Kay 9 Dog Behaviourist

Kay 9 Dog Behaviourist Kay Goddard is qualified in canine behaviour, dog training and psychology.
(2)

Using force-free, positive techniques and working with the whole family to create trust, understanding and partnerships

15/04/2024

This explains things so well!!

08/03/2024
I'm posting this again as it's a very valid and often overlooked point xx
04/01/2024

I'm posting this again as it's a very valid and often overlooked point xx

Sometimes the thing to do is... nothing.
Rescue dogs have a huge mountain to climb when they are adopted into a new home, however loving and well intentioned that home may be.
The adopter is eager to ‘do everything right’, give their new friend lots of love, affection, playtime, new toys... but, and it’s a big but... from the dogs perspective, this is really overwhelming.
They are experiencing so much all at once and if they’ve come from kennels, the street or simply changed addresses, they need time to process all the new stuff.

Some tips for new adopters:
Gentle, quiet, sniffy walks in green spaces.
A quiet space that’s just for them.
The option to retreat - don’t take offence ☺️
Less hands on - more smiles and dropped treats as you pass them.
Whisper talking
Let them find their feet and learn their new life at a pace they can cope with.
Sometimes just Do Nothing.

When I brought beautiful Luna (Chaos) home, she was bouncing off the walls, she couldn’t focus, was terrified of everything in the house, wanted to bite any hand that moved too close and spooked at every new thing (violently)
I had to spend a lot of time simply sitting in a space (she chose the bathroom)with her - no talk - no touching - no pressure. It took 2 days for her to calm down enough to finally sleep - after 2 days of manic behaviour. She hadn’t slept at the kennels at all.
Decompressing time is paramount for new adoptees.
Take your time 🥰

Please please share!!!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
30/12/2023

Please please share!!!! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

To all my clients, followers, friends and everyone in my RATS family... we wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Hap...
24/12/2023

To all my clients, followers, friends and everyone in my RATS family... we wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 🥂🎄 xx

05/12/2023

What does enrichment look like?
What does your dog need to do to keep their brains busy? What activities do they like? What were they bred for?
Working breeds still need to 'work' so games that replicate this can replace the jobs they once did, stave off boredom and create calm too.
Remember: if you don't give a working dog a job, they will become 'self employed'!!

How do you provide enrichment?

This beautiful girl deserves a home, a family and lots of love! She's got a lot to give back. Times running out so pleas...
02/12/2023

This beautiful girl deserves a home, a family and lots of love! She's got a lot to give back. Times running out so please share and share and share... Don't give up on Coco! 🤞🤞🤞💜💜🤞🤞🤞

18/11/2023

Please stop buying designer puppies without proper research.
Look at the individual breed traits that are being mixed. Those pups may be coming from puppy farms. If so, you will probably end up with big vets bills and potential behaviour issues and there are literally hundreds of dogs out there needing homes. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Ask yourself who’s needs you’re fulfilling when you get a dog.
They are not accessories - they should be part of your family.
Puppy prices have increased in the past few years and encouraged breeding without care.
Do your homework. Consider what the breeds need.
Pretty does not always mean practical for the life you lead.
Cute pups turn into challenging teens in weeks. Are you ready for 2 years of teaching?? Are you prepared to take on 24/7 care?
Think think think ###x

16/11/2023

It's always lovely to hear from families I work with... I met a beautiful American Bully last week and just received this... 😊

"Thank you Kay, we are already seeing progress. More settled, responding to certain commands, ‘not yours, yours’ is well rehearsed. Giving us his paw, learning left and right. We feel much more bonded with him and more confident in caring for him.

Many thanks"

A brilliant description of how we transmit energy and stress levels to our dogs. When I hear 'I don't know why they...  ...
04/11/2023

A brilliant description of how we transmit energy and stress levels to our dogs. When I hear 'I don't know why they... He's acting up... She's suddenly got defensive...' I often ask what's been happening in the house, at work etc, as this tells me so much.
🐾🐾

⚠️ NEVER underestimate the impact that YOUR stress levels have on your horses and dogs! ⚠️

This is Herx coming down after a week's worth of absorbing my study deadline stress. Today was the last day. You can see the effect my compounding study stress has had on my dog but you don't notice it until there is contrast and the stress is gone.

How does this happen?

Both horses and dogs have the ability to smell something you can't...
Glucocorticoids (cortisol) and adrenaline.

These are hormones and neurohormones that are produced when the mind experiences stress/trauma.

Cortisol in particular is a hormone that, when released in high levels, can be sustained at high levels, unlike adrenaline that is fast acting but also fast to deplete.

Cortisol is an essential hormone for consciousness and alertness, but when secreted in prolonged high amounts has some negative mental, emotional and physical effects.

When you experience compounding stress you won't necessarily notice it because it is slowly compounding (like building blocks of lego).

What you may eventually notice is:
🧨 you become a little less tolerant to things you would normally tolerate
🧨 you may become a little more over sensitive mentally and emotionally
🧨 you may experience memory loss
🧨 you may struggle with a lack impulse control
🧨you may have problems with reasoning and risk assessment
🧨 you might find you struggle with attention and focus
🧨 you may develop problems getting to sleep or staying asleep (insomnia)
🧨 you may find you might develop some anxiety and/or depression
🧨 you may have difficulties regulating your emotions
🧨 you may experience sensory overload problems
🧨 you may find you do things that help you feel distracted from your emotions and stay stimulated as much as possible

These things slowly creep in without you knowing it.

In the meantime, your dog is smelling the little fluctuations and surges in your cortisol levels as the baseline rises to new levels, your horse is smelling it to!

You can't smell cortisol so you aren't even aware that your dog or horse is responding to the information you are unknowingly and unconsciously giving them.

⚠️ This scent is a warning system to your dogs and horses ⚠️
This scent says "I feel under threat, be alert and vigilant of me and around me".

When you release this scent, you will display corresponding microexpressions in your body language to. So now your body smells like danger and your body looks like danger. This is a lot of information for your dog and horse. It speaks VOLUMES and 100% trumps ANYTHING you say verbally to your animal. They'll believe EVERYTHING your smell and body says over what your words say.

And we wonder why our dogs and horses don't want to partner up when we want them to!

🫵 So check in with yourself first.
🫵 Do some deep breathing.
🫵 Check your body for areas that are holding tension.
🫵 Acknowledge any emotions that you're holding on to without having an opinion or validation.
🫵 Data dump whatever thoughts are running around in your head.
🫵 Take a walk and MAKE time for yourself
🫵 SLOW YOUR MOVEMENT DOWN!!!

Happy brain training 🧠
Charlotte 😊

18/10/2023

PRE BOOKING IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AS WE CAN'T GUARANTEE YOU WILL BE SEEN AS THIS EVENT IS REALLY POPULAR

We can at last announce a fantastic offer open to all. If you have a Cat, Rabbit or well behaved dog you are welcome to come along to get them micro chipped for free. Details are in the poster. For cat owners please note that from June 10th 2024 it will be a legal requirement for all cats to be microchipped. Booking is recommended.

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Hitchin
SG53NH

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Kay’s Story

A lifetime of loving dogs led me to now - working with patience, kindness and intuitively, I support both the dog and their human to build the best of relationships and partnerships possible. My favourite cases are always rescue rehabilitation - a subject close to my heart. So from thinking about living with a dog, making the right choices and decisions, puppy settling, dog rescue rehabilitation, behaviour correction and just building good partnerships, I am happy to help!

I fell in love with dogs at a very early age - my first love being the dog next door to my Nan, an ageing border collie called Smokey... my first dog at 11 was a border collie cross called Sheba - my childhood buddy and best friend for 14 years. She taught me how to speak dog! My next dog taught me so much more - a very remedial German Shepherd - Holley - who chose me. She is the reason I learned canine psychology. I simply had to. The teachings she gave me helped my Molly (a Border Collie x Australian Heeler) go from shut down and nervous to bombproof shadow dog - we were inseparable and I miss her every minute of the day. I adopted her aged 6 and she passed on aged 16 - she gifted me 10 of the best, most loving, rewarding and fulfilling years. Now, in May 2018 chance and serendipity has just literally brought ‘Chaos’ into my life! I am in the process of rehabilitating a border collie pup now - 24/7 behaviour management!

I can honestly say to each and every client that I am in their shoes! This pup has too many issues to name but follow her progress on her page ‘Chaos Reigns’ to see more.