Love Thy Dog

Love Thy Dog I left my corporate job 10 years ago to learn about Canine behaviour and reward based training methods.

My reactive dog inspired me to be a better owner…she became my teacher.
“We dont know what we dont know” and when we know better we can do better🐾

No balls …… no sticks….. why?….quite frankly I don’t want 6 large off leash dogs all hyped up with adrenaline 🫣 this gro...
02/12/2025

No balls …… no sticks….. why?….quite frankly I don’t want 6 large off leash dogs all hyped up with adrenaline 🫣 this group of dogs have FREEDOM to choose to swim, calmly, confidently, its beautiful to watch.
Giving them choice builds confidence in the water 🥰🐾

This 🙌🙌🙌
27/11/2025

This 🙌🙌🙌

Kindypups week 3-4 has seen a shift in their social skills as they form those important social bonds and widen their bud...
24/11/2025

Kindypups week 3-4 has seen a shift in their social skills as they form those important social bonds and widen their buddy network.
Building trust helps with confidence and resilience.
🐾Free play after naptime now integrates all 6 puppies, and with a successful introduction to Ivy Jean in week 3, these puppies are off to a great start with their early socialisation.
💡training is taking shape with all puppies having mastered auto-sit and eye contact so this week we have added placement on the mat and then we can start to build DURATION.
✅ Naptime routine helps the puppies to to rest and recharge as they have learned to sleep in their crates - today they slept for 90 minutes🤸🏽‍♀️😴

I’m thrilled to be a small part of their early learning and development - it’s incredibly rewarding🥰 both for me and for the puppies🐾

This is the last intake for 2025. The next intake starts January 13th click the link to register your puppy now https://form.jotform.com/lovethydognz/kindypups-nurseryschool

Week 2 at Kindypups and the puppies are starting to build trust through enrichment and play, which helps them to form so...
14/11/2025

Week 2 at Kindypups and the puppies are starting to build trust through enrichment and play, which helps them to form social bonds with each other.
It’s super important to manage interactions during play, knowing WHEN & HOW to intervene so that play never tips over into a spat. We start with a simple consent test to see if both puppies want play to continue.
And we dont let them play until they drop🫣 1-2 minutes of managed play interspersed with mental exercise 💡 (sniffing, chewing, training) helps maintain the balance they need to re-set.
Today they met the big dogs ❤️🐾 and they were so brave. The puppies can choose to opt in or out and can create as much distance as they need. Some like to watch, others march straight up and say Hi🥰. It’s different for all puppies and it’s important to keep them feeling safe.
Then at the end of the day they are learning to wait patiently in their crates in the van as we prepare for their home time routine. At the same time, in the same crate, with the same buddy…..every time.

Sooooo much learning - they will be tired when they get home😴

Littles in the bush 🥰 This group have been walking together every Tuesday and Thursday…at the same location, at the same...
07/11/2025

Littles in the bush 🥰 This group have been walking together every Tuesday and Thursday…at the same location, at the same time, on the same ‘log’, with the same buddy in the same crate.
They know that if I STOP walking that means whoever notices and checks in gets a treat. ✅They know I will ALWAYS PAY for auto-sits.
✅They know i will ALWAYS PAY for whistle recalls.
✅they know that I will ALWAYS PAY for any dogs on a log.
And they know to wait for their leashes on at the concrete seat.
They have a preferred walking space on leash whether it’s in front or behind or next to their buddy, they all know when to STOP so I can get through the gate without getting tangled in their leashes🫣 and they all wait for their turn at the van at the end of their walk and hop into their crate when their name is called💡
They choose to participate as they get clarity and consistency from me….every single time.
And it fills my heart with joy❤️🤸🏽‍♀️🥰🐾 &m

Kindypups DAY 2What a difference a day makes 😊 These puppies are all aged under 16weeks which is a developmental stage k...
07/11/2025

Kindypups DAY 2
What a difference a day makes 😊
These puppies are all aged under 16weeks which is a developmental stage known as the critical period of socialisation.
This is when fear is outweighed by curiosity.
We can easily shape a positive association if EVERY NEW EXPERIENCE is paired with a high value reinforcer (we use field and forest or shredded chicken).
Day 1 is SUPER IMPORTANT they feel safe during this process so that we can build the next steps and accelerate learning💡

And these puppies totally aced it!
💡they are building trust at snufflemat time.
💡they are learning confidence on the obstacle course.
💡they are building resilience with safe exposure to water play.
💡and they are learning not to panic behind a barrier - teaching them to become independent will help with potential ‘alone time’ issues later in life.

This is why early learning and development is so important under 16 weeks of age. This also coincides with their vacc schedule so we provide a safe space at Kindypups, following vet approved protocols, to get these pups off to a great start.

Stunning day in the office 🥰
05/11/2025

Stunning day in the office 🥰

What a gorgeous day to welcome these new entrants, Olive, Dexter, Clifford, Kenny, Pickles & ReiRei to their first time ...
04/11/2025

What a gorgeous day to welcome these new entrants, Olive, Dexter, Clifford, Kenny, Pickles & ReiRei to their first time at Kindypups🥰🐾. I’m super excited to be a part of their early learning and development over the next 6 weeks.

The very first step is to make sure all these puppies feel safe and reassured so the first day there is always lots of cuddles and treats on hand whenever they need.

It is stressful for these puppies exposing them to all the different sights sounds smells and new play buddies so we take it at their pace and make sure they get a chance to rest and re-set.
🐾they learned where to p*e.
🐾they napped for an hour in their crates 😴
🐾 they learned to forage for food together at snufflemat time.
🐾they met new play buddies.
🐾and they quickly worked out that I will keep them safe.

Stay tuned as we follow their progress through to Graduation on the 13th December

29/10/2025

If you love your dog but sometimes feel you’re winging it, you’re not alone. Most of us grew up around dogs, picked up habits from family or TV, and then… stopped. That’s normal human psychology. But dogs are living in our homes, and a little education can make life safer, kinder, and a lot easier.

Why we think experience is enough

1. Familiarity feels like expertise. When something is part of daily life, our brains label it “known,” even if we’ve never formally learned it. “I’ve had dogs forever” is often a handful of dogs in one context, helpful, but not the same as broad knowledge.

2. Dogs are tolerant. They adapt to our routines and forgive our mistakes, which can hide gaps in our understanding, until something goes wrong (a bite “out of nowhere”).

3. Survivorship bias. If the old ways “worked” for previous dogs, we remember the wins and forget the close calls or differences in breed, age, health, and environment.

4. Modern life changed. Dense housing, busy streets, fewer off-lead spaces, and more visitors/kids/pets create pressures many dogs from “back then” didn’t face.

A bit of behaviour and body language knowledge prevents the most common accidents: “sudden” reactivity that was actually clearly signposted, if we knew what to look for.

Common myths that keep us stuck

“He’s just stubborn.” Many “won’t” problems are actually “can’t” problems pain, fear, or confusion.

“He knows what he did.” Dogs read patterns, not morals. If timing or clarity is off, they learn something else.

“He’ll grow out of it.” Puppies grow out of very little without guidance; most things are grown into by repetition.

What should you do:

Learn dog body language; teach your family the early signs. It pays off for years.

Make consent a habit. Call a dog over rather than reaching in. Growling gets space and only then do you fix the reason.

Manage the environment. Management prevents rehearsals of the very thing you’re trying to stop.

Reward for calm, checking in, loose leads, and moving away from triggers. Small wins, repeated often.

You’ve had dogs your whole life. Great. Imagine how good you’ll both feel when you can also say, “I learned their language.”

So proud of these Kindypups puppies❤️🐾🥳🙌
24/10/2025

So proud of these Kindypups puppies❤️🐾🥳🙌

24/10/2025

Graduation day today as these KINDYPUPS complete their 6 week programme, and I couldnt be more proud. Its such a privilege to be involved in their early learning and devlopment. Thank you so much to their owners who invested in their puppies future learning and well-being.

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My Story

Hi I’m Tania, the owner of Love thy Dog NZ, and I’m passionate about sharing what I have learned on my journey with my reactive dog Tia who is my inspiration. She had become human fear aggressive and I needed to understand how I could help her to change and improve. So I studied hard and gained a certification as a Canine Behaviour Consultant with IAABC and I made a promise to keep her safe. The ‘hard dogs’ are the ones with the most to teach us, and when we know better, we can do better with that knowledge.

I left my corporate job and started my Dog Walking business in March 2016 and I now specialise in teaching owners how they can effect change with their dogs behaviour issues using reward based methods.

I don't have a magic wand or offer a quick fix, but if you want to learn how to raise your puppies into good dogs; understand how dogs learn & strengthen your bond, or change behaviour, then I can help you with that.