Paws a While

11/08/2024

Ok folks, I'm away on my holidays👏
Enjoy clean dogs for the next week🤣🤣🤣

11/08/2024

Last week was a bit wild with the weather so I took what I could on the better days. So here's all your little darlings 🐕‍🦺

04/08/2024

Quick reminder that I go on holiday Sun 11th Aug, return Sun 18th Aug. ( Thats next Sun) This is for April's clients who have a memory like April🤦

03/08/2024

This week's mud monsters. This week's prize 🏆 for dirtiest dog goes to Lacy, closely followed by Runa, Coco and Maisie 😂

02/08/2024

02/08/2024

Some of the wee ones this week

29/07/2024

Last week's rogues gallery🐕‍🦺

21/07/2024

This is a reminder that I (April) go on holiday on 11th to 18th Aug. That's in 3 weeks time. Thanks

19/07/2024

Weekly mug shots😂

18/07/2024

Belle Shelby and Polly and Pippa

14/07/2024

This week's mug shot gallery😂

05/07/2024

Ever feel like you're being watched😲😆

21/06/2024

Rocco having a nap and belle, Rocco and pippa

21/06/2024

Hero,Pippa and Shelby and Polly oh and hero covered in mud 🤦

21/06/2024

Belle,Rocco and Shelby and Polly

21/06/2024

Belle and Rocco enjoying their time at the run

21/06/2024

Hayley@furryportraits done this picture of my girls for Alex birthday

14/06/2024

Some pictures from this week. We found a little lost mole on our travels. No moles were harmed , we let him find his way one 🏠

07/06/2024

07/06/2024

Some pictures of your little darlings😆

31/05/2024

Reminder that price increase effective from Mon 3rd June

31/05/2024

Some photos from the last few weeks of your furry friends

18/05/2024

One of my boarding clients has asked me to share this with you. Her little chow chow Nala needs an operation on both her hind legs and she needs support to get her there. Any donations are gratefully received 🤞

Hi my name is Natalie, im fundraising to try and get enough funds to … Natalie Davidson needs your support for Help Nala get alot of surgery on both back legs

13/05/2024

It's is with great sadness that I'm letting you know that Jura passed away very suddenly at home yesterday morning. She will leave a huge gap in her brother's life as well as her mum and dad and me too. She was a loving, cheeky and bossy girl that knew how to wind her brother up and get him going, just for kicks. We are all devastated by her sudden passing 😭

09/05/2024

Lovely day at lossiemouth beach

03/05/2024

Thyra is ready for the road!

We'll see you in a week. Hope the weather is good to you all😁🤞☀️🌞

03/05/2024

My pictures from this week when I remember to take them😂

16/08/2023

My account appears to have been hacked and disabled so I can't get access. Please text or WhatsApp directly while I appeal. Any friend requests are not from me

18/07/2023

This is an interesting post. I got Thyra as a puppy and I'm a dog walker and trainer.I knew all the right things to do to give her the best possible experiences for learning and development and we did do them. People that know us will know that the world still presents challenges for Thyra. Meeting new dogs is especially challenging. I can't fight her genetics I can only support her with the challenges she faces using training methods I've put in place that provides predictability. Thyra is a nervous dog and this means she needs additional support. I've adapted our routines to give her enjoyable experiences that reduce stress in her daily life. This is just the way she is. Despite my experience Thyra will always need support and I can't train out her nervousness, I can only help her. Understanding your breed and accepting not everything can be 'trained out' and that your dog may need life long support or management would be a good starting point. There will of course be things that can help but love and accept he dog you have with all their quirks. The challenging ones teach you the most after all🐕‍🦺

Puppies are not clean slates !
You often hear people say 'get a puppy they are a clean slate'

As a behaviourist and breeder I can confidently tell you this is not true. Both nature and nurture has a huge impact.
A puppy will inherit genes from its parents and these genes will impact the puppies genetic potential to behave in a particular way.
Such as :
Using aggression as a strategy to deal with difficult situations
Sociability towards people and dogs
Fearful responses
Strong instinctive behaviour to hunt, chase, grab and hold.
Trainability including the ability to learn self control as humans desire it
When people breed dogs they sometimes select for specific traits and sometimes not. If someone is breeding for a particular look or just money then these traits can become altered becoming stronger or weaker or unbalanced.

Then the puppy is born and the first 8 weeks learning with the breeder will have an huge impact on the development of all these genetic traits.

My six puppies have all come from the same parents and been reared in the same environment. They have very individual personalities. The training and socialisation they receive in their new homes will only influence the genes and first learning, it won't change their personalities.

So if you are looking for a puppy
Firstly learn about breed traits and instincts and make sure you pick a puppy that will suit your lifestyle. For example there no point getting a breed that is 'aloof with strangers' if you have 3 young children and lots of friends visiting.

Secondly meet the parents or (genes), see what they are like. Make sure you are meeting the actual parents, some people buy in puppy farmed litters and then 'hire' an adult of the same breed to pretend the puppies were bred there!!

Thirdly make sure the puppy has had plenty of early neurological stimulation and learning before it leaves the litter. Ask these questions.
1) What have the puppies seen?
2) Who and what have they met?
2) What have they learnt?
3) How have they learned to play?
4) What do they do if they get frustrated?
5) What do they do if they get bored?

A professional trainer can help support and guide you on the process of looking for a puppy. Don't wait till afterwards for help.

Prevention IS better than Cure. This goes for training and socialisation too, get a professional to help and guide you.

Puppies are building neural pathways with every experience, every day, make sure they're building ones you like.

First Learning is the strongest, make sure you get it right first time.


Written by Jane Ardern BSc (Hons) Dip.CABT
WaggaWuffins Canine College
Bury Lancashire

*Permission to share this post. No cutting and pasting please.