Taking your dog to the vet can be a very stressful experience for both them and you! Not only is it full of strangers in human and animal form, but it will also smell and look very unusual to them. They will often form an association of these surroundings with being touched, prodded, injected and more – all kinds of hands on, intrusive handling. Some dog’s handle this well and are able to go with the flow, however, some dogs understandably can become uncomfortable or worried by the vets. Setting them up for success in advance can turn a stressful vet visit into an examination success! First I ..read more

What an exciting time! You’ve researched the dog breed that fits with your lifestyle, you’ve taken the time to check everything you will need for your puppy going forward, and you are as prepared as you can be! It’s time to find a puppy breeder! There are 1000's out there, especially if you are looking for a popular dog breed, but how do you know which puppy breeders are legitimate and ethical and which ones you should steer clear of? There are many considerations to look at as the wrong breeder could leave you with costly vet and behaviourist/trainer bills further down the line. In addition t ..read more

What an exciting time! You’ve researched the dog breed that fits with your lifestyle, you’ve taken the time to check everything you will need for your puppy going forward, and you are as prepared as you can be! It’s time to find a puppy breeder! There are 1000's out there, especially if you are looking for a popular dog breed, but how do you know which puppy breeders are legitimate and ethical and which ones you should steer clear of? There are many considerations to look at as the wrong breeder could leave you with costly vet and behaviourist/trainer bills further down the line. In addition t ..read more

Barking at visitors can be a very intense situation that can often go from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye. All it takes is a narrow environment or a quick movement, and we can very quickly head into a dangerous situation. This is because most of the time, when our dogs are barking at a visitor, they are afraid. To prevent any escalation in these situations, it’s important to know how to help our canine companions feel more relaxed and at ease and how to manage the situation if they don’t. There is an alarming increase in reports of bites in the home, but worry not, this article is here to hel ..read more

Most children absolutely love dogs, the soft fur, the cute faces, and the wiggly tail all give them a great big grin! They can't help but feel the urge to reach out and stroke, touch and, sometimes, grab! Unfortunately, this sometimes causes our dogs to feel worried around children (and adults) and can lead to some negative interactions - our children are just being kids, and our dogs are just being dogs! So, how do we make this relationship a bit more peaceful for both? Interactions Count! It's really important to teach our children how to interact with dogs appropriately. Heres some quick t ..read more

We often get so wrapped up in training, walking and day to day doggyness that we often forget to provide one of the most important needs to our dogs – enrichment. Enrichment is meeting our dog’s mental stimulation needs and allowing them to express natural behaviours in suitable ways and doesn’t matter what age or breed your dog is, they all need it. Walking a dog 5 miles is not the only (or most effective) way of meeting our dogs needs. Most dogs will find 30 mins of mental enrichment much more fulfilling that a 1hr walk and will often feel more relaxed, suitably tired, and happier in general ..read more

We've all been there, having a great time with our adorable new puppy - playing, stroking, loving - then out of nowhere our puppy turns into a land shark, desperately trying to grab and bite anything in sight, toy or human! Next thing you know, it's now a case of run for the sofa as quickly as possible to get out of reach of the needle teeth! So the BIG question, how on earth do we stop it?! Well, the answer may surprise you! Why Do They Bite? In order to know how to prevent the biting, we need to know why it's happening. Typically, puppies will start biting for one (or more) of 3 main reason ..read more

Barking at visitors can be a very intense situation that can often go from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye. All it takes is a narrow environment or a quick movement, and we can very quickly head into a dangerous situation. This is because most of the time, when our dogs are barking at a visitor, they are afraid. To prevent any escalation in these situations, it’s important to know how to help our canine companions feel more relaxed and at ease and how to manage the situation if they don’t. There is an alarming increase in reports of bites in the home, but worry not, this article is here to hel ..read more

Almost anyone who owns a dog knows the situation: You’re sitting at home reading a book or watching TV, fully relaxed and settled when suddenly your dog gives off rapid, loud, and surprising barks! You jump out of your skin, and your dog flies to the nearest door or window! There goes the peace and quiet, and we now have a stressed and pent-up dog. It’s important that we understand what is happening and how to prevent the barking , not just for our sanity, but for our dogs too. Why Is This Happening?! There are a few elements to this, so here are some factors below: Boredom! If there’s nothin ..read more

Resource guarding can be a very worrying thing to live with, especially if your dog is guarding a variety of things and has escalated to bites to communicate. There is a lot of information out there, some wonderful, some terrifyingly bad, and it can be very difficult to know what to listen to and what to ignore. As a dog trainer and behaviourist, I come across all sorts of myths and methods, so I wanted to write an article to help you to get it right from the start (and what to do if you’re already struggling!) What Is It? First, let’s talk about what it is and what it isn’t! Dominance – Your ..read more