Wolf Pack NZ

23/12/2023

An elevated dog walking experience

Monday missions in a nutshell 😎

21/07/2023

My morning routine.

My Wednesday morning routine.

18/06/2023

My latest adventure ✌️

The pack and I spent 10 days over Christmas/New Year living in the van whilst doing a bit of adventuring. Enjoy :)

09/12/2022

Call of the wild, winter edition

A multi-day mission we did in mid-winter. Hanmer Springs and surrounds, incredible area.Enjoy, and explore more ✌️

17/08/2022

I would like to develop further on the thoughts of leadership (and the lack in understanding of it’s meaning).

There is a bit of a theme in the “pack leader” human-dog relationship, that the leader eats first, goes through doorways first, holds a ranking by having the dog do a lot of obedience, and so on, and so forth.

This is silly. Give the dog’s intelligence more credit. If you desire to follow/be lead by another human, did they bring out that emotion in you through trickery, or violence, or bribery, or anger, or bossiness, or dishonesty? Neither will these approaches work with the dog.

We desire leadership because we respect the person. We respect because of the person’s trueness to themselves and to those around them, their ability to understand and empathise with the ones they lead, and their ability to understand and react with integrity to their environment. Is it truely any wonder that most dogs do not wish to follow most humans?

A dog is capable of being intelligent yet unknowledgeable. A human believes knowledge is intelligence. Knowledge alone is of no relevance without the intelligence to know when to use it.

Take the time to grow a deeper understanding of your dog and communicate with him, intelligently, on his level. A entire new world lays beyond.

25/06/2022

So, to summarise my previous two posts, don’t be a dick and don’t let your stress master you. First, master your emotions, then your dog ;)

Also, go on more adventures. Pretend you’re a dog exploring the world with your actual dog. Do proper outdoor dog stuff with them, and don’t forget to play ✌️

24/06/2022

Continued from previous post:

In every relationship (not just dogs), there are leaders and there are followers. There are a couple of main states which distinguish the two from each other: environmental, and mental. Just because someone is equipped to lead in one circumstance, does not automatically mean that they are equipped for a different situation.

A leader needs to understand the environment which they are in - for the human/dog relationship I am referring to here, this would be how to get food, water, shelter etc. Basically put, the leader needs to know how to successfully survive. Side note: we also need to ensure our dogs are fulfilled mentally/physically. This wouldn’t be a requirement of a purely dog pack as it would go hand in hand with survival.

In our human dominated world of today, the majority of humans are better than the majority of dogs at understanding the environment. Even taking into consideration that a fair number of dogs could perhaps survive on their own, this does not qualify them to lead another being in the same environment, as being responsible for one’s own survival is very different to also having another dependent to lead and watch out for. Therefore, humans are (as a general rule) more qualified than canines to lead, environmentally speaking.

The second state, mental, refers to the leaders own mental state. Are they mentally capable of leading? Is the leader capable of keeping themselves in control? If they cannot control themselves, then they are not fit to lead.

If you are in a stressed state of mind, and you are attempting to have a nice relaxed dog…it’s almost certainly not going to work. A leader in an unstable state of mind expecting a relaxed mental state out of his followers is being extremely unrealistic. You cannot be frustrated/anxious/angry/etc and expect that your dog will be able to maintain a good state of mind, nor should you punish them for their inability to do so. If you are stressed, that’s going to bleed into your dog’s actions.

22/06/2022

Being your dog’s leader is not about forcing them to do stuff and beating them up, or yelling at them when they do something you don’t like. It’s not about being controlling, creating fear, or being mean. Good leadership doesn’t come from a place of ego, but rather one of selflessness.

Dominance/submission are not dirty words, but they have become that way due to poor associations and lack of understanding of what a leader should be. I don’t mean merely the perception of dog handlers here, but also human relationships which have marred the terms - whether that be by your parents, spouse, boss, or basically anyone who holds some position of power over you. A healthy leader/follower relationship is an art form, both a joy to observe or to be a part of (regardless of which position you hold). It is harmonious and balanced, just as beautiful dance or piece of music is.

A true leader is pure of heart, mind, and soul, or at least tries their very best to be this way. They look out for their dependents needs, protect them from harm, and help them reach their full potential. They care for them, build them up, love them, and strive to understand them to the best of their ability (for you cannot adequately lead if you do not understand the ones you are leading). The qualities of a good leader are, among others: love, patience, kindness, empathy, self control, understanding of self, selflessness, confidence, calmness, and virtue.

This is not to say that you should never tell your dog off - corrections are a vital part of leadership. Rather, your corrections should be administered with care and mindfulness, with the dog’s wellbeing in mind, and all whilst keeping your emotions in check. A dog should never be exposed to a correction made in anger or any other unstable emotional state, regardless of whether these emotions are related to the situation at hand or not. Mastery of self is key - keep yourself in check.

To be continued…

28/04/2022

anzac adventuring - new spot & sunset mission

23/03/2022

31/01/2022

*SPACES AVAILABLE - UPPER/LOWER HUTT*

Wolf Pack and Club Kuri have a few weekly slots available for new dogs (please note that this is for our daycare/socialisation service, NOT pack walking).

Our service is aimed at providing dogs a safe space to interact, play, and hang out with others of their kind. Our daycare is rurally based and is primarily outdoor, with several shelters built for those bad weather days. We also have a confidence course set up: jumps, a seesaw, balance beams, ramps, and other climbing objects.

Your dog does not need to be socialised to join the pack - this is something we will teach them. Please do keep in mind however, that we can offer no guarantee that any issues you are experiencing with your dog will be resolved by employing our services. You may be better off spending your money hiring a trainer who can teach you how to handle your dog correctly - I can recommend trainers to anyone who requires it.

We charge $55/dog and do not offer multi-dog discounts. Areas currently with availability are Upper and Lower Hutt only, and a wait list may apply despite the spaces available, due to each new dog needing time to settle in and learn the ways of the pack before another is to join.

If you are keen to get your dog involved with either Wolf Pack or Club Kuri, please follow the link at the bottom of this post to go to an inquiry form.

https://wolfpacknz.com/daycare-inquiries/

03/12/2021

Our latest South Island mission

12/09/2021

My new, updated website 😍
www.wolfpacknz.com/services/

20/07/2021

Our Rotorua Adventure Weekend.

I did this video with no background sound and tried to make it play out like a story, as opposed to a music video/trailer like last time.

The idea is that it feels more as if you are there with us, and are able to watch us interact without any music to distract from that.

I like both types of videos so I may end up alternating the two in the future, depending on what I feel like making.

Featuring:

Day (Tamaskan Dog)
Poke (Siberian Husky)
Dutch (Rottweiler x Collie)
Steve (Labrador)
Taku (Japanese Spitz)

If you’re a client of mine and are interested in getting your dog involved, let me know. Note that I’m pretty picky when accepting dogs and it’s not a reflection of your dog’s character if they aren’t accepted.

I may also consider Kuri Companion and Club Kuri clients depending on the dog.

05/04/2021

Join us on our adventure weekend exploring the Taupo area 🐺

If you are a client and are interested in enrolling your dog in a future weekend adventure (Friday morning to Monday evening), please let me know and I will keep you in mind for next time.

Featuring:
- Day (Tamaskan Dog)
- Poke (Siberian Husky)
- Dutch (Rottie x Collie)
- Monkfish (Shih Tzu)

Play in HD!