Playing Bitey Face
I know big dogs playing can make people uneasy, but I wanted to show an example of my own dogs and talk about it. There are lots of “games” that dogs might enjoying playing with each other, and one of those games is jaw sparring, otherwise known as “bitey face”. In this game, the dogs will keep their mouths open and spar with one another, sometimes also body slamming and/or pushing each other with their necks. Some dogs get quite vocal during this game, which is also sometimes concerning for people, but can be normal for that particular dog.
What do you think? - Does “bitey face” make you uncomfortable? Does your dog like to play this game with other dogs? What other questions do you have about healthy dog/dog play?
If I get enough questions about play, I’d love to do a webinar, so don’t hesitate - drop your questions about safe healthy dog play in the comments!
4th of July!
Preparing for fireworks tonight!
It’s another cold and blustery day outside, so we are doing indoor activities! I took rolls of felt and a colander from Dollar Tree and made a snuffle bowl by tying strips of felt through the holes in the colander (photos in comments). Total project cost: $3! Murphy is loving snuffling around in the bowl to find all of the treats I have hidden among the felt strips. What indoor enrichment activities do your dogs enjoy? Show me in the comments! 🥰👇
Advocating for our dogs but choosing our battles.
Help for Highly Sensitive Hounds and Their Humans - join me to hear about my course launch!
#BettyWhiteChallenge #LocalShelter #donate #volunteer #foster #fosteringsaveslives #webinar
Did you know my Help For Highly Sensitive Hounds and Their Humans six month course is starting soon? If your dog experiences overwhelm from daily life in a human world and you are mortified about the barking, lunging beast the world sees at the other end of the leash that you know is a really sweet soul, reach out! I can help make your life with your highly sensitive hound harmonious for the whole family!
Giving Dogs Choice
It’s true that it’s not always possible to give dogs choice… sometimes things need to be done and need to be done now. *Most* of the time, however, we can offer our dogs some choice and autonomy in their day. People already dictate when dogs get to eat, what they get to eat, when they go through doorways and have access to outside, when they get to relieve themselves, etc… why not let them have some say? If there are two or more healthy, safe choices, why not let the dog tell you which choice he’d like? Giving dogs a choice can lower their stress levels by empowering them. 💪
Our Super Chewer Bark Box arrived today, and so I let the boys choose which toy they’d each like to play with. The theme this month is Spa Day - super cute! Murphy picked the loofah toy. Sonic picked the bubbles toy. Everyone is happy! Can you give your dog a choice of toy or chew? What about letting your dog lead a sniffari walk or choosing which game he’d like to play - fetch or frisbee? What other ways can you incorporate letting your dog make a choice into his day? Drop your ideas in the comments below! 👇
Holiday Hounds! Adding a dog to the family? You need to know THESE things!
Bancroft Recall Games!
👍Does your dog come when called?
👍Can you call him off of good smells? Off of chasing critters?
👍Can you call him out of playing with friends, and send him back when he checks in?
Don’t know where to start teaching this? GAMES!
Reach out today to see how you can start building a solid recall for your dog! 😎
High Impact Exercise
WINTER IS COMING! ❄️
It’s getting colder and isn’t as pleasant to hang outside anymore, but the dogs still need exercise and enrichment. What do I do?
I do short, high-impact running games like flirt pole to get my dog tired and enriched in only about ten minutes, and then bring him inside to cool down with a food puzzle.
This is a winning combination, even for a big fit dog like my American Bully. Have you tried a flirt pole with your dog? Let us know in the comments!
PSA for shelters and rescues: If you don't know what breed or mix of breeds a dog is, don't guess! Visual ID of dogs has been proven to be inaccurate, even when the guess is made by a canine professional. A guess is just that - a guess. In order to know the breed makeup of a dog, a more accurate place to start is a DNA test like Embark. To get an idea of what breed group a dog falls in, check out the Dog Key. Know that every dog is an individual, and even among a single breed there can be many varying personalities, but having an idea of what the dog was originally bred for can shine some light on behaviors you might see. Adopting dogs out with a guess as to what breed he is can set adopters and dogs up for failure via mismatch. If you don't know, it's ok to say you don't know.
Car cleaning and safety tips! 🚙 🐾
Quick trick for trash grabbers
Does your dog pick up every piece of trash, leaves, mulch, rocks, and anything else you pass on a walk? 🗑 🍁 🪨
There are many solutions for this, but one that I love using is teaching the dog to hold and carry a toy. Want to learn more or learn how to teach this? Contact me, and I would love to help make your walks with your dog enjoyable again! 🐕🐾👏
*Click on the video below for sound*