Di's Dogs - Pop in and Walking Service

18/08/2024

Listen to the bark. It's your dog's way of communicating with you.
🐾

18/08/2024

It's shy puppy pop ins this weekend.

This gorgeous one has only just arrived at her new home, so still sussing things out and getting used to her new routines. No pressure, just waiting for pup to make her own moves if she wants to. All about choice. Her choice.
🥰🐾🥰

17/08/2024

Love this post. Even friendly dogs and happy puppiess can become overwhelmed.
🥰🐾

LILY PEARL UPDATE

We are 6 weeks in and Lily met her FIRST stranger (to us) dogs yesterday. It was forced unfortunately. No room to do anything but interact and it was a risk we made going on the walk we did.

Lily is friendly, and by that I mean she enjoys saying hello to stranger people and making friends with other dogs. She GENUINELY enjoys it. She was absolutely fab interacting with the stranger dogs yesterday. We kept it extremely short and calm. The first interaction, perfect, no fallout to it. The second, there was fallout. It didn't help that it was 2 on one. 2 dogs meeting Lily.

After meeting these two dogs she walked away, then when she turned back to see them in another spot she did her shepherd alert bark. Like she hadn't just met them a few seconds prior.

I'm sharing this because EVEN FRIENDLY DOGS GET TRIGGER STACKED.

Friendly doesn't mean they can tolerate anything and everything so throw it at them relentlessly.

If I put Lily through day after day after day after day of meeting new dogs her friendly would turn very uncomfortable very quickly. (We will now spend the weekend doing decompression activities for Lily because she told me in that alert bark that she is at her limit. And I need to respond to that if I want to prioritise her emotional wellbeing.)

This is the biggest mistake we make with puppies too. Their "friendliness" as young pups means we can overwhelm them very quickly by having them go out and meet every single dog in the park in one go.

It's too much.

Friendliness doesn't automatically equal confidence.

Lily has taken a LOT in her stride these last 6 weeks and she has surprised me in so many ways with her resilience and confidence.

But I don't think she's ready to meet stranger dogs on the street yet, or on walks. Every day is a new assessment of Lily and what her next steps are and as long as we keep evaluating rather than just saying "she's friendly she will be fine" we will keep her from slipping into an overwhelmed easily triggerable place.

I will probably formulate some controlled set ups for meeting stranger dogs when she's ready. So far we've done a lot of very gradual meets to make friends with those dogs she has formed a great friendship with. We've not just put them head to head and said "get on with it". That's essentially what stranger dog meets on the street is like and yesterday told me she's not ready for that.

I'm listening Lily. You're being heard.

That's ultimately all we can do. Hear them.

We can't force a dog to be confident in something by ignoring them letting us know it's a little bit too much.

Practice doesn't make perfect unless your dog is ready to practice!

We make a lot of assumptions and therefore mistakes with our friendly dogs. And we wonder why so many friendly dogs and puppies end up reactive.

It's on us, not them.

Even if your dog is friendly, they can still get triggered by seemingly uneventful encounters 🐾 💜

14/08/2024

Absolutely 🥰🐾

Dog parents!

Why is it important that the pet business you choose to help care for your dog is ethically minded?

Firstly, when a pet business acts ethically, it means your dogs are cared for in the best way possible. It means they put your dog's welfare first.

All of the Dog Pros listed on Yappily have been checked and vetted to ensure they are insured, qualified and licensed where appropriate, welfare-led and pledge to never use aversive tools or methods.

This means proper peace of mind for you and lots of love for your pup 🙌

https://yappily.co.uk/

14/08/2024

Be on the lookout for these signs 🐾

13/08/2024

🌟Proud to Renew My Yappily Membership!🌟

I'm happy to share that I've renewed my membership with Yappily, The Ethical Dog Care Directory and have attained another year of accreditation.

This badge is a symbol of my dedication and support for the dogs and their guardians in my care. Check out my Yappily listing for peace of mind 👉 https://yappily.co.uk/listing/dis-dogs/


Another year.
Yappily

13/08/2024

Absolutely. 👇

13/08/2024

This little lad with big feelings was such a superstar today. We sat in a shady area with the puzzle and let him scrabble at the pockets for treats. 2 dogs walked by. The first one he didn't notice but he stopped and looked at the 2nd, then chose to carry on with the puzzle! Boom!! His choice. I didn't need to encourage him or pull him back or anything, just sat and watched him. That might not seem much but it's huge progress. Sniffing is calming for dogs, as is using their brains. These puzzles have it all. So pleased for the little fella, he is doing so well 🥰🐾

P.s. yes, we had a bowl of water too, it was out of shot 😉

12/08/2024

Know the signs of heatstroke and what to do 👇

Please read and share - UPDATED advice based around RVC advice from 2023 studies.

This is new advice and a new protocol to deal with heatstroke.

12/08/2024

Meeee 😂

11/08/2024

👍👇

09/08/2024

Neuroscience. Love it.

08/08/2024

Think I might have shared this before but always worth sharing twice.

If your dog is over reactive, asking/ telling bim/her to sit is not the answer. Increasing distance is and here's why 👇

Many people working on reactivity in their dog teach their dog a 'sit' as a dog/yooman/trigger approaches. This can go without problems for a number dogs.

However, I never do this with reactive dogs.

Firstly, the dog can be put into a position of emotional conflict (i.e pleasant & uncomfortable emotions mixed together) which can increase frustration and lead to over-arousal - especially for the dog that just looooooves approaching dogs/people/triggers.

Secondly, putting our dog into a 'sit'
Prevents them from displaying normal & healthy displacement behaviours & calming signals to both you & the approaching trigger (particulary relevant with approaching dogs) that ease anxiety for all involved & prevent conflict. Your dog has no option of moving away from the trigger if they wish. Thus, other than whether your dog is taking treats, you have little way of gaging how your dog is feeling or if the trigger is too close. All too often, I see dogs put into a 'sit' or a 'down' who suddenly *out of the blue* go from 0-100 and react very strongly to the trigger.

SO. If sitting/a down works for you - awesome. If it ent broke, don't fix it.

But if you're beginning your reactivity training, look elsewhere than a 'sit' or a 'down' - let your dog move.

08/08/2024

Are dogs really stubborn?

What is their body language / behaviour telling you? All body language is communication, so what are they trying to tell us? When they stop on a walk, are they being stubborn? When they won't jump in the car, are they being stubborn?

Think about it.

Do they have undiagnosed pain?
Can they jump in the car without pain any more?
Are they fearful?
Are they super excited because they have just seen their friend across the street and are having a 'conversation' in body language with them?
Do they want to stop and pick up some peemail?
Are they curious and want to watch something they have never seen before?
Are they hot?

And many other things.

Now ask - is your dog being stubborn just because he doesn't do what YOU want him/her to do in the absence of anything more encouraging.

08/08/2024

Reactivity is NOT a training issue.

How many times I've said this I've lost count.

Here are the things we need to consider intead of training, particularly (in my opinion) pain/discomfort, as this is the one thing that is so often overlooked 👇

That is why I always tell people to have their dog assessed for pain before engaging in any behaviour work but yes, all the points mentioned in the article are absolutely valid too. If there is an issue with any of these elements, it will manifest as a "behaviour issue" because that is the only way a dog has of communicating with us. Yes?
👇

"Reactivity is not a training issue it's a well-being issue" - HeartDog with Janet Finlay and Michelle Dart

Did you know that before we even start to think about changing our dogs reactive behaviour there are 5 other steps we should be considering first?

The Wellbeing Framework (designed by Janet and Michelle) is a step-by-step route to considering all of a dog's needs when resolving unwanted behaviour issues. Using the framework may mean that we don't actually need to teach your dog anything new, because the behaviour was a result of the following not being addressed - a well-being issue!

Step 1 is Expectations. We need to make sure your expectations for your dog are realistic and are supportive of both you AND your dog.

Step 2 is Physical Needs. Ensuring your dog is free from pain/discomfort is a vital step, this also includes Gut issues which are often overlooked. The other elements of physical needs are; Nutrition, Sleep, Body Care and Exercise.

Step 3 is Emotional and Mental Needs. Including Self Regulation, Positive Experiences, Providing Choice, Seeking Opportunities, Natural Behaviour Outlets and Predictability.

Step 4 is Social Needs. Does your dog have a Secure Attachment? Companionship? Appropriate Interactions? Does your dog get to Consent to what happens to them? Do they have Play opportunities?

Step 5 is Environment. We can change the environment to reduce the liklihood of the behaviour happening. We can change Locations, Timing, Who is present, Removing Stimuli and use Management Aids (pens, babygates etc).

ALL OF THAT ⬆⬆⬆ Before we get into thinking about appropriate alternative behaviours and teaching them through choice-based training.

07/08/2024

In my defence, your honour, I'm too young to read 😊🐾

07/08/2024

Pawzler this is the modular puzzle system I use for my pop ins. So far, ALL dogs have loved them. They can be added to or taken from, switched around and so on and tap into the dog's natural instinct to sniff and problem solve.

Who knew puzzle-solving could look this epic? 🐶🏰 Winnie did, and she's inviting you on a journey of discovery, one pawzle at a time. ✨

Thank you .the.wigglebutt for sharing your amazing setup!

06/08/2024

This little face never fails to make me smile. Love him 🥰

06/08/2024

Siefer. Dec 2007 - Aug 5 2024.
🌈😢

My little Siefer. She was about a year old when I rescued her on 1 Dec 2008. She was a small, timid little girl with such a sweet nature but had a very feisty side too! Sadly, she never got on with my previous dog, Ginny, so they always had to be separated.

In 2022, she got spooked and ran off from my brother's house where she was being looked after whilst I was away for a few days in a course. By then, she was about 14yrs and had thyroid issues, so after a few months, hope of ever finding her again was slim. We postered and put fliers through doors, did social media etc to no avail.

Then, a couple of months ago, I had a voicemail left. Something about a missing cat.... for a couple of months, she had been living in a greenhouse and being cared for by the owner and neighbours but she was too timid for them to get near her, so they kept putting food and water down for her.

These kind people then "rehomed" her when the owner moved and the greenhouse was dismantled, placing her in another greenhouse and making sure she was fed and watered. Eventually, one lovely lady managed to encourage her indoors where she made a nest in the bottom of a wardrobe and lived happily with 3 dogs!

Siefer came home once her chip was scanned. It was one of those most incredible moments that don't happen often enough. My little Siefer had been found alive!!! She wasn't very well but she was still with us.

Following a vet check, she was put back on thyroid meds and some pain killer. She did improve but had fairly limited mobility, clearly something wrong with her hind legs and front right but seemed OK in herself and was eating like a horse! She put on a bit of weight and her pain killers were increased.

Sadly, over the last few days she deteriorated. She stopped eating, lost weight, became incontinent and potentially had the beginnings of dementia. So yesterday, I set her free of her broken little body.

Till we meet again, Little Siefer, love you 😢🌈🐈

04/08/2024

🎶I believe I can fly.....🎶
🥰🐾🥰

01/08/2024

Oh so true 😂😂😂

.secret.dog.walker

01/08/2024

Red arrows... I mean the White Darts in formation... 🥰

31/07/2024

It was like walking the red arrows today 😂

Nice and cool in the shady spots and the grass still had a lot of dew, so all good.

31/07/2024

Sit? Or not. 👇

Teaching your dog to sit as an alternative to them doing a problem behaviour is rarely effective.

A common piece of advice is if your dog jumps up, is barking and lunging, being unsettled in any way is to teach the dog to sit instead.

This can occasionally be effective but often is not.

Here's why...

◼️ Most problem behaviours are not one moment in time. They are dynamic. Trying to keep your dog stationary can lead to frustration and doesn't give your dog the skills they need when released from the sit.

So sit instead of jumping up, usually leads to the dog jumping up as soon as they are released from the sit. Instead, dogs usually need a way to release pent-up excitement or calm themselves down. Then they naturally don't jump!

◼️ If a dog is barking and lunging because they are feeling unsafe or frustrated, sitting will not change this.

◼️If you teach a sit instead of chasing cows, what happens when you release your dog from the sit?

Instead of sit as an alternative behaviour, sniffing is a great choice instead.

It's natural, it allows the dog to keep moving, it's calming, it's a great communication skill to other dogs (and people) to stay away.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with teaching sit or any other stationary behaviours behaviours but it's definitely worth considering if sit is always the best choice.

30/07/2024

Looking out for these poppets this week while their usual walker is off on holiday (who authorised that?!🤔😂) Obvs a bit warm for walks so pop in visits it is. Look at their bright little faces 🥰

29/07/2024

What's the returns policy on dogs? I have a broken one. Either that or I messed up constructing the flat pack 🤷‍♀️

29/07/2024

I was told the other day to just let my dog loose and that it was ok if she ran up to others. Naturally I said my piece. This 👇 is why it's not acceptable.

Yes, I get that no dog is a robot and it happens sometimes and that's fine but a responsible dog guardian would also be doing their best to teach their pup to be polite and respect others.

28/07/2024

28/07/2024

Caption this 😂🙈🐈‍⬛️