Bright Hope Mini Aussies & MAS

04/23/2025

This is all so true! If you have a dog, please read. ❤️

If you are going to have a dog, you are going to have to make sacrifices. You cannot expect to have an animal that was designed to live primarily outside and bring it into your house and not have to make changes or adjustments. A dog is not an ornament, a commodity or a display. A dog is an animal. You are sharing your life with another species. This is life with a dog.

Your yard will not be pristine. The grass will get burned from their p*e. Holes will be dug, bushes shredded, mud will come in the house. You cannot ask them to not p*e in your house and then also try to control even their outside bathroom. Please see how unfair this is. This is life with a dog.

You house will need management. Your counters will need to be clear. Shoes will need to be put away. Laundry room blocked. Kids toys picked up. Some things will get destroyed anyway. This is life with a dog.

They will bark at noises. They will protect their territory. Sometimes fiercely. They will not welcome strange people into the home easily even if you “know them” because this is in their genetic DNA. They don’t understand family gatherings and they don’t always see things the way we do. They won’t love playing with every dog they meet. This is life with a dog.

They will need enrichment and work and productivity. They will need training that is kind and fair and consistent and then maintenance to maintain that training. They will need guidance and coaching and lots of reinforcement to help them perform unnatural behaviors against their natural phenotypes. This is life with a dog.

They will mature and change and modify in their likes, behaviors and preferences as they age. Their behaviors aren’t guaranteed. They are not robots and they can be mercurial as they grow into their own personalities. They are allowed to change their mind and shift naturally just as we do. They need to be seen for what and who they are, not what and who YOU want. This is life with a dog.

Life with a dog is not a human right. It is a privilege and a responsibility and an education. They are animals and should be treated and expected to behave as such. That doesn’t make them any less loved or family members and it doesn’t make them any less deserving of respect, in fact it makes them more so.

Enjoy your life with a dog, and help them enjoy life with a human.

- Helen St. Pierre

04/23/2025

NO UNWANTED LITTERS, we all agree with that goal; it's the surgical technique that should be reevaluated. Hysterectomy and vasectomy can be performed as early as 8 weeks of age with no negative side effects, rendering dogs sterile AND hormonally balanced.

"Early studies suggested that intact dogs displayed more problematic behaviors, and neutering was thought to improve certain behaviors, such as roaming, mounting, urinary marking, and intermale aggression [48,49,50,51]. These early conclusions likely contributed to the widespread belief that neutering is a reliable solution for unwanted behaviors. However, more recent studies have raised concerns about the potential for neutering to increase fear, anxiety, and aggression-related behaviors in both male and female dogs. Neutered dogs have been reported to exhibit more fear, nervousness, panic, social withdrawal, and even heightened aggression [44,52,53,54,55,56,57]. Therefore, caution must be exercised when considering neutering as a solution for behavioral issues.
Studies have reported higher risks for developing reproductive, urinary, metabolic, and musculoskeletal disorders in neutered dogs. Additionally, some studies suggest increases in stress, fear, anxiety, and even certain types of aggression following neutering.

The decision to neuter pet dogs remains a significant and ongoing debate from ethical, animal health, and animal welfare perspectives. Millions of dogs worldwide are considered integral family members, and their behavior, as well as the bond they form with their owners, play a key role in the decision to keep them as pets. When behavioral problems arise, neutering is often viewed as a potential solution. However, by removing the source of sexual hormones, neutering creates the potential for both beneficial and harmful effects on a dog’s health and behavior."

04/08/2025

If you don't have a social dog....it is OK❗🙂
I know those that truly do have a social dog may grapple with that and may not realise that the majority of dogs can be incredibly choosy with who they wish to interact with.
Socialisation also morphs and it can change.
It isn't static for many dogs.
As they age it can also change significantly.
Whether your dog is a social butterfly, only likes dogs that are a similar shape or breed to them (fairly common), or just prefers humans, that is who they are.
Does it mean we shouldn't explore it a little more?
We should look at it a bit more in-depth , especially if we have a reactive dog.

This dog training graphic is available through abcdogsnz.com (just click the dog training graphics tab).