Stargazer Dogs

15/12/2022

This is really well explained …

03/11/2022

I try never to forget how lucky I am to live in Cornwall and have this as my daily dog walk…

30/10/2022

Looks like there is another good raw feeding summit coming soon!

Follow the link below to access this free summit…

Online & Free I Limited Time

29/10/2022

While I was prepping vegetables for the humans in the house, I decided to see if I could make good use of the scraps for the dogs…

Using windfall apples from the garden and the ‘waste’ bits of cauliflower, I created enrichment treats with their usual raw dog food/treats. When frozen, these will provide healthy chews with no plastic, and the added benefit of phytonutrients from the vegetables, which my dogs are often not keen on eating!

25/10/2022

I’ve been truly rubbish at posting on here recently - I’ve been distracted with lots of other things going on!

Anyway, I have been working hard on my next book (this is book number three, which has leap-frogged over book two which is still a work in progress!) I hope to have it finished and self-published sometime next month. So if you’re looking for a stocking filler for a dog-loving friend…

“The Diary of an Itchy Dog” by Victoria Hooper - coming soon!

(Thanks to Marshall Leo Somers for the wonderful cover illustration 😀)

17/10/2022

This looks interesting - there have been so many brilliant, free summits etc recently.

There is such a cross-over between health and well-being in ourselves and our dogs. I’ve seen three of these speakers before and I’m looking forward to hearing the rest too! Won’t be needing the watch TV for a couple of weeks …

IT ALL STARTS TONIGHT!
A week of {free} LIVE talks to help you and your dogs have the happiest & healthiest of Winters.

❄️ protect yourself through emotional stress
❄️ the importance of sleep
❄️ immunity boosting nutrition
❄️ obesity in our dogs (and us!)
❄️ relaxing dogs around visitors
❄️ groom your dog at home and save
❄️ mindful contact with your dog
❄️ cats and dogs living in harmony
❄️ kids and dogs
❄️ rest days for your dogs
❄️ muddy dogs
❄️ social safety for us all
❄️ Zoopharmacognosy
❄️ supporting beneath the behaviour

And so much more!

Come and join our Facebook group to have access to all of these talks. Search for “Connect with Your Dog” or find the link in bio 👍

07/10/2022

There is a brilliant raw feeding summit available online now - it’s totally free and has some really knowledgeable speakers - follow the link below if you are interested…

Online & Free | Limited Time

24/08/2022

It sometimes feels like the story of Cosmo’s health is never ending but look how far we’ve come…

The first photo shows Cosmo in March 2021. I had no idea that his immune system was so delicate and unbalanced until he was unable to ‘shake off’ a tummy upset that all three of my dogs caught. The others recovered quickly but Cosmo spent 7 nights in the vets and came out looking like this!

The second photo was taken this week - yes, he has pink paws, but look at the overall health and condition he has now that I have focused on his gut health and immune system. This has all been done with diet, natural supplements and lifestyle. He hasn’t had any conventional, vet-prescribed medication since March 2021 (or booster vaccinations/chemical flea and worming treatments either!)

I can’t thank enough the Rawpetmedics, Dogs First, and Holisticvet Ltd. for their information and support on this journey 😁

18/08/2022

You are what you eat …

Just 48 hours later, Cosmo’s feet are looking much better, simply by changing his food!

(He’s still not keen on me taking photos of him while he’s trying to sleep, though… 😂)

18/08/2022

I might be a little bit too excited about my new chest freezer for my dogs’ food 😂

I’ve wanted one for quite some time, but it has been difficult to organise delivery to my house.

Now I can order more food per delivery charge, and take advantage of any deals I see, knowing that I have the freezer capacity to store the food.

Without doubt, it has cost a lot to buy and stock up, but I could easily spend that amount of money on vet visits, treating the symptoms of illnesses.

Instead, I choose to invest in ‘healthcare’ for my dogs - starting with feeding a fresh, species-appropriate diet that will help them to maintain optimum health. 🐕

Dogs First
Holisticvet Ltd.
Rawpetmedics

17/08/2022

Poor Cosmo - it’s become very clear, very quickly that ’goat’ as a single protein for Cos is not good. His paws have become red and itchy in just 3 days

Fortunately I have been able to put him straight back onto his previous protein, lamb, and his feet are looking better again after just 24 hours!

I’ll give him 1 to 2 weeks on lamb again to help his feet to heal, then I’ll try a different protein, Eventually, I’ll have a list of ‘good’ proteins that don’t aggravate his immune system to feed him. In the meantime, he’s had some soothing footbaths and a paddle at the beach to help alleviate the symptoms 😁

14/08/2022

In my continuing effort to help Cosmo with his allergies, I’m currently feeding single proteins (meat sources) for 2 weeks at a time. While it’s not really long enough to identify an allergy, it does give me a snapshot of what foods may be aggravating his allergies. For example, chicken gave an instant negative response to his gut heath - runny p**p and rumbling tummy! I stopped the chicken trial after just 24 hours!

The difficult part is finding training treats and chews in the same meat for him, without it costing a fortune!

This week he is on goat only! I’ve managed to find goat ears as chews, but have resorted to making my own training treats from his raw meat. I’ve spread some goat meat onto some baking paper and dried it in the oven at a very low temperature. Cut into tiny pieces with scissors, it makes perfect treats 😁

13/08/2022

It’s certainly too hot for dogs to be out - but it’s brilliant for getting their beds clean and dry 😂

I use a probiotic cleaner in the washing machine, followed by a decent dose of UV sunlight to freshen my dogs’ beds without nasty chemicals 😁

12/08/2022

Beating the heat - 6.30am ☀️☀️☀️

11/08/2022

You know it’s hot when even my whippets are choosing shade and water by 9.30am ☀️☀️

Stay cool today everyone … 😎

09/08/2022

Well worth a look this evening 👀

Rawpetmedics tonight is all about bad behaviour in dogs... could it be diet related...?

The lads will be looking at different angles to behaviour, including certain diet "fads" amongst some behaviourists regarding serotonin and the like. We'll also be taking a peek at a new pet food that claims to be "clinically proven" to improve behaviour in dogs...hmmm.

Join us at 7pm (BST) for an information-packed live!

See you there 😁

09/08/2022

As most of you know, I’m always looking for a better, more natural way of looking after my dogs.

I don’t use routine, pesticide-filled worm and flea treatment for my dogs. Instead, I prefer to do regular worm counts by sending a p**p sample to a lab to be checked. Recently, Cosmo’s worm count showed a small amount of tapeworm (my other two dogs were clear).

I’m not surprised that it was Cosmo who was carrying a slight worm-burden as he is the one who is not quite at optimum health at the moment, due to his gut sensitivity and allergies. I’m working on these things with the brilliant Dr Nick Thompson of Holisticvet Ltd. and I’m seeing improvements 😁

Anyway, for the last 2-3 weeks I’ve been treating Cosmo with Kanex - a natural worming product from Dr Connor Brady Dogs First. I had the results of Cosmo’s repeat worm check yesterday and it’s completely clear!

Kanex contains red seaweed and pumpkin seeds, both of which are natural de-wormers, with no nasty chemicals whatsoever!

Don’t get me wrong, if ever I really needed to get on top of a SERIOUS parasite infestation, then I would use whatever product was necessary to do so, with the guidance of a natural/holistic vet.

BUT, I will never use routine, monthly doses of nasty pesticides on my dogs “just in case”. There are better ways to take care of my dogs’ health 🐾

07/08/2022

Well done to Dr. Tom Mitchell - Behavet (and absoluteDOGS) for producing this FREE ebook for anyone to download on the subject of neutering male dogs.

So many times, general advice, even from dog/vet professionals, is to neuter as standard, or as a quick fix for
‘problem behaviours’.

It is entirely possible that it is not in the best interest of your dog! There are other ways to stop your dog from fathering puppies and also to obtain ‘better’ behaviour!

It’s totally free - download it now!

http://email.kjbm.beha.vet/c/eJxtUMluwyAQ_RpzqWyxGnPg0Kqt1HM_wMIwdkhisIAkSr--zla1UqU5zPqWgdn4fZ8gx0Oy0HunKeFK4A5LhUCTVigpuRQEmWXpg5lB78zWDL7OJSYYUwwl10uK7mCLjwHBFfAvzkZbTi1uwSmhXIsH2YlBSKGsbU1HuOEo-_Jgl4JioiTa600pS67Yc0Xf1zidTs0AG9McoazlmADqAIcCyYephiHGHZohZzNBnyE4SL2Lq5qgd9th_jm9K3Sw90dI5wtpRxhrOesEvg8fMOW8gL61hhSNsyYXlHQuJk3mC5KLU644ni4bjY0zKvpzNfL08VpR9stKAusXD6HcLCrBFVakQ05jJsFh5DXFlK7fanHHKGWNE5i4UYyMYgsYy5XlPxdXgW-X9OWh7xt0vZhJ

Especially for Veterinary Professionals, Behavet are currently offering a free eBook written by Tom Mitchell which explores male neutering and behaviour. Plus, inside the eBook, you get templates to help you navigate Behaviour consultations and help owners struggling with common behaviour concerns.

06/08/2022

Really pleased to do some filming yesterday for an exciting new project!

The weather was perfect and Kenzie and Toby were superstars - ever patient and willing to show off behaviours over and over while we got the right shots!

Many thanks to Perrin Hooper for filming and directing 😁

02/08/2022

Lily has some very special visitors coming to see her tomorrow, so she’s had a bath to get ready - much to her disgust 🛁

27/07/2022

Celeste is supposed to be the smart one! Not the best attempt at burying a bone that I’ve ever seen 😂😂

26/07/2022

Cosmo isn’t a fan of his daily foot soaks but I do think it helps to soothe his allergy symptoms at the end of each day so that he doesn’t spend the night licking his paws.

(Notice that he’s wearing a collar, which I rarely use with my dogs. I use it very deliberately when I’m about to do something like bath him or clip his claws - it becomes the predictor of the “bad” thing, which means that he doesn’t have to spend all of the rest of his time worrying about what is coming next. If there is no collar, he knows he is “safe”. It really works!)

18/07/2022

Out and about early with my dogs today to beat the heat☀️☀️

Really proud of Celeste who had a lovely calm greeting with another dog - the first time I’ve allowed that to happen this year!

11/07/2022

I was delighted to see how many people were up and out early with their dogs this morning before it gets hot! ☀️

Remember, if you can’t walk your dog very early or very late in this lovely weather, then don’t walk them at all.

Dogs get very hot, very quickly and find it hard to cool down effectively. Keep them in, keep them cool and give them access to water at all times. ⛱💦

08/07/2022

Just beautiful …

05/07/2022

This is the most amazing introduction to games-based dog training from Absolute Dogs.

You can buy this online course through me for just £27 using Paypal - you get access for life and unlimited support from me via phone/messages to help make sure you're on the right track. Simply pay me, follow the link supplied and start training straight away!

Drop me a message for more information...

07515 893012
[email protected]
or WhatsApp link below

05/07/2022

Dog training with a difference!

Love this short clip of me training the whippets. It may not look like training, but this is great for their confidence and optimism - both are skills which all dogs can benefit from.

Despite living with this kitchen chair for all of their lives, seeing it like this on its side is quite different for my dogs. Simply supplying food on and near the chair helps to grow their confidence, so much so that Celeste was willing to put her feet on it. Cosmo always watches on with ’new’ things but in time he will also be able to do this - it just takes him a little longer…

How is this training? Every time a dog interacts with a ‘novel’ item with success, they will be more likely to be confident in other situations. A confident dog doesn’t tend to be reactive or unpredictable around new things or in new situations.

This is training FOR the situation rather than IN the situation - and it works!

02/07/2022

Here are five reasons why online dog training might work better for you and your dog than conventional in-person training…

1. It’s not weather-dependant! No matter how wet, hot, windy etc it might be, we can still train effectively ☀️🌨

2. There is no travelling time involved - you don’t have to get your dog to me in time for a session and I don’t have to factor travelling time into my costs 🚗

3. Your dog won’t have to interact with other dogs during the session - it can really affect their behaviour if they are particularly nervous or excited around other dogs 🐩

4. Your dog won’t have to travel in the car to get to training - many dogs get very excited/anxious/sick on car journeys and it’s not a great start to training 🚙

5. You don’t have to live nearby to be able to benefit from my fun, games-based training style 🤪

01/07/2022

It's taken a while, but I'm finally ready to launch some online dog training!

You can book a One-to-One Dog Training Package, which consists of an initial telephone call, three 30 minute online training sessions and unlimited follow-up support for three months via messages/calls.

I've adapted my original one-to-one training as I've realised that sometimes just a couple of minutes of help can get you up and running again if you're having problems. You don't always need a whole training session but a little regular input via Messenger/WhatsApp or similar can be invaluable!

You'll get a bespoke training plan designed just for you and your dog and three online sessions where I teach you how to train what you need. After that, I'm available to check in with to see how you're doing and keep you on the right track.

This package provides all of this support, designed especially for you, for just £80

Get in touch for more information or use the link below to book your first session right now 😀

https://StargazerDogsbookingpage.as.me/BookTraining

28/06/2022

Lily and I are on a mini-break in Ashwater, Devon. It’s really lovely here and I’m taking the opportunity to continue writing my next book . Love the peace and tranquillity - beginning to feel like a proper author!!

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/44567261?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=9be0aa01-0704-4156-8808-c4aeb7520484

25/06/2022

Cosmo is still a bit more itchy than I would like, so I’m getting creative with my solutions!

He’s not a fan of water and so doesn’t like a foot bath, which might alleviate some of the itching of his paws. Instead I take some of his daily food allowance down to the beach and scatter it across the seaweed, which is about 20cm deep in places. As he eats, he sinks down into the wet seaweed and effectively gives himself a footbath, helping to remove pollen or other allergens that he may have accumulated on his fur!

At the same time, I’m gradually training him at home to get used to a footbath - so far, he’s pretty good at jumping in when it’s empty, but he is yet to enjoy it when I add any water! It’s slow progress but we’re going in the right direction 😁

24/06/2022

So I finally finished clipping Lily’s coat, ready for a lovely, hot summer and the sky looks like this!! ☁️☁️

23/06/2022

Have you ever tried adding just a little salt to your dog’s drinking water?

We sometimes see salt as a bit of a ’villain’ but there are times when your dog needs the extrolytes, particularly if they are raw-fed.

Always make sure there is also fresh water available but give it a try - my whippets mainly select fresh water but from time to time, particularly in hot weather, they go for the salty bowl!

18/06/2022

So yesterday it was too hot to walk at all and today he needs a coat to go to the beach! Strange weather indeed! ☀️☁️🌨❄️💨

11/06/2022

I’m still not happy with Cosmo’s allergies/sensitivity and have been seeking some more natural remedies to help alleviate the symptoms for my little itchy boy! His paws are rather red from licking and biting at them, bless him!

I’ve increased his supplements to include quercetin, spirulina and a really good quality fish oil.

In addition to this, I found an article about nettles on Dr Connor Brady’s website www.dogs first.ie - I can’t thank him enough for all of the free information that he makes readily available online.

https://dogsfirst.ie/nettle-effective-at-treating-seasonal-allergy-in-dogs/

I am truly terrible at gardening and therefore have an abundant supply of fresh, organic nettles at my disposal 😂

Simply picking the tips of the nettles, soaking them in boiling water for 10 minutes with a little good quality salt and then blending, has produced a homemade anti-allergy remedy that is essentially free!

I tasted it and it’s really quite good - perhaps some nettle tea for myself would be a good idea sometimes!

However, I thought that Cosmo was unlikely to simply eat it, so I blended it with some of his raw meat, poured the mixture into ice cube trays and a lick mat, and added some tiny morsels of chopped meat. I’ve popped it into the freezer so that I’ll have a supply of this nutritious supplement for a few days to come.

Early taste tests have gone down well with both Cosmo and Celeste so I think I’ll keep this as a regular addition to their diets😁

Dogs First

02/06/2022

Cosmo has a moment of realisation that, having wondered over the stream without noticing it following a scent, he has no choice but to get his feet wet getting back 😂

20/05/2022

“Comparison is the thief of joy”
(Theodore Roosevelt)

Do you ever find yourself wishing that your dog behaved more like someone else’s dog? Perhaps you’d like them to walk nicely on the lead, come back when you call or behave better around your visitors? Do you find yourself looking around and wishing that your dog would just be more like other people’s dogs!

It’s actually very unfair to do this - just like people, every dog is unique and has their own strengths, weaknesses, struggles and triumphs. When we compare them to other dogs it is easy to forget all the things that they are really good at and just focus on what they struggle with.

Think of some things that your dog is really great at and remember these ‘wins’ when they are in a situation that they find more challenging. I’ll go first…

Lily is wonderfully friendly - I never have a moment’s doubt that she will greet everybody she meets nicely, both at home and out and about.

Cosmo is very easy to walk on a lead - he trots along at a lovely pace and mostly ignores other dogs, but is fine to greet them appropriately when he meets them.

Celeste is really easy to train and learns new things very quickly - she is a delight to work with.

Without doubt, all of my dogs have struggles, which we continue to work on, but it’s good to remember their strengths too 😁

16/05/2022

Spring is…

Sitting in the long grass trying to get impressive photos of your dog 🌿

14/05/2022

Sunshine, birdsong and a lawn like a meadow - how peaceful ☀️🌼

10/05/2022

Lily has been doing so well recently - I have spent months working on her off-lead freedom and have slowly been getting her used to periods of time off-lead in public.

So I was bitterly disappointed when we were down near the beach huts a few days ago and she ran away from me and didn’t respond to her recall. Quite frankly, I was also embarrassed - I am a dog trainer after all! Fortunately she had simply galloped to my car and I caught up with her within a minute or so (Afghan Hounds can run in excess of 30mph and my top speed is considerably less than that 😂)

Having taken a couple of days to reflect, it’s not a total disaster and it doesn’t mean that she must always be on a lead in future. This is information about her current level of training and where we need to make more progress.

There will always be setbacks in life - dog training or otherwise. It’s what you do about these setbacks that matter 😁