So Help Me Dog

26/01/2025

⛑️ BEHAVIOURAL SIGNS YOUR DOG MAY DISPLAY AS A RESULT OF PAIN...

‼️Characterised as the loss of normal behaviours and development of new/abnormal behaviours, the most frequently reported behaviours as a result of pain are:

• Aggression (new or increased/exacerbated) – in a bid to avoid physical contact which might cause more pain/injury, a dog may take defensive, reactive action. It is typically seen when the dog is approached and/or lying down e.g., lunging, snarling, baring teeth, or snapping at someone if they shift/move while next to the dog on the sofa. A more severe response (e.g., biting) may be because previous lower-level threat signals were ignored, leading the dog to escalate their behaviour.

- Interestingly, certain types of biting can indicate musculoskeletal pain – unspecific targets, variable severity, and/or aimed at limb extremities.
When a dog realises its options for avoidance/withdrawal are limited, their frustration may result in aggression.
- Impacted a**l glands can result in owner-directed aggression.

• Fear responses – pain can trigger new or increased fear responses. Dogs will create associations between their pain and other neutral stimuli in the environment. For example, they may start to view other dogs with fear - other dogs may cause me pain, or make me move in a way that hurts me, therefore other dogs = BAD. Presented with those stimuli again in the future, we may see a conditioned fear response (this is one of the reasons we don’t use aversive equipment like E-collars/prong collars - on feeling the pain they cause, the dog may associate that pain with anything in their environment at the time).
- We also see fear responses that have no apparent reason attached to them as well as generalised fear.
- Resource guarding is a fear-motivated behaviour and has been identified as a pain-induced behaviour (including guarding of the water bowl). It is often seen in dogs with musculoskeletal pain and/or gastro-intestinal issues.

• Anxiety – pain can lead to anxiety which leads to a pessimistic view of the world. This manifests as fear as neutral or novel stimuli are considered potential sources of pain by the dog, creating a vicious cycle of anxiety and fear responses.

• Noise Sensitivity – there is a clear link between musculoskeletal pain and noise sensitivities or phobias. You may see new noise sensitivities or increased sensitivity.

• Repetitive/Compulsive Behaviours – this is thought to be as a result of stress and, as discussed above, pain elicits a stress response. The behaviours are a coping strategy which makes the dog feel better and so become self-reinforcing (and thus repeated) but can also be reinforced by the guardian who pays more attention to the dog as a result.

• Clinginess - this could come in different guises depending on what the dog has learnt gets them extra attention when they feel poorly. This of course is highly reinforceable and so these behaviours can stick around long after the pain is resolved.

🪣 And as we know.... pain is a bucket filler!! This is because it elicits a stress response in the body and so we can see 'full bucket' behaviours as a result. For as long as the pain remains unaddressed, the bucket remains full. The constantly circulating stress hormones cause a reduction in serotonin which can lead to low mood, and increased reactivity.



(Camps et al, 2019; Mills et al, 2020; Gerken, 2023; Lindsay, 2001; Overall, 2013; Mills & Zulch, 2023; Essner, 2018; Spaulding, 2022; Mills et al, 2020)

24/01/2025

⛑️ OTHER SIGNS ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF PAIN/DISEASE

➡️ Other systems in the body (e.g. digestive, respiratory, urinary, reproductive, endocrine, nervous) can bring about many different signs of pain. This list below is by no means exhaustive but it gives a good idea of what to look out for....

• Stargazing / staring into space can be a manifestation of gastro-intestinal pain along with the ‘prayer’ position (hindquarters raised with head and front limbs remaining on the floor).
• Abnormal, persistent, and repetitive licking of any surfaces has also been associated with gastric issues including giardiasis, irritable bowel syndrome, and pancreatitis.
• Pica (compulsive eating of non-food items like plastic, rocks, dirt etc), lip smacking, sucking and gulping can also be associated with gastrointestinal issues, amongst others. (Lip smacking, regurgitation, sucking and gulping can also be signs of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome in flat faced breeds).
• Fly snapping/air snapping is associated with gastric/lymphatic issues and Chiari-like malformation/syringomyelia (CM/SM).
• House-soiling – particularly with painful UTIs.

You may also see more general things like:

• Pacing/restlessness, unable to settle or settle for long.
• Decreased appetite.
• Decreased interactions.
• Lethargy and lack of mojo.
• Vocalisations - barking, whining, panting.
• Decreased resting behaviours/sleep.

👀 Stay tuned for the behavioural signs that may surprise you...



(Hernandez-Avalos et al, 2019; Mills et al, 2020; Rusbridge et al, 2019; Mota-Rojas et al, 2021; Boezaart et al, 2021; Gerken, 2023; Camps et al, 2019)

22/01/2025

⛑️ SIGNALS AND BEHAVIOURS ASSOCIATED WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN...

🩻 Musculoskeletal disorders are anything to do with the dog's muscles, joints, bones and their connective tissues. It could range from minor injuries to more serious long term conditions. We might see recurrent pain, stiffness, joint swelling, loss of muscle mass, aches and soreness.

➡️ With musculoskeletal pain, we typically see changes in posture, gait, and ability or willingness to perform everyday tasks…

• Unusual, altered, or abnormal gait/posture when sitting, standing, walking, or running.
• Reluctance/refusal to move when resting.
• Reluctance, avoidance, or difficulty in jumping in/out of cars; up/down on furniture; or going up/downstairs.
• Weightbearing on one leg more than another or shifting weight repeatedly.
• Limb trembling.
• Reluctance or inability to perform certain, known movements or previously enjoyed activities e.g. sitting, lying, or weaving through poles in agility.
• Reluctance to continue walking - stopping regularly.
• Slower, unusual, or more considered movements e.g. when lying down or getting up from lying.
• Self-mutilation e.g. sucking, licking, or chewing/nibbling of painful areas. While this can be, obviously, to satisfy an itch or soothe an ache, touch and licking releases opioids which provide pain relief and so it becomes a self-reinforcing behaviour. It can also be reinforced by the guardian who pays them more attention as they perform the behaviour.
• Avoiding handling/touch.
• Avoiding walking on certain surfaces (e.g. slippery floors) is associated particularly with hip and shoulder pain.
• Hesitance in or unusual postures during elimination.

‼️ These signs can be incredibly subtle and most guardians miss them. It often takes someone else with some knowledge of gait, posture etc to see these signs and point them out. These are also signs that, for many reasons, very rarely get picked up by a vet. This is why I ALWAYS ask for videos of your dog from the start so I can get a good look at how they move. I can often pick up signs that your dog is in pain before others.

👀 Stay tuned for more tips....



Image of book: Introduction to Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, Second Edition by Victoria Aspinall & Melanie Cappello.
(Hernandez-Avalos et al, 2019; Mills et al, 2020; Rusbridge et al, 2019; Mota-Rojas et al, 2021; Boezaart et al, 2021; Gerken, 2023; Lindsay, 2001; Higginbotham, 2022, Camps, 2019).

20/01/2025

🩺 ⛑️ THE IMPACT OF PAIN ON BEHAVIOUR IN DOGS...

➡️ The next few posts are going to look at a subject I'm particularly interested in - pain in dogs and its role in behaviour.

🤐 Because dogs can't tell us if something hurts or if they don't feel well, we have to rely on picking up their signs and signals that all is not well. Sometimes the signs are obvious - vomiting, diarrhoea, repeated scratching of a body part, stinky breath etc but more often than not, the signs are far more subtle (and will often go unnoticed by a vet, let alone a guardian) and we have to turn detective and examine their body language and behaviour a bit more deeply.

Let's bust a couple of myths first....

❌ Animals don't feel pain...

We know animals experience pain and that their experiences are not unlike ours due to the physiological and neuroanatomical similarities. Pain is an indicator that our behaviour needs some kind of adjustment in order to minimise further harm and often, the first indicator of pain in dogs is a change in behaviour. A study (conducted by Mills et al) published in 2020 reports that between 28-82% of behavioural cases (an average of 55%) have pain as their root cause.

❌ My dog's not limping so he can't be in pain...

Typically, guardians expect to see overt signs of pain/discomfort e.g. obvious limping or yelping. If those signs aren’t present, they don’t consider the dog to be suffering.
- A dog’s unwillingness to move from a comfy seat might be dismissed as ‘stubbornness’ (in fact, I think it was the Tw@t in the Cravat with his own TV show who pronounced a dog as being "a diva" for exactly this reason)
- A dog’s growl when trying to move them is mistaken for ‘grumpiness’, or worse, dominance.
- Guardians will see how excited a dog is to go on a walk and how he can chase a ball endlessly, or play with other dogs for ages and insist he can’t be in pain.

‼️ HOWEVER...

Let's remember that...

- 🤐 Our dogs can't talk! A growl might be their only way of communicating in that moment that "I hurt, please don't lift me" or "Jumping down onto the floor hurts me, please don't ask me to do that".
- 🧬 Dogs are genetically predisposed to mask their pain
- 🎾 Adrenaline is an a**lgesic so while they are tear-arsing around chasing your ball, off their face on adrenaline, they are not feeling the pain in that moment.
- 🐕 Play releases opioids and it is well documented how much pain relief opioids provide so again, in that moment, they are not feeling pain.

🥼Clinical presentations of pain differ depending on which body system is involved, the type of pain, whether it is acute or chronic, and, of course, the individual personality of the dog. Over the next few posts we will look at some of these subtle signs and behaviours. Stay tuned!



(Gerken, 2023; Higginbotham et al, 2022; Spaulding, 2022; Mills et al, 2020; Camps et al, 2019; Essner 2014; Sneddon et al, 2014; Wiech & Tracey, 2013 ).

18/01/2025

🏀 JUST TO PROVE I PRACTISE WHAT I PREACH 😂

Alfie found this ball on one of our walks. He ADORES balls and was regularly dropping it down in front of me asking me to throw it (I don't know where he gets that from....ask his father 😂). Instead of doing the endless repetitive chase, I ask him to Sit and Wait. I walked over to the edge of the field where the grass is a little longer and chuck it in there for him to find.

Yes, he runs to get it but this is fine. There is no leaping, hard landing, skidding, twisting, turning, or sharp braking. He slows himself gently and then his nose gets going as he sniffs it out. LOOK AT HIS TAIL!! He is loving this ♥️There is no stress on his joints and, instead, his brain is working hard to locate his ball providing him with tiring but low arousal enrichment 👍

18/01/2025

👋 Hello folks,
You know how FB works - you comment on a post and then you’re notified of any other comments that crop up…
As a result, some of you may have seen some comments from someone who was trying to spread some misinformation on my recent post. This person then got quite confrontational and aggressive and very personal. She then moved the conversation to my private messenger where she turned very nasty.

Sadly, this industry is not the kind, supportive industry it should be given that we are all here to try and improve the lives of our four legged friends, and we see this type of behaviour many times a day, every day, on so many well-respected dog professionals’ social media pages. I try and stay well out of it.

Some people will keep comments like that on their pages with a view that people are entitled to their opinion and not censoring others but I’m not prepared to have nasty comments or misinformation here, certainly not if it turns personal, so the person has been blocked.

I’m trying to keep this little space informative, educational, honest, fun and safe so I will hide comments or block people if something comes up that doesn’t fit with my ethos.
On that note, please let me know if you receive any unsolicited and unpleasant or concerning messages from people as a result of anything on this page.

Have a good weekend! ❤️🐶🐾

17/01/2025

🎾 I TOLD YOU BALL CHASE WOULD GET ITS OWN POST... 😂

⚠️ This is one of my more repetitive posts but it repeatedly needs saying.....😂

SO... Balls... or more specifically, ball chasing 🎾🎾🎾🎾

Good, right? Hmmmm… actually, no 😬😬. There are physical issues (bones, joints and muscles) and behavioural issues associated with it…….

🐶 When dogs spend a lot of their time repetitively chasing balls for hours a week, there is a negative impact on their physiology - adrenaline and cortisol are released every single time they get to run and chase balls (filling the bucket 🪣). These are the hormones involved with the body’s natural Fight/Flight response. However, they’re not supposed to be present in the body all of the time - only in extreme situations.

🐶 But for the dog who gets to chase a ball every day, these hormones remain in circulation in the body (you are now just topping up the bucket on a daily basis) and this causes problems.

🎾 Firstly, there is a health impact - these hormones increase the heart rate, elevate blood pressure, and increase cholesterol putting your dog at higher risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

🎾 Secondly, there is an impact on emotions as these hormones create unnecessary anxiety in the dog. We have a dog who is more alert and vigilant, more reactive to stimuli in the environment, less able to settle and relax and seemingly needing more and more exercise.

🎾 Thirdly, the increased anxiety can lead to chronic stress. Chronic stress can kill off parts of the hippocampus in the brain negatively impacting learning and memory.

🎾 Fourthly, we now have a dog who is less able to make good decisions/choices, they are less able to cope with things they find hard and they have reduced tolerance levels. This can manifest in other areas of their life/behaviour - more barky towards visitors, more irritable with grooming, more reactive to other dogs, easily frustrated, more needy (or 'full bucket' behaviours🪣).

🎾 The physical issues can be serious. Here is some info from -

“When we ask a dog to run repeatedly from virtually standing to a gallop, brake sharply, often skidding on the underlying surface, throwing their neck back initially, and then bringing all their weight forward as they reach for the ball, often twisting at the same time, we can see the forces on a dog’s skeleton and muscles are enormous. Increasing speeds can as much as double the forces generated.
It is thought that the most dangerous component of ball chasing occurs during braking, and thus is often responsible for shoulder injuries.
We also know that repeated micro-trauma to muscles and cartilage is the cause of long-term damage and that the older a dog gets, the more likely it is to be carrying small injuries. This will cause a dog to try and compensate, thus further altering the loading of its limbs.
In summary, chasing a ball combines sharp acceleration, high speeds, rapid and uncontrolled deceleration that includes rotatory forces on fundamentally unstable joints. In addition, this activity is usually repeated over and over again.”

The constant wear and tear on the joints can lead to painful arthritis, and knee and hip problems. For those breeds more prone to hip issues, there is a serious risk of increasing the likelihood of joint issues especially if a lot of chasing is done in early life before growth plates have closed. Arthritis is no longer just an old dog's disease.

🤔 Hmmm.... Not sounding quite so good now, is it? So what can you do instead?

✅ Encourage slower, sniffier walks. Let your dog lead the way on a walk. If they stop to sniff, go with them and stop with them. Only move on when they do.

✅ Instead of letting them chase something, encourage them to sniff an object out. Take a toy with you, ask pup to sit and wait while you throw the toy into long grass and then release them to find it.

✅ Practise some training out on a walk so they get to use their brain AND interact with you. Play games with them on a walk, have them snuffle out treats/kibble/dinner in the grass.

✅ And, of course, if they have a run about voluntarily, this is fine! Use this time to observe them - do they run endlessly forward and back at full pelt (like they would if chasing a ball)? Nope. They run for a bit, stop for a bit, sniff a bit, wee a bit, run a bit. This is more normal activity for our dogs.
But, if they do run, ensure they have a “cool down” before coming home (your dog shouldn’t get home panting and restless) - so cool them down by scattering kibble and letting them sniff it out, pop them on a long lead and let them sniff/mooch their way home.

Do your dog a favour - DITCH THE BALLS! ❌

15/01/2025

🪣 STRESS BUCKET PART FOUR….

The bit you’ve been waiting for - how to empty the bucket!!!

➡️ It is essential for our dog’s physical and emotional health and to provide regular opportunities to empty the bucket - apart from the fact that having too much cortisol floating around the body on a daily basis is bad for health, a dog with an empty bucket is a better behaved (happier) dog. They are better equipped to deal with the trickier elements of life because they have a greater capacity to cope. They can also make better choices and decisions AND can do what you ask of them - win-win-WIN!!

❓How long will it take? Well, I don’t know. If your dog has been carrying around a full bucket for quite some time, it might take a good few weeks. At the other end of the scale, if you dog’s bucket is normally quite empty and just has a few key things that fill it every now and then, it will probably only take 2-3 days. You’ll know, though. Your dog will just seem calmer, happier and more content.😌

❓So what do you do?

1️⃣ Well, the first thing to do is avoid the stuff that pays in. And yes, even the good stuff. Too much of a good thing IS a problem - if we go out partying every night of the week, we’ll know about it 😂. If you’ve had a lovely but busy Christmas with lots of visitors or visiting, too much yummy but naughty food, and too many late nights, you will know about it. If our job becomes highly stressful for a long period, that affects our health (physical and emotional). We all need a break from both good and bad stress, the same applies for our dogs.

2️⃣ Provide DAILY opportunities for self-soothing, calming activities…
- Sniffing e.g. scatter feeding, snufflemats, scentwork
- Licking (put wet food in Kongs, Toppls, Lickimats or Lickibowls)
- Chewing (Edible natural chews like pizzles, ears, tracheas etc or things like olive wood chews. Avoid rawhide at all costs).

3️⃣ Encourage more rest and sleep. Ensure your dog has a quiet space for them to retreat to or, at the very least, that everyone knows to leave the dog alone while they are resting/sleeping. Consider not taking them everywhere with you and leave them at home (if they are fine with being left) so they can catch up on some sleep 💤

💡It’s a great idea to think about what pays into your dog’s bucket inside the home and outside the home, both good and bad; what pays in daily, weekly and monthly. How much does each thing pay in? Is it a thimbleful or a pint full? How quickly does your dog’s bucket empty?

➡️ The more you are aware of what pays into your dog’s bucket, the more you can help them - whether that’s through behaviour modification to help them with the things they find hard, training, changing things around the home, doing things differently, walking in different places or changing what your walks look like, giving your dog regular bucket holidays and ensuring there are daily opportunities for emptying the bucket. This helps them to make that tap that’s on that bucket easier to operate, meaning they can empty their own bucket much more easily going forward. ♥️

13/01/2025

🪣 THE STRESS BUCKET PART THREE….

❓What negative stuff pays in…?

🙈 Well, brace yourself because there’s a lot. Ready?….

- anything that they are worried, anxious or fearful about (this might be a long list all by itself)
- anything they don’t like e.g. car travel, grooming visits, vet visits etc
- constant activity e.g. busy environments or periods of time (like Christmas) with no or little chance to rest
- boredom e.g. lack of mental stimulation, no outlet for hardwired behaviours. Boredom can lead to frustration…
- anything frustrating e.g. nothing to do, restraint (i.e. being on lead), enrichment that’s too difficult, training that’s too difficult, needs not being met
- pain or feeling poorly - this is a big one - Pain has a HUGE impact on behaviour (joints, muscles, teeth, being overweight, bad teeth, disease, ear infections etc etc)
- itchiness - e.g. allergies. Like pain - this has a huge impact on behaviour
- gut issues (as above)
- tiredness (this translates as a jumpy, bitey land-shark in puppies)
- Girls’ hormones (and don’t we just know it, ladies? 😂)
- any and all use of punishment/aversives - being told off, shouted at, being grabbed/shoved, slip leads, choke/grotte collars, prong collars, e-collars, spray bottles, noise canisters, anti-bark collars, being pulled around by their collar/neck etc
- having things done to them that they don’t enjoy - this can include grooming, being ‘cuddled/kissed’, being grabbed or climbed on by the kids, having ears/tail pulled etc

‼️It is so important to recognise the negative stuff that pays in to the bucket because if your dog is exposed to these things on a regular/daily (or even twice or thrice daily) basis, it’s going to cause problems. Consistent/persistent long-term exposure to negative stress will result in lots of behavioural struggles that will negatively impact your life as well as your dog’s. It will negatively impact both physical and mental health - stress-related illnesses like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and dementia aren’t just affecting humans. The same goes for mental health conditions - dogs can also suffer from generalised anxiety, chronic stress and PTSD.

With the bad stuff, it is particularly important to either avoid (where possible) or minimise their exposure to those things (and get help from a qualified Behaviourist to help overcome these issues), or at least ensure that if there is an unavoidable stressful event, you can help them to empty their buckets afterwards. And yes, we will talk about how to do this in the next post….. 😁

11/01/2025

THIS ⬇️❤️

11/01/2025

🪣 THE STRESS BUCKET PART TWO….

❓WHAT PAYS IN?

🤯 It might surprise you to learn that BOTH good things AND bad things pay into the bucket. Yup, stress isn’t just about the negative events in life. Good stress also releases adrenaline and cortisol, admittedly not in the same quantities as bad stress, but it is still released.

🤔 Have a think about it - we do stuff that we get a buzz out of, right? For some that might be playing sports and competing, for others it might be skydiving or bungee jumping, or you might enjoy performing on stage or in a band. You might get a buzz from running, or going to the gym, or going clubbing. There will be a mixture of heady endorphins buzzing around your body and adrenaline forms part of that picture. And where there is adrenaline, there is cortisol. The bucket-filler.

➡️ So, for your dogs, here’s some examples of the good things that might fill the bucket for your dog….

- performing natural breed-specific motor patterns of behaviour (guarding, herding, hunting, tracking, chasing etc)
- ball chase (this gets its own post later 😂)
- extended play with other dogs
- running (including sports like canicross, mushing, bikejor etc)
- training (more than four reps of training and my Alf loses the plot 😂)
- Agility
- Flyball
- extended play with you
- over-stimulation (common in puppies)
- Basically, anything at all that they get excited about… I’m sure you have a good idea what that might be… 😂

‼️ Every dog is going to be different. What floats their boat will be different. But you can start to be more observant about the fun stuff that your dog does either a lot of, or for extended periods, that seems to have an impact on their behaviour either during, immediately afterwards, or outside of these times. Watch more closely, have a think, make a note, or keep a diary. What good stuff pays in? How much? How often are they doing it and how long for?

👀 Stay tuned to find out about the types of negative stress that will pay into the bucket…

08/01/2025

❓EVER WONDERED WHY YOUR DOG CAN SUDDENLY SEEM A BIT…’EXTRA’?

And they can seem ‘extra’ just occasionally, frequently, or, seemingly, a lot of the time. But however often it is, you have those moments of looking at your dog in bewilderment and just asking ‘Why? Why are you being like this?’ 🙈😂

🪣 Well, it’s all to do with the Bucket.

✋🏻 Wait…What??

🪣 To be more specific… The Stress Bucket. We all have one and, more interestingly, your dog has one, too. The reason we refer to it as the Stress Bucket is because the stuff that is figuratively filling the bucket is stress hormones - cortisol in particular - that’s the stuff that hangs around in the body (or the bucket) and takes a while to leave the body.

Your dog’s behaviour is a good indicator of how full or empty that bucket is….

🙈The fuller the bucket gets, the less your dog is able to cope with stuff.
🙈The fuller the bucket gets, the poorer choices and decisions your dog starts to make (and it’s these decisions and choices that land your dog in trouble, one way or another).
🙈The fuller the bucket gets, the more undesirable behaviours you may start to see (as a result of their rubbish choices and decisions). These behaviours might include:

Jumping up, barking, lunging, pulling on lead, spinning on lead, snatching at food, ignoring food, unable to do what you ask, ignoring you completely, hyper-alertness and vigilance, chewing on the lead, chewing on you, grabbing clothing, snapping/biting, destroying stuff, zoomies, whining, constant pacing and restlessness, hu***ng... and the list goes on - it depends what behaviour your dog likes to pull out from their selection box.

😱 You may see it as the dog ‘acting up’ or being ‘naughty’. I see it as a dog with a full bucket, a dog who is overwhelmed and no longer able to cope, a dog who is trying to do something… ANYTHING… to make themselves feel better in that instant and redress the balance.

🪣 A dog with a full bucket is in an EMOTIONAL state, not a COGNITIVE state. That’s why they struggle to do what you’re asking of them.

❓Want to know what might be contributing to your dog’s bucket (it might surprise you)? Look out for the next couple of posts…..

08/01/2025

Great advice from Blue Lemon Dog Training. Always wash your woofer’s paws after they’ve been out in weather like this - they can be walking in antifreeze and salt, then licking their own paws and ingesting it. That can make for a very poorly doggo….

Did you have to defrost your car today?

If you use antifreeze - type products, did you know that they taste sweet to dogs?

BUT they are also TOXIC to dogs.

Those amazing canine noses could sniff out any drops of antifreeze that have fallen onto the ground around a car.

Not a winning combination.

Plus, the salt that is scattered to stop roads and pavements becoming icy - this can be a nasty irritant to dogs' paws.

I had a bucket of water ready to dunk paws at the end of our walk this morning.

Seasonal hazards for our dogs.

06/01/2025

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05/01/2025

🐕🐾 ❓HAVE YOU MADE ANY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR YOU AND YOUR DOG?

🐶 How can you start 2025 off on the right foot/paw with your woofer? Here are some ideas/inspo to get you started….⬇️

🐕 Daily Adventures: Commit to walking in more different places/environments, or doing more sniffaris. We can get stuck in a rut of walking the same routes but exploring new places is SO rewarding for your dog, not to mention tiring as they sniff all those new, interesting smells.

🧸🦴 Play More: Set aside more time for games like hide and seek, scent games, or tug-of-war - play really improves your bond with your dog and is an excellent way to teach cues like Drop, Take, Wait, or Retrieve etc all while having fun with you ❤️

📚 Learn Together: Enroll in a training class, scent course, or teach a new trick every month. KikoPup, Victoria Stillwell, Susan Garrett have great videos for FREE on YouTube.

🚦Overcome an Obstacle - Pick ONE struggle your dog has and commit to spending the year helping them overcome it - it might be car travel, vet visits, grooming, recall, loose lead walking etc. Just pick ONE and commit to focusing on that (you know where to come if you need help😉).

🥰❤️ More Snuggles: It might sound a given but we can easily overlook this because…well… life gets in the way. Having some quiet one-on-one time with your dog is SO important and will benefit you BOTH as you will each get that lovely gooey rush of oxytocin 🥰 It’s a great way to improve your bond ❤️

What’s on your list for you and your woofer this year?