ABC Dogs NZ

10/02/2025

So worthwhile having a looksie.👀
17,000 views and 450 likes.
It is really resonating with people.

Over excited dogs need help to be calm. Here we explore 3 ways to help these dogs relax plus many more dog training tips to help over aroused dogs. As dog tr...

10/02/2025

This is one of those "tricky" subjects 😐
One that needs to be bought up delicately to some clients.
It can be a real shock to some people that their dog doesn't really like being hugged.
"How can you tell, are you sure ?"
This graphic is then pulled out or a link to the videos given.
"Oh wow !!! I had no idea !" is then usually the statement that follows.
But guess what ❗
It can INCREASE their bond.
Dogs can start to initiate affection and for some their consent is given MORE.
Win, win win!!!
There will be videos linked in the comments about ways we can look at our dogs behaviour when hugged a bit differently.
This dog training graphic is available from https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-is-your-dog-enjoying-that-hug?srsltid=AfmBOor7HIHLrfRYXOjDXelpiLVEyu5y28ebZP_fL8gAT08F1Z2kOKsx

10/02/2025

The "Don't Panic" ...is mainly for me 😄
It is a glitch and they are fixing it for the people affected.
Last night one google review disappeared.
Then this morning another 6 and just now another 8 ....
BUT ....
they are all still there (checked and been confirmed)...it is just the count that is off.
After the "Facebook 50" seeing yet another platforms legitimate review numbers shrink is concerning...but I have been assured (more than Facebook did) that this is a glitch affecting several businesses and that they ARE working on it.
(unlike the Facebook 50 that 🪄disappeared....never to be seen again).
It is really concerning watching legitimate reviews just disappear....and it can make people think twice about just how legitimate those reviews actually were in the first place.
I can assure you every review is 100% real.
NO friends or family have EVER been prompted to leave one.
No financial discounts have ever been suggested for reviews.....
People leave reviews because they have truly been helped in the classes, the in home consults, they have purchased the graphics or this page has helped them reach their own goals.
So thank you to everyone that took the time to leave a review.
They are truly appreciated.🙂
(The official Google count is 91 though it says 75 at the moment).

09/02/2025

Firmly aimed at "those" breeders.
When unethical, irresponsible breeders can command just as much (or more❗) than health tested dogs something is very... very wrong.

I've spoken to you, communicated with you and pleaded with you to stop, but you are firmly entrenched in a highly profitable side hustle and have no intention of stopping. Your puppies have serious issues, yet you just don't care.The words that fall from your mouth and the emails to prospective buye...

08/02/2025

" Hi there....
My puppy has had all of her vaccinations and we are now wanting to take her out and about and attend puppy school"
Some of the most upsetting emails start like this😐
New Puppy❓ PLEASE... don't wait ❗
I know you want the very best for your puppy and have done everything with the best of intentions, but the time to acclimate is so brief.... and for puppies that have been secluded for 15 - 16 weeks, the time to start this was weeks and weeks ago.
Yes...you may get some funny looks from people as you push a puppy in a pram or carry them everywhere.
Acclimation is VITAL.
It really should start within a few days of settling into your new home....slowly at first, but then expanding.
You can do it safely....and if you have a new puppy, it needs to start today.
Get out there!
Do it safely!
Book into a puppy school asap!
This dog training handout is available through https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-safe-and-early-socialisation-for-puppies?srsltid=AfmBOop3aDwvOrfsPxch2MgdWJ3oxCZkumUJcDjyXy6dDNu6ewC-0Dwe

07/02/2025

This can be the cause of those "Out of the blue" reactions💥
Has your dog barked and lunged at something your dog has been ok with hundreds of times before ❗
Learning about this can help everything.

Trigger stacking is a critical concept when discussing dog reactivity. It occurs when a dog is exposed to multiple stressors or triggers within a short perio...

07/02/2025

"I am SO SORRY ❗ My dog has NEVER reacted like this before"
Can this be responsible for those "Out of the blue" reactions💥
Reactive dogs ✅ Anxious dogs ✅
In fact this can affect EVERY dog.
"Why did he lunge at that skateboarder?"
"She didn't stop barking at that truck !"
There is a video link in the comments to a brand new video specifically on this very issue.
This dog training graphic is available from https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-nz-is-trigger-stacking-the-issue?srsltid=AfmBOopP02wjAdOhb_HUadmGjebv8CEq5P8vOFrEASTMagfydL7tDe63

05/02/2025

Oh those Zoomies !!!!!⏪⏫⏩⏬
What if you are a "target"?😲
Should you just let them be ?
Can you lessen them ?
Before those questions are answered, it is vital that we ensure all our puppies and dogs needs have been met.
Over tired ?
Under stimulated?....over stimulated ?
Should you do anything about them...yes and no. ✅❌
On the whole the zoomies are natural and normal, BUT when YOU become a target, it can be an issue.
If they are predictable....after baths, after dinner, before bed etc, you can try and lessen them by doing some training games, getting that nose working on finding something and pull out some enrichment puzzles or make them yourself....but it isn't the time for food in a box that they can destroy as that can ramp up that energy again.
Think more along the lines of, a rolled up towel with rewards scattered through, lickimats, snuffle mats and plastic cups so you can play "find".
There is a video in the comments about how to start find...SO helpful to calm a dog and on days when you need to tire them out but it's perhaps pouring with rain.
This dog training graphic is available from https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-nz-the-zoomies?srsltid=AfmBOopH5SVfasdLy3Pfo5J9CF7Ir0VCJuNDjwpCOo7JAJQ3Zd4GnwNb

04/02/2025

How the heck do you change a dogs emotions ?
I know this looks complicated but it can change EVERYTHING ✅
Reactive dog ❓
Anxious dog ❓
This is one very important graphic and the information it contains really CAN help.
If you are banging your head against a wall or don't know where to start, understanding this is a great first step.
I will put some videos in the comments which can help and one talks about this process some more too.
This is available as a handout through https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-nz-under-5-to-desensitise?srsltid=AfmBOoqJYXiQNkPqIIUige_L1l3nMXLlsMBULzSvbV89VpVUccoHdEeQ

04/02/2025

🥺While it has been great to see the sun, it caused a big issue on Monday night.
The heat.
Sometimes the venue is cool even when very sunny outside...not the case on Monday night, thankfully everyone was prewarned of the possibility that the last night of puppy school would either be cut short or cancelled....and it was a close call right up until those doors were opened.
Too warm inside.
Just time for a quick photo, present and then home.
Always a disappointment when this happens but safety ALWAYS comes first. Those pups can very quickly overheat.
Bella and Norbit couldn't make it (for different reasons).
Congratulations to you all !!!! 🙂
Lots of info, videos given about what we would have covered on Monday but appreciate it isn't the same.....especially because we do get the pups to interact and play as much as possible (safely of course) on the last night.
So not ideal but everyone appreciated the reasons why puppy school couldn't continue.
Thanks to you all for being so understanding.🙂

03/02/2025

Recall just not working....BUT it used to work great❓
This is such an easy trap to fall into and is a DESTROYER of a good reliable recall....it permeates into other areas and "suddenly" your dogs recall just stops working.
Was it sudden ❓or have we inadvertently been eroding it over weeks, months or years.
So many ways we can contribute to a poisoned cue and not even realise it!
There is a video in the comments about this and a few good suggestions to help.
This dog training handout is available through https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-nz-ways-you-can-poison-a-recall?srsltid=AfmBOooMFUESzHwW8q1dhKacUDyIo7CRhuWuPaqIDdlZtUTI3hyxlJzh

03/02/2025

A dogs tail.
Wags have their own secret language ✅
So easily misunderstood and misread.❗

Let's explore how dogs use their tails to express their emotions. Understanding tail communication is crucial for reading a dog's body language. A dog's tail...

02/02/2025

Do we have "different rules"❓Does your dog truly understand those ❓
We may enthusiastically greet and encourage jumping and paws on us when we return home, yet want them to stop doing this to our children and visitors ❗
All those little (and what we may see as insignificant) issues can affect everything in the much bigger picture.
Our influence, what we do, our approach and how we interact can have a positive or negative affect.
If we don't take that into consideration, we can always "blame the dog"....when the reality is we may have given clear signals that unwanted behaviour is absolutely OK.
Of course dogs can indeed navigate "different rules" but they are less likely to do that when they are up and over that threshold.... sometimes we need to take a deeper look at how we influence their behaviour.
Often it is eye opening.
This dog training handout is available through https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-nz-we-influence-behaviour-everyday?srsltid=AfmBOorrx85EqfpWY30s9fkbVXO_d5jvi9vISJoCfmrvPx8uFexOKaTE

01/02/2025

Some of these reasons CAN be discussed openly, and they need to be ❗
Sometimes....it is what it is.

It is wholly unrealistic to say that all dogs will respond to training or behaviour modification. In saying that there are usually very specific reasons why.There's no judgment in what I write. It is just a reflection on issues, (hopefully) from both a clients and a dog trainers perspective (of cour...

31/01/2025

Hyper dog ❓
Just cannot tire them out ❓
It may be time to look at this from a different perspective.
Can we fuel this behaviour ? ABSOLUTELY. !!!!

This video has had a really good response on YouTube....almost 17,000 views and over 400 likes.
Well worth a watch.

Over excited dogs need help to be calm. Here we explore 3 ways to help these dogs relax plus many more dog training tips to help over aroused dogs. As dog tr...

31/01/2025

I know having a reactive dog is overwhelming at times.
You are both on an emotional rollercoaster. "Loading" isn't a technical term, however, it can help some people to recognise their dog is just about to react 💥
Learning about body language with a reactive dog really IS half the battle of helping a reactive dog.
There can be a lot to learn....and it can seem overwhelming at times.
Deep breath, you can make a difference.
Lots of videos in the comment section to help.
Hang in there !
It is well worth it !
This dog training poster available through https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-reactive-dog-loading?srsltid=AfmBOop-qO34MXLsvZ6ehpsj18Dr9CYPD8lladLLe-UwyfV8MVJjbuUr

29/01/2025

Not all fear reactive dogs fall into this cycle...but many do and it can be a very difficult transition out of it.
Your dog may not react to another dog, but do they bark when a courier arrives, and then stop when they leave ❓
For some dogs that is enough to make a connection between reacting and "making" that trigger leave.
It worked ❗and the tricky thing is, it can expand.
Reactivity is hard, there is no doubt about it....In the comments you will find some videos to help you.
It won't just disappear without understanding and changing the way we look and do things.
This dog trainer handout is available through https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-fear-reactive-the-fear-reactive-cycle?srsltid=AfmBOoolPWW4ZHA9lH2uUyJK1WZasUyEwKGJhE1Kg2ei7nlWogNdEkgm

28/01/2025

This isn't talked about enough because trainers that do discuss over placation are often misunderstood.

This is going to be controversial.Dog trainers that bring up this subject are often seen as unfeeling and even cruel. What can be much crueler is NOT discussing this issue because it can stifle a dogs emotional growth and limit their world significantly.We want to offer comfort, support and help our...