The Happy Dog Company

14/06/2023

Today, the doggies and I found the perfect walk for this hot weather! Mainly under trees, but with a short section running alongside a burn...

06/06/2023

Archie may be 11 now, but he still likes to be out in front!

06/06/2023

Mac & Paddy 💕

18/05/2023

Baby's owners requested a photo for each day they were away. These are my favourites. She's very photogenic! 🥰

15/08/2022

Christine is fantastic!

Do you need help to reduce your dog's barking? I was rubbish at solving barking when I first started out as a Dog Behaviourist but since coming up with this method know that its really easy to solve.
Barking is a replication of the human voice, not a dog-to-dog communication. Wild dogs and wolves do not bark; they make lots of other noises but not barking. Wild dogs started to bark when they started to live with humans. So a dog barks to get a human reaction.
Do dogs bark when they are scared, frustrated or excited? All of them. Dogs bark for loads of reasons. A bark is to bring a human’s attention to how they are feeling. They want you to look at them and notice, from their body language, how they are feeling e.g. happy, frustrated, alarmed etc. (They automatically assume that we all know how to read dog body language correctly)
Barking dogs are rarely in an aggressive mood. Dogs likely to show aggression are either silent or they growl

So, if you don’t want your dog to bark – don’t join in! Dogs only repeat what works – if you don’t respond they simply won’t do it. Dogs soon learn which human in the family gives the best reaction too.

Aim to reduce their barking a great deal, rather than stop it completely – if they have had a habit for a few years it might be hard to get rid of completely.

Before you can stop your dog barking outdoors you first need to, stop your dog barking indoors:

• Everyone must totally ignore barking. No looking, touching or saying anything. Totally ignore. This is hard, so pick a date with everyone in the household and only start from that date.
• Tell your neighbours, write a note if necessary, to say the barking may get worse before it gets better but they can bear with you it may be gone in 2 – 3 weeks.
• Place a Notice on front door asking visitors to be patient, you can only come to the door when the dog stops barking

Now you need to do something that shows them you are ignoring their barking:

• The second they bark turn your back on them and walk out the room. But you may not need to walk completely out the room, they may stop as soon as they see you turn your back on them. The second they stop barking, you stop walking away. Slowly return to what you were doing – say nothing and no eye contact.

• If they start to bark again, continue out the room if necessary and shut the door. Wait and listen. After 4 – 5 seconds of quiet return to the room and continue what you were doing. No eye contact and say nothing – actions speak louder than words in the dog world.

• If your dog is barking in a different room to you or in the garden, shut the door noisily between you and them. They may come running to the door. Open it without saying a thing.

With repetition they learn that barking loses you, their friend, but the reward for stopping is they get you back. Not a word is said by you the whole time and be sure not to look at them.

(Warning – after a few days of improvement your dog may suddenly start to bark again, even worse this time. Do not give in. This is called an ‘extinction burst’, a burst before the barking becomes extinct and will go just as quickly as it arrived)

I have other methods to use if you don't make progress with this, call me if you want a visit. 07920 428312

03/08/2022

Pippi joins the gang!

03/08/2022

12/01/2022

17/12/2021

Brogue: half Lab, half kangaroo 😜

12/12/2021

Love this photo of Doddie, taken after his walk on Friday! ❤️

11/11/2021

When Luna and Pippa met for the first time! 🥰

09/11/2021

It's easier to take a video at the end of a walk when the dogs have slowed down!

09/11/2021

Lovely weather and lovely dogs!

Portmoak Moss is one of my favourite places to walk. Lots of fun for the dogs and particularly beautiful at this time of year

30/09/2021

ALL HAIL MOTHER NATURE’S ORIGINAL SUPERFOOD FOR DOGS🐶, THE ALMIGHTY EGG🥚 AKA NATURE’S MULTIVITAMIN!

When sourcing the perfect longevity snack for your dog, the humble egg🥚 should be at the top of your list! If there was such a thing as a perfect food for pets, it would be eggs. They are rich in bioavailable amino acids, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals while being relatively low in calories and carbs. Whether from chicken🐔, quail, or ducks🦆, eggs are nature’s nutrition bombs!

Eggs🥚 contain all ten essential amino acids needed to support effective muscle growth, recovery and maintenance. Eggs are also rich in choline, a nutrient crucial to the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain, which aids brain function, memory, and may help treat & even prevent “doggy dementia”.🧠

Lastly, research shows as many as 60% of dogs have signs of arthritis🦴, on x-rays, and one veterinary study found dogs who consumed egg shell membrane had significantly less joint pain, so start feeding your pets more eggs as treats!

What’s the best way to feed an egg?🍳

The fastest method, obviously, is to offer them raw… this is how animals have been eating eggs for millennia. However, according to science, lightly cooking the egg protein (called avidin) makes the B vitamin biotin easier to absorb but if you opt to cook you eggs, remember to not overcook them! Logically, applying too much heat to good food is a naturally destructive process. The chemistry of heating foods looks a lot like unwinding molecules, for better or for worse. Heating egg whites is generally beneficial, however, the yolks would do better with less heat, because heat damages fats and vital nutrients inside.

Soft boiled is the ultimate way to cook an egg🥚 (this is when you boil an egg, but it’s still a little runny and the yolk is definitely not hard) because the fats and nutrients in the yolk essentially have three protective layers from oxidation – the water, eggshell, and egg white. This way, all of the good stuff in the egg yolk is maximally preserved while the whites are cooked enough for best protein utilization and removal of avidin.

Instructions for soft boiling:
Fill a medium pot with water and heat to a gentle simmer, just below boiling. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the eggs into the water and let simmer for 7 minutes (6 minutes for a runnier egg).

When choosing eggs, go for pastured, free-range eggs to get the most nutrients. One egg is about seventy calories. My 30lb dog Shubie gets an egg on her meal several times a week.

In our new book, The Forever Dog, we list over 40 of our favorite longevity foods you add to your pup’s bowl, backed by the most surprising new science as to why they’re so amazing at building health and longevity! We also show you how to add them in a way that keeps your pup’s nutrition in balance.

You’ll want to check out the section called: “Core Longevity Toppers: Superfoods You Can Share with Your Dog on a Daily Basis.” We’ve also included handy charts on which foods are best at building your dog’s microbiome🦠, powerful polyphenol-rich foods🫐, as well as a long list of fast-n-fresh training treats, if you’re on the go. The Forever Dog book is now available for order worldwide! https://www.foreverdogextras.com/pet-longevity

16/09/2021

15/09/2021

Gorgeous Smudge 😻

02/09/2021

Lovely Sam has started walking with us this week. He immediately made friends with Ramsay and they LOVE finding water to splash in together! 💦💦💦

31/08/2021

Mia and Alesha are old friends! 🥰

24/08/2021

First walk for Dixie today. How adorable is she? 😍

21/08/2021

Wet + dirty + tired = happy dogs! 🥰

(New boy Ramsey on the left, Archie & Luna)

03/08/2021

What type of dog water bowl do you use? 🐶💧

The dog water bowl has previously been identified as the third most contaminated🦠 item within the household and can be a breeding ground for dangerous germs & life-threatening bacteria🧫 that can put the entire house at risk, researchers at University Centre Hartpury have revealed.

So, which dish is best to use for a dog water bowl? The bowl that grows the least amount of life-threatening bacteria!

In the first study of its’ kind, Hartpury scientists found stainless steel grew the least amount of bacteria and over time, plastic bowls grew the highest amount, but the shocking part was the most harmful bacterial species (including salmonella, E. coli and MRSA) were most frequently identified in CERAMIC bowls!

Lead can also be a problem when using ceramic bowls, and the endocrine disrupting chemicals found in plastic bowls are a no-go! Also be aware plastic bowls🥣 can cause Plastic Dish Nasal Dermatitis🙀: Chemicals in plastic absorb through the skin and inhibit the synthesis of melanin, leaving the nose👃🏼 and adjacent areas with pink blotches.

So stainless steel🍴 bowls are the safest, right?

Well not so fast…. there’s even been recalls on stainless bowls😫. In our upcoming The Forever Dog book, in the chapter titled Environmental Impact and the section labelled “Toxic Toys, Chews, and Beds", we cover how to choose the best chemical-free bowls🚫 that won’t leach contaminants over time. The Forever Dog is available now for pre-order, worldwide, check out the www.ForeverDog.com/about

02/08/2021

Enjoying playing ball with it’s your dog?

Here’s an interesting article that will make you think twice, don’t worry there’s lots of great alternatives for you and your dog to enjoy ✅

https://caninearthritis.co.uk/cam-conversation-with-cam-lynsey-mel-rebecca-kathryn-and-danielle-about-ball-throwing-for-dogs/

11/07/2021

It's been a pleasure looking after Springer Spaniel Coco over the last 9 days... she's such a very sweet girl. Archie's pleased to have his bed back tho'! 😆

07/06/2021

Mia putting loudly in anticipation of her daily treat from Alesha! 🥰

02/06/2021

02/06/2021

New boys, Brogue and Doddie 🥰