Dog Minds NZ

27/02/2025

Catch up training session with Mr Red to work on some barking management as this guy has a lot to say, and if he gets a bit excited, he can't stop the 'words' from coming out and loud 😆
He is such a handsome boy, and you just can not stop smiling when you look at him. He is a wonderful pup, plus he has the best place in town! Now, he just needs a bit of help to understand that some humans don't share the same level of excitement that he does when they visit or get home. 😁
Reducing excitement barking can be a bit of a process, and the key is in the mechanics and timing, but with a bit of help and work, he will get there for sure. I mean, look at that face!!! 🤩
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27/02/2025

Miss Shadow has recently started her training walks to help with her engagement, loose leash walking, and reduce her nervousness fueled sp*ed and behaviour.
This girl wants to do everything at 100mph and she really struggles to bring herself down, especially when on street walks. But within a few sessions and because of a lot of homework done by her humans, we can already see changes. She is a fast learner and she is such a gorgeous girl 🥰
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25/02/2025

We will be at Garden Place this Saturday to raise awareness for kids' & dogs' safety. Come say 'hi' 🐾

Hamilton Children’s Day 2025!

We're super excited for this year's Children's Day event! If you loved last year's celebration, this one is going to be even better! Check out this amazing artwork by Medea!

Congratulations Medea Hardgrave- Costar a 12 year old from Fairfield intermediate on winning the art competition—we're so proud to share your work with the community!

Bring your whaanau to this free event family friendly event. There will be free buses operating around central Hamilton!

Like, follow our page for more updates on the event!

20/02/2025

Visual aids are the best way to warn others and communicate at a distance, whether that is through a vest, a leash cover, a shirt, or a bandana. They are so important when training and when advocating for your dog and their needs.
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For Zeus, we often use them when we go into busier places where we may encounter dogs and random strangers who want to say 'hi' to a huge GSD 'because he is so handsome' 😅 🤦🏽‍♀️
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Leash cover by Rocco & Co.
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18/02/2025

We got a nasty skin infection, so we had to rush to the vet last week. Elven was a superstar, and it was amazing to see how confident and relaxed he was at the clinic and with the vet handling him.
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But this only happened because our vet has been super patient and listened to him (and me) when he needed a break. Because we did desensitization visits and practiced chins rests for cooperative care. Because there were treats, controlled freedom and interactions, and a lot of work in the background.
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We're all a lot more relaxed now when we go to the vets, so it's all very worth it!
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14/02/2025

Yesterday was Valentine's Day, and I had a date with this handsome. He gave me a flower and then he tried to eat it. Still a successful date 😁
Arnie is going through a phase that we often see in many during adolescence, especially bull breeds: the "I want it and I will not take No for an answer. I don't care what you say, I want it now" phase.
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He was doing really well with his walks and training, but the last few weeks have come with a bit more determination, low ability to listen and follow cues, more frustration, etc. It is very typical at this age and very normal. Many teens go through the same, and often, it means we have to go back to some of the basics because they forgot it all and need help remembering. Patience, consistency, and clarity are key here to keep them out of trouble and to help them re-learn.
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13/02/2025

She is gorgeous. She is glorious. She is Sage.
She is a bit camera-shy and every time you try to take a photo of her, she will turn her head away. So, getting a photo of her is a privilege.
Here she is enjoying a little break in the shade during our walk this week.
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This girl is so special and we love her to bits!
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13/02/2025

Food trucks this weekend:
THU: Free spicy snacks!
FRI: Flippin Burger from 5pm
SAT: Kalimera Wood Fired Pizza from 12pm
SUN: Kai On Wheels from 1pm

11/02/2025

Our dogs rely on us for everything.
We bring them into our lives. It is our choice, no theirs.
We are responsible for them. For their life, their safety, their well-being, and the safety of others around them (humans and animals).
Be kind. Be compassionate. Be their advocate!
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How can we do that?
⏯️ Swipe and see all the slides ⏯️
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Contact a local trainer if you need help!
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11/02/2025

Follow-up training session with Shadow and Jem (well, Jem was mainly there for the sniffs and the treats) to assess where things are at and how she is doing with her emotions/behaviour towards dogs when she's on a lead.
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She was amazing! We were so impressed by her choices and to see what she actually wanted from strange dogs - space!
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She didn't love Tilly at the start, but she was ok to coexist and not care, and that, for us, is the most important thing.
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These two will be joining for training walks from next week, and we're looking forward to working with them.
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10/02/2025

The Queen is back, and she is feeling good!!! Zahra (the Queen) and Tilly (the Princess) had a fantastic walk around the gardens and river. Watching people, dogs, boats, bikes, and prams go by like true champions!
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08/02/2025

Tilly and Zahra are two of the biggest female markers I've ever met! They raise their back leg (sometimes both 😂) and p*e on every single bush that is worthy of their scent.
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Why do females do it? There are tons of theories and several possible explanations. But I guess, if males do it, why wouldn't females do it too?! 😆 it's a free country, after all, and equality is hopefully on the rise 😅
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08/02/2025

The Social Walks are back in 2025!
The next one will be on Sat 22nd February at 9.30am, Lake Kainui.
We look forward to seeing you all again!
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DM us if you're coming.

05/02/2025

You know that feeling you get after a great training walk with a dog?! That's what we felt this week after taking Zeus out. It was a great walk! We communicated clearly, and he responded very well. He made fantastic choices, and we walked past lunging and barking dogs without a problem.
It's not always like this, but this boy has sure come far.
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02/02/2025

For the last couple of months, I had been working with this boy. He was being fostered with a rescue, and I was helping with his training and behaviour. Let's call him 'Big Boy'(we won't use his real name for privacy reasons).
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He was a beautiful boy with a wonderful nature. Loved all humans, loved dogs - maybe a bit too much and too intensely for some - but he was great, and we had a lot of hope for him.
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He had no obedience or foundational training at all. I mean absolutely nothing. He was very skinny and had come from a very "complicated" environment and left to his own devices.
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He needed a lot of training and management, muzzle training was in progress, and things were looking good.
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Unfortunately, no matter how much humans try and how much we remind and stress how important safety management is, it can often fail, and it did.
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'Big Boy' was set up for failure from the start, and even though some amazing humans tried to help, it wasn't enough and maybe a bit too late. He had chicken nuggets and burgers, he was surrounded by people who loved him and he felt love before he crossed the rainbow bridge 🌈 💙
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Run free, Big Boy. We loved you, and you were very loved in the end. 💙🐾🌈

31/01/2025

🐾 KODA 🐾
We recently met this pretty girl to talk about meeting strangers and how to address stranger-danger, her engagement during leash walks, and recall.
Koda is amazing and her humans have gone above and beyond to work on her confidence building, obedience training, and all of the foundations she needed. She has had the best upbringing with them.
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But while her confidence grew and she stopped being so fearful, she then now started showing more confidence in showing her feelings toward things she doesn't like - this is very common and normal when dealing with fear-related behaviours. (This happened to us and Elven, too). Her feelings didn't change.
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So what now? Well, we work on clear communication and management to prevent the rehearsal of unwanted behaviours, desensitization, distances, and, of course, obedience while building a strong relationship between her and her humans. We also consider her breed mix and work with the traits she has of each one of them: 😉
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30/01/2025

We have been collaborating with Sarah at Chartwell for a few years now. We often do a dog behaviour talk at their puppy class and teach puppy owners about emotions, pre-teen behaviours, what to pay attention to, expectations, etc.
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We love it! The team is great. We get to meet awesome puppies, and we get puppy cuddles 🤗
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