Coin indication
Tilly loves scent games. We had a play with coin indication, Tilly wouldn’t eat or inhale the coin so although I’m careful I don’t worry too much. A larger item such as a coaster could be used. Tilly had fun 🤩
Unroll a blanket
Tilly has been a bit down this week. We won’t share our crazy dancing 🫣 However, we left the music on and got out a nice trick Tilly knows. This takes a bit of coordination and really helps her confidence. She gets to unroll a blanket, she walks on the different surface, pushes it with her nose to find those hidden treats and these days I’m sure she rolls it back to try and magic up some more treats 🤩
Puzzle time
Tilly got a new puzzle for Christmas. Now you may think this a bit easy for a dog who likes to use her nose and brain. However, she is still wary of touching and being touched by new things. This puzzle is also quite loud and she has to use her nose as her paws are too big. Watch how she goes for the easy bit first then settles into it. As a now senior dog it’s important that she gets to exercise her mind as well, she needs to exercise that brain as much as her body. Remember our senior dogs still need to play but perhaps in a more managed way than their younger days.
Cardboard chaos
Day 20 🎄
Cardboard chaos !
This time of year we often have lots of boxes 🗃️ We can use these for making up games with our dogs (as long as they don’t eat the cardboard ‼️).
You can start really easy with just a low sided flat box to help your dog gain confidence 🐾 You can then build up with bigger boxes, hiding things in the box, getting your dog to investigate the box or even put their head and paws in to explore 🐾
It helps build confidence not only encouraging your dog to explore, it helps with body awareness and confidence around the head and body so is useful for muzzle training in dogs who are wary of things near their head 🐶 It’s also useful for allowing dogs to dig and shred as a safe outlet 🤩
Have you got your dog prepared?
Day 19 🎄
Christmas is just around the corner 🫣
Have you checked you and your dog have enough medication if needed for the Christmas holidays? 💊
Have you checked your vets opening hours, emergency and holiday cover? Are you going out of the area to visit family, friends or just a Christmas getaway with your pets? Have you checked out where you could take your pet in an emergency? Don’t get caught out, be prepared 🐕 Accidents happen and unfortunately we know illness can come on quite suddenly (Caleb has pancreatitis over new year once and it was scary with our vets being closed) but our vets gave us instructions of what to do 🐾
If like Caleb your pet is on a lot of medication, today is our last day to get any medication ordered before Christmas 🎄 We will need some meds between Christmas and new year so have an order in just incase there are any delays 🐶
A little video below of Caleb taking his evening medication 💊
Day 14 🎄
Day 14 🎄
Let’s think about muzzles 🐾
I like to start with the cone game. The cone game is a great game for confidence and optimism, it is also a great introduction for muzzle training🐾
Muzzle training is a great life skill and is fun to train. It’s great to prepare your dog in case one is needed at the vets if they are injured, at the groomers, to prevent them eating anything harmful on walks. It can also be a great tool to keep your dog and others safe if you have a dog who can be reactive 🐕
All you need is a plastic cone or pot that is big enough for your dogs muzzle.I like to shape the first step by rewarding any interaction with the cone. If your dog has a nose touch you can use that to encourage your dog to pop his nose in the cone 🐶
Once your dog is happy popping their nose in and out of the cone you can start to build duration. You could smear a bit of meat paste in the cone as encouragement and to make it a great experience. There really should be no negativity around muzzles 🐕
Day 11 🎄
Middle or the alternative side 🐾
These are great positions for focus, flexibility and creating a safe close by position for your dog 🐾
Middle gives your dog a safe place, you can use it as a recall position which will mean the fun is still ongoing even if the lead needs to be clipped on. If your dog is worried about being in that position then side is a good alternative 😃
You may prefer side if you have a large dog, you don’t want to it the dog in middle, you are worried about your dog tripping you or you falling 🐾
Try to keep clear cues for your dog with this trick, you wouldn’t want your dog randomly middling you or strangers 🫣 For Tilly it’s about me moving a leg, if she is worried she politely nose bumps behind my knee 🐕
So here is Tilly demonstrating middle and side 🤩
A little fun 🤩
When we have a dog who doesn’t fit into society’s expectations it can be hard on everyone 🥺 However we need to remember that there are good times, fun times and consider that this is the dog we actually have 🤔 This is a fun session with Tilly, using cues she knows and sometimes predicts. These sessions are not about perfection, they are to laugh about while we play. Tilly actively and willingly participates which is confidence building for her and refreshes her muscle memory for if we need them out and about 🐾
One thing that’s really important is being a safe space for your dog 🐾
Tilly was a bit unsure yesterday but see how she checks in and asks for support 💕
The middle on the move was a bit unexpected at the end 😂 However, it was a good choice as she didn’t react to the dog being walked the other side of the fence ☺️
It’s always worth celebrating the small wins as they lead to the biggest successes 🤩
Have you celebrated any small wins with your dog lately? Share below ⬇️
Decompressing
After all the recent fireworks Tilly isn’t really wanting to go outside despite having coped really well😱 Allowing time to decompress is so important 🐕. Today we just did some scent games, she demonstrates her resilience when she gets worried but just carries on. I’m there to support her if she needs me 🐾. Are you allowing your dog time to reset and decompress from all the stresses of the last week?
Rainy days
What are you up to on this rainy Saturday? ☔️🐾 We went to the dog exercise area and had some fun 🤩 Caleb was happy sniffing and pottering around. Tilly got to stretch her legs in a safely enclosed area 🐾 Even if we walk the same route everyday there will be different scents for our dogs from all the other humans and animals or birds that have been there since our last visit 🐾
Scent work fun
When we take our dogs out and they seem a bit anxious we need to consider whose walk is it? 🤔 We often take our dogs out for exercise, enrichment and in some cases because that is what we are told is expected 🐕 Tilly did not like the wind and the sea as it was so noisy 💨 🌊 So we did some scent games, tracked some scents and headed back home 🏡 She did something she enjoys in a different environment and will take confidence that she was listened to and not forced into a long walk that she wouldn’t enjoy 🐾
