Canine Behaviour Decoder

23/12/2024

🐶🥰🥲

13/12/2024

Dogs generally pull about 60 per cent harder on a leash when wearing a padded harness compared with a collar, even when the equipment is marketed as “anti pull” – putting the people walking them at risk of injury.

Some dogs – especially smaller breeds – pull with a force more than twice their body weight on the collar, potentially damaging their throats, says Erin Perry at Southern Illinois University.

“It’s really very shocking,” she says. “The dogs are almost choking themselves on that collar repeatedly. But the harnesses in our study just didn’t inhibit pulling in any way, and that’s definitely a wake-up call – especially because of the risk to owners.”

Read more:

Dog harnesses are sometimes claimed to reduce pulling forces on the leash, but an experiment found they have the opposite effect

30/11/2024

🐾 Dogs are some of the most sociable creatures on the planet, just like us humans! But let’s be real—sometimes, I'm not the most social butterfly out there! 😂 If you drag me to events and introduce me with "Oh, this is my friend, say hi," I might just end up telling everyone to leave so I can chill with my dogs!

The same goes for our furry friends! Understanding your dog's social nature is key!

➡️ Some pups are super sociable and want to be friends with every dog they meet—even the ones that aren’t interested!
➡️ Others enjoy the company of most dogs.
➡️ While some prefer a select few that match their play style.

Regular playdates and off-leash interactions are vital for their happiness. Just like many people struggled during lockdown, dogs can feel isolated too, especially those who thrive on social connections.

And let’s not forget, just like humans, dogs have their own social preferences:
➡️ Some tolerate dogs but don’t necessarily enjoy their company.
➡️ Others have a small circle of dog friends or prefer humans over dogs altogether.
➡️ A few may even be dog-aggressive!

For puppies, socialization with various dogs off-leash is crucial. It helps them learn important skills and allows you to gauge their sociability. This insight is something I often highlight in aggression assessments, and owners find it incredibly useful!

So, where does your dog fall on my sociability scale? And how about you? 😆🐶

25/11/2024

Feeling concerned about the misinformation circulating around dog behavior lately. It's alarming to see so many confident claims that are simply inaccurate. The language used to describe our furry friends and their motivations often misses the mark, leading people to believe in narratives that are far from the truth.

It breaks my heart to witness such misunderstanding about dogs, who often show a moral compass that far surpasses those perpetuating these myths.

For those of us who prioritize compassion, it's essential to remember that while the dog world continues to evolve with new insights, some people remain stuck in outdated beliefs. If you truly care for your dog, it doesn’t matter what misguided information you encounter; as long as it doesn’t conflict with your core values on how to treat and coexist with your pet, you’re already ahead.

Let’s spread compassion and understanding for our canine companions! 🐾❤️

20/11/2024

🚨⚠️ WARNING: Please Don’t Buy Rawhide Bones for Your Dogs! ⚠️🚨 → PLEASE RESHARE ←

Hey, pet parents! Just a heads up—rawhide bones can pose serious risks to your furry friends. They may splinter, leading to choking hazards or intestinal blockages. Plus, rawhide can be tough on their tummies, causing gastrointestinal issues. And let's not forget that many rawhide products are treated with harmful chemicals that can be toxic to our pets!

For your dog's safety, consider safer alternatives like durable rubber toys or natural chews specifically designed for canine consumption! Let's keep our pups happy and healthy! 🐾💖

04/11/2024

02/10/2024

Your dog & cat’s microbiome🦠 is EVERYTHING. Literally! If you aren’t diversifying food groups🍄🥛🥩🫐🥕 for you and your pets, this WILL stunt the development of the gut biome diversity and overall immune health. Science is clear about that.

With so many myths🙅🏼‍♀️ about what’s good and what’s bad, “pet nutrition experts”🧑🏻‍💻 have vilified some amazing plants that have documented incredible health benefits for pets, forcing pet parents to revert back feeding ultra-processed foods by confusing the life out of our choices. Shameful, and with no scientific justification. 🤯

Quotes like: “the group I’m in says to never feed root veggies because they’ll kill my pet, they are too starchy to feed a carnivore and will cause inflammation & pancreatitis.” Um, what? In contrast, the Dr Cave study showed how quickly a dog’s microbiome crashed when no prebiotic veggie fibers were included. Carnivores need a lot of fiber, but they don’t need starch! With mountains of animal science showing the benefits of fiber from plants, these self-proclaimed “dog health experts” have caused tremendous food fears in the pet world, pushing folks to feed completely fiber-free diets that are creating havoc with our animals’ guts, causing serious GI problems resulting in vet visits, with vets concluding all fresh food diets are AWFUL and are so poorly formulated they create unnecessary disease 😖😭😤🤬.

How about we just do things right, based on science?! How about following the latest gut research and literature, telling us what dogs and cats need to create a healthy microbiome?!

This is why one of the key foundations of our book The Forever Dog LIFE, is building an Ideal Microbiome. So we filled the book with recipes like our Root Veggie Super Stew, Microbiome Morsels, Apple Cinnamon Tarts and many more recipes to super charge your pet’s gut! Now on sale at Target and Amazon.

18/09/2024

06/08/2024

Canine Behaviour Decoder’s approach to resolving dog behaviour problems is calm and sympathetic, with an emphasis on positive leadership and reward-based dog training techniques free from harsh or unethical methods.

24/07/2024

We had a sad visit from Midge’s owners yesterday saying he has recently crossed the rainbow Midge-Boxer dog with his pals at C.B.D … his epilepsy struggles are now over and he is playing with lots more doggies over rainbow bridge

We all love you midge here is tribute below for midge the boxer dog ###

15/06/2024

Have you had a beloved dog that suffered from cancer or a cruciate ligament tear? You might be surprised to know that several serious health problems like these are more common in dogs that have been spayed or neutered. It's called "spay-neuter syndrome," and the risk depends on your dog's size, breed, sex, and age.

If you're making a sterilization decision for your pet, work with a knowledgeable veterinarian to discuss the risks and benefits of different methods of sterilization for your dog.

To learn more about spay-neuter syndrome and hormone-sparing sterilization options, visit: https://bit.ly/4aAhPgv

15/06/2024

All dog trainers right now....
(Ourselves included!) 😫

06/02/2024

‼️ Dogs without Exemption ‼️

You are now classed as criminals in the eyes of the law, this means when you ring 101 for advice A CRIMINAL IS HANDING THEMSELVES IN the hardest pill to swallow is because of your actions your dog will

🔘Be Seized - unless they use interim index and with the spotlight i would say personally the very few who do use it would decline a XL Bully
🔘Be temperament tested
🔘Youll have to pass a fit and proper test

The usual timescale is upto 2 years and the dog MUST be seized while the process is ongoing.

The courts are very reluctant to give banned breeds to young families, this can be seen in the case law (Grant vs R) who had her dog destroyed because of her boyfriend and she had two children.

‼️‼️The starting point in court for any conviction under S1. DDA is a destruction order, it can then be mitigated to a CDO at which point you can apply for a exemption‼️‼️

⛔️⛔️POLICE DO NOT HAVE ANY DISCRETION ONCE A DOG IS OF TYPE THE PROCESS IS SET IN LAW⛔️⛔️

06/02/2024

❌ Missed XL BULLY Exemption ❌

If you are in England & Wales and have missed the deadline for the exemption but have a XL Bully you need to carry on as normal.
🔘Muzzle the dog
🔘Neuter the dog
🔘Insure the dog

👮 Contacting the police will have your dog taken away. Its the LAW they are there to enforce 👮

18/01/2024

THE #1 REASON OLDER DOGS ARE EUTHANIZED MIGHT SURPRISE YOU: PAINFUL JOINTS.🔥🦴🐾

Osteoarthritis and the pain, limited mobility, and diminished quality of life that accompany it claim more dogs’ lives than any other cause 💔. The most important thing to remember is the process of joint degeneration is happening long before your dog begins limping.

There are many drugs and medications available to treat arthritis pain in dogs, but they come with a whole host of possible side effects ranging from mild GI symptoms to organ damage.

But there is good news! A recent study published in the international journal of molecular sciences, shows dogs with osteoarthritis supplemented💊 with glucosamine PLUS curcumin🫚 resulted in less pain, better mobility, and even decreased damage to the cartilage in joints. In another study, dogs fed a diet containing curcumin, plus collagen and green tea🍃 extract had significantly reduced osteoarthritis pain, and became more mobile.

The constituents in foods have real, healing properties, and you can take advantage of curcumin’s powerful anti-inflammatory effects to support your dog’s joints whether he’s been diagnosed with osteoarthritis or you’re being proactive to prevent joint damage.

Curcumin is found in turmeric🫚, and we’ve included this golden root in many recipes in the The Forever Dog LIFE book to make it easy for you to incorporate its benefits - which also include antioxidant and anticancer properties - in your dog’s🐶 (and cat’s😻) every day life.

Here are a few of the gems💎 you’ll find in our new book to help you introduce this health-promoting spice to your four-legged family members:

Try our Apoptosis Bites 🧀🫚🍄 for a snack that packs a functional punch. Apoptosis is the body’s clean-up mechanism to remove old or diseased cells, and add curcumin here to boost this natural process.

Or make our Ultimate 2.0 Turmeric Paste🍯 - and supercharge it with green tea🍵 for even more benefits. And bone broth🫖🦴, rich in collagen, is the perfect vehicle for turmeric to lend its joint-supporting assistance.

And, of course, we included turmeric🫚 in a number of our complete and balanced recipes. It’s a superstar ingredient that provides essential nutrients, too! For more information or to pre-order, visit www.ForeverDogLIFE.com

12/01/2024

🐾 Hope for Pets With Malignant Mast Cell Tumors 🌟

Mast cell tumors are quite common, accounting for about 20% of all skin tumors in dogs. 🐕 It’s characterized by a bump or a lesion of some kind, often found on the trunk, the limbs and between the toes.

If your pet has a mast cell tumor and you’re considering a keto diet, I recommend working with a keto-knowledgeable health professional. They can help guide you through the dietary change safely and offer other nutraceutical strategies that may help improve your pet’s prognosis. 👍

For more of my recommendations for pets with mast cell tumors, head over to this free article: https://bit.ly/4aBDmGC

22/12/2023

A few books I highly recommend!! 📚

I selected a small handful from my library 📚

Great books and cherished. Also adds structure when making clientele reports. 🙂 I always add references and cross reference as it helps validity and provide clarity to people 🙂