Doggies Day Out Kettering and Wellingborough Branch

28/12/2024

Reactive dog ❓
I know there seems like a minefield of information out there...because there is ‼️
THIS is where working with a reactive dog starts, watching all those little changes (and they can happen in a split second).
If we slow down and become aware of when they are changing emotional states, THAT is when we can make a huge change.
There are certain fundamentals to understand with reactive dogs and we have made a ton of videos on the subject.
The links will be in the comments....
Hang in there.
I know it can be a struggle.
I know walks can be incredibly challenging....BUT you can make a huge difference.
This handout is available through abcdogsnz.com

27/12/2024

Their excitement is often the ONLY reason we want them to meet another dog.
They can drag us (often at speed), towards another dog they want to meet.
Even with the happiest/friendliest dog that pulls towards another dog....things can change in an instant once they actually meet.💥
Sometimes the over excitement of seeing another dog means they haven't assessed the situation and often we haven't assessed the situation either, we just want to make them happy!
Face to face, tight leads and over excitement when meeting another dog can and does lead to very big issues.
Take the time to assess.
Take the time to teach your dog how to meet dogs in a way many dogs appreciate!

26/12/2024

🎄"Out of the blue" incidents occur at this time of year and there is a lot more stress for our dogs (yes... stress can also be from positive experiences).
This holiday season dogs will be communicating with us.
We need to start to hear what they are saying.
Is that sudden "goofy" behaviour around the visitors from being happy, over excited or fear?
YOU know you are about to have many visitors, noise, children and maybe another dog visit the house....dogs do not and suddenly their quiet home is now loud, exciting and even scary for some.
Be prepared and have an action plan if you start to recognise your dog is starting to show signs they may be uncomfortable around what is happening in their own home.
They need supervision at this time of year, they need check ins from you and we need to help them when we see there is a possible emotional escalation happening.
These are certainly not all communication signals dogs give us....but this is a great start to help us recognise some new ones they may show at this time of year that we may have never seen before.
This dog training handout is available through abcdogsnz.com

26/12/2024

26/12/2024

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, whether you’re celebrating Christmas or just taking a little time out from the busyness of life. To those who keep working with animals, thank you. To those who find this time of year difficult for so many reasons, may you find peace and hope.

24/12/2024

Running late, medical appointments.
Nothing serious!!

24/12/2024

There is so much happening at this time of year🍾🎄
Decompression is vital for ALL dogs at this time of year, but especially reactive dogs.💥
✅Have a plan and prepare for those unexpected visitors. They aren't really that unexpected at this time of year.
✅Prepare what you need in advance.
✅Make sure everyone in the family knows how to advocate for your dog.
✅Have a chat to visitors about how they shouldn't or should interact with your dog....be proactive and send a text before they arrive.
✅Trigger stacking is a very real possibility with all that happens during Christmas and New Year.
✅Use your dogs safe place and ensure everyone leaves your dog in peace when they are there. This is especially important when children are visiting.
❌A child or even multiple children can visit with adults during this holiday season....this is not the time to test if your reactive dog (or even non reactive dog) is ok around children.
❌Forcing dogs into social situations can be incredibly stressful and dogs may react in ways we don't expect.

Christmas can be very stressful for our dogs (and for us!), we may be so caught up in our activities and festivities that we may not realise the effect these busy times can have on our dogs.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe holiday season.
These dog training posters are available through abcdogsnz.com

22/12/2024

18/12/2024

🎤⬇️ BUT....the really tricky thing with this is we can also reward what we do NOT want and that can start a whole new issue.
Timing is key.
Is there another behaviour being shown when you reward ❓If a dog jumps to get a reward, have you inadvertently rewarded using paws on you?
If there is barking, have you accidently begun to reward that ? Even with touch?
Every dogs reward system is different, many dogs will enjoy food while others really do have their own currency, such as a toy or praise.
This educational handout is available abcdogsnz.com

18/12/2024

Reactive dog❓💥
I know so many people really do struggle with reactive dogs.
This looks a bit complicated.....but there is also a video attached in the comments that helps go through this step by step.
If you feel like you are banging your head against a brick wall and NOTHING is helping....try this and add both steps talked about in the video.
You really CAN make a huge difference.
This dog training graphic is available as a dog training handouts, client use or even if you want a copy to refer back to.
Available from abcdogsnz.com