Palmy Dogs

26/11/2024

In light of the holidays coming up there will many young dogs, puppies and even some older dogs who may be lucky enough to be travelling to go on holiday with their owners or to go to the kennels.

Transportation is mainly by car and sometimes the car can be a scary place for dogs especially if they haven't had a positive association built up with the car or they get car sick.

Here are a couple of tips which may help with preparing those young puppies and dogs for the trips ahead.

If you have a puppy or dog who is experiencing distress and extreme car sickness then I encourage you to contact your local vet, behaviorist for more support to help make the car more bearable for your pet.

25/11/2024

Essential 🌞Summer 🌞 Welfare Tips to keep your animals balmy this season!

Summer officially kicks off this Sunday! ☀️ Is your pet ready? 🐾

We’ve put together some essential summer welfare tips to keep your companion animals safe and comfortable all summer long. Check them out at https://ow.ly/TfZG50UfgSo.

21/11/2024

20/11/2024

🎉Happy Graduation to these very good PupStart Puppies!🎉

🎓It was lovely to see them all grow in both size and confidence!

Pawrents are all set with skills to work on as the pup enter the fun teenage stage!

Well done to:

🐾Lottie the Collie!

🐾Lewis 'Land Shark' The German Shepherd

🐾Rocky The Mastiff

🐾Zuko The Labrador!

🎄And yes it is November.... Not December but Puppies grow So Fast!

Will miss you all on Wednesday nights🐾❤️

19/11/2024

Due to interest I may be running a festive month puppy class,

Please get in touch if you are looking for puppy class.🐾

19/11/2024

Pup-Update!

Class is full for the 27th!

May consider running a December class if needed.

19/11/2024

17/11/2024

🎄On the lookout👀 to stock up for festive gifts for four legged Friends?

🎁This season I shall be taking orders for Fundraiser Christmas Baubles whose proceeds all go towards Pawsible Service Dogs!

Different sizes for different pets with a variety of tasty treats!

🎊LARGE (DOG) Baubles🐶

Radical Dog Treats $12

Lamb Lung Marshmellows $12

🎄SMALL (CAT) Baubles🐱

Seafood Temptations $7

PM the page or email [email protected] to order a delicious festive gift.

10/11/2024

Some PAWsome event coming up!

Calendar alert! Christmas is coming, and we've got the inside scoop on the best events. S&J's Tail Wagging Treats is barking up a storm, and next week, we're spilling the Toe beans on those awesome Xmas packs! So keep those ears pricked up, those noses sniffing they are coming.


S&J's Tail Wagging Treats

10/11/2024

When I first learned to drive my dad took me to drive the country back roads and later quiet urban streets.

Then once I had the basic mechanics and understood the road rules well, we then ventured out into busier areas and eventually town.

A couple of times...

I misjudged the sharpness of turns.

Slowed down prematurely or too late.

I mentally blanked out on road rules or got overwhelmed when the traffic got busy...

Eventually though (with enough practise and a failure ) I was deemed a decent enough driver to get my license and enjoyed my new found freedom.

That is my story about learning to drive BUT this can be a great analogy for teaching our dogs how to walk on lead and transfer skills into new environments.

We often get so excited when our dogs start to pick up on skills in class that we forget the nuances of the learning process.

New environments means new distractions but this does not mean the skills learned go totally out the window, they need to be reiterated and practised.

From the classroom to outside:

Start out by setting up distractions in the class room.

Start exploring busier environments but expect failure and some not quite perfect walks!

You never start to drive in rush hour traffic so don't expect your dog to be perfect movingfrom learning in the lounge to a busy park!

Picture: Ginny the Schnaizer conked out after a challenging session of learning.

06/11/2024

Super proud to hear an update from Chico the chihuahua who finished the PupStart Teens course.

Initially Chico was a trembling little ball who would hid behind mum and bark at dogs and people when unsure.

🐾While PupStart Teens does work on basic training skill I deem the training of owners to understand basic dog body language, behaviour and specifically understanding THEIR dog to be if not more important.

🐕Once you tailor training and training in real life situations to support your pup then pieces of a puzzle which can make learning challenging make life much easier🐕

This little guy has the privilege of coming to work with his owners and was a bit worried about new people coming into the office.

With a bit of space, management and creating the opportunity for Chico to make choices, he is so much happier and even greets people.

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

"Outside the home he has learned to trust his owner and explore busier environments (more people, dogs ect.) and had grown more confident to overcome and enjoy exploring.

I think for him just knowing that he has an option and a safe place has given him a lot more confidence.

For me learning his responses to certain situations and why, has meant that I can prepare and give him extra support when he needs it and keep him out of situations that I know will be too challenging."

-Chicos mum

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Next class starts this weekend with some spaces avaliable for November!

01/11/2024

Awesome post on how environments impact our dogs behaviour, ability to regulate and learn!

This is often accidentally overlooked by owners and sometimes trainers!

Environment affects behaviour & emotions.

Last week I was in New York. I was looking through the photos from the trip and these two jumped out at me because they evoked such contrasting feelings.

Time Square was A LOT! So many people, so much noise, so much visual stimulation, so many people who I didn't really want to interact with trying to interact with me. Honestly, not my cup of tea. It made me feel on edge and a bit defensive. It was overwhelming and (while I'm glad I've seen it) not somewhere I'd choose to go back to.

Central Park, on the other hand, was calm, quiet (or as quiet as it gets in NY!), there was space, there were still lots of people but no one was in my face, there was space enough to allow me to engage with things, or not, as I chose. I felt safe, relaxed and would go back in a heartbeat.

Some people would be different and would feel energised by the Times Square vibe and bored to death by the peace of Central Park.

The environment we are in affects how we feel and how we feel affects our behaviour and, ultimately, our wellbeing. And our dogs are no different. If we put them in environments to which they aren't suited then we shouldn't be surprised if they display problematic behaviours as a result.

If you continually take your anxious dog to a busy dog park or walk your traffic herding Collie by a busy road is it any wonder when their behaviour is challenging? If we keep putting our dogs into environments they don't feel safe in or haven't yet got the skills to handle then their resulting behaviour is on us. And, by contrast, if we choose environments for our dogs which suit their temperament and skills then challenging behaviours can melt away.

Understanding (& accepting) whether you have a Times Sq dog 🌇 or a Central Park 🍁 dog is a crucial first step in changing challenging behaviours.

01/11/2024

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!

30/10/2024

Fireworks can be fun for humans but aren’t much fun for our furry friends. 🐾

🎆 On Saturday, 2 November, there will be a fireworks display at Robertson Prestige International Speedway. If you live nearby, please take extra care of your pets.

If you plan to use fireworks, please remember that loud noises can easily overwhelm animals.

If your neighbours have pets, please let them know before you plan to use fireworks. Most people are ready for Guy Fawkes Day but may not be prepared on other days. ❤️

If you are a pet owner, here are some tips to keep your pets comfortable over Diwali and Guy Fawkes:
👉 Stay home and keep your pet company.
👉 Create a safe and quiet area for your pets, away from windows.
👉 Mask noise or play soothing music.
👉 Keep your pets indoors, away from flashes and bangs.
👉 Take your pet for a walk early to avoid being out when fireworks could be set off.