Chasin' Tails Dog Walking/Daycare and Boarding

29/08/2024

♥️

27/08/2024

A wagging tail, isn’t always a sign of happiness

27/08/2024

Got dirty ears? Clean them naturally. ☺️

26/08/2024

20/08/2024

Enjoying the beautiful weather we are having 🌞

20/08/2024

Grace & Donovan 🩷💙

20/08/2024

Mr Beau 💙🥰💙

17/08/2024

14/08/2024

Odie 💙
Sadie 🩷
Ghost 💙
Jeffery 💙
Chonk 💙

14/08/2024

Nizzy girl 🩷

14/08/2024

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.

14/08/2024

🛇 Use your Manners! 🛇

The Sniff test - Stop doing that!

The sniff test - a badly engrained habit that society has been taught, without a clear understanding of what they're actually doing.

🚩When you reach out towards a dog, you are using body pressure AT them, giving them no time to assess whether you are safe & whether they require further investigation to pick up your information. You are forcing an interaction of a relationship that hasn't had time to develop. To some dogs, this is quite rude & a reason dogs will snap at or bite people. This can cause a lot of behavioral issues because of layered stress due to forced interactions.

🚩If they are on lead, they have no where to go if they are sensitive to spacial pressure, so they could end up shutting down, shying away or snapping at your hand; so you'll back off. This is an example of how a dog is now using pressure to turn off pressure & make you back off so they aren't so stressed.

🚩People think by offering your hand it can give the dog time to sniff, to know you're friendly... they can sniff without being forced to sniff your hand. Their noses are far more superior than ours & they don't need close contact forced upon them to smell you.

🚩Some dogs might not want to know you. You have no relationship with them and that's perfectly fine. They aren't your dog so you don't need to touch them or steal pats for your own satisfaction.

🤔 If you are meeting a dog, what should you do?

⚠ Ask the owner if you can interact with their dog. Not all people want strangers touching their dogs. Especially strangers who you are unlikely to see again.

⚠ Stand up straight & relaxed, with your hands at your side.

⚠ Ignore the dog & talk to the owner.

⚠ Don't stare at the dog & don't try to force an interaction by going in for a pat. If the dog wants to know you, it will come up to you & sniff around. Usually they will move away & then come back for a second sniffathon. Some dogs will bunt your hands & wag their tails, which are good signs that you're likely an accepted new friend. Give them a few slow pats down their back (NOT THEIR HEAD) & then stop. Is the dog happy? Has it accepted your interaction? This will determine whether you can give it more pats.

🐶This is a more stress free option for dogs & a reason why in consultations we can develop a good level of trust, especially with fearful dogs & aggressive dogs, without a bunch of negative side effects from forced interactions.

12/08/2024

Jeffery, Sadie & Lulu 💙🩷🩷

06/08/2024

Jase 💙🥰

06/08/2024

Odie 💙🥰

02/08/2024

Non stop fun 😆

01/08/2024

So much for the splash pad, they would rather play under the spigot 🤦🏻‍♀️

31/07/2024

Pablo & Dakota (best buddies) 🥰
Winner of the best action 📸 🙌

31/07/2024

Freckles favorite spot! She’s the queen of the castle. 😆

31/07/2024

Daisy & Hazel

30/07/2024

Mara 🩷

30/07/2024

Can dogs lick from affection ? Absolutely ✅
Can they lick from feeling anxious ? Yes ✅
Not all licking is appeasement licking. Appeasement licking is usually paired with other stress signals or calming signals and I know that may be tricky for some to notice.
This is one of those behaviours that dogs show us that can be very misread.
Affection ❓Greeting ❓Stress ❓

Licking is completely normal for dogs. It can be a healthy and socially acceptable behaviour between other dogs. It is relaxing, soothing and can be displayed for so many reasons.
However appeasement licking can also be shown to other dogs too, even ones they know and live with.

If you are in any doubt over why your dog licks either you or another dog, video the interaction.
Watch that video and look for tell tale signs of stress (some are mentioned in the graphic).

One of the worst feelings in the world is when I have to inform someone that those certain types of "kisses" do not come from a place of affection but can be from a place of fear, mistrust and stress.

Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media🙂, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited.
Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Screen shots are a violation of the copyright.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

30/07/2024

WHAT THE F?

Recognising stress responses in dogs.

Fight or flight are well known reactions to fear or stress, but these other “F” words are also important to understand and be aware of as they may not always be so obvious.

Freeze, Fawn, Fidget or Fool around are also responses to stress or fear and are also commonly seen in people.

Some dogs may have a genetic predisposition to one type of response while some react based on previous experience - what has worked for them before or what hasn’t. Some dogs have different reactions depending on the specific context.

Recognising and taking note of situations or circumstances where these responses are seen is important in understanding how our dogs are feeling.

When we recognise a fear or a stress response, we are able to intervene and advocate for our dogs.

30/07/2024

Donovan & Grace 💙🩷

30/07/2024

Chonk & Daisy 🥰

28/07/2024

Hazel & Mara 🩷💞