Canine Conscious

11/03/2024

“Six ways to get more joy with your dog”
Yes, please! 🙏 Love these ideas.

These simple exercises can foster a deeper connection with your dog and improve your mental health

31/12/2023

Can you read your dog’s body language?

This shared post is just one of the reasons I trained with Canine Principles.

If you would like help in interpreting the nuances of your dog’s body language to better understand them and deepen your relationship, please contact me. I’d love to help you.

A significant concern within the realm of online dog training is the inability of some trainers, who have recently ventured into offering online courses, to recognise and correctly interpret canine body language. This deficiency raises serious questions about their understanding of dog behaviour and the welfare standards within their programmes.

Dogs communicate primarily through body language, with subtle changes in posture, ear position, facial expressions, and tail movement being critical indicators of a dog's emotional state. A properly trained and ethical trainer should be able to read these signs and understand when a dog is feeling uncomfortable, anxious, or worried, then react appropriately to help the dog.

There are way too many examples where online dog trainers feature images or videos on their platforms where dogs appear uncomfortable or anxious. If a trainer cannot recognise these signals in dogs that are depicted in their own promotional materials, it casts doubt on their ability to ensure the wellbeing of dogs within their training programmes.

Moreover, it implies a lack of understanding or disregard for ethical training methods which prioritise a dog's welfare and mental state.

The ability to recognise the signals of a worried or stressed dog is fundamental to any form of dog training, and particularly critical when it comes to teaching others about dog welfare and behaviour. If a trainer cannot accurately identify and interpret canine emotions, how can they guide others to nurture happy and well-adjusted dogs?

Alarmingly, the lack of understanding or empathy from some trainers can indeed contribute to a culture where dogs are pushed around or treated inappropriately. Rather than fostering a bond based on trust, respect, and mutual understanding, these methods risk promoting practices that can harm a dog's mental wellbeing, creating stress, fear, and mistrust.

It's essential, therefore, to critically evaluate the online presence and promotional materials of any dog trainers offering online courses.

At Canine Principles, we ensure our tutors and team are not only qualified to recognise signs of distress in dogs but are also committed to using positive, ethical training methods which place the dogs' wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.

By promoting a compassionate, empathetic approach to dog training, we not only safeguard the dogs' wellbeing but also cultivate a deeper, more rewarding relationship between humans and dogs. We believe that our ultimate goal should be to enhance the lives of our canine companions, treating them with the respect and understanding they deserve.

24/12/2023

Please enjoy Christmas safely! 🎄🐕🐾❤️

This great article by London Vets is packed full of tips (not just food related) to keep your animals safe over the festive period. Taking a read could save you spending your precious time and money at the emergency vets over the holidays, not to mention saving your precious animals from distress.

Note: With regard to fleas, I prefer natural deterrents. 🙂

https://londonvets.co.uk/our-tips-for-keeping-your-pets-safe-at-christmas/

22/12/2023

Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄🎉🎁

I’m signing off for the Christmas holidays from 23 December until 8 January 2024. Looking forward to enjoying the festivities with family (including my birthday during twixmas) and spending some time in the new year planning and preparing for the next 12 months.

However you are spending the holidays, I wish you and your canine companions the most joyful and peaceful time! 💞🐾

Thank you for your support during 2023 and I look forward to being of service again in 2024! 😊

19/12/2023

Is your dog stressed out by Christmas?

In all the excitement, and stress, of Christmas we can overlook the effect on our animals.

Thanks to Kathy Kawalec for this fab graphic which highlights some of the festive changes which may impact our dogs.

The RSPCA provides some simple tips to help keep them calm:

"Stick to their routine - try to keep food, exercise, bed and toilet break routines the same, as consistency can help pets feel more secure.

Introduce new people carefully - if you have guests coming over, let your dog or cat meet people at their own pace.

Give them somewhere cosy and quiet to retreat to, away from all the excitement, where they won't be disturbed by anyone. Leave toys there to help them associate the area with positive experiences.

Hiding places - you can also give cats hidey-holes to retreat to in case they feel unsure. Try on top of wardrobes or under furniture - even cardboard boxes can make good hiding places.

Don't leave them alone too long - although Christmas is a busy time and there's a lot to do and people to see, be careful about leaving your pet alone for too long.

If you're spending Christmas day with friends or family and your dog is coming with you, take something that smells familiar, like their bed, to help them feel secure. Take some of their favourite toys and chews to help keep them entertained."

Wishing you and your canine family members a safe,calm and happy Christmas! 🎄

19/11/2023

Labradors at sunrise! 😍❤️

We had the pleasure of a special house guest this week and the sun paid us a rare visit on our dawn walk.

15/11/2023

Dog parenting is a journey of self discovery made all the richer by those challenging dogs who encourage us to dig deep. 🧡🐕🧡

13/11/2023

I once chose to work with a trainer because she used positive reinforcement.

After shouting and raging at a dog and seeing my shock, she admitted to being only “80% positive”.

I could never have trusted her after that, always wondering when that 20% would emerge and destroy all the good work.

12/11/2023

Had a great day yesterday with like minds looking at optimising and managing health through fresh and raw food. 🤓

09/11/2023

Feeding kibble is safer than feeding raw, right? …Wrong!

PLEASE SHARE THIS CRITICAL SAFETY INFORMATION WITH YOUR VET
Yesterday we learned that a random test of 35 different dry foods sold in the EU were ALL contaminated with pathogenic bacteria that can lay you on your ass. Every single one of them.

Last month we learned a random sample of healthy, dry-fed dogs house more species of E.coli (and in greater numbers) in their guts and around their a**s than raw-fed dogs. Imagine if this had been the other way around?!

(All studies are below in the comments).

Then I'm reminded of a recent analysis of the last three years (2019-2022) of pet food recalls for hazardous microbiology in the US, conducted by the awesome Susan Thixton of Truth About Pet Food.

She found that 7,793,497lbs (3.5mil kilos, 3535 tonnes) of pet food had been recalled due to pathogenic bacteria contamination (excluding a large recall by the dry food company Sunshine Mills recall for which there was no data).

Dry pet food was responsible for 7,647,643 lbs – 98% of all pathogenic bacteria recalls.

Cooked pet food was responsible for 122,526 lbs – 1.5% of all pathogenic bacteria recalls.

Raw pet food was responsible for just 23,328 lbs – 0.3% of all pathogenic bacteria recalls.

Note that, during all that time, dry pet food accounted for just 59% of total pet food sales.

And the net result of all this contamination? Humans are being harmed. 2006 - 2016, 132 people were poisoned by pet food in the US. Four different studies reveal every single one of them was due to dry food. Of the 132, half of them were toddlers under two years of age. Imagine again, if this was real food doing the damage?! They'd be apoplectic.

The safety of our pets apparently aside (not only do a multitude of studies indicate clear health benefits of feeding real food to pets with ZERO studies suggesting dry food is more beneficial for anything at all, but dry pet food has killed tens of thousands of cats and dogs over a multitude of instances in the last two decades. Complete raw? Less than 10. Is this not important information for the vet sector sworn to protect ANIMALS...not humans, we have a health sector for that?), it appears, for reasons best known to themselves, the veterinary industry is stubbornly pointing the fear-finger at the wrong product and people ARE getting harmed.

Enough now.

Do not let them perpetuate this myth anymore. Call it out with this information every single time you see it and it will become so embarrassing for them to lead with it that it will go away in favour of the next fear-du-jour.

03/11/2023

Great advice from Dogs Trust to help you through the weekend.

For one to one advice to help support your dog in the future, please contact me. It’s just 8 weeks until New Year! Time enough to make a difference.

With fireworks expected all weekend, we have some top tips for how to support your dog during and after the celebrations 🎆🐶👉 https://bit.ly/3MujCu6

03/11/2023

For alternatives to the sound of fireworks, go to YouTube and search:

Through a Dog’s Ear
Relaxing Jazz
Reggae
Classical
Canine Lullabies
Shamanic Drumming

Choose something that you and your dog find soothing. Turn it up.

If your dog is able, play a game. Have a party with treats each time you hear fireworks going off.

Remember, it’s okay to comfort your dog if they are worried by the sound of fireworks, you cannot exacerbate their fear by offering social support.

Stay safe. 🐾❤️

30/10/2023

Celebrating completing this fantastic, comprehensive course! 🥳 👩‍🎓 🍾🥂

It’s jam-packed with the latest scientific studies to help us identify and understand the myriad factors which may contribute to dog aggression.

Thanks to Kim Kaye of Nosey Barker for hosting and to Dr Amber Batson, vet & behaviourist, for creating and presenting the course. 🙌 Loved every minute of it! 😊

28/10/2023

Scary vet visits…?

Increased choice and agency can reduce fear.

Thank you Understand Animals for this example.

I very rarely use the consulting table for dogs … most significantly prefer the floor - it gives them increased agency and options to attempt to move away - reducing more direct distance increasing actions such as growling / snapping or biting

However, today, Lottie showed her own preference by jumping up on to the table 🙈🤣
This was not to Improve her safety, or to avoid me - but specifically to eye up the treats which were on the other counter 🤣

Increased agency has hugely improved Lotties confidence in the consult room - she had quite strong fear based aggressive responses a couple of months ago, now she knows she can make a variety of choices and be responded to, she s demonstrating very little fear and can be touched all over and has received practice, sham injections no problem.

But if we could keep all feet on the floor, Lottie, me and my colleagues would be grateful 😊

26/10/2023

How many snuggles could you be missing out on by believing this outdated misinformation? 🤗

If someone tells you that your dog is being dominant by wanting to be close to you or comfortable, take absolutely no notice. Dogs like comfort and connection with their people. We literally genetically engineered them for it.

23/10/2023

The recipe for a long, healthy and happy life….

It’s not just one thing - Bobi had so many of his needs met.

RIP dear Bobi 🐾❤️

Is there ever enough time 💔? I think not.

Last night, this sweet boy earned his wings 🕊️.

Despite outliving every dog in history, his 11,478 days on earth would never be enough, for those who loved him. When we asked Leonel what his recipe was for Bobi’s exceptionally long life, his response was swift: “Good nutrition, constant contact with nature, freedom to discover his environment, consistent veterinary care, and love. Bobi knows he’s deeply loved.”

Godspeed, Bobi…you’ve taught the world all you were mean’t to teach 🐾❤️‍🔥🌈.

21/10/2023

When we accept dogs as individuals with unique personalities and needs, we can release them from unrealistic expectations. 🐾💕

08/10/2023

Don’t blame the dog. 🐶

Proud to be a member of The National Institute For Canine Ethics whose values align with my own.

We can't blame dogs for what they do in an environment they haven't chosen, where they get very few choices on a daily basis and where their needs usually come after everybody else's. Meeting their needs properly gives them more resources to cope in this world with.

07/10/2023

If you don't want or expect a dog to ask for food you'll need to find a way to erase thousands of years of evolutionary history.

Dogs have perfected the art of using their soulful eyes to weaken even the most determined will, though they generally work out who are the soft targets.

Food is a basic survival need. If you relied on another individual to provide all of your food you'd be likely to keep a pretty close eye on them.

You cannot erase the innate drive of a dog to seek food just because you know that you'll feed them twice a day.

I like to get curious about which foods my dog takes an interest in as I bring them into the house, prepare and cook them, and eat them.

What does it tell me about his needs? Could something be missing from his diet? Is he extra hungry because he had extra exercise, or it's colder weather, or his gut feels uncomfortable?

I like to be flexible and responsive to his changing requirements. He can sit at the pantry door and ask for a chew and I'll usually allow him to select the one he wants that day.

One thing I'm not a huge fan of though is being covered in drool! 😄 Nor would I like to be stared at while eating my own food. 👁

TOP TIP: if you are happy to share a piece of your (dog safe) food with your beloved companion, give it to them BEFORE you start eating. (Most people make dogs wait for the very last scrap and this is what they learn to do - you taught them to do it.) Indicate "all done" to signal there is no more food coming and then stick to it - this is the hardest part for humans!

If you are consistent they will happily enjoy their morsel and then leave you in peace to enjoy your food.

04/10/2023

Do you think he’s comfy enough?!! 😆

03/10/2023

The presence of a trusted companion (could be the guardian or another dog) can reduce the stress response of a dog and help them to recover more quickly after a stressful event. This is known as social buffering.

01/10/2023

26/09/2023

Dogs are not mere accessories, but sentient beings with their own experiences and emotions. It is not their duty to entertain us, grow our income or boost our egos.

Evidence of their emotional complexity is apparent in their reactions - which aren't just responses; they are markers of a deeper emotional life.

And while dogs can form bonds with humans, they also form relationships with each other. They have preferences, favourites, and personal space, just like us.
So, it's essential we respect their individuality. Treating dogs as props for social media, dressing them up for our entertainment, or allowing them to be mishandled is not respectful, kind or empathetic.

We must prioritise their welfare, providing not only physical necessities but also emotional support and respect. After all, they're here with us, not for us. Let's treat them accordingly.

Understand your dog's needs with Canine Principles: https://www.canineprinciples.com/course/canine-communication-diploma

21/09/2023

Just like Goldilocks! ☺️

Each morning, before our walk, I prepare breakfast for Jarvis and myself so that it’s the perfect temperature on our return - not too hot, not too cold, …just right! 😋

(Btw, Jarvis is a dog, and my husband doesn’t do breakfast! 😄)

In case you’re wondering, mine is the breakfast on the left - though I could eat either one! They’re both made from freshly prepared whole foods. ❤️