Love Thy Dog

20/06/2024

Did you know?…..

17/06/2024

Welcome to Kindy-Pups new entrants ❤️🐾 George, Maggie, Ralph, Miumiu, Coco, Ginny & Marlow. What a great first day they all had.

Today was all about comfort levels and keeping them feeling safe.
Managing interactions, adding structure , making sure they had a nap and showing them where to p*e…..and having lots and lots of puppy cuddles🥰🤸🏽‍♀️

14/06/2024

Learning to self settle behind the baby gate when it’s open and I’m making breakfast is the lesson today. I’ve added a ‘bedroom’ cue so they know this is now the place where the reinforcement is received. Rewarding the behaviour I want to see more of 🥰🤸🏽‍♀️🐾❤️

11/06/2024

🙌🙌🙌

"I was going to ask..oh nevermind, sounds stupid" 😅

No questions are stupid (some can be erm, interesting😂).

🤷‍♀️ If you don't ask, you won't get an answer & your trainer won't know where to help you. Trainers aren't mind readers & do the best to problem solve for you given the sometimes limited amount of information being provided. After some digging, we can usually work out what needs further investigation, modifying, doing less or more of, sending dog off to a specialist (eg:vet) etc. But if we aren't told, then we won't know how best to help you both.

How to get the best out of your trainer -

🌟 Write stuff down! We get it. Life is busy. Things happen. But the longer you go without remembering the details, the harder it is to remember them accurately. Important things get missed out (like medical information, traumatic events etc) & we have to dig until we can problem solve what may have happened.

🌟 Tell them ALL of the details. Even if you think it's embarassing. We've likely heard about Fido eating un**es or hairties a million times, or chasing the cat & you slipping over because the lead tangled around you. If something involves a dog, we've likely heard it.

🌟 Listen with the intention to implement change. Take notes, ask more questions, learn more to do better. There is nothing more frustrating than a trainer putting time into trying to better your life with your dog, & having people say "Oh we haven't done that", "i didn't get time this week", "I thought i would do the complete opposite of what you suggested & now i'm annoyed that isn't working."

💓 The purpose of learning is to grow. You & your dog deserve to have the chance to learn & grow together. Make it easier on you both by wanting to learn. You will never regret putting in the effort.

08/06/2024

Kindy-Pups TERM 5 graduation day 🥰🐾🙌
Huge thank you to their owners who have trusted the process and invested in their puppies future well-being and behaviour.

I have loved every minute of their early development and training, helping them to become confident learners and I will miss them all very much.

04/06/2024

Behaviour is driven by two things: GENETICS which we can’t change.
And ENVIRONMENT which we can change.
Adding enrichment to your dogs daily life is the one thing you can do!!!

ESSENTIAL ENRICHMENT

Imagine being kept in the same space each and every day. You know every blade of grass, every scent, every brick, every piece of fence. You have no books to read, no TV to watch, no one to talk to, no interaction with the outside world and absolutely nothing to do.

Would this situation begin to affect your behaviour and influence your emotional, mental or physical state? What about our dogs?

Many dogs live in this type of environment and yet we wonder why they develop behaviour problems, bark excessively, destroy the garden, become over excited, over aroused or maybe just shut down or sleep all day having completely lost interest in the world.

Many behaviour problems are caused by boredom, a lack of mental and physical stimulation or being confined to the same space every day.

Providing enrichment for dogs is so important for their wellbeing and really doesn’t require that much effort from us.

There are so many simple ways to provide enrichment. An online search for DIY enrichment ideas will provide lots of ideas.

Older dogs may enjoy a ride in the car, sitting at a window watching the world go by, bringing the outside in – sticks, cones, grass etc. from different areas placed in a box for them to rummage through and smell, dinner in the park, or even just playing some doggie music will make a difference.

“Chronic inescapable boredom can be extremely aversive, and under-stimulation can harm neural, cognitive and behavioral flexibility.” - A biological perspective on animal boredom and suggestions for its scientific investigation by Charlotte Burn - The Royal Veterinary College

Here are some links for enrichment ideas -
Enrichment ideas by Laura Gendron
https://missbehaviortraining.com/blog/diyenrichment

DIY boredom busting toys by Luke Balsam
https://wunderdogmagazine.com/care/awesome-diy-dog-toys-our-dog-trainer-made-some-boredom-busting-toys-and-you-can-too/

Link to a free introduction on ACE free work by Sarah Fisher -
https://animalcentrededucation.teachable.com/p/watch-this-space

03/06/2024

A very important part of early development
& training at Kindy Pups is getting them used to loud noises and creating a positive association so they don’t struggle to cope later in life with Fireworks, Thunderstorms, babies crying, vacuum etc.

We start the noise at a low level, paired with a reinforcer (food) when their adrenaline is at normal levels (sniffing helps with this).
Gradually increasing volume. We want the puppies to notice the noise, continue with their group activity and not react.🙌🥳🥰

After naptime when they are using their snuffle mats is the perfect time to include this into their day.

What we don’t want is to give them a fright and risk creating a fear response. So please be careful when playing these Videos with the sound on if you have other dogs or puppies in the room🙏😵‍💫

31/05/2024

This is such an important message to understand…..

This is a heart. The heart of an unhealthy animal...
I use it to get your attention....

Our animals behaviour is often initiated by their physical health.
Damaged physical health will often result in unwanted behaviour.

Assuming you can "train" away unwanted behaviour but ignoring their physical state is quite frankly abusive...
I bring this up because of a specific case ..

A painful dog with reactivity. A medically diagnosed severely painful dog. (Chronic severe spondylosis and narrowed airways- I can share the x-rays)

Yet a "trainer" stepped in to solve the behaviour with a prong collar and a slip lead.
The dog is now presenting with severe neck pain and physiological stress.

The "trainer" views this as fixing the reactive behaviours.... but the reality is the dog not only still feels fear and anxiety but the "fix" has exacerbating the underlying painful cause.

Stop Using Pain To Train...

25/05/2024

Love you too Grace 🥰 and yes I’m making a burger and no you can’t have any😋

24/05/2024

This 🙌🙌🙌

This is the first interaction between Daisy (black lab) and Bodhi (black Kelpie).

24/05/2024

Playstyles:
Blackie the 14 week old GSD puppy has the most beautiful playstyle with the smaller puppies and is the perfect teacher on how to play nicely🥰🥰🥰
He will self handicap and make himself smaller by lying on his back especially when playing with Ginny.
Even though he can bite hard he will inhibit the pressure of his play bite.
He doesn’t use his weight to body slam or play rough, even though he can.
He will self regulate and stop for a pause in play - whether it’s a water break, or sniffing or just lying in the shade.
🐾These are all really important social skills when it comes to free play. It’s not learned by allowing a mosh pit of puppies to play rough until they get hurt. Or by allowing an adult dog to correct and hurt them into submission.
🐾At Kindy-Pups Nursery School play is always supervised. We know when to intervene and how to intervene.
🐾These 4 puppies have all graduated to Blackies group as their playstyles have improved. It has taken 4 weeks to build trust and form those important social bonds. And today was beautiful to watch as they navigated the golden rules of fair play🥰🥰

23/05/2024

Routine🐾
Dogs are great at predicting what comes next so we use that to create a pattern of behaviour that, with a strong history of reinforcement then becomes a habit.
This is how I can have 8 little dogs off leash in the bush.
🐾 they get picked up in the same order at the same time on the same day EVERY WEEK.
🐾they travel in the same crate with the same buddy ….EVERY TIME.
🐾 we walk at the same place EVERYTIME.
🐾 we stop at the same log.
🐾 when I stop walking this predicts a treat circle…EVERYTIME.
🐾 leashes go on the same place…EVERYTIME.
🐾 They hop back in the van in the same order ..EVERYTIME.

I reward the behaviour I want to see more of 💁🏼‍♀️ I’m not their leader, they are not my ‘pack’.they know I am a different species.

We have built trust and it warms my soul🥰

22/05/2024

Finding the time to train whether it’s proofing a whistle recall on the beach, nail trim desensitisation, or touch pad duration - if you can find 3 minutes your dog will love you for it.
Dogs thrive on social contact with their people. It’s how they connect with us which strengthens their bond with us and makes training fun for both of us🥰
They don’t see it as training - to them it’s 1:1 time with you which is golden🥰🤸🏽‍♀️🤸🏽‍♀️🐾💁🏼‍♀️

13/05/2024

This 🙌🙌🙌

🗣️ Playing tug-of-war with puppies can be beneficial when done correctly! Here are some reasons why it’s okay and even advantageous:

1️⃣ Impulse Control: Tug games can help puppies learn impulse control. When they wait to go for the toy or drop it when asked, it reinforces desired behavior.

2️⃣ Confidence Building: Tug can boost a puppy’s confidence. It allows them to focus on you in distracting environments, which is essential for training and socialization.

3️⃣ Bond Strengthening: By playing tug, you nurture a strong rapport with your puppy. Letting them “win” during the game doesn’t mean they dominate you; it shows that engaging with you is fun and rewarding.

4️⃣ Physical Exercise: Tug games provide an excellent outlet for physical activity. Puppies burn energy, strengthen their muscles, and improve coordination while tugging on a toy.

5️⃣ Mental Stimulation: Tug-of-war engages a puppy’s mind. They need to strategize, focus, and react to your movements during the game. This mental stimulation is essential for their overall well-being.

6️⃣ Teething Relief: Puppies go through a teething phase, and tugging on a toy can help soothe their sore gums. Make sure the toy is appropriate for teething and not too hard.

7️⃣ Training Opportunities: Tug can reinforce behaviors like “drop it” or “leave it.” Use the game as a training tool to teach obedience and impulse control.

📣 Remember a few simple rules:

✔️ Use an appropriate toy (not your hands or clothing).

✔️ Maintain light resistance, especially with young puppies or senior dogs—be gentle with tugging. Match your tugging intensity to their size and body

✔️ Always supervise playtime.

Happy Tugging! 🐶🐾

10/05/2024

I so wish this was the standard by which all puppies were raised🙌🙌🙌 choosing a Puppy Culture breeder is investing in your puppy’s’ future well being, learning & development ✅🐾

10/05/2024

Kindy Pups week 2🥰🐾
✅ learning to self settle behind a barrier. Why is this so important?
Teaching puppies how to be independent will help to avoid potential time alone issues later.
✅ structured playtime - It’s never a good idea to let puppies play without supervision. Knowing when to intervene, and how to intervene. Facilitating frequent pauses during play, sniffing, stopping for water breaks and a quiet zone to watch from can help puppies with their social skills.
✅ NAPTIME : did you know…..Puppies aged 12 weeks old need up to 18 hours of rest every day?
You can’t just put puppies into crates and tell them to go to sleep.
So we have a routine that helps the puppies understand what comes next and prepares them for their naptime.
These puppies know that at midday, when Beethoven plays, I put their stuffed cow hooves in their crates, blankets on top, and let them into the nap room.
Then we all have a cup of tea and a lie down🥰

09/05/2024

Thursday Bigs at the beach 🥰🥰🥰

09/05/2024

Thursday littles in the bush🥰

03/05/2024

Thursday bigs 🥳🐾❤️🥰

03/05/2024

Kindy-Pups training room today started with a game of ‘Ping Pong’ where they were introduced to a reward marker. Which is a word or sound (we used a clicker) that predicts a treat comes next & simply means Bingo!! you just won a prize for that behaviour🤸🏽‍♀️🐾.
Building confidence first is the goal. Shaping behaviour one step at a time ….literally!
Wee Ginny the baby Cav then decided she would smash the balance beam all by herself and show me an auto-sit for her treat😲🤸🏽‍♀️❤️🥰🥳🐾

03/05/2024

Today these kindy-pups met a tall sheep with a fluffy head that smells like a dog but doesn’t bark or growl💁🏼‍♀️ lol a very important lesson today that involves treats raining from the sky whenever Grace the Poodle appeared.🥰🥰🥰
Building blocks for brave learning and resilience 🥳🐾 when meeting other dogs.
Grace was amazing 🙏

29/04/2024

Welcome to Kindy-Pups new entrants🥰🐾 Ginny, Lily, Scout B, Scout H, Murphy, Ruby, Blackie & Penny 🐾
The first day can be overwhelming so today was all about comfort levels and feeling safe, so we started with a toilet roll treasure hunt sniffari to help with those excitement levels.
Adding enrichment through toys, different surfaces, water play & obstacle course all helps to grow little brains and these guys soaked it all up.✅
They learned where to p*e and p**p and they learned that I will ALWAYS PAY for an auto-sit👍
Puppies need lots of rest so they learned about nap-time at midday and managed to rest for an hour in their crates with their stuffed cow hoofs.
They made new friends and learned that good things happen with new experiences.🥰
I’m super excited to work with this group of gorgeous puppies and their amazing owners who understand the importance of early development 🙌

26/04/2024

this is invaluable information and well worth subscribing to. The videos are informative and both ThinkDog by Hannah Sadgrove and Thinkdog with Lewis Nicholls are experienced, qualified, and knowledgeable.

Nala stayed with us for a few weeks and one of the things we wanted to work on was her desire to play and interact with us.

24/04/2024

Love this group🥰 totally unfazed when my 9 yr old grandie joined us today. Thanks Scarlett you were awesome!!

19/04/2024

lol Kindy-pups week 5 and baby got biiiig🥰
The mastiff puppies are having a growth spurt with Nikau putting on 5 kg in one week!!
This is when it’s super important to look after those growing bones and limit high energy physical exercise and focus on mental exercise to tire your puppy.
💡Did you know that 15 minutes of mental exercise like sniffing, reward based training, enrichment with toys, kongs, scatter feeding their biccies etc is just as beneficial at tiring your pup as 30 minutes of physical exercise??🤓

This weeks training is all about adding distractions to their impulse control and taking it to the gate. And adding a WAIT cue.
Kauri totally aced this task today✅

18/04/2024

Like chicken soup for the soul 🥰🤸🏽‍♀️💞🐾

13/04/2024

Buddy the 7 mth old Schnauzer puppy aced his final training session today🥰
✅ he learned to ignore the Poodle.
✅ he knows how to follow his owner on a loose leash.
✅ he has a great auto-sit and knows how to play the “engage / disengage” game.
✅ he loves to train

Such a proud coaching moment when it all comes together and you realise that Buddys owners have done the mahi☺️🤸🏽‍♀️ congratulations Dave & Kelly keep up the good work.

12/04/2024

Kindy-Pups week 4 ~ learning to share🐾
Is an important life skill that all puppies need to learn, and one that also needs to be managed carefully to avoid potential behaviour issues like Resource Guarding in adulthood.
Teaching puppies how to trade is a simple technique where you swap an item for a treat then give it back to them.
✅Start with low value items at first - don’t go straight in when they’ve got a bone and if you do then make sure your treat is of higher value eg shredded chicken.
✅Use a cue like “swap” or I use “thank you” which lets the puppy know your going to play the trade game.

These puppies are now able to use this life skill when it comes to sharing treats at snuffle mat time, and which also helps to build trust and confidence.