Country Club Kennels

09/08/2024

What a beautiful sky this evening 😍

03/08/2024

Great help this morning 🙄

28/07/2024

28/07/2024

All the teddies in an orderly group😁

23/07/2024

Brody and Lilly besties😍.

22/07/2024

Country Club kennels got talent 😂

21/07/2024

Proud boy😍

19/07/2024

Bookings for 2025 have started to come in☺️.
So here it is...... The 2025 diary🤓.

16/07/2024

Definitely need to revisit the sandbox🤭

13/07/2024

09/07/2024

**Reminder**

We will be closing on September 13th at 6pm and reopening October 1st 7.30 am.

Thank you 😊

29/06/2024

If Cooper can do it (although unimpressed by the look of him) so can you. 😊.
Thank you. 😀

21/06/2024

Little Denny during his morning introduction to kennels.❤️
Once your puppy is fully vaccinated they are ready to start experiencing kennel stays.

19/06/2024

Yes!

So many of the things behaviour professionals are engaged to help with are considered problem behaviours by the dog's humans. Four examples in this image - digging, barking, pulling wanting to explore when on the lead, and chewing.

Are these problem behaviours? Not from the dog's perspective. These are all normal and natural dog behaviours. The issue is that they can be considered problematic by the dog’s humans and societally unacceptable in certain situations or when done a lot.

Natural behaviours are important. Under the Five Freedoms, the basic template set out 45 years ago, the freedom to carry out natural behaviours is listed as essential for meeting their welfare needs.

It's clear that letting dogs do some of these things however they feel like can cause problems. Digging and chewing can cause a lot of damage, barking can absolutely be annoying and unpleasant if it's prolonged and frequent. Pulling on the lead to get to a smell or to have a closer examination of something or just to move along faster can be uncomfortable for both human and dog.

What's the solution?

Find ways for them to carry out these natural behaviours that are comfortable and appropriate for all concerned.

Give them a spot to dig. Whether a specific patch of garden or something like a child’s sandpit, direct them there to dig to their heart’s content. If they are caught digging where they shouldn’t, just redirect them to the appropriate spot. Perhaps hide things in the selected spot for them to dig up and make digging in this one place really attractive for them.

Dogs will bark, it’s part of being a dog for most breeds (although some are much quieter than others and certain breeds make sounds that aren’t barks). It’s not something that will ever be stopped entirely but what we can do is shorten the amount of time they are barking. If your dog barks at a noise or something they see outside, thank them, and give them something nice. It sounds counterintuitive but for dogs who are barking as a warning that they see or hear something it does work. (If a dog is frantically barking and throwing themselves at the door or window and seeming clearly stressed then that’s a different issue and it may well be worth finding a kind and ethical behaviour professional to help understand what is upsetting your dog).

Chewing is one of the most natural of dog behaviours. Seen often in young puppies when teething, it is also something many dogs continue to do and enjoy throughout their lives. Chewing is good for cleaning their teeth and (along with licking) it is a calming activity that helps them to relax. Obviously, we don’t want them chewing our furniture or things so it’s vital to give them appropriate things to chew. There are many chew toys and dog chews that are available, although some can damage teeth or cause issues if the dog bites off large chunks and swallows them and others like rawhide can contain nasty chemicals, so care is needed in selection. Once you have found a safe chew that your dog likes, redirect them to that ‘legal’ chew to save your belongings.

Walking on the lead does not come naturally to dogs. They need to be taught how to walk on a loose lead and match our pace. Many dogs naturally move faster than we do when walking, so it is up to us to show them where we would like them to be when on the lead. Sometimes this might be right beside us when next to a road, for example, and sometimes we can maybe use a longer lead to give them a bit more room to explore. The key is to help them understand the lead needs to be loose. I use a very relaxed form of loose lead walking with my own dogs – no matter how long the lead (I use a 15-foot lead as standard and shorten or lengthen it as needed) as long as my arm is not pulled away from my side, that’s absolutely fine. The important thing when it comes to allowing natural behaviours is to let our dogs explore things when on lead. Let them go over to the water to have a look. Let them sniff that tree they are looking at longingly. Give them time and space to carry out natural behaviours even when we are in places they cannot for whatever reason be off the lead.

Letting dogs do those natural dog things, letting them BE dogs, is a vital part of being the best dog people that we can possibly be, so find the ways that we can let them be dogs safely and comfortably for everyone.



(You can find ways to help spread the Good Guardianship message via a range of clothing and accessories at the GG store - link is in the comments!)

16/06/2024

When the music on the radio randomly matches the nosey puppy 🤣🤣

09/06/2024

Rainy day. Squeaky ball. ☔😀

08/06/2024

06/06/2024

This gorgeous boy was found in the Kilroosky area earlier this evening. He is safe, warm and fed😊.
Do you recognize this dog?
Please share.

22/05/2024

Buddys expressions are priceless 🤣🤣, can't quite figure out what go do next 😅