The Canine Coach

30/10/2024

Some good advice!

24/12/2023

Quick reminder!

17/12/2023

To all my amazing four legged clients - wishing you a Christmas filled with treats and tailwags! 🐾⛄️🐾

05/10/2023

Dear community!

Our team wanted to share a very important message.

We all know that summer is just around the corner. For pet owners, it means that we will need to keep a careful eye on our animal companions. Why - because snakes and ticks are back.

The last few weeks have been unseasonably warm, and our team has already observed an uptick in cases of tick paralysis and snake envenomation. Many of these patients were successfully treated, but sadly not all could be saved.

As with most things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In the unfortunate event your animal companion is effected, early intervention is critical.

Below are typical symptoms of tick paralysis and snake envenomation to help you stay prepared. Make sure you closely monitor your pets this summer to help them avoid unexpected trips to the vet.

Typical symptoms of tick paralysis include but not limited to:

Weakness in back legs
Change or loss of voice
Retching or frothy vomit
Panting, grunting, loud breathing
Moist coughing
Inability to stand
Coughing and severe respiratory distress

Typical symptoms of snake envenomation include but not limited to:

Collapse
Dilated pupils
Staggering or wobbly gait
Drooling and vomiting
Muscle tremors
Dark urine
Loss of bladder and bowel control
Respiratory distress

Please remember to always be up to date with tick prevention and keep a close eye on your pets.

If you are concerned about any of the symptoms above, please contact a vet practice ASAP.

21/08/2023

Join Jessica Strain and Dr Emily Lucas as they discuss repetitive behaviours in our companion dogs. Emily is a behaviour veterinarian and qualified dog trainer with over 10 years of experience and will discuss compulsive behaviours, what they look like, why they can happen and how medical management has a role. Jessica Strain will present management and behaviour modification approaches with a specific focus on herding breeds. Finally Nola Anderson will talk about her experience and road to success with her five year old border collie Bree who was diagnosed with compulsive disorder as a puppy.

This webinar is suited to trainers, pet owners and veterinarians looking to expand their knowledge.

Tickets are on sale now via eventbrite. Click on the link to see event details and purchase your ticket.

The webinar will be held on Wednesday the 13th of September at 7:30pm AEST. The webinar will be recorded for those unable to attend the live presentation.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spinning-pacing-and-chasing-compulsive-disorders-in-dogs-tickets-700137208237?aff=SocialMedia

18/04/2023

Thanks for this important message.

05/03/2023

This is a great option in Canberra for those who want to dive into training a little more.

Helping owners and trainers upskill their knowledge of dog behaviour. A seminar with lectures and demonstrations to help you upskill.

02/03/2023

DO YOU HAVE AN EXIT STRATEGY?
An exit strategy for dogs is something that is pre planned and continually practiced until it becomes second nature.

Having this plan in place has huge benefits for dogs that react to triggers in the environment - be it other dogs, children, people, cyclists, skateboards or similar.

The exit strategy of quickly increasing distance when a trigger appears decreases stress levels, provides an opportunity to process information and helps dogs learn to respond in a different way from a space of safety.

Practicing quick U-turns, a sudden change in direction, speeding up or even hiding behind a tree are all useful ways of creating a strategy. Over time, some dogs will learn to remove themselves from a trigger on their own, before they start panicking, having learnt that moving away is an option they have.

Forcing a dog to face whatever is triggering them results in increased anxiety, stress or fear. They won’t just get used to it. A brain that is flooded with cortisol (the stress hormone) is unable to learn, process information, think clearly, or make better decisions.

After a long time of using exit strategies with one of my dogs that is reactive, she has begun to move away and create her own distance. Through practicing this pattern of creating distance she has realized that this is what she should do when that scary thing appears.

Some dogs may never get to this stage, and that’s also ok. Each dog is an individual, with different genetics, backgrounds and learning experiences. Accept your dog for who they are.

Think about how we may use exit strategies to help us cope and how they make us feel better.

Some time ago I suffered from debilitating panic attacks after a series of traumatic and life changing events. I couldn’t drive on a highway or be in an enclosed space. My daughter was graduating from university and I could not miss this event, but what if I had a panic attack in the auditorium, couldn’t get out and embarrassed her and myself?

A therapist that I was seeing at the time helped me to develop an exit strategy which enabled me to cope. I arrived at the venue early and found a seat right next to the exit. If I started panicking, I could just leave through the door. Just knowing that this option was available made such a difference to my state of mind and I ended up being able to make it through the entire ceremony.

The same strategy helped me cope on highways. I just had to drive to the next exit.. and then the next and the next if I felt up to it.

Sometimes we all need an exit strategy, our dogs included. It’s not about running away from or not facing a problem, but developing a plan to help us or our dogs cope in a situation where we’re uncomfortable.