You and Your Dog

Congratulations to our puppy preschool graduates tonight ✨️here is the gorgeous lineup of them all....Oreo, Hunter, Mana, Bodhi, Pepper, & Kirby 🎊👏 🎓

Something everyone should know👇

We should always avoid putting dogs in uncomfortable situations. Regardless of whether they're muzzled or not.

Just because a muzzle negates the risk to others, doesn’t mean that it changes the way our dogs FEEL!

It’s so important to treat your dog as you would if there was still a high risk of injury to another being because in doing so you will be more likely to keep your dog out of situations you know they’re unlikely to be able to cope with.

👉 Your dog will still be uncomfortable with dogs even if they're muzzled.

👉 With a muzzle on, your dog will still be uncomfortable at the vet.

👉 If your dog was so fearful they tried to bite your neighbour before, they still might try with a muzzle on.

A muzzle is a MANAGEMENT TOOL that keeps dogs and others safe, but a muzzle alone doesn’t create emotional change. 💕

Putting on a muzzle doesn't mean we can throw everything at our dogs that we couldn't before, just because the risk to others is lower. We help our dogs grow in confidence and feel safe, not them. We do it with good management, great, ethical training, and considering whether our dogs will enjoy our situations.

Let me know if you agree! 💗

This is how the out dated theory of 'Alpha' or 'Pack Leader' originated from... theohttps://www.facebook.com/100063695496482/posts/958981446235030/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

Where did the term 'alpha' originate from?

In this short clip David L Mech discusses the term alpha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNtFgdwTsbU

Tomorrow we will list some of the reasons that guardians may think their dogs are 'alpha'

Hackles refers to the line of hair that runs along the spine of the dog, from the back of the neck to the top of the tail. In certain situations, these hackles will be raised, also known as piloer****on (pilo meaning hair and er****on meaning raised).

It is commonly thought of as a sign of aggression. While raised hackles can be a warning sign that the dog is bothered by something and may resort to aggression, hackles can raise for a number of reasons. The real definition of why raised hackles occur is a rise in arousal levels.

Arousal in behaviour terms relates to the level of interest, excitement, or reaction that the dog is experiencing. An over-excited dog who is bouncing around, jumping up at people, maybe mouthing their hand is over-aroused. The dog who is trying to run away from something that scares them is over-aroused. The dog who displays aggressive behaviours towards something that they feel is too close to them is over-aroused.

Hackles are a good sign to look for to judge how relaxed your dog is in a situation, together with the rest of the signs and signals they are showing at the same time. You can find more information in this article from my blog: https://www.goodguardianship.com/post/can-you-tell-how-your-dog-is-feeling

It's so important to take time to familiarise yourself with canine body language and, in particular, how your dog's body language appears.

Thinking of adopting a puppy? Or have you or a friend just adopted a puppy? Here is a great informative short video about the basics of good socialization for your puppy BEFORE they turn 4 months old. One of the great things you can do is enroll your puppy into puppy preschool! Vikki runs the classes for pups aged 8-15 weeks at Town & Country Vet every week, your puppy can attend so long as they have had their first vaccination. Enroll early as the spaces fill quickly

The MOST Important Thing To Teach A New Puppy - SOCIALISATION Did you know that puppies have a critical socialisation period that only lasts until they are around four months old? Watch this video to learn what socialis...

Congratulations to our puppy preschool graduates from last Thursday, we had a boutique graduation ceremony as puppies Jade and Wolfie couldn't make it, here are the cutest pics of Maverick, Tonka & Mylo ❤️🐕👏

If a dog receives every meal from a bowl it may mean missing a great opportunity to add some interest into their daily lives. In the past, the dogs and their ancestors would have spent a proportion of their time searching out food, and we can use this to include interest and give opportunities for them to carry out natural canine behaviours.

There are many food toys available for purchase, but they can be very expensive on a limited budget. The good news is that offering food-based enrichment doesn't have to involve spending a lot of money!

Three simple food games require no spending and are very simple to prepare, so they are easy for anyone to carry out.

Scatter some pieces of food or treats along the length of a towel/tea towel or some other piece of cloth and roll it up so the dog needs to unroll it and find the food as they go.

Scatter a portion of your dog's daily ration around the garden for them to sniff out. If you don't have a garden, you can hide the food around the house for them to find.

Keep carboard boxes and safe packaging materials like paper from any deliveries and hide food in the bottom of the box and scattered among the scrunched-up pieces of paper for the dog to hunt out.

The added bonus here is also that dogs who love to shred things can then also destroy the box and paper and the only inconvenience for us is the clearing up afterwards. (It is important to note that dogs who may attempt to eat the packaging materials should not be allowed to carry out the destruction phase as this could be dangerous.)

Not all dogs enjoy working like this for every meal - one of my dogs is fine to have one meal a day that he needs to search out but gets hangry and grumpy if it occurs more than once a day. As with many things, it's important to find out what works for your individual dog and keeps them happy.

These are such a great option for many dogs for a variety of reasons or situations :)

2 x Spaces available in our upcoming Simple Manners Dog Training course starting this Monday in Richmond (indoors), we have one space in the 4.30 class and one in the 5.45 class. Here's the link for more info and to book your pooch a space online https://www.youandyourdog.co.nz/events/category/coursescalendar/

Congratulations to our puppy preschool graduates who finished the puppy preschool course tonight, 🐕🤗👏👏🎓Willow, Luna, Roley, Roxy, Digby, and Ruby, enjoy their gorgeous pics 🐾✨️

Congratulations to all of our recent graduates from Simple Manners in Motueka and Richmond....Enjoy the gorgeous pics of Lily, Doja, Frankie, Tiffany, Bowie, Wicket, Frank, Lyla, Peaches, Maia, Zac, Freida, Maggie, Bohdi, Vito, Marcel, Pepper, & Tua ✨️🎓🐕🐾

Looking to teach your pooch some new skills? Or refresh their existing ones? Enroll now into our upcoming Simple Manners classes starting in Richmond on Monday 28th May, two class times: 4.30PM or 5.45PM. Click on the link below for more info and to enroll your dog for some essential but fun training classes https://www.youandyourdog.co.nz/events/category/coursescalendar/

Continuing the Bite Prevention Week theme.

Children represent a massive proportion of reported dog bite cases. These pictures, selected from a massive library of similar stock photos of children with dogs, show some of the reasons for this.

Humans like physical contact. We're generally huggers, particularly with a gorgeous animal like a dog - that soft coat and gorgeous faces just look perfect for a hug, especially to a child.

Dogs are definitely not like us in this way. True, there are some dogs who may enjoy cuddling up with their people, and even like or don't mind hugs. One of my dogs is very much in favour of physical contact. Importantly, however, it is only with the people he chooses. The ones he knows and trusts.

Kids often cannot read canine body language. The signs are here in the photographs used of a tense and unhappy dog, but the children in these pictures can't see and interpret them.

It's up to us as adults, whether parents, dog caregivers, or both, to make sure that we are educated on canine body language and can see the signs of stress.

That we make sure to advocate for the dogs so that they are not put in this position.

To make sure that the children around us are educated and taught about the likes and dislikes of dogs.

To stop putting children and dogs into potentially dangerous situations for the cute photo or video (the videos of babies propped up against dogs make most behaviour professionals shudder because that is so not fair on either species!)

Let's be fair to both dogs and children and use education and understanding to keep children and dogs happy and safe together.

It is so nice, and we are so grateful to have our own, inhouse infographic designer. Emma Cook from The Funky Foxhound - CBS Aspiring Instructor - thank you, we greatly appreciate it.

Congratulations to our cute graduates from puppy preschool....enjoy the happy snaps of Theodore, Pippin, Cooper, Lulu, & Nacho 💚🐾🎓

Big congrats to our graduates from Simple Manners today.... Enjoy our pics of Duggie, Milly, Maple x 2, Toffee, Cookie, & Pippin 🎓🐾👏

*CUTENESS ALERT* here are some happy snaps from our puppy preschool graduation this week, congratulations to Willow, Reign, Ginny, Quinn, Tikka, & Tallulah who couldn't make graduation. 🎓 🐕👏

Simple Manners group training classes starting in both Motueka and Richmond in April click on the link for more info on the classes for your pooch

Archives You and Your Dog Training Courses

Congratulations to our latest gorgeous puppies who graduated 🎓 from puppy preschool last week 😍 Daisy x 2, Lockie, Maple & Willow 👏

Having trouble getting your dog to listen to come to you when you call them? So frustrating! I have a One session Recall workshop on Saturday 24th Feb in Brightwater @ 9.45 AM. Loads of behaviour advice around the recall along with some training strategies introduced. Click on the link below to book your dog's spot in this workshop.

K9 - Come Back! One-session Workshop Saturday 24th February @ 9.45 - 11.00 AM RICHMOND K9 Come Back! Teach your Dog to come when called Wouldn’t it be great if your dog came back to you? Having a dog that won’t come when you call…

Simple Manners Dog Training course starts Saturday 24th Feb @ 8.30 AM in Brightwater. Book your dog a spot online from the link below

Simple Manners 5-session Course BRIGHTWATER starts Saturday 24th February @8.30 AM-9.30 AM Teach Your Dog some Manners! Our Simple Manners Dog Training course is the perfect next step for puppy pre-school graduates, as training doesn’t stop once puppy pre-school finishes! Older dogs…

*** REMINDER: DOGS IN HOT CARS ***

We are starting to get the usual warm weather call-outs and one of them is dogs left in hot cars.

On a hot day, the temperature inside your car can reach 39°C in 10 minutes. Even in the shade with the windows down, the temperature can rise to a deadly 49°C in 30 minutes. Your dog’s natural cooling process is ineffective in these conditions.

Dogs overheat much more quickly than humans as they cannot sweat like we can, but instead they pant to dissipate heat and cool their body temperature. This is near impossible to do when the air in their immediate environment is thick and hot, as it is in a hot car. Your dog’s normal body temperature is about 38.5°C. Their body can withstand a higher temperature for only a short amount of time before irreversible damage is done.

So make sure you think about the weather and how long you are going to be out before you consider taking your dog with you. Better to keep them at home where they are safe and can shower you with cuddles upon your return!

For tips and advice on how to keep your animals cool this summer, please check out the link below: https://www.spca.nz/advice-and-welfare/article/keeping-pets-safe-in-summer

Congratulations to 16 super cute pooches & families that graduated 🎓 from our Simple Manners classes last week 👏Well done to....Ziggy, Riley, Rocky, Archie, Luna, Buddy, Carla, Lilly, Portia, Blu, Maclary, Rocky, Evie, Toffee, Sam, & Milly.