Hart Behaviour - Pet Behaviour Consulting

22/05/2025

🤩 Look who is coming to town! 🤩
Everybody's favourite physio will be coming back to the Eastern Cape from 26-29 May 2025 🎉

Alicia crept into the hearts of all the clients and patients that was lucky enough to get to know her. She then left the Eastern Cape to start her own Physiotherapy business in the beautiful town of George, WC 🙌🏼
We are excited to welcome her back for a little while ❤️

She does home and farm visits. She will also be at our practice on 28 May 🤩
Please contact her to book a spot - 076 737 2956 ‼️

You do not want to miss this amazing opportunity 🥳

30/04/2025

THE PLOT TO DOMINATE HUMANS

We hear it far too much - “my dog is dominant” or “trying to be the alpha” or “I have to be the pack leader to show my dog who’s in charge”.

The definition of dominance - dominant in the chain of command / occupying or being in a commanding or elevated position / having a controlling, prevailing, or powerful position in a social hierarchy. Do we really believe this of our dogs in the context of our relationship with them? Are dogs really trying to take over our homes and rule the world?

We control everything in their lives - what and when they eat, when they go out, their choices, where they sleep, who they interact with, their environment etc. and yet it’s still believed they are trying to dominate us.

Yes, dominance between dogs does exist, but not in the way that we may assume. It exists in certain situations or contexts, is fluid and may constantly change. It’s not usually about using force but about one individual deferring to another.

Dogs know that we are not dogs and they don’t expect us to behave like other dogs.

Dogs need us to be their advocate, a source of security, of safety and a secure base from which they can navigate our world – not a source of pain, fear, intimidation, force, competition and dominance.

There is a vast amount of scientific evidence and information available that debunks the dominance myth as it pertains to our relationship with dogs.

Here are just a few links and references for further information -

American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviour – “An appropriate trainer should avoid any use of training tools that involve pain (choke chains prong collars, or electronic shock collars), intimidation (sq**rt bottles, shaker noise cans, compressed air cans, shouting, staring, or forceful manipulations such as "alpha rolls" or "dominance downs physical correction techniques (leash jerking, physical force), or flooding exposure. The learner must always feel safe and have the ability to "opt out” of training sessions”

Why Dominance Theory Fails in Dog Training
https://readypupgo.biz/why-dominance-theory-fails-in-dog-training/

Dr Anne Mcbride & SJ Evans
https://www.apbc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/APBC-Dominance-Article.pdf

Dr. L. David Mech talks about the terms "alpha" and "beta" wolves and why they are no longer scientifically accurate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNtFgdwTsbU

25/04/2025

If you are going to have a dog, you are going to have to make sacrifices. You cannot expect to have an animal that was designed to live primarily outside and bring it into your house and not have to make changes or adjustments. A dog is not an ornament, a commodity or a display. A dog is an animal. You are sharing your life with another species. This is life with a dog.

Your yard will not be pristine. The grass will get burned from their p*e. Holes will be dug, bushes shredded, mud will come in the house. You cannot ask them to not p*e in your house and then also try to control even their outside bathroom. Please see how unfair this is. This is life with a dog.

You house will need management. Your counters will need to be clear. Shoes will need to be put away. Laundry room blocked. Kids toys picked up. Some things will get destroyed anyway. This is life with a dog.

They will bark at noises. They will protect their territory. Sometimes fiercely. They will not welcome strange people into the home easily even if you “know them” because this is in their genetic DNA. They don’t understand family gatherings and they don’t always see things the way we do. They won’t love playing with every dog they meet. This is life with a dog.

They will need enrichment and work and productivity. They will need training that is kind and fair and consistent and then maintenance to maintain that training. They will need guidance and coaching and lots of reinforcement to help them perform unnatural behaviors against their natural phenotypes. This is life with a dog.

They will mature and change and modify in their likes, behaviors and preferences as they age. Their behaviors aren’t guaranteed. They are not robots and they can be mercurial as they grow into their own personalities. They are allowed to change their mind and shift naturally just as we do. They need to be seen for what and who they are, not what and who YOU want. This is life with a dog.

Life with a dog is not a human right. It is a privilege and a responsibility and an education. They are animals and should be treated and expected to behave as such. That doesn’t make them any less loved or family members and it doesn’t make them any less deserving of respect, in fact it makes them more so.

Enjoy your life with a dog, and help them enjoy life with a human.

- Helen St. Pierre

09/03/2025

For those in JHB 🐾

Exciting news ! For all those who have been waiting patiently for our next Pet First Aid talk - it's back!

This FREE session will be led by one of our experienced veterinarians, Dr. Ryf. Seats are limited, so please book early by sending an email to [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you there.

03/03/2025

Are you interested in giving your new puppy the best start in life? Join The Puppy Club socialisation classes at Kowie Veterinary Clinic .

🌟 Why Puppy Socialisation? 🌟

🐶 Build Confidence: Help your pup feel at ease in a new environment. Socialisation builds confidence and can potentially reduce fears related to novel experiences.

🐾 Build a positive relationship: These classes encourage the bond between you and your puppy and can teach your pup to focus on you and stay as calm as possible around other dogs and people.

🧡 Prevent Behavioral Issues: Early socialisation can help prevent behavioural concerns later on, giving your pup a solid foundation for a happy, well-rounded life.

⭐What to Expect:⭐

👣 Life Skills: While our classes focus mainly on socialisation and guardian education. We also incorporate basic training cues like sit, stay and recall using positive reinforcement and fear free training methods.

💡 Expert Advice: Classes are run by a qualified animal behaviour consultant who will be there to answer all your questions, providing invaluable tips on puppy care, behavior, and training.

🎊 Fun-filled Sessions: Each class will incorporate exciting confidence-building exercises, enrichment and/or gentle obstacle courses. Plenty of tail-wagging and giggles guaranteed.

🐕Who can join? 🐕
Pups between the ages of 10-16 weeks who have had their first two vaccinations are welcome to join.

🐾 The Puppy Club is a Hills sponsored puppy school 🐾

Don't miss out on this opportunity for you and your beloved pup to learn, grow, and potentially create lifelong friendships! Limited spots are available, so book your spot today.

📍 Location: Kowie Vet Clinic
⏰ Schedule: 6 week course
💵 Price: R700
📅 Date: TBC
📞 Contact: 082 851 9521
📬 [email protected]

06/02/2025

Never underestimate a dog's nose 🐶

I NOSE HOW YOU FEEL
One of the most incredible things about dogs is their ability to recognize and respond to our emotions, but just how do they know how we’re feeling?

They may not understand the emotion we are feeling, but their brains are wired to understand whether that emotion makes them feel safe or not.

From an evolutionary perspective; for their survival, it was and still is, important for dogs to know which humans were safe to be around and which were not.

Dogs recognize the different chemical scents we produce through our skin or breath, our facial expressions or body language and our tone of voice.

Although we’re not aware of it, we emit different scents when experiencing positive emotions compared to when we experience negative emotions. Dogs have an amazing ability to recognize these different scents.

A dog's sense of smell is incredibly powerful and far superior to ours. Dogs have +/- 300 million olfactory receptors in their nose, sometimes more depending on the breed, compared to +/- 5 to 6 million in humans. In addition to this, the part of their brain that processes scent is around 40 times bigger than ours.

Dogs also recognize our facial expressions and body language. Just like we might stay well away from or not want to interact with someone who looks really angry and be more drawn and responsive to a happy, relaxed looking person.

Tone of voice – more info on this in my previous post.

Dogs can be such a comfort to us when we need emotional support or aren’t feeling well, but some of our emotions many have a negative effect on them.

Working with or interacting with a dog when we’re feeling angry, stressed, frustrated or having a bad day is not a good idea. It’s far better to wait until we feel more relaxed and calmer.

Dogs have rich emotional lives – just as we should try to be aware of their emotions, also be aware of how our emotions may affect them.

07/01/2025

Are you interested in giving your new puppy the best start in life? Join The Puppy Club socialisation classes at Kowie Veterinary Clinic.

🌟 Why Puppy Socialisation? 🌟

🐶 Build Confidence: Help your pup feel at ease in a new environment. Socialisation builds confidence and can potentially reduce fears related to novel experiences.

🐾 Build a positive relationship: These classes encourage the bond between you and your puppy and can teach your pup to focus on you and stay as calm as possible around other dogs and people.

🧡 Prevent Behavioral Issues: Early socialisation can help prevent behavioural concerns later on, giving your pup a solid foundation for a happy, well-rounded life.

⭐What to Expect:⭐

👣 Life Skills: While our classes focus mainly on socialisation and guardian education. We also incorporate basic training cues like sit, stay and recall using positive reinforcement and fear free training methods.

💡 Expert Advice: Classes are run by a qualified animal behaviour consultant who will be there to answer all your questions, providing invaluable tips on puppy care, behavior, and training.

🎊 Fun-filled Sessions: Each class will incorporate exciting confidence-building exercises, enrichment and/or gentle obstacle courses. Plenty of tail-wagging and giggles guaranteed.

🐕Who can join? 🐕
Pups between the ages of 10-16 weeks who have had their first two vaccinations are welcome to join.

🐾 The Puppy Club is a Hills sponsored puppy school 🐾

Don't miss out on this opportunity for you and your beloved pup to learn, grow, and potentially create lifelong friendships! Limited spots are available, so book your spot today.

📍 Location: Kowie Vet Clinic
⏰ Schedule: 6 week course
💵 Price: R700
📅 Date: 6th Feb @ 16:30 pm
📞 Contact: 082 851 9521
📬 [email protected]

07/01/2025

Something to consider when adopting a dog (or cat) 🐾

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Changing a rescued dogs name can be a good thing.

If a dog has come from an unpleasant or abusive background, or even an unknown background, they may associate their name with negative experiences.

A previous owner may have shouted their name when doing something unpleasant to them.

Changing a dog’s name can be a fresh, new beginning and can provide an opportunity to rebuild broken trust and build new bonds.

There may be concern that changing a dog’s name will confuse them or may cause some form of emotional distress, but dogs really don’t see their names in the same way that we do.

Dogs really don’t care what we call them, as long as that name is associated with positive experiences it will be a good name.

A dog’s name is more important to us than it is to a dog. A name is really just a cue to get your dog’s attention so they respond.

The way a new name is introduced and taught is important. Care should be taken not to attach any negative associations with the new name.

The new name should always be paired with something positive whenever your dog hears the sound.
Call the new name and every time your dog reacts, responds or looks at you, reward this with a treat, lots of praise, a game or a toy.

Keep repeating this and dogs will quickly begin to associate their new name with something good about to happen and will start responding to the new sound in a positive way.

“It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to.” - W.C. Fields. This quote sums up the importance of pairing a name with something positive so that it will always be what a dog wants to answer to.

A previous name may always be linked to a traumatic past, but a new name can be the beginning of a happy ever after and forever home.

07/01/2025

31/12/2024

Dear Dog Guardians

Fireworks may light up the sky, but they also terrify animals—especially those without a home to feel safe.

While we welcome the New Year with joy, let’s remember the little souls who face the night with fear. Instead of fireworks, buy pet food for a shelter animal.

Together, we can make the world a safer, kinder place for them. 🐶✨

In addition to the tips below, give your dog CalmEze Plus, Nutricalm, or prescription vet medication to help your dog cope better.

13/12/2024

13/12/2024

DON’T GET A DOG…UNLESS YOU CAN MAKE A COMMITMENT

In an ideal world dogs would be included as a family member and we would commit to sharing our time and life with them in the relatively short time they have on earth.

In an ideal world, we would take the time to learn about how dogs communicate through their body language, their emotions, their needs and keep learning about updated, modern, force free / pain free methods to understand or modify behaviour.

In reality, dogs are so often seen as an item of property, an object, a commodity to be bred and make money from, a cheap, replaceable security system, a garden decoration, a toy to play with when the kids are bored or an accessory that looks good while out walking, running or taking selfies.

Dogs are not objects, just like us they are sentient beings with the capacity to feel a range of emotions.

Dogs are naturally social beings and need to spend time with their human family.

A life spent confined to a backyard or fenced in with little or no human companionship is not a life.

They need love and attention, exercise and mental stimulation. They need routine, consistency and predictable patterns to feel safe and secure in our world.

Having a dog requires commitment, understanding, patience and dedication.

It’s hard work, it’s sometimes messy, dirty and stinky, it costs money and requires changes to our lifestyle.

It’s a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly or without making a long term commitment, but the rewards of forming a secure bond with another sentient being can bring so much joy and enrichment to both our lives and theirs.