Training Pups

01/01/2025

From our home to yours, may you all have a prosperous new year filled with cuddles with your hoomans.

Playing fetch, tug of war, daily walks, and lots of positive training sessions with tons of awesome treats.

We can't wait to see you shortly when school starts again.

Lots of Love
Zorro, Zena and Lizzy...

Oh, and from Susann one of our hoomans as well 🐾🐶

29/12/2024

Hi Guys

Just some tips on fireworks

1) Have your pet checked at a vet - older pets might have heart issues, making it dangerous to just give any meds.

A vet will be able to give the correct dosage (according to weight) and advise what to do if the dose doesn't work as anticipated. Your vet will also give you a follow-up dose if needed.

Do not use any over the counter human medications as some human medications are toxic to dogs/cats.

2) Over the counter calming medications fom petshops are normally not "strong" enough as a single dose and should actually be given for a few consecutive days to have an effect. Over the counter calming medications are normally herbal. Do not give your pet human CBD (dagga) as it can be toxic to pets.

3) Medication should be given with food for better absorption and should be given before the fireworks start to have maximum effect - medication given to an already stressed animal works out a lot faster due to the dog's high levels of adrenalin - (heart is beating faster).

4) Ensure your pet is microchipped for easy identification should your pet get out. Collars with name tags are also great, but they could get caught on gates, fences, etc, and might "fall" off.

5) Provide your pet with a save space where s/he can hide. Don't try and cuddle your pet. Allow your pet the chance to hide where s/he feels safe. A spot we consider safe might not feel safe for your pet. Avoid areas directly next to a wall as noises sound louder next to a wall. If possible you can dim the lights indoors.

6) If indoors, you can put some instrumental music on to help calm your pet. Music with one instrument e.g. piano
works best. The music does not need to be deafening - pets have great hearing.

7) It is advised that cats should be kept indoors - they can be locked in a bathroom if needed. Ensure all doors and windows are closed to prevent them from escaping. Please do not give your cat calming medication and leave them outside as the medication can make them drowsy, influence their speed of movement and slow their reaction time - which could be hazardous (run over by a car etc.)

8) Products like calming collars or calming sprays can also be used. A product like Pet Remedy can be sprayed on bedding, dog collar etc to help calm them. Do not solely rely on only a spray to calm your pet in high stress situations. Calming collars and sprays should be used in conjunction with veterinary prescribed medication.

9) A thundershirt or wrap is also a good option. Thundershirts/wraps should not be left on for prolonged periods or they will lose their "power". These shirts/wraps work by providing pressure when around the dog in such a way that it comforts the dog. (Similar effect as wrapping a baby in a blanket). If you make a wrap as per illustration do not put it on too tightly - it should not cut off blood circulation.

9) You can also use enrichment toys like a lickimat or a Kong and fill it with something your dog likes. Liverspread, cheese, Greek yogurt, polony, peanut butter (without any artificial sweetner - artificial sweetners cause kidney failure in pets).

Pets normally lick to soothe themselves, so using a Kong or Lickimat provides them with the opportunity to lick. Kongs and Lickimats can be made in advance and frozen to ensure they last longer.

10) Make sure you have a recent photo of your pet in the event of your pet going missing. Share on pages, WhatsApp groups, local vets and contact your nearest SPCA (Alway better to go check in person).

11) Pets left outdoors will try and escape the fireworks. The injury vets see the most are pets getting stuck on palisades.

Please ensure you secure your pet in a area away from Hazards. Do not leash dogs as a way to keep them confined. A scared dog will jump to try and get away and can end up strangelling themselves on a leash.

25/12/2024

A warm thank you to all our clients for their support during 2024. It's been a long and difficult year, relocating the school has had its challenges.

We wish to thank Impala Park Pre-Primary School for providing us with a spectacular venue for our classes.

We look forward to seeing you all back and well rested in the new year. We might even have a few surprises up our sleeves for the new year..

May you all have a blessed Christmas

Lots of Love
Susann and Emily 🐾🐕

21/12/2024

Very interesting read on the effects of collars, prongs etc on a dog that pulls' neck over time.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14UcagVm3H/

17/12/2024

Holidays are the perfect time to catch up on some webinars....

1) Animal welfare implications of animal behaviour modification and training methods.

2) Communication with a DEAF dog is child's play.

It's been a long, but productive day.

17/12/2024

Day 1 of the big springclean and disinfecting before classes kick off in 2025...

16/12/2024

Thank you to the owners who attended our fun class today.

A special thank you to Trainer Alan for doing some manwork with us.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMk2Nk1UV/

Check out Training Pups Dog Academy’s video.

09/12/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/1B2uMu4K3R/

To everybody going to the coast.

Please be aware of seals 🦭 on the beaches 🌊

Rather safe than sorry. There have been reported cases of seals infected with Rabies

⚠️ Please approach these animals with caution ⚠️

If bitten, act fast! ⚠️

Seek medical attention immediately if you are bitten, scratched or licked by a seal, dog or any animal that is aggressive or behaving abnormally. Inform health professionals about the potential exposure.

🏷️

02/11/2024

Hi guys

If you are planning on heading down to the Cape this festive season, please read the below information regarding a Rabies outbreak.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15bdisVTbv/

Are you heading to the South African Cape Coast this festive season? Or do you perhaps live there?
This information could save your life.
Please help to spread awareness and ensure your pets are vaccinated.

‼️🦭 WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE RABIES OUTBREAK IN CAPE FUR SEALS SO FAR...

• SA has almost 2 million seals on our shore line, and the population appears to be stable and even on the increase.
• Seal rabies most likely originated from a jackal rabies cycle, and one isolate from a seal was identified as the Bat Eared Fox variant.
• Rabies in seals can now retrospectively be traced back to 2021, possibly slightly earlier.
• A steady increase in the number of attacks by seals supports the fact that it was unlikely to have occurred in seals much before 2021.
• It is now endemic in seals; proven to have been transmitted from seal to seal.
• Last month 14 of 34 samples from seal carcasses from four different seal colonies from the Northern cape tested positive for rabies!
• This is the first endemic rabies cycle in a marine mammal and can be equated to rabies in dogs as it is the same virus.
• It is believed that rabies transmission to people by bites in the sea is likely very difficult due to the sea water washing the virus out of seal mouths and wounds and killing the virus, BUT ALL BITES must be treated as potentially life threatening. Bites out of the water have a much higher chance of transmission, HOWEVER, the physical damage that an adult 300kg seal can do is of great concern especially to children.
• Currently a few projects are on the go to monitor the immune response of seals to the rabies vaccine.
• Seals generally do not take bait and therefore using live vaccine in them is not possible.
• It is impractical and impossible to vaccinate the 2 million animals along our shores; strategic vaccination of mostly captive & habituated seals that interact with the public may be carried out on targeted populations such as those at the waterfront in Cape Town.
• An elephant seal from Marion Island will be fitted with a tracker to monitor its progress between South Africa and Antarctica. These seals migrate vast distances and as a result the disease could spread between continents.
• The take home message is to be vigilant, report any abnormal behavior in seals to your nearest state vet, private vet or welfare society. If you have an encounter with a seal seek medical advice immediately.
• Awareness is essential especially when undertaking watersports or swimming in Coastal waters along the Western & Eastern cape.








📷 image credit: theworldwidewebers.com

20/10/2024

We would like to welcome Diesel and Roxy to the Training Pups family 🥰🐾

The newly adopted pups popped in today, for a quick introduction of our obstacles to help build confidence.

The pups and kids were equally pooped after class.

20/10/2024

Puppies preparing for graduation next week.

Good luck everybody 🐾

20/10/2024

FUR 😂😂😂😂

13/10/2024

So amazing to see what one can do with Positive Reinforcement

https://www.facebook.com/share/Pm52oVqGVD3fDeTJ/

05/10/2024

Had a fun morning with our puppies

30/09/2024

Congratulations to Aura and Athena for graduating during our Rabies awareness month.

Athena's parents are working hard to educate people on American Bullies and how to prevent small things like jumping up. Being able to read doggy body language plays such an important role.

Reading body language of a stray dog could prevent a dog bite, which in turn could prevent the spread of Rabies that can be transmitted via the bite of an infected dog to a human.