Happy Dog House UK

Happy Dog House UK We are also happy to support any transitions for dogs - new puppy/dog, new baby, moving house, other changes in circumstance.
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Based in West Yorkshire, we help owners fully understand their relationship with and the needs of their dog, then provide them with the knowledge & skills for a happy dog house! We offer friendly and flexible advice, support and training to improving the behaviour of your dog(s) using non-harmful techniques based on your calm, confidence and Connection. Support is bespoke and combines 1-1 and grou

p sessions to support you and your dog. If you have any queries, please get in touch via FB, phone or email.

We didn't do as much today, so fewer dogs to meet. Made up for it by revising some dog anatomy over a drink but was caug...
09/11/2024

We didn't do as much today, so fewer dogs to meet. Made up for it by revising some dog anatomy over a drink but was caught by the husband... 🀣

For all those with nervous dogs and get the 'you should have trained your dogs better'! It's not your fault. But you can...
08/11/2024

For all those with nervous dogs and get the 'you should have trained your dogs better'! It's not your fault. But you can help them.
Check out our HDHUK Firework Fear group if you'd like help and support, without judgement. 😊

I am really tired of the hurtful comments directed at those who have dogs with a fear of fireworks. There are so many accusing dog guardians of neglecting to socialize and train their dog or they are insinuating it is the guardian's response to the fireworks that makes the dog so afraid. This is despite the fact that dogs (and other animals) across the UK are having heart attacks, seizures and strokes, some of which have been fatal. How can a dog guardian's response to fireworks possibly elicit such an extreme reaction to fireworks?

And if this is the cause of such extreme fear, what accounts for the deaths of wildlife and farm animals? Are there people β€˜coddling’ them too? Let's not forget dogs in rescue shelters. If it's our response that creates this fear, then why do rescue dogs show extreme anxiety and try to escape their kennels? They are in there alone most of the time. Such heartless comments are baseless since studies show that there are many factors that contribute to noise sensitivity and a fear of fireworks, as seen below.

Genetics

A study involving over 13,700 dogs in Finland discovered that around 32% of dogs had sound sensitivities and 26% were afraid of fireworks. The scientists in this study also identified a genetic predisposition to a fear of fireworks (Salonen, M. 2020) Blackwell et al. (2013) discovered that twelve breeds or breed types were less likely to show fear responses to noises than cross-breeds and their data suggest that some breeds may be predisposed to fear of loud noises, including fireworks.( Linn Mari Storengen, Frode Lingaas 2015.) Thus, your dog may be afraid of fireworks, due to their genetics.

Pain & health conditions

A study showed that dogs that experienced muscle or bone pain were more sensitive to sudden noises, loud noises and different pitches than dogs who were noise-sensitive but didn’t have pain. (Lopes Fagundes 2018) The same study found that the average age of onset for noise sensitivity in dogs differed between groups. In clinical cases (with pain), the average onset of noise sensitivity was 5 years and 7 months.

β€œAlthough the average ages of the dogs at presentation were similar, the average age of onset of the problem was nearly 4 years later in the β€œclinical cases.” This strong theme of an older age of onset suggests that the pain may develop later in life and that owners seek treatment more readily, perhaps because the appearance of the problem is out of character in the subject. The average age of onset within the control population also suggests that the problem does not simply relate to a lack of habituation as a puppy and that other mechanisms need to be considered for many cases.” (Lopes Fagundes 2018)

Other health conditions can also trigger noise phobias. Conditions such as endocrine diseases, cardiopulmonary disease, neurological problems, and cognitive dysfunction, can potentially contribute to or exacerbate behavioural problems including noise fears. (Bowen J. 2008) So both pain and health conditions can cause a fear of fireworks.

Age

Studies show that fearfulness is most common in dogs aged 4-8 years and that noise sensitivity often increases with age., ( Milla Salonen 2020) Another study that supports this shows that the average age of onset of noise phobias developed around 4 years 7 months of age. Dogs progressing through adolescence also go through a second fear period from around 10-12 months of age. At this time of development, dogs can develop new fears and phobias, including noises like fireworks. As a dog reaches their senior years, ill health and conditions such as cognitive dysfunction disorder (dog dementia) can also cause anxiety, fear-related behaviours and noise sensitivities.

Anxiety

Studies show that dogs most fearful of noises also presented with a higher chance of separation-related anxiety and being fearful in novel situations. These dogs also took much longer to decompress after a stressful event compared to dogs less fearful of noises. (Linn Mari Storengen, Frode Lingaas 2015.) It makes sense that if your dog is already struggling with anxiety, that they are more likely to develop noise phobias.

Survival Instinct

β€œAn extreme avoidance response to a loud firework going off unexpectedly nearby, given the salience of this event and its unpredictability for the animal, can be interpreted as adaptive (β€˜rational’), an argument which has also been applied to extreme fear responses in humans”. (Davey, 1995) From a survival point of view, it is logical for dogs and other animals to respond in fear to explosions. Why wouldn't they? They can't reason that it's harmless.

It should be noted that studies have found that dogs that attend training classes are less likely to be afraid of fireworks however, it is unknown why this would be the case, as exposure to fireworks sounds is not usually part of the curriculum.

Many dogs have been desensitized to fireworks as puppies and have been adequately trained and socialized, and yet they still develop a fear of fireworks. The fact that dogs don’t develop this fear until around the age of 4 proves that often the fear is due to over-exposure, trauma, anxiety or health issues. If it was solely due to a lack of training or due to the dog guardians' response to the fear, we would likely see the phobia developing much earlier in the dog’s life.

Therefore, it is hurtful and completely speculative to blame guardians for a dog’s phobia of fireworks. The real blame rests on the shoulders of those who continue to set off loud fireworks, knowing for well the suffering it causes to dogs, pets, wildlife, and even people. - Holly Leake

Huge thanks to my friends at Canine Principles for their help finding studies on the subject. ❀️🐾

References

Bowen J. Firework Fears and Phobias. UK Vet Companion Anim. 2008;13:59–63. doi: 10.1111/j.2344-3862.2008.tb00529.x. [DOI] [Google Scholar]

Camps T., Amat M., Manteca X. A Review of Medical Conditions and Behavioral Problems in Dogs and Cats. Animals. 2019;9:1133. doi: 10.3390/ani9121133. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar

Lopes Fagundes AL, Hewison L, McPeake KJ, Zulch H, Mills DS. Noise Sensitivities in Dogs: An Exploration of Signs in Dogs with and without Musculoskeletal Pain Using Qualitative Content Analysis. Front Vet Sci. 2018 Feb 13;5:17. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00017. PMID: 29487858; PMCID: PMC5816950.

Linn Mari Storengen, Frode Lingaas 2015. Noise sensitivity in 17 dog breeds: Prevalence, breed risk and correlation with fear in other situations Applied Animal Behaviour Science
Volume 171, October 2015, Pages 152-160 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2015.08.020

Salonen, M., Sulkama, S., Mikkola, S. et al. Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs. Sci Rep 10, 2962 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59837-z

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Today we've been to the market town of Louth. Lovely place! We looked round the parish church, St James', with an unexpe...
08/11/2024

Today we've been to the market town of Louth. Lovely place! We looked round the parish church, St James', with an unexpected guided tour for a fabulous chap, and when I mentioned I was a dog trainer he introduced us to this chap. Dating from the 1860's when the church was rebuilt, we named him Cornelius, after a wealthy local JP. 🀣 Definitely the oldest dog I've met! 🀣
Dog spotting HDHUK style! 😁

07/11/2024

A couple of days in to our break and although I've been able to say hi to a few pooches already, the withdrawal is setting in... 🫣
I'd love to have some pics and pupdates in the comments so when I have signal and battery, I can see some HDHUK faces and see what you've been up to? 😁
Also if anyone knows a counsellor to help with dog addiction issues...? 🀣
Give your pooch an extra bum scratch from me! ❀️
TIA

And that's a wrap as they say. πŸ˜… HDHUK is officially closed until Thurs 14th November! Of course I had chance to squeeze...
06/11/2024

And that's a wrap as they say. πŸ˜… HDHUK is officially closed until Thurs 14th November!
Of course I had chance to squeeze in a Park Walk this morning before we set off.
A fabulous walk, albeit in a really busy park!See you on the other side! (although there will still be posts and messaging available when signal allows 🀣).

This week at HDHUK (wb 04/09)Weds 9.30am Pooch WalkThen no other group sessions until Sat 16th Nov! 😳I'm having a week o...
05/11/2024

This week at HDHUK (wb 04/09)
Weds 9.30am Pooch Walk
Then no other group sessions until Sat 16th Nov! 😳
I'm having a week off and going to appreciate the peace, quiet and signal black spot on Lincolnshire... with a few dog books...🀣
Then we'll be back with a flourish!
Give all your dogs a bum scratch from me! ❀️

Photo drop! 😍😁
Park walk, practice walk, pooch walk, Saturday Social, Puppy Paws and Teen+ pups and pooches.

Welcoming a new dog can be so exciting and rewarding, but sometimes there are challenges you weren't anticipating. Here ...
04/11/2024

Welcoming a new dog can be so exciting and rewarding, but sometimes there are challenges you weren't anticipating.
Here are gorgeous boys Ted and Buddy. They were adopted from their perspective rescues a couple of weeks ago and very quickly it was clear the boys had struggled with the transition and both families needed help.
We've been in communication and started work and both dogs are making steady progress and their peeps are a lot happier. They have simplified things, shifted focus on to building a connection and establishing a routine that works for now, so they can then start to help the boys learn new things.
Full credit to them all as they were determined to do all they could to make it work and it's looking much more positive already! ❀️
What unexpected challenges did you encounter when you welcomed your dog? 😊

Please be aware of goods that are 'too cheap to be true'! There are increasing numbers of counterfeit pet products avail...
03/11/2024

Please be aware of goods that are 'too cheap to be true'! There are increasing numbers of counterfeit pet products available online. πŸ˜”

This is my own old fella, Bran. He's always struggled with confidence with handling and even moreso when he's poorly. An...
31/10/2024

This is my own old fella, Bran. He's always struggled with confidence with handling and even moreso when he's poorly. And despite making lots of progress, a few years ago, knowing he was getting older, we started muzzle training. We still practice every now and again. It just means that if he ever does need to wear one, I know he's reasonably comfortable in them for short periods.
This week he hurt his paw and so we got it checked by the lovely Emma at West Mount Vets.
I took the muzzle with me as it was clearly sore...
And he didn't need it!
I was so proud of him. He was clearly uncomfortable but he let me hold him as she checked the bones, his pads and the nails. Barely a grump! So proud! 😍
We'll keep up the practice though, just in case.
There are lots of resources now to help with muzzle training and it's worth doing. The best time to do muzzle training is when you don't need it. 😊
As for Bran, some painkillers to take the edge off and a paw check every day, and he's feeling a lot better already. ❀️

Happy Halloween! Please enjoy but keep your dogs safe. We're all ready here. It's not really my thing, but it helps my d...
31/10/2024

Happy Halloween!
Please enjoy but keep your dogs safe.
We're all ready here. It's not really my thing, but it helps my dogs and shows willing...
Dogs don't understand costumes... Why would they? πŸ˜…

We talk a lot about advocating for your dog and this is another great example. This gorgeous girl is Athena, sitting wit...
30/10/2024

We talk a lot about advocating for your dog and this is another great example.
This gorgeous girl is Athena, sitting with pup Khyber. Her owner wanted some help with her reactivity and contacted a trainer (noone local), who turned up and right at the start of the session, pulled out a prong collar (similar to that in the photo below).
At this point, Athena's mum said no thank you and asked them to leave.
She was unable to get a refund but she saved herself a lot worse.
Athena is a lovely, calm, friendly girl in the home. But frustrated and unsure on walks.
We have started by going back to basics, renewing and building in the home and in easy locations, before we look at increasing the challenges she worries about.
All credit to her mum for sticking to her values and protecting her girl.
A lot of you know HDHUK is all about building relationship, connection and trust with our dogs and most importantly understanding their emotions and meeting their needs in a way that works for both ends of the lead. Using aversive methods and tools go against this entirely! If you'd like to remove aversive tools from use with your dog, please get in touch for a chat. I understand you may feel you have no choice but you do. Where there is a will, there is a way, and we can help you find it.
Looking forward to seeing how Athena gets on and to help her with her next steps. ❀️
Below is a great article explaining prong collars and how they 'work'. https://caninebodybalance.com.au/journal/the-mechanics-of-prong-collars

Usually during half term, our Park Walk can be a bit trickier with extra people and dogs around. However, HUGE shout out...
30/10/2024

Usually during half term, our Park Walk can be a bit trickier with extra people and dogs around. However, HUGE shout out to this fabulous mix of pooches and their peeps. This morning we had a lovely walk, with the dogs relaxing together, recalling from distractions and connecting to their peeps. We stayed on lead/line with the extra people around but the dogs didn't bat an eyelid! ❀️
So Archie, Oatey, Bert, Billy, Gwen and Eddy all need a good bum scratch and an extra bed time treat tonight! 😁😍

This week at HDHUK... (WB 28/10)Weds 9.30am Park WalkSat 10am Social Saturday 11.30am Puppy Paws12.30pm Teen+Sun9.15am P...
29/10/2024

This week at HDHUK... (WB 28/10)
Weds 9.30am Park Walk
Sat
10am Social Saturday
11.30am Puppy Paws
12.30pm Teen+
Sun
9.15am Practice Walk
10am Pooch Walk
11am Open Workshop
1.30pm Team Reactive

Big dogs, little dogs, new owners, those more experienced, pups or pooches... There is something for everyone! Message to start your HDHUK Journey (or to continue it! 😁

Photos for attention: It's been a big dog week for us! Fabulous GSDs Athena and Khyber, Pointer Ralphie and Rottweiler Pumba. What a joy they all were! More about them later though. 😍

This is gorgeous girl Narla! Having finished her Puppy Paws course a few weeks ago, her owners joined the Open Workshop ...
28/10/2024

This is gorgeous girl Narla! Having finished her Puppy Paws course a few weeks ago, her owners joined the Open Workshop on Sunday to get a bit more help with recall and other dogs. We had a fab session building some of the basics!
Today I've had this pupdate... 😁
'Just had a great session in the park with narla. Got really close to so many dogs that were off lead and she came back to us everytime x she would look but then look back at us. we had a great time with her x'
Fantastic work! Extra bum scratches for Narla tonight!
It can be hard supporting pups as they progress into teens, even if, like Narla's peeps you worked hard on the basics. Happy Dog House are here to help. No matter what you need, whether a new owner, or one we've met before, just shout and we can discuss how I can help! 😁

Look at that face! Meet Amon! ❀️ He's got a fab family behind him who are dedicated to helping him. We did a 'belt and b...
23/10/2024

Look at that face!
Meet Amon! ❀️ He's got a fab family behind him who are dedicated to helping him. We did a 'belt and braces' session today to get started, discussing/working on everything from crate training to walks to engagement to handling puppy challenges. Then we came up with a plan to move forwards with him focusing on calm, confidence and connection.
Special shout out to young owner Daniel who was super keen to learn how to help his friend and did a great job! 😁

This gorgeous lot all excelled in 1-1 sessions. Pippa who needed a team approach with all her peeps to help her resolve ...
22/10/2024

This gorgeous lot all excelled in 1-1 sessions.
Pippa who needed a team approach with all her peeps to help her resolve some anxiety, Mia who needed a clearer outlet for her frustration, Sheila who is a new pooch to her family and needed some help settling in, and Hector who needed a review now he's a bouncy teen to help him relax at home. ❀️
All of them have great supportive peeps who are keen to understand, help and support them, and that makes all the difference! ❀️
If you want help, where there is a will, there is a way! Message to start the conversation. 😊

New What's App group! For anyone who comes to Social Saturday, I'm creating a What's App group to make booking easier! I...
21/10/2024

New What's App group!
For anyone who comes to Social Saturday, I'm creating a What's App group to make booking easier!
If you'd like adding, please drop me a message with your phone number and I'll sort the group asap. 😊
Photos just because... 🀣

This week at HDHUK! Weds - Park WalkSat - Puppy Paws, Teen+, Social Saturday Sun - Practice Walk, Pooch Walk, Open Skill...
21/10/2024

This week at HDHUK!

Weds - Park Walk
Sat - Puppy Paws, Teen+, Social Saturday
Sun - Practice Walk, Pooch Walk, Open Skills Workshop, Team Reactive.

Please message to book a space on the courses, social, and workshop as places are limited. 😊

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We offer friendly and flexible advice, support and training to improving the behaviour of your dog(s) using non-harmful techniques based on their psychology. We are also happy to support any transitions for dogs - new puppy/dog, new baby, moving house, other changes in circumstance. If you have any queries, please get in touch via FB, phone or email. A website will follow shortly.