Waggle Crew

07/05/2025

A wonderful free resource on canine body language..
(YouTube link in original post)

31/01/2025

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jan/29/vets-urged-to-cut-back-on-flea-treatments-amid-uk-biodiversity-fears

University of Sussex scientist calls promotion of preventative practice when pets are flea free ‘profiteering’

15/01/2025

Rawhide in this form is not a good idea full stop.

For decent longlasting quality chews I recommend ANCO and their low fat options.

We are advising dog owners not to feed their pets specific dog chews from China following concerns from the European Union (EU) of a possible link to serious behavioural changes.

The affected products include 'Barkoo' chews and 'Chrisco' chews. A full list of products can be found here: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/news/precautionary-advice-issued-to-pet-owners-on-dog-chews-linked-to-illness

Reports from the EU suggest that these products have been potentially linked to dogs experiencing what is known as ‘werewolf syndrome’. Symptoms include panic attacks, aggression, spasms, epileptic fits and in some cases death. There is no confirmed distribution of the chews to the UK and no cases have been detected in the UK.

If you are a dog owner and you have any of these products, please cease feeding your dogs these chews immediately. If your dog is unwell and has been fed any of the dog chews listed, you should seek veterinary advice and provide detailed information to the vet about the foods and treats your dog has been fed.

If you are a vet who suspects any cases associated with dog chews, you can report them through the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) Small Animal Surveillance: https://statics.teams.cdn.office.net/evergreen-assets/safelinks/1/atp-safelinks.html

08/01/2025

Please learn canine body language so your not the person doing this to dogs!

12/12/2024

A fab Puppy 121 session yesterday with this gorgeous and rather large 4 month pup! Can you guess what breeds pup might be?

We worked on training around distractions, having fun with mum and calmly watching other dogs.. pleased to say pup did great and also met some lovely dogs to have a quick play with :)

07/12/2024

https://petimpact.co.uk/blogs/poo-revolution/how-dog-poo-can-harm-wildlife-and-our-wider-ecosystems

Dog p**p - natural or not? Is it ok to leave dog poo in the environment? Unfortunately dog waste can pose some serious environmental and health dangers. Dog p**p is not just a nuisance, it can be harmful to our ecosystems and our own health...

30/11/2024

https://www.facebook.com/100063668105874/posts/1098514965614097/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

Why are we so keen to punish dogs? Why is that so often our default position when it comes to teaching dogs? Why is our instinct often to correct the one thing the dog is doing 'wrong' and leave all the stuff they're doing right unacknowledged?

I shared a post recently of two dogs who get overwhelmed when unknown dogs get too close and shout at them as a result. The whole point of the post was that, sometimes, we can push through less than ideal behaviours to reach a learning point on the other side.

But what did some people pick up on? That the dogs had displayed 'bad' behaviour which should have been 'corrected'. Never mind all the good stuff which was happening alongside the 'bad' behaviour. Never mind the ability to disengage or the ablility to stand calmly in proximity to a strange dog. Never mind that they were focusing on their human instead of focusing on the other dog. Never mind the fact they were both calm(er) than they had been previously. None of that was deemed deserving of reinforcement but their minor infraction of putting paws on their human, or barking, 𝘸𝘢𝘴 deserving of correction.

Change takes time. It's a process, not an event. If we wait for perfection and reward nothing less then we'll be waiting a long, long time for any meaningful change. We need to see the bigger picture and work on what's most important first. We need to not sweat the small stuff*, especially if there's some desirable 'big stuff' going on at the same time. But most of all we need to let go of our human conditioning that we need to correct every little thing our dog does 'wrong' regardless of what they're doing right.

*which doesn't mean to say we ignore it. With thoughtful reinforcement delivery, movement etc we can often address low level problem behaviours while keeping our focus on the bigger picture

19/11/2024

https://www.facebook.com/100083259614617/posts/556076813844301/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

Did you know the way you train, or 'parent' your dog affects their attachment style?? 😮

It has been long recognised that a secure attachment style is the most optimum attachment style for human children, as it allows the child to feel more comfortable exploring and interacting with the world, and in the long term being able to grow into a well adjusted adult. The same parallel has also been found in dogs, and that secure attachment provides the optimum starting place for a well adjusted canine companion!

There is now even research showing that the pet parenting or training styles you use with your dog similarly mirror the parenting styles used for human children, and how they impact whether or not a secure attachment will form. With human children the styles of parenting are separated into several distinct styles including:

🔹Authoritative (responsive to needs, solves problems together, with clear expectations and rules)

🔹Authoritarian (demands obedience rather than working together, punishment based and little care of the child/learners needs or feelings)

🔹Permissive (no real boundaries or structure, indulgent of wants and needs of the child/learner)

And..
🔹 Neglectful/uninvolved (inconsistent boundaries, generally uninvolved and unresponsive to feelings or needs).

It has also been found that the authoritative style of pet parenting (shown through positive training, supportive and nurturing but not permissive) has the best outcome for producing securely attached dogs, and that the dogs were 'highly social, sensitive to social context and were more persistent and successful on the problem solving tasks'. Whereas authoritarian pet parenting (shown through balanced/alpha based training, strong boundaries and punishment based) had a significantly lower chance of producing a dog with a secure attachment. Permissive pet parenting styles (training with little to no boundaries or structure) also were less likely to have a secure attachment style (this research did not cover neglectful parenting styles).
This is further evidence, backed by scientific study, that punishment based training does not produce the most well adjusted canine companions, and that structure and boundaries taught with kindness rather than fear is the way to go! 👍

You can check out the study mentioned in the graphic for yourself here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36175745/

And learn more about attachment in our previous graphic here: https://www.facebook.com/DogNerdSussex/posts/pfbid02vKQKArqRNLn44TnsCQi7v4ck565piEE8idrT7rA5jEFN1SZvMGKo6aVnn9cz4yTjl

14/11/2024

This pup team have given me proud teacher moments with the effort they've put in and results achieved 😊

A recent Google review for our Puppy Classes 🐶

We have new terms starting on 2nd December and 9th January in Hove. For more information about our 6 week course please get in touch via the webiste: https://www.schooling4dogs.com/contact

We look forward to meeting you and your pups 😍

06/11/2024

Ball launchers have become a popular accessory for dog owners who want to keep their dogs active and entertained. However, these devices can have negative effects on your dog's health and wellbeing.

Ball Launchers Can Cause Obsession:

Some dogs become obsessed with fetching a ball, which can lead to behavioural problems. They may become aggressive or anxious when they are not playing with the ball launcher, making it difficult to enjoy time with your pet. It's important to recognise the signs of obsession and to limit your dog's use of the ball launcher.

Ball Launchers Interrupt Natural Behaviour:

Dogs are naturally curious and enjoy exploring their surroundings through sniffing and relaxing. However, when they become obsessed with fetching a ball, they may lose interest in these natural behaviours. This can lead to boredom and frustration, causing your dog to become less active and less healthy.

Ball Launchers Can Cause Joint Problems:

Repeatedly launching a ball puts a lot of stress on your dog's joints, especially if they are a high energy breed. This can lead to joint problems such as arthritis, which can be very painful and expensive to treat. It's important to limit the amount of time your dog spends playing with a ball launcher and to give them plenty of rest breaks.

While ball launchers may seem like a fun and easy way to keep your dog entertained, they can have negative effects on their health and wellbeing. They interrupt natural behaviour, can cause joint problems, and lead to obsession. If you want to keep your dog healthy and happy, it's best to limit their use of ball launchers and encourage them to engage in natural behaviours such as sniffing, scent work, exploring and simply relaxing.