Love Thy Dog

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

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😴

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

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.

05/11/2025

Stunning day in the office 🥰

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.”

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.

17/10/2025

For those of you with adolescent puppies this is golden….

BRAIN UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The challenges of the teenage dog.

There’s a saying that most parents of teenagers can relate to - "Parents of teenagers understand why some animals eat their young!"

The changes that happen in the brain of a teenage dog are not that different to a human teenager.

The brain undergoes a period of "pruning" and "re-wiring". This process can cause some parts not to work, work sporadically or work too much.

To describe it in the simplest of terms -the prefrontal cortex of a teenage brain is at the “back of the queue” in this process. It’s still “under construction” and still developing. This area of the brain is responsible for making “logical” decisions, controlling impulses, learning, remembering, problem solving and social interaction.

Because the prefrontal cortex is being reconstructed, the brain relies more on a part called the amygdala to make choices and react.
The amygdala is involved in the “big feelings” we may see - emotional responses like fight or flight, anxiety, excitement, reactivity, impulse control and instinctive behaviour.

Being aware of the physical changes the teenage brain is going through in the process of maturing, helps us to be more understanding and accepting.

Statistics show that many dogs are surrendered or re homed during the teenage stage as their owners no longer “like” the way their dog behaves, can’t handle them or just give up on them.

Please don’t give up on your teenage dog. We need to manage our expectations and frustrations during this phase.

Understand and acknowledge what is happening in their brain. Help them through this stage with patience, consistency, love and acceptance.

14/10/2025

OG’s 🥰7 yrs this crew has walked with me every Tuesday and Thursday at Tapuae❤️🥰 it really is like chicken soup for the soul

10/10/2025

Ivy is on a mission to find the ducks that were at the river 2 DAYS AGO💁🏼‍♀️……lol and Cesar has no idea how he ended up in the river swimming but he’s committed now🫣🥴