Pets Natural Health Store

06/11/2026

Love 🐕🐩🦮🐕‍🦺

Ever catch yourself having a full conversation with your dog, asking how their day went, or explaining why you're leaving the house? Science suggests this adorable habit might say something interesting about your brain.

According to behavioral scientist Dr. Nicholas Epley of the University of Chicago, anthropomorphism, or giving human characteristics to animals and objects, isn't a sign of foolishness. It's a natural byproduct of the cognitive abilities that make humans uniquely intelligent.

When you talk to your dog as if they understand every word, your brain activates the same mentalizing networks used to understand human thoughts, intentions, and behavior.

Scientists believe this tendency reflects advanced pattern recognition and our natural instinct to interpret the world through social connections.

So the next time you tell your dog about your day, ask their opinion, or explain why they can't have another treat, don't feel silly. Your brain might simply be doing what it does best. And your dog? They're probably happy to listen. 🐶❤️

06/11/2026

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Don't be fooled. They're still fizzy inside.

That 2-second sit?
It might not have changed anything at all.

You asked for a sit.
They sat.
You released them.
And they exploded forward, pulling just as hard as before.

Sound familiar?

We think the sit helped. We saw them listen.
But all we did was press pause on a dog who was already fizzy.

And what happens when you hold the lid on a fizzy bottle?
The pressure builds.

That's what can be happening during that wait.
Anticipation is building.
Frustration is building.
At both ends of the lead.

So we ask for another sit. And another wait.
And we get stuck in a loop.
Sit. Release. Pull. Sit. Release. Jump. Sit. Release. Rush.

It's not that we should never ask for a sit or a wait.
Sometimes it's exactly the right thing.

But if it's always our "go to"?
It doesn't teach impulse control. It just delays the behaviour we were struggling with in the first place.

A successful sit doesn't always mean successful impulse control.

Sometimes we're just pressing pause on a dog who is still fizzy inside.

06/11/2026

🐕🐩🦮🐕‍🦺

🤗🐶 "BUT MY DOG LOVES HUGS!" ... ARE YOU SURE? 🐶🤗

We humans are rather fond of hugs. We wrap our arms around the people we love to show affection, reassurance and connection.

So it's understandable that we want to do the same with our dogs.

But here's something worth thinking about: does your dog actually enjoy being hugged, or have they simply learned to tolerate it?

Research into canine body language and human-dog interactions suggests that many dogs find close physical restraint uncomfortable. Being wrapped in arms, squeezed tightly or leaned over can restrict their movement and make it difficult to move away.

For a species that relies heavily on movement, body language and the ability to create distance when uncomfortable, this matters.

And just because a dog doesn't struggle, growl or attempt to escape doesn't necessarily mean they're enjoying the interaction.

🐾 HOW CAN YOU TELL IF YOUR DOG IS UNCOMFORTABLE?

Watch for subtle changes in body language, including:

• Turning their head away or repeatedly looking elsewhere.
• Lip licking when there is no food present.
• Yawning outside their usual tiredness context.
• Showing the whites of their eyes (sometimes called whale eye).
• Flattening or pulling their ears back.
• Becoming unusually still or stiff.
• Lowering their body or tucking their tail.
• Trying to move away or wriggle free.

These are contextual signals, not automatic proof of distress. Look at the whole dog, the situation and whether several signals occur together.

One particularly important response is freezing. A dog that suddenly becomes very still isn't necessarily relaxed. Stillness can be a sign of discomfort or conflict.

💚 HOW CAN WE SHOW OUR DOGS AFFECTION IN WAYS THEY APPRECIATE?

Instead of assuming they want a cuddle, try:

🐾 Gentle stroking on the chest, shoulder or side, if they enjoy being touched.

🐾 A calm, reassuring voice and positive interactions.

🐾 Sniff walks that allow them to explore the world at their own pace.

🐾 Play, training and shared activities that they genuinely enjoy.

🐾 Simply spending quiet time together without expecting physical contact.

🐾 Giving them the freedom to approach and leave whenever they choose.

💡 TRY THE CONSENT TEST!

Here's a simple way to learn what your dog actually enjoys.

1. Gently stroke your dog for a few seconds in an area they normally enjoy being touched.

2. Stop and give them a moment.

3. Watch what happens.

Do they move closer, nudge your hand or actively seek more contact?

Or do they turn away, move off or simply show no interest?

If they actively seek more interaction, you can continue. If they disengage, respect that choice.

This isn't a formal behavioural test, but it is a useful way to become more attentive to your dog's preferences.

💚 THE BIGGER LESSON

Our dogs don't experience affection in exactly the same way we do.

They communicate through body language, proximity, play, scent, social interaction and countless subtle behaviours.

We don't need to stop showing our dogs affection. We simply need to become better at recognising how they prefer to receive it.

True affection isn't about how much physical contact we want to give. It's about understanding what makes the other individual feel safe and comfortable.

And perhaps the greatest expression of love we can offer our dogs is the freedom to say, "Not right now."

🐾 Does your dog actively seek cuddles, prefer a gentle pat, or enjoy simply being beside you? Every dog has their own preferences!

Donna Williams,
Emerald Park Border Collies.
www.emeraldparkbc.com

06/11/2026

🐕🐩🐕‍🦺

NOT GUILTY!
Dogs might look guilty, but that doesn’t mean that they feel guilty.

“My dog knows that he’s done something wrong, just look how guilty he looks!" This is something that we hear so often.

People are highly amused and entertained on social media and even dedicated websites where pictures of “guilty” dogs are seen. The “guiltier” the dog looks, the more popular these posts are and the funnier people find them.

I find this really sad because it’s a complete misunderstanding and lack of knowledge of a dog’s body language.

That “guilty” look is actually a dog showing the signs of fear, stress, anxiety or appeasement.
It’s the fear of what may have happened before - being scolded or punished. The stress or anxiety in sensing the person’s body language, expression, emotions, tone or pitch. That guilty look is an appeasement behaviour in an attempt to calm the angry person down.

As people, it’s natural for us to want to believe that our dogs feel guilt and remorse about whatever they’ve done wrong. Maybe thinking that they really do feel guilty somehow makes their behaviour more acceptable and we see it as a form of apology.

Dogs are capable of a wide range of emotions, but it’s highly unlikely that they feel more complex emotions, like guilt, regret, remorse or shame.

Guilt is a complex emotion and defined as an unhappy feeling that you have because you have done something wrong or think that you may have done something wrong. It’s a feeling of shame, regret or remorse. The feeling of guilt requires an understanding of cause and effect and is relative to time.

Do dogs spend the day feeling guilty, waiting for us to come home to find a mess or a chewed-up couch or shoe, or are they waiting excitedly for us to come home because they really missed us and are looking forward to some attention?

For the emotional wellbeing of our dogs, let’s try to understand them more and focus less on how we believe they should feel just because it makes us feel better.

04/11/2026

🐕🐕‍🦺🐩🦮

Are you as picky as your dog?
Or maybe you wish they were less picky?

You know the dogs I mean. Just for a moment you think,
"I wish mine was more like that."
A "no thanks" is easy when the bouncer in you spots those dogs.

The dog that plows right over every dog and leaves them like skittles.
That's an easy "no thanks."
But there are other times we hear that little inner voice saying "I wish."

And that's a lot more tempting to say yes to.
We're watching other dogs play and for a tiny moment, we wish our dogs were more like "that dog".

Because it looks like fun. Energy. A bit chaotic. A puddle of legs, tails and feet everywhere.
That's what we always imagined dogs playing would look like.
The full-on dogs, they'll help tire your dog out today, won't they?

The dogs that round up all the others so they can chase them, that looks like fun. Isn't it?
Energy is so tempting to borrow if you have a quieter dog.
But maybe that's exactly why we should listen to our picky dogs.
They're not missing out on the party.

They're just telling us it's not their kind of party.
That's worth celebrating, not fixing.

04/11/2026

🐕😊

The "aha" moment will be there.
Once you see it, you really can't unsee it.

Tricky thing is, sometimes we actually don't want them to show us.

A shredder might aim all that energy and enjoyment onto a couch cushion.
A mover? Maybe a bit of parkour in your lounge.
And a chewer might just decide the wooden chair leg has the perfect mix of hard and soft they want.

Then you've got your sniffers.
One lamppost, 15 minutes of snuffling and sniffing. That's their happy place.

Your solvers? Has to figure it out. Just has to. And they won't be satisfied until they do, thank you very much.

The movers?
A run, jump, flirt pole, frisbee or zoom around is what they love.

And then your observers. Everyone thinks they're doing nothing. But they're quietly just watching the world go by and taking it all in.

Most dogs are a mix. But they tend to have a favourite.

We spend so much time trying to make a shredder love a puzzle, or a mover love a snuffle mat.
What if we just let a shredder shred?

What lights your dog up?
How can you replicate it and turn it into an activity we can provide?

Your dog already knows what he loves. We're just a bit slow to catch up sometimes.

02/11/2026

Love

01/11/2026

Wow 😊🐕

01/11/2026

What a great brother 🐕🐕