Short Bark 'N' Strides

05/12/2023

Morning stroll 🐾

04/12/2023

Evening stroll time 🐾

04/12/2023

Exciting times!!! 🐾

04/12/2023

Bella and red 🐾 (bella's face 👌🤣)

04/12/2023

👌🐾👌

Dog Guardians,

With the run up to Christmas getting closer we are seeing more and more people trying to find suitable accommodation for their dogs.

It's so important to remember boarding or daycaring a dog without a licence is against the law and that any insurance an unlicensed business has will be invalid.

But that's not the only reason you should choose a licensed, home dog boarder.

Here's just a few reasons why licensed is the correct choice for your dog. Licensed dog care providers......

✅ MUST have comprehensive risk evaluations by the council for your dog's safety;
✅ MUST be limited by the council on the number of dogs they can care for at any one time.
✅ MUST undergo property inspections to ensure safety and uphold best practices.
✅ MUST have strict protocols for cleanliness, safety, and disease control
✅ MUST continue to learn to keep their skills updated (CPD)
✅ Strive further to guarantee your dog's safety, happiness, and overall well-being

Obtaining a licence for dog daycare or boarding isn't a walk in the park let me tell you!

This is why selecting a licensed provider ensures peace of mind, knowing they've committed to excellence.

You can explore licensed dog boarding or daycare options near you on Yappily - every listed business is confirmed to be licensed, insured, and devoted to your dog's well-being.

www.yappily.co.uk

03/12/2023

Brave boy 🤣👌❄️

03/12/2023

'Isn't dog training boring?' Sometimes!!
I was doing a very simple training game with a guest a couple of weeks ago, when ric announced
"Gosh (or words to that effect 😉🙈), isnt dog training boring"
Neither me, nor my guest were bored 🤣 we played for ages, slowly, but surely making the challenges more difficult 👌
But, the reality is yes, actually it is quite 'boring' at times, it's not flashy... it's often doing the same things over and over again, celebrating very small wins and incremental gains. You'd be amazed what i get excited about 🤷‍♀️🤣🐾
Anyway, only boring people get bored, or so i tell the kids anyway 👌🤣

02/12/2023

Nuisance 🙄🤣🙈🌲🐱

01/12/2023

Doris / Daisy (can't remember her name 🤣🙄🙈) and Dexter, are back 👌🌲🐾

01/12/2023

Sunny 😍 a huge bundle of crazy gorgeousness👌
Adolescence is a challenging time, particularly when your gorgeous goof ball weighs 47 kilos!! And they've forgotten everything they learned 🙈
And he did learn it, that's really clear..
It'll come back, we'll just need to help him along the way 🐾

01/12/2023

We will NOT be increasing prices, as we normally do for the beginning of the new year 🐾
Ive wrestled with this, as we all know, the costs to run a home at the moment, my home (teengage boys eat A LOT), your home, are so extremely high 😢. I really want to avoid placing an additional burden on you 😊
In any event, there will be no price increase in January 2024.
What i do ask however, to keep the business viable, that you continue to treat us with the respect that you always have.
Not cancelling services booked unless absolutely unavoidable, and giving lots of notice where you can, so i slot other walks / training sessions in where possible.
As always, i will do everything i can to work with you and be as flexible as possible.
Ill update Chistmas plans re opening / closing dates over the weekend. We do want some time to relax over the Christmas period, but will try to make ourselves available, should we be needed 🐾

30/11/2023

Lunatic 🙄🤣❄️🐾

30/11/2023

Ric and i spent the day walking in the peak district today. Perfect day for it 👌

30/11/2023

Luna and andy 😍🐾

29/11/2023

He's gutted 🤣❄️🤷‍♀️🙈 (i told him before we left ❄️🤣) 🐾

29/11/2023

Training Bruce some new behaviours today
Leave
Drop
And preparing him to start spending some time on his own 🐾

29/11/2023

Max 🐾

29/11/2023

Luna 🐾

29/11/2023

Buddy 🐾🍂🐾

28/11/2023

When a dog bites, the landscape for that dog can change forever 😢
The risks they may pose to people, particularly children in the home 🐾
How you feel about your dog may change 🐾
How you interact with your dog will change 🐾
Who will / can look after your dog may be impacted 🐾
In some cases, whether the dog lives, or dies 😢
Someone asked me the other day, how many times ive been bitten over the years.
The answer is NO times. Working and being with multiple dogs, new and old, those that know me well, and those that don't yet.
There are ALWAYS signs, precursors. Know your dog, advocate for them, help them, set them up for success 👌
It can be a looong way back from a bite 😢
(I'll probably be eaten now this week 🤷‍♀️🙈🤣)

Bites...they can change everything for you and your dog.
This escalation may only take seconds.

"My dog bit out of the blue".
"There was no signs at all"
"She just bit out of nowhere"

Many of these comments are because the signals and signs given were not received, either by us or not received by the other dog involved.

Just as some humans may struggle to read these signals, some dogs struggle too.....especially if over aroused or "over socialised/poorly socialised" as a puppy or young dog.
Some people think all dogs are able to read other dogs signals clearly......most do not and there are a variety of reasons for that.

Breed differences.⚠️
Dogs may not be able to recognise facial tension or posturing in dogs which have vastly different shapes than them.

Over excitedness.⚠️
Overly aroused or "hyper" dogs may interact immediately rather than waiting to read the circumstances and watch how this dog interacts.

Hormones.⚠️
Hormones have the capability to change a dogs behaviour drastically.

Not learning when enough is enough.⚠️
This is a skill and needs to be taught early. Every dog should learn when play is too rough, one sided and is turning.

Learning to be calm.⚠️
Calmness is a skill and cannot be expected if your dog has not learned this either naturally or taught by you.

Bites will change everything in your world and in your dogs world. Please take bites seriously, especially in smaller breeds. Sometimes when people have smaller breeds, the damage a bite can do may be minimal...that isn't an excuse not to address the behaviour.

No matter what the size of the dog....a bite is a bite.

Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media🙂, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited.
Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Screen shots are a violation of the copyright.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

28/11/2023

Now that's a puddle 👌🐾🌨

28/11/2023

Max 🐾

28/11/2023

Luna and buddy 🐾

27/11/2023

Im in love 😍😍
Nellie and Beryl, who are grand basset griffon vendeens 🐾
They like to pull on the lead, when they're out together.. it's a race 🏃‍♀️
First things first, focus, and then building on their individual lead skills, before tackling the two together.
See you soon girls 🐾

27/11/2023

Blummin awful out there today 🙈🐾🌨

26/11/2023

This!!!!! 👌🐾 socialisation is NOT playing with other dogs 🐾

Socialisation.
Play is NOT socialisation. Play is a separate and important skill.....but it isn't socialisation.
What is socialisation ?..... Calmness and acceptance.
What it isn't......over excited, scared, hyper, wary behaviour or PLAY.

I know that seems like a big statement to make for some people but society has some strange ideas of what socialisation is.

That doesn't mean dogs and puppies shouldn't play, it simply means one of the FIRST things they need to learn in life is be calm and accepting of dogs in general....then play can be added as a separate skill.

Calmness and acceptance IS socialisation.
Play is play.
Two completely separate things.

Dogs and puppies are a very small part of having a socialised dog. An important small part... but a very small part in a much bigger picture.
The word socialisation seems to be associated with play and that is a big issue with new puppy guardians/owners.

How you let other dogs meet yours and how your dog meets other dogs forms patterns of behaviour.
The more these dogs have over excited, over aroused and hyper behaviour around other dogs...........the more they understand this IS exactly how to meet dogs....and that is really problematic for many dogs.

True socialisation is acceptance and calmness in ALL the world has to offer.
Everything you encounter in everyday life...is exactly what you need to expose your dogs to.

Little and often
Positively and calmly......and you are well on your way to a well socialised puppy or dog.

One of the best lessons you can teach your puppy or dog is they do NOT need to interact with others.
They don't need to go to that hyper excited behaviour when other dogs are near.

They can be calm, assess the situation and choose to play and interact if they wish.....

That is true socialisation.

Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media🙂, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited.
Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Screen shots are a violation of the copyright.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

26/11/2023

In june 2021 Red was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy. I was devastated. It's a neurological condition, leading to paralysis, with no cure. Most dogs with this condition are lame within 9 to 12 months, so the outlook was pretty bleak.
Now, nearly 2 and a half years later, he is still plodding on 👌😍
20 minutes is as long as he can walk, and he often scrapes his paws on the floor. Though we do a little longer when we take him to the beach (his favourite place).
Keep plodding on Mr Red 🐾👌🐾

25/11/2023

🙄🙄 poor red 🐱🙈😂

25/11/2023

Beau 😍 gorgeous girl... bit of a thug 😂👌
Here we're helping her build her focus, and firm up some manners 👌🐾 teenagers eh !! 🤷‍♀️🙈😂

24/11/2023

Poppy 🐾

23/11/2023

Nacho 😍😍 what a cutie 🐾
Nacho is very nervous around people he doesnt know, and he really doesn't like people coming into his home 🐾
And we have a plan, and we're of 👌
See you soon nacho 🐾

23/11/2023

Don't worry poppy, red is keeping us all safe, whilst you snooze 👌🐾😴

23/11/2023

Poppy 🐾🍂🐾

22/11/2023

MANAGEMENT is not FAILURE!!!
Putting managment in place whilst you try to address any training needs / issues you have with your dog... is NOT a training failure!!
I find myself saying this time and time again to people who have had their confidence knocked by other 'well meaning' folk 🤷‍♀️😢
If you took your toddler's hand when crossing the road... this wasn't a parenting failure
If you dont bring lovely sweet treats into the house whilst you're 'being good'... this isn't failure
If you insist on your teenager coming home by a certain time to ensure they are safe... this isnt failure
And no one would ever think it was, but we don't half seem to hold ourselves and our dogs to exceptionally, often unachievably high standards (for them), at times 😢
If your dog jumps on guests, using a lead is good management 🐾
If your dog isnt recalling as reliably as necessary, a long line is good managment 🐾
If your dog is nervous and unpredictable, a muzzle is good management 🐾
And so on.... 🐾
Dont let anyone tell you otherwise 👍
(Pics of red, just because he's cute 😂👌)

22/11/2023

Max and buddy 🐾

21/11/2023

Sebastian and violet. So grateful for Cath Urwin , who violet loves, as she will only come in for her, and not me 🤷‍♀️🙈🐱