Sam the Dog Coach

I’ve been working with this lovely and very excitable 8 month old Dachshund called Hugo 😍 Hugo was so bouncy at the start of the sessions that I decided to implement some Freework into the beginning of the hour. This really helped Hugo to be able to calm down and relax so that I could catch up with his human and then move forward with the session 🌟 Freework and enrichment is an amazing tool to help dogs use their senses, lower the heart rate and gain confidence … it’s also really enjoyable 💛 If your dog is extremely excited when people visit then incorporating some Freework could definitely help! 💜 I loved watching Hugo take 10 minutes to explore and sniff - he then aced the recall and ‘drop it’ training that we did afterwards. Well done Team Hugo 👏 #enrichment #freework #sniffing #puppytraining #dogtraining #harlowessex #sawbridgeworth #hertford #ware #broxbourne #gilston #roydon #bishopsstortford #loveyourdog

16 months of Reyna being with us and she has never played with a toy … until TODAY! 🥳 What a lovely breakthrough 🥰 Ivy less than impressed that she now has to share her beloved 🐙 #galgo #galgoespañol #freethegalgo #rescuegalgo #spanishgreyhound #rescuedog #rescuedogsofinstagram #sighthounds #loveyourdog

Rolling! Why do dogs do it?? 🐕 Ivy has never been much of a roller ... so the first time Reyna threw herself to the ground to roll around in something smelly it was a surprise! I was also happy to see her looking so joyful (she was such a nervous thing at first). After a good roll she looked so immensely happy with herself 😂 The jury’s out on why exactly dogs roll in other animals 💩 and other equally smelly delights. But here are some possibilities..: 🐾 To disguise themselves from other Prey animals. This seems very possible ... though I do wonder why they then also roll in other carnivore’s 💩? 🤔 🐾 To camouflage from other Predator animals 🦊 🐾 To transfer their own scent on the smelly thing. Similar to scent marking with urine 👃🏻 🐾 To carry the smell on themselves for other dogs’ information (and pride!) 😂 🐾 To act as a sunblock, Or insect repellent ... not sure about this one as the act seems too joyful rather than simply functional! 🐜 🐾 They just love the smell and can’t get enough of it 🤣 👃🏻 With around 1000 X better smell than humans - you would think that the smell of carcass or faeces would be unbearable ... but who are we to judge?? The nose wants what the nose wants!👃🏻 I would love to know your thoughts on rolling! Do your dogs do it? Do you let them? What do they roll in?? 🤢 It’s a bit of a gross topic I know ... but this is my life now! And look how happy our once terrified Reyna is when she is busy rolling for joy?? 🥰 #dogrolling #dogrollingingrass #dog #dogsofinstagram #dogbehaviour #canine #galgo #rescuegalgo #galgosofinstagram #freethegalgo

“Let dogs be dogs” - Sniffing! 👃🏻 Anyone who has had a session with me knows that I harp on about ‘the dog’s nose’ a lot 😂 But there’s good reason! Here are just a few amazing dog nose facts ... 👃🏻 Whereas we have around 3 million odour receptors, dogs have around 220 million 🤯 👃🏻The part of the brain that deals with scent is 40 times larger in dogs than in humans. 👃🏻Dogs can detect an odour at 1 to 2 parts per trillion - that’s the equivalent of a teaspoon of sugar in a million gallons of water. 👃🏻 Dogs sniffing another dog’s urine can process such information as their sex, if neutered, their emotional state and health. 👃🏻Have you noticed the slits at the sides of dogs noses? You can see them in the video of Reyna. These mean that when a dog sniffs they can get rid of all the air already in their noses - it goes out through the slits and backwards meaning that there is no mingling and the scent going in is much more concentrated. 🦊 In the video Reyna is air scenting in one of her favourite spots - near to where the foxes live! I’m quite certain that if I were to go home and come back 3 hours later Reyna would still be here, sniffing at the air! 🦊 Whilst I’ve not got 3 hours to spare, I do appreciate that by giving nervous Reyna time to sniff it can help her find her bearings and gain confidence in this Human-Centric world 💚 I’m often asked “How do I stop my dog from sniffing” ... The answer is ... PLEASE DON’T! It really will be the most enjoyable part of your dogs walk, maybe even of their day. As well as being a really natural doggy outlet, sniffing has also been shown to lower stress hormones and lower the heart rate 💜 Long live the Sniff 👃🏻🐾 #letdogsbedogs #letdogssniff #sniffing #slowdogmovement #dogssniffing #snifferdog #dogsnose #galgo #galgosofinstagram #rescuedogsofinstagram #rescuegalgo #bekindtoyourdog #dogtraining #caninebehaviour #sigh

“Let dogs be dogs” - Enrichment! 🤗 Enrichment allows dogs the opportunity to engage in natural behaviours such as sniffing and scavenging and to perform parts of the Predatory Sequence safely such as Dissecting and Consuming 🐾 It is also great for providing enjoyable challenges to engage our dogs’ brains 🧠 Enrichment doesn’t always have to be food based, we can think about engaging the other senses - for instance different textures and scents can be hugely enjoyable for dogs 🐶 This video shows Ivy ‘Dissecting’ some Wool Cool that arrives with her @butternutbox delivery . She absolutely loves getting the chance to do this 💚 Dissection is a natural part of a dog’s Predatory Sequence ... as I am a mean Dog Mum, Ivy won’t be getting a chance to Dissect any squirrels any time soon so providing her with Wool is a good alternative 🐿😂 So that Ivy can finish off the Predatory Sequence, I would normally do a scatter search of treats in her Snuffle Mat immediately after so that she gets to do some ‘Consuming’ 🐾 I should say that Reyna isn’t fussed on the Wool even though she has a high Prey Drive, showing again the different desires and likes that dogs can have 💜 I am often asked how stop a dog from sniffing, digging, scavenging etc ... now noone wants their dog digging up their flower beds 🌷 ... but rather than a blanket ban I would really encourage people to think out what their dog loves to do and, if possible, provide suitable outlets for these NATURAL behaviours 💚 If you are looking for ideas on different enrichment activities you can do for your dog, feel free to check out my Sam The Dog Coach Youtube Channel - I’ll be adding some new videos to it again soon 🤗 I would love to know, what are some of your dogs’ favourite Enrichment activities? 🐾👃🏻 #enrichmentfordogs #enrichment #canineenrichment #predatorysequence #loveyoursog #letdogsbedogs #greyhound #greyhoundsofinstagram #sight

Brave girl making the choice to dunk her paws in the river 👏🏻🐾💚

Snuffle Mats! Ivy loves hers and has a snuffle through it every day. We put aside a small amount of her dinner or scatter a few treats in it and find that it’s a great way for her to wind down before bed. She normally passes out after a couple of minutes of good snuffling! This one is by @knaudersbest and is completely machine washable 🙌🏻 👃🏻🐾 #snufflemats #sniffingdogs #dogsoffulham #dogsofputney #greyhoundsoflondon #greyhoundsofinstagram #loveyourdog

It’s my birthday and Ivy’s having a whale of a time. How kind of her to help me unwrap my presents! 😂 🎁🐾 #greyhoundsoflondon #rescuedog #greyhoundrescue #enrichment #dogsoffulham #dogsofputney #itsadogslife #lovedogs

The obligatory “WHO HAVE YOU BEEN SPENDING TIME WITH?!?!” post client sniff from Ivy after visiting @linusgram19 yesterday. I love this hound more than words can say - look at her tongue!!! 😂❤️🐾

Ivy making her thoughts on me advertising to spend time with other dogs perfectly clear ... don’t worry girl I still love you most 😂🐾 #greyhoundsoflondon #greyhoundsofinstagram #dogsoffulham #dogsofputney #dogtrainer #puppytrainer #stmarysputney

Did you know that dog food only needs to have 4% chicken to be labelled ‘with chicken?’ ... so what makes up the rest?? I’d encourage all dog owners to read the ingredients on your dog’s food label to make sure there are no hidden nasties. Good nutrition is so important for your dog’s long term health and behaviour. Me and Ivy are big fans of Butternut Box - it’s full of goodness, variety and delivered to your door. If you’re interested then feel free to get in touch or check out their website - you can get a 75% discount on your first box by following my link- butternutbox.com/SamTheDogCoach :) #readthelabel #butternutbox #ambassador

So great to see her running for fun. Look at her go! #whittinghamkennels #loveyourdog #lakedistrict #greyhoundsofinstagram