Have you ever thought about HOW and WHERE your dog likes being stroked?
Between all my dogs, not one of them likes being stroked in the same way, or same place.
Always check in with your dog to see if they are enjoying where you are stroking and the pressure you are applying.
Some common signs of anxiety are them licking their lips out of character, looking away/diverting eye contact, flinching, and then of course- them moving away.
Marlowe our newest rescue loves very firm, fur moving strokes from me, but strangers (or people he is less familiar with) need to be very gentle and he is usually much more comfortable being touched on his back or hind area, rather than his vulnerable neck like I am in the video.
If you are unsure if your dog, or another dog is enjoying being touched by you, stop stroking and slowly count backwards 5,4,3,2,1. If the dog comes back in for strokes, brushes against your hand, or gives you a confused stare, it is most likely enjoying the experience. If they move away, do a big shake afterwards or avert eye contact- it’s time for a little pause. Give your dog some treats, or something fun to do and wait for them to come back to you for attention.
Just like humans, every dog is individual and likes and dislikes being touched in different areas, with different amounts of pressure. Always start off gently with a new dog and take all your cues from them.
Be mindful that this preference can also change from day to day.
After all, wouldn’t life be so boring if hand massages were the only option? Sometimes we like a deep tissue massage, other times reflexology, and some times- just a feather light touch.
Our dogs are exactly the same
When your amazing clients @yogiverby send your brilliant videos like this. Absolutely made my day. Super proud of you team Yogi. 16/10 good dog. 12/10 good humans
@stiffybabes absolutely nailing getting Freddie the pom comfortable with bath time.
Well done team pom pom
This is @penny_shihpoo . She is a superstar.
Penny just graduated from our SMART PAWS class and boy has she progressed.
I’m so proud of her and her human. They have really put so much work into training with Penny and their relationship has grown so much over the past 6 weeks.
Next Smart Paws class starts next Monday.
Online dog training works.
We have one space that has just become available in next weeks puppy class.
We cover everything you need to get your puppy started on the right track.
What puppy struggles are you having? I bet we can help.
So here is my secret to keeping my dogs busy.
Behold the holy trinity of boredom buster toys this week.
We have my fav Trixie Pets snake toys which we fill with a variety of things. K9 Connectables toys are just amazing and you can increase or decrease the difficulty level. licking mats by Lickimat and a mini one from Trixie.
I also introduce you to my fav filler hack- the icing gun. It’s my super top tip and the ultimate hack for making filling small spaces with dog food really easy.
We used the amazing Rockster Food with a little bit of water to fill the gun. Rockster was also used on the lickimats with Bob & Lush dog gravy and our fav Wagawhey was sprinkled on top for a tasty topper and used some Primula Cheese
Clean mat and spreader by No Fuss Fill
Hand target away from a distraction. Top marks
Norman and Gadget having zoomies at puppy social pre puppy class
@unclenugs @whippetthegadget
Tonight’s puppy social #puppies #cockerpoo #vizslapuppy #vizsla #cockerpoopuppy @floofyfinn
Making slow bowls for the munchkins.
Great way of keeping them engaged in grumpy weather like today.
@butternutbox
It's a #frenchie love fest last night at our free puppy social.
Come along on fridays at 7 if you have a pup that needs socializing
#londondogtraining #londondogtrainer #dogtrainingclass #dogtraininglondon
Teaching the basics #dogtraining #londondogtraining
Sometimes the cheapest dog toys are the best.
Rolled up toilet paper roll filled with treats
After a couple hours of being very nervous, Snoopy is making himself properly at home
Freezing @kongcompany toys with dog food is a great way of keeping puppies busy
We made Olive a boredom buster toy from an empty roll of toilet paper. Proof that you don't have to spend a lot of money to keep your puppy entertained
Here is Dora walking perfectly to heel with her Dad.
What a smart little girl she is
Rosie the #fosterdog practicing #cratetraining with the help of her @kongcompany #boredombuster toy.
Boredom busters are a great way to keep your dog engaged when doing crate training.
With all crate training you need to start off slowly and gradually build up the amount of time the dog or puppy being in the crate . Slow by sure wins the race
#dogtraining #londondogtraining #londondog #hastingsdoglovers
This is Dora. This is her 3rd lesson and only the first time we have done walking to heel.
Like most dogs, Dora loves to pull on the lead and it is very easy for us owners to inadvertently reward our dog for the pulling behavior without realizing.
In 20 minutes, you can see how well Dora is walking to heel without any lead holding her back. She is choosing to walk this way because we made it fun and rewarding for her.
It only takes a short amount of time for dogs to understand a new behaviour if they are shown how to do it in a positive and rewarding manner.
It will take a few weeks of work for Dora to walk perfectly to heel every time she is out but with practice, she will get there.
Dora's owners are fabulous and put in so much time into training and this little Frenchie is a credit to all their hard work.
A+ Student
