The Pet Nanny-Norfolk, Kenninghall Road (2024)

30/07/2024

All garden visits today as too hot for dog walking! I think Kimber was secretly pleased 😆🐶

24/07/2024

Dolly scored a win win today, lots of sniffing opportunities and all in the shade!

Being a Dachshund, Dolly has an amazing nose. They have short legs which positions them closer to the ground enabling them to follow a scent with ease. She has sniffed my lunch out on more than one occasion!

They originated in Germany where their name literally translates as badger dog. Their long bodies and their super noses make them ideal to sniff out the badgers and get into the tunnels of the set to find them. Those who own Dachshunds or know someone who does will understand why they can be so bolshie. You need to be fierce to take on a massive badger! Definitely a lot of dog for a little dog 🥰🐶

24/07/2024

The Problem with Social Media

Very often when I speak to clients and new customers they inform me that they’ve been following some dog training guru on tiktok or facebook or one of the other social media platforms out there. They may even of bought a course. There are some really good on line courses on there but at the same time the dog training and behaviour industry isn’t regulated and often those with huge followings aren’t qualified and are taking complex issues and punishing the symptoms rather than addressing the cause. The really sad thing is that in many of these videos we are seeing dogs with lamenesses and postural abnormalities having methods used on them that will only serve to increase any pain that they are in and we are punishing what is essentially a communication and for many of those dogs they are protecting themselves as they’re sore.

When we want to change behaviour, we are looking at changing emotions and that takes time. Far more time than a 30 second tik tok clip and it’s far less exciting. We’re not looking to draw an audience or boost our egos, we’re looking at increasing your dogs comfort zone.

I have also had customers try to copy tactics that will put them in danger. Behaviour needs assessing in order to come up with the safe and correct behaviour plan. Resource guarding is one of those behaviours where there is an abundance of dangerous advice out there. Hand feeding is popular advice, but you’re putting yourself right in the firing line and for many dogs it doesn’t address the issue. Another horrendous piece of advice is to take whatever it is away from the dog, which firstly confirms for the dog that yes, you are not safe to have food around and secondly in doing so again makes the risk of a bite very high.
The very fact that the dog behaviour and training industry isn’t regulated makes it a minefield for dog owners and sometimes I even question how they’re supposed to make the right choice!!
Here is a guide to help –
🩺Ask your vet
🐶Look at the APDT, IMDT, ISCP, ABTC, APBC.
🐕‍🦺 If your dog is reactive or has a behaviour problem you should be being asked for a pain assessment prior to sessions.
😑Ask what happens if your dog gets it wrong. If the answer is physical discomfort, walk away.
🐕‍🦺Remember if you’re looking for help with behaviour then choose someone who specialises in that and also aggression and reactivity is very different to bite work.
🐕‍🦺Changing behaviour requires a holistic approach that isn’t just about the specific behaviour, it also involves lifestyle changes.

22/06/2024

If you’re in the market for a hard wearing paddling pool for the summer, these are currently on sale in Argos (I picked up from Sainsburys). I can confirm they are a decent size for a small inexpensive pool 🐶❤️