Cambridge Dogs

17/08/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/PWBq14cq9W99yFiC/. This is a great example of gaze alternation being used to communicate across species.

30/07/2024

https://www.bluecross.org.uk/protecting-your-postie Upcoming webinar on how to prevent problems with deliveries at the door. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/jul/30/sinister-shocking-rise-of-dog-attacks-on-postal-workers It's truly shocking that 42 postal workers are attacked by dogs EVERY WEEK in the UK. The reality is that we base our expectations of dogs on movies, carefully curated social media, and the past, when we had different lives with dogs (and different dogs).

In the past five years, 1,000 postal workers have had a finger partly or fully bitten off through a letterbox. Many others have experienced horrific, life-changing injuries, too. Why is this problem suddenly so much worse?

11/07/2024

Buying from a breeder - what should you avoid?

• Anything involving a motorway service station.
• Anyone who won’t show you where the pups
were born and kept.
• Any pet not born and kept in a home.
• Taking a pet to “save it from…”
If you buy a pet from a bad breeder you become
part of the problem because you are encouraging
them to breed again.
(Credit: David Ryan)

24/06/2024

The Met Office has issued a yellow heat health alert for England starting today.
Unlike us, dogs do not have sweat glands to help them stay cool. Instead, they control their body temperature via mainly panting – rapid, shallow breathing which increases the evaporation of water from the airways and nose cavity. More effort goes into panting than normal breathing, and this generates further heat.

Although overheating can be a potential problem for all dogs, regardless of their breed and conformation, brachycephalic dogs are particularly susceptible to heat stress. This is because dogs with upper airway obstruction have compromised movement of air into and out of the lungs and even more effort is required to open the airway. As a consequence, the additional heat load cannot be dissipated effectively.

Therefore, we recommend the following for all dogs and especially BOAS dogs:
🌅 Walk early or after dusk, keep it short
🏠 Avoid hot spots indoors
💧 Keep them hydrated
🧊 Use cooling jackets/mats or a paddling pool

11/06/2024

https://www.hoperescue.org.uk/Blog/dog-collars-vs-harnesses Great blog article about collars vs. harnesses from Hope Rescue. The harnesses they list are my favourites too: TTouch, Perfect FIt and Ruffwear.

A guide to choosing between a collar or harness for your dog, based on their wellbeing.

11/06/2024

07/06/2024

Some of the lovely pups from our last puppy course!

07/06/2024

Space available on our upcoming Puppy and Adult Beginners courses, starting Tuesday 11 June. This is our last course before the summer break. Please email [email protected] for further details.

17/05/2024

" There is no one else who is going to be as committed to your dog as you are. Your job is to educate your dog and protect him from whatever life throws at both of you" Emma Parsons

17/05/2024

Today I saw three very different dogs for three very different reasons but I said the following to all three because these 3 simple things can transform your dog's experience outside.

𝙎𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣
You're not power walking or trying to squeeze the maximum amount of steps into the shortest amount of time. You're just spending some quality time outdoors with your pal. Slow down. Be present.

𝙐𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙫𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣
A longer lead allows for more freedom of movement, more natural movement, allows you to see more clearly where your dog chooses to be and results in less time under tension. The minimum I'd suggest is 6 feet.

𝙇𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙨𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙛
We are visual creatures. Our dogs are olfactory creatures. They make sense of the world around them through smell. They obtain information via scent in ways we can't even conceive...who has passed by? how long ago? were they humans? dogs? rabbits? mice? Were they boys? girls? what's their reproductive status? old? young? healthy? ill? relaxed? stressed? Taking a dog for a walk and not allowing them to sniff is like asking a person to walk around blindfolded.

I say these things to new puppy owners, to the owners of dogs who pull on the lead, whose dogs are reactive or frustrated or overexcited or anxious.

I say it to almost everyone because these three simple things can make a 𝙝𝙪𝙜𝙚 difference to your dog's experience and, as a result, to their behaviour. It can settle dogs who are overwhelmed or overexcited by the world. It can help busy, frantic dogs drop down a gear or two. It can build confidence by allowing a dog to gather information about the world around them.

Try these three simple things the next time you are out with your dog and see how it changes the experience for both of you...

06/05/2024

"The human can invite the dog over, but it is the dog who decides whether to approach the human, not the human who approaches the dog" (Laura VanArendonk Baugh)

01/05/2024

Sharing again as this is so, so very important. Yes you want to get your puppy out as soon as possible. They are not other people's property and you are under no obligation to let anyone/everyone touch them. The best way a puppy can exercise their curiosity and communicate they would like to interact or not is by approaching or moving/staying away. They cannot do this if you are holding them!

BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR VERY CUTE PUPPY..

Or they may grow up to be worried about people..

All puppies are adorable but some seem to get much more attention than others. If they have unusual markings, or are a rare breed or look like a teddy bear or are absolutely tiny, they may get even more attention than your average pup.

Your very cute puppy may get loads of attention from people. You may get groups of kids reaching to touch them, people trying to pick them up etc. it may feel like this is great socialisation for them but it may be too much for some puppies.

I see so many clients with gorgeous dogs and their adult dogs have become reactive to people and may bark or snap if people reach out to touch them. There are many reasons this can develop but a significant one is that cute puppies can sometimes get overwhelmed by well meaning strangers when they are tiny.

Some puppies can find all this attention and the 8 million hands trying to stroke them too much and then you risk them being overwhelmed and becoming worried at a young age.

Socialisation, where we help puppies to feel comfortable to all the things will experience as an adult, can actually result in sensitisation. If puppies are sensitised they grow up to be scared of the things you exposed them to, and in adult dogs, this can result in anxiety that comes out as barking, lunging, growing or snapping at people if they find them scary. Puppies absolutely need exposure to lots of nice people of all different ages and types but it needs to be done sensitively and shouldn’t be a free for all. We need to manage socialisation so that it’s fun and feels safe for our puppies.

It’s a really important skill to be able to judge if your puppy is doing okay during socialisation and an even more important skill to know what to do if they aren’t coping.

When you are out with your puppy observe their body language carefully- are they wagging softly and trying to approach the person who wants to say hi to them? Are they able to eat treats and is their body looking soft and relaxed? If they are backing away, yawning, cowering or their tail is tucked then we need to advocate for pup and say ‘sorry they don’t want to say hi right now’

It’s often easier to see pups body language if they are on the ground and not being held by you. If they are being held it can be hard to tell if they are trying to move away and don’t want to be touched.

Be careful how people interact with them- not too many friendly hands reaching out at once, don’t let them get overwhelmed and don’t let people pick them up if they don’t want to be picked up (most puppies would prefer to stay on the ground). Try and make sure people use 1 hand and not 2 to stroke pup (this avoids hands clamping either side of pups face), ask people to stroke for a few seconds and then stop- if pup has had enough and doesn’t ask for more affection we need to respect that and move away. If your puppy has had enough, get them out of the situation and don’t ever worry about offending people- your puppy’s emotional needs come first.

My first puppy as an adult was my northern inuit Elsa, pictured here. She had striking facial markings and was an unusual breed so people were magnetised to her. Kids would surround her and hands would constantly reach out to touch her wherever we went. I probably oversocialised her and she was most likely overwhelmed by too many friendly people looking back, she was much more sensitive than I first realised. She grew up to not love new people much (she absolutely adored all dogs) and her extensive socialisation may have been part of the reason why.

I never ever made the same mistake again with all the puppies I’ve had since and I advise my clients to tailor the socialisation experience to their own pup. Some confident puppies lap up all the exposure to people you can give them and don’t find any of it overwhelming and some more sensitive puppies need a much more controlled and careful socialisation. If you aren’t sure what your puppy needs, getting professional help before any issues develop can be a good idea to get you off on the right track from the start.

If you’re now in the position of having an adult dog who reacts to people and you think it may be as they were overwhelmed as a puppy, don’t blame yourself. It can be hard to judge and we all do the best we can at the time. There are often many factors that contribute including genetic traits, pain and ill health and very early experiences too. Getting professional help can help sensitive adults to feel happier around people too.

Laura McAuliffe 2024, Dog Communication

25/04/2024

Due to demand, we are starting an additional puppy course on Saturday at 10am, from Saturday 4 May. If you have just welcomed a new pup into your home and would like to join us please email [email protected]. Our classes are vet-recommended, with highly experienced and qualified ABTC registered instructors using reward-based methods. The early weeks of teaching your puppy how to live with you in our human world are so important and can make all the difference when they head towards adolescence and adulthood.

17/04/2024

https://www.battersea.org.uk/pet-advice/dog-advice/how-introduce-your-dog-other-dogs-walks Great advice and lovely video demo on how to greet other dogs.

Find out how to greet your dog with other dogs and create a positive interaction.

12/04/2024

https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/animals/hoovers-postmen-and-oddly-shaped-rocks-the-terrible-dangers-i-protect-you-from-by-barking-by-your-dog-20240412246874

IT’S a scary world out there for you humans. Luckily I’m always there to protect you with my terrifying barking abilities. Here are the threats I keep at bay every single day.

10/04/2024

You are responsible for keeping your dog under control. If you're struggling to teach your dog a recall, or if they show behaviours around other dogs or people that may be perceived as putting them at risk, please contact us or a reputable ABTC dog trainer.

We are aware of an incident involving an attack on a small dog by two Alsatians in Bar Hill a couple of weeks ago and enquiries into the matter are ongoing.

Dog owners are responsible for keeping their dogs under control and preventing possible harm being caused to other animals or people. This is a reminder to keep your dogs on leads when out in public, especially when approaching another dog or people that you do not know.

For more information on nuisance animals and advice on how to report, please visit our website 👉 https://orlo.uk/qtQQn

04/04/2024

"Most adopted dogs need time to mentally 'decompress' after spending time in a rescue environment and it can take a while for them to settle in to a new home. Giving them time and taking a sensitive approach is important" Caroline Clark

14/03/2024

I made this fuelled on oxytocin whilst handrearing a Twig 😂 we expect so much of puppies and take them away from everything they know and expect them to fit in our world with minimal fuss. In reality, we should be striving to understand and meet their needs as actually it’s not that difficult if you have the right mindset ❤️

10/03/2024

Some lovely tips here. Who else has special songs to sing to your dog when you're doing certain rituals?

These simple exercises can foster a deeper connection with your dog and improve your mental health

08/03/2024

HELPING ANXIOUS DOGS WITH VET VISITS

I help many clients whose dogs are very fearful at the vets and they have my total empathy as my inuit has really struggled with vet visits in the past and has needed lots of help with this. My clients have done brilliantly and I’ve finally had the time to work on my own dog 😁 My Inuit is so scared at the vets (after a bad experience) that she uses flight and would try to go through a window, up the chimney etc as she’s just so scared, she’s unable to eat etc as she shows a panic response. We’ve generally sedated her when she’s needed vet treatment as she finds being at the vets so stressful (thankfully she hasn’t needed much vet treatment ever!)

I had the most amazing vet visit this week which couldn’t have gone any better. Sylvi let the vet listen to her heart, she let her look at her bum (the reason we had gone), she was weighed, she took treats from the vet and she started to build a really nice relationship with the vet. This is the first time Sylvi has seen a vet (without sedation) for years.

The things which really helped make the vet visit such a success were

* A new context where there are no bad associations. We chose to use a totally different vets so that we have a new start but for other dogs it can work well to use an outdoor space at your current vets or a context that feels different to the one they’ve previously been scared of (different room, the car park, in your car etc). Sometimes using a different branch of the same vets can help if it’s a new place for them.

* Communicating with vet in advance so that you have a plan in place. There are so many amazing vets who are behaviorally minded and who have a good set up to help anxious dogs. I found the best vets, I was on a waiting list for months for the vets I use now and it’s been worth it as they are fabulous.

* Don’t be scared of using meds to help reduce anxiety- talk to your vet (and get behavioral help too) as there are many medications that can help dogs cope better and it’s a good idea to try them in advance to make sure they suit your dog. Sylvi did have meds today but I don’t think they did much as the dose was q low but we have other ones to try if we need to in future.

* Do practice visits before you actually need veterinary treatment for your dog. Ideally you want to start to build a great association with going to the vets. Some dogs might need to just sit in the car in the car park and eat treats to start with as it may be too much to even get out. Talk to your vets about arranging some ‘confidence visits’. We had a longer appointment today and my goal was just for Sylvi to be happy there and we totally smashed that 😊

* Don’t feel bad about asking people to give you space, leave your dog in the car and assess the situation when you arrive. Never take your dog into the waiting room! If there are dogs or people outside that you’d need to walk past to see the vet and who would worry your dog- have a word with the staff or ask people if they can give you more space as your dog is anxious. People won’t mind!

* If you can, ask if there is an outdoor space where you can do some exploratory games- we just let her do loads of sniffing and she was really keen to explore which shows that emotionally she was doing really well. The vets have a secure garden area and garden room which worked brilliantly for us

* Use novel treats- Sylvi is allergic to everything but we still managed to find two totally new foods to use at the vets that I knew she would love. Really really high value food helped her a great deal

* Make sure you have the best equipment- if you have a flight risk dog make sure to have the lead attached to two points of contact (collar and harness) and/or an escape proof harness. If you need to, make sure your dog is muzzle trained well in advance so that they are happy wearing a muzzle.

* Ask how you can help with the vet visit- can you start planning some cooperative care that you can work on at home? Can you hold the stethoscope on their chest for the vet to listen to if they’d cope better with that (we did this and it worked brilliantly)

* Try and keep your stress levels low- I find it really stressful taking Sylvi to the vets as she’s reacted so badly in the past. I act like I feel fine even when I don’t. I also wore extra deodorant 😂

* Take support if that helps your dog (or helps YOU!)- I made my husband come too today as Sylvi feels braver when he is there too and he was then an extra pair of hands to help feed treats while I handled her.

* If it’s not working out well, and your dog gets stressed, discuss a sedation protocol with your vets. If your dog is really stressed it can be better to come back another day for a planned sedation to get done what you need done while they are asleep

This was Sylvi at the vets, she did unbelievably well ❤️ videos in the comments too

Laura McAuliffe, 2024, Dog Communication

08/02/2024

https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2024/02/having-reactive-dog-is-difficult-and.html Zadie Todd's blog often has interesting articles. Key points to take from this: reactive dogs are not misbehaving, they are having a hard time and need help not judgement. And we can make life easier for everyone, including ourselves if we teach our dogs to come back willingly when called so we can pop them on a lead if the situation requires it.

When dogs lunge, bark, and growl at other dogs or people, the dog is having a hard time—and so is their guardian. More awareness of this is needed.

05/02/2024

Cherry Hinton based scentwork course starting soon - great fun for dogs and humans alike.

🐶 Limited spaces left!

🐾Email [email protected]

01/02/2024

https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2024/feb/01/dog-etiquette-public-training-covid

We asked experts to describe good dog manners and how our pups should behave at home, on a walk and out on the town

31/12/2023

Wishing all our clients, colleagues and friends - past, present and future - a very happy New Year.

It would not be right to let this new year pass without recognising the enormous pressure that our veterinary and rescue teams are under, compounded by the imminent XL Bully ban, and express our appreciation for everything that you do. Thank you.

30/12/2023

Some insight from https://www.facebook.com/GoodAsGoldenDogTraining : "Collies are not retrievers.
How many people do you see with a ball flinger at the park with their zippy, frantic, fit-as-a-fiddle collie?
Eyes like saucers, desperately trying to control the motion of the ball that is flying past them again and again and again.
Collies are basically born watching 20 TV’s all at once.
Your collie is a natural born goalkeeper, a master of observation, and in your game they’re losing every single penalty.
The ball becomes an addiction. A dizzying, conflicting brain bath.
That tennis ball flying past them repeatedly is FRUSTRATING as hell!
Collies aren’t retrievers.
Consider the originally bred purpose of your dog and how best to fulfil their innate breed specific needs."

FREE 5-day 'Just Calm Down!' Golden Retriever Training Challenge starts July 29th - sign up via the link below 👇

21/12/2023

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/cambridge-family-run-dog-groomer-28331289 Poochie Parlour has been an integral part of the Arbury community and beyond for so long and very dear friends of the Cambridge Dogs team. We will miss them so much, but wish Maxine and Chelsey all the best with their new projects.

Poochie Parlour has been operated by a mother and daughter since July 2008 in Arbury Court