Wagtastic NZ Dog Training

14/01/2025

We will be offering 3 options for scent training for Term 1 2025. Held alternate Tuesdays either on the 1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month or the 2nd & 4th Tuesday of the month. Offering both 6pm and 7pm options to meet your needs. Small groups of a maximum of 6 dogs per group so we can meet your dog's individual needs and give dogs space. Scent training is great for working your dog's brain and body. It's a great way to build a relationship with your dog and learn more about them. We are fun-loving trainers who love to share our knowledge with you and set a fun-loving environment for our students. This is perfect for anyone who wants to come and learn something new with their dog or consolidate some previous scent training. We'd love to meet you and see you in class. Please book through the website.

14/01/2025

We are excited to be offering our 6-week puppy school starting in early February. Please share with anyone who is getting a puppy or knows anyone getting a puppy in the Christchurch area.

19/12/2024

With the silly season upon us, our dogs will get more guests coming to the front door- something that for some dogs can be quite triggering.

Dogs are territorial (and so are we!) meaning they try to keep others away from an area or resources that they use or control. One of the reasons were domesticated was for this very purpose.

If we had someone turn up at our house unexpected and they just walked in, we may also act defensively with flight or fight responses. Some dogs also get REALLY excited when people arrive and we may want to manage this also!

So if you have concerns what can we do to help?
🐾 Pop them behind a barrier or in another room when people are arriving
🐾 Have treats or toys on hand to reward desired behaviors (but don't give them to the guest—this can cause dogs to get too close when they’re uncomfortable).
🐾 Keep them on leash when greeting which prevents them from rushing in, and allows you the opportunity to reward them for calm behaviours.
🐾In some cases, they are better meeting on the street, going for a walk and then coming in.
🐾Ensure Visitors don't crowd them or force greetings on your dog.
🐾 Set up your dog a safe place to retreat to where they can get away from the busy-ness if they want to.

Please note, every dog is different so this advice may not quite suit yours. Get in touch if you want a personalised plan/advice for you & your dog.

Happy Holidays!

27/11/2024

Keep your water-loving dogs safe this summer.

Do you enjoy heading to the river with your furry friends over the warmer months?
Remember to keep a look-out for toxic algae.

Environment Canterbury has received early reports of toxic algae in Canterbury’s waterways, including the Ashley Rakahuri river.
Toxic algae can cause serious harm to people and animals, and can be fatal if ingested by dogs.

If you’re in doubt, keep them out. Learn more about toxic algae and what to look for at ecan.govt.nz/toxic-algae

11/11/2024

Lucy has been an important part of my dog, Indie’s, pain management plan. We had no idea how significant Indie’s pain was until we increased her pain meds last year after a consultation with Lucy. Now she’s a much happier dog.
So many owners refuse to consider that pain might be part of the picture when it comes to reactivity, anxiety and resource guarding, but pain is often the driving force for these behaviours. Dogs are just amazing at masking pain.

Last week I had the privilege of attending an evening workshop that the The New Zealand Veterinary Association organised with The Zero Pain Philosophy.

Many of my behaviour patients are struggling with ongoing chronic pain that contribute to their behaviour concerns.
Here are a few of my favourite takeaways from the talks that I'll be sharing with my clients:

🐾The biggest hurdle to good pain control is detection of pain

🐾Good control of acute pain (e.g. around routine surgery) can help prevent development of chronic pain

🐾Animals with chronic pain can take a long time to show improvements on pain relief, we shouldn't always expect to see changes in a week or two. (I recommend 6 weeks on a trial, and sometimes don't see clear responses till week 5-6).

🐾Osteoarthritis is not just an old animal disease- just over 20% of dogs under the age of four had both clinical signs of pain and radiographic changes.

Chronic pain can lead to increased irritability, anxiety, and even aggression. By addressing pain effectively, we can significantly improve not only their physical well-being but also their emotional and behavioural health...

Let's continue to work together to ensure our pets live happy, pain-free lives.

01/11/2024

Some great advice here for helping your dogs cope with fireworks.

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴...

As a behavior veterinarian, I understand how distressing fireworks can be for our canine companions. Here are some expert tips to help you and your dog get through this challenging time:

1. Stick to their normal routine. Make sure dogs have been walked before dark though.

2. Bring them inside. If taking your dog out to toilet, do so early, and on lead. DO NOT take them out to watch...

3. Set up a hidey-hole/den and sound proof it if possible.

4. Close the curtains and turn on some background noise. It will reduce the suddenness and drown it out.

5. Some dogs like thundershirts, so if yours is used to one, pop it on early. Don't try it for the first time tonight though! Calming caps or ear covers may also help.

6. Give them something delicious to eat or keep them occupied with food puzzles (e.g. a kong with meat in it)

7. Stay with them, and yes you can reassure them! If they want to be stroked, do so. If not, just stay nearby. Stay calm.

8. Feed high value food (if they can eat...) while it's happening. e.g. a peice of schmacko or a temptation for each bang.

9. Use Adaptil diffuser, collar or spray.

If your dog really struggles, there ARE things we can do to help. Medications can help this year, and we can look at behaviour modification (desensitising) techniques for next season.

Noise sensitivity is something I can help you all with, so please- reach out and we can prepare for New Years or next fireworks season!

29/10/2024

Learn a new trick this week. I’ll be giving this one a go with Indie.

It’s Tricks Tuesday! 🎪

Each week we’re bringing you a new trick you and your dog can work on together — and give you a sneaky peek into our brand-new book! 📘
👉 https://absolutedogs.me/tricksbook

Feet On Mine

“Toes!” 👣🐶
Have you taught your dog to stand in Middle with their front paws on your feet?
This trick builds on key foundational skills, so make sure they have lots of value for Middle and for Two Paws On a variety of stable objects.

Why teach it?
It’s a fantastic trick for dogs that need to think about where their paws are; it increases body awareness and teaches them to mirror you and be more aware of your movements. As a real-life skill it’s a great trick to anchor and ground dogs that might be sniffy, easily distracted or struggle to disengage from the environment and it’s brilliant for dogs that need to grow value for proximity.

Step 1
Warm up with a game of Two Paws On. Use a variety of objects to make sure your dog really understands and has value for putting their front paws on different surfaces, heights and shapes of stable objects.

Step 2
Now play a few rounds of Middle. Feed in position to reinforce the value.

Step 3
Position your Two Paws On object between your feet and invite your dog into Middle. If you have sufficient value for those two foundational layers, most dogs will naturally choose to stand with their front paws on the object (A). (You will eventually transition this to your feet).

Step 4
Once your dog has lots of value for putting front paws on an object between your feet, swap out the object for your feet, turned inwards, toes touching. Cue your dog into Middle and you should find the learning transfers so they stand with paws on your feet (B).

Step 5
After a few sessions, start moving your feet out towards their normal position. Reward your dog for continuing to seek out those foot targets and placing their paws on your feet (C).

Your turn Gamechangers! Let’s see your photos and videos! 📸🎥🐕

📖 Have you grabbed your copy of There’s A Trick For That!? Why not share this post with a friend and teach your dogs a new trick together! 💏
👉 https://absolutedogs.me/tricksbook

28/10/2024

Your dog 🐶 is BARKING, lunging, REACTING or simply pulling towards other dogs? More socialising with them isn’t the answer…

08/10/2024

Some great advice about how to help your dog’s itchiness with the change of season.

Lets Talk Tuesday!
Itchy Scratchies.

🌲Tis the season
It is the season for the scratching to start and our sensitive dogs to become uncomfortable. It causes us as pawrents to become very anxious waiting for those secondary infections, or rashes to set in.

There are a few reasons that our pets find this time difficult. Changing of the seasons, it dries out our pets skin and with the shedding of the old coat things can become itchy and irritating. Secondly, pollen 🌷 is dropping and also settling on surfaces. If you are close to plantations or a lot of trees the risk is increased for a reaction, if your dog is prone.

🐶How can we make our dog more comfortable?
Here are some easy steps.

🐬Increase Omega 3's. The easiest way to do this is through fish. The smaller and oilier the better. EIther add a fish oil (we recommend California Gold Omega 800) or small oily fish whole or even sardines in a tin (in spring water) adding one of these three times a week will help.
🐕 if your dog is on a lean diet add some fattier meats to feed the skin and add oils.
🐩 Increase the brushing to remove the dead hair and encourage the skins oils.
🛀 Bathe, with a natural product that won't strip the oils from the coat, you could also try an Oatmeal bath.
🌲Avoid anywhere pollen settles, the still ponds at the plantations, walking through the forest. The pollen will drop and land on still surfaces and even your pet. If you cannot avoid the plantation or surrounds, here are some tips.
🦢Change their outside water often.
Wipe down your dog with a natural wipe. or use a 50/50 mix of apple cider vinegar and water 💦 . Also bathe their paws after a walk.
🐶If your dog reacts quite badly pop on a singlet or tshirt.
Wipe out their ears and wipe their nose with Colloidal silver.

If your pet is developing a rash or hot spot please talk to your vet. They may recommend an antihistamine or further treatment. Don't let it develop into a secondary infection.

If you have any natural suggestion please post to help our fellow pet lovers.

26/09/2024

We love the knowledge at Best for Pets

Yum yum says Pablo Hairy deer ears are the best.

Our wee Pab’s had a pooping 💩 issue.

Fur is an excellent binder, stool firmer and digestive tract cleaner. Fur does not get digested, so you do not want to over feed but it is a great way to add a natural fibre and assist in keeping those poops 💩 regular and of good consistency 🤣

Thanks Pablo for sharing what can be an embarrassing subject for some ❤️

10/09/2024

Wagtastic NZ Dog Training have a new exciting opportunity for you dog and puppy owners: On the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month we are offing Scent Training Classes at 6pm and 7pm. If we get sufficient numbers we can reduce the cost from $20 to $15 a session.
Venue: St John's Church Hall, Woolston (opposite Woolston New World). Parking on site and on St John's Road.
What to expect? Each week we will work on some formal scent training skills to find a specific scent for those of you who want to consider working towards scent training trials. We will also mix in other less formal games that you can play easily at home with little equipment.
Why should you consider our scent classes? (1) It's fun for you and your dog! (2) Your pup will go home exhausted from using their brain and their body. (3) When a dog is sniffing, they become optimistic and happy about life, rather than being anxious or overly vigilant. (4) Any age dog can do scent training. (5) A fun way to meet other dog owners in your area in a relaxed environment. We have 6 places available per session starting Tuesday 17th September. Please book through the website for your first session www.wagtasticnz.com
We look forward to sharing some fun scent games with you and your pup! Get in touch if you have any questions.

10/07/2024

This looks like a lot of fun and a great way to get some training in whilst having fun as a whānau.

09/07/2024

We’d love to see you Best for Pets for their funday. We’ll be around to catch up, answer questions and chat about training options. Julie and her team will be around to answer any questions you may have about raw feeding. Bring your pup along and maybe treat them to a long lasting chew, find some yummy dry-freezed treats for training or learn more about what Best for Pets offer. We’d be love to see you!!

08/07/2024

"Dogs don't understand don't, because don't is a concept. Dogs understand DO. They understand behaviours.

Create a beahviour that you DO want, so that your dog can be right and you're setting him up for reinforcement.

This makes for a much better relationship for you and your dog, and for anybody else who comes in contact with your dog."

- Susan Garett

01/07/2024

We can teach you the games you need to support your dog to disengage from distractions, engage with you so you both feel more confident in getting out and about.

I don’t know who needs to hear this today 💚

22/06/2024

I'm on an online dog training course for instructors and behaviourists this weekend and just learnt a new activity you can do with your dogs. I can't wait to try this with Indie to help with focus/engagement and calmness on walks: Steve Mann's Rucksack Walk

19/06/2024

We love to support local businesses and Julie at Best for Pets is an amazing resource to pet owners and we recommend her to clients on a regular basis. The gut and brain are connected. Feed your dog the best food you can to help their health and behaviour. Great to see Best for Pets is now offering great quality kibble as an additional option to raw.

Lets talk about what I have done...

There are many reasons for stocking Orijen. But the biggest one is it is 85-90% meat protein.

We still believe as a business that raw is the ultimate diet done correctly. However we are also big believers in being able to do the best you can with what you have and what you know. Therefore we believe we are stocking the best kibble on the market in New Zealand We constantly recommend people purchase this if they are looking for a good quality kibble, so it is silly for us not to have it in store.

CATS: We will always recommend giving your cats as much wet food as they will eat. Moisture is so important for cats. But we cannot complain about a food that offers cats a 90% meat option.

When purchasing Orijen from us you can choose to either have a 10% disc off every bag or you can buy 10 and get your 11th free.

If you purchase your rawfood for delivery and already purchase Orijen elsewhere we can send this out with your order. If you are in Canterbury and purchase treats for delivery we can also send this out via our frozen food couriers.