Mann's Best Friend Pet Services

12/02/2025

Muzzles are one of the most misunderstood tools in dog training. Far from being a punishment, they’re a vital resource for ensuring safety—for dogs, their guardians, and everyone around them.

From the Aggression in Dogs Master Course, here’s what you need to know about muzzles:

1. Muzzles Provide Safety and Confidence:
A properly used muzzle allows dogs and their guardians to navigate difficult situations—vet visits, public walks, or training sessions—without fear of escalation. Safety gives everyone the confidence to focus on learning and progress.

2. Acclimation is Key:
A muzzle is only effective if a dog is comfortable wearing it. Proper acclimation involves gradual, positive exposure, teaching the dog to see the muzzle as a neutral or even positive experience.

3. They Enable Positive Reinforcement Opportunities:
With a muzzle in place, guardians and trainers can safely introduce stress-free, rewarding interactions. This not only reduces risk but also helps change the dog’s emotional response to triggers over time.

4. They Support Long-Term Behavior Change:
When combined with a comprehensive behavior plan, a muzzle serves as part of a broader strategy to modify aggressive behavior. It’s not the solution on its own but a critical tool that supports safety and growth.

Muzzles, when used thoughtfully, are not just about protection—they’re about opening doors to positive change and a safer, more confident future for dogs and their people.

12/02/2025

14/01/2025

Snow and Ice Paw Care for Dogs: Essential Tips

❄ Protect Your Dog’s Paws This Winter! ❄

🐾 Trim Paw Fur
Keep the fur between your dog’s paw pads neatly trimmed. This prevents ice balls from forming, which can be painful and uncomfortable.

🐾 Paw Balm
Apply a pet-safe paw balm before walks to create a protective barrier against ice, grit, and salt. Reapply as needed after walks. This is a good one https://www.northumberlandhoney.co.uk/shop/nose-and-paw-balm-dog-paw-balm

🐾 Wipe Down After Walks
Always rinse or wipe your dog’s paws with warm water after a walk to remove salt, grit, or de-icing chemicals that can irritate or damage their pads.

🐾 Avoid Rock Salt and De-icers
Watch out for areas treated with salt or chemical de-icers, as these can harm your dog’s paws and are toxic if ingested. Use pet-safe alternatives for your home.

🐾 Invest in Dog Boots
Boots are a great option to protect your dog’s paws. Choose a pair that fits well and give your dog time to get used to them before heading out.

🐾 Check for Cracks
Regularly inspect your dog’s paw pads for cracks, redness, or dryness. Use a dog-friendly moisturiser or paw wax to keep their pads healthy.

🐾 Shorter Walks, More Often
In extreme cold, opt for shorter, more frequent walks to reduce exposure to freezing conditions. Smaller dogs might be prone to frost bite.

🐾 Carry Essentials
Bring a small towel and paw balm on winter walks to handle any issues that may come up.

Pro Tip: Keeping your dog’s paws clean and protected will make winter walks more enjoyable for both of you!

🐾How do you keep your dog’s paws safe in winter? Share your tips below! 🐾

14/01/2025

There is often a discussion of certain training practices providing "safety" for dogs. Particularly in the use of shock collars, that shock collars provide 'safety' for a dog being off a leashed line. The truth of the matter is that these things fail, often in spectacular, dangerous fashions. But the key that is missed in these discussions is that physical safety is not the only priority in dealing with our dogs. Emotional/Mental safety are JUST as important. Some might argue in many ways they are even more of a priority.

The feeling of being safe, emotionally, reduces reactivity, aggression, distraction, and things like bolting/disappearing/escape. It is not enough that our dogs are just physically safe, we need to ensure they FEEL safe as well. For me my top priority is always; everyone is safe. First and foremost. But in that umbrella I consider the emotional well being of the animals and their human counterparts as just as significant as the physical safety of their dogs. Because when we feel safe, confidence, exploration, bonding, and strong relationships follow.

It is not possible for a living being to feel safe in an environment where physical harm for 'wrong' action is ever-present. That is not how punishment avoidance works. (The brain cannot seek to avoid punishment AND seek reinforcement, it can only do one at a time.) As part of my commitment to Safety First I actively avoid punishment techniques, force and coercion in teaching, because it allows my learners to always feel safe with me.

Safety First: Physical. Emotional/Mental. For everyone involved.

14/01/2025

One the hardest parts of behavior change, is understand that it takes as long as it takes, and that progress is not always going to be forward. As humans we tend to want our trajectory to go forward, always. Always better, always more. And this is not only a harmful ideology for ourselves and our own mental health (and kindness to ourselves) it is a good way to expect and put too much pressure on our dogs. Change is not always forward. Oftentimes when working on challenging behaviors (be they skills based, or emotional regulation based) we need to step back, and go back to the foundation in order to make progress. If you find you and your dog are stuck, unable to move forward, things are falling apart ... Go back. Go back to your foundations, to the exercises and skills you learned at the very beginning of your skills/behavior journey. Rebuilding, re-establishing and re-affirming those foundations, even though they are 'behind you' is very often the best way to move forward.

26/09/2024

One question I hear often from people who live with a deaf or blind/deaf dog, is "But, how do I tell him no when he can't hear me?"

26/09/2024

Change is not easy. I know that. I've made some whoppers of change in my lifetime so far; expect more to come.

So, what helps anyone change? First, respect that change is an intensely personal response. How much change is possible, and how quickly it can happen varies wildly.

I am reminded me of all the times earnest folks told me, "Smoking is so bad for you!" I often wondered what rock they thought I lived under? Hard to escape the information! Until *I* was ready to change, you could have woken me up every freaking morning with a stack of studies, and I still would have pushed them aside to light the morning cigarette.

The awareness comes first, long before the change (generally speaking -- always the possibilities of epiphanies!), and in fact, awareness is considered the first step in the change process.

I want to keep making people aware of what is possible between people and animals. We need to do it in a way that does not make them defensive. You know, the way we try to help dogs make changes?

In my mind, I'm wondering how many ways big and small we can raise awareness. Those who want to can join the chorus (not the villagers with pitchforks and torches!) to sing a song that makes people stop and listen, watch and wonder. It is possible. Let's share ideas

Gandhi said it best: "Be the change you want to see in the world."

26/09/2024

I’m often asked if deaf dogs can enjoy off leash playtime and freedom. Two key ingredients for any dog to be given off leash freedom are teaching the dog to pay attention to us and to come back to us when we ask.Deaf dogs can learn these skills too. The tricky part can be getting a deaf dog’s at...

26/09/2024

Speaking out loud to deaf dogs can enhance our communication in surprising ways.

26/09/2024

I’m often asked what I think are the most important things to teach to deaf dogs... my Top 5 Must-Haves for Deaf Dogs.

20/08/2024

HALLELUJAH! I AM FINALLY HOME. I was away for 17 days of pet sitting. Today was my first day to decompress and enjoy being home with my family. I LOVE MY JOB. I'm grateful to all of my loyal clients, but I'm thankful to be home. Woo-hoo!

15/08/2024

It’s much easier to get through difficult procedures if we feel we have some kind of control.

Sometimes we need to go ahead with things our dogs find uncomfortable because it’s a case of welfare. And we shouldn’t feel guilty about that. Dogs are amazingly forgiving and if we put enough good stuff in, the bad stuff has less of an impact.

But providing more choice and control for our dogs in as many areas we can. Can make getting things done much less traumatic for both of us.

A few of you asked to know more about consent handling and start/stop buttons after I shared it in my story. If you would like to watch my free video explanation, comment CONSENT and I’ll DM you the link.