Compass Canine - Sara Seymour

09/08/2024

I carry a slip lead on walks, in addition to the normal leads I use. (Actually, it's a limited slip, meaning it can't over-tighten). Today brought the perfect example of why...

On one of our normal walks, slowly bimbling along with Ripley sniffing and Peak running around with his toy. I suddenly spot a staffie racing towards us. No way of telling whether it's a male or female, or what it's intent was so in one smooth movement I grabbed hold of Rip and pulled the slip lead from around my shoulders and popped it over his head. Dog seemed friendly enough once it got to us, but Ripley doesn't like to be rushed so I blocked as needed. Fortunately the owners made haste to get hold of him/move him on. No harm, no foul.

I wouldn't have been so easily been able to attach a normal lead (it takes me long enough to find the ring on his collar when I'm not also keeping an eye on an incoming dog and Peak 😂) I get that slip leads aren't for everyone, but they definitely have their uses.

Token photo from a walk earlier this week, where you will notice that Peak is somewhat damp. Neither Ripley nor I went anywhere near the sea, and yet... Norty spanner!

01/07/2024

I have an important update about Compass Canine Hydrotherapy. Firstly, I'd like to thank everybody that has trusted me to help their dog over the last five years or so. This is a role that brings a great deal of satisfaction at times, and it's amazing to see the difference hydrotherapy can make. That said, it's certainly been a roller coaster of a ride!

The lease at my current premises is due to expire later this year, and I have decided NOT to renew the lease. This has not been an easy decision, as obviously creating the hydrotherapy centre from scratch was a BIG undertaking (and taking it apart is going to be as well). However, a number of factors mean that I just don't feel it's viable for me to continue the business in its current format and location. I am considering three main options:

* Finding someone to take on the business in the current location as it is. This would of course include said person taking on existing clients and continuing treatments as needed.

* Selling the pool, and moving the treadmill to a new, smaller location to continue with just treadmill-based treatments.

* Closing up shop altogether, selling both the pool and treadmill.

Quite which of these options I go with will depend on what interest I get in taking on the business as a whole, whether I can find a buyer for the pool and the location/cost of smaller premises. If there is nobody that wants to take over the business, then I will be closing in some capacity towards the end of November in order to prepare to vacate the unit. It will absolutely be business as usual until then.

28/06/2024

How do I stop my dog...

We've all seen plenty of posts asking questions that start that way. Well, sometimes the answer is 'you don't'. Let me explain.

Here's a couple of clips of Ripley from yesterday and today. Ripley is nine years old now. Rip by name, Rip by nature... He was a bed/toy destroyer as a young pup. Eventually I came to the realisation that the answer to 'how do I stop him destroying toys/blankets/beds' was 'I don't' 🤷‍♀️ It's a scratch that he just has to itch sometimes 🙈 So the only toys he has free access to are either indestructible or things that he's allowed to destroy.

* He destroys, but doesn't consume
* He has a VERY strong reinforcement history for trading things he's not meant to have
* He will bring me anything I ask him to

Those last two mean that he doesn't sneak off with contraband - he will always come and parade with things he's found, especially before he starts ripping into them.

He has blankies at home and work that are basically held together by threads now 😂 He just LOVES that tearing sound (which is why chews don't hit the spot 😉) Pawstrading Ltd kindly sent some plaited fleece toys with one of our orders, and they hold up surprisingly well to his attentions!

Peak is a Croc thief. He just likes to either parade with them, or take one to his bed 🤷‍♀️ He's nearly three now, and I've come to terms with him not growing out of the behaviour 🤦‍♀️

What things do your dog do that you just accept now?

27/06/2024

Canine Principles have got a summer sale on at the moment - 50% off all courses, qualifications and bundles. They have a great range of very thorough courses. Amongst others, I've done their Senior Dog course, and am working through one on nutrition and also the L4 Diploma in Canine Welfare, Training and Behaviour.

Click the link to discover the options available (affiliate link)

https://www.canineprinciples.com/link/Ab7bPE/SUN50?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canineprinciples.com

18/06/2024

Peak knows 'wave' pretty well, so now we're working on 'paw'. Most people will stick a hand out when they ask a dog for paw, and not really care which foot is lifted. I'm not most people 😂 I like to get behaviours on verbal cue only, and I like to teach lots of 'words' (tricks 😉) I then have lots of behaviours to ask for to see how well my dog is able to listen in particular situations - that can help me decide on what they may or may not be capable of in that moment. If they can't sit when asked, then I have to consider why and make decisions accordingly. And if they can't sit, I'm certainly not going to ask for anything harder!

This was our full session this morning (cutting out moving to and from the camera, as nobody needs to see that extreme close up of me 😁)

13/06/2024

When your owner can't stay for your hydro appointment, and then gets held up coming back to pick you up... Poor Jasper 💕😂

21/05/2024

***CANINE MASSAGE***

We FINALLY have a lovely local lady offering canine massage. And she is lovely, Ripley and Peak say so 🥰 Her name is Kirsti, and she is qualified through the Canine Massage Guild (should be familiar to my agility buddies)

I would love to host Kirsti for a day in Totnes, so if there's anyone that would like to get their dog booked in for a massage please let me know. Would likely be a Weds. Of course, you can also contact her directly to book. Either way, vet consent will be needed.

To find out more about Kirsti, and the benefits of massage for our canine companions, head over to her FB page - K9 Care & Repair Massage Therapy

Can't wait to get my guys booked 😁😁😁

17/05/2024

A client shared this photo with me today. It may not look all that exciting, but for a while now Dimpsey hasn't been able to get herself into her favourite chair. Her owners were so happy when they came down to find that she had got herself onto the chair!

They also tell me that Dimpsey has been a bit more active on her walks, and has even done some running 💕 In short, they're already seeing some changes after just a few sessions of hydrotherapy.

Dimpsey is a nine year old border terrier who's had some hind limb stiffness and suspected osteoarthritis. She comes for weekly hydrotherapy sessions in the underwater treadmill.

Please get in touch if you think that your dog might benefit from some hydrotherapy sessions. Don't just accept that getting a bit slower and stiffer is a necessary part of them aging!

16/05/2024

Just in case... People in the Brixham area, please make sure that you fill your pet's water bowls with cooled boiled water or bottled water until SWW water advise that the water is safe again! I'm already hearing of dogs with cryptosporidium symptoms - the incubation time is around ten days, so this will have been caused by drinking water a week to ten days ago.

I'm hoping my two will be OK, as we were away until Sun evening and mostly they drank Totnes water on Mon 🤷‍♀️ Time will tell...

If your dog is not well, please speak to your vet for advice.

26/03/2024

Space cleared and vacuumed ready for our visitor tomorrow...

16/03/2024

Ripley had some fun mantrailing today - check him out trying to drag me down some steps 😂

15/03/2024

Soda Pup stuff has arrived! It's really sturdy - more so than I was expecting 👍 The whale mat has suction cups on the back 😉 I only have a few spare of each, but can always order more if needed (and different colours in some cases)

11/03/2024

I'm planning on ordering some Soda Pup products - definitely Honey Pots and Plant Pots, maybe some other stuff. Does anybody want anything? There's a LOT to choose from, and I've heard great stuff about them.

Please note that ordering wholesale means that most things come in packs of six, so I won't be ordering lots of different items!

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05/03/2024

There's a peace to be found in accepting that some things simply aren't going to change...

TL;DR - some people are never going to stop their dog from upsetting yours. Do what you can in the moment to protect them, move on with your day.

As I pulled up to a local walking spot yesterday I spotted a car I recognised. It belongs to a lady that has a black lab. Ripley really does not like that black lab, and the feelings is pretty mutual 🤷‍♀️

We set off for our walk, and sure enough about 20 minutes in saw said lady and lab coming towards. Not a great place for us to pass, as it was an open area with nowhere really for me to move Ripley out of the way (not that it makes a difference, as the dog will still approach us 🙄) I put Ripley on a lead, moved the side and fed a few treats. Peak was in front, and the two dogs met - Peak's not that comfortable with the lab, but he's a natural in knowing how to respond to keep the energy in the right place. I hadn't put him on lead, as there's an occasional risk that Ripley will redirect onto him and I know that he is safe to meet this dog. The owner isn't really watching what her dog is doing. Peak has now returned to me, because I'm standing still, and he knows that's what he should do 💕 Sure enough, the lab follows and Ripley has now noticed him; he starts to get agitated and the lab's owner now makes her futile attempts to get her dog to come away/move on. As she passes parallel to us, he decides to carry on with her. I take a few steps in the direction we're going, Ripley shakes off, I let him off and we carry on our merry way.

This sort of interaction happens whenever we pass this lady and her dog on this walk. Where I can I'll get out of sight, in the past I've had to lift Ripley up (she used to have two labs, that was worse). He's been a little better since his tail amputation last year, but there's a lot of history with this particular dog which means he's always likely to have opinions 🙈 I used to get really mad about the situation - owner not really aware of what her dog was doing, what that meant for the dogs it was approaching, no recall, seemingly no inclination to make effort to remove her dog from the situation. I've now made peace with the fact that there's no point getting worked up over it - it's not going to change, and just interferes with my happy walking feelings. I'm no longer going to allow it to ruin my walk - Ripley certainly doesn't 😂

I will continue to bang the drum for good dog walking etiquette, and I'll educate those that are ready to learn. And I'll ALWAYS advocate for, and protect, my dogs 💕

Token photo of Ripley having a stand off on another walk because he's not ready to get back in the car 😉😍

28/02/2024

I often ignore dogs when they first come in - I'd rather wait for them to initiate a greeting. It's important that I build up trust!

25/02/2024

We have a new canine massage therapist in the Bay! I'm looking forward to meeting Kirsti soon, and have heard great things from a mutual client 🤩

Discover the benefits of canine massage therapy for canine pain management and discomfort in your dog. Trust K9 Care & Repair Massage Therapy in Devon for professional advice and treatment.

22/02/2024

I think this is one of the most beautiful sits I've ever seen 😍 You see, when I first met Lola she didn't sit so much as slump 🙈 She couldn't stand up, let alone walk 😭 On April last year a dog ran into Lola causing an intervertebral extrusion 😱 She had surgery to deal with it, but when she left the referral vets she was not even urinating on her own 😥

What a long way she's come! Her very dedicated guardian has put in a LOT of work to get Lola to the point she's at now 🤩 Looking down and seeing her in such a perfect sit after all she's been through really made my day 😁 She was less impressed about me taking a photo before giving her her well-deserved fish treat 😂

12/01/2024

Double decker spaniels 💕

02/01/2024

I've set some dates for a variety of workshops in January. Details on the photo, click on the link below to book. If you have questions about suitability, please get in touch. I'll add some posts over the next few days with more details about each.

https://bookwith.compasscanine.co.uk/

22/12/2023

I'm planning to run some workshops here in Totnes early next year. Please click on the link to register your interest, and preferred days/times. This will help me to prioritise accordingly! Get in touch with any questions.

https://mailchi.mp/3d91481ae05e/2024-workshops

15/12/2023

Have you heard of Movement Puzzles? If you have, you probably know that I LOVE them 😂 The brain child of Mari Valgma - The Moving Canine, Movement Puzzles have so many benefits! I'll pop a link in the comments to a blog where Mari tells the story of how they came to be.

For Peak, Movement Puzzles have been really helpful in building his confidence in working away from me in agility. They've also helped with his general body awareness, so he can be more mindful about how he moves - great for his long term fitness!

The question for today is whether people would be interested in joining me for a Movement Puzzles workshop? I'll explain what they are, how they can be used and of course I'd work with you and your dog to get you started. This would be in Totnes (unless someone wants me to host somewhere else 😉) Comment below and let me know - would be a maximum of four dogs if here in Totnes, probably two hours (but I always overrun 🙈)

Here's Peak working on an exercise where he's learning about moving over gaps. Believe me, these short sessions soon tire out both of my dogs - moving and thinking!

01/12/2023

There was a norty elf trying to distract the dogs during their scentwork searches today!

27/11/2023

Ripley and I tried out a new activity yesterday - mantrailing! A little more work to be done in helping Ripley to understand the game, but I'm sure he's going to love it once he does 💕

23/11/2023

What's the view like where you work? Mine varies a bit throughout the day, but it's mostly some version of this ⬇️😂

16/11/2023

Here's a selection of what's available to buy when you come and visit us (or I can deliver within Torbay)

Proflax supplements:

500ml oils - £27.45
Plaque Patrol - £9.95/£19.95
Bottoms Up - £26.45
Keep Off Me! - £27.45

Poo bags:

Beco (96s) - £9.99
JC Pets (180s) - £11.99

Pet Remedy - £22
Venison Sticks - £5
Duck/Rabbit Pate - £3 (short dated)
Natural chews - from £2, ask for details

14/11/2023

I'm going to be making a Proflax order today - let me know ASAP if you'd like anything specific.

Ripley has Golden Oldie, Peak gets Immunity & Vitality. They've both just done a round of Liver Love. I also HIGHLY recommend their Keep Off Me! for ticks (which are still around 🙄) I also like their Bottoms Up powder for when things are a little, erm, loose!

12/10/2023

New blog alert! This one was inspired by something that happened on our walk today.

https://www.compasscanine.co.uk/post/want-a-better-recall-stop-using-your-dog-s-name

27/09/2023

Yesterday was a squishy-faced dog kind of day 😍

Otis is ALWAYS excited to see me (although doesn't seem to have told his face here 😂)
Lola is judging me. And you. And every person and dog she meets 🧐
Reggie can't believe we're still making him do this 💕

15/09/2023

Here's what a recent student had to say about my short course, Get Your Dog's Attention (And Keep It!)...

Link to sign up is in the comments - it's a bargain! ⬇⬇⬇