Robertson Pet Care

17/01/2025

Happy Friday everyone!
I hope you've all had a good week, and have been staying warm :)

If anyone is looking for pet portraits you should consider Hercule, the likeness is uncanny 😂

New commission finished!!

This relaxed looking pooch belongs to the wonderfully lovely Laura Cn.

I don’t know what he’s called, but I’ve named him Jean-Claude Can Scran.

Jean-Claude likes stunt herring, annoying tour guides in Rome by continually asking if it was built in a day, and saying ‘no thanks, mine just whistles’ when asked if he wants to buy some kettle bells.

I’ve obviously drawn this one in my ultra-realistic style, so usual reminder that my portrait is the image on the right.

Review from the customer:

‘I requested this portrait back in October 2020. So, for anyone else waiting in the inbox thinking that you may never get picked, I hope this portrait is a reminder that you can be chosen at ANY time. You are never safe and think otherwise!’

[admins, just delete that last sentence of the review before posting. Cheers, Hercule]

25/12/2024

Something you hope you never need, but very glad I have.
Best Christmas present this year!
thanks mum and the team over at Daktari 😘

I hope you're all having a great day with your friends, furry friends and family members.

23/12/2024

Last cuddles with the girls while I explain I'm leaving soon.
my least favourite part 😢

21/12/2024

Sideways rain ✅
Windy ✅
Cold ✅
Happy dogs ✅✅

Great start to the day :)

"There's no such thing as bad weather, just unsuitable clothing" - Alfred Wainwright

20/12/2024

Happy Friday from me and the girls.
Hope you're all well and ready for Christmas (I'm definitely not.... someone forgot to do Xmas shopping before leaving to look after these 2....that someone being me.... oops...)

stay warm and dry out there and spoil your furry friends rotten this Christmas :)

18/12/2024

stages of bargaining with a springer over sticks being too big.
in very small increments 😂🤣
no, nope, still nope but getting there

19/11/2024

very common thread especially with algorithm clickbait driven video titles.

nothing happens fast, it takes months and months of consistent hard work, and repetition every day. there are no quick fixes and scaring a dog into not doing something isn't the way.

Wanting a behaviour from our dogs to stop is common. Sadly, there are so many 'trainers' who appear on television or have massive social media followings who will advocate using devices and methods that 'will stop it fast'. Let's be honest, as humans we are often results driven, so I can see why these would appeal to people who don't know why these things should not be recommended and used. The reality is that they can make the situation so much worse.

Suppressing a behaviour doesn't mean that the reasons that behaviour happened aren't still there, just that the dog can't do what they feel they need to in that situation. That can lead to increased frustration, stress, fear - depending on what the driver for that behaviour is. Think of it like a pressure cooker, adding more and more pressure, with no way to reduce that pressure. Eventually there comes a point where the pressure is just too much and boom.

If a behaviour is something we can't live with, there are things we can do without suppressing that behaviour. Manage the situation so that the dog is not in a position to practice that behaviour - for example baby gates to stop them jumping up at arriving guests or finding quiet areas to walk if your dog is uncomfortable with other dogs close up. If there is something you would prefer them to do in that situation keep using the management and then, using kind and ethical methods, teach them what you would like them to do instead. If the behaviour is not something that we can simply train an alternative for - a dog who reacts to other dogs around for example - find a behaviour consultant who uses modern and kind methods to help the dog no longer feel the need to use that behaviour.

Behaviour suppression is never the answer.

Here are links to a couple of blog posts that explore the topic a little further:

https://www.goodguardianship.com/post/the-first-question-to-ask-wtf-what-s-the-function
https://www.goodguardianship.com/post/why-we-should-look-beyond-stopping-behaviour

13/11/2024

this is what happened in between the pictures 😂

13/11/2024

Happy Wednesday everyone. whatever you've done today, I hope you've done it like a spaniel :) (she was so fresh and clean from the groomers before we went out 😂)

31/10/2024

in response to concerns about Leopard sightings by the monument, I want to reassure everyone your dogs are safe from leopards when on walks with me (actual photo to prove it)

30/10/2024

30/10/2024

today was a good day :)
I am learning so much, getting to know different breeds 1 on 1, different personalities, triggers, and behaviours.
every day is a school day

Happy Wednesday

24/10/2024

I said find the stick
he found a log
everyone is happy 😂

18/10/2024

Something I feel very strongly about.
I will always let your dogs stop and check the pee-mail, or scent trail or whatever else might take their interests. You won't see me pulling dogs away on the lead trying to "hurry them up" my time with them is for them.

I also encourage them to, by throwing broken up treats in long grass and letting them find it. Physical exercise isn't the only thing a dog needs, mental stimulation is so important!

Happy Friday
Ben :)

One of my favourite things to see is when people give their dogs as much time as they want to sniff. Smell is the primary sense our dogs use to navigate, interpret, and make sense of their world. They can tell who has passed by and how long ago, and update themselves on their canine version of social media picking up the messages left by other dogs who have been there earlier.

The part of the dog's brain that is dedicated to analysing scent information is a huge proportion of their brain compared to ours (around 40 times the size), and they have up to 300 million scent receptors while humans have around 6 million. These facts alone highlight the importance of olfactory information and sniffing for our dogs.

Sniffing is one of the most instinctive and natural behaviours our dogs possess and giving them time to sniff is a free and incredibly easy way to add enrichment into their lives. Sniffing is also great brainwork as they hunt out and interpret the differents scents they encounter.

A 20 minute period spent out of the house sniffing and interpreting the scents they discover (a sniffy walk or 'sniffari') can often tire a dog out as much as an hour's 'normal' walk, and is also really good for younger dogs (post-vaccination or in safe areas where dogs of unknown vaccination and health status don't go) and senior dogs who aren't quite as mobile and fit as they used to be.

The more time I spend watching my dogs investigating and interpreting their world through their noses the more fascinated I become by observing them, and the more clearly I can see how much enjoyment and pleasure they get from having time to carry out this most doggy of behaviours.

So let them sniff - they will appreciate you even more for giving them the time and opportunity.

14/10/2024

lovely start to a Monday :)

13/10/2024

Well put Bill, well put.

Happy Sunday to everyone and their furry friends and family members :)

06/10/2024

some pictures from the last week.
I'm a lucky lad :)

02/10/2024

A message from a client.

I don't think they've managed to get away in a few years (since the arrival of Stanley), and didn't want to put their boy in kennels as he's quite anxious and nervous with other dogs.

We worked out a schedule with another family member which meant Stanley wasn't left alone for long periods, and he got loads of exercise and cuddles!

I feel very fortunate to be able to help out, and make animals (and their humans) lives better :)