Surrey Canine Corner - Dog Training, Behaviour & Daycare

24/01/2025

🌟 Star of the month! 🌟

🌟 TED 🌟 - January 2025

6 months after his baby (giant) sister Bo was our star of the month, it's Ted's turn! On the rare occasion that this distinguished gentleman joins us at daycare or for walkies, he really does leave quite the impression! 🥰🐾

He is a wonderful story teller and brings us his tales of fishing, mingling with funny people and visiting foreign lands and we really do hang onto every word! He even wrote a book about his life which went on to sell 80,000 copies and become a UK best seller - if you haven't already bought a copy you should! It's full of excellent tips on how to live your best doggo life ❤️

Despite his VIP (Very Important Pup) status, he has remained down to earth and is never below getting swatted in the face by Daisy's tail, moaned at at by Olive, scrabbling around and rolling in stinky things in the garden and getting his biweekly head scritches from me. I even get a wee mention in his book, so he is definitely deserving of this frankly life changing accolade in return 🥰

We love you Ted, keep smiling ❤️❤️

Go follow him here:

21/01/2025

Fabulous post by Laura at Dog Communication The importance of secure attachment

Accidental attachment ‘parenting’

Taking on a tiny 6 day old puppy unintentionally taught me a great deal about attachment and how crucial secure attachments are for our dogs’ emotional health.

It’s pretty easy to meet our dogs physical needs and that was even quite easy with a tiny puppy- she needed feeding, she needed help toileting and she needed to be kept warm.

It was apparently straight away that meeting these physical needs and leaving her on a heat pad in a pen was in no way going to meet her emotional needs. It’s not just warmth that puppies need, it’s physical contact with a living being. Heat pads, fake heart beats in toys etc for a solo puppy, just doesn’t do it. She was more settled and content in close physical contact- she preferred with me but any other human or dog would do. She wanted to be next to skin and near a heartbeat, at all times and so that’s where she stayed, for as long as she needed it.

The option of close physical contact with someone they are attached to is such a basic need. I’m sure most of us remember hearing about the awful Harlow experiments where monkey babies had the choice of a wire ‘mother’ (with milk) or a soft, cloth ‘mother’ and would choose the soft mother even at the expense of milk, such is that basic need.

I have children and it felt so similar to when my kids were tiny babies too. I certainly didn’t deny them a need to be near me and I didn’t with this tiny puppy either. When they are developmentally ready (human babies and tiny puppies), they choose to be more independent from you and they spread their wings.

Of course it’s not just about the need for physical contact anyway when they are tiny- it’s about the need to feel safe too and that’s a fundamental need that must be met.

When puppies go into new homes at 8 weeks old they don’t suddenly stop having this need for physical contact and to feel safe near a living being. They go from feeling safe near to mum and siblings to being totally dependent on their new human family. It breaks my heart to think of them relegated to a crate in a kitchen. Of course they stop crying after a couple of nights as they give up any hope that anyone will help them. It certainly doesn’t help them to feel safe and secure in the world.

The same goes for an adult rescue dog who has often suffered so much upheaval and broken attachments along the way and who needs more than anything to just feel safe and secure and to have a bond with someone. This need for connection is a basic need that must be met, the same as being fed and watered.

I know people worry that if you ‘pander’ to them and give them lots of company they will become clingy or overly dependant but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Letting them develop a secure attachment results in resilient and confident individuals who feel safe in the world.

I see so many clients who’ve had awful advice and who have been told that their dog has behavioural issues as they are too nice to them, love them too much etc. it’s all absolute rubbish and they won’t turn into a monster if you meet their needs for safety, it’s quite the opposite and you help them to develop to their full potential ❤️

Laura McAuliffe, Dog Communication 2024

20/01/2025

Nothing like a nice cold water dip on a Monday morning when it's 2C outside! 😬🥶🐾

16/01/2025

No but why do they look AI generated 😂😂

Bettie and Rosie looking completely unreal 😭😂

08/01/2025

Some fabulous bright ski gear at daycare today!

So fancy 💃

07/01/2025

Happy new year! 🎉

It's been an interesting first day back: Van breakdown, dropping my phone in a poo, another cough coming on, dog vomit between the cushions of the dog-room sofa.... But these guys make it all worth it ❤️🐾🥰

Here's to 2025, and hopefully the start of your year going more smoothly than mine 😂💩

25/12/2024

Merry Christmas!!

Olive and Daisy (looking like zombies 😆) are utterly exhausted after the day of festivities, walkies and too much food. Daisy has just eaten an entire packet of treats in about three seconds flat (thanks Mabel!) and is ready for a nap now.

We hope everyone has had a wonderful day!! ❤️🎁🎁🐾

Let's see some photos of your fur babies with what Santa paws brought along! 😍

20/12/2024

What better way to end the year than with these three scrummy puppies for their 1-2-1s today! We have:

Buddy the Golden R, Daisy the labradoodle and Coco the bulldog! All coming along nicely at various stages of their puppy course, with Daisy graduating today!

We are now closed until Monday 6th Jan.

Thanks to all my daycare clients for the cards and Christmas pressies, they are all sitting under the tree waiting to be opened (probs by olive and Daisy 😆) on the 25th!

Merry Christmas everyone!! 🎄🐾🎁

19/12/2024

🌟 Star of the month! 🌟

🌟 GEOFF 🌟 - December 2024

It's our last day of daycare this year and what better way to wrap it up than celebrating our star of the month - Geoff!

This little gangly lad, affectionately known as 'BM' (babe magnet) has been with us for a couple of years now and I just adore him! He is a little crazy sometimes and gets overstimulated quite quickly 😂 but all this boy wants to do at the end of a wild daycare sesh is enjoy cuddles with his fave people and friends. He actually tries to absorb us he gets so close.

His favourite thing to do is chase birds, dogs, anything that moves at daycare and boy can he run fast! Approx 0 - 100 in 2.1 seconds.

He is exceptionally stylish, always presentable & demure, and he actually inspired me to get a french bob last year, and dye my hair ginger!

It's a pleasure looking after Geoff and he brings a lot of joy to us here, we love you Lord Geoffrey Floofington aka BM! ❤️🐾

17/12/2024

This year's atrocious Nativity attempt!

Some dogs didn't want to take part, but in 2024 we have:

- Ginger Mary
- Ginger afro Joseph
- Baby jesus in her leopard print harness on the snuffle manger
- One big black naked wise man
- A wizard
- a Gremlin

A special shout out to Geoff who practised his role as afro Joseph before and after we got the shot.

Happy holidays everyone!!

16/12/2024

I think Bo is going to miss her bestie over Xmas!

16/12/2024

Keeping your dogs safe at Christmas!

Dogs can find the Christmas break quite stressful, so here are my top 5 tips to keep them relaxed and happy during the festive period ❤️🐾

The holiday season is a joyous time filled with celebrations and delicious dog treats. Here are our top 5 tips for a dog-friendly Christmas.

06/12/2024

On Monday I hunkered down with this distinguished gentleman and he read me the most wonderful story ❤️

Every dog lover should get this book, it's a #1 bestseller on Amazon and the perfect Christmas gift. We love you Ted!

05/12/2024

Thursday crew! Enjoying a slightly warmer (no less soggy!) day 🥰

02/12/2024

We're back! It's been a lovely quiet day today with Bruno, Bo, Bella and Geoff! These two gingers bringing the big boy vibes 🥰

29/11/2024

Thank you to everyone who has sent me well wishes and flowers over the last two weeks whilst I've been so poorly. I'll be open for all services from Monday 2nd December.

This girl has not left my side at all. Feeling very grateful to have such amazing dogs and humans in my life 🐾

13/11/2024

🌟 Star of the month! 🌟

🌟 AERO 🌟 - November 2024

This little lady is a working Labrador with the biggest heart and the most sensitive soul. Aero's favourite thing to do is pose like one of Jack's French girls and show her belly to anyone who will look! (Dogs or humans, she doesn't mind!)

Aero really does wear her heart on her paw and makes it very clear at all times how she is feeling, and she has a LOT of feelings ❤️ She is incredibly sensitive and will let you know by vocalising (quite melodically I might add) if she's worried, excited, happy or giddy. She can read how other dogs and people are feeling without any of the obvious body language signs or tone of voice, and is incredibly socially intuitive.

She needs a bit of extra support in the mornings and I have to carry her like a baby to the van because she never wants to leave her owner/mummy Leigh, but when she's here she is the most sociable lady! Always wiggly and loving, she is friends with everyone and windmills her whole labra-butt to show how much love she has 🥰

We love you Aero, our gorgeous girly! ❤️🐾

11/11/2024

Maya helping us with our two minutes silence today ❤️

Lest we forget 🪖

Thinking of our veterans today on Remembrance Sunday.