Delightful Dog Days Training & Behaviour

20/09/2024

Happy Fri-yay! Today's pictures with this lovely lot! 😍🥰

19/09/2024

Happy Thursday everyone! Today's pictures of these lovely pups! 😍🥰

18/09/2024

Happy Woofing Wednesday! Today's adventures with these beautiful pups!
Including some play time at Bell Green Farm 🥰😍

17/09/2024

Today's adventures with the D³ gang! 🥰😍

16/09/2024

A late post today 🙈
Friday and Today's pictures! We hope you all have a wonderful week!

12/09/2024

Today's adventures! Weather is staying lovely for us! ❤️🥰

11/09/2024

Today's adventures! Just look at these cuties 😍

10/09/2024

Today's adventures! A very busy day today! ❤️

09/09/2024

When we are choosing to teach our dogs gently, we are choosing to teach ourselves patience. And that’s a wonderful thing to learn and practice.

09/09/2024

Today's adventures with the D³ gang! ❤️

06/09/2024

A wonderful post outlining why ruling out medical issues is MASSIVE in helping explain and resolve behaviours!

Happy that Max and his family have an answer now, hopefully they'll have more information soon!

This is Max. I've known Max since he joined puppy classes in between one of the various lockdowns. He is an incredibly sweet dog and worked with me for a number of years, to the extent that his family and I became friends.

A couple of months ago I got a message from Max's family saying that he had snapped at a child in the house and asking for guidance. They knew the first words out of my mouth would be go to the vets so this had been organised prior to contacting me. Whilst this was sorted out and I was chatting with the family, they were liaising with their vet and so on, Max ended up biting one of the adult family members so severely that they needed a hospital visit. It was a serious bite.

Based on my knowledge of Max and where the bites were happening I was convinced there was something medical going on to trigger Max's aggression. I suggested we bring in Shannon the physiotherapist (FB not allowing me to tag her so I shall do so in a comment) and she agreed with me that she felt the cause was medical, probably pain causing it. Off Max went back to the vets but bizarrely every test came back as fine. Shannon and I remained convinced that there was a medical trigger for the behaviours we were seeing and were a little stumped.

I ended up consulting a number of behaviourist friends up and down the country with a variety of academic/practical backgrounds to see if there was anything I was missing. They all reassured me that they felt medical was the cause as well. We got a few ideas together and left them with Max's family.

This week, we got the news that Max was having seizures. A bit of a bummer of a diagnosis, more is being found out about prognosis/treatment etc so just a starting place for now. But Max's family and I are hugely relieved that we have an answer. His family have been gracious enough for me to share this story to help demonstrate why it is so important to rule all medical things out wherever possible and to keep investigating if you're really sure that something isn't right. I could have taken hundreds of pounds to work on Max's aggression. I didn't because I so strongly felt it was medical that any money/time spent with me would be a waste. Even when his family tried to send me a bottle of my favourite drink I declined because all I wanted were answers for Max and his family. I fought for him as I would have for one of my own dogs.

When I tell my puppy class clients that you have my support for life this is what I mean. I truly do want the same treatment for your dogs as I do for my own and if there's any way I can achieve that, even if it's just by connecting you to other professionals then I absolutely will.

Everything crossed for more information for Max and his family soon 🤞

06/09/2024

Today's and yesterday's photos of our adventures! Have a wonderful Friday all! 🥰

05/09/2024

🤔 I've been doing some pondering on our business's uniqueness lately. 🤔

We know we're awesome, but sometimes it's nice to get these things down onto paper!

So here goes:

⭐️ I’m easy going, down to earth and conversational. You won’t get an intimidating coach with me. It’s more like sitting down for a coffee with a knowledgeable friend.
⭐️ We are dedicated to and attentive to everyone we work with! We will always look for how we can help!
⭐️ Charlie is incredible with her dog grooming skills! Not only is she your dogs salon expert, she is also their best friend!
⭐️ We make sure that your dogs needs are met above anything else! Do they enjoy solo walks? Not a problem! Do they want to make some friends? That's fine too! We always make sure they are in a situation were they thrive!

I know it's important you resonate with the businesses you work with. And I hope you can find some similarities in the values we've shared up there. 👆

So if you love the sound of us, and you'd like our help, why not fire us a quick message to learn more about how we can help you...

We're here to support you and your pooch, so pop us a DM anytime. 💕

04/09/2024

Today's adventures! Can you tell it's Autumn now? 🙈

04/09/2024

🐾 Connection is our biggest business value at Delightful Dog Days. 🐾

To us, connection means we can bond more with owners and their furry pals, showing that not only are your pets safe with us, but we will also look after them like they are a member of our family.

We will always be here to help you and your furbaby out, and we do so with pride! 💕

Connection is the driving force behind everything we do. And we know our client's and their dogs love that about us.

We're not your average pet carers!

And in time, we will be excited to welcome more pets into out Delightful Dog Days family!

03/09/2024

Of course our actions often have an impact on the way our dogs behave. But just because they act differently with a friend, family, dog walker, day care, does not mean it’s a reflection on you.

More often than not we are seeing suppression, the same way we might see children behave better around someone they don’t know well or even us as adults. It takes confidence and a feeling of safety to truly be ourselves. So once we are comfortable we are seeing our dogs feel safe enough to show us their true behaviours, then we can address them if necessary.

03/09/2024

Welcome to Delightful Dog Days! We have tiny dogs, giant dogs, and every dog in-between! 🙈

03/09/2024

GIFT OF THE GROWL

Not all growling is a sign that a dog’s unhappy. Some growls may be part of a particular play style, seeking attention, from frustration, excitement or other reasons. They may all sound a little different and may be unique to that particular dog.

This post is not about different types of growls, but about reactive, aggressive or early warning growls.

When a dog growls, especially when it’s directed at us, our natural human response is to feel offended and maybe even angry.

Surely dogs need to learn not to growl, growling is bad, it’s not acceptable, it’s a problem that needs to be stopped or punished so a dog learns that it’s wrong, disrespectful and unacceptable, right?

This couldn’t be further from the truth! A dog that growls has just provided us with very valuable information.

In their way, they have just told us how they feel about a situation without escalating to a bite.

Dogs use growling in an attempt to avoid having to resort to biting, not to initiate it. They could just as easily not have even bothered to growl and gone straight to a bite.

A dog that growls is trying to communicate how they feel. Ignoring or punishment only suppresses this communication. Punishment increases fear, anxiety and stress.

A dog that bites without the warning of a growl is a far more serious problem than a dog that growls but doesn’t bite.

Look for any other early warning signals that may precede a growl. Learn to recognise body language and specific situations that trigger it.

Be grateful for the gift of a growl – this is a non-violent early warning signal that we need to acknowledge, understand and respect.

It's a gift of clear communication that allows us to intervene, advocate and prevent escalation to a bite.

03/09/2024

🐾 Who Our Dog Training IS For and Who It's NOT For 🐾

🚀 Who Our Training IS For: ✅ Dog owners who want a well-behaved, happy, and confident dog. ✅ You’re committed to building a stronger bond with your dog. ✅ You understand that good training requires time, consistency, and patience. ✅ You’re open to learning positive, reward-based techniques that last.

🛑 Who Our Training is NOT For: ❌ You expect your dog to change overnight with no effort. ❌ You’re unwilling to be involved in the training process. ❌ You prefer outdated, harsh training methods that don’t benefit your dog long-term. ❌ You’re not ready to make time for your dog’s development.

At Delightful Dog Days, we work with dedicated dog parents who want to see their furry friend thrive. If you’re ready to see real results and create a stronger bond with your dog, let’s get started! 🐶💪

02/09/2024

Either you’re ok using methods and equipment when working with dogs that cause pain, fear, and purposeful discomfort, or you’re not. I am not.

02/09/2024

Today's pups! Welcome Ralph to the D³ Pack! 😍🥰

02/09/2024

🐾 Job Opportunity: Dog Walker/Pet Sitter 🐾

Join the Delightful Dog Days Pack!

Are you an experienced animal lover with a knack for nurturing furry friends? Delightful Dog Days, a thriving small dog walking, training, grooming, and pet sitting business, is seeking a passionate individual to join the team as a Dog Walker/Pet Sitter.

About Delightful Dog Days
Established for 3 years, Delightful Dog Days is dedicated to providing top-notch care for beloved pets. With a profound passion for animals, I’m expanding the pack and looking for someone who shares the Delightful Dog Days values.

Job Requirements:
• Experience with animals
• Friendly, adaptable, and physically capable of caring for small to large animals
• Age 18+
• Full UK Driver’s License
• Part-time hours with potential for full-time
• Desirable: DBS check and pet first aid certification
• Ability to perform overnight pet sits when necessary (paid at a different rate)

Qualifications:
• Animal-based qualification (Level 3 or more)

Desirable Skills:
• Friendly demeanour
• Adaptability
• Physically capable to handle various dog sizes
• Good time keeping skills
• Willingness to learn new skills

Pay:
• Minimum wage
• Overnight rate: £25 per day
• Milage and travel time included in pay

Employment Type:
• Self-employed basis

For more information about Delightful Dog Days, please visit www.delightfuldogdays.com
If you feel like you are an ideal candidate, please email your CV and Cover Letter to [email protected]
Applications close on the 16th September!

You can also apply via Indeed!

30/08/2024

Happy Friday everyone! We hope you all have a wonderful weekend! ❤️
We also have a new face in the D³ pack! Say hello to Eddie! 🥰

29/08/2024

Busy Thursday for us all! Everyone had a wonderful time however! ❤️

28/08/2024

DO DOGS FEEL GUILT OR SHAME?

How often have we seen memes like this one on social media about dogs showing their guilt or shame and feeling sorry for their actions like chewing furniture, shoes, pillows, etc.?

It may surprise you to learn, as it did me, that dogs don't feel guilt or shame. The neuroscientist Panksepp didn't find evidence of these emotions in dogs. What you think is guilt or shame is actually anxiety or fear from Fido who is responding to your body language or tone of voice. Look at the ears pinned back, the tense jaw, stiff body and the whale eyes as some of the the indicators of fear, anxiety or discomfort.

Still feel that dogs experience guilt?

28/08/2024

One of my favourite facts!

Did you know this? How cool is that! 💪🏻

28/08/2024

Many thanks to Mighty Dog Graphics for this.... Such a simple message.....