ThinkDog by Hannah Sadgrove

21/12/2024

For those that missed my story yesterday, meet the newest member of the gang, baby Cruella! A roughly 3week old orphaned Magpie.

Cruella is too young to do much active training yet but we can still get started with forming passive associations. Where she’s learning without having to actually DO anything specific.

At the moment she’s triggered to open her mouth for food when something goes over her head (like all baby birds), my first goal is for the clicker sound to become another predictor. Click also = snacks.

20/12/2024

☮ Tips to Keep Everyone Safe & Happy over the Silly Season ☮

The holiday season is full of excitement, but it can also bring some safety challenges for dog owners, especially with the increased traffic of guests, decorations, and food. Here are some key tips to keep your dog safe while hosting and celebrating the season:

1️⃣ Create a Safe Space
Set up a quiet area for your dog to retreat to when they need a break from the festivities. This will help them feel less stressed and keep them away from potential hazards like open doors or unfamiliar people. Remember not to rely on your dog to take themselves away, you may need to pre-empt situations and guide them into utilising this space before accidents happen!

2️⃣ Manage Guest Interactions
Not all guests may be familiar with your dog's needs or boundaries. Gently remind visitors to ask before petting your dog, especially if they’re feeling overwhelmed or shy around strangers. If your dog enjoys being petted but is overstimulated, help guide interactions in a calm way.

3️⃣ Keep Decorations Out of Reach
Holiday decorations like tinsel, candles, and ornaments can be tempting for young dogs to explore. Ensure all decorations are securely placed out of your dog’s reach to avoid choking hazards, burns, or damage to items.

4️⃣ Watch the Food
Holiday meals often come with rich foods that can be harmful to dogs. Keep food items like chocolate, grapes, onions, and alcohol far out of reach to prevent accidental ingestion. Remind guests to avoid feeding your dog scraps.

5️⃣ Prepare for Noise and Visitors
Holiday celebrations can be noisy, and sudden loud sounds (like fireworks or party noisemakers) might startle your dog. Consider using calming music or background noise to help ease any anxiety your dog might feel.

6️⃣ Actively Supervise Dogs and Children
Most bites to children happen by a dog they know and when adults are close by but distracted. If you have extra kids around over Christmas, make sure your dog is only loose with them if: A. they’re already known to be great with kids and B. you’re directly supervising the situation without splitting your attention in multiple directions. When that’s not possible, utilise the safe space mentioned in point 1.

❓❓❓ What have I forgotten? Any other tips or tricks you’ve come across to prevent whoopsies during the holidays? If you’ve got management strategies set up i’d love to see examples too to help other people get ideas!

14/11/2024

Oldie but a goodie

06/11/2024

Anyone looking for a delicious rescue companion? A+ cuddler and people lover, free lifetime support ❤️

We had paused the search for a home for Riffy while he had some growing pains, but he’s ready now to fly the nest and take over someone else’s couch 🥰

27/09/2024

Calling all dog trainers!

Our place is up for sale, a 12acre veritable dog park.

✅10acres of native bush and pines for badass adventure walks
✅2 acres of grazing for paddock hoons & pet sheep
✅ 3x 1.8m high fenced paddocks for springy/escapey dogs (or goats 🐐😏)
✅giant training shed for wet weather
✅5x big indoor kennels that lead out to individual outdoor runs.

Perfect set up for small scale home boarding and/or board & trains.

90mins north of Auckland central.

Go ooonnnnn

Looking for an easily manageable 5-ha lifestyle farmlet with endless potential? This unique property offers the perfect balance of rural charm and modern conven...

02/08/2024

Please share and help us find Riff Raff his forever home!

Our foster pup Riff is 4.5months old now and well and truly ready for his forever home. He is the absolute sweetest thing! The most committed cuddler you’ve ever met, regularly wanting to sleep in until after 9am under the duvet, Riff is all about the loves. He loves people and makes new human friends easily. Is toilet trained, crate trained, travels like a champ, can be easily left alone for a few hours, doesn’t chew shoes / furniture (though is partial to an unattended toilet roll 😂) and is adorable with the dogs he knows.
He is a bit of a nervous dude and can take a minute to warm up to new dogs, so isn’t likely to grow into a dog park kinda guy, but can be easily introduced to dogs if you give him a few minutes to realise they’re safe. He loves bush / beach adventures and LOVES training, but is more a library guy than a night club guy!

He’s looking for a quiet life where with an equally snuggly human. Other dogs in the home are all good, maybe older kids so the house is a little more settled.

If you’d like more info or to meet him, please contact us on [email protected] or on any of our social accounts.

If he’s not for you, please share this and help us help him find his forever home ❤️❤️

10/07/2024

Been a little quiet over here recently, I was away for a month helping out a friend and have come home to dive straight into house renovations! Anyone who has lived in a renovation site understands how hectic it can be… + add 8 dogs, 1 of them deaf & blind and 2 of them being 3month old fosters! 🤪🤪🤪 What can I say we’re suckers for punishment haha. But apologies for the non-existent social media! What’s everyone been up to with their pups???

Here’s an adorable photo of our foster boy Riff Raff who is now up for adoption, he’s an A+ cuddler, going to be a big dude, loves people, and so far a really mellow cruisy dude to live with. Moderate energy levels, just as keen on a movie as he is on a bush adventure. Think he’ll make a really amazing side kick for someone ❤️ if you’d like to meet him, contact auckland centre to organise a meet and greet!

19/06/2024

Got a puppy under 16ish weeks? About to get a puppy? Or know someone who is in one of those two categories?

We’ve always got pups and we’ve got raising them down to a fine art. Here’s your opportunity to get expert guidance and ensure your pup is raised to be as happy, robust, resilient, fun and easy to live with as possible while avoiding or mitigating any behaviour problems that may crop up during this crucial developmental period.

Email [email protected] for more info

06/05/2024

Puppy Walking Tips!

04/05/2024

New foster alert!

We picked up this little guy yesterday from . He’s roughly 5weeks old, and pretty small, scrawny and malnourished, with a giant lollipop head and skinny wee body. He’s really sad and shut down compared to his siblings so we picked him as the one we could help the most 💔

He needs a name? Unique and interesting ideas welcome! Chuck them in the comments below!

27/04/2024

Poodle’s idea of ‘inside fetch’ 😂

Show me the lame and weird games your dogs have invented and somehow taught you to play that they think are the best games ever!

07/04/2024

For anyone wondering, this is why I don’t post nearly as many videos as Thinkdog with Lewis Nicholls - he ruins them all! 😂

14/03/2024

Gotta love a happy ending, our recent foster Lobo has found his happy place with a wee girl named Lani down in Wellington. It’s not often we get fosters that are so good with little kids but Lobo genuinely loves all the extra TLC Lani showers him with, it couldn’t be a better fit ❤️🥹

08/03/2024

I'm not sure when growling became so vilified.

When did we decide that dogs weren't allowed to have an opinion unless it aligned with our own?

That they weren't allowed to express their displeasure, their fear, or their anger? That they just always had to agree with what we were asking of them?

When did our expectations become "put on a happy face?" And "grin and bear it, dog?"

Let me tell you this, IT IS FINE IF A DOG GROWLS. Growling is just a form of communication. Communication is ALWAYS a good thing. It's when communication stops that we are all in trouble. (And if we know they are feeling a particular way, we are better positioned to help them).

IT IS OKAY TO VALIDATE YOUR DOG'S FEELINGS. Any feelings. Their happy ones, sad ones, and yes, their angry ones, fearful ones, anxious ones, or worried ones. And growling can happen in all of those situations, too.

If your dog growls, THEY ARE TELLING YOU SOMETHING: "That thing is scary," "I don't want to be touched right now," "I need space," "I hurt," "I am worried," "That startled me."

And while you might say, "my old dog never growled at me," know that some dogs use growling to communicate more than others. They are not bad dogs, they are good communicators!

08/03/2024

Thanks for having us K9 Konceptz Kaipara ❤️

If anyone is planning to travel through Kaiwaka with their pups this space is a great opportunity to let them explore and be a dog in a safe environment 👌

07/03/2024

If in doubt, PLAY 🥰