Nick Honor: Clinical Animal Behaviourist & Accredited Dog Trainer

25/08/2024

“Norman wasn’t quite sure what to make of Gelert’s statue, but true to form, he figured a bum sniff was the best way to find out more!”

25/08/2024

We urgently need volunteer Puppy Socialisers to help our trainees get their paws on the first rungs of their life-saving journey - could this be you?

Find out more at https://www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk/volunteer/volunteer-roles-caring-for-our-dogs/

18/08/2024

Congratulations ⭐️ and a HUGE well done to all you wonderful Puppy Foundation graduates 🎓 from Thursday evening’s Wendover Heights Veterinary Centre Equine Centre courses.
⭐️ You have all done brilliantly ⭐️ Not forgetting Archie who sadly couldn’t make the last week ⭐️
It’s been great fun and an honour to work with you all and watch your puppies grow and gain confidence each week - they are all
⭐️ Puppy Stars ⭐️
Well done everyone 👏🏻
😊🐾🐶🎓⭐️🎓🐶🐾😊

My next available courses are starting on Tuesday 10th and Thursday 12th September at Wendover Heights Veterinary Centre in the Equine Centre. For all the details and to book your place on one of these courses, please click on this link:-

https://www.puppystars.co.uk/puppy-classes/puppy-foundation-skills-wendover-with-nick/

⭐️ Many thanks ⭐️

14/08/2024

☀️ Nick, Wendy, Sky and Norman are taking a well deserved Summer holiday ☀️

The office will be closed as from Friday 16th August and will be reopening on Monday 2nd September.

🐾 You can still book classes online via our website during this time via www.puppystars.co.uk and we will be checking our emails periodically 🐾

We won’t be replying as quickly as we would normally, but please do bear with us during this time.

⭐️ Many thanks ⭐️

10/08/2024

I don’t usually work Saturdays as a rule, but today I did some assessment and rehab work/advice for a local rescue, and met this handsome chap. Hopefully he will find his forever home soon 🤞🤗🐕🏡

10/08/2024

Time for some puppy pictures 😊🐶 here are just a few of the puppies I have had the pleasure of meeting recently. There would be more, but I am useless at remembering to take pictures!

09/08/2024

Time to guess the breed 🙂 Edit: thanks for all the guesses and well done Carolyne Mollon on guessing Lucas Terrier - the first one I have ever seen in real life 🐶🐾

09/08/2024

Following on from last month's blog post, Command or Cue? Why it Matters to Me, I hope you enjoy this month's offering, Effectiveness isn’t Enough: Lessons from Dog Training, which can be found here. https://www.puppystars.co.uk/blog-post/effectiveness-isnt-enough-lessons-from-dog-training/

02/08/2024

It's a few months until Halloween, Bonfire night and New Year... But it's time to start thinking about your pets noise phobia NOW.

Countdown is on...

🎶Noise Desensitisation: Taking the nervousness out of the noise🎶

Noise anxiety: 50% of dogs react fearfully to some noise.

Statistically more bites happen around thunderstorms and fireworks, likely because of anxiety levels are our attempts to comfort frantic dogs.

Furthermore, if your pet has developed a new phobia as it ages, considering chronic pain and treating this can be essential to their holistic care of anxiety and phobias.

This can make firework season a very stressful time of year for both you and your pet!

➡️Noise phobias can be managed a number of ways but one very useful method is desensitisation and counter conditioning.

➡️Through repetition of quiet noise ( that are scary in louder levels), the pet learns to ignore the stimulus and the level of stimulation can be increased until higher levels of the stimulus are ignored.

➡️This is something that is best taken slowly with dedication, commitment and persistence and only using positive training techniques. If you start now you may make a positive difference to bonfire night and new year fireworks.

Check out this website for more information on noise phobias ⬇️

https://www.petdialog.co.uk/noise.aspx

27/07/2024

One of this weeks star students taking a little nap 🐶💤💤

🐾 **Did You Know?** 🐾

Young puppies need up to 18-20 hours of sleep a day! 💤 Just like human babies, this sleep is essential for their growth and development. Ensuring your puppy gets enough rest is key to raising a happy, healthy, and well-adjusted adult dog.

27/07/2024

🐶⭐️🐾🤩 DO YOU HAVE A NEW PUPPY OR ARE YOU GETTING ONE SOON? THEN READ ON ….. 🤩🐾⭐️🐶

🐾 My next available 6-Week Puppy Foundation courses are starting on Tuesday 10th September @ 6.00pm - 7.00pm & Thursday 12th September @ 7.10pm - 8.10pm 🐾 at the Equine Centre at Wendover Heights Veterinary Centre 🐾

✅ Do you want to learn how to succeed through those early weeks and months living with energetic puppies - the sharp puppy teeth, the chewing, teething and toilet training etc?

✅ Do you want to learn with your puppy and teach them to walk nicely on a lead, recall when you need them, leave things you don’t want them to have etc?

✅ Do you want to learn how to prevent and stop undesirable behaviour?

✅ Do you want to learn and practice how to safely meet and interact with other dogs, socialising your puppy and know what to do if it does not go to plan?

✅ Do you want to give puppy the best possible start in their journey to becoming a wonderful family companion and do you want to do all the above in a kind, caring, compassionate and positive reward based way?

🐾 If your answer is YES, why not follow in Norman’s paw-steps and learn with me, Nick Honor - Experienced and Accredited Behaviourist (CAB) and Puppy Training Specialist (ATI) and join one of my next available 6-Week Puppy Foundation courses.

For all the details and TO BOOK your place on one of these courses, please click on this link:-

https://www.puppystars.co.uk/puppy-classes/puppy-foundation-skills-wendover-with-nick/

🐾 Puppies can join us in the Foundation course from 8 weeks - 16 weeks of age (from 1 week after their first vaccination) and learn together in a safe and secure environment (we disinfect the floor too)🐾

🐾 Small class sizes, to give you a much more personalised experience 🐾

🐾 You will receive extensive weekly back-up emails and video footage of the exercises as a recap after each class, so it’s not a problem if you miss a week, as you can catch up on what you’ve missed 🐾

🐾 You will receive a Rosette and Certificate upon completion of the 6-week course, as well as a Voucher for a free Photoshoot and a framed Image of your choice at All People Photography in Waddesdon 🐾

⭐️ Many thanks ⭐️

27/07/2024

lesson learnt from last week 😂

26/07/2024

🩷🥳UPDATE- LUCY HAS BEEN FOUND 🥳🩷

Lucy is unfortunately still missing. We have been in contact with dog lost recovery and are following their advice to NOT search for her as this may make her more scared.

We really appreciate all the effort everyone has put in so far to help locate her and if you do happen to see her then please let us know as soon as possible via the contact details in the poster below!

21/07/2024

I'm excited to announce that I received my pre-release copy of "Bark!" by Dr Zazie Todd this week!

It was an honour and quite exciting to be asked to review this wonderful book and a few of my words have even been included in it! 🙂

While it's currently only available for pre-order, "Bark!" will be released in the U.K. on 17th October. I highly recommend getting a copy when it’s available!

20/07/2024

Congratulations ⭐️ and a HUGE well done to all you wonderful Puppy Foundation and Intermediate graduates 🎓 from my Thursday evening courses at Wendover Heights Veterinary Centre.
⭐️ You have all done brilliantly ⭐️ Not forgetting Lenny who sadly couldn’t make the last week ⭐️
It’s been great fun and an honour to work with you all and watch your puppies grow and gain confidence each week - they are all
⭐️ Puppy Stars ⭐️
Well done everyone 👏🏻
😊🐾🐶🎓⭐️🎓🐶🐾😊

🐾 My next available Puppy courses are starting on Tuesday 10th September & Thursday 12th September 🐾
For all the details and to book your place, please click on this link:-

https://www.puppystars.co.uk/puppy-classes/puppy-foundation-skills-wendover-with-nick/

⭐️ Many thanks ⭐️

10/07/2024

The decision if a dog or cat is to be spayed, neutered or otherwise being rendered infertile is influenced by several factors. While temperament traits or preexisting health conditions may influence benefit and risk assessments for an individual animal, it is important to discuss the setting in which the decision is being made as well as the setting the animal lives in or will likely live in.

A recent survey by Veterinary Voices UK looked at neutering habits of UK veterinary professionals, by splitting dogs into size categories and asking at what age people advise of castration based off weights in KG:

➡️Toy

07/07/2024

A big thank you to Danny at Tug-E-Nuff who not only responded to my email, but created a toy with the specifications I asked for, but at the time was not part of their range. Norman loves it and it fits perfectly in my pocket for when I just need something handy and the squeaker is easy for him to locate. It’s great for Tug, he loves to chase it when thrown and carry it as his special prize to squeak.

https://www.tug-e-nuff.co.uk/products/faux-fur-pocket-bungee-squeaker

And if you want your own, remember to use the code PuppyStars at the checkout.

06/07/2024

I haven’t created a blog post for a while, but a recent conversation I had with a client has prompted me to create this (2-minute read) blog post. So, “command” or “cue”? What words do you use? Do you think it matters? 🤔

https://www.puppystars.co.uk/blog-post/cue-or-command-why-it-matters-to-me/

06/07/2024

Working with this cheeky little girl was a real ear-opener, literally! 😂 Big, small, short, tall - I work with them all "

25/06/2024

23/06/2024

It’s getting hot next week, so thought I would share this.

“Many websites continue to offer outdated first aid advice to dog owners that recommend “slow” cooling using “tepid but not cold water”, despite no substantial evidence to support this guidance. Similar myths about using tepid water in human medicine have been dispelled by extensive research demonstrating that cold water immersion and evaporative cooling are the most effective treatments for heatstroke”

Emily Hall, Lecturer in Veterinary Education at the RVC, and lead author of the paper, said:

“The key message for dog owners is to cool the dog quickly, using whatever water you have available provided the water is cooler than the dog. The longer a dog’s body temperature remains elevated, the more damage can occur so the sooner you can stop the temperature rise and start cooling the better.”

Published July 2023

The RVC urges owners of hot dogs to “cool first, transport second” Published: 20 Jul 2023 | Last Updated: 20 Jul 2023 07:00:23 A new study by the VetCompass team at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has found that dogs with heatstroke may be suffering even further due to outdated first aid pr....

23/06/2024

Most dogs love a good chew, and providing appropriate chew toys will help keep your dog mentally engaged and alleviate boredom. Chewing can reduce anxiety and destructive behaviours, making for a happier dog. Chewing brings a variety of benefits. What’s your dog’s favourite chew?

22/06/2024

Wow ⭐️ Congratulations ⭐️ and a HUGE well done to all you wonderful Puppy Foundation graduates 🎓 from Thursday evening’s Wendover Heights Veterinary Centre Equine Centre courses.
⭐️ You have all done brilliantly ⭐️ Not forgetting Margot who sadly couldn’t make the last week ⭐️
It’s been great fun and an honour to work with you all and watch your puppies grow and gain confidence each week - they are all
⭐️ Puppy Stars ⭐️
Well done everyone 👏🏻
😊🐾🐶🎓⭐️🎓🐶🐾😊

21/06/2024

Wow 🤩 What an amazing and fun final week of my Puppy Foundation & Intermediate courses on Tuesday night at Fringford Village Hall. Congratulations and a big well done 👏🏻 to all graduates 🎓
Also a big thank you and well done to Sky who did a fantastic job as my assistant 👏🏻
You and your awesome pups all did brilliantly and it’s been wonderful seeing your dogs grow both physically and mentally over the last 6-weeks.
Well done all 👏🏻 ⭐️ 😃🐶🐾🤩

20/06/2024

I have been working on teaching Norman to check in with me if I stop. It’s a work in progress, but I think the boy did good 🦴🐾👍

16/06/2024

Norman would like to wish all of you awesome dog dads a VERY HAPPY FATHER’S DAY
💙🐾💙🐾💙🐾💙🐾💙🐾💙🐾💙