug of the leash sideways, or touch. When all else fails, you can always calmly walk away... 🦮🚶‍♀️

2. Use a muzzle when other dogs are coming over!
If you know that your dog barks or growls at other dogs, it can help the experience by using a muzzle.

Obviously, this prevents the danger of biting or attacking, but it can also make both dogs calmer so they’ll be more receptive to meeting.

3. Safely expose your dog to different social activities! 🏏🥎
Don’t rush things! If you can introduce your dog to one new activity a week, it will go a long way towards helping them socialise and remain calm and well-behaved.

A great exercise that you could try is instead of just taking your unsocialised dog into a dog park and hoping for the best, slowly walk them around the outside of the fence and let them see the dogs play and have fun!

4. Ensure your dog has an escape route! 🐕‍🦺
When your puppy is meeting a person or new dog, make sure that they have the choice to escape and back away. Don’t restrain them while people and dogs come up to them as they might feel trapped.
If this happens your dog may learn to snap as a first defense, rather than to escape from situations that are too much for them.

As always have FUN with socialising your dog outdoors, stay calm and relaxed at all times, your dogs CAN sense your fear and react to our emotions 🥰

I hope this has helped team! As always any questions, suggestions or past experiences are very welcome!

Until next week!
Love from all @ CLAWS xXx 🐾🏡

27/09/2021

🤣🤣🤣 anyone....?

26/09/2021

🚨🚨 Happy Sunday furry friends and hoomans alike!!
It's that time of the week again........ CLAWS LAWS time!!! 📣📣

This week I thought we'd take another look at a HUGE issue many dog owners have; socialising our trustee companions! 🐕‍🦺
Whether this be with other pooches or simply with humans, this is probably one of THE most desired traits we'd like our fur babies to possess for an easy-going, happy life together for all. ❤🐾

Socialising your dog will always come much easier at the puppy stage so it's best to start the process as soon as possible! Although I know this isn't always possible as our babies can come in to our lives at many stages of theirs! 👶👨‍🦱👩‍🦳

In my experience, Leila being the culprit! (As per usual! 🙈) this one took a while....... 🤦‍♀️
When Elvis was first introduced in to the household he was just 5 months old, Leila was just over 2, and VERY very spoilt!
I think she enjoyed being the "only child" at that time and to be honest Elvis, being a puppy, was just so excitable!!
He would try to play with Leila, try to clean her, and worst of all, try and play with her toys, and sleep in HER spaces! 🤦‍♀️ Obviously in his eyes, he wasn't actually doing anything wrong, that's what he had done with his litter mates and his mumma bear in his first home; Thankfully they're now inseparable. 🐶❤🐶
This early puppy stage is the perfect time to start socialisation and to show your dogs (if you have multiples) that it's OK to have other furry friends around them, that they're not always a threat! The most important step in socialising "new siblings" or new furry family members is to introduce them to people and others dogs SLOWLY! Too many new faces at once can have the opposite effect on your dog, encouraging the fear factor when there's a lot of people/other dogs around.

Take your time to introduce new dogs in to the home! Even if they're your first, try not to all smoother your new/newcoming family member all at once! I know this can be hard with adorable puppies but you'll thank me later! 😉

When it comes to meeting new fur friends the same principle applies, as with humans. One at a time!
Here @ CLAWS we slowly introduce our new guests to the rest of the gang one by one as to not overwhelm anyone. The same applies to you at home! If you do have multiple dogs keep them in a separate room whilst your new pooch explores their new dwelling.
Also, If you have children, limit direct contact that they have with the dog at this stage. 🧒👶
Slowly introduce each family member one at a time! Let them familiarise themselves with YOU and your human family first, then start introducing the canine pack! 🐶🐶
NEVER let dogs first meet others unsupervised, no matter how friendly you think they are, dogs can sometimes be unpredictable if they feel threatened! ❌
If you see tension building, separate them and try again later! 🛑🚨
Dogs pick up on our vibes aswell; they have a kind of sixth sense and can feel how WE are feeling, so if you're tense, they will be too! Try to stay calm when introducing anyone new 🙏
👉This fascinating subject will be discussed in more detail in coming weeks as I genuinely feel through experience that it's an important topic! 😃💡

Some dogs just simply do not enjoy the company of other dogs as much as others do; and that's OK! Maybe they don't appreciate being smoothered in human attention either!
Never force other dogs or humans on to the dog if they're not comfortable with it; You could end up with a blood bath! 😵

We'll touch on socialising your trustee companions in outdoor spaces in the coming weeks as there's PLENTY more to share, but I hope for now this has helped you understand a little better how to do it at home! 🏡

As always, any suggestions, questions or personal experiences are very welcome! 🥰

Until next week team!
Love from all @ CLAWS xXx 🐾🏡

25/09/2021

😇😇 Come on now, be honest peeps.....🤭

Who else would walk out of Fidos with ATLEAST 10 new furry friends?! 🤷‍♀️🙊

Happy Saturday from all @ CLAWS; make it a fabulous one however you spend it! 🐾🏡

24/09/2021

As one love affair fizzles out, yep, you guessed it! Elvis ONCE AGAIN went back to the arms of his loyal Leila..... 🤦‍♀️ Cooper is just sooo heartbroken he's since had to check himself out of CLAWS 🤧

Another one starts! The fun here @ CLAWS never ends and there's yet ANOTHER love affair going on.....! 😱😱 Newcomer Inca and resident gentle giant Shadow have been caught canoodling!!! 🙈🙊🙉
Poor Skye will be DEVASTATED when she sees this! 💔

Stay tuned, it's all happening guys and we've got the exclusives! 📽🎬

22/09/2021

This week on the latest episode of CLAWS Elvis is at it again!!! 😱😱😱

Poor Leila! 🤧💔

This time though with newcomer Cooper!! 🙊

There's just no containing the handsome beast that is Elvis! His milkshake definitely brings all the dogs to the yard! 🤭

Has Elvis switched sides...? 🤔
Is it just a phase....? 🤷‍♀️

Stay tuned for the latest on Elvis & Cooper right here!! 🐾❤🐾

21/09/2021

How ADORBS are these two little babies?!! 😍

Meet our newest CLAWS members Cooper and Beau.... 🥰🐾 These little cuties are just THE best behaved boys and @ only 10 months old, that's impressive! 😃👌

Welcome to the team boys! We hope you enjoy your stay with us @ CLAWS as much as we love having you here! 🐾❤🐾

20/09/2021

This looks just like our Monday Yoga Sesh with TJ and Elvis a few weeks back! 🤣🙊🤣

Happy Monday team! Make it a good one ❤

19/09/2021

🚨🚨 Happy Sunday furry friends and hoomans alike!!!
It's that time of the week again...... CLAWS LAWS time!! 📣 📣

This week we're going to discuss Seperation anxiety, what it is and how to irradiate it; or at least try! 😉👌
Now this issue has been discussed in the past, however it's a problem that many dog owners do struggle with and something I believe to be an important issue.... 🤔💭

So here goes! 👇

Long periods of alone time or less attention from owners can cause what's called "Separation Anxiety" in pets, especially dogs. Now, before you blame yourself this is a VERY common issue and something that some fur babies just have!
Whether it's a pre-existing condition or something that our pooches have adopted during lockdown, fret not, it's not permanent, and can be dealt with in many ways! 😄
The top priority in Separation Anxiety is to firstly recognise it, and quickly! ✋🛑

The signs and symptoms can include.... 👇

- hunger strikes 🤐
- frequent urination indoors 🤦‍♀️
- barking 🗣
- whining or prolonged whimpering 😫
- sudden destruction of furniture or toys 😱

Easing this anxiety takes time and lots of PATIENCE! 🙏 Even if you are at home all day, the most important step is to create regular separations from your furry friends!
Ensure your fur baby has their OWN personal space, whether that be a bedroom or simply a distant corner of a room with their bed. Make sure they're safe, comfortable and happy to go there! ❤🛏

Start by sending your baby to that space and reward them with their favourite treat, toy or blanket then leave! 🚪🚶‍♀️
Whether that be just the room, or the house, make sure that you leave their sight! Start with short periods of time, say 5 minutes and work your way up! Do this a couple of times a day until pooch happily goes to their space when asked! It may take a few days/attempts but it works!
This form of training is called "conditioning" and will teach your pet that it's ok to be in their space alone, you WILL come back to them 🥰

Another important part in relaxing this anxiety is don't over excite them when you do return! Love and affection is completely normal from both parties but try not to make a big deal of your return! 🗣🥰

Also, try mixing up your routine before you plan on leaving the house; your dog is watching your EVERY move! 👀
If you always put on your shoes, grab your bag then keys before you leave, change that sequence up! Also frequently put those shoes on or grab your keys, but don't leave. This will make your dog realise that you won't always leave them when you grab your keys, taking away the anxiety associated with them! 👌

Again, this will take time and a LOT of repetition, but easing seperation anxiety not only makes for a happier life for you, it'll also make life that little bit better for your fur babies! ❤🐾

I hope this has helped team and that you've enjoyed this weeks edition!
As always any questions, suggestions or past experiences are VERY welcome! Until next week! 🥰

Love from all @ CLAWS xXx 🐾🏡

18/09/2021

It's not all just scandal here @ CLAWS, there's also LOTS and LOTS of playtime!! 🌴🌳⚽️🥎

Just one of our many park outings this week with the gang 🥰🐾

Cooler days call for PLAY TIME!!

CLAWS; here for all your canine needs... 🐾🏡

17/09/2021

Now, I don't want to say "I told you so" but; I TOLD YOU SO PEEPS!!! 🙈🙊🙉

Early this morning a certain "someone" was caught canoodling with Leila again!!
Now I think he's trying to apologise for his behaviour this week, but refused to give a statement on the matter..... 🤔🤐

All I know guys, is that Connie has since had to check herself out of CLAWS due to heartache and sadness. I think she really liked that Elvis Bear.... 😔 🤧💔

Keep an eye on that one Leila, he may be back in your arms, for now! 🧐

16/09/2021

"Connie!! STOP!! 😱 I think she's spotted us!!!"

Has Leila spotted Connie & Elvis......? 🙉

Is it just the the postman delivering the snacky snacks?! 🙈📬📦

Tune in later to see how today's episode of CLAWS pans out and for the latest goss in Elvis and Connie's love affair! 🐾💘🐾

15/09/2021

OMG!!! I just can't watch any more!!! 🙈🙊🙉

GUYS!!! STOP!!!! ✋🛑

Can you NOT see Leila's sat right there?! 😱😱

This is all gonna end in tears peeps....... 🤦‍♀️💔

Tune in tomorrow for the latest episode of CLAWS and Elvis & Connie's love affair! 🐾💘
✋😵 It's all getting SOOOO tense in here!! 🙈

15/09/2021

🚨🚨 BREAKING NEWS!! 😱😱

On this weeks' episode of CLAWS, newcomer Connie, and Elvis have started a love affair!!!! 😱 Dun dun Dunnnnnnnnnn.........!! 🎥💘

Will Leila catch them in the act....?! 💜🙈🙉🙊
Will Elvis confess his dying love for Connie...?!
Will Connie change her mind?! 😲

Stay tuned for more Elvis and Connie updates right HERE!! 🤯

14/09/2021

How cute are these two?! Who said that diamonds are a girls best friend? 🥰

Leila & Connie, BFFs 🐾♀️🐾

13/09/2021

Good morning hoomans! I fink dis bed's better for me, 😄 not such a tight squeeze for my bum! 🙊🙊 hehehe

I'm gonna ask mummy if I can get one too, it's soooo comfy!

Happy Monday my friends! Love Elvis ❤🐾🏡

12/09/2021

⏰🤷‍♀️

Got a few culprits @ CLAWS 🤣🤣

12/09/2021

🚨🚨 Happy Sunday furry friends and hoomans alike!!!
It's that time of the week again..... CLAWS LAWS time!! 📣 📣

This week for our 22nd edition of CLAWS LAWS, yup 22nd!! (Who knew there were so many topics to cover! 🤯🤯) we'll be discussing routine! Why it's important for canines, the benefits a stable, consistent routine can have on both yours and your fur babies lives, and how to set one in place 🥰🐾

So here goes!! 👇

Canines, like ourselves are creatures of habit! We both crave stability and routine in our lives to get us through the day! Take yourself for example; how do YOU normally live your life? To a schedule right? Days of the week that you may be at work; days of the week you may have a day off; days of the week the kids have after school activities, you name it, you plan it!
Dogs are no different! The only difference here, is it is YOU as the caregiver(s) are the ones that set that routine in place for your dog! 🐶🐾👌
Now, may that be the place where they sleep, their feeding time, or when they're walked during the day. 9 times out of 10 YOU will be the one who sets the schedule and builds this routine if you like for your fur baby, and that's why it's SOOOO important to remain consistent with it!🤚⏰

Take "bedtime" and a dog's personal sleeping area. 🛏🌙
Dogs NEED their own personal space and area; a place where they can escape to if needed! 🙏
If it's possible, try and dedicate a separate room for your pooch(es) that they can call their own! Now I know it's not always possible to give a dog their own bedroom, however if separation anxiety is an issue you have with your dog, this is an absolute must! Having their own space will create a sense of security, it'll also make "bedtime" a LOT easier when you're either going out or, simply want to go to bed! 😴🥱
Again, not always possible, try and make bedtime a similar time every night! You'll find with a lot of dogs, the last walk of the night indicates that it's time to go to bed once it's complete! 👌

Another important piece of the routine puzzle is feeding time! 🍴😋
Again, not always possible to keep it to the hour, and I appreciate that, but try to atleast keep it to a time period. For example; Morning and Night. Afternoon only, Morning only, etc etc. Your dog WILL start to expect to be fed at the same time every day when you're consistent with it, therefore minimising begging, stealing of food and controlling toilet breaks! 🚶‍♀️💩😄

Whilst we're on "that" subject 🤣🤣 let's discuss WALKIES!! and how important it is to have a walking schedule! This is soooo important in younger dogs and puppies if you're still in the toilet training stage! (oh I feel for you! 🙈)
Creating a schedule/walking routine is ESSENTIAL in house training your dog! If they eventually work out their walking schedule and how long they need to "hold it" for; guess what?! It'll minimise accidents in the home! 👏
See where I'm going with this.....? Routine is EVERYTHING! 🙏

Creating a routine or a schedule if you like will also minimise discructive behaviour at home. Whether that be toy destroying, destruction of their own possessions like beds, or even worse.... YOUR FURNITURE! 🙈🙈 We've ALL been there at some stage as fur baby owners, 😠 and the main reason dogs destroy possessions is because they're bored or lack some form of structure in their life.

Try and stay consistent with your routine no matter what it is, and remember, it HAS to work for YOU as well! YOU are the one who will be setting it, but also sticking to it; So make sure that you actually can! There's no point in setting a walking or feeding schedule that you cannot commit to, so always set yourself up for success! 🏆💪

I hope this has helped you understand the importance of structure and what's involved peeps 😄👌
As always, any questions, suggestions or past experiences are VERY welcome!
Until next week team!

Love from all @ CLAWS xXx 🐾🏡