Montego Zambia

07/11/2024

Dr Elizna Boag, Montego’s trusted veterinarian, offers expert advice to help pet owners manage shedding & grooming with care and confidence.

07/11/2024

WHEN SECONDS COUNT

This post is not advocating that dogs meet every other dog, but about how to go about it, if and when it does happen, in a safer way.

The 3 second rule for dogs meeting each other is used as a guideline to help foster positive introductions, prevent either dog from feeling overwhelmed or trapped and prevent any potential reactivity and stress.

A short 3 second introduction is enough time to provide important information to both dogs.

Enough information for dogs to know – “are you a threat?”, “do I like you?”, “do I want to learn more about you?”, “do I really dislike you?”, “do I need you to go away?” etc. Both dogs may not feel the same way – one may not be happy to engage while the other may want to.

All interactions should ideally happen like this, not just initially. Just like us, dogs can have off days – things like pain, trigger stacking, lack of sleep or a host of other reasons can influence whether a dog wants to interact or not.

There are countless times I have witnessed meetings or introductions between dogs that have gone on just a few seconds too long and have not ended well. This can have long lasting effects on future behaviour when meeting other dogs.

Understanding body language is critically important. If we are going to share our lives with another species, protect them, advocate for them and help them feel safe, then we need to understand and respect their language.

The examples in this post of red and green flags are just a few general ones to look out for – there are many more and these will differ depending on the individual dog, context and circumstances.

Here are some resources and links to learn more about body language -
On Talking Terms With Dogs - Calming Signals, 2nd Edition by Turid Rugaas
https://www.dogwise.com/on-talking-terms-with-dogs-calming-signals-2nd-edition/?srsltid=AfmBOoqj8ruQJx5bCP7qWb03TqCyAGfmAvCj988UuWk_L1_UHbYcZsES

The Veterinary Behaviour Centre
https://www.heska.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/TVBC-Canine-Dog-Body-Language-handout.pdf

Make sure those first 3 seconds count – they can make all the difference.

31/10/2024

ALL BREED ADULT
PREMIUM MULTIPROTEIN MAINTENANCE DIET

With 24 Vitamins & Minerals

SLOW-RELEASE WHOLEGRAINS

NATURAL PREBIOTICS

ZERO SOYA, ARTIFICIAL COLOURS & FLAVOURS

24/10/2024

🇿🇲 💚

22/10/2024

Why Vitamin E is so important for pet health❓ Vitamin E is essential for strong muscles, a healthy immune system, and helps protect your pet’s cells from damage. Vitamin E can be found in all Montego Monty & Me, WUMA!, Classic and Karoo pet foods.😃

15/10/2024

11/10/2024

❓🌈 Did you know? Kukur Tihar, also known as Dog Tihar, is a vibrant festival celebrated in Nepal to honour their beloved canine companions, including stray dogs! 🐶✨

During this special time, they express love and gratitude for all dogs. Each dog is adorned with flower garlands, treated to delicious snacks, and blessed with tika (a mixture of rice and yoghurt) as a symbol of appreciation for their loyalty and companionship. 💖

This festival is part of the larger Tihar celebration, which spans five days and honours various animals and deities. Kukur Tihar beautifully highlights the deep bond between humans and their pets, celebrating the joy that all dogs—both cherished pets and strays—bring to their lives. 🌼🐾

🥰Let’s take a moment EVERY DAY to recognise and celebrate the amazing pets that bring us unconditional love, loyalty, and friendship! 🐾🐕😻

11/10/2024

Obviously, there's a lot more to resolving dog behavior problems than what we can fit onto a single sheet of paper, but this illustrated flow chart provides a great overview of the concepts you'll need to resolve almost any dog behavior problem.

And if you do have a dog behavior problem and you're looking for help, we want to help you and we want to help you for FREE:

https://dunbar.info/oct2024TDA

For the next few days you can join the Top Dog Academy with a 1-month free trial and you'll get instant access to all of our online courses and training resources PLUS we will provide you with a personalized training plan to ensure that you have the guidance you need to achieve your goals and resolve any behavior problem you are struggling with.

This is an amazing, limited-time opportunity to improve your communication and relationship with your dog and enhance your quality of life together, using simple, thoroughly tested training techniques that are easy to use and thoroughly enjoyable.

As you can see from the flow chart, we have four basic concepts that you'll use.

1. Don't Feed Your Dog From a Regular Food Bowl. If you want to modify your dog's behavior or temperament, there's a very good chance you can use your dog's food to accelerate the training process. You don't have to use all your food in training, but for the food you aren't using in active training, you're much better off feeding from hollow chew toys, snuffle mats or puzzle feeders, all of which will stimulate your dog's brain, give them an enjoyable activity to pass the time, and preserve the value of your dog's food. This is particularly true if your dog has any sort of fear or anxiety-based problem, because food, and lots of it, can be really useful for rehabilitating these problems. Speaking of which...

2. Classical Conditioning. If your dog has a problem that is caused by fear or anxiety (including a lot of reactivity and aggression), then you need to train your dog to FEEL more comfortable, confident, and relaxed in specific situations. Expose your dog to the scary stimulus at a low level that isn't overwhelming, and when you do, give your dog things that they love, like praise, food, play, and good vibes! Put on a big smile and do a happy dance and your dog will start to associate all this good stuff with the stimulus they used to be scared of. Repeat x100! Pretty soon, they'll be looking forward to the used-to-be-scary stimulus appearing, because they know what comes with it.

3. Crate Training. If your dog is getting into trouble when you're not around, your training options are limited. There's a lot you can do to teach and reinforce good habits when you are present and supervising your dog, but you also have to prevent your dog from getting into trouble when you do have to leave them alone, especially if it's the sort of trouble that is going to be self-reinforcing. Teaching your dog to LOVE settling down in their crate makes this easy. You can leave your dog in their crate with a food-filled chew toy so they have something to do, and if you tire them out before hand with some training or play, they'll probably be ready to settle down for a nap. The first step is teaching your dog to LOVE going inside their crate and settling down there and in order to do this, you'll need to be present at first, but once you've achieved this goal it makes managing your dog and keeping them safe much easier. Teaching your dog to LOVE settling down in their crate also makes it easy to resolve Separation Anxiety.

4. Lure Reward Training. Teach your dog to perform useful behaviors on cue, reliably and promptly, in any situation, without the need for lures or special equipment. Teach your dog to understand verbal instructions so you can tell your dog what you want them to do. Motivate your dog so they WANT to listen to you and do what you ask, by rewarding your dog with a variety of truly meaningful rewards (not just food!), and provide the rewards in a manner that is interesting and exciting. Test your dog's comprehension so you have a realistic understanding of what your dog is actually capable of, and in what situations, and so you can measure their progress as you continue to train. Practice in progressively more challenging scenarios until your dog listens to you even when they are off-leash, at a distance, chasing a squirrel or playing with other dogs. Yes, this takes time and lots of practice, but when you make it fun, and you make it into a game, it becomes one of the most enjoyable and rewarding ;-) parts of living with a dog.

Wow, did you really read all this? If so, tell me something about your dog in the comments, what do they do that you like? Or that you dislike? At any rate, you deserve a cookie!

And if you have a dog behavior problem and you'd like help, join the Top Dog Academy today. In one month, using our methods, you can resolve this problem, or your money back.

https://dunbar.info/oct2024TDA

Oh, and if you want to download a PDF version of this flow chart, or read more, you can do so here: https://dunbar.info/problemflowchart

10/10/2024

04/10/2024

4 Ways You May Be Stealing Your Pup’s Joy During Walks 🐕🚶

Walks are one of the most important activities we share with our furry best friends. 🐶 Dogs need and love walks, gaining both mental and physical benefits. 🧠❤️ While some dogs can be difficult to walk, some pet parents might unknowingly make common mistakes that can dampen the experience. 👎

Check out the link below to learn how to make your walks more enjoyable for your pup. 🐶

03/10/2024

For the dogs that Hate Baths🐶

This No Rinse Foam Wash is so easy to use. No water needed just application. You and your fur baby will love it!

BENEFIT ✅️ NOURISHES SKIN
A waterless solution that nourishes skin while removing and neutralising unwanted odours.

17/09/2024

While the benefits vary, we use only the finest ingredients – in carefully calculated proportions according to our original recipes – and cook all our excellent products to perfection in our world-class facilities.

There are no fewer than four nutrition brands for dogs – Classic, Monty & Me, WUMA! and Karoo; three for cats – Classic, Monty & Me and Karoo; an extensive brand of treats for dogs – Bags O’ Wags – as well as one for cats – Packs O’ Purrs; – as well as pet wellness and grooming products under the XenPet label.

13/09/2024

WHAT'S IN MONTY & ME?
Monty & Me provides satisfying, delicious and
crunchy kibble, with the appropriate levels of
protein, antioxidants, natural prebiotic fibres
and Omega 6 - everything your little buddy
needs for a robust immune system, regular
digestion, a shiny coat and a winning smile.

09/09/2024

GIFT OF THE GROWL

Not all growling is a sign that a dog’s unhappy. Some growls may be part of a particular play style, seeking attention, from frustration, excitement or other reasons. They may all sound a little different and may be unique to that particular dog.

This post is not about different types of growls, but about reactive, aggressive or early warning growls.

When a dog growls, especially when it’s directed at us, our natural human response is to feel offended and maybe even angry.

Surely dogs need to learn not to growl, growling is bad, it’s not acceptable, it’s a problem that needs to be stopped or punished so a dog learns that it’s wrong, disrespectful and unacceptable, right?

This couldn’t be further from the truth! A dog that growls has just provided us with very valuable information.

In their way, they have just told us how they feel about a situation without escalating to a bite.

Dogs use growling in an attempt to avoid having to resort to biting, not to initiate it. They could just as easily not have even bothered to growl and gone straight to a bite.

A dog that growls is trying to communicate how they feel. Ignoring or punishment only suppresses this communication. Punishment increases fear, anxiety and stress.

A dog that bites without the warning of a growl is a far more serious problem than a dog that growls but doesn’t bite.

Look for any other early warning signals that may precede a growl. Learn to recognise body language and specific situations that trigger it.

Be grateful for the gift of a growl – this is a non-violent early warning signal that we need to acknowledge, understand and respect.

It's a gift of clear communication that allows us to intervene, advocate and prevent escalation to a bite.