scent work

Toilet Training Mistakes You Might Be Making…

Toilet training your puppy should be a straightforward process but if you’re finding it frustrating or inconsistent, you’re definitely not alone. The good news is, toilet training can be quick and effective when it’s done right. The bad news? Many owners are unintentionally making common mistakes that confuse their puppies and make the process much harder than it needs to be.

In this blog, I’ll walk you through the top mistakes I see regularly, and how you can avoid them. These tips apply to all breeds, but I’ll also include a few extra notes for small dogs and those who may be struggling more than usual.

1. Not Taking Your Puppy Out as Soon as They Wake Up

Puppies don’t have the ability to “hold it” when they first wake up. If you’re not immediately taking them outside the moment they stir, you’re likely missing the window for a successful toilet trip.

Tip: Before you even say good morning, scoop them up and bring them to their toilet spot. No fuss, no delay.

2. Not Showing Them Where to Go from the Start

When you bring your puppy home, one of the very first things you should do is take them straight to the area you want them to use for toileting. This builds a clear and consistent association.

Tip: Use the same door, same path, and same area every time, at least to begin with. Consistency is everything.

3. Using Puppy Pads Indoors

Puppy pads may seem helpful at first, but they often create more confusion than clarity. If you’re teaching your puppy that toileting indoors is okay, it’s no surprise when they keep doing it.

Tip: Skip the pads if you can, and head straight to outdoor training. It removes a step and eliminates mixed messages.

4. Not Taking Them Out Regularly Enough

At eight weeks old, puppies need to go out a lot. Every 10 minutes when they’re awake might sound extreme, but remember, they’re only up for around four hours total each day.

Tip: Set a timer and be proactive. By day three or four, you can stretch it to 20-30 minutes between toilet trips.

5. Letting the Garden Become Playtime Too Soon

If your puppy associates the garden with excitement and fun, they’re less likely to focus on going to the toilet. Suddenly, it’s a playground, not a bathroom.

Tip: Keep it boring. Take them out on lead or in a pen, wait quietly, and only engage or reward once they’ve done their business. You can introduce play later on.

6. Too Much Freedom Outdoors

Sniffing, digging, eating grass… there’s a lot going on out there, and most of it is more fun than weeing. Too much freedom can be overwhelming and distracting.

Tip: Use a lead or a puppy pen to reduce distractions and help them focus on the job at hand.

7. Not Rewarding Quickly Enough

Timing matters. Your puppy has a tiny window (just a few seconds) to connect the act of toileting with the praise or treat you’re giving. If you wait until you’re back inside, they’re unlikely to link the reward to the correct behaviour.

Tip: Verbally praise them as they go (a quiet “yes!” or “good toilet” works well), then treat them immediately after they’ve finished.

What If You’re Doing Everything Right?

Sometimes, despite doing all of the above, toilet training still doesn’t seem to click and that’s when it’s time to consider a few other factors.

Small Dogs Take Longer

Smaller breeds have smaller bladders and higher metabolisms, meaning they need to go more often. That’s totally normal; it just requires a bit more patience and even more regular trips outside.

Health Issues Can Interfere

If your puppy is having frequent accidents despite consistent training, always rule out medical issues. Urinary tract infections, gastrointestinal upset, or other health concerns can absolutely affect their ability to hold it or go in the right place.

Tip: If your puppy is really struggling, book a quick vet check. Better to be safe than sorry.

The Bottom Line

Toilet training doesn’t have to be a long, stressful process. With the right approach, clear routines, consistent messages, quick rewards, and a bit of patience, most puppies can be reliably toilet trained in just a few days.

If it’s not going smoothly, don’t beat yourself up. Check for these common mistakes, adjust your routine, and give your pup the best chance to succeed.

Have questions or need help with a tricky pup? Feel free to get in touch — I’m always happy to help!

Polite vs Rude Dog Greetings: How to Help Your Dog Interact Properly

As dog owners, one of the most important skills we can teach our dogs is how to interact politely with others. While dog-to-dog greetings might seem simple, they are nuanced behaviours that can shape how our dogs navigate their world and build relationships with other dogs. A polite dog greeting is not only about avoiding aggressive or inappropriate behaviour, but also about teaching our dogs how to communicate confidently and calmly.

The Curve, Not the Charge

When dogs approach each other, a polite greeting should follow a natural curve, rather than a straight line. If your dog charges directly at another dog, it can be perceived as threatening or overwhelming, especially by more nervous dogs. Dogs, like us, value personal space, and a straight-line approach can make them feel cornered or trapped. Instead, allow your dog to take a gentler, curved path towards the other dog. This gives both dogs the opportunity to assess each other at their own pace without feeling pressured.

No Stiffness, No Tension

A key sign of a polite greeting is a relaxed, soft body posture. Dogs that approach each other with stiffness or tension may be signalling discomfort, uncertainty, or potential aggression. Ideally, there should be no signs of anxiety—such as a raised head, stiff tail, or hard stare—when they meet. If you notice these signs, it’s a good idea to intervene before the greeting escalates into something less than friendly. A relaxed dog will typically have their body language more fluid, with a wagging tail, soft eyes, and loose movements.

Polite vs Rude Dog Greetings: How to Help Your Dog Interact Properly

The Sequence of Sniffs

When dogs meet, the most polite greeting involves a sequence of sniffs. First, they may sniff each other’s faces, which is a way for them to gather information about the other dog’s identity. Then, they’ll often move to sniff each other’s bottoms—this is perfectly natural and a socially acceptable form of greeting for dogs. However, it’s important to note that going straight for the genital area is considered rude, and can be unsettling for the other dog. Let the dogs take their time to go through this sequence naturally and avoid forcing the interaction or intervening unless necessary.

The Significance of Lying Down

It’s tempting to believe that a dog lying down before a greeting is a sign of politeness, but this can be problematic. Lying down is often the first stage of the predatory sequence—it’s a sign that the dog is either unsure of the interaction or is beginning to stalk. This behaviour can indicate that your dog is feeling overwhelmed or worried and may not be in the best mental state to make positive decisions during the greeting. Instead, dogs should remain upright as they approach. This keeps the interaction open and non-threatening, allowing both dogs to feel in control.

Hackles and Overarousal

Hackles raised along a dog’s back are often a sign of heightened arousal, which can indicate excitement, nervousness, or potential conflict. While raised hackles don’t always mean aggression, they’re a signal that the interaction is becoming too intense or that one of the dogs is uncomfortable. If you notice hackles, it’s usually best to intervene and give the dogs some space. An ideal greeting should last no more than 5-10 seconds—just enough time for the dogs to assess each other before continuing on with their walk. Prolonged greetings can escalate tension, especially if the dogs are unfamiliar with each other.

The Role of the Dog Owner

It’s essential to remember that dogs do not need to play with every dog they meet. Socialisation is about positive, low-stress interactions—not every meeting has to turn into a play session. If your dog cannot greet another dog politely, it’s your responsibility to create space and avoid forcing the interaction. Allowing a dog to interact rudely can lead to poor experiences, and potentially negative corrections from the other dog. It’s important to realise that it’s not another dog’s job to correct your dog’s behaviour; that responsibility lies with you. Some dogs might not be the best “teachers” when it comes to correcting inappropriate behaviour, so it’s crucial that you step in and manage your dog’s interactions effectively.

Conclusion

Polite dog greetings are an essential part of socialising your dog to the world around them. By teaching your dog to approach others with respect, avoid overwhelming body language, and follow the natural greeting sequence, you’re helping them develop healthy social skills. As a responsible dog owner, it’s your job to moderate these interactions, ensuring that they are positive and comfortable for all involved. By doing so, you’re not only keeping your dog safe, but you’re also contributing to a more harmonious dog community.

Puppy Play 101

Puppies are incredibly playful, and watching them interact with other puppies or older dogs can be a delightful experience. However, their play is not just about fun and games—it’s a critical part of their socialisation and learning. How they play shapes their behaviour and emotional regulation as they grow. Two key components to look for in healthy puppy play are balance and pauses. These elements help ensure that play remains safe, enjoyable, and educational, while also preventing bad habits from forming.

The Importance of Balance in Play

One of the most important aspects of healthy puppy play is balance. When puppies interact, especially with older dogs, there should be a fair exchange of roles. For example, both should take turns chasing, pinning, and wrestling. It’s crucial that one dog doesn’t command the entire play session by constantly chasing or pinning the other. If this happens, it can lead to frustration and anxiety for the other dog, and may eventually result in fear or aggression.

This balance is also important when larger dogs play with smaller puppies. The larger dog should adjust its behaviour to ensure the play is not too overwhelming for the smaller dog. This might mean being gentler in its movements or allowing the puppy to take the lead more often. In other words, dogs of different sizes and ages must “handicap” themselves during play to keep the experience fair and fun for all involved.

Research from the University of Bristol’s Animal Welfare and Behaviour team suggests that balanced play is vital for dogs’ development, helping them learn to communicate, set boundaries, and understand social cues in a safe environment. When puppies learn these early lessons, they grow into well-adjusted adult dogs that know how to interact with others appropriately. We want to be choosing playmates carefully for our puppies so that they learn the right lessons, don’t receive any overly harsh corrections but also do not form frustration/excitement based reactivity around other dogs as they move into adolescence.

The Role of Pauses in Play

The second key component of healthy play is pauses. Play should be punctuated by moments of rest or disengagement, where the dogs take a break, assess their energy levels, and check in with each other. These pauses are important for emotional regulation, allowing dogs to assess whether they are still enjoying the game or if their arousal levels are becoming too high. If there are no pauses in play, it may indicate that one or both dogs are becoming overstimulated. This can lead to a breakdown in play behaviour, and in some cases, may result in snapping, growling, or even an unwanted escalation to aggression.

Puppies, in particular, struggle with inserting their own pauses or respecting those of other dogs. As a result, it’s up to owners to monitor play and intervene if necessary. If you notice that the puppies are becoming overly excited without taking breaks, it’s a good idea to intervene. A simple way to break up a heightened play session is by scattering some food on the ground or using a distraction to redirect their attention. This gives both dogs the opportunity to calm down and reassess the situation.

The absence of pauses can signal rising arousal levels, which are often the precursor to bad choices. According to the Kennel Club, maintaining control of playtime is crucial in preventing undesirable behaviours. Puppies that are allowed to play without appropriate pauses may practise rude behaviours, like excessive biting or jumping, which can persist into adulthood.

Why We Don’t Want Puppies to Play Rudely

When puppies don’t learn to respect pauses or boundaries, they develop poor social habits. Puppies who constantly push other dogs to continue playing when they need a break might learn that it’s acceptable to invade others’ space or push limits inappropriately. This kind of rude behaviour can be difficult to unteach as the puppy grows older, which is why it’s important to intervene early.

By encouraging balanced play and ensuring that pauses are respected, owners can help their puppies develop good manners and self-control. Puppies that learn to respect others’ boundaries and insert their own pauses are more likely to grow into well-behaved dogs who can navigate social interactions with confidence and grace.

Puppy play is not just about entertainment—it’s an essential part of their development. Ensuring that play is balanced and includes regular pauses will help puppies develop good social skills and emotional regulation. Whether puppies are playing with each other or interacting with older dogs, observing and guiding their play is crucial. As responsible pet owners, it’s our job to monitor these interactions, step in when necessary, and provide guidance to ensure that puppies don’t practise bad habits. With balanced play and respect for pauses, puppies can grow into well-adjusted adults who know how to interact with others appropriately.

If you are interested in learning more about healthy dog communication and play, check out my Instagram page, where I have created a number of reels breaking down dog body language and communication.

References:

University of Bristol, Animal Welfare and Behaviour Research Group. (n.d.). Dog socialisation and play. Retrieved from www.bristol.ac.uk
The Kennel Club. (2020). Puppy playtime and socialisation. Retrieved from www.thekennelclub.org.uk

Cats and Dogs Living Together: Tips for a Peaceful Home

Introducing a dog and a cat can be a delicate process, but with patience, understanding, and a little bit of strategy, these two can learn to coexist peacefully—or even become best friends. Whether you’re bringing a new dog into a cat’s home or vice versa, the key is to respect their individual personalities and give them the time they need to adjust. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to make the introduction smooth and stress-free for both your dog and cat.

1. Understand Their Personalities

Before you begin the introduction, it’s crucial to understand the personalities of your dog and cat. Some dogs have a strong prey drive, which could make them more likely to chase or be aggressive towards a cat. Similarly, some cats are more territorial or anxious, which might cause them to be defensive around a new dog. On the other hand, a calm dog paired with a confident cat might adjust quickly.

If your dog is excitable or has a high prey drive, it’s essential to work on their impulse control before introducing them to a cat. Cues like “sit,” “stay,” and “leave it” will be helpful during the introduction process. Similarly, if your cat tends to be skittish, provide them with safe spaces where they can observe the dog without feeling threatened.

2. Start with Scent Exchange

Scent is one of the primary ways animals communicate and understand their environment. Before your dog and cat meet face-to-face, start by exchanging their scents. You can do this by swapping their bedding or using a soft cloth to rub on one pet and then leaving it near the other’s resting area. This allows them to get used to each other’s scent in a non-threatening way, helping to reduce anxiety when they finally meet.

Cats and Dogs Living Together: Tips for a Peaceful Home

3. Create Safe Spaces

Cats often feel more secure when they have a high vantage point from which to observe their surroundings. Before the introduction, make sure your cat has access to high perches, shelves, or even a tall cat tree. This gives them a place to retreat to if they feel overwhelmed during the introduction.

Similarly, ensure that your cat has other safe spaces where the dog cannot access them, such as a separate room or a gated-off area. Baby gates are excellent tools for allowing your pets to see and smell each other without direct contact, giving them time to adjust in a controlled environment.

4. Controlled Introduction with Barriers

When it’s time for a face-to-face introduction, start with a barrier between them, such as a baby gate. This allows them to see and smell each other without the risk of a physical altercation. Keep these initial meetings short and positive, gradually increasing the duration as both pets become more comfortable.

Watch for body language cues during these interactions. A wagging tail or relaxed posture from the dog and a calm, non-hissing response from the cat are good signs. However, if either pet shows signs of stress, such as growling, hissing, or barking, it’s important to end the session and try again later.

5. Use Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool during the introduction process. Reward both your dog and cat with treats, praise, or affection whenever they exhibit calm, friendly behavior toward each other. This helps them associate the presence of the other animal with positive experiences, reinforcing good behavior over time.

6. Supervised Interaction

Once your dog and cat seem comfortable with each other’s presence through the barrier, it’s time to remove the gate and allow them to interact freely. However, these interactions should be closely supervised. Keep the initial sessions short and gradually extend them as both pets become more relaxed around each other.

If your dog becomes too excited or your cat seems stressed, calmly separate them and try again later. Over time, as they become more accustomed to each other, you can allow them more freedom to interact unsupervised, but always ensure your cat has access to a safe space if needed.

7. Choose the Right Dog and Cat

One of the most important steps in ensuring a smooth introduction is to choose a dog or cat that has already been socialised with the other species. If you’re adopting from a breeder, look for those who prioritise socialisation during the critical early weeks of the pet’s life. Puppies and kittens that are exposed to a variety of experiences—including interactions with the other species—during their socialisation period are more likely to adapt to living with a dog or cat later on.

Alternatively, if you’re adopting from a rescue or shelter, ask about the pet’s history with other animals. Dogs or cats that have lived peacefully with the other species before are more likely to adjust quickly in a new home. Rescues can often provide valuable insight into a pet’s temperament and suitability for a multi-pet household, helping you choose the right companion for your current pet.

8. Patience is Key

Every dog and cat is different, and some pairs may take longer to adjust to each other than others. Patience is essential throughout this process. Rushing the introduction can lead to stress, fear, or even aggression, so it’s important to go at your pets’ pace.

In conclusion, introducing a dog and a cat requires careful planning, patience, and understanding of their unique personalities. By starting with a scent exchange, providing safe spaces, and using positive reinforcement, you can help your pets build a positive relationship over time. Remember, the goal is not just peaceful coexistence but to foster a bond where both your dog and cat feel safe and comfortable in their shared home. With the right approach, they can become lifelong friends

How hot is too hot for dogs?

High temperatures kill dogs. Heatstroke causes a dog’s major organs to fail and send the body into shut down and even if we cool the dog off again, it is often too late. It is always better safe than sorry so this blog is about how to keep your dog safe in warmer weather.

How hot is too hot?

12°-15° – It’s all good at this temperature. Enjoy your walk!

16°-19° – Generally, we’re still safe at this level. However, be mindful that older, overweight or brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds may start to struggle.

20°-23° – At this temperature, we’re getting dicey. Particularly for the dogs mentioned above as well as large and double-coated breeds and puppies. Avoid rigorous exercise (no ball throwing!), stick to shade and make sure your dog has constant access to fresh water – take a bottle with you if needs be and offer regularly – every 5 minutes.

24°-27° – It’s getting dangerously hot. These temperatures are uncomfortable for all dogs, regardless of age/breed and heat stroke is a very real risk. Avoid walking at all at this time of day and if you must be outside, stick to shaded areas, don’t let your dog’s paws touch the pavement and keep the walk slow paced.

28°-31° – Too hot to take a dog outside, even when sticking to the shade and by water. Temperatures are now life-threatening. Do not walk your dog at all in these temperatures.

32°+ – See above!

Your dog will not die from having a few days without a walk, but dogs do die from having a walk on hot days – and this happens a lot. It’s not worth the risk.

How to exercise your dog when it’s warm

Stay at home! Give your dog enrichment activities, such as:

Scent work – scatter feeds, article searches, hiding a ball
Licking – an entertaining and soothing behaviour for dogs, use kongs and lickmats
Chewing – give them a frozen carrot, rabbit ear, cow hoof, meaty bone etc
Shredding – cardboard boxes, junk mail, lettuces
Play – tug, hide and seek
Training – run through your dog’s known cues or try something new

You can also walk your dog at the cooler times of day – namely before 8am and after 8pm.

Car travel

We all know dogs die in hot cars. Don’t leave them in the car unattended, for even a matter of seconds. It takes less than a minute for a car to begin to heat up like a greenhouse so there’s no time to pop back inside for something you forget or to grab something from the shop.

If you have air conditioning, get this going for a good five minutes before putting your dog in the car.

You can keep your dog cool by dampening their coat with water before getting in the car (evaporation will reduce the heat in your dog’s body). Make sure they have access to fresh water at all times in the car.

If you don’t have aircon and temperatures get hotter than around 20°, then you may need to avoid car travel with your dog at all, if you can’t guarantee you can park in the shade. Even with the windows open, cars get too hot for dogs.

Pavement walks

If it’s hotter than 20°, it’s not safe to have your dog’s paws on asphalt, concrete etc. If you can’t comfortably hold your hand on the floor for 30 seconds, then your dog’s paws are at risk of being burnt and having the top layer of skin ripped away. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

It takes dogs around 6 weeks to get used to a change in temperature. In the UK, we only have a few weeks of hot spells a year (and these are often sporadic) so it’s not long enough for a dog’s body to adjust to safely exist in the heat. This means we need to be taking precautions. Heat related illnesses are almost always entirely preventable.

Luckily (or unluckily, depending on if you like warm weather!), we have very few days in a year where hot weather is going to mean we need to adjust our schedules with our dogs. Take precautions, educate those around you and stay safe.

Fuss-Free Grooming? Cooperative care.

Grooming is an essential aspect of dog care, but it can be a stressful experience for both dogs and their owners. Traditional grooming methods often involve restraining dogs, which can lead to anxiety, fear, and even aggression.

However, a growing number of pet owners and groomers are turning to cooperative care techniques, which prioritise the dog’s comfort and well-being.

What is Cooperative Care?

Cooperative care is a training approach that involves teaching dogs to voluntarily participate in their grooming and veterinary care. The goal is to create a stress-free environment where the dog feels safe and in control.

Benefits of Cooperative Care:

Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Cooperative care techniques help reduce the stress and anxiety that many dogs experience during grooming. By allowing dogs to have control over the process and using positive reinforcement, they learn to associate grooming with positive experiences.

Improves Trust and Bonding

When dogs are not forced into grooming procedures, they develop a stronger bond with their owners and groomers. This trust makes future grooming sessions easier and more pleasant for both parties.

Enhances Safety

Cooperative care reduces the risk of injury to both the dog and the groomer. A relaxed dog is less likely to struggle or bite, making the grooming process safer and more efficient.

Promotes Better Grooming Results

A calm and cooperative dog allows groomers to work more effectively, leading to better grooming results. This is especially important for breeds with specific grooming needs, such as poodles and doodles.

How to start?

Handlers can teach their dogs cooperative care behaviours at home and a nice one to start with is a chin rest. This behaviour is useful for vet visits and therapeutic treatments because it helps the dog relax and feel connected to its handler.

Practicing cooperative care exercises, such as the chin rest, multiple times a day in various environments is key. The dog learns to keep its chin in one spot, typically in the handler’s hand or lap, and stay calm for a set time while receiving treatment.

Step 1: Create Value for the Position

Start by putting a pillow on your lap and placing a treat on it. When your dog takes the treat, say “yes” and give them another treat. Immediately after they eat the treat, use a release cue like “Break” and toss a treat to the side so they see it and go after it. While your dog is retrieving the tossed treat, place another treat on the pillow to encourage them to return. Repeat this several times to help your dog associate the pillow with getting treats.

Step 2: Let Them Choose

When your dog has got this first stage, remove the treat lure and let your dog decide to approach the pillow. Look at the pillow and encourage the chin rest. If your dog sees the pillow as valuable, they should place their chin on it. If not, reward smaller steps like looking at the pillow, touching it with their nose, and then their chin. Remember to release them with a cue and a tossed treat.

Step 3: Name the Behaviour

When your dog is reliably placing their chin on the pillow, add a cue like “Rest” as their chin touches your lap. Reward them after they hold the position for a few seconds.

Step 4: Extend the Duration

Gradually increase how long your dog keeps their chin on the pillow before marking and rewarding the behaviour.

Step 5: Introduce Distractions

When your dog can hold the position for 10-20 seconds, start adding gentle handling. If they stay in position when you pat their back, mark and reward them. If they break the position, stop, and then ask them to do the chin rest again. This teaches them that breaking the position ends the handling.

Always respect your dog’s choice to say “no.” This helps them understand that this is a safe space where their preferences are respected, and it shows them that good things happen when they perform the desired behaviour, but that they can choose to exit at any time.

This enjoyable method of cooperative care training fosters trust and communication. Dogs learn they have the right to choose and communicate their wishes, which reassures them and gives them a sense of control.

Dogs’ basic needs

All dogs have the right to a feeling of safety. This comes in the form of having their basic needs met freely and without restriction – food, water, shelter and health. We want to be showing our dogs that they will have all their needs met continually.

This may seem very basic, but there is a lot of advice out there which disrupts a dog’s ability to maintain this sense of safety (and I use the term ‘advice’ in the loosest possible way) and I wanted to highlight this and why it is problematic.

Water

Water is essential for the survival of all living things. It is the most basic of needs – and it even a fundamental human right, recognised by the United Nations.

So why are we still seeing it recommended to remove a puppy’s water bowl an hour or two before bed, to prevent accidents? If a dog is thirsty, it should not be restricted from drinking because it’s more convenient for us if they’re dehydrated. Puppies are growing so quickly and are so small that dehydration can have serious effects on their little bodies.

When we bring a puppy home, they are going to have accidents. They don’t know the rules and it’s up to us to teach them that going outside is better than going inside, by giving them ample opportunity to go outside and rewarding them heavily for any outdoor business. Their bladders are also just not big enough to go a full night until they’re around 16 weeks, so we should go into puppy adoption being fully prepared for disrupted sleep for at least this time frame.

We shouldn’t be removing water to make it easier for us.

Food

Another example of restricting dogs’ basic survival needs is the idea that dogs should ‘earn’ their food.

Again, food is a basic need. Putting their food in a slow feeder or lick mat to slow them down is one thing (and this can have great benefits for enrichment as well!) but making them perform a ‘command’ in order to get a treat each time, or ‘wait’ until they’ve been told they can have their dinner is just not necessary.

Again, this mentality is very pervasive and, when you think about it, what are we actually gaining from making our dogs wait to eat their meals? I don’t know about you, but this would royally hack me off the shoe was on the other foot.

Similarly, if we only use high value food when we’re trying to get our dogs to perform an action they don’t like (get in the car, bath or put the harness on) the food can become coercive and dogs can become wary of taking food from us.

I don’t generally recommend free feeding (having food down at all times) but regular meals, given without the expectation of anything in return, is really important for well-being.

All of this is not to say that we shouldn’t use food for training, food is a very powerful motivator for many dogs. But the idea that they should work for all their food isn’t helpful.

Safety

It’s also important to show them that you are safe. That they can trust you and that you are never going to do them harm. Your bond is integral to everything that you do with you dog – you want them to think that you are the absolute bees knees and a source of love and good things for them.

This means that we never want to be punishing our dogs or causing them any intentional pain or discomfort when we’re working with them.

Positive reinforcement, using kind and ethical methods, also happen to be the methods that have been backed by science and proven, time and time again, to be equally (if not more) effective than punishment based training (ecollars, prongs, slip leads, water spray, pet corrector, shouting etc). Punishment based training has also been shown, without exception, to have a negative fallout on the dogs’ well-being in studies.

Dogs thrive when they are shown love and compassion and taught new things in a positive way, using play, food or praise as a reward.

Shelter and health

With a few exceptions (such as livestock guardian dogs), the majority of modern breeds have been selectively bred to live alongside humans in their homes. The majority of dogs want to be with their humans as much as they can and so they should be living in our homes, not sleeping outside or tethered to a tree.

With regards to health, we need to make sure that our dogs can have access to the life-saving medical care they need such as vaccinations, flea and worm prevention etc.

This aspect of dog ownership can be contested as it has been argued to be rooted in classism: many people cannot afford insurance or life-saving surgeries. Does this mean they shouldn’t have dogs? Some would say it does, others say it doesn’t.

But if you shouldn’t have a pet because you can’t afford insurance, then where do we draw the line? Should you not have a dog if you can’t afford to feed raw or a high-end kibble? If you can’t afford a house with a big garden? If you can’t afford a car to take them to exciting places? This is a grey and highly nuanced area and certainly not one that I feel qualified to speak on, so I’ll leave you to make your own conclusions here.

To conclude…

What this all boils down to is that we should be considering our dogs’ basic needs and ensuring that we aren’t imposing any restrictions or criteria on them gaining them.

We have come a long way in terms of understanding learning theory and how we should interact with our dogs, but a lot of ‘old school’ mentality surrounding alphas, dominance, pack leaders and respect is still pervasive throughout society and even the most well-meaning person can have been mislead by these ideas.

So the next time you go to give your dog a treat, you can just give it to them ‘for nothing’. They will love you for it.

New puppy or rescue: what to expect

Welcoming home a new puppy or rescue dog can be overwhelming. There are highs and lows as you and your new family member get to know each other and many new owners find the first weeks to be a difficult adjustment. With this in mind, I wanted to lay out what can be expected when we bring a new dog home, both to help people with what to expect but also to normalise how difficult the adjustment often is.

The first few days

Often, we can be lulled into a false sense of security in those first few days. Our dogs are in a state of acute stress: they have left everything they have ever known and come to a new place, with new people and new smells where nothing is familiar.

This results in our dogs holding everything in. They will often be quiet, sleeping a lot and appear to be very ‘calm’. This is very normal but it’s really important to recognise that this behaviour is not going to be forever. Especially with a young puppy or adolescent dog, they are going to have a lot of carnage to cause when they realise they are home and safe!

Owners will often comment on how settled their dog is and how well they are getting on and feel very positive at this stage.

However, is generally after a week or two that new puppy parents and rescue owners will start to feel overwhelmed by their dog’s behaviours. As they start to decompress and feel safe, they will show more of their personality.

As time goes on…

After a week or two, your dog is feeling safe. They are starting to show more of their personality. They may start barking, jumping up, destroying furniture, toileting inside.

Again, this is normal. Your dog is feeling safe and therefore, they are being themselves. A puppy or rescue has not learnt the rules of your home or how we like them to behave, so they are just doing what comes naturally. It’s important to be mindful of the fact that they are not being bad, they are just being a dog.

However, no matter how much you remind yourself of this fact, it doesn’t always make it any easier to deal with the behaviours that are in front of you. It is at this point that owners will often feel like they’ve bitten off more than they can chew and may start to wonder if a getting a dog was the right decision. Often, these feelings of regret come intermixed with intense feelings of guilt, as we feel awful that we are having these thoughts. This is called the ‘puppy blues’ and again, is totally normal. If you want to read more on this phenomenon, I wrote a blog on the puppy blues.

This means that we’ve got a dog who is behaving badly and we’re feeling overwhelmed, sad and guilty to boot. This is a lot for anyone to manage.

So what can we do?

Go back to training basics. We need to build from the bottom up with ours dogs. Don’t expect too much too soon. If you can teach your dog to respond to their name, how to sit and how to ‘wait’ for a treat, then this is a brilliant place to start. This is the fundamentals of recall, basic obedience and impulse control – really important skills and super easy to start off with! Look for easy wins.

Reward everything. Whenever your dog offers you a behaviour you like, reward it. Sat calmly on the floor? Treat. Didn’t bark when someone walked past? Treat. Went to bed without being asked? Treat. Looked at you on a walk? Treat. Everything that your dog does that you like, reinforce it. This is the only way they will learn what we want from them.

Meet your dog’s needs. Make sure your dog is having all their physical and mental needs met. They need to be getting the right amount of exercise: too much and we risk overstimulating and overtiring them. When we come back from a walk, your dog should be calm; if they aren’t, then it was too much. Mental stimulation is also important.

Remain consistent. Make time every day for training. Practise makes permanent so even a five minute training session is better than nothing and will soon add up! You need to be a source of safety for your dog: your bond is everything.

Reach out to a support network. Don’t do it alone. Speak with friends and family, check in with your trainer. There are also lots of wonderful groups on social media where you can reach out to other puppy owners (just be wary of taking any training advice from here, as often this advice is harmful).

Remain positive. By this I mean, stick to positive reinforcement and don’t be tempted to punish your dog. Remember: there is no bad behaviour, it’s just dog behaviour. Dogs don’t do spite or malice, they are not trying to get a rise out of you. Stick to reinforcing what you do like and eventually, these choices will be made more and more reliably.

Take time for yourself. It’s important to have time away from your dog in these first few weeks. Have them go with a walker, spend time with a neighbour, friend or family member so you can do the things that make you happy without your dog. You can’t pour from an empty cup!

Professional advice

Seeking the help of a qualified trainer or behaviourist can also help enormously when you first bring a dog home. Make sure to seek out an R+ (positive reinforcement) trainer, who uses force-free methods. This is the type of training that is backed by science, where dogs learn through praise and encouragement rather than through fear, pain or intimidation.

I work with clients in person across Bournemouth & Poole but also online with clients across the globe. Click here to drop me a message.

Sighthounds

Sighthounds are a group of super speedy dogs that hunt through speed and sight, rather than scent and endurance like most dogs. Whippets, lurchers and greyhounds are all sighthounds but there are dozens of dog breeds that fall into the sighthound category.

Sighthound ownership

Sighthounds are awesome dogs and make for the best companions. They were bred to catch the quickest and most nimble of prey, such as deer and hares. These dogs are characterised by a flexible spine, long legs to and a deep chest. Sighthounds, and in particular, whippets, are a dog breed that I wholeheartedly recommend for first time owners.

Whilst they are the world’s fastest dog breeds, they do not need a huge amount of exercise. They are like F1 cars: fantastic performance, but not built for long drives! They are the world’s fastest couch potatoes and love nothing more than snuggling up with their humans.

Since they are so lean, sighthounds do feel the cold and this means that they do benefit from wrapping up warm in colder weather, so investing in a dog-jumper is a must for the UK winters.

Since sighthounds are so sight-motivated, they can need more work to proof their recall in the face of prey (squirrels, cats, rabbits) and so benefit from recall work from the very beginning. Many sighthound owners choose to walk their hounds on a longline indefinitely, for peace of mind, but with enough time and consistency, it is possible to teach your sighthound a solid recall.

Anatomy

Their legs are long to give them a long stride, allowing them to move faster, and their chests are deep in order to support their unusually large hearts and very efficient lungs. Sighthound hearts are larger compared to other dogs of similar weights, which equips them for maximum efficiency when it comes to both anaerobic and aerobic sprints. Their lean bodies keep their weight to a minimum, which further increases their speediness.

All of this results in a dog who is very uniquely shaped, when compared to other canines. As such, it can be a struggle to find harnesses that fit comfortably and are escape proof, as catering for their small heads, long legs and barrel-like chests is not what most harnesses have been designed for.

I always recommend owners use a harness over a collar, especially for puppies or rescues, as they distribute the pressure evenly and we aren’t applying any pressure on the delicate area around the neck. As such, this presented a bit of a problem…

Enter: Snootiful Hound.

Snootiful Hound

Snootiful Hound is a small business set up with sighthounds in mind; their main product is a harness designed just for sighthound breeds, catering specifically to their unique body shape to create a harness that is escape-proof, comfortable and stylish. The owner, Maleki, was inspired by his own sighthound, Blondie, a rescue Saluki-mix.

He quickly found out that Blondie had a knack for escaping traditional dog harnesses, and with a bit more research, he found out that it’s actually quite common with sighthound breeds. Their body shape makes it quite easy for them to ‘back out’ of many harnesses and once they’re loose, their speed can make it very difficult to get them safe again.

To address this problem, Maleki set out to design an escape proof harness designed just for sighthound breeds.

The harness

Firstly, the harness had to be escape proof. Although a sighthound’s unique body shape is what makes them susceptible to slipping out of traditional harnesses, it also helped to come up with an escape proof design.

See, behind the big barrel-y chest, is a very slim waist. By adding a third strap to the harness which tucks behind the chest, it would make it impossible for the harness to slip forward.

But why stop there? Sighthounds have other unique needs too, so it also has extra padding, 5 points of adjustment to get a perfect fit, 2 handles for extra control and more unique features!

Maleki is passionate about sighthounds and does a lot of charity work for local sighthound charities. Due to their use in racing, many greyhounds are discarded when they can no longer race and end up looking for rescue homes, or they risk being put to sleep. 10% of all profits are donated to sighthound charities, so by supporting this small business, you are also supporting the wellbeing of these amazing dogs.

If you have a sighthound, I can wholeheartedly recommend Snootiful Hound’s fantastic range of products. Maleki and I have even been speaking about how to adapt the products with puppies in mind, to make lead walking training comfortable and easy.

You can check out his website here and use code JESSDOGTRAINING10 for 10% off all products.

Dog bites – what you need to know

Did you know there are different levels of dog bite and that a dog doesn’t have to make contact in order to be considered ‘dangerous’ in the eyes of the law? If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be alone.

Dangerous Dogs Act

In May 2014, changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act came into effect. The law now states that that all dog owners are be responsible for their dog’s behaviour – both at home and in public places. Whether you own a large or tiny breed, a friendly or nervous dog, this law applies to all dogs in the UK.

It’s against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control anywhere, for example:
• In a public place.
• In a private place, such as a neighbour’s house or garden.
• In the owner’s home.

Out of Control Dogs

Generally, if a dog bites a person it will be presumed to have been ‘dangerously out of control’. However, even if the dog does not bite, but gives the person grounds to feel that the dog may injure them, the law still applies. This can include dogs who jump up, bark at people/animals or who ignore their recall.

Bite Levels

Level 1

Dog growls, bares teeth, barks, stares – but no contact is made

Level 2

A single bite but no puncture wound

Level 3

Bite to human – a single bite, with 1-4 punctures, where the bite has the depth of <half a canine or less. Bite to dog – a single bite to the head or back of neck, with 1-4 punctures, where the bite has the depth of <half a canine or less

Level 4

Bite to human – a single bite, with 1-4 punctures, with a depth of > than half a canine, where bruising is evident within 2 days . Bite to dog – a single bite, with 1-4 punctures, with a depth of > than half a canine

Level 5

Multiple bites in one attack, with a depth of > half a canine

Level 6

Fatality

What does this mean?

All of this means that we need to be aware of the law so that we can advocate for our dogs.

Management

This can look like long lines and muzzles. If your dog has poor recall, keep them on lead. If your dog has a bite history and can be unpredictable, muzzle train them and wear one just in case. If your dog is nervous around unknown people and dogs, don’t walk in highly populated areas with them

Training

Recall is an essential skill if you are planning on having your dog off lead – and this means your dog can come back around distractions, be it another dog, a child with a ball or a family with a picnic. Impulse control training is also important so your dog can manage big feelings without needing to react (this helps with jumping up, barking etc). If your dog is reactive, then behavioural training and reconditioning to help them manage their feelings can be essential for their wellbeing and safety.

Socialisation

We’re talking about puppies here. Make sure to give your pup as many positive/neutral experiences around all different types of dogs and people, sights, sounds and smells. This will result in a confident dog who is less likely to respond fearfully to new situations. Click here to read more about socialisation in puppies.

As always, I am here to help. If you have any questions about dog bites, if your dog has bitten or been bitten, or you want to help your dog with recall or reactivity, drop me a message.