Animal Think Tank / Paws in Balance

28/02/2023

Celebrate your best friend by getting them a Canine Good Citizen Award! The CGC programme teaches you and your dog practical exercises about obedience in a home and social environment. Also, should you decide to emigrate with your dogs, these tests are accepted worldwide and often make it easier for your dog to be allowed entry into that country.

We will be hosting the Bronze and Silver level on the 4th of March, 2023. Take advantage of this incredibly fun opportunity to make your dog a Canine Good Citizen. It's no different from our regular training and what you already know, but your dog gets a fancy new title!

The Bronze level starts at 8h30 and the Silver level at 10h00. Anyone can join, and it only costs R120. Please get in touch with Anton on [email protected] for more details and registration.

23/02/2023

20/02/2023

Please. For the love of dogs everywhere, stop taking everything out of your puppies mouth. You’re often creating more problems than you’re solving.

Puppies put everything in their mouths the way newly crawling or walking babies do. It’s the age of exploration and discovery and inquisitive little minds with teething little mouths means everything must be tasted. This is 100% normal developmental behavior. It shouldn’t be punished or discouraged.

When we sn**ch things out of their mouths, or chase them or grab it away from them, we run the risk of several issues, the top two being -

1. We teach our puppy that anything they have could be lost the second a human comes near, and that can very quickly snowball into resource guarding - which is already a natural behavior - but we are actually just encouraging it by validating to our puppy that they lose things when we are around. This is especially true in homes with children and toys out all the time. Then this spirals into all kinds of relationship issues down the road.

2. We can teach our puppy the best thing they can do is INHALE the item so they don’t lose it. This gets dangerous and ugly very quickly. It can also create puppies and dogs to then not even think but just grab consume.

Leaves, sticks, grass, mud, dust bunnies, socks (depending on your puppies size), shoes, all the things within reach are fair game for mouthing and chewing on. And yes, I let my puppies explore them all. Their teeth and jaws at this infantile stage aren’t going to do extreme harm to an item right now, so go head and feel what a shoe sole feels like, get it out of your system. If I don’t want certain things explored, I keep those things out of reach, end of story. Management and supervision is key to safety at this age. Baby gates, playpens, even only pottying in areas of the yard where there’s no gravel. The ONLY things I will readily tackle my puppy over is medicine and/or broken glass. Everything else, even if it’s something I truly don’t want them to have, like a pair of underwear or a doll, I take my time in retrieving it, but more often than not, the puppy will spit it out anyway and move on to graze on the next thing they can find, especially if I toss something more interesting nearby. (Drop that stick to come chase this leaf on the ground)

The majority of puppies will explore the item with their mouth, shred it if they can, then move on to something else to repeat this process with. IF they consume any of it, it’s usually very minor and they will p**p it out later. We have to remember dogs have been existing for 18,000 years, 80% of them still living the way they always have, and going through this stage just fine, our human interventions are not always needed, even though we mean well and are trying to help.

Of course there are exceptions to this, and in those cases we have other solutions, but the majority of puppies I see exploring with their mouths DONT a need hands constantly grabbing them and removing it out of their jaws. If you find yourself doing that all the time, it may be on YOU to manage the environment better!

This process combines with the work we teach in all our puppy classes of having a puppy HAPPY to have you approach them when they are enjoying something in their mouth. We call it the “exchange game” where we teach how to trade. But we also teach the puppy we don’t always take it away either. This helps puppies feel safe in letting you take something from them by learning they won’t ALWAYS lose it.

So, long story short, let your puppy - puppy. Grab a leaf, lay in the grass and shred it. Then find a stick to chew on. We have to get better at picking our battles with dogs if we are both as a species going to enjoy our time together.

Editing this post to add - I’d hope it would be obvious but apparently it’s not, so please know in no way shape or form am I encouraging or saying it’s okay to let your puppy chew or mouth dangerous objects or to leave them unsupervised in places that may have serious objects in them. Environments have to be managed just the same way they are for babies, as I mentioned above, and puppies/dogs need to be supervised. I am however, stating that we have to stop helicoptering around puppies that are just being puppies in order to help alieviate some of the behavior problems that develop from not the managing itself; but the micro managing.

17/02/2023

Fear.....Completely individual, complex and what your dog is afraid of needs to be noted (even if we do not understand it, it seems irrational...or if they are afraid of something we view as harmless).

I have seen people laugh when dogs are afraid of something that we view as "innocent"....it is not innocent to your dog.
Sometimes the objects dogs are afraid of are shown again in front of others...almost like party trick to make their dog have the same reaction.

Social media is full of these videos too.

New objects or situations can make some dogs extremely nervous and afraid, and it makes no difference whether we understand it....we need to respect it.

This graphic is about the 4 F's and the first F covers a lot and is a bit more in depth than what is shown on the graphic....dogs may disengage, fiddle, "faff" about, fidget or show behaviours to self sooth.
There is a lot of movement in the first F.

The others are more self explanatory.

Many stress signals or calming signals precede or accompany these 4 F's ....even freeze.

Important to note is the fight.....All dogs, of EVERY breed given a unique set of circumstances are capable of fighting.
It doesn't necessarily mean your dog is aggressive....it is simply your dog feels forced into action.

If your dog is fearful.....you need to help.

Repeatedly exposing your dog to fear is never a good idea...and we can do this all the time, and we justify it.

Dogs that need to be groomed are often forced into the car .....you may know they are really afraid of the car but they need to go, so a highly stressed, scared dog is forced into the car......
They will never get over this fear if they are continually forced to confront their fears (or even phobias) again and again.
...it can morph outwards.
The car is in the garage and now suddenly your dog refuses to go near the garage or even near that side of the house.

Fear needs help.
It needs understanding, often unique solutions.....but your dog deserves the time and effort to help them through this.

13/02/2023

As relaxing as our property is, sometimes you just want to enjoy your food at home. We are excited to announce that ATT Café is now available on Uber Eats! Order your favourite meals and cakes and deliver them straight to your door! No mess, no fuss, and of course, no time wasted in front of the stove or oven!

Follow this link to view our restaurant on the Uber Eats app:
https://ubereats.app.link/QDGw66JQnxb

Try ATT Café on Uber Eats and save on your first order with eats-eeny3hoiu8 🤎🐾

31/01/2023

Great news! We are open for coffee, muffins, cookies, and other delicious early-morning treats from 07:00 during the week in the parking area where you drop off your dogs. Tinastle will be at your service! Why sit in traffic without your coffee and with an empty tummy? All suggestions are welcome if there is anything you would like us to have available for you 🤎🐾

26/12/2022

The price we pay for love

By Toni Younghusband

A few months back I needed new spectacles for reading and driving. They set me back R14 000 and they’re not ‘designer’ frames. This morning I saw the dentist for a single filling. I was in an out in under 40 minutes and paid R1023. Last week I had a bone scan as I’m at risk of osteoporosis. The scan cost R2 144. These were all necessary expenses and I paid them without hesitation because I understand that people taking care of my health are medical professionals with years of expensive training behind them and hugely expensive equipment.

Sometimes we forget that veterinarians are health professionals too. There is, unfortunately, a perception that vets get rich at the expense of their patients; that veterinary care is overpriced. “The reality is that many vets will undercharge for their services due to the public’s undervaluation of quality veterinary care,” says Dr Esmaré van der Walt, senior vet at EberVet Pet Clinic in Strand. It costs an average R250 000 to R400 000 per month to run a veterinary clinic, depending on the services it offers and where it is.

But let’s start at the beginning. A veterinary degree is an expensive undertaking. The average academic fee at university is around R37 000 per year, excluding accommodation, meals, transport, books etc. A vet studies for six years so most vets start their practices with heavy student loans.

Then the average start-up cost for a vet clinic is around R1,5m. And as veterinary equipment becomes more sophisticated, these costs rise. “Advances in diagnostics and treatment options does lead to improved health and longevity for our pets but comes at a cost and adds to costs,” Dr van der Walt points out. “If vets were in the business for the money, then human medicine and dentistry would be far better options.”

According to Dr Hilldidge Beer, CEO of the EberVet Petcare Group which owns three veterinary clinics in the Western Cape, the average net profit of a clinic is between 5 and 15% before tax and reinvestment in the clinic and staff.

In human medicine you may be sent from a GP to a specialist; with veterinary care the veterinarian is your one-stop shop. Your vet is a general practitioner, clinical pathologist, radiologist, ophthalmologist, anaesthesiologist, surgeon, dentist, pharmacologist and very often psychologist to meet the needs of both the pet and the pet owner so he/she must have all the equipment and skills necessary. This includes x-ray machines, blood analyzers, microscopes, anaesthetic machines, theatre equipment, ultrasound and dental machines and staff must be constantly trained and upskilled. The pharmacy needs to be stocked with drugs and vaccinations and in the end it all adds up. Vets also need to hire qualified staff like other veterinarians, veterinary nurses, veterinary technicians, and practice managers. Then there are high professional liability insurance costs which all vets must carry plus subscription fees to congresses that keep them up to date on developments in animal health.

It is an internationally acknowledged fact that the veterinary profession has the highest su***de rate in the world because of constant burnout brought on by juggling financial challenges, trying to find balance between professional and personal lives and the shortage of vets and vet nurses in South Africa. Many vets are overworked and understaffed because of this.

“Unlike human medicine, there are no State clinics or hospitals for animals sponsored by tax money so pretty much the whole pet industry in SA is reliant on private veterinarians and overburdened animal welfare organisations who are entirely dependent on the goodwill of and donations from the public,” Dr Beer points out.

The best advice for any pet owner is to take out pet insurance. According to one of the key role players in the pet insurance field there are about 10 million pets in South Africa yet fewer than 400 000 are covered by pet insurance which leaves their owners carrying the burden for diagnostics, treatments, procedures, and surgeries. In contrast, human medicine is an insurance driven industry.

“In my ideal vet world, the dreaded money talk would not exist, and I would have unlimited funds to treat each and every patient with the best that is out there,” says Dr van der Walt, who nonetheless hosts many weekend welfare clinics in impoverished communities because she cannot bear to see any animal – regardless of his owner’s financial status – suffer.

19/12/2022

THE TRUTH ABOUT RAW HIDE TREATS

Testing of rawhide treats were found to include:
Glues
Hydrogen Peroxide
Formaldehyde
Ammonium
Ash lye which is linked to ADHD in children
Sodium sulphide
Titanium oxide
Petroleum based food dyes
Lead
Arsenic
Mercury

Rawhide chews are made from the leather industry’s leftovers. Most hides are taken directly from the kill floors at slaughterhouses and placed into high-salt brines, which helps slow their decay. Most rawhide chews are manufactured in China, and it can take weeks to months before these brined hides actually make it to the tanneries for their final manufacture. Once the hide arrives at a tannery, it is soaked and treated with lime to help separate the fat from the skin, the hair is removed by chemical and physical efforts, and the hide is rinsed again. Unfortunately, the salt brines cannot prevent decay, no matter how long they delay it. It is best to fully rinse a rawhide in water prior to giving it to your dog - AKC

These are the most common rawhide risks:
1. Contamination. As with pet toys, rawhide chews can contain trace amounts of toxic chemicals. And, as with other pet (or human) foods, Salmonella or E. coli contamination is possible. Even humans can be at risk when coming into contact with these bacteria on rawhide treats.

2. Digestive irritation. Some dogs are simply sensitive or allergic to rawhide or other substances used in their manufacture. This can cause problems, including diarrhea.

3. Choking or blockages. Rawhide bones and other edible chews can pose a choking and blockage risk. In fact, this is a much bigger risk than contamination or digestive irritation. If your dog swallows large pieces of rawhide, the rawhide can get stuck in the esophagus or other parts of the digestive tract. Depending on its size and where it is located, a vet may be able to remove these pieces fairly easily through the throat. But sometimes, abdominal surgery is needed to remove them from the stomach or intestines. If it isn’t resolved, a blockage can lead to death - Petmd.com

Always give your dogs natural chews as far as possible. All chewing must be supervised to mitigate choking and other risks.

📸 unknown

02/12/2022

02 December 2022 Article Most of us fondly remember that Oreo advert where the little kid tells their dog: "Mom says chocolate isn't good for dogs". With the holidays fast approaching and us preparing our bellies for endless sugary treats, we thought to revisit the topic. How bad is chocolate for do...

07/11/2022

21/09/2022

Hello dear friends! Come join us for the rugby this weekend! We'll be celebrating Heritage Day, so dress up your pup in their coolest gear! Training will continue as usual in the morning, and the rugby game starts at 5pm. We'll be serving boerie rolls and chicken or steak prego rolls. Please consider joining. It is vital that you attend these types of events with your dogs, as it greatly assists them in learning how to socialise in different environments. We look forward to seeing you there! 💜🐾

13/09/2022

No better way to celebrate what a good doggo your best friend is than to make them a Canine Good Citizen! The CGC programme teaches you and your dog valuable practical exercises about obedience in a home and social environment. More importantly, should you decide to emigrate with your dogs, these tests are accepted worldwide and often make it easier for your dog to be allowed entry into that country.

There are three levels—Bronze, Silver and Gold. Animal Think Tank works with all the levels and exercises in your weekly classes, so there is nothing new or complicated to add to your training regime. If you don't pass all the activities in the test, you can come back the next time and only do the ones you did not pass. You will receive a certificate and a rosette upon passing your particular level.

We will be hosting the Bronze level on the 1st of October. This level aims to produce a dog that will walk and behave in a controlled manner on the lead, stay in one position on command, and allow its owner to clean, groom and inspect it. The test will look at 13 achievements:
- Accepting a stranger.
- Grooming and permitting a stranger to examine them.
- Putting on a collar and lead.
- Presenting for examination on lead without becoming aggressive or flinching.
- Be calmed easily following praise and play.
- Be released from lead to play and be recalled to attach the lead.
- Walking on lead without distraction (walking on a loose lead).
- Walking on a lead while passing through a door or gate.
- Behaving correctly in the presence of other dogs.
- Walking on a lead passing people and dogs.
- Remaining confident at all times when facing a distraction.
- Following a lie-down and stay command.
- Maintaining training and good manners when left with another person.

Don't miss out on this incredibly fun opportunity to make your dog a Canine Good Citizen. It's no different than our regular training and what you already know, but your dog comes out the other end with a fancy new title! The event will start at 8h30 on the 1st of October. To RSVP, simply email us at [email protected], comment below or send us a WhatsApp message (011 463 0296). Participation is free, so there is no reason not to join! 💜🐾

07/09/2022

IMPORTANT NOTICE!

We have a new Business WhatsApp number. Our previous number (073 322 1743) is no longer in service. If you need to contact us via WhatsApp, please make use of our new number:
011 463 0296 💜🐾

Here is a link for quick access:
https://wa.me/+27114630296

12/08/2022

Winter is finally almost over, and we can't wait to celebrate it with you! Join us for a Spring Fun Day! There will be a human and doggy fitness session with Elsa Storm, followed by competitions, games and prizes for the best-dressed pup! Of course, the ATT Café will also be open for delicious treats and beverages.

Date: Saturday, 3 September 2022
Time: Fitness session starts promptly at 9h30, other activities to follow afterwards
Where: Animal Think Tank Sangster Branch
Price: Free for all our training clients, R150 for outsiders (which we will donate to Woodrock for their vet bill)

No better way to celebrate the start of Spring than being outside doing fun things with your best friend! Don't forget to dress them up in their favourite spring attire!

Call us for more info about the Spring Fun Day:
(011) 463-0296
Or Call Instructor Elsa Storm to learn about her fitness class:
(082) 566-7841

14/07/2022

It's the final between the Springboks and Wales this Saturday, 16 July 2022! Come watch the game with us at ATT Café, Sangster Road, Sandton. We'll be selling boerie rolls, ribs, chips & salad. Proper rugby food! 💪

You can, of course, bring your socialised dogs so that they can join in on the fun! Doors open at 4pm and the match starts at 5pm. Please note: space is limited—you can make a reservation by emailing [email protected] 🤎🐾

07/07/2022

Great news, friends! Our new Scent Classes are starting this week! Trainer Natasha will host her first class this Saturday morning at 09:45. These beginner classes are for serious scent hounds as well as dogs just looking for some fun and mental stimulation.
Scent training harnesses your dog’s natural ability. Dogs need to learn to use their noses to detect many different smells, which can be so helpful for their humans. If you wish to join, please call Megan on 011 463 0296 to sign up 💜🐾

21/06/2022

Hi friends! It is with great pleasure that we welcome Natasha Van Niekerk to Animal Think Tank! Natasha has trained with the Genesis K9 Group. She brings a whole new set of skills and will be doing classes on request, starting on the 23rd of June at our Sangster Rd branch.

Natasha has completed courses in DH1–DH5 with the following units:
- Care for a service dog.
- Handle a trained service dog to deter crime.
- Handle a patrol dog to assist in the apprehension of a suspect.
- Handle a trained sniffer dog in the detection of substances.
- Utilise a tracker dog to follow a human scent trail.

Add another dimension of exercises to your training—either for fun, stimulation or out of necessity.

Please call Megan on (011) 463-0296 for more information.