Cherry Verite

14/10/2022

If your dog is energetic and over excited, scatter feed them. Use their meal if they have kibble and it will motivate them or some tiny bits of smelly food cut as small as possible then throw them all around your garden. It will use up their energy and make them unbelievably happy at the same time. Plus it will give you a little space too.

23/09/2022

Learn your dog’s silent language so you can understand what he is trying to communicate.

Be open to listening. Let go of human expectations.

Gently, without coercion, try to teach skills (not obedience training) to help your dog navigate the human world.

Try to remain flexible although some things might not make sense from the human perspective. Trust the dog's perspective is valid and very real to that individual dog.

You will make mistakes along the way, get frustrated, and lose your cool at times, but you will learn so much from your dog’s point of view and, in turn, learn about yourself as well.

13/09/2022

My baby always 🤍 Find this comic in our upcoming book coming out Oct 4! https://catanacomics.com/youarehome/

13/09/2022

THE CHOICE TO CHOOSE
WHY DOGS SHOULD BE ALLOWED CHOICE
Imagine that every little detail of your life is controlled - what and when you eat, where you sleep, when you’re allowed inside or outside, when you’re allowed to go out for a walk and if you’re allowed to stop and explore, who you’re allowed or forced to interact with, what activities (if any) you’re allowed to participate in, when you’re shown affection or receive attention, where you’re allowed to be touched etc., etc.…. This situation would create stress and anxiety, a feeling of helplessness, apathy, a lack of confidence and many other negative emotions. The same is true for dogs.
Dogs live in a world where just about everything is controlled by us. Allowing choice, no matter how simple that choice may be, provides many benefits. The context in which we allow choice is obviously relevant. Safety, boundaries, environmental factors, other people or animals always need to be taken into account.
Dogs that are allowed some control over their environment and how they respond to situations are more confident, more emotionally balanced, better able to cope with stressful situations, less anxious, less stressed and have fewer behaviour problems.
Allowing simple choices like which direction to take on a walk, which tree to wee on, how long to sniff that fascinating blade of grass or which toy to play with, which treat to choose, what game to play or allowing your dog to choose to interact or be touched by someone are all simple ways that we can provide choice for our dogs and help them to cope in a world that controls them.

13/09/2022

30/08/2022

17/08/2022

THE GIFT OF THE GROWL
Why growling should never be punished and also never be ignored
Not all growls are negative. Some growls are play growls, attention seeking growls, pleasure seeking growls or frustration growls. They may all sound a little different and may be unique to the particular dog. This post is not about different types of growls, but about warning or aggressive growls.
When a dog growls, maybe even at us, the natural human response is to feel offended and maybe even angry. Surely dogs need to learn not to growl, growling is bad, growling is unacceptable, growling is a problem and needs to be punished so a dog learns it’s wrong, disrespectful and not to do it again, right?
NO, this couldn’t be further from the truth! A dog that growls has just provided us with a very valuable communication signal. In their way, they have just communicated to us how they feel without resorting to a bite. Dogs use growling in an attempt to avoid having to resort to biting, not to initiate it. They could just as easily have not even bothered to growl and gone straight to a bite.
Growling is a dog's way of saying "please stop," "stay away from me," "go away," “I’m not comfortable with this and I’m feeling threatened”. A dog that growls is trying hard to communicate and punishment suppresses this ability to communicate. Punishment doesn’t change the level of the dog's discomfort; it creates more stress and the dog will feel more threatened.
Growling is not the problem. Growling is the result of and the symptom of a problem. A dog that bites without the warning of a growl is a far more serious problem than a dog that growls but doesn’t bite.
Look for any other early warning signals that may precede a growl. Recognize and take note of what makes your dog feel threatened and create distance between your dog and whatever is triggering them.
Be grateful for the gift of a growl - it provides us with an opportunity to address the cause & prevent the bite.