Inquisitiv Pets

24/05/2024

Bambi has been having behavioural support for nearly 3 months as unfortunately she’s not has the best start in life.

Bambi finds the world quite a scary place, especially other dogs and people. Whilst Bambis owners are accepting she will not be a ‘typical’ dog they’ve also been really accommodating with handling techniques, confidence building and utilising management which is always understated in its importance.

Bambi has made small improvements and whilst Bambi won’t be visiting a pub garden or walking down the high street, I’m hopeful she can find the world a less scary place to explore and continue to make progress that makes her everyday life a much happier place to be ☀️

05/05/2024

This little cutie is Shadow 🐾

Shadow is an Australian Labradoodle and I was lucky to be able to support her owners in making an informed choice on the breeder and choosing their pup for their family.

I’ve seen Shadow today to help with some initial training to set her off in the right pathway and hope to see her very soon! ☺️

03/04/2024

This is the sweet Cleo 🐾

Cleo is having behavioural support as she can find new people, sudden movements and unfamiliar objects scary.

She’s super clever and a big foodie and already has grown in confidence since I have last seen her. We’ve got a plan in place to help continue to build her confidence gradually so everyone can see her cheeky wiggly side too!

27/03/2024

Whilst we mostly share the training clients on this platform, I also carry out behavioural consultations and support and often do not share these due to their sensitive nature but are happening in the background!

Cali has recently finished having behavioural support for nervousness around people and dogs on walks. Her owners have done such a great job at recognising when she is stressed and needs more space and when she actually is more comfortable to say hello.

She’s made some lovely progress in the last 3 months and she’s such a sweetie! ⭐️

20/03/2024

Little Ghost 👻

Ghost has had a few sessions with me now as he learns some basics but more importantly to grow in confidence.

Ghost is worried by lots of things including people he doesn’t know so we’re taking it super slow and introducing things in a way that can help him build confidence and realise the world isn’t so scary! 🐾

24/02/2024

The ‘Wagging tail’ myth and why learning to read dog body language can really help you know what your dog is trying to communicate and feeling!

16/02/2024

BALLS

We’ve all seen a dog that lives for a ball and loves nothing more than waiting for that throw to chase but when does it go too far?

Too often our dogs become obsessed, unable to engage with their surroundings as every move to that pocket of your coat could be the ball. They finish their walk extremely highly aroused with tight smiles and heavy pants.

When we throw the ball, it’s a a dopamine hit, addictive even. You’d do anything for the next throw. Some breeds are hard wired to fulfil the chase, grab and retrieve part of their completely natural and internal predatory sequence and so are more likely to find balls extremely motivating.

However, repetitive exercise with sudden halts and twists and turns can be damaging to joints long term and dogs in heightened states of arousal can spill over to other animals in a negative way.

There’s of course nothing wrong with a bit of ball throwing but how can we encourage other natural behaviours such as sniffing, exploring and playing?

1- To help with those that can’t switch off, always cue the ball before you reach for it e.g. “Ball” and then take it out your pocket.

2- Add a “finished” word or hand signal, I like to show empty hands and cross these after playing that the ball game has ended

3- Sprinkle tasty treats into some long grass on a “find it” to encourage head down and sniffing

4- Encourage your dog to start searching for the ball and retrieving instead of chasing for it. This will mental stimulate your dog, make great use of their nose and encourage patience around the ball and a more positive and calmer interaction.

5- If you do throw a ball, after cueing it, throw it only when your dog is facing the direction to avoid a sudden twist, don’t use a ball thrower and make sure your dog has enough straight ground to chase and retrieve without twisting too much!

*picture of the gorgeous Cleo after a mix of ball throwing in an open space and searching for the ball*

09/02/2024

We love Pullers and we love this video of my previous colleague at Dogs Trust West London having fun with a dog in their care!

Pullers are two round purple heavy duty but lightweight toys that dogs can chase, retrieve and tug. I have found them super useful for high energy breeds, resource guarding behaviours, and for teaching impulse control!

*I’m not sponsored, I just love them!*

03/02/2024

The lovely Lilah!

Lilah has had a few session over the last year to help with various things, today we went through building a new recall cue, how to make sure Lilah doesn’t run off again each time and engage more in her surroundings when she’s eager to run ahead.

Lilah is super clever and is such a sweetie and I hope to see more of her in the future! ⭐️

29/11/2023

Alabama Rot

What is it?
CRGV, also referred to as Alabama rot, is a disease that affects dogs. The disease damages a dog’s blood vessels in the skin and sometimes also in the kidneys. This can cause sores on the skin and may cause major problems for vital organs, resulting in kidney failure.

What are the symptoms?
- Unexplained redness
-Sores (a defect in the skin) commonly on paws and legs
- Swollen skin
- Your dog licking their paws more than usual

How can you prevent/ help your pet from getting it?
- check your pet over every few days, daily is best for general health changes
- wash off muddy legs and paws after a woodland walk
-identify early symptoms and speak to your Vet

There is a possibility there are environmental triggers for Alabama rot. Find out reported cases near you by looking at our live map.

07/11/2023

The sweetest Kola you ever did see! 👀

Kola recently had a session to reassure his pawrents that they’re doing the right things in building his confidence around noises since he became a little worried. 💥

We added a few things in and also touched on recall and I hope to see how he is getting on in a few weeks 😇

21/10/2023

Sweet Indie had her first session today!

Believe it or not, prior to taking this photo she was sat on my lap having a butt scratch. 🐶

Indie is a rescue and is still settling into her new home and family life but growing in confidence everyday. Today we talked about building motivation for food and play to assist with her recall and how to keep her safe from the front door. 🚪

I look forward to seeing this sweet girl in a few weeks and building on what we’ve started today ⭐️

26/09/2023

Clever Rolo had a 1-1 recently as he was unfortunately terrorising his older human sister.

Once we established he isn’t trying to bite to be ‘naughty’ or hurt and it is just over the top play at one member of the household we put a plan in place.

With all training we first look at meeting our dogs needs, then how we can prevent the behaviour in the short term whilst we put the training into place.

Rolo is a quick learner and he’s already making some better choices ⭐️

16/09/2023

I echo the same thoughts of all my colleague trainers and behaviourists and vets out there regarding the recent move to ban XL bully’s in the UK. It isn’t the answer we need.

It seems likely that by the end of the year all of these typed as XL bully’s will need to be neutered and muzzled on walks.

Please see below some great advice regarding muzzles and training.

We will be offering 10% off to any Bully type breed for behavioural consultations or 1-1 training and 25% off for muzzle training sessions.

I strongly advise all XL bully owners out there to start working on any behaviours you have concerns about and start seeking a muzzle to train with now to protect your pet as much as you can.

Myself and so many out there are here to help, just ask!💚

10/09/2023

Adorable Ace 🐾

Ace is a super sweet boy that just needs a bit of extra help to get him through his teenager phase.
in our session we covered how to rebuild focus around other dogs 🐕, recall and managing jumping up around people visiting the home.

It was a super hot day ☀️ so we started the basics and his pawrents will have summary notes to help them continue their training over the coming weeks.

I hope to see how he gets on soon! 🐕

04/09/2023

Introducing Handsome Henry 🐕

Henry recently had a session to help rebuild his recall now that he’s hit his cheeky teenager stage.

We worked at rebuilding his response to a new recall cue and also covered how to manage and teach him not to jump up at counters when human food is being prepped.

Henry is clever and did well in his first session and I look forward to seeing him for his second soon! 🐾

10/08/2023

Introducing double trouble, Clemi and Wilson 🐾

This brother and sister duo had a session this evening to go over the basics and how to set them up for success. ⭐️

Whilst it isn’t advised to have two puppies at the same time, it can be done provided you’re aware they need to do a lot of things separately to build independence in their own right 🐕

Clemi and Wilson are super smart and super sweet and I hope I get to see them again in the future 🐾

01/08/2023

Meet beautiful Betty!

Betty is a sweetheart but loves to shout for attention, we spent the session talking through her general behaviour and putting some changes into place to improve the choices Betty makes. 🐾

Shes a clever little girl and I’m sure she’ll soon get the hang of settling around visitors and not always needing to be on the go.

I look forward to seeing how they get on in a few weeks time 🐕☺️

29/06/2023

Brilliant demonstration of how far cooperative care can be taken! We see this in zoos everyday in order to do health checks, blood draws etc so why would our dogs be any different?
If your dogs find the vets a stressful experience, there is another way and there is always something we can add in to help make the whole process better for them, you and the veterinary team to provide the care needed to your pets! 💉

09/06/2023

Hi All!

You may have noticed we’ve been absent in May and this is for good reason. My sister and best friend got married, and I became an Auntie!
I will not be taking on any new clients until July due to taking some much needed holiday ☀️

We are still here for all existing clients and will respond to any enquiries for dates beginning of July.

Behind the scenes alongside Inquisitiv Pets I also work full time for Guide Dogs as a Puppy Development Advisor and here is little puppy Royal.

Stay safe as the weather gets hot, some great advice with how to spot signs of heat stroke in your dogs can be found at: https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/life-with-your-dog/seasonal/warm-weather #:~:text=Provide%20shade%20and%20water%20%E2%80%93%20Make,reduce%20their%20risk%20of%20heatstroke.

Enjoy the weekend ☀️🕶️

27/04/2023

Muzzled dogs aren’t bad dogs.

Some dogs may wear a muzzle for various different reasons including;
-Scavenging
- 💩 eaters
- worried by unfamiliar dogs
-ex racing
- high prey drive 🐿️

A muzzled dog shows an owner is aware of their dogs needs and are taking precautions for whatever reason that may be.
I muzzle trained my dog as a precaution as you never know the situation in which they may need one, such as a scary vets situation. 😟

This picture is great to show how a good muzzle should fit! They may look big initially but you want to allow your dog to fully pant, especially as that’s the main way they regulate their temperature! 🌡️

12/04/2023

Isn’t Shelby cute!

Shelby recently had a puppy consultation to chat through all things puppy!🐶

This mainly covered body lanaguge and understanding what Shelby needs at different times or situations. His pawrents are doing a super job and have a whole host of training lined up for him as he gets older! ⭐️

It’s always important to manage your expectations with pups, they are only babies and still figuring out the world 🌎 and with your help, learn how to become lovely well rounded dogs 🐕

07/04/2023

HAPPY EASTER 🐣

Remember to keep those tasty snacks that contain raisins or chocolate out of reach of your dogs! 🍫

Chocolate toxicity varies on the type of chocolate and size of your dog, you can check this at: https://www.vets-now.com/dog-chocolate-toxicity-calculator/

For raisins and sultanas, we don’t know why sometimes just one can be fatal and others can eat a bunch and be ok. If you think your dog has ingested one, it is best to head straight to your Vets.

Stay safe and have a lovely weekend! 🐣

29/03/2023

Isn’t Lilah such a lovely name?!

Lilah is having 1-1 sessions to help her walk nicely on a lead around roads.
This can be super hard for spaniels that naturally walk in a side to side motion, often nose to the ground!🌳🍂

Lilah has just come into her season so we spoke about lowering expectations for the next few weeks as dogs can go through this in different ways.

Lilah did brilliantly despite this and I look forward to seeing her once she’s finished her season! 🐾

27/03/2023

Super Sweet Sandy 🍬

Sandy had a session this weekend and together we starting the basics in:
🐾Building a solid recall
🐾walking nicely on a lead
🐾Being more polite when leaving her crate in the morning

Sandy is on a restricted diet so we chatted about how we can increase value to her food and the use of toys where we can as her motivator ⭐️

26/03/2023

Update on Bouncy Billy ⭐️

Billy and his owner have been working really hard over the last few weeks and just look at the engagement Billy offers now!

He still gets excited and distracted by leaves 🍂and dogs, these are separate issues and have an extra plan in place to help Billy over time! Sometimes we can lump everything into the same boat and expect our dogs to mange so many things, but when we break each part down, we start to help our dogs cope with these exciting things and get closer to our goals! 🐶

14/03/2023

Meet Bouncy Billy! 🐶

Billy is super friendly and loves people but doesn’t quite understand his size and strength!

Billy had a session to work on his lead walking and how to build some impulse control…I.e. I can pause and think about what’s happening when I want to do something. For Billy that’s especially true for leaves 🍁 🍂

Billy did really well and was knackered after our session! Next time we’re working on greeting people coming in the house more calmly🏡

07/03/2023

Meet the cutest CeeCee!

CeeCee is still a baby in her development and is having 1-1 sessions to help her walk nicely on the lead, focus more outside on her caregivers and keep her 4 paws on the ground when she gets super excited! 🐶

CeeCee and her owners had a brilliant first session and I look forward to seeing them again in a few weeks to see how they’re getting on 🐾

24/02/2023

Meet the brilliant Boe 😍

This little fellas pawrents recently had a puppy consultation to build their confidence that they were doing all the right things to set Boe up for the best start!

Puppy consultations are great if you’re thinking about getting a dog and have questions about breeds, training, home set up and everything in between.

They’re also super useful if you recently have gotten a puppy and just want to have all your questions answered! 💬

Little Boe here also has signed up to the puppy life skills course so I’ll be seeing more of his tiny paws soon! 🐾

08/02/2023

For the last year and a half I have been completing a Dog Training Course so that I can be part of a register for accredited Dog Trainers 🥳

Why does this matter?
I personally feel all dog trainers and behaviourists should be looking to be the best they can be, held to accountability, abide by a code of conduct, stay up to date with research by completing CPD, and use the most ethical training methods possible.
Being a part of the Animal Behaviour and Training Council is a way to do this and be held to the same standards 🐾

🤩🤩New Full Member Announcement!🤩🤩

Please join us in congratulating the fantastic Steph Ranson from Inquisitiv pets on completing our Canine Training Instructor Course to become a full member of PACT and an Accredited ATI with The Animal Behaviour and Training Council .

"I am so happy to have completed my training with PACT to be part of the ABTC register that paves the way forward for ethical & accountable dog training. When looking at courses PACT stood out as a friendly & accessible way to learn, improve my skills & become an accredited dog trainer. I started the course before it switched to the new team & they made the change seamless, it's as if they were always there & always with a smile!"