Natural Dog's Life

11/01/2021

Next level training 😱

09/01/2021

Awesome raw feeding guide for your dog!

22/11/2020

The importance of lead training!

I've been currently looking into leads verses harnesses as there's been some interesting research between the pros and cons of them both with collars cause neck damage and some harnesses causing damage to legs.

But do you know what. It boils down to something more simple than that.

Lead training!

Teach your dog to walk with no pulling.

If your struggling with your dog pulling, simply walk in the opposite direction as soon as they pull.

More on lead training to come and how you can enjoy easy walks with no pulling with your dog.

14/11/2020

Feeding your dog rawhide?

This might get you to think again

https://www.facebook.com/doctor.karen.becker/videos/1723244711083737/

24/10/2020

16/10/2020

Keep their minds busy!

I recently bought Darcy a snuffle rug, it's amazing!!

For those of you that haven't been introduced to snufflerugs, they are rugs that you hide treats in.

One things with puppies and collies especially, is that they have to be kept busy and mentally stimulated. Otherwise they will find their own stimulation. Darcy's cheeky habit is stealing small logs from the log basket!!!

Snufflerugs are a win in our house!! Stand by for the video!

🐶 🐶

14/10/2020

The look of trouble!!

This is the look we get before all the zoomies! It's one of my favourite faces she pulls.

Once thing that I will mention is that the natural dog life is tough and I just want to shout out to all the natural dog owners out there because you are awesome.

13/10/2020

5.5months and growing like there is no tomorrow!!

Darcy is currently going through a pretty long teething process, so lots of frozen chicken fillets for her to chew on!! Frozen treats are great as they soothe their gums!

🐶 🐶

20/09/2020

Distractions!!!

It's so easy for your dog to get really excited about new things that they have discovered! So the game is "How can you be more interesting that the distraction they've found?"

Now this is not a place for you to assume that you can act like a sensible human being - that's a bit boring to dogs.

If your dog is looking around at something interesting on a walk, here's a few things you can do.

1) Do the most high pitched, excitable sound you can make. Imagine a squeaky toy! Keep doing it until your dog wonders what on earth you are doing and praise them when they come to investigate.

2) Run off in the opposite direction and call their name! This is Darcy's favourite. I have run up and down many muddy fields to get Darcy to chase me instead of being interested in bunny poo! Oh isn't the countryside fantastic!! Lol!!!

3) Go to the ground.....low as possible. If you can lay on the floor even better. It makes it even more interesting when they come and see what you are up too. Be prepared for a wet snout in your face!!

Important things to factor in

No lunging for your dog!! Smooth and fluid movements only! Otherwise you'll have problems with getting your dog on the lead.

If one of these doesn't work, it's okay to use all three!! I guarantee this will cause a scene to passersby which will give them a giggle for the day but I also say that your dog will be wanting to investigate too! Be prepared with lots of treats and praise when they come back!!!

18/09/2020

That age between 4 months and 6 months puppies find their bark!

So what is a good barking etiquette?

I allow Darcy to bark once if someone is approaching the property. I think it's important to use a dog's instinct and not to suppress it. When she barks, I acknowledge it, praise her and then follow with the command quiet!

Quiet is an easy command to train when you have some juicy, yummy treats to hand. Say the word quiet when your dog is barking and if they see the treats they will stop barking pretty sharpish! Praise and give them the treat.

Say the command again and count 2 seconds before giving the treat (only giving them the treat if they stay quiet for those 2 seconds) and slowly build it up to 5 seconds.

16/09/2020

Previously we spoke about crate training - here are some tips to follow that will make the experience fun and easy for your dog.

1) Keep the door open on the crate to begin with and allow your dog to explore it without the fear of the door being closed.

2) Praise your dog when they go into the crate and reward with food and treats. You can incorporate a command too to make it fun. The command we use for Darcy is "Bed"

3) When your dog has got use to the crate, allow them to go in and close the door and sit and praise them calmly and feed them treats. When I did this with Darcy for the first time, I sat with her with a book in silence and fed her chicken through the bars. You want your dog to know that it's a calm space for them and it's a good place for them.

4) Give them a treat that takes a while to eat (that's safe for them to eat alone) and put it in the crate with them so that they can happily eat it on their own and stay in the room with them whilst they eat it. Don't talk to them and keep things calm.

5) Repeat number 4 and put a blanket over the cage, you can play some music in the room or put on a tv for some background noise depending on how calm your dog is. If you feel it's ok to leave the room then leave the room.

When you go through this process it's important to keep things as calm and as positive as possible. Depending on how nervous or excitable your dog is will depend on how easy this is for you.

If it's difficult, I would say consistency is key!

If your dog becomes stressed, it's important not to react to their barking or whining. To begin with Darcy would be upset if she saw us leave the room, so by putting a blanket over the crate stopped her from getting upset.

It's okay if they have a whinge - allow it to play out for 10mins and see how they settle.

Only allow them to come out of the cage when they are quiet and allow them to exit the cage slowly.

When you allow them to come out of the cage don't overly praise them as this can contribute to separation anxiety. Have a routine where you take them out for a wee afterwards and then carry on as normal.

Let us know how you get on below

14/09/2020

We love crate training.

Darcy is a border collie cross, which means her breed is known to suffer from separation anxiety coupled with the fact that my partner and I work from home so she barely has times where she is left alone.

Crate training is fantastic for offering a dog a space that is theirs. It's their space to relax, sleep, have treats and to be safe.

One of the most important aspects of crate training is keeping it positive.

Once trained dogs and puppies should be happy to be left alone in the crate.

We have crate trained Darcy and she will usually have between 30-60mins per a day alone in her crate where she is happy, calm and relaxed.

Having a dog that is crate trained has the benefits of knowing that your dog is happy and calm when you leave your home and is not damaging your home.

If you have children or guests, your dog has a safe space to retreat too - if you have children I recommend that you have a rule that if your dog goes into their crate that they leave the dog alone.

It's also fantastic if your dog gets over excited or if the environment becomes too much that they have their space to go too.

Look out for our next post for tips on crate training.

11/09/2020

Had to share 😂

11/09/2020

18 weeks old this week!

It's fair to say that they don't stay little for long!!

This is a photo of Darcy after an awesome walk. People often ask how long should a dog's walk be.

Rule of thumb for puppies is 5 mins per a month of their age.

Ideally Darcy should be going for 20 to 25 min walks.

But but but but..... this also depends on the breed!!

Darcy is a sheepdog, bred to cover lots of miles each day and rounding up sheep.

So what are they signs that your dog needs more/longer walks.

- Zoomies and mad moments that last longer than 5 to 10mins
- Destructive behaviour (although this can be a sign of boredom too)
- They are still in full on play mode when they get home

There's other things that you can do so that they get the best out of those walks!

- Play fetch
- If they are an adult dog, run with them
- Recall training - One of mine and Jonam's favourite!
- Puppy play dates

Let us know what you do on your walks for your dog to enjoy

09/09/2020

Let's talk worms!

Yes the conversation might have you squirming but do you if your dog has worms?

While the most obvious symptom that your dog is affected would be visible worms in his or her stool, this is not always the case. Other symptoms that your dog may display include rubbing his bottom on the ground, weight loss and being visibly underweight, worms in faeces, vomit, or around the a**s, excessive hunger, flaky skin and a dull coat, diarrhoea or vomiting. If worms are left untreated for a long time, the effects can potentially be fatal – particularly for puppies, so you should always take veterinary advice before addressing the issue.

We personally prefer natural remedies and like all treatments these are most effective when provided straight away!

Here are a few!

- Pumpkin seeds, grind them up and sprinkle over your dogs food.

- Diatomaceous Earth - half a tspn for small dogs and puppies, tbsp for adult dogs and 2 tbsp for large dogs

- Apple Cider Vinegar - Mix in with your dog's food or water

- Keifer - a small amount each day for your dog depending on size. Half a tspn for small dogs and puppies, tbsp for adult dogs and 2 tbsp for large dogs

- Tumeric

- Garlic

07/09/2020

Darcy at 12 weeks old - It's scary how quickly time goes! She's 18 weeks old next week!

Here are a few things that I believe are so important to your dog's wellbeing.

Nurture their immune system! DAILY!

Here are the current things that Darcy has each day!

- Raw food (From Bella & Duke)
- One tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar with Mother
- Bovine Colostrum
- Probiotics (formulated for dogs - never give human pro biotics)
- Reishi Mushrooms

Sometimes I add
- A raw bone
- Garlic (yes you can give your dogs garlic, it stops parasites from attacking your dog!)
- Turmeric
- Keifer
- Pumpkin Seeds

Now you are probably thinking why?

Because her immune system and her gut health is key to her being healthy.

Nature has an amazing way of healing us if we use it correctly.

Yes I believe you can cure almost anything IF you use natural resources in the right way and IF you catch problems soon enough.

The healthier the body, the easier it is to heal - so create the right foundations now!

05/09/2020

This is such a great command to use to get your dog to leave something alone like people, food, rubbish, animals. The list is endless!!

Remember baby steps with this one and make it fun.

Get your dog's favorite treat and put it on the floor in front of them whilst saying the command leave it.

If they try to reach for it just bring the treat closer to you or pick it up.

When you get the treat on the floor with your dog leaving it alone, use a release command like "ok" which allows them to know they can eat it.

Praise them up and repeat it.

You can also use this technique for when you put their dinner on the floor too as a daily exercise.

04/09/2020

Yes!! We have that Friday Feeling!!

Darcy is celebrating with her favourite Elephant toy!

Happy Friday everyone

03/09/2020

Future sheepdog? 🙈😂🤣

02/09/2020

A question that pops up a lot is about dogs that pull on the lead, how do you make it stop!

This can feel super frustrating and it can take the fun out of walkies for you and your dog!

Here are a few things that can help (remember consistency is key, so if you pick a method then stick with it!)

1) Turn and walk in the opposite direction every time your dog pulls on the lead. If this is a behaviour that has gone on for a few months then be prepared to take a good 10mins of switching directions before your dog or puppy gets the message.

2) The "heal" command. Train "heal" as a position they stand in with their head looking up to you. To do this have some tasty treats ready - I like home cooked liver pieces as they smell and dogs love them. Have your dog walk on the left of you, have the treat in the left hand and have the lead in your right hand. Walk with your dog looking at the treat or nibbling at the treat and repeat the words "heal" and lots of praise. Then start to increase the duration the dog has the treat by a few seconds at a time as they start to understand the work heal.

3) Another command that is super useful when you are walking is "Leave it" - it's a command that you can use for other animals that they want to meet, left over food waste on the floor or rubbish on the floor when you are out on your walk. Look out for our next post for more details on that one!

31/08/2020

We feel well and truly blessed having Miss Darcy in our lives, she's going to be 17 weeks old on Wednesday!

This week Darcy has lost two little puppy teeth! So we are giving her lots of frozen chicken thighs and raw flat beef bones for her to chew to help those adult teeth push through.

During the teething process it's important that they have plenty to chew on! Otherwise they'll find their own chew toys!

30/08/2020

To keep with the training tips theme - here’s another great training tip that I have learned.

ONLY SAY THE COMMAND ONCE (Unless it’s stay)
Why?

It shows that you are expecting the dog to carry out the command straight way. Be warned, this training tip is harder than it looks! But it works sooooo well when you have been using this strategy for a week or so.

Use treats to begin with and don’t be afraid to wait after you’ve issued the command.

It may feel a little alien to begin with but I promise you that you’ll end up with a VERY responsive dog

28/08/2020

Recall - this is often the one that most dog owners struggle with!⁠
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Here are a few fun tips to try!⁠
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🐶 Run away from your dog, I bet they will chase you ;) ⁠
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🐶 Make a repetitive high pitched fun sound, it makes them wonder what on earth you are doing so they love to investigate.⁠
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🐶 Drop low to the ground, again they have a need to investigate⁠
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If you are feeling brave, feel free to do all three at the same time!⁠
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Remember, always give lots of praise when they come back to you. If you tell them off…… guess what, they won’t want to come back in future.⁠
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26/08/2020

One thing that some dogs owners find is that they get frustrated when their pooch doesn’t do what they are telling them to do.
With training and creating behavioural change it’s important to keep the following points in mind.

🐶 What do you want the dog to do? If you are changing their behaviour, what’s the behaviour you want them to adapt instead. For example - if they door bell rings, do you want them to bark and jump on the guests or would you like them to sit on their bed and wait quietly for you to let the guest in? By having a clear outcome yourself will help your dog in their training.

🐶 Biting and mouthing people is unacceptable from a dog. So the easiest way to stop this is to “YELP” high pitched as possible as this is what the puppies would be experiencing with their litter mates - it’s the sound they make to let each other know to stop as they have bitten too hard. Then you turn around, arms folded and ignore your dog. This way it calms them down and they know it’s not a game and they are not rewarded with your attention.

🐶 ALWAYS reward a dog with praise when they have listened to a command. For example, if you have told them “off” to get off the sofa, then praise them. If you’ve told them “quiet” and they’ve listened then praise and reward them.

Bonus tip!
Start training with food treats, then start to use playtime as a reward and then slowly just use your voice as a reward. If you just stick to using food treats, you become stuck when you need them to do something and you no longer have something to bribe them with!!

24/08/2020

Darcy is 16 weeks this week, we can not believe how quickly she has grown.

Over the last few weeks I have been diving into information about vaccinations and it’s awful the amount of scaremongering over the topic.

One thing that really frustrates me is that there are no facts or statistics of how effective the vaccinations are to dogs and how many suffer from side effects. Surely if it was really effective they’d be keen to share the results?

Another thing to consider is that companies that have created the vaccinations are often sponsoring the vet universities.

During the course of my research, I have really enjoyed the research of Peter Dobais. Mainly as I feel that looking at his work I can feel more confident with my decision to titer test Darcy at 16 weeks to see if she is immune to parvo and canine distemper. If not then I’ll be looking to vaccinate as he applied the same principle to his two dogs that have only been vaccinated against rabies as they travel the world.

Most dogs in the UK are vaccinated against canine parvovirus, canine distemper, canine hepatitis, leptospirosis, canine parainfluenza and rabies.

The problem is they are vaccinated against all these all in one go and the same dose that is given to a chihuahua is given to a great dane too. Understandably smaller dogs suffer more from vaccinations.

Check out Dr Robbs research on this - in particular this video which may surprise you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETpOIriQ4Tc&t=1089s

He also runs a company to protect pets from over vaccination http://www.protectthepets.com/

16/08/2020

I have had a look into nosodes, this was something that I was interested in originally when looking after Darcy’s wellbeing.

After researching I’ve decided against it for building up her immune system.

These are where you give your dog in either tablet or dropper from dead cells for them to digest of the virus or disease.

There have been fantastic success rates for supporting dogs to avoid kennel cough but not so much in the way of protecting dogs from Canine Distemper Or Parvo!

But that being said, nosodes have been used to support treating parvo and to support the dog’s immune system to fight off these viruses if they already have the virus!

The research is rather sketchy on nosodes as some people have been using it for years but I’m unable to find good evidence or statistics to feel comfortable with giving these to Darcy!

If you have experience with nosodes I’d love to hear your experience.

14/08/2020

So this week we have been talking about vaccinations and I am sharing my personal choice of protecting Darcy!

I am looking to keep things as natural as possible whilst protecting her!

I’ve recently looked into a vet called Dr Peter Dobias, he has over 30 years experience and his two dogs are only vaccinated against rabies as they fly with him to many countries.

This gave me soooo much hope in keeping things as natural as possible.

To start with it’s super important to look after their immune system! They need the right diet to do that! Darcy is on a raw meat diet. We like Bella and Duke for their raw food. Plus Darcy takes probiotics (FOR DOGS - really important as human probiotics are harmful) and she takes bovine colostrum too with her food everyday to support her immune system.

So what’s the method for vaccination?

Titer test!!

Darcy will be receiving a titer test at 16 weeks to see if her body is already producing antibodies for the 2 of the most harmful viruses!

🐶 Canine Distemper - This can cause permanent damage in dogs, there is no cure!

🐶 Parvovirus - Treatable but mortality rates aren’t the greatest!

If Darcy is immune to these I won't vaccinate her and will test again a few months later.

If she still shows no immunity, I will leave for another month and test again. If there is still no immunity, I will vaccinate against whichever of the two diseases she is not immune to.

Vaccinations have a mix of many viruses and diseases within them such as Leptospirosis - the vaccinations for this can cause early kidney failure and a few other adverse reactions in dogs. Leptospirosis is 100% treatable if caught early! So no vaccination is needed. Please see Dr Becker’s work on this!

Let me know if you have any other questions!! Or what your choice is when it comes to vaccinating your dog.

12/08/2020

There are a few things to consider when looking at vaccinations!

If you are pro vaccination then look at vaccinating your dog at the right time in their life! This is so important! Most puppies are vaccinated at a time where their mother’s antibodies are still in their system. When this happens the antibodies latch onto the vaccination and your puppy is NOT protected!

Best time to vaccinate your puppy is 16 weeks - as researched by Dr Schultz.

When you vaccinate at this age, it’s likely they are also vaccinated for life too!! Look into Dr Schultz’s research!!

Personally I am looking to go all natural with Darcy where possible, so check out my next post on Friday where I will share more with you!

10/08/2020

Over the last few months I have been looking into vaccinations, it’s amazing how much scaremongering there is!

Vaccinations are poisonous and cancer causing etc etc etc

Leaving your dog unprotected is careless….these diseases and viruses are deadly!

I can easily say that this topic has been the hardest to research by a long shot! But I feel that with the information I have collected that I am happy with my strategy in looking after Darcy!

This week I shall share with you the insights I have learnt and share the resources so that you can make an informed decision yourself.

I am a firm believer that everyone should have all the information they need to make the right decision for their dog as everyone's circumstances are different!

What are your main questions about vaccinations?

09/08/2020

Ever wondered about extra beneficial things you can add to your dogs diet?⁠
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Turmeric is an amazing spice to add to your dog’s food - just ensure that you are using a high grade turmeric! ⁠
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Here are a few benefits to turmeric⁠
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🐶 Maintaining pain associated to joints issues and arthritis.⁠
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🐶 Reducing blood clots due to its blood thinning properties.⁠
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🐶 Helping irritable bowel diseases since it helps break down dietary fats.⁠
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🐶 Great antioxidant.⁠
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🐶 Boosting the immune system⁠
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You should give about 1/8 to 1/4 tsp per day for every 5kg your dog weighs. Since turmeric leaves the body at a fast rate, it's best to give small amounts throughout the day.⁠
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There are even benefits when it comes to the big C.⁠
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The curcumin in turmeric has also been shown to inhibit the growth and spread of mammary cancer cells, prevent and inhibit brain tumours, prevent the activation of mast cells by controlling inflammation and can cause apoptosis (cancer cell death) in osteosarcoma and prevent its metastasis.⁠
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Who knew that a spice that you had in your cupboard has so many super powers!⁠

07/08/2020

We can not believe how quickly Darcy is growing!!

Even the breeder has one of her sisters and Darcy has seemed to have outgrown her sibling at a significant rate!

It does make me wonder…...is this due to her awesome raw food diet????

Is this because we are using natural ways to build up her immune system?

Do chemicals like wormer, flea treatments, vaccines and even bad dried dog food stunt a puppy’s growth???

One to ponder on this Friday!

Disclaimer: I do believe that if there are no other natural ways to support your dog's health are working for your dog then commercial treatments should be used - but as a last resort, not the first!

05/08/2020

Some of you may have heard me mention this stuff before - it’s an absolute must have in our house!! It’s super safe to use!

In fact colloidal silver can be used to treat:

🐶 Ear infections

🐶 Fungal skin infections

🐶 Bacterial infections

🐶 Yeast infections

🐶 Eye infections

🐶 Respiratory infections

🐶 Burns

🐶 Skin allergies

Whether it’s bacterial, fungal (yeast!) or viral it can be used to treat all these elements! (It can even be used to help treat parvovirus).

It’s extremely safe for humans and dogs - even when you drink it there are a tonne of benefits!!

So if you are looking for a great all rounder then look out for colloidal silver! Do a bit of research before ordering as there are a few different grades.

03/08/2020

Stay!

One of the hardest tricks to train a hyperactive, energetic puppy!!

The best part though, is that I have a pretty easy technique for this which can allow your puppy or dog to pick this up in a few moments.

Have your dog on a lead sitting next to you (Darcy always goes on my left as that’s where she’s trained to walk next to me.)

Have some treats and reward them when they sit next to you.
Repeat the word stay and move on step out to the side - stay there just for a moment and move back and praise.

As they start to understand that they need to stay, you can move further and further back.

For the ones who want to master “stay” you’ll know when you’ve done this when you can walk a full circle around your dog without them moving!

Enjoy! And let us know how you get on!