Have a lovely Christmas. Enjoy the new walks and adventures. It is unlikely to be smooth sailing (understatement).
Dogs are ultimately animals, the changes and expectations are a lot. You’ll get through it.
My biggest tip is to protect them from situations they aren’t coping well with, when you can put them in crates or rooms where they can settle away from the hustle and bustle. Leave them at home if it works for them and your local. Do not feel guilty.
Use a lead when you need to and be kind to yourself and them. The overwhelm is real. We don’t need to beat ourselves up over what a bad job we’ve done of training the dog. This is not a normal situation. If they’re young it’s almost a given sh*t will go down. It’s ok.
Overwhelm. Dogs experience this as well.
I see this so often, instructions being directed at the dog left right and centre. Come, sit, heel, come, heel, look, leave…. Etc etc
Along with this there’s often frustration from humans who have run out of patience, feeling unheard.
When there are too many demands the nervous system
becomes disregulated and the ability to process information is limited.
Give them a moment. Does it actually matter if they sniff another 20seconds? If they go the water?
Using your body and moving away once you’ve called them and consistently rewarding them for coming to you, these are easy changes which can calm an entire relationship.
#timefordogs #dogtraining101 #dogtrainingadvice #petgundog #spanielsofinsta #puppytrainingtips #puppytraining101 #labradorsofinsta
I’m all up for weighing up risk vs benefit and I’m a huge fan of play.
So baring that in mind, carrying them and not looning around is ok, ripping them up isn’t usually the end of the world but chasing and catching can cause injuries.
#timefordogs #dogtips #puppytips #puppytrainingtips #dogtrainingadvice #getoutside
Guest season is approaching. Have you tried this super simple trick?
It won’t work for everyone but it’s worth a shot.
#timefordogs #dogtraining101 #petgundog #spanielsofinsta #spanielsofig #dogtraininghack
Firework prep info dump.
- If you need medication from the vet ring NOW.
- Collect boxes
- Stop doing stress inducing activities that are not essential - for example walking along busing roads, walking through town, intense training anything that stresses the dog. Just put it on hold.
- Go for sniffy walks, dogs on longer leads or off lead have been shown to have lower heart rates when walked in this way. Rent a field if you can.
- PLAYYYYY
#timefordogs #dogtraining101 #petgundog #puppytraining101 #spanielsofinsta #dogtrainingtips #familydogs #winterdogtrainingtips
I’m so funny.
I know everyone’s going to tell me that their anxious dog (height seeking is a sign of anxiety btw) hates water.
So just to confirm, this will only give you a breather if your dog does like water and it probably won’t actually fix anything. Although swimming is tiring if they aren’t used to it so it may take an extra 5mins for them to recharge.
#timefordogs #waterdogs #dogtraining101 #spanielsofinsta #petgundog #dogtrainingadvice #swimmingdog #hightide #dogtrainingtips
And another tip is to stop worrying about the sit/finish of the recall. Just make it fun 🤩
Training your young dog around older dogs who are under control is a billion times easier that trying to ‘socialise’ them around a load of feral young ones.
#dogtrainingadvice #dogtrainingisfun #cockerspanielsrule #cockerspanielofinstagram #labradorlife #labradorretriver #petgundogs #gundogtraining
Every single year it surprises me….
#doglife #doggroominglife #hairydog #circadianrhythm #dogownerlife #dogownertips #seasonschange #dogfacts
One thing most people misjudge is the need to train recall when the issue is connection.
#recalltraining #dogtrainingadvice #dogtraining101 #dogtrainingtip #spanielsofinsta #cockerspaniels #adventuredogsofinstagram
Watering the garden can become a big circus if your dog enjoys water. Here’s need some help calming the drama.
#timefordogs #adolescentdog #gardeningwithdogs #puppytrainingtips #dogtrainingadvice #dogtraining101 #cockerspanielofinstagram
A lack of play is being put forward as one of the biggest reasons our children are anxious and depressed and I put money on this research having relevance to our dogs as well.
#timefordogs #doggyplaytime #spanielsofinsta #reactivedogsofinstagram #lightly #dogtrainingisfun
