Barks and More

12/02/2025

Give your cats space during meal time. The same goes for dogs. This will help them feel at ease when eating and avoid any conflict and anxiety.

Credit: Pam Johnson-Bennett

If you have a multicat household, your cats may all enjoy being together happily at mealtime, but in many cases, sharing a food bowl, or having the bowls too close together can lead to stress. It's recommended that each cat have their own bowl. Have a little separation between the bowls to reduce competition or intimidation. In some cases, cats may even have to eat in separate locations. Create a mealtime routine that encourages peaceful, stress-free eating.

10/02/2025

Does your dog destroy your stuff on a daily bases? Have you considered that they may be bored? Below are some signs that your dog may be bored and keeping themselves busy by digging, shredding, chewing and stealing items.

Being stuck between 4 walls everyday can be frustrating and boring. Take them on walks, give treat dispensing toys, sniffle mats, puzzle games or lickimats. If they need even more stimulation, work in a training session in the morning and afternoon. It doesn't have to be an hour session, it can be a quick trick training session to tire out their brain.

08/02/2025

We had a chat with Anton from LEKKER FM again on Tuesday. Have a listen to the podcast. We are on air every 2 weeks to discuss everything about training and behaviour. Let us know if you would like to hear something specific.

Barks And More - Anton Olwage gesels met Philecia Erasmus (Dieregedragkundige) 04-02-25

06/02/2025

This is a big topic. Not all dogs want to be social. Like us, they also have different personalities. Some dogs are social butterflies and loves everyone they meet, some have a personal space bubble and prefer not to interact with everyone. So, the point is, know your dog. Don't force your dog to like or play with other dogs. Respect their boundaries.
Read the below infographic to determine how social your dog really is. Social, Tolerant, Selective or Solo. Use this information for future interactions with other dogs.

Credit: Dogs Disclosed

DON’T FORCE ME TO BE SOCIAL!
It may be really disappointing and frustrating when our dogs are not the social beings we expected them to be.

Many believe dogs should just naturally get along with other dogs, after all they’re the same species.

Some believe the “unsociable” dog has a behaviour problem that needs to be “fixed”.

Early, appropriately timed and correct socialisation is vitally important, but sometimes despite all of this, some dogs are just not that sociable.

Sometimes this can be improved, especially if the cause is from a negative experience, but genetics, breed tendencies, individual personalities, health and age all contribute to tolerance and sociability, which also change throughout life.

If we, as a human species, don’t get along with everyone we meet, how can we expect our dogs to?

Do we label every person that has an argument, doesn’t make friends with everyone they meet, doesn’t like every other person, prefers not to socialise - as having a problem that needs to be fixed?

Why is it so easy to accept that every individual person is different than to accept that every individual dog is different?

When we have done what we can to improve our dogs’ social skills, we need to accept and acknowledge our dogs for the individuals they are, allow and respect their choice of whether to be sociable or not and never force interactions that a dog is not comfortable with.

04/02/2025

Scatter feeding is such a great and easy way to tick some of the boxes regarding enrichment. Have a look at the infographic below. Scatter feeding slows down feeding time, gets them to sniff for and find their food, and helps with boredom and frustration. Let us know if you have ever done this for your dog and how it worked for them.

Credit: absoluteDOGS

How do you think your dog would react to their food becoming a treasure hunt? We're listening 👂 ⬇️

03/02/2025

Do you have a fearful or reactive dog or puppy? Here are some insightful reasons why that might be and how you can help your dog.
We do in-depth behaviour assessments to try and determine where a dog or cats fear originated and how we can help them feel safer. Give us a call if you are struggling with a fearful or reactive dog or cat

Credit: Yaletown Dog Training

It is important that you teach fearful dogs that their world is safe. Identify their fears and show them that the scary thing now predicts fantastic food. Changing fear is neither easy nor fast but with patience, love and persistence there is a very good chance that you will see improvement. Feel free to share this post if you find it useful.

31/01/2025

People of Centurion! We offer the following in person training for your puppies and older dogs in the comfort of your own home.
Contact us: 079 020 3616 / [email protected]
Pricelist on request.

30/01/2025

Does your dog hump? Did you know it could be unrelated to sexual tendencies? Below is a fantastic list of why your dog might hump out of context.
Reach out to us if you would like us to assist you with helping your dog with overexcitement, anxiety, stress, boredom, or any other behaviour on the list.

Credit: Dogs Disclosed

HU***NG HOUNDS - It’s not always what it seems
Some dogs do and some dogs don’t, but if you have a dog that humps at the most inopportune times it can be downright embarrassing or annoying. Other dogs, other people, visitors, toys, cushions, furniture, anything that can be mounted and clung to may be fair game. As people, it’s natural to assume that this behaviour is of a sexual nature, that our dogs must be oversexed, sexually frustrated or the all-too-common incorrect belief that our dogs are just trying to be “dominant”.
Hu***ng, like many other dog behaviours does not always have a simple reason. It can be a complex behaviour which is usually emotionally or socially based. Looking for what may be triggering the behaviour and finding the cause should always be the first step before finding ways to change a behaviour. The solutions will depend on the cause. It may be finding ways to reduce stress or anxiety levels, increasing mental stimulation, teaching calm behaviours to prevent over arousal, ensuring your dog is getting enough sleep, using management or in some cases a veterinary check up to rule out any medical causes.
When hu***ng is antagonizing another dog or person or causing frustration, discomfort or harm in any way, then obviously this behaviour needs to be immediately addressed, but sometimes we may need to ask ourselves – is it really something we need to stop our dogs from doing just because as people we see it as socially unacceptable? Is it a harmless way of relieving stress or anxiety after a difficult day or a way to expend pent up energy that is not causing anyone harm? If we prevent this, correct it, redirect this or at worst punish this behaviour are we removing a harmless natural outlet and risking another unwanted behaviour taking its place?
Behaviour is not always the way it looks on the surface. Look for the underlying cause, look at what may be triggering the behaviour before deciding how to change it.

29/01/2025

Does your dog jump uncontrollably when you get home or when you get visitors? There might be a much deeper reason behind it than you think. Read the COAPE article to understand why they might jump and how to address the behaviour with positive reinforcement training methods.

https://coape.org/why-dogs-jump-up-understanding-and-addressing-the-behaviour/

Credit: COAPE International

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

28/01/2025

Have you heard of trigger stacking?
Below is a great explanation for those that haven't.
Humans can experience trigger stacking as well. Imagine you're having a bad day, nothing goes right, and it feels like you're at the end of your patience with people, the moment someone says something upsetting to you, you snap! This is what happens to dogs that experience various stressful things during the day and then endures the "last straw" and snaps. We as guardians have to prevent trigger stacking in our dogs and ensure they get time outs from stressful events to decompress.
Credit: Rescued by Training

Trigger stacking is important to understand, especially when training a fearful dog. When a dog experiences multiple stressors in close proximity, this can set up a scenario where the dog may bite or have an unexpected response, even to a stimulus that they are normally comfortable with, or have seemed to be in the past. Learn more and download your high resolution copy of this infographic here: https://rescuedbytraining.com/trigger-stacking/

27/01/2025

If you have a cat that loves to scratch, then this is the infographic for you. Follow these points to make the perfect scratch post.

Credit: Pet Perspective

My brand new infographic for PPGs event: Celebrating Life Together!

26/01/2025

Some really good tips on how to handle a situation where an off leash dogs runs up to you and your dog on a walk. Even if the dog is friendly, your dog might not like other dogs in his/her face. Be prepared and make sure your dog is never placed in a position where he/she needs to act on fearful emotions. Situational awareness is so important. We are their guardians and need to make sure they are protected and prevent any unwanted encounters.

Dealing with Off-Leash Dogs: What You Need to Know

You’re out for a peaceful walk with your dog when, suddenly, an off-leash dog charges at you. Whether it’s an overly excited pup or a serious threat, these encounters can feel like swimming with sharks! 🦈

What can you do to keep your dog safe in these scenarios?

✔️ Situational Awareness – Spot potential problems before they escalate.
✔️ Teach “Get Behind” – A simple technique to keep your dog safer during an emergency.
✔️ Friendly First – Toss treats to redirect oncoming dogs.
✔️ Umbrella Technique – A creative way to create space when needed.
✔️ Spray Products – For emergency use only!

This article covers essential tools and techniques for managing off-leash dog encounters safely and effectively.

Read the full guide for step-by-step instructions and tips to help protect your pup on walks.

Read the full article here ⬇
https://aggressivedog.com/2022/08/23/swimming-with-the-sharks-five-tips-for-off-leash-dogs/

25/01/2025

Dogs go through a range of emotions the moment they come into contact with any unfamiliar stimulus. If we can help them regulate their emotions, they can think clearly in a situation.
Credit: Canine Principles

24/01/2025

We had a chat with Anton Olwage from LEKKER FM. Have a listen to the podcast.
https://iono.fm/e/1502580
We are on air every 2 weeks. Lets us know if you would like us to discuss a specific topic.

Barks and More - Anton Olwage gesels met Philecia Erasmus (Diere-gedragkundige) 14-01-25

24/01/2025

Resource Guarding is natural for dogs and even humans. You protect what you love or find valuable. Below some great tips to work with resource guarders.

DON’T TOUCH MY STUFF!
Resource guarding – also called possessive aggression

We all guard our resources, it’s a natural reaction to a threat of something we value being taken away.

It’s essential for survival and dogs or other animals would not survive in the wild if they didn’t guard their resources.

We also don’t get to decide what’s valuable and what’s not – different things have different value to different dogs and at different times.

Food is usually the most common, but toys, furniture, different items, places, or even a certain person are all things that may be seen as a valuable resource.

A dog turning their head away, freezing, a hard stare, whale eye, moving away, growling or snapping may quickly escalate into a serious bite in an attempt to protect that valuable possession.

Punishing or forcing a dog to give something up is probably one of the worst things to do.

Resource guarding is rooted in the emotion of fear – the fear of that resource being taken away.

Punishment and force further increase that fear, which only increases and reinforces the need to protect that resource.

When a dog is guarding food or an object, we can change the negative emotion of that fear into a positive one by swopping or trading something that has a similar or higher value than what the dog has.

This is one of the most effective ways to address resource guarding of objects as it works at the root cause of the behaviour by changing the emotional response.

A dog resource guarding a person is more complicated to address. A full history of the individual dog, family dynamics, attachment styles, situation and environment all have to be assessed before planning and working on a solution.

Resource guarding can usually be prevented, managed and addressed and by starting early, understanding why dogs feel the need to resort to this behaviour and doing what we can to prevent it from happening in the first place.

13/01/2025

Knowing which professional you need to contact to help you with your pet is vital. Use this handy infographic to decide whether you need a trainer or behaviourist. Keep In mind, some behaviour challenges may require both training and behaviour modification so often these go hand in hand. What's great is that when you choose a COAPE Certified Animal Behaviourist, you can be sure that they have the skills to help you with both training and behaviour. ​
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For a list of COAPE-endorsed trainers and behaviourists you can go to our website here: https://coape.org/find-a-behaviourist/

09/01/2025

We have a listing on We Love Pets SA. Thank you so much!
Have a look at the site and all they have to offer:

Training and Behaviour consults for dogs, cats, and horses.

06/01/2025

Enrol with us this year! Have a look at our services:
https://barksandmore.com/pages/training-behaviour
Let us know how we can help you and your pet/s.😀🐶🐱🐴