Dog on the Couch

13/01/2025

Courses for puppies are starting soon.
Please see below for dates.
Unfortunately the course that starts on the 18th of January is full but the next one, starting on the 8th of February, is just around the corner.

12/01/2025

MAYBE CHANGE LIES IN A WORD

Every enquiry I get from dog guardians, experiencing problem behaviour from their dogs, asks for training to change the dog.

While training is useful to teach a dog new skills the word is often used together with the word “command” to bend a dog's behaviour towards the needs of the guardian without consideration for the dog's needs and the cause of the problem behaviour.

Maybe we should change our choice of words and opt to “educate” and “guide” the dog to make better choices in a safe environment conducive to learning.

After all, we send our kids to school to be educated, not trained.

11/12/2024

26/11/2024

❌ PLEASE LEAVE THEM IN THE SHOPS ❌

The vast majority of these rawhide products and treats come from China.

Their journey starts with the hides being soaked in a toxic sodium sulphide to remove the hair and fat. More chemicals are used in order to split the hide into layers which is then washed with hydrogen peroxide to give the white "pure" look and remove the rancid smell.
Now comes the pretty festive colours and the glue to form cute shapes.

They regularly cause intestinal blockages and choking. The chews go slippery when wet and are near impossible to get hold of to save a choking dog.

Please be safe with your dogs!

25/11/2024

Congratulations to all the awesome guardians and their delightful puppies for completing the Puppy PlaySchool course on the 23rd of November 2024.

07/11/2024

Congratulations is in order! Well done to all the puppies and their caring guardians for completing the puppy course on the 2nd of November 2024.
"What an amazing experience for both me and Luna. Mignon is so patient; an amazing dog trainer. She makes sure that you and your puppy walks away from each session with the knowledge to practice on your own. Thank you so much, Mignon." ~ Deidré Forbay.
"Great service and very informative we learned alot and Ozzy loved it. Ozzy specially loved Mignon.
Mignon has a way with dogs and undstands them.
Regards
Charl and Leigh and of course Ozzy"

04/11/2024

THE LAST COURSE FOR PUPPIES FOR 2024 is now fully booked!
But we will be back on the 18th of January 2025.
Meanwhile if you need urgent assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me for private lessons

14/10/2024

At the Puppy PlaySchool. After all that fun, playing and learning, Bella is exhausted 🥰
Music by Donald McLean.

02/10/2024

This is so important to keep in mind.

19/09/2024

Gauteng will be VERY COLD on Saturday. Please keep your pets warm

09/09/2024

Congratulations to all the pups and their great guardians for completing the Puppy Playschool course on 7 September 2024. There were some really awesome puppies in this course and I want to thank all the guardians for choosing Dog on the Couch to share this wonderful experience with you.

02/09/2024

Managing the environment to prevent issues and disasters is always your first go to. This is an excellent example on how to manage interaction between toddlers and pooches.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/TbhM6KJxznxN2wXt/

06/08/2024

3 August 2024. Another Puppy PlaySchool successfully completed by the cutest pups and their wonderful guardians.

31/07/2024

If you are in Cape Town - go and have a look

Museum of Dogs, South Africa’s very first museum of its kind, is opening in Cape Town's city centre tomorrow.

25/06/2024

I cannot confirm the 70% BUT be very aware of the pesticides and other poisons you use in and around the house. Pets can pick it up on their paws, lick their paws or it can be absorbed through the skin. Getting rid of weeds and tiny critters by means of poison is not worth your pet's health or life.

22/06/2024

We love labels to the extent that we sometimes cannot function without them. But labels generalise and often prevent us from looking deeper and beyond them