279822197_3307824962830918_1313326484399890407_n.mp4
The importance of allowing your dog to sniff!
Many dogs feel highly motivated to sniff and mark their scent during walks. It's a very natural and relaxing behaviour that feels rewarding for your dog to perform.
Similarly to us enjoying scrolling through social media to see what other people are up to, dogs will sniff scents left by other dogs and animals to find out information about them.
I really love the term of dogs checking their 'wee-mails'!
Do you ever find yourself pulling your dog away from sniffing?
Instead, allow your dog to sniff!
I make sure my dog Woody's walks are his 'me time', and I allow him to take the time to sniff.
Walks aren't just all about the physical exercise, but more importantly about mental stimulation.
#dogwalks #dogwalking #dogwelfare #dogbehaviour #dogbehaviourist #dogenrichment #dogenrichmentactivities #dogcaretips #dogwelfaretips
Woody Snuffle Box Video.mp4
Mental stimulation is important for your dog, to help keep their senses and brain active, and reduce the risk of boredom.
There are a variety of different activities you can do to keep your dog’s mind active!
A simple method involves creating a snuffle box. To do this, open up a cardboard box, add some shredded paper, and scatter some treats or kibble in the box for your dog to search for.
#enrichment #mentalstimulation #environmentalenrichment #dogwelfare #animalwelfare #dogbehaviour
Managing your dog around other animals 🐰🐓🐷
In this video, Woody sees a chicken in the distance and watches it intently. Small animals often cause him to feel motivated to chase them or bark out of frustration from being on the lead.
Instead of continuing to approach the chicken, I stop and reward Woody with some high value treats for remaining calm.
Just before I managed to take the video, Woody chose to give me eye contact straight after seeing the chicken, because he has learned from previous occasions that small animals and remaining calm = rewards.
If I chose to continue walking forwards, then Woody will probably have started to lunge forwards and felt very frustrated. Telling Woody off or saying "no" will not have helped the situation either.
#rewardbasedtraining #rewardbaseddogtraining #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementtraining #dogtraining #dogtrainingtips #dogbehaviour #dogbehaviourist #dogbehaviourtraining
Managing your dog around other animals 🐰🐓🐷
In this video, Woody sees a chicken in the distance and watches it intently. Small animals often cause him to feel motivated to chase them or bark out of frustration from being on the lead.
Instead of continuing to approach the chicken, I stop and reward Woody with some high value treats for remaining calm.
Just before I managed to take the video, Woody chose to give me eye contact straight after seeing the chicken, because he has learned from previous occasions that small animals and remaining calm = rewards.
If I chose to continue walking forwards, then Woody will probably have started to lunge forwards and felt very frustrated. Telling Woody off or saying "no" will not have helped the situation either.
#rewardbasedtraining #rewardbaseddogtraining #positivereinforcement #positivereinforcementtraining #dogtraining #dogtrainingtips #dogbehaviour #dogbehaviourist #dogbehaviourtraining
The 'find it' game!
I love the 'find it' game, and suggest it to most of my clients to try with their dogs.
Why? Because it's very easy to train, and can be implemented in a variety of different situations.
'Find it' encourages your dog to sniff for treats on the ground, which encourages them to engage in a relaxing and rewarding activity.
This can be used if you want to reward your dog for doing something good or if you want to redirect your dog onto a positive, calm behaviour (e.g. instead of barking at something).
To teach this, simply say "find it!" and throw some treats on the ground. Start off at home or in the garden (where there are fewer distractions). Over time, you can make the game more difficult by hiding treats over a wider area or in long grass.
#finditgame #finditgamefordogs #dogtrainer #dogtraining #dogtrainingtips #dogtrainingadvice #dogwelfare #dogbehaviour #dogbehaviourist #ScentWork #scentworkfordogs #environmentalenrichment #dogenrichment #mentalstimulationfordogs #dogbehaviouriststoke #dogbehaviouriststaffordshire
Snuffle Box for Dogs
The Snuffle Box!
Walks alone often aren't enough to provide our dogs with the mental stimulation they need.
What about all the time spent inside with nothing to do?
A really simple, easy and cheap way to provide your dog with something engaging to do to do is to create 'snuffle boxes'.
Keep hold of any cardboard boxes you receive (e.g. from online deliveries). For small boxes, you could hide some kibble and treats in them and crush them up, so your dog has to tear them apart o find the food inside. For larger boxes, you could create snuffle boxes.
To do this, simply shred some paper up and place it inside of the box (Amazon boxes often come with paper, which is handy!) Then, scatter some of your dog's kibble or some small treats inside.
Your dog then has to use their nose to find the food inside. This encourages natural behaviour whilst also being a calming activity for your dog to engage in!
#freedogadvice #dogwelfare #dogbehaviour #canineenrichment #canine #dog #dogs #dogwelfaretips #FreeAdvice #dogenrichment #dogenrichmentactivities #mentalstimulationfordogs
The importance of allowing your dog to sniff!
Many dogs feel highly motivated to sniff and mark their scent during walks. It's a very natural and relaxing behaviour that feels rewarding for your dog to perform.
Similarly to us enjoying scrolling through social media to see what other people are up to, dogs will sniff scents left by other dogs and animals to find out information about them.
I really love the term of dogs checking their 'wee-mails'!
Do you ever find yourself pulling your dog away from sniffing?
Instead, allow your dog to sniff!
I make sure my dog Woody's walks are his 'me time', and I allow him to take the time to sniff.
Walks aren't just all about the physical exercise, but more importantly about mental stimulation.
#dogwalks #dogwalking #dogwelfare #dogbehaviour #dogbehaviourist #dogenrichment #dogenrichmentactivities #dogcaretips #dogwelfaretips
A Clinical Animal Behaviourist and dog training instructor based in Stoke-on-Trent, covering Staffordshire and surrounding areas.
