Southpaws Behaviour and Training

06/01/2025

The COAPE Association of Behaviourists and Trainers International (CABTi) is globally recognized as a hub of excellence in animal behaviour. Our professionals are dedicated to understanding and resolving animal emotional conflicts with compassion and expertise.​

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CABTi members adhere to a strict Code of Conduct, ensuring professionalism and accountability at all times.​

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Visit CABTi to find a professional near you, and transform your relationship with your animal today!

10/12/2024

A lot of our favourite christmas treats are toxic to our dogs and can cause serious health concerns. Check out this link to see what to keep out of reach of those snoots this Christmas and keep your pet safe
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Ethology,Neuroscience,Applied Animal Behaviour,Sentient,Sentient beings,Emotions,Animal Welfare,Dog,Cat,Training,Dog behaviour,Cat behaviour,Animal behaviour,Animal rights,Enrichment,Agility,Dog agility,Cat toys,Dog toys,Animals,Behaviour courses,Behaviour problems,Naughty dog,Naughty cat

08/12/2024

Lick mats are a great way to keep your dog occupied on rainy days at home. 👅

Not only are lick mats a good distraction, but they can be used to soothe and relax your pet when they’re anxious. They’re also great for oral hygiene. 🦷

We’ve listed a few fun topping ideas below to keep your pet stimulated and distracted when you need them to be:

1. Smother the lick mat in full-fat Greek yoghurt and top with a few blueberries
2. Cover the mat in 100% peanut butter (no palm oil) and top with some mashed banana
3. Mix up some sweet potato, bone broth and tuna canned in spring water and smother over the lick mat
4. Bon appetit! 🐶
Let us know which is your pet’s favourite! 👇

13/11/2024

Some sensible darker morning and evening advice for walking your dog safely from the PDSA. Stay safe and be mindful of behaviour changes, your dog may be more wary of other dogs, people and noises. Keep to predictable walking routes to build confidence, allow plenty of space from others and take lots of tasty treats for rewarding calm and relaxed behaviour.

Autumn and winter can be a dangerous time for our pets. Due to the darker evenings, road traffic accidents (RTAs) are more likely to happen at this time of year. To keep you and your pets as safe as possible, our vets have shared their top tips 🌃

Cat owners, rest assured, we have an advice post for you too. Keep your eyes peeled next week 🐱

[Visual description: Infographic detailing five dark evening safety tips for dogs. 1. Be prepared - make sure your dog is wearing a collar, tag, is microchipped, and that you have pet insurance in place. 2 - Plan your route - avoid roads without pavements and aim for well-lit areas. 3. Visibility - make sure drivers can see both of you. Your dog could wear a high visibility coat or LED collar/tag. 4. Simple commands - teaching your dog to ‘sit’, ‘wait’ and ‘walk’ will help to keep them safe when out and about. 5. Dog leads - Keep them on a short, strong lead attached to a well-fitting collar when around roads. If you’re going to take them off the lead, check that the area is safely secured so they can’t run onto any nearby roads.]

08/10/2024

'Whale eye' is when the whites of your dogs eyes are clearly visible and is a common indication that your dog is feeling stressed, anxious or fearful about a situation.

Observing and understanding your dog's body language is key when it comes to knowing when to remove your dog from a situation or to give them space.

Ignoring signs of anxiety, stress and fearful behaviour may lead to the development of escalated nervous behaviour (attempts to escape, urinating and defecating, vocalising, hiding) or reactive and aggressive behaviours (including barking, lunging, snapping and biting).

This is when it becomes even harder to fix the underlying problem that is causing your dog to feel anxious or fearful.

Common signs of stress and anxiety may include

-Panting
-Lip licking
-Yawning
-Pacing or restlessness
-Drooling
-Muscle tension around the face
-Stiffened posture
-Paw lift
-Turning head away
-Reluctance to approach something
-Reluctance to move
-Refusing to take treats, play or sniffing in the environment

If your pet is showing any of these signs, it is best to give them space and assess the situation. If you need help, consult a force-free behaviourist who can get you and your dog back on track.

27/09/2024

A dog trainer has announced a workshop in Birmingham in January, prompting concerns from the RSPCA about animal welfare.

16/09/2024

While many of us enjoy our dog walks for exercise, sometimes our preffered type of walk or pace isn't the kind of walk our dogs need or want. Be mindful to allow some time for sniffing and exploring and remember that certain breeds and younger and older dogs may require more gentle and shorter walks.

I get it.....I really do.
It is cold, you just got home and you have 30 minutes to walk your dog, but you also need to get some exercise in to destress, unwind and get the blood pumping.
Your dog will love it...won't they ?
Some will, but lately there are too many dogs running "dutifully" behind people.
Some dogs have obvious limps but people can't see that from out the front.
Some dogs attempt to stop...to urinate and are tugged/dragged to continue, because your pace is good and you want to continue.
Sniffing and enrichment isn't a consideration at all...it can't be because that run needs to continue for your own well being and reasons.
At the pace you set.
For the time you set.
Are their needs even a consideration in the decision making?
Is this for them or for you ?
Sometimes our dogs needs for enrichment and enjoyment are easily forgotten because every night we must walk or run that certain route...in that certain time.
Or WE don't feel better.......

03/09/2024

Thank you Kailee, it is so nice to have positive feedback and to see Callie doing so well with her training exercises 🥰

27/08/2024

20/08/2024

Cat body language can sometimes be subtle. Have a look at this great graphic by Dr Sophia Yin, explaining what to look for. ​

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Credit to: https://cattledogpublishing.com

18/08/2024

I had the absolute pleasure of meeting Callie today.

Callie did remarkably well at all of our training exercises to help her feel more confident and relaxed out and about. She was very keen to work for some tasty cheese and liver paste and her focus and bond with her owners was wonderful to see.

I am very proud of Callie and her humans who made great progress in just one session and are doing their very best to keep her safe and happy. I also enjoyed having the opportunity to give her a big fuss and some play.

Well done Callie 😍

30/07/2024

Punishing an animal can have significant negative consequences for their behavior and overall well-being. Here are just a few examples of the fallout of punishment. ​

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To learn more about training, consider completing our DogWise course https://coape.org/coape-courses/dogwise/

29/07/2024

With children and pets spending more time together over the summer holidays, it's super important to watch dogs closely and listen to their body language ⚠️

Dogs' stress signals often get misunderstood or missed, with some owners not realising their dog is unhappy until they growl, snap or even bite.

The canine ladder of communication is a useful guide, showing the different signals dogs show through their body language to communicate. As a dog gets more upset, their body language may change according to the steps on the ladder 🚦

It’s important to note that all dogs are different - not every dog will show every behaviour on the ladder and might not follow the same order.

Find out more: http://pdsa.me/rfce

[Visual description: An infographic explaining Kendal Shepherd’s ladder of communication and how to recognise stress in dogs by the signs they show in their body language. This is a traffic light system with red signals being the worst. Green signals are: Yawning, blinking, nose licking and turning their head away. Yellow signals are: Sitting and turning their body away, walking away, creeping and having their ears back. Orange signals are: Standing crouched, tail tucked, lying down with their belly exposed in a submissive way, stiffening up and staring. Red signals are: Growling, snapping and biting.]

23/07/2024

When starting out with animal training, there are several common pitfalls to avoid to ensure effective and humane learning. Here’s a guide on what to avoid during animal training.​

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To learn more about training, consider completing our DogWise course https://coape.org/coape-courses/dogwise/