Hey Doggie

15/08/2024

Nelly and I are very proud to be asked to attend this event and can’t wait to meet everyone!
We hope to share how much Animal Assisted Interventions can benefit so many people 😊
Nelly will be on hand to demonstrate her array of tricks and to offer her fabulous cuddles to those that might need it 🐾🐾

12/08/2024

Early doors walk for us today,
Nelly yet again being the perfect big sister to Bramble,
These large rocks near our house are brilliant for a quick training session and Bramble had lots of fun jumping on and off them 🐾😍

10/08/2024

Expect the unexpected in the New Forest!
Today we wanted to introduce Bramble to the ponies but we didn’t anticipate or want to get quite so close!
These guys appeared out of nowhere as they had been spooked by some cyclists,
As we have our own horses which Bramble is gradually getting used to, on the flip side we don’t want her to think all horses can be approached,
Bramble coped well with the situation 😊🐾

07/08/2024

Bramble is 15 weeks tomorrow and is starting to look really grown up 😍🐾

28/07/2024

Little & Large ! 🤣🐾🤣🐾

27/07/2024

We have been working on getting Bramble to settle, this is really important for all dogs to be able to do, but especially for the type of work she will be doing in the future,
We have been using a settle matt which she is getting used to and today she offered a lovely settle out on our walk when I decided to sit on a bench,
Bramble you are doing so well ! 👏🐾

19/07/2024

Phew what I hot one today!
Nelly had a care home visit this morning , and it was actually quite cool in there, she loved stretching out on the floor,
I offered her plenty of water and with the air conditioned car she was quite comfortable,
This afternoon I decided to take Bramble to visit my parents, Nelly needed a sleep after her work so it was an ideal opportunity to let her rest,
Bramble was an absolute star and loved meeting my parents, she settled nicely in various areas of the care home and enjoyed lying on the cool matt,she didn’t seem phased by the lift or equipment,
she will be making regular visits to see my parents so it’s a perfect way to help with her training 😍👌🐕

18/07/2024

It’s safe to say these two are developing a fantastic relationship 🐾😍

17/07/2024

One of my regular care homes we visit !
Today we played guess the dog breed, Nelly showed off some new tricks and decided posing for the camera was a good idea ! 🐾😍

16/07/2024

Training is going well!
Bramble really is a super little girl,
Along with my co trainer Nelly ( who is the best big sister to her) she is picking up her cue’s and commands very well!
Our sessions only last a couple of minutes and not always with Nelly as I need her to think independently.
In this picture we are practicing sit & stay which will be very important for her therapy dog work but equally important for all dogs to learn,
In all training we use the 3 D’s to guide us
duration , distance , distraction

Duration- at the moment I am only asking her to hold this position for a couple of seconds.
Distance- she is doing well at this, and I have now increased it to 3 steps back, although it looks further in picture!
Distraction- I am in my field so there are no other dogs around and no noise.
Good girls ! 😍🐾

12/07/2024

Another fantastic visit to Ferndown Family Vets, their whole ethos is based around fear free veterinary care, because I have signed Bramble up to their puppy plan she can go in on regular appointments until she is 6 months old, every visit is aimed to be a positive experience meaning that she will associate the staff and practice as a safe happy space for her to visit,
Nelly is also invited along to join in the fun!
Lots of treats, lick mats and cuddles later both dogs do not want to leave 🤣🐾
This is such an amazing practice and fantastic staff and I am so happy we have registered with them 😄

04/07/2024

A big shout out to Aiden at Ferndown Family Vets for seeing Bramble & letting Nelly gate crash the appointment!
I decided to register Bramble at a new vets and after all the amazing reviews I had read,
They are a fear free vets and offer lots of ways to make visits enjoyable and fun,
Nelly has never been particularly keen on a vet visit but she absolutely loved her visit this morning!
Aiden confirmed Bramble is in perfect health and a very confident, friendly & happy young lady.
Over the next few weeks we will be concentrating on basic training in the house and garden, then when she is allowed out we will be gradually habituating and socialising her to continue her education ready for more advanced training.
Nelly and Bramble are now playing together beautifully 🐾🐾

02/07/2024

Today our new Hey Doggie team member came to live with us!
Bramble is a 10 week old Cockapoo who will be trained by me to offer AAI just like Nelly,
She is settling very well and getting to know us all - we are in love with her already 😍🐾
Follow our training journey on here!!

24/06/2024

Waiting for a client in the shade,
Lots of water and a cooling matt, we adjusted our session to make sure both Nelly and humans remained cool and happy in the heat 🐾👍

18/06/2024

A lovely visit to one of my regular care homes this afternoon,
The session included making origami dogs, grooming Nelly and reading poems, also a request to visit a resident who is bed bound, Nelly was invited up onto the bed where she gently placed herself so the resident could stroke her 🐾🐾
What a lovely afternoon 😍

13/06/2024

Something slightly different for Nelly & I today,
We were invited by researchers & lecturers at Bournemouth University to attend an event called “Aging Well Together“
Nelly and I attended the networking part of the seminar and set up a table all about Hey Doggie and the services we offer, as well as info about training with PAWS Therapy & Assistance Dog Training.
Nelly demonstrated some tricks, had enough cuddles to last a life time and a little bit of snoozing 💤
Every single person commented on how calm, friendly and gentle Nelly was, and we had a huge amount of interest and discussion on what an AAI dog is and how they can help the older generation in so many ways,
We spoke to representatives from a large care home group, Alzheimer’s Society, and a support group for recovering alcoholics, we hope to be supporting and meeting new clients in the near future! 🐾

13/06/2024

Something slightly different for Nelly & I today,
We were invited by researchers & lecturers at Bournemouth University to attend an event called “Aging Well Together“
Nelly and I attended the networking part of the seminar and set up a table all about Hey Doggie and the services we offer, as well as info about training with PAWS Therapy & Assistance Dog Training.
Nelly demonstrated some tricks, had enough cuddles to last a life time and a little bit of snoozing 💤
Every single person commented on how calm, friendly and gentle Nelly was, and we had a huge amount of interest and discussion on what an AAI dog is and how they can help the older generation in so many ways,
We spoke to representatives from a large care home group, Alzheimer's Society, and a support group for recovering alcoholics, we hope to be supporting and meeting new clients in the near future! 🐾

05/06/2024

We are excited to announce the gorgeous little Bramble will be coming to live with us in July,
She is a cockerpoo who will hopefully become part of the Hey Doggie team with Nelly, once she is old enough and fully trained with PAWS Therapy & Assistance Dog Training, we can’t wait to collect her 🐾😍🐾😍

24/05/2024

Another visit to a fabulous local care home! When initial meetings take place between Hey Doggie and home activities coordinator’s ,we discuss how our services can be hugely beneficial to residents, a session with an AAI dog will encourage mobility, conversation, laughter,confidence, relaxation, lower heart rate and blood pressure, who new a dog could help in so many ways ! ??👏👏
today Nelly had a very special interaction with a lady who wanted to give her a brush 🐾🐾😍

21/05/2024

Nelly demonstrating a little bit of indoor agility for residents at the fantastic Kingland House Residential Home, we love our visits here 🐾🐾

20/05/2024

Today while on our walk we had the absolute pleasure of meeting this incredible lad called Patch and his handler Alison, he is starting on his journey to becoming a guide dog and it looks like he is smashing his training!
I think Nelly might have a new friend ! 😍🐾🐾

13/05/2024

I imagine most of us at some point in our lives will be affected by dementia, maybe a loved one or maybe yourself,
My family certainly has experienced this….

From a professional perspective, Nelly and I meet many wonderful residents in care homes who have dementia, the work we do can quite often unlock a wonderful memory of a residents loved pet from many years ago,
We love the work we do and know that Animal Assisted Interventions is so beneficial to people that have Dementia.
We are proud to be supporting and Dementia Action Week 2024

12/05/2024

Interesting read!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/ZxqF8gqTLuTPFo29/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Solar storms and how it may impact your dogs.

Scientific studies have repeatedly demonstrated that dogs are sensitive to geomagnetic changes.

Currently the earth is experiencing a powerful solar storm. It's effects on our dogs should not be underestimated. Especially our sensitive working dogs who are bred to have a heightened sense of direction. Dogs who are anxious or nervous may experience exacerbated symptoms. Dogs are sensitive to even small changes in the earth's magnetic field, this current storm is big and disruptive.

Epileptic dogs and people may be affected. There is a huge body of evidence relating to solar storms and seizures, have a little Google, there's too many relevant bits of literature to post here.

What can you do? Dogs are at increased risk of becoming disorientated in new environments, keep them on lead, in sight, have a heightened awareness of where they are. For dogs who rely on their sense of direction for work such as sheepdogs working hills, search and rescue dogs, tracking dogs, hunting dogs and trail dogs, it might be worth evaluating putting off any work where a dog may get lost. This is not me being a f***y either, I've already heard of a couple of normally savvy dogs becoming lost and disoriented in the north of Scotland, out of character for them.

In humans existing mental health conditions can worsen temporarily, particularly conditions caused by or associated with trauma, where your integral ability to orientate becomes distrupted and makes you feel unsafe, increasing anxiety and hypervigilance. This change in your presentation can also impact your dogs.

Just something to be aware of. As much as it sounds like hippy woo woo nonsense, I can assure you, it's a thing.

"the idea that animals can detect Earth’s magnetic field has traveled the path from ridicule to well-established fact in little more than one generation. Dozens of experiments have now shown that diverse animal species, ranging from bees to salamanders to sea turtles to birds, have internal compasses. Some species use their compasses to navigate entire oceans, others to find better mud just a few inches away."

https://pubs.aip.org/physicstoday/article/61/3/29/413382/Magnetoreception-in-animalsDetermining-how-animals

(Google stock image)

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259472878_Dogs_are_sensitive_to_small_variations_of_the_Earth's_magnetic_field

09/05/2024

A fun morning visiting Matt on location, filming for Love Your Weekend, as you can see Nelly tried several different ways to persuade Matt to give her a sausage…..he finally caved in as she asked so nicely !
She also got a lot of fuss and cuddles from the crew 😍🐾

01/05/2024

It was an absolute pleasure visiting this fabulous care home!
Nelly and I had a wonderful time meeting residents and staff and talking about how Nelly became a therapy dog 🐾🦮
The Potteries Care Home PAWS Therapy & Assistance Dog Training

29/04/2024

A new experience for Nelly!
On Saturday we popped up to London for the day to visit family although we drove up we did have a little train journey ( 10mins) which was perfect for Nellys first train journey, she was intrigued, excited and loved the attention
✅🐾😊🦮
Good girl Nelly 👍

23/04/2024

Someone is looking very smart in her summer uniform! 🐾👌🥰