C&S Animal Behaviour and Training

22/09/2024

3 Things your anxious wants you to know ❤️

Your comfort and reassurance helps me feel safe and secure ❤️ Even talking me through a stressful situation can be tremendously helpful.

I need time to grow confidence. ⏳️It doesn't happen overnight so your patience is important. Rushing them can add more stress and cause other problems

New things can be scary and I may need time to adjust. ⏳️Changes are hard, even for us. Small changes to my routine may be enough to set me back in the short term or cause me to be upset. This will get easier the more confident I get ❤️

Do you have an anxious dog? 🐶

18/09/2024

Does your cat wake you up in the night? 😴

It's a really common problem cat owners face but here is what you can do to help it! 🙂

Make sure they have a good play session before bed. This helps get any excess energy out so they are not waking you up. 👏

After a play session, to reward them for a successful hunt, give them a tasty snack or some of their food.

With a full belly and their hunting need fulfilled they should be satisfied to sleep for longer periods! ❤️

13/09/2024

🎆 Firework season will be with us soon! 🎆
It's super important that we help our dogs at times like this, and it's especially important if you have a puppy who hasn't experienced fireworks or you have a sound sensitive dog. 🐶 Our puppies don't know what they are, and we don't want them to be scared of them, and sound sensitive dogs already have a negative association with them.

Halloween and Bonfire Night is not that far away, so starting some training now can give you a head start! 🙌

You can start getting them ready by playing some sound recordings. Start them quietly and gradually increase the sound, making sure they are getting good things while it's happening! Make sure they are comfortable with each level before your progress onto the next. 👏

Create a safe space for them to go to, which can help dapen the sound. Setting it up now so it's familiar and they are happy with it, is important.

If your Dog does become scared, it's okay to reassure them, and this can, in fact help them feel safer rather than them being alone.

The important part is to start prepping in advanced rather than a few days before, or on the night when we remember we have a issue! 😩

08/09/2024

Can you train a cat? 🤔 Yes you can! 🙌
Here's How!

07/09/2024

Do you take away your dogs toys? 🤔

I often hear people say, "I've taken away all their toys as they keep destroying them!"🚫

I always say that's exactly what toys are for! ❤️

A lot of dogs need the outlet of ripping and destroying the toys as it's simply what they are bred to do. Breeds like Jack russels and other hunting dogs are bred to run down holes, find a small furry, and kill them! As much as we don't want to think about it, it's what they are bred to do!

We don't want to fight the genetic need to rip and tear things up as I find they fo onto things they shouldn't. Like our shoes, cushions, or kids' toys. 😫

Giving them a yes with appropriate things, like toys, is a good way to meet breed needs.

It's also just fun for them to do, and it's great that our dogs are having fun! 🎉

If they are ripping up the expensive toys, I always go to a charity shop, take off the plastic eyes and noses and then give it to them! Cheap and fun so it's a win win for everyone! ❤️

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01/09/2024

Are cats as easy as we think they are? 🤔

Cats have a reputation of being an easy pet, but that's not necessarily true.

If their needs are not met, they can be disruptive, aggressive , or become anxious. 😔

It's important that their needs are met both physically and mentally in the form of play, bond building with you, observing things, like out of a window, and safe outside access where possible. ❤️

Do you think cats are easy? 🤔

31/08/2024

Everyone meet Marley ❤️ Isint she beautiful 😍

I want to share Marleys story as it shows how much pain should be taken into account when working with behaviour.

Marley hasn't been with her current owner for very long. Marley was left at a doggy day care as her previous owners never came to pick her up 😔 Luckily Marley landed on her feet with her people, and they have gone above and beyond to help her! ❤️

Marley was showing a range of behaviours, including
1. Guarding her sleeping area
2. Hiding her chews and guarding them
3. Growling when people fussed her
4. Being wary of some men
5. Growling while on the sofa with her people
6. Being unsure of some handling
7. Growling when certain members of the family approached her
8. Growling at dogs around her backend

After spending a bit of time with Marley, we set in a plan to help her. This includes learning how to read her body language, setting up safe space , and checking in with the vet to see if she had any aches or pains.

The vet couldn't find anything wrong, but given her behaviours, we went through with a pain trial to see if it would make any difference to her behaviour. A suitably lengthed pain trial helps us decide if there is anything wrong without the need to do extensive investigations such as x-rays, which can be done at a later date.

After a couple of weeks of being on the pain medication, we noticed a considerable difference in Marley. Her guarding reduced dramatically, the Growling also reduced so she can happily share a sofa and she now is more willing to greet people. She's also much happier around dogs! ❤️

This helps show how much pain can contribute to behaviour and should always be ruled out before anything else. If we hadn't of ruled out pain with Marley, the likelihood is we would never have gotten on top of her behaviours and would have been fighting a losing battle. ❤️

22/08/2024

Cats often get a bad rap for being grumpy or aggressive, when actually they just have boundaries and expect them not to be crossed! ✋️

Listen to your cat on where they want to be fussed. They are less likely to bat you and cause friction. It will improve your relationship and you'll have a happier cat! 🥰

20/08/2024

Medication is much of a taboo in the Dog World as it is in the human world! 🌎

I'm often met with resistance when suggesting medication for dogs simply because people don't see it as necessary or see it as failure, when in fact, neither of those are true! ✋️

Behaviour medication can be a tremendous help for dogs as they help them cope with their world better, see things as less threatening, and help them keep a calmer state of mind. 🩷

Medication should always be discussed with a vet and behaviourist first, but it's important you find a qualified behaviourist who understands the behaviours they are seeing. 👏

Is your dog on medication? 🐶

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17/08/2024

I'm so excited to announce that I'm returning to university to obtain a masters in Animal Behaviour 🙌

I always strive to stay up to date with the knowledge I provide you and a masters seems like the next step for me! This way you can ensure you're in good hands when asking for advice with your dog or cat❤️

It shouldn't affect me being able to help you, so get it touch if you need advice!

13/08/2024

Cats and dogs don't have to fight! 🐶😺
They can live happily together without any altercations. Here are 3 mistakes you may be making!

😺 Letting your dog crowd your kitten🐈 Not giving your kitten the space to settle and view your dog from a distance can set up a negative association straight away. They can learn your dog is really scary and your dogs can learn not to give your cat space which is not a good relationship for them to have. Baby gates and pens can help separate your space so your kitten and dog can learn to co-exist peacefully without any negative associations!

🐶Not giving your cat their own spaces🐈
Cats also need their own space. Lots of cat scratchers, shelves and spaces where they can't be disturbed are so important to help your cat feel safe and secure.

😺 Thinking it's funny when your dog chases your cat or your cat chases your dog!
I see this quite often, because your kitten or puppy is small we dont intervene with behaviours like chasing, pouncing or pawing at each other. It then becomes a problem when they are bigger and is harder to work with as it's been reinforced for a long time! Try and ask for alternative behaviours like a settle or play with a toy.

If your having problems with your dog and cat reach out to see how I can help!

10/08/2024

I'm proud to announce I am now a separation anxiety pro expert! 🎉🎊

Over the last 5 months I've worked hard to learn the best way to help with separation anxiety and I'm pleased to say I've graduated with flying colours 😊

I now offer a separation anxiety package so I can best support you and your dog going forward.

Having a dog with separation anxiety can feel very lonely and there is a lot or conflicting advice on how to best work with the behaviour. Make sure you work with someone who knows how to help in the least stressful, and most supportive way for both you and your dog. 🩵

Get in touch if you think I can help! 🎉

06/08/2024

🐶Is your dog normal?!🐶

I often hear people say my dogs not normal or not right because I can't take them everywhere, they don't like other dogs or are wary of strangers. I always remind people that this is perfectly normal dog behaviour! 👏
In fact, it's quite unusual for your dog to like every dog they come across, not find some people scary or to cope in every environment.
Knowing what your dog likes and dislikes makes you a responsible pet parent. That way you can avoid the situation or work with them over time to ensure your dog is as happy as they can be! ❤️
Is your dog normal?

22/07/2024

Does your cat like to be picked up? 🤔😺

18/04/2024

Never be this person.

Running a small business is hard work. There are no paid sick days. No paid holidays. There’s little job security. If it rains and you can’t run classes for a week, that’s a week’s groceries you can’t afford.

We don’t get paid for the hours of travel, we don’t get our fuel subsidized. We have to pay venue hire, even if nobody turns up. We go home after a long day at work and instead of switching off, it’s time to do admin, advertising and lesson prep for the next day into the early hours. It quite literally is non-stop.

If somebody who is running their own small business doesn’t answer an email, there’s probably a reason. Maybe they’re totally snowed under. Maybe they’re sick. Maybe they (god forbid) have taken a bit of time off to relax. Maybe they didn’t see it. Maybe it went into the junk box. Maybe they accidentally overlooked it. Maybe, and with my lack of object permanence I do this a lot, they fully formulated a response and forgot to press send.

A one star review, for a small business, is the difference between a 5 star reputation and a 4.8 star reputation. What justifies a one star review? If I took your money and never showed up. If I did a really shoddy job and made your dog worse. If I was rude or unprofessional. If I promised something and put no effort in to deliver. One star is the lowest review you can give. Receiving this review from somebody I’ve never met is appalling.

Because to them, it’s faceless. It’s ’this will show her for ignoring my email!’ For a small business owner, it might be the difference between getting more work or being overlooked. It’s reputation. Because if someone is willing to give the lowest possible review, surely that must be justified?

Realistically, I would never want to work with someone like this, who is willing to drag a business through the mud at the slightest inconvenience. I’ve saved myself the stress of likely working with someone rude and entitled, probably somebody unwilling to wait for results and instead wants a quick fix- something that just doesn’t work in my business. And if this person needed instant responses, it’s probably a good thing we didn’t work together anyway, because I can’t possibly deliver on that.

This was 11 months ago. It’s fine. But next time you’re considering leaving a one star review, just put yourself in their shoes. Have a bit of compassion. Do you really want to attack a business that, in this current climate, is probably just trying to stay afloat? Do you want to potentially destroy the reputation of someone you’ve never actually met? What good can come from leaving this review, because I promise all it will do is ensure I send any subsequent emails from them straight into the deleted folder.

Just try to be the kindest version of yourself. Something minor like this, which they probably forgot they did a few days later, can leave a lasting impact on others.

15/04/2024

Meet Bug! 🐞 Isn't he the cutest!?

I met Bug last summer and completely forgot to post him!

Bug's person got in contact because he was to excitable on his walks! He would jump up and grab and found it super hard to regulate his emotions. We also worked on his recall and engagement out and about.

Bug's previous owners resulted in using aversive methods with him to help with the above. He was walked on a prong coller to help with his jumping up and he was regularly corrected if he did something they didn't like. This of course worked.

Bug's current person didn't want to use those methods but she found that once she took the corrections and prong away, all the behaviours that had been "worked on" came back quickly and with a vengeance!

I see this a lot, as the aversives almost always suppress the behaviour and don't teach the dogs what to do. Instead, all they do is show not what to do, leaving the dog confused on what they should be doing instead! This generally means the aversive technique has to stay there for good for it to work long term, and sometimes a shock coller is added on once the prong has stopped working, then another one until they are having to use harsher and harsher corrections. Thankfully, Bug's new person turned her back on those and wanted to use a more positive approach.

We fitted him with a comfy harness and a double ended lead to help with his strength and we worked on what he should be doing on walks instead, like sniffing!

Bug grew from strength to strength and we slowly started to see more engagement and less jumping up and grabbing.

I'm so thankful he found such a wonderful home and is doing his absolute best now!

If you have a dog who does similar behaviour, or maybe you want to try a different training method to what you are doing, get in touch!

📞📲 Book a free 10-minute phone call with me to discuss your training needs. Just click the link in my bio!

29/02/2024

A really important post!

Cats get such press for their hunting behaviours. I totally get it, they don't often eat wha tthey catch, so it can seem like they are killing for fun and le...