Padding Paws Pet Services

27/01/2025

♥️

Dogs love with a purity that feels timeless. They don’t ask for explanations or expect you to be anyone but yourself, they just stay, steady and true, through every moment.

In the woods, they’re your extra eyes and ears, alert to every rustle and scent, guiding you through the trees as if they’ve always belonged there. They walk beside you not just as companions, but as protectors, sharing in your wanderings with quiet devotion.

While people often complicate love, dogs keep it simple. They see the you that’s hidden, the one you think no one notices, and love that version the most. They don’t try to fix you; they just stay, offering their loyalty and presence in a way few humans ever could.

Artist: Alison Friend

18/01/2025

Thank you Dog Communication for this article, we couldn't agree more.

A dog should feel safe & secure.
When you bring a dog, or other living being, into your life/home, they are entrusting you to keep them safe, loved and secure.
Think of it this way - when we don't feel safe our anxiety level rises, behaviour changes and we may go quiet etc... Your dog is no different.

Accidental attachment ‘parenting’

Taking on a tiny 6 day old puppy unintentionally taught me a great deal about attachment and how crucial secure attachments are for our dogs’ emotional health.

It’s pretty easy to meet our dogs physical needs and that was even quite easy with a tiny puppy- she needed feeding, she needed help toileting and she needed to be kept warm.

It was apparently straight away that meeting these physical needs and leaving her on a heat pad in a pen was in no way going to meet her emotional needs. It’s not just warmth that puppies need, it’s physical contact with a living being. Heat pads, fake heart beats in toys etc for a solo puppy, just doesn’t do it. She was more settled and content in close physical contact- she preferred with me but any other human or dog would do. She wanted to be next to skin and near a heartbeat, at all times and so that’s where she stayed, for as long as she needed it.

The option of close physical contact with someone they are attached to is such a basic need. I’m sure most of us remember hearing about the awful Harlow experiments where monkey babies had the choice of a wire ‘mother’ (with milk) or a soft, cloth ‘mother’ and would choose the soft mother even at the expense of milk, such is that basic need.

I have children and it felt so similar to when my kids were tiny babies too. I certainly didn’t deny them a need to be near me and I didn’t with this tiny puppy either. When they are developmentally ready (human babies and tiny puppies), they choose to be more independent from you and they spread their wings.

Of course it’s not just about the need for physical contact anyway when they are tiny- it’s about the need to feel safe too and that’s a fundamental need that must be met.

When puppies go into new homes at 8 weeks old they don’t suddenly stop having this need for physical contact and to feel safe near a living being. They go from feeling safe near to mum and siblings to being totally dependent on their new human family. It breaks my heart to think of them relegated to a crate in a kitchen. Of course they stop crying after a couple of nights as they give up any hope that anyone will help them. It certainly doesn’t help them to feel safe and secure in the world.

The same goes for an adult rescue dog who has often suffered so much upheaval and broken attachments along the way and who needs more than anything to just feel safe and secure and to have a bond with someone. This need for connection is a basic need that must be met, the same as being fed and watered.

I know people worry that if you ‘pander’ to them and give them lots of company they will become clingy or overly dependant but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Letting them develop a secure attachment results in resilient and confident individuals who feel safe in the world.

I see so many clients who’ve had awful advice and who have been told that their dog has behavioural issues as they are too nice to them, love them too much etc. it’s all absolute rubbish and they won’t turn into a monster if you meet their needs for safety, it’s quite the opposite and you help them to develop to their full potential ❤️

Laura McAuliffe, Dog Communication 2024

10/01/2025

It is a shocking statistic that over 80% of dogs over the age of 8 have Arthritis and it really is a young dog's disease due to the change in floorings, ball throwers etc.

As someone who suffers with chronic pain and Arthritis, I don't want my dogs, they both have Arthritis, to have to endure this without knowing I am doing all I can to alleviate their pain and make them comfortable.
Why should they have to just live with it when there are easy wins at home that you can implement.

The Canine Arthritis Management website is such a useful tool with so much great information on it. One of the best things people can do is to use the Home Assessment Checklist tool.
Check it out; you may be surprised at what you can do to help your dog in your home, in addition to pain relief, hydrotherapy, physio, acupuncture etc.

How CAM Can HelpToolsHome Assessment Tool Home Assessment Tool It has long been understood that physical features in the home can positively or negatively affect people's ability to function safely and independently. Occupational Therapists work within the field of human medicine to as...

08/01/2025

KEEP YOUR DOGS WARM THIS WINTER

DOG COATS
Skinny and thin coated dogs can benefit from a warm jacket. Be careful of putting a coat on a fluffy dog though as it can actually stop their fur trapping heat by pushing out the air in their coat that works as natural insolation.

KEEP ACTIVE
Movement will generate body heat so keep your dog active when outside.

ROAD GRIT
Be aware of chemicals such as grit and salt on the roads as it can be an irritant to a dog’s paws and pads, and their noses too when they are sniffing. Ice and snow can also cause irritation.

PAW PROTECTION
There are some brilliant balms on the market to protect paws and pads from cold conditions. Sensitive dogs will benefit from dog-friendly booties to keep their pads protected in the cold weather.

SHORTER WALKS
If your dog is not used to the cold it is important to stick to shorter walks to start off with until they get used to it. Heading outside during the warmer part of the day (11am-3pm) is also a good place to start.

⚠️BE AWARE⚠️
Important signs of cold related illness to watch out for include shivering, whining, reluctance to move, holding paws up, seeking warmth, or acting disoriented. If you see any of these, head home immediately and warm up. If symptoms continue, please contact a vet for guidance.

07/01/2025

Let's talk flooring...
Great post by Calmer Canine Behaviour Services.

This is a repost but it is so important that it's well worth the repeat. It's such an easy way to reduce stress for dogs in the home.

Lets talk floors.

Often the first thing I notice when I go into people's homes is their flooring. I see many homes now with beautiful, shiny, wooden, laminate or tiled floors. I understand how easy these are to keep clean when you have children and/or pets but have you ever thought of the impact this has on your dog and they way that they move around the house?

Whether you have a young, excitable pup, a gangly adolescent or a middle aged/elderly dog, walking on these floors can cause long term difficulties. Often once a dog has skidded or slipped a few times they can become fearful and start to tense as they move around which in turn becomes habit and can lead to a point of long term, chronic pain. There are often, so called 'funny' videos online ,of dogs skidding and sliding into walls and doors, but this can really do some damage to joints, muscle and soft tissues.

Some clients have made great observations of their dogs:

'We've noticed that Daisy always hesitates when going from the hall into the kitchen' (hall carpeted & kitchen is laminate).

'Frank never walks straight to the back door he always moves to the left to walk along the edge of the dining room rug' (rest of room wooden floors)

'I always have to pick Teddy off the sofa as he won't jump down' (laminate flooring throughout).

Carpet runners and rubber backed mats are great for creating safe pathways around the home. Have mats around any furniture that your dog jumps up and down from, allowing them to gain traction as they take off and land and be especially mindful if the bottom of your stairs leads straight onto an uncarpeted floor.

05/01/2025

Good article from Smiling Leash about dog coats.

Both my Labs wear coats in the cooler weather.

[DOES YOUR DOG NEED A COAT?]

When getting a dog, we are not restricted in our choice of dog breed.

It means that nowadays, dogs who are not supposed to live in colder climates end up in conditions to which they are not adapted.

And even dogs with double coats are not necessarily feeling comfortable in cold weather — since they're spending most of their day inside warm flats.

If where you live the weather gets very wet, windy and/or temperatures get low, and you are in doubt if your dog needs a coat, here is some guidance.

Yes, your dog NEEDS a coat, if any of these apply:

🟡 If your dog does not have a double coat.

🟡 The smaller your dog, the higher chance your dogs will need a coat.

🟡 If your dog has a low amount of body fat (all sighthound breeds, underfed and dogs with health issues).

🟡 Puppies and older dogs will likely need a coat, their metabolism and body temperature control is very different to adult dogs.

🟡 Dogs with various health issues, mobility difficulties and even stiff muscles.

We would like to especially underline the last point. Most mobility issues in dogs are not diagnosed, so this may get very tricky. 🤔

Here is an example of Heidi:

Heidi has a very fluffy undercoat (so fluffy I constantly drink her hair in my tea, if you know what I mean).

When the temperature falls below zero, we see that:
🚩 Heidi starts walking faster
🚩 her muscles get stiffer in general
🚩 she scratches herself more
🚩 she is more nervous/reactive

We also know that Heidi has an old healed injury in her back, which is still causing discomfort in her body.

All these hints help us to understand that yes, Heidi needs a coat, even if she has a thick undercoat.

Now that Heidi's wearing a coat, her muscles are less tense, she feels less discomfort and behaves more calmly. ✅

Would you like the next article to be on how to choose a good coat for your dog? Please let us know in the comments!

29/12/2024

Pet Classics is back with a special extended edition, to help calm pets during the New Year’s Eve fireworks. Join us for a soothing musical sanctuary on 31 December, 7pm to 10am. 🐾

20/12/2024

Padding Paws is now closed until the 2nd January 2025.

See you in the New Year.xx

20/12/2024

That's a wrap for 2024.

Time to spend some time having adventures with my beautiful 'Nutters', hubby and family.

We hope you have a lovely Christmas break whatever you are doing.

Thank you for supporting Padding Paws this year.

We look forward to seeing you again when we are back on the 2nd January 2025!

Enjoy. xx

17/11/2024

Great post by Speak Dog .

Look at the dog in front of you, not the dog you think it should be based on past experience of the breed or what you have seen/read that a breed should be.
We are all individuals, just as our animals are.

"My other dogs didn't behave like this"

" I've had this breed for years and all the others were fine"

I can completely understand how one dog can throw you a massive curveball, why is this one behaving like this when all my others didn't, the issue is with the dog right?

Sometimes, possibly yes.

This dog might have a medical condition your others did not.

This dog might have experienced something the other dogs didn't etc.

This dog just might be the one who speaks out more.

BUT..........

This dog, might be the one to help YOU change.

This dog might be the one that helps you question your current methods, mindset and approach.

This dog might be the one to show you how to advocate and be their voice.

This dog might help you think outside the box when it comes to supporting them.

This dog shouldn't be seen as the problem child, instead they are showing you they don't cope or process some situations well.

This dog needs support, not judgement and comparisons.

This dog can create change, you just need to be ready to receive the lessons these dogs can teach us!

04/11/2024

We love this post from Speak Dog.

We need to be more considerate when it comes to our dogs. Not just doing things because that's how we have always done it. Think about the dog in front of you. Do you need to adapt walks etc to help your dog manage better and be more comfortable. Do meds etc need to be added into their routine?

I went to visit my grandad, he is in his 80's.

He is suffering with various physical ailments bless his heart.

He was always an active man in his youth, the ability to do things for himself has reduced and mentally it impacts him.

He is on various tablets for the pain, but today, I decided to stop his tablets because he is just old.

We went to go out for a walk but he is slow, it's a pace that I find a bit frustrating being honest, so I take his hand and apply a bit of gentle pressure to pull him along a bit faster.

He struggled badly to get out of bed, a handrail would help him but I dont like the look of it on the wall, they don't exactly make the room look as nice.

I know he struggles but he is just old......

So many dogs go through this EVERY DAY.

Dragged along for walks they have " always" done instead of being walked at a slower pace or shorter distance.

Dogs not receiving the pain medication and professional support such as physio, myotherapy, chiropractic support because hey they are just old.

Dogs trying to get up and walk on slippy floors because rugs don't suit the room, or it's hassle washing them.

It's not OK to do nothing and write things off as " just old age".

Old age is not an excuse for allowing a dog to struggle and be in pain. Old age is not an excuse to not bother making adaptions and changes to our own expectations.

Having a dog of old age is a privilege, an absolute privilege, and we should cherish, adapt, support, and want to do AS MUCH AS WE CAN to make their golden years the best we possibly can.

Just like I hope most humans would do all they could to help their parents and grandparents feel comfortable in thier latter years and have as much support as possible , our dogs deserve the same thoughts and considerations.

03/11/2024

If you take one thing away today, read this article from Dr. Amber Batson of Understand Animals (written 2018) about debunking the myth that reassuring a fearful animal will make it more likely for them to be fearful in the future.

Change the story for your dog and build a better trusting and secure relationship with your dog.

It is a myth that reassuring a fearful animal will make it more likely for them to be fearful in the future. Emotions are only ‘reinforced’ if they are experienced more eg. Increasing fear levels reinforces to an animal that the event or stimulus was, and should continue to be, scary.
Reducing the fear in an animal by slow stroking (if the animal enjoys it normally) accompanied by slow, deliberate breathing and perhaps a quiet reassuring voice - will help calm them in the moment and may even may it less likely for them to fearful of the same thing in the future.
So slowly stroke your fearful dog, cat, rabbit etc. provide them elevation or a hiding place (or both so they can choose) in your proximity. Avoid restraint as this is likely to increase fear. But do reassure this fireworks period, do provide social support. Your pet will thank you for it.

26/10/2024

Please share. Classic FM is playing calming music for your four legged friends during Fireworks season.

Please let all of your pet-owning friends in Britain know that Classic FM’s special fireworks shows playing calming music for our four-legged friends are back on Saturday 2nd November and Tuesday 5th November 2024.

Between 5pm and 9pm, listeners will be treated to a specially curated playlist of tracks designed to calm and soothe dogs, including Saint-Saëns’ ‘The Swan’, Elgar’s ‘Mina’, and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.17.’

The shows are broadcast with the help of the RSPCA, and they will also feature specialist advice for dog owners and even ‘doggy dedications’ from listeners.

30/09/2024

This afternoon I had a spare hour and caught up on a webinar that I have been meaning to watch for ages.

Speak Dog Learning to Listen - The Foundations.
I cannot recommend this enough. not just for dog professionals but also for dog owners or people who are interested in learning more about a dog's body language.
It is such an important skill to practise.

Emma takes all the jargon and labels out of the equation (and as explained by Emma, labels can often be misinterpreted, for example the wagging tail) and focuses you on what you can observe from a dog's body language.

This is a MUST to view. The tools it will give you are invaluable. It will help you build a much stronger bond/respect with your dog.

Once you have purchased this, you can play it again and again. The great thing is that it is also subtitled, making it easier for those hard of hearing, or like to learn through reading and listening at the same time.

Brilliant. 10/10. Your dog will thank you for it!

Speak Dog offer Veterinary recommended Behaviour Consultations and Puppy Life Skills Sessions. Based in Lincoln and Swindon but we have a client base of people and dogs from all over the world.

25/09/2024

We love this post from Speak Dog about increasing your dog's chance of coping in our world.

THE RECIPE

I often hear people being given advice about starting as you mean to go on.

Expose puppies and dogs to as much as possible, get them used to things, make sure they are socialised, however, what if that isn't always right.

There is no recipe to getting it right, no do this and you will get this, instead, it's about making decisons to try and increase your puppies or dogs chances of coping in a human world.

Every puppy or dog will cope with the world and everything in it in different ways, just like we do!

I personally don't enjoy busy environments, but my best friend thrives in them, we are different but both human ( just about lol) and both navigate life together well ( most of the time)

A puppy or dog that is afraid of traffic will need a different approach to a puppy who is genuinly confident around traffic.

A pushy dog might need different interactions than a timid dog.

One dog might need a different diet than another dog.

A different brush, a different bed, a different harness, the list goes on.

There is not recipe, you are just looking for the ingredients to increase your chances.

One exception is that my ethos and beliefs are that increasing those chances should be done through compassion, kindness and safety.

If you have to teach through pain, fear or intimidation that is not an ingredient I'm prepared to use.

15/09/2024

The walk. Love is. ❤️

Walk with me; don’t just walk me. Slow down and see the world as I do. I know you’ve got things to do, places to be. But out here, with the ground beneath our feet and the sky above us, there’s a whole world worth noticing.

The autumn chill is in the air today, crisp and full of new smells. It’s different from yesterday, and different from the day before. Every day is new. The leaves crunch under my paws, and I stop to breathe in the rich, earthy scent of them. To you, it might just be a pile of leaves, but to me, it’s a story—one I can’t help but dive into, nose first.

There’s a squirrel somewhere nearby, I can sense it, darting up a tree, its tiny heart beating fast. And the wind carries whispers of things far away: a family cooking dinner, the trace of a cat that passed by early this morning, and the faint perfume of flowers holding on to their last bit of summer. It’s all here, swirling around us if you just take the time to notice.

You tug on the leash, eager to move on, and I can tell you’re thinking about something far away from here. But when we walk, truly walk, you and I can be in this moment together. Feel the cool air brush against your skin, let it wake you up. Notice how the sun filters through the branches, casting shadows that dance on the pavement. Hear the crunch of the leaves beneath our steps, like a secret rhythm just for us.

To you, it might be just another walk, a daily routine to tick off the list. But for me, every step is an adventure. Each scent is a clue, each sound a piece of a puzzle. When you walk with me, really walk with me, you’ll see it too. The world is bigger than what we’re rushing toward. It’s right here, in the small moments, in the quiet spaces between your thoughts.

So, slow down. Breathe. Let the chill fill your lungs and the colours fill your eyes. Walk with me, don’t just walk me. See the world as I do, if only for a little while. It’s all waiting for you, just beneath the surface.
Natalie P
2024
Picture created with AI