Skyhuntr Brittany’s

29/08/2026

Today Eden and Belle went off to the dog show on at Geelong today. Eden was entered but Belle went along for socialisation and exposure. Safe to say Belle made many new friends around the rings! And tomorrow we are off to our second obedience class which Belle is also loving.

26/08/2026

Happy International Dog Day!

19/08/2026

Getting out and about to do training in different places and different surfaces!

12/08/2026

One of the simplest behavioural tools I use with puppies doesn't involve a lead, a clicker or even a cue... it involves their nose...

If I asked you to think about your puppy using their nose, I bet the first thing that would pop into your head would be a walk. You'd probably picture them stopping every few feet to sniff a lamppost or a tuft of grass, wondering what on earth could possibly be that interesting. That's probably the image that comes to the forefront for most people. But in this context, I'm actually talking about using your puppy's nose purposefully as part of their training, because of what it does to their brain, not simply because it keeps them occupied for a few minutes.

A lot of our Puppy Club members will have heard me talk about the "Find It" game. There is a reason I recommend it so often. I'm not just trying to distract your puppy. I'm giving them a job that comes naturally to them. Instead of bouncing from one thing to the next, they've suddenly got something purposeful to focus on. It's amazing how often you can almost see their whole body start to soften as they begin using their nose.

The lovely thing about nose work is that it doesn't just fill time. Your puppy is solving little problems, making decisions and working things out for themselves. That builds confidence. It encourages independence. It gives them opportunities to succeed without us constantly stepping in to help. They're learning all the time, even though it probably just looks as though they're sniffing around the garden.

I use nose work in lots of different situations. Before a training session if a puppy is struggling to focus. After something exciting when they're finding it hard to switch off. On rainy days when a long walk isn't practical. Or simply because I can see they're becoming a little bit busy and need something appropriate to do. It isn't the answer to every behaviour problem, but it is one of those simple little tools that I find myself coming back to again and again.

If you've never played "Find It" before, don't overcomplicate it. Start by dropping a piece of food right in front of your puppy and say, "Find it." Once they understand the game, you can make it a little bit harder. Toss a treat a metre away. Scatter a few pieces of food in the grass. Hide a favourite toy around the house. Let them sniff out their dinner in a snuffle mat. The game grows with your puppy, but the idea stays exactly the same... let that clever little nose do the work.

So the next time your puppy seems a little overexcited, a bit frustrated or simply in need of something to do, don't just think about how to burn off more energy. Think about giving them a job instead. Sometimes the simplest games are the ones that have the biggest impact, and in my experience, using your puppy's nose purposefully is one of the easiest behavioural tools you can have in your toolbox. 💛

10/08/2026

Great information about exercise & growth plates in puppies

🐶 PUPPY GROWTH PLATES - WHY THEY MATTER MORE THAN YOU MIGHT THINK

Puppies are not simply smaller versions of adult dogs.

Underneath all that puppy energy is a developing skeleton that is still growing, changing and maturing.

And one particularly important part of that development is the growth plates.

🦴 WHAT ARE GROWTH PLATES?

⭐️ Growth plates - technically called physes - are areas of developing cartilage located near the ends of many of a puppy’s long bones.

This is where much of the lengthening of the bones occurs as your puppy grows.

⭐️ As skeletal maturity approaches, these growth plates gradually close and are replaced by mature bone.

Until then, they are structurally different from the surrounding mature bone.

⭐️ That matters because injuries involving a growth plate can potentially interfere with normal bone development.

⚠️ WHEN DO GROWTH PLATES CLOSE?

There isn’t one universal age.

⭐️ Different bones mature at different times, and breed, genetics, s*x and expected adult size all influence skeletal development.

As a broad guide:

🐾 Small breeds often reach skeletal maturity earlier - approximately 6-12 months.

🐾 Medium breeds may continue developing until approximately 12 months.

🐾 Large breeds commonly continue skeletal development until around 12-18 months.

🐾 Giant breeds can continue maturing until approximately 18-24 months, sometimes longer in aspects of musculoskeletal development.

So the statement:

“He’s a year old, so his growth plates are closed.”

…isn’t necessarily true.

Even within the same dog, different growth plates close at different ages.

🦴 WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

A growing puppy absolutely NEEDS exercise.

Movement helps develop:

✔️ muscles
✔️ tendons and ligaments
✔️ coordination
✔️ balance
✔️ proprioception
✔️ cardiovascular fitness
✔️ confidence
✔️ healthy body composition

So protecting growth plates does not mean wrapping puppies in cotton wool.

The important distinction is between appropriate self-directed movement and excessive, repetitive or highly forced exercise.

🌿 LET PUPPIES MOVE LIKE PUPPIES

Free exploration on appropriate surfaces is very different from making a puppy repeatedly perform an activity because we want them to keep going.

Think:

✅Sniffing.

✅Walking.

✅Trotting.

✅Playing.

✅Exploring different safe surfaces.

✅Changing direction.

✅Stopping.

✅Resting.

✅Moving again.

A puppy regulating its own movement has opportunities to change pace and stop.

Compare that with repetitive activities such as prolonged forced running, repeatedly chasing a ball, running alongside a bike, repetitive high-impact jumping or extensive repetitive stair work.

The puppy may enthusiastically participate - but enthusiasm doesn’t mean their developing body is ready for unlimited repetitions.

🎾 BALL CHASING DESERVES PARTICULAR ATTENTION

Repeated ball throwing can involve:

➡️ rapid acceleration
➡️ sudden braking
➡️ sharp turns
➡️ twisting
➡️ jumping
➡️ repetitive loading of the same structures

And because chasing can be extremely exciting, some puppies will continue long after sensible physical limits would otherwise tell them to slow down.

One throw isn’t the issue.

Repetition and intensity are.

🐕 WHAT ABOUT WALKS?

You may have heard the old:

“Five minutes of walking per month of age.”

There isn’t good scientific evidence establishing this as a universal rule. But - it may be a sensible guide to work around.

A 20-minute slow, sniffy exploration is not physically equivalent to 20 minutes of running, jumping or repetitive fetch.

Instead of obsessing over a stopwatch, consider:

Intensity + duration + frequency + terrain + repetition + individual puppy.

A growing Great Dane and a growing Chihuahua are not developing on identical timelines.

🧠 AND DON’T FORGET THE BRAIN

🤨 Puppies don’t need to be physically exhausted to have their needs met.

➡️ Sniffing, exploring, chewing, licking, problem solving, training, enrichment and appropriate social experiences can provide enormous amounts of stimulation without requiring repetitive high-impact exercise.

⚠️ And puppies need a LOT of sleep.

Often the answer to a puppy becoming increasingly wild, bitey and unable to settle isn’t:

“He needs more exercise.”

Sometimes it’s:

“He needs to sleep.”

🚩 WATCH THE PUPPY IN FRONT OF YOU

After activity, pay attention to things such as:

stiffness
limping
reluctance to move
altered gait
difficulty getting comfortable
reluctance to use stairs or jump
suddenly sitting or lying down
lagging behind
changes in willingness to play
sensitivity when touched
Persistent or recurrent changes deserve veterinary assessment.

❤️ THE GOAL ISN’T TO STOP PUPPIES FROM USING THEIR BODIES.

It’s to help those bodies develop well.

Give them opportunities to run.

Let them play.

Let them sniff.

Let them explore.

Build strength, coordination and confidence through varied, age-appropriate movement.

But be cautious about forced, repetitive and unnecessarily high-impact exercise while the skeleton is still developing.

Your puppy has their whole adult life ahead of them.

There is absolutely no rush.

Build the body first. Then ask more of it. 🐾

08/08/2026

Ignore the pantless toddler but I had to show this clip of Belle and Keely and how exceptionally good Belle is - most puppies would be excited, jumping, biting and any number of other things with a tiny human. But Belle is calm, follows her around, interacts nicely with her - talk about brilliant temperament. This is what we breed for our dogs - smart, engaged, gentle and with an off switch!

07/08/2026

Some lead training for Belle today and saying hi to her pony friend Til (who loves her!).
It’s a lot quieter around here that’s for sure!

Feel free to add a photo of what your pups are up to today Sabine, Remy, Alison, Joanna and Ki Yan

02/08/2026

Quiet day here at Skyhuntr Brittany’s - going from 6 puppies down to 2 is quite a change! Brisket and Belle have enjoyed lots of cuddles, playing with Eden in the big dogs yard and quiet naps inside in Belles new bed.

01/08/2026

Another two puppies flew the coop today! We are so excited to hear all about Milo and Kayli’s adventures! We look forward to seeing Kayli out showing and doing a range of dog sports with her new family! Welcome to the Skyhuntr family Joanna & Merlin and Alison & Cam already have another one of our pups from our 2022 litter, Clancy! And then there were two - of which had a big day spending time with Eden!

31/07/2026

Big day for these two - Atlas (left) and Scotch (right) as they flew up to Brisbane to meet their new families! Both pups travelled really well and are settling in tonight. Welcome to the Skyhuntr family Sabine, Jack and Remy we can’t wait to follow all your adventures with your amazing pups!