Teddys Pet Behaviour

15/12/2020

Loving that Decompression Walks are also being called Sniffari’s 🌳 🐩 🌲

I don’t know about you, but quite a lot of my ‘walkies’ time is made up of me standing around waiting for Teddy and Waffles to soak up all the lovely scent messages and information around them ❤️

SNIFFARIS 🐽

A Sniffari (also known as a Decompression Walk) is a rewarding, fulfilling activity which taps into your dog's fundamental need to explore the world through their nose.

These enrichment walks are not difficult to do, they can happened almost anywhere, but are more interesting in sniff rich environments with different surfaces and substrates.

Dogs are more likely to sniff on longer lines, so while a short lead might be okay for a quick A to B journey we hope you invest in a long line at 6'+ to give your dog more freedom. If it is safe to do so you can also let them off lead.

Nothing brings me more joy as a dog professional than dogs being able to see dogs just being dogs! I applaud anyone who makes an effort to meet not only their dog's basic needs, but also their emotional, physical and mental ones as well.

When was the last time you took your dog on a Sniffari? Share your good sniff photos with us! ⬇️

13/12/2020

Every dog should have the opportunity to be a dog 💕

What a brilliant quote.

Dogs are animals, not robots. Give them the space to be dogs, and give yourself the space to find the most appropriate solution for you and your dog rather than reaching for the 'quick fix' to ease social pressure.

No one is perfect, especially not the person judging you.

10/12/2020

🎄🐱🎄 CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY! 🎄🐶🎄

To bring a little extra joy to the festive season, Teddy’s Pet Behaviour is giving away two bundles of fabulous goodies to two lucky winners!

HOW TO ENTER:
It’s simple! Like our page, share this post and comment whether you’d like to be entered for the cat or dog presents, that’s it!

🐶 🎁 🐱

The two lucky winners will be chosen on December 20th. Best of luck and Happy December!

09/12/2020

Happy December!

24/11/2020

My little office assistant

13/10/2020

The ‘new normal’ hasn’t just affected us, but many pets too.
If your pet is struggling to cope with changes in their life or routine, contact me to see how I can help.

Covid 19 Pet behaviour advice from the Canine & Feline Sector Group

08/10/2020

Bravo Dog Training & Behaviour Consulting

Hey guys 👋 ⁣
⁣
It is vital that anyone spending time with your dog, especially unsupervised, is made aware of exactly what you will and will not tolerate for your dog. This includes equipment. If your dog suffers from reactivity issues it’s even MORE important that you have an agreement about how care is given.⁣
⁣
Things to clarify:⁣
⁣
1️⃣ Equipment you permit, get very specific. What if it’s decided without your consent that a muzzle will be put on your dog to stop their barking? Or an shock collar? ⁣
⁣
2️⃣ If your dog is going with groups of other dogs are they transported safely? Jammed into a vehicle with unknown dogs is stressful and dangerous. Are those other dogs safe for groups? Are shock collars/ecollars or muzzles being used on those dogs? Know that the side effects of many pieces of equipment is increased aggression. Do you want your dog spending time in that environment? How many dogs is too many? One person handling multiple dogs is difficult, will your dog get the care you want?⁣
⁣
3️⃣ What education does your dog walker have? Have they invested in any courses to help better understand the animals they care for? Pet first aid is great but I am talking about dog behaviour. ⁣
⁣
4️⃣ What methodology do they prescribe to? Are they happy to use punishment such as leash jerks, scolding or even pinning your dog if he “misbehaves”? You have to specifically ask if they would respond that way to their dog, don’t be vague. You’d be surprised that many lovely people still believe this is how to work with animals. ⁣
⁣
4️⃣ Are they using food? If not, why not? A primary reinforcer for dogs is food so if they are not using this when working with animals it’s best to clarify why and how exactly are they reinforcing desirable behaviour? ⁣
⁣
5️⃣ If your dog suffers from reactivity and you are following a training protocol can you ensure they are too? Dog walkers should not be expected to train your dog but at the very minimum should not be making it worse. Clarify again what they are doing exactly when and if your dog reacts. And perhaps consider pausing dog walks or finding a walker that is aligned with your training and specializes in that area.

02/10/2020

A cheerful tone will always get a better response than a cross one 🐱 Happy Friday all!

Your tone of voice is more important than you think regardless of your intention. Often my clients tell me their dog looks guilty after they've done something they don't like however, it is the humans tone of voice which results in the dog becoming fearful and ”looking” guilty.⁣
⁣
Even if my dog is on the middle of chewing a hole in the couch you'd better believe I'm going to use a happy tone to interrupt the behavior because my dog will stop immediately and come away from what they are doing. I've conditioned a cue to mean come away from that and you'll be rewarded (for coming away NOT chewing.) This then gives me the opportunity to evaluate the situation and provide my dog with some thing to chew that is acceptable and manage and prevent future incidents. It also ensures I keep my composure so that the situation doesn’t just become the human yelling at the dog for something natural and normal that they are doing without providing an alternative.

19/09/2020

This graphic is just fab 😍
I can’t even begin to tell you how big a role a dogs’ nose plays in pretty much everything they do.

My Motto to all my clients "If your dog is unsure then get their nose to the floor!" For super sniffy time!🤩🐶

16/09/2020

SpiritDog Training

28/08/2020

Giving our dogs opportunities to make choices offers them a degree of control in their lives (since we decide everything else) and can reduce stress and unwanted behaviours.

What choices do your dogs get to make?

The fewer choices your dog has in their life the more likely they are to be anxious and stressed leading to behavior and health problems. OCD may occur for humans that seek some amount of control in their life, we see this in animals as well.⁣
⁣
Allow your dog to make choices and toss out the fake news theories that your dog will become ”alpha” (which doesn't exist btw). Choices to say ”no thank you, I would rather not” will result in a dog that feels secure in life with fewer behavior problems than those forced to do things against their will.⁣
⁣
Examples would be if your dog doesn't like being picked up by strangers you as their guardian can ensure that doesn't happen. If your dog doesn't want to continue training and they walk away, end the session. Teaching your dog a target or touch cue to get them off furniture vs manhandling them is another example. Choices in life for animals are necessary for behavioral health and should always be at the forefront of our interactions with animals.

27/08/2020

After some scentwork games this morning, Teddy has managed to wrap himself up in his bedding and it’s too cute 😍

13/08/2020

Hello and welcome!

My name is Paula and I'm a clinical animal behaviourist who works with cats and dogs in Latchingdon and the surrounding areas.

I've been lucky enough to spend time with some lovely clients already and have finally plucked up the courage to bring my business to facebook.

Since this is my first post and the business is named after him, it's only right that I include my favourite photo of Teddy as a squishy little puppy 🥰

Hope to meet some of you soon!

13/08/2020

Teddys Pet Behaviour

13/08/2020

Teddy, doing his best to pose for me while trying to ignore the dry grass prickling his bottom!