Dogs and haymaking
A nice surprise for Theo and Biscuit not having to run through long wet grass any more!
Our cows are enjoying their target stick training!
Sniffing is a normal dog behaviour which they find very rewarding. Scent games are a useful way of providing mental stimulation, especially for dogs who have limited opportunities for physical stimulation.
This rotten tree stump is an ideal location for a simple scent game for Derek, which he loves. I simply hide small pieces of sausage and kibble around the base of the tree and stick pieces of mild cheddar onto the bark.
Spaniels really do like water! This one goes in the water trough nearly every day, Winter or Summer, rain or shine - but she particularly enjoyed it today!
Fence running
It's important to monitor dog play and intervene if one of them isn't enjoying it. Derek and Theo used to love playing together but Derek can't cope with Theo's vigorous play style since he injured his knee, so now they enjoy occasional fence runs instead!
New Forest walks with a dog-reactive, high prey-drive dog
I walk my dog, Derek, on a long line while I work on his self-control around deer when we are in the New Forest. I try to keep the line loose to allow him as much choice as possible about where and how quickly he moves without any risk of him chasing deer, disturbing ground-nesting birds and destroying habitats. This involves some dawdling, some jogging and tolerant walking companions who don't mind occasionally being tripped by the line! (Please excuse the dialogue)
Play with siblings
Playing with their litter-mates continues to help the puppies develop their social skills.
Play with Mum
The puppies are nearly fully weaned and happy to play with Mum without pestering her for milk.
Scent cloths
This week the puppies have had lots of new experiences. They are very enthusiastic about their first taste of solid food, which is fed in to them in separate bowls to avoid competition and food guarding. They have also been in the garden in the sunshine and just after rain, and started to toilet outside. They were introduced to the scents of a few unfamilar people via scent cloths, as the opportunities for human social visits are limited at the moment.
Getting used to the mop
The puppies continue to have new experiences and are coping brilliantly! From the fifth week, puppies should encounter a range of new people to continue their socialisation with humans. During the Covid-19 lockdown this is more difficult than it usually would be but some socially distanced visits can be arranged. Cloths that have been worn next to the skin of new people (and which thus bear their scent) can also be put in the puppy pen to increase their exposure to the scent of additional friends and relatives. Weaning can start at this age as the puppies gradually become more independent of their mother. Individual puppies can continue to be taken away from their mother and siblings for increasing amounts of time and allowed to explore new environments on their own. They can also be accustomed to gentle restraint by being held on the floor between a person’s legs with a hand gently preventing them moving forwards. As weaning progresses, interactions with people can be made even more rewarding by allowing puppies to lick tasty food from fingers.
Exposure to sounds should also continue throughout the time the puppies spend with the breeder. For access to sounds other than those happening within the household, the Dogs Trust provide recorded sounds(‘Sounds Scary’ etc.) on their website. These are free to download and can be played for a few minutes at a time, starting at a low volume and gradually increasing.
Ball play
The puppies are now 4 weeks old. They are playing well with objects and are used to a variety of objects and sounds.
Puppy play
Play with littermates is important for helping puppies develop social skills and tolerance of frustration.
During the fourth week, individual puppies should have short periods away from their mother and siblings, starting with a minute or so and building up to 10 minutes. This helps them to become independent and is a further opportunity to handle them.
I can help if you're experiencing problems with the behaviour of your dog or cat. I am based in the
