WISHING YOU AND YOUR DOGS A HAPPY AND PAWZITIVE NEW YEAR!! 🐾
New course dates for the new year will be posted/messaged Tuesday and I will be back to 1 to 1 training from the 3rd. Looking forward to being part of your training journey... new or continued.
Thank you for your support of my business again in 2023, it is much appreciated.
Have a great evening with your doggos. Love from Diane and the Pawzitvity pooches 🤩
HEY!! PLEASE SLOW DOWN...I'M JUST A BABY!! 👼 🐾
This video was THE trend when I got Jasmine as a puppy, I love it, but it sums up this post in a very cute way in just a few seconds.
I am driven to write this after seeing some crazy things said in Facebook dog groups recently relating to new puppies.
So one said "my puppy is 10 weeks old and I put him outside in the rain 🚩 and he just cries at the door and when I eventually let him in the **** 🚩 pees on the floor. I can't be dealing with this 🚩"
Many replies go along the lines of "you've got to be more stubborn than him, however long it takes, don't give in" 🚩🚩
Another said "My puppy cries all night 🚩 and screams when I go for a shower, how can I make him stop" 🚩
Needless to say the phrases, "stay strong" and "rod for your own back" still rear their ugly heads 🚩🚩
Another complained that they had their new puppy a few weeks and he isn't any good at scent work like her previous dog 🚩
There are tonnes of others in this similar vein.
Honestly if I could give people just one piece of advice when bringing a new puppy home it would be "MANAGE YOUR EXPECTATIONS". It will help you to navigate the new puppy, life change and it will make settling into a new home, family and routine so much easier for the puppy.
on the back of this, please don't listen to people trying to convince you that puppy is trying to manipulate you, test you, be the boss or is just being stubborn.
He/she IS JUST A BABY!! Yesterday/last week they were cuddling up to Mum and a bundle of siblings and everything was familiar. Giving them cuddles and support in the transition will help build confidence and they will worry less. Letting them cry it out is an old fashioned concept, sometimes referred to as self soothing, while later on we do need to help dogs learn to settle, this isn't soothing when they quiet for an hour or two, it is exhaustion and can make leaving them all the harder.
We have to teach puppies to b
Just a little fun thing we have been working on while building distractions. This was with next doors children bouncing on their trampoline but we were having much more fun!really pleased with their engagement 😊
For everyone that I work with that worries about "those" moments. The times when things don't go quite to plan. Just to reassure you it happens to the best of us 🤣
You're welcome 😉
"AFTER YOU"..."NO AFTER YOU"!
I made this quick video for a 1 to 1 client a few weeks ago. This is not a polished video (We had a broken boiler, only 3 had managed to keep their jumpers on, and there's still bare plaster round the door, but you get the idea 😄).
I spoke to another family with 2 dogs about this subject this week so thought it would be worth sharing.
Training some gate etiquette to your dogs can be really useful especially in multi dog households.
Not because I am a huge control freak but dogs running, barging and jostling through doorways tends to build arousal greatly. This can become an area of over excitement or even friction between your dogs. Especially if there are other reasons for excitement, such as food, visitors, the delivery arrival etc.
I have obviously got whippets that can be a bit 0 - 60 and Mini Dachshunds that can be very barky as a breed. If these 5 all came crashing through, running and barking at something, this could be a perfect storm for an over excited nip or an injured back for the little legs from the mini race horses.
Even if you only have one dog door/gate etiquette can be super useful if you have plates in your hands or bags of shopping or would like your dog to stay behind the gate before you open a door directly on to a road etc.
This has nothing what so ever to the old school dominance theory, where you were told your dog mustn't go through a door in front of you as they were trying to be the boss...they weren't...they were just very excited and wanted to get on with it! This is more of a 'no running in the corridors' when the school bell went to avoid tripping kids and elbowed ribs. We were just excited too and there were no thoughts of bosses what so ever 😉
Training calm around these entrances when things are calm gives you a much better chance of having some calm when you need it. Of course as with all training, it gets much harder as excitement/distractions build so always start at an easy level.
Traini
IS IT HECTIC IN YOUR HALLWAY? I wanted to share this little video with you from last week. I was sweeping the floor when the van pulled up. I was expecting something from amazon the next day but had a feeling it might be for me so took a quick video.
So we are all aware that many Daschunds bark for a living 😁 so we have been working on their response to the doorbell and us going to the door. (Please note I have this door and a porch door or I would be using a baby gate for safety here).
We often think we must rush to the door quickly as soon as the bell goes, and things can all become very exciting for our dogs. The doorbell can become a sound that predicts exciting things are about to happen and we can feel we haven't got time to work with our pups/dogs.
This video is 29 seconds long from the guy leaving the van to me opening the first door even with me not well prepared and fumbling around in my pockets for a few kibbles. Everyone is going to give you that long to get to the door at the very least.
It's good to practice these situations with a family member or help of a friend and we have been, so we are coming a long well.
(The excitement of visitors coming in is still a work in progress :))
Also remember it is normal for our dogs to bark, it is part of their communication of course, (and also to be happy to see guests). So try not to be angry with them for this.
Ideally though it's nice if you can head to the door without tripping over a pair of sausages (or great danes) giving it so many decibels that you can't even hear the words "sign here please" 🤣
If things tend to get very hectic in your hallway I can offer 1 to 1 sessions in person or via video call.
(P.s Jasmine is wearing some season pants, although I was sure she had finished, Jacob still has his 🍒so was being extra careful :) )
