Dog be Praised

18/12/2024

Fun with the Wednesday Play Train and Sniff Gang

12/12/2024

Another incident involving a dog and a child.

This video shows both sides of a perceived relationship.

We need to protect our dogs and our children.

Dog bite prevention video for families everywhere. 77% of dog bites come from a friend's dog or the family's very own dog. We want to change that number. Pl...

04/12/2024

DAY 4 of the Christmas Advent Calendar by Dr Robert Falconer-Taylor!

Today we are busting myths about pain meds in the treatment of chronic pain. This underscores the importance of having a well informed pain management team for dogs living with chronic pain to ensure appropriate long term management plans are in place.

04/12/2024

DAY 3 of the Christmas Advent Calendar!

Central sensitisation - a hugely important concept in relation to chronic pain. Think back to the awesome bonus talk from Hannah Capon at the ABK Conference - this helps us understand why pain can go from a symptom of disease to a disease in itself.

29/11/2024

On 27th November, our Chair, Carolyn Menteith attended a drop-in session in Parliament sponsored by Sarah Champion MP. The UK Dog Behaviour and Training Charter was invited to be one of the hosts, alongside the Kennel Club, RSPCA, Battersea, BVA, Blue Cross, Dogs Trust and ABTC.

The event was well attended with cross party support, and alongside others, Carolyn was able to talk to many of the MPs and their staff who attended the session about the welfare, training and behaviour implications of shock collar use, and the need to push forward with a ban.

This was a great opportunity to work co-operatively with other organisations on an issue so crucial for dog welfare, as well as raise the profile of the UK Dog Charter, both to MPs and also to the other key welfare organisations who organised and supported this event.

27/11/2024

This week's Play ,Train and Sniff.
A bit wet.
A bit chilly.
But lots of fun 🐾♥️

27/11/2024

The Purple Collection has landed!💜💜💜

The wait is over - it’s time to meet the stars of our brand-new purple collection! These toys are designed to delight dogs of all shapes and sizes (and make training more fun than ever). But don’t wait too long – these are already causing a buzz, and they won’t stay in stock for long!

25/11/2024

After an amazing weekend of learning at the
I'm happy to be back home with my sidekick, and I think he's happy to be riding shotgun, as his right ♥️
It was great to catch up with some old friends and also get to meet some of the people whose work, knowledge and dedication I have admired for many years, especially
Kendal Shepherd and Robert Falconer-Taylor

22/11/2024

Fun in the Sun with the Ginger Gang today.
We practiced
✔️Pivoting
✔️101 Things to do with a Box ( upside down wheelbarrow!)
✔️Recall
✔️The 2 Bowl Game
✔️Looking cute
✔️Destroying toys

Tomorrow I'll be attending The ABK Conference, learning from some amazing speakers, and there will be more than one 'fan girl' moment I'm sure!

12/11/2024

I've been working with Team Tegan for a while now and today they tried Hoopers.
Much fun was had by all 💛🐾

06/11/2024

I see your 'Dog on a Log' challenge Chrysalis K9 and raise you 'Dog in a Log in the Fog!'
😀

29/10/2024

Practising a passive indication for scent games.
Your dog's olfactory system is incredible and engaging it makes your dog feel good.
This is why I include scent related activities in behaviour modification plans.

25/10/2024

This is becoming a welfare issue!

Im tired of hearing “the vet says there is no pain” by a guardian after they have taken their dog to the vet. It leaves me deflated and frustrated and feeling so sorry for the dog.

Myth Bust:

PAIN CANNOT BE RULED OUT IN ANY ANIMAL (dog, cat, horse or hamster), by anyone!

* A quick palpation - CANNOT RULE OUT PAIN

WHY?

The dog may shut down due to environmental factors or dislike of a strange human touching them, they keep still to get it over with ASAP!

The dog may be over aroused or overwhelmed by the clinical environment (excited/scared etc) to the point that adrenaline is so high it blocks pain!

* Blood Tests - CANNOT RULE OUT PAIN

There is currently NO blood test that can detect pain.

* Diagnostic imaging - CANNOT RULE OUT PAIN

Yes they can pick up a variety of conditions, but even the GOLD standard MRI doesn’t pick up everything, but NONE of them can detect PAIN.

Just because a source cannot be found doesn’t mean there is no pain.

PAIN is subjective, it is whatever that being (human or animal) perceives it to be!

Pain can come in many different forms, it is extremely complex, and can effect the individual in many different ways. A dog may get injured, the injury may have healed, but the pain remains … this is known as maladaptive pain.

Behaviour can be a HUGE indicator for PAIN:

* There could be a change of behaviour that has been directly caused by PAIN.

* There could be a worsening of behaviour due to an increase or new presence of PAIN.

* There could be a lack of “normal” behaviour due to PAIN.

* There could be behaviours that are present but that the guardian/owner don’t deem to be problematic that are indicators of PAIN.

* The dog may have ALWAYS displayed behaviours that are indicators of PAIN, but they have been ignored and put down to “just the way they are”.

* There may be NO problematic behaviours at all …. And the dog might still be in PAIN!

* The dog might be energetic, always on the go … and still be in PAIN.

* The dog might be lazy … and still be in PAIN.

* The dog may zoom up and down stairs … and still be in PAIN.

Diagnosing PAIN is not simple and can be difficult to get on top of.

A PAIN relief trail can be great! But often only one type of analgesic is tried and sometimes this doesn’t get results leading to the ASSUMPTION that there is no PAIN!

Here’s why:

* The drug was only trialed for 2 weeks - when living with chronic pain it can take longer to relieve. 2 weeks is not enough.

* The drug used wasn’t targeted to the type of pain the animal is feeling; soft tissue, bone, nerve or a combination of all.

It might take a number of different medications or a combination OVER TIME to see a difference.

ALWAYS keep in mind, NO ONE can rule out another being’s PAIN.

NO ONE. Not me. Not you. Not a Doctor. Not a Vet.

25/10/2024

Gut health is as important to behaviour as brain health is.
An imbalance in the microbiome can affect arousal, aggression, and anxiety.

More and more I am recommending microbiome tests.
A microbiome test provides the information needed to create a healthy gut.

Revolutionary gut health test for dogs. A simple, at home test to reveal the hidden biology of your dog’s inner world, helping you better understand their unique needs. The report contains easy-to-follow, personalised nutritional guidance that helps you make immediate improvements to their diet, f...