Plush Pups Pet Sitter

02/04/2024

When you see yellow… ⚠️

Yellow vests like what Rosie is wearing here, are how we advocate here at Plush Pups that our dogs need space❕

Living in busy areas like here in Southend 🚦can make it extremely difficult to walk reactive dogs unless they are able to be driven to a secured field or quieter area. However when there is no option or capability to do so, we have to walk in our local area which can be challenging as many of the roads here are crowded and do not allow us to create the needed space our dogs need for them to feel comfortable and not react.

So yellow 💛!!!! Yellow vests, yellow leads, yellow lead slips … they all are a huge sign of an owner making you aware that their dog needs space either from people or dogs.

❌ Do not let your dog approach them

❌ Don’t try to interact with their dog if they haven’t already given permission to do so

✅ Be courteous and give them space ! Even if this means crossing the road to pass them.

✅ If u can see their dog starting to struggle just hold back a minute, I’m sure that minute won’t hurt you and you will be saving that owner some unnecessary stress ⏳

✅ Dogs in yellow does not 🟰 aggressiion. They might be fearful, injured or in training.

Please spread the importance of recognising this commonly used equipment 😊💛💛💛

24/02/2024

Introducing Jack to Plush Pups 💛 This beautiful Spanish rescue has joined us for weekly 1:2:1 training sessions where we are working on his engagement and motivation for Recall. So far, So Good Jack !!!! 😊

21/02/2024

Super excited to show off our new logo for Plush Pups !!! 🩵 I’m so thankful for my lovely friend who designed this perfectly for me and was able to incorporate my own 2 dogs into the design making it even more meaningful to me . I have some exciting news I will be sharing soon as to why the sudden logo change 🙈

21/02/2024

Training walks for Rosie… I have been working with Rosie the past month to help her with her reactivity towards dogs and people and she is doing so well thanks to our multiple weekly training walks and her owner who is so dedicated to follow our training plan !!! 🏆

21/02/2024

HU***NG HOUNDS - It’s not always what it seems

Some dogs do and some dogs don’t, but if you have a dog that humps at the most inopportune times it can be downright embarrassing or annoying.

Other dogs, other people, visitors, toys, cushions, furniture, anything that can be mounted and clung to may be fair game.

As people, it’s natural to assume that this behaviour is of a sexual nature, that our dogs must be oversexed, sexually frustrated or the all-too-common incorrect belief that our dogs are just trying to be “dominant” or “the alpha”.

Hu***ng, like many other dog behaviours does not always have a simple reason. It can be a complex behaviour which is usually emotionally or socially based.

Looking at what may be triggering the behaviour should always be the first step before finding ways to change a behaviour.

The solutions will depend on the cause. It may be finding ways to reduce stress or anxiety levels, increasing mental stimulation, teaching calm behaviours to prevent over arousal, ensuring your dog is getting enough sleep, using management or in some cases a veterinary check up to rule out any medical causes.

When hu***ng is annoying another dog or person or causing frustration, discomfort or harm in any way, then obviously this behaviour needs to be immediately addressed, but sometimes we may need to ask ourselves – is it really something we need to stop our dogs from doing just because we see it as socially unacceptable?

Is it a harmless way of relieving stress or anxiety after a difficult day or a way to expend pent up energy that is not causing anyone harm?

Is a little hump now and then okay if it’s not causing any harm?

If we prevent this, correct it, or at worst punish this behaviour are we removing a harmless natural outlet and risking another unwanted behaviour taking its place?

Hu***ng is one of the most misunderstood behaviours.

Very often, behaviour is not about the way it looks, but the way we perceive it from our human perspective.

17/02/2024

Visits for Keith 🩶

17/02/2024

🧸

13/02/2024

1hr walk for Buddy boy this morning ⛅️

12/02/2024

No one’s more excited for the warmer weather like Kevin is !!!☀️

12/02/2024

Pop in visit for Clover 🍀 look how much she has grown up since just last month 🤩

07/02/2024

Bonnie bear on today’s lunchtime walk 🤍😊

03/02/2024

Making the most of this weather with Bauer ☀️😁

03/02/2024

Muddy walks with Bonnie & Teddy 🪵🍂

02/02/2024

Lexi 🐾

27/01/2024

Welcoming Rosie to Plush Pups ! 🐾

This gorgeous girly is joining us for weekly training sessions and walks to support her owner in starting her training journey. Rosie is very worried about strangers and other dogs on a walk causing her to become reactive when they are in view.

We are going to start working on her engagement with her owner & creating positive associations/ experiences with strangers and dogs coming into view 👀

Let the training begin ✅

27/01/2024

Buddy boy 🐾

25/01/2024

Happy 1st birthday to Keith ! We love looking after this little guy 🥳🎉

25/01/2024

Cheese smashing his 1:2:1 training walk 🏆

21/01/2024

Ruby 🧡

20/01/2024

Kevin 😊📸

19/01/2024

Bonnie pretty in pink 💗🐾

19/01/2024

Olive is growing up too quickly 🥹

19/01/2024

New pup on the block is Maggie the frenchie 😇

18/01/2024

As most of you are aware, last year I started offering dog training services. However the long term goal is to become a CAB (Clinical Animal Behaviourist) which work alongside veterinarians.

I’m super happy to share that I am now a provisional member of the APBC and am on my final step to becoming a full member 🥳

Excited to see what the new year brings !!!

Provisional members are those that have demonstrated that they meet the ABTC role standard for required Knowledge and Understanding. This may have been via an ABTC recognised course or via the APEL assessment route. Provisional members are able to conduct behaviour consultations but have not yet achieved the requisite experience to become Full members.

Congratulations to Jasmin Turner who has upgraded her APBC membership to become a Provisional CAB!

16/01/2024

I’M NOT GUILTY!
Dogs might look guilty, but that doesn’t mean that they feel guilty.

“My dog knows that he’s done something wrong, just look how guilty he looks!" This is something that we hear so often.

People are highly amused and entertained on social media and even dedicated websites where pictures of “guilty” dogs are seen.

The “guiltier” the dog looks, the more popular these posts are and the funnier people find them.

I find this really sad because it’s a complete misunderstanding and lack of knowledge of a dog’s body language.

That “guilty” look is actually a dog showing the signs of fear, stress, anxiety or appeasement.

The fear of being punished, the stress and anxiety of hearing the person’s tone of voice, demeanor and noticing the person’s body language, appeasement behaviour in an attempt to calm the angry person down.

As people, it’s natural for us to want to believe that our dogs feel guilt and remorse about whatever they’ve done wrong. Maybe thinking that they really do feel guilty somehow makes their behaviour more acceptable and is a form of an apology.

Dogs are capable of a wide range of emotions that could be compared to that of a 2 to 2½ child, but it’s highly unlikely that they feel more complex emotions, like guilt, regret, remorse or shame.

Guilt is a complex emotion and defined as an unhappy feeling that you have because you have done something wrong or think that you may have done something wrong. It’s a feeling of shame, regret or remorse. The feeling of guilt requires an understanding of cause and effect and is relative to time.

Do dogs spend the day feeling guilty, waiting for us to come home to find a mess or a chewed-up couch or shoe, or are they waiting excitedly for us to come home because they really missed us and are looking forward to some attention?

For the emotional wellbeing of our dogs, let’s seek to understand them more and focus less on how we believe they should feel just because it makes us feel better.

15/01/2024

Welcoming puppy Mila to Plush Pups 🥳

15/01/2024

Introducing Rio the Macaw 🦜

Surprise !!! I know my page is mainly focused around canine care however I do also offer other pet care services including caring for avian species, cats, small animals, reptiles and exotic species.

Rio’s daily visits included time out of his enclosure so he could spread his wings , refilling of water & feed and a clean of his enclosure to ensure all his welfare needs are still met whilst his owner was away.

Keep me in mind if you know of anyone needing care for our smaller pets 😁

02/01/2024

30 minute walk for pretty little Lexi ✨

31/12/2023

Birthday beach walks for Uno who is 1 today 🥳🎉