K9Luva Training and High Needs Home Stays

21/04/2025

NEW PRIVATE WHATSAPP GROUP.
If you are a current training & rehab client- this is for you!
I have started a private whatsapp group page. Some of you will have received an invite already, but if you haven't and you want to join, let me know.

I want this group to be a safe place for you to share your own successes, progress, struggles and frustrations as we all journey through this together. It may also help you realise that you are not alone and there are lots of you trying to do the best for your dogs in a compassionate and kind way. You don't have to worry about any 'bad' behaviour or problems as almost all of you are in the same boat, just differing training & emotional needs. You will get posts and training demo videos here that will not be made public, they are especially for you!

Please remember: I am a dog trainer not a videographer and it will take me a couple of goes to get the format right!

Here's a cute photo of Toshi - he has come so far and is super fun to train!

21/04/2025

Raining days (and we've certainly had them lately!), are a good time to get in your training practice.
Remember to keep sessions short, fun, rewarding and positive. You are better to do several mini sessions than one long session.
Here's a video of Bruno practicising 'Step Up'
What are you working on? Love to see some videos/photos of what you are up to this weekend with your doggo.

18/04/2025

Here's hoping you and your pets have coped through the cyclone ok.
The power is back on here after 2 days and there is some minor damage, but nothing critical.
Holly, Roxy and Shadow were not impressed, to say the least! With all the noise from the gale force winds and heavy rain, it was a bit much for them.
Very rarely do I need to make different accommodation arrangements for the boarding dogs, but the last few days was just horrid! With a bit of juggling, rotation and tolerant understanding from my 3 dogs , the spare room (dog room) was well used.
Thankfully (hopefully) the worst is past and they are happy to return to their usual sleeping quarters, between mad dashes for exercise and toilet in between down pours.

16/04/2025

Helping reactive dogs with basic foundation training skills.

Here's Tig (&Taffy).
When they arrived for their session, Tig was very concerned about the presence of Shadow, the GSD, in the outdoor exerice pen. Tig thought he needed to rush and growl at Shadow because Tig felt out of control with his emotions.
Using good lead handling and getting him to start using his brain, and doing things he knows how to do gets Tig into 'work' mode, which focuses him onto his handler. This enables Tig to disengage from Shadow and start to feel more relaxed, then he doesn't really care about Shadow anymore. Change the dog's emotional experience, and their behaviour will change too.
No force, no punishment, just patience, compassion and reinforcement.

06/04/2025

Lovely session with Zoe this weekend.
Zoe LOVES her ball and isn't really that interested in much else toy wise. Throwing a ball repeatedly is not really a great way to exercise your dog, especially if they get obsessed on it and cannot be operant when it is present.
Zoe has some terrier breed in her so I wanted to try and get her interested in toy play that tick more of her genetic/brain needs.
Initially Zoe wasn't interested in the tug game at all and I needed to try different methods to get her to engage.
This is her 1st session and as she really enjoys the chase and tug part of the game (and it is directly interactive with her handler) so we are building up obedience while still highly aroused and engaged.
In this session it became very motivating for Zoe to quickly learn what gets the toy going for her - being able to 'comply' with simple commands like sit, come, touch which she rocked! She also started to understand the concept of 'out' and 'get it' very quickly.
Really loving working with little Zo Zo,

02/04/2025

BEST NEWS - Bingo has been found is home safe, warm and dry!

URGENT - BINGO IS LOST.
Old School Road area.
Bingo is very scared of people and he got a big scare while out walking and took off.
Owner Megan is out looking.
If you see him, please do not approach but call Megan on
0279585333 or me on 021522892.

30/03/2025

Evie Update;
Great progress wiith Evie over the past few days.
Thanks to Lisa for spending hours just lying around with Evie (literally), and with time, patience and some very basic trust building exercises, we have got to this point.
Evie really struggles with trusting humans and new environments. Allowing her to have lots of regular decompression times and building things up at her speed has allowed Evie to feel safer, more realxed and be able to learrn and enjoy herself.
For the first week of her stay there was no way she wanted to interact and certainly bolted away from any attempts to get near her or touch her.
It's still gently, gently with Evie, but we have certainly started the road to recovery.

29/03/2025

28/03/2025

Do you watch those lovely training videos of the perfect end result? ...Well, this isn't one of them, and most of mine aren't.
But I LOVE this video of the recent session with Tig and Taffy and their dedicated humans. Both dogs were highly reactive, nervous and co-dependent, liked a scrap or 2, very 'stranger danger', chase cars etc. Their owners Robyn and Greg have put a lot of work, patience, compassion and understanding in learning to understand their dogs, their needs and their genetic tendencies.
My coaching training sessions include a huge amount of support to help the owners learn as this is often as difficult for us to change as well as dogs. It is a mutual relationship and as in any relationship, there needs to be good communication. We are all in this together.

28/03/2025

Little reactive dogs (or not!)

One of my favourite things to do as part of my job, is to help dog reactive dogs feel better and have better skills to navigate life. Often people assume this is 'normal behaviour' of little dogs. This is NOT normal behaviour. Often it is because little dogs have been exposed and handle in situations they didn't learn to feel safe in and thier body language cues were not understood. Generally, big and little dogs stuggle with reactivity for the same reasons, but people wouldn't put a big bully dog in the same situation as little dogs, and ignore their behaviour.
In this video we have Evie and Pia who have had serioulsy big feelings about dogs, and Bella (Bella the beautiful). Bella was one of my very first dog cases many years ago and she just wanted to kill other dogs, especially little fluffy ones.
Watch the 2 littlies stroll past kennels full of big, barking dogs without beinng fazed at all.

24/03/2025

Exciting progress with very timid Evie. Still not keen to be touched or have direct interactive play, so I brought out the flirt pole with the aim of getting her to realise not only is she safe around me, but we can have fun without her fears coming through. She's been here 3 days now and today is the best so far. It helped that she saw me having fun with the other dogs and having little fence plays with Sammie which I think lifted her mood a lot too.

23/03/2025

I just cannot understand why it takes me soooo long to get my morning dog chores done🤔🫣🤭😂😂
Little (in size/ big in attitude!) Evie and Pia are having a holiday. I have been working with Evie for a few weeks on her 'reactive' behaviours, especially around other dogs. Pia is her housemate. They do have a bit of a co-dependent realtionship, so also helping them to be able to be seperately occupied when attention is being given to one. Play is a great way to establish this.
Wait for the coming videos of Evie around other dogs, and not really being too bothered.

23/03/2025

Rea getting used to being prepared for nail clip.

23/03/2025

Here are some update of Neo and Rea who are fostering with Hannah

21/03/2025

Here is Rea who is with Hannah from thinkdog.co.nz
She also has Neo the male pup

21/03/2025

Update on the Curlies needing homes.
Hannah from thinkdog.co.nz is AMAZING - she has volunteered to foster x2 of the kids so she has Rea and Neo (x2 black male & female) and I have the beautiful Bracken.
Very busy afternoon for the pups, 1st meeting Hannah, then being transported to each of our facilities and after all of this Bracken is still super chill.
Bracken has very dirty ears ( pups play hard and get stuff in their ears, and ear cleaning is a regular part of husbandry for all dogs), so we gave it a go.
Honestly, I am super impressed with how trusting this little soul is.
Someone must adopt her before I can't let her go!

20/03/2025

URGENT HELP PLEASE!
Have you been thinking of getting of getting a dog?
I have a client with x3 lovely curly coat retrievers 5 months old needing new homes as unfortunately the owner has become very unwell.
I will have Neo (black male with only one eye) and Rea (female brown) here for the next few days so if you would like to meet them - please do reach out.
These pups have been in a home with a disabled child and are super with him.
Any rehome will be vetted by myself.

20/03/2025

Can you spot it?
I only had Bossy for a couple of years, but he filled my heart (and hopefully I his too).
His favourite place under the trees in this pen will always be "bop bop' place.