Emily Birch Canine Consultancy

02/08/2024

I think we’re fully in the teething phase of puppyhood. The missing teeth is one clue, the blood on toys she’s chewing another and the exponential increase in chewing and hind teeth grinding on everything is another!

27/07/2024

Happy Birthday Juniper!!! 11 years of this wee peach! She’s still totally off her rocker and still obsessed with staring at small things! This week she’s been baby sitting a duckling!

24/07/2024

Puppy dog had the best time camping and as ever she took it all in her stride! She went on steam trains, hung out at parks, walked and played in streams and met all the farm animals too! She even met the pet duckling (who is pretty flipping cute it has to be said!). Juno and zipper had such a lovely time too - although it’s the first time I’ve ever seen Zipper appear his age. After day 3 he took himself off for a sleep in the car (which for those who know him will know how impressive this is!). It’s hard to believe he will be 13 fairly soon 😳 Juno of course lived her best life staring at either her new duckling friend or the sheep 🙈

Maybe it because we spent our childhood camping, but I shall always love it! I hope my children remember camping with their cousins when they’re big and grown 😊

NB the more I learn of social media the less comfortable I am having photos of my children on there - hence they’re blurry! I figured Mavis won’t care!

17/07/2024

Mavis had her first puppy class this week with and was a little star. I’ve spoken before about why I take my puppies to puppy classes - I really feel good ones are invaluable for puppies and owners and we’re very lucky to have a selection of wonderful trainers in the area!

This week was all about getting used to the venue and doing some little bits. Ceci (5 years old) really enjoyed it too and did the bits herself as it definitely works better when it’s not your mumma telling you how to do stuff 🙈

Mavis is a proper cool little dog - we’ve had a pretty stressful few weeks (very poorly toddler) and she’s been to stay with a couple of friends and honestly, she’s taken it all in her stride (thanks to such a brilliant start in life with )

20/06/2024

I’ve started writing a bit more again and contributing to articles. I love writing and I love proper science being disseminated to those who may need it.

Here is an article written in Rover about canine body language 🙂

https://www.rover.com/blog/dog-facial-expressions/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3fB3wwWGtgtBjpELxf_O3_KRHHfNYQJBdu-hX2fmmp_QKXvCvCfYfzxAQ_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw

Dogs are expressive (just like us). Learn to interpret your dog’s wide range of facial expressions and how to strengthen your bond with them.

18/06/2024

Puppy parties, done right! These became really popular maybe 15 or so years ago now as a means of socialising your puppy, but truth be told the traditional ‘put 6+ puppies on the floor to play and have fun’ theory very frequently back fired! Puppies are not good moderators or readers and it would so often lead to a number of puppies being thoroughly traumatised!

But done right, they can be such a brilliant source of information and support for owners as well as allowing positive experiences for puppies.

Tonight Ceci, Mavis and I went to to their puppy party hosted by the wonderful Alice trainer and it was wonderful. The two puppies had some really lovely interactions that were short, well managed and gentle as well as learning they could potter and work in each others company.

And now this little angel pup is fast asleep 😊

Although the spaniel fans among you will be pleased to know her halo slipped a touch as she climbed in the windowsill and tried to eat some cat toys 🙈

15/06/2024

Twenty-four hours in to owning Mavis and all I can see is… make sure you find yourself a good breeder who’s done all the typical ‘firsts’ for you already! This little peach sleeps all night (my children still do not 🙈), travels amazingly in a car, settles in a crate of pen, has excellent dog reading skills and is the perfect mix of cocky and sensible! We took her on a little walk today and she just takes everything in her stride but without getting herself into trouble. We met a friends dog (who is very lovely with puppies) and she was so polite!

I’m sure she will be a naughty spaniel in time - but for now she’s saintly!!

12/06/2024

These two are blissfully unaware of what’s coming their way in 2 days time 🙈

05/06/2024

I *may* have a slight obsession with food toys!

Do you feed your dogs from food toys?

I am a big fan but within reason and you need to know that different toys evoke different responses. Some increase frustration (and indeed help with frustration tolerance) and are batted and rolled around the place. Whilst others lower arousal and promote licking and chewing and laying down behaviours.

But here's the thing - I use these as a form of something fun to do for them and its rare they get their meals this way. I am a big believer in dogs having a meal from a bowl and being able to rest and digest after eating it. No working for it - just a meal delivered predictably every day so no one needs to get too fizzy or het up about it!

03/06/2024

It’s probably high time I introduce this little face to everyone! Meet Mavis (Clonameg Star Anise)! It just under two weeks she will be coming to join the family! I am unbelievably lucky to be entrusted with this little soul, her breeder is one of my favourite people in the world and the start these little ones have had in life could not be better… and for all of that, I am eternally grateful! So here’s to turning to the dark side of a naughty cocker from the easy collies 🙈

I will be documenting little bits we do over the next few months so do follow along!

30/05/2024

You can claim the cost of a behavioural consultation back on your pet insurance. Meaning you have access to ethical, scientifically robust and caring advice from qaulified experts for as a little as £75.

Get in touch on [email protected]

22/05/2024

A very wise friend and I were discussing how there maybe needs to be a term for the behaviour that isn't resource guarding, but is the precursor to potential resource guarding. A non snazzy and convoluted term could be 'holds resources in higher regard than other dogs do'!

I think it explains why some dogs will allow an owner to take something from them endlessly and never find it remotely annoying, whilst others need a behaviourist for support as things have got totally out of hand. Likewise some dogs will allow other, even unknown dogs, to take toys from them, whilst others would show very overt aggression in that circumstance.

Of course temperament plays a part but it would be handy if you could have a list of behaviours that indicate this individual is highly motivated by resources and care needs to be taken to ensure they don't develop resource guarding issues.

If anyone can think of any memorable terms for it - i'm all ears!

26/04/2024

As someone who very much has imposter syndrome I’m always very very delighted when someone tells me how much difference my plan has made. This little dog had not only worked with very talented trainers before but her owner is also an excellent trainer. However it just seemed things were getting trickier and harder and that’s why I was asked to visit. Sometimes I feel my role is putting all the puzzle pieces together and it’s absolutely why changing the emotional motivation works rather than focusing on changing the behaviour.

I love this little dog and I’m so so happy for their future together! From absolutely not being able to keep herself together at the faintest sight of another dog, to this in the space of 3 weeks! What a team they are 😌

23/04/2024

Conflict happens when the two things you want to do are directly opposed to each other - you want to say hi, but you're also worried about what will happen when you do (approach/avoidance). Sometimes conflict behaviours in dogs can be harder to spot but they're actually pretty common.

I realised an excellent human example of feeling conflicted occurs when you wake in the night and realise you need the toilet. You are really warm and cosy and still half asleep but you also really need a wee! To get up and go to the toilet means waking yourself up fully and getting cold. Maybe you lay in bed for a bit hoping you don't actually need a wee and your body is just pretending. But alas, you do, its probably (unless you have young children) the reason you woke up! But here is a great example of internal conflict in our brains.

Can you think of any more? Human, Dog, Horse, whatever - lets go through some examples!

18/04/2024

Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional (the quote JimBob lives by!)

When our dogs are young we cannot imagine that one day a grey face will look back at us… yet it comes (if we’re lucky) creeping up on us and suddenly we look back and think how young they looked before.

Zipper is 12.5 and Juno is soon to be 11. They’re both still fit as fiddles and will walk all day but it’s the subtle stuff that is there; a deeper sleep, a shorter walk sufficing or a stiffness for a few strides upon waking. And indeed the increase in lumps and bumps.

Show us your beautiful old souls in the comments below!

26/03/2024

Show us your cuddlers! I have two collies; one lives for cuddling up, the other would not ever be seen having a cuddle (he will even walk out a room when you walk in it 😂)

It’s always a controversial topic about letting dogs come on the furniture or sleep in the beds but I always feel it’s an owners personal choice and if there aren’t any issues around it then it doesn’t need addressing!

Personally I love a dog cuddling up on the sofa but I cannot stand them sleeping in my room (because I do not need another soul waking me up at night 🙈). They’re very welcome to hang out on my bed at other times though!

The main this is to be consistent. Dogs understand consistent rules really easily but grey areas are really hard!

23/03/2024

Today is

Show us photos of your dogs as puppies below!

15/02/2024

How brilliant is this! I suspect as dog owners we knew this was the case but science that confirms our inkling is always helpful!

https://fb.watch/qdC0s_PT5D/

13/02/2024

So this year it is probably no news to some that I am getting another dog! Very exciting - although it's still quite a few months away still!

Anyway, it got me thinking that I need to book in to my friends puppy classes (can you tell i'm excited about this new addition!). But why I am often asked, do I go to puppy classes and for me the reasons are simple.

Firstly, I fully believe you can learn things from every body you meet and there are absolutely things I still need to know and learn about puppy training. Yes, I have successfully taught many owners and their puppies but it's been a long time since I had a puppy and I definitely know i'll have forgotten the relentlessness of it at times!

Secondly, I want my dog from a really young age to know that training is about focussing on me amidst other distractions including other people and dogs. If we only train them at home then its totally unreasonable to expect them to concentrate when in a class environment at first. And we allow this as puppies but then we have an adolescent who cannot function when around other dogs and we wonder why.

Do you take your puppies/dogs to classes? What bits did you like best? What things have you been taught that will stay with you for life? One of the first trainers I ever met with my first dog has become one of my greatest friends and I still need her wise mentorship a lot of the time :)

31/01/2024

For some dogs the need to be in a den is high on their list of priorities! Zipper exclusively sleeps under beds, in covered crates or apparently under curtains too! Is your dog a secretive sleeper?

30/01/2024

Eugh- Why? Why is stuff like this still getting such promotion without any form of fact checking. It sometimes feel that no matter how hard you bang your head on the brick wall, no one is gonna listen!

It totally misses the point - being force free doesn't mean you ignore everything else and just reward the good. It means you teach them through ethical training what is expected of them, you listen to the individual in front of you and you support them with things they cannot manage themselves yet.

Also 'if you treat a dog like a human, it'll treat you like a dog' is one of the most comical and ridiculous statements i've heard. Pray tell me, how would a dog treat you like a dog? Like I really want to know? I think what they're suggesting is the dog will be rude and do it what it wants and show no respect to you - which is ironic as this implies you should be treating your dog this way.

Anyway, rant over - i'm preaching to the converted here but still!

25/01/2024

They do like to worry us!! Zipper last week was not himself at all - withdrawn, quiet and then he really had a go at Juno which is so out of character for him (he is the master of goofiness and he is always fine with everything and everyone). So off to the vets we went. That afternoon he had a really bad stomach and was off his food too. Full check up found a heart murmur but no heart disease and he had a full set of bloods done that revealed nothing sinister. So a tummy bug was the culprit and thankfully he is all good again!

His behavioural changes though started a 36-48 hours before any diarrhoea or vomiting which I find very interesting (and it’s also why as behaviourists we never discount the effects of gastrointestinal upset on behaviour!)

I adore this boy 🥰

18/12/2023

The average owner spends between £21,000 and £33,000 on their dog in its lifetime.

05/12/2023

This evening I polished off my examiners hat and went to asses at South West Dog Training & Behaviour Centre. It was lovely - great dog and owner teams and all passed with flying colours thanks to expert training from Liz! One little dog I was admiring so much I forgot to let the owner know she could recall her dog and was just stood there smiling at her dog instead! I particularly like this photo as I feel this is the look of disbelief that often bestows a working cocker spaniels owner 😂

02/12/2023

I have two spaces available in my agility classes starting in January. They’re Wednesday mornings just outside Chalford. If you’d like to join then do send me a message!

30/11/2023

Dog coats! Do your dogs wear coats?

It’s always a fairly controversial conversation with views varying! For me - I do out coats on my dogs depending on the weather - if it’s really raining then I will or it’s really cold I will. Todays wind chill made it -5 and it was so cold! My dogs are also used to living in a pretty warm house so their coat doesn’t really change through the season. They also don’t charge about much. So all things considered, I put coats on them!

And not to mention their and coats are really lovely too!

29/11/2023

Ooo I really like this! What’s your win this month?

Winning Wednesday! This competition comes around faster and faster but we love it. To enter for your chance to win a Paws Made toy of your choice, share your win for November with your dog or dogs. We'll select a winner at random and announce them next week. We can't wait to hear about your month with your wonderful dogs.

23/11/2023

If anyone needs a new name for a muzzle, my 5 year old has just created it… A yappy harness! You’re welcome!