Pet Help at Home

14/01/2025

🐾JONI IS IN REHAB🐾

Joni loves a stick, and as you may already know, I hate them! She is forever trying to get me to throw them and I won’t but this smart arse has recently realised that she can get other people to throw it if she ever so politely tosses it at their feet and gives them “the eyes” 👀

Sticks are dangerous, I know that but many people don’t. It is also in Joni’s breed to be obsessive and when she is focused on a ball or a stick she doesn’t engage in doggy things like sniffing and exploring. Obsessive behaviour causes stress.

Whilst out walking this weekend I realised what a problem this is becoming and I know that the more she practises this behaviour and the more people throw the stick the worse it is going to get. Sometimes people throw the stick before I can say anything, I am also not very assertive so the thought of keep having to say no to people and explain why they can’t throw the stick fills me with dread.

So here is my solution 😂 I recommend stuff like this to a lot of my clients if other people’s actions are causing a bit of an issue. This was custom made so you can have whatever you like printed on them. You can also get jackets, attachments for leads and harnesses. Maybe your dog has an allergy and you don’t want people giving treats, or your dog is nervous and you don’t want people to approach. Clients report they make a huge difference so let’s see how we get on!

13/01/2025

Buddy is joining me for some short term ad hoc walks whilst his caregivers are busier than usual 🦮

Life can get hectic at times and sometimes we find that we can’t give our dogs the time they need, no matter how much we try. I have recently experienced this myself and the guilt is real! Dog walkers can be a huge help and make a big difference to your dogs overall wellbeing as well as taking the pressure off the caregiver. There are so many people offering this service but make sure yours is fully insured, experienced, first aid trained and can accommodate your individual dog’s needs 🐾

10/01/2025

Gorgeous Nala started her tailored one to one training package today. Rehomed at 6 months she has a few issues to overcome but she is super smart and keen to learn.

Dogs rehomed at this age are often tricky. They usually come with some (or a lot) of bad habits and are just starting to enter that tricky adolescent stage. Professional help early on can really help you get them back on track and start as you mean to go on 🐾

09/01/2025

Well apart from the weather beating me to a couple of visits this morning, this week full service has resumed and what a beautiful week it has been so far ❄️
It has been lovely to be back doing full walks again and I am so grateful to you all for being so patient and waiting for me to fully return to work 😊

09/01/2025

❌ MORNING WALKS AND NON URGENT VISITS CANCELLED ❌

Driving conditions are terrible and the ice and snow have made it too slippy underfoot in many places. Such low temperatures will also be uncomfortable for little paws. I will reassess later for those booked in this afternoon.

Stay safe 🐾

08/01/2025

Jasper has joined the troop this week for some regular solo walks to support his behaviour program for reactivity to people and dogs.

The people involved with your dog’s care outside of the family can have a big effect on their general behaviour and I sometimes see that dogs attending daycare or having group walks aren’t coping well in these situations. Providing a calmer alternative can make a huge difference.

07/01/2025

At the grand old age of 14, Mason had never had his nails clipped before but as his walks have reduced he was in need of a manicure. He was understandably a little worried but with time, reassurance, patience and LOTS of sausage, he got the hang of it! Well done Mason!

Nail clips in the home can be much less stressful than a trip to the vet or groomers. Get in touch to book 🐾

06/01/2025

First one to one sessions for lovely young Fifi today to help her with calm greetings. We discussed…

🐾 How our body language is important
🐾 How to promote calm in day to day life
🐾 How to meet her physical and mental needs
🐾 Diet
🐾 The tricky period of adolescence

Because behavioural change is multimodal and we have to look beyond the “problem” behaviour if we are are make permanent change

03/01/2025

✨2025 diary open✨

🐕 Positive canine behaviour and training solutions
🐕‍🦺 Specialist dog walking and training
🐇 Pet care visits
🐈 Vet Nurse services - nail clips, a**l gland emptying, health advice

✅ Registered Vet Nurse with 15 years experience in practice
✅ Degree qualified canine behaviour specialist, with over 10 years practical experience
✅Fully insured and DBS checked
✅Local to Wigan and St Helens

Get in touch for more information or check out my website www.pethelpathome.co.uk

29/12/2024

Hope you are all enjoying the post Christmas lull. Think Joni is still recovering from the chaos!

28/12/2024

Calling in on lovely Poppy this week 🐈‍⬛

24/12/2024

Ye sorry about that….

23/12/2024

That’s a wrap…for 2 days anyway!
Joni and Penny would like to join me in wishing all my clients a very Merry Christmas.
We hope you have a wonderful time with all your loved ones 🎄🎅

17/12/2024

❓WHAT IS THE 1️⃣ THING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE VET VISITS EASIER FOR YOUR CAT❓

It’s spay day for Myrtle today and here she is sat happily in her carrier this morning whilst we were all getting ready for school and work. It was so nice to see her happy and relaxed in there.

Vet visits can be stressful for you and your cat. Personally I hate taking my cats to the vets and I do get anxious about it. If you have to battle to get them in the carrier then you will both be upset before even leaving the house. Teaching them that the carrier is a nice, safe place to be can be a game changer!

🐈‍⬛ Don’t only get your carrier out when it is time for a vet visit, they get wise to this quickly and will often disappear and hide as soon as they see or smell it

🐈‍⬛ Keep it in a quiet area of the house, pop a comfy bed in there and every so often place some tasty treats inside for them to discover. You may find that it starts to double up as a snooze spot!

🐈‍⬛ If you need to put them in the carrier for a visit always take your cat to the carrier rather than approaching them with it.

🐈‍⬛ Feliway can be useful for getting them used to the carrier and helping them feel safe when you have to move them in it.

Full disclosure, Myrtle hasn’t formed any negative associations with the carrier yet but after today’s ordeal I am sure she will feel differently about it so we will be putting this in place when she gets home!

14/12/2024

CALMING CHEWING

Did you know that chewing is natural behaviour that reduces anxiety and promotes calm?

We should encourage chewing and provide lots of items for them to be able to engage in this behaviour.

I like long lasting natural chews like this hoof, antlers, YAK cheese chews. Steer clear of rawhide which is treated with chemicals and commercial branded chews containing lots of nasties 🐾

11/12/2024

Beautiful flowers from one the clients who has been with us since day one 😍 I can’t wait to be back with everyone properly in January!

09/12/2024

07/12/2024

A little evening visit for Buddy whilst his family enjoy a party. Buddy is also a behaviour client so I have been helping him along with his training at the same time 🐾