Flare Dogs - Dog Training & Behaviour

09/05/2026

Oh how our legs have grown! 😆

09/05/2026

Relaxing in the sun while Blu also relaxes with a passive calm activity of snuffling for some daily food allowance. Listen to that nose work! Then we calmly walked right past the alpacas, Blu remaining focussed on me. Good job Blu Blu! Topping up skills of optimism, confidence & disengagement for starters. Always start the day with something fun & positive to set optimism off right from the start. Optimism is SO important.

07/05/2026

A beautiful day out & about with Blu! Lots of novelty and sniffs - she did really well - and it wasn’t for a long time which is key.

30/04/2026

Some cooperative care training with Blu. By this I mean she gives consent to be handled. It is her choice. It starts as a game that always has positive outcomes/reward. It can later be played in different places which promotes confidence & flexibility. Really good preparation for vet visits to make the vet experience as good as it can be so it can even be played at the vet practice prior to an appointment day. Blu has been practicing this for a while so you are not seeing this as her first time. She learnt foundation skills of chin targeting & two front paws onto an object first. “Two Feet” is such a powerful game, a huge optimism booster & so very useful at the vet setting too. Here you are seeing consent from Blu for handling her ears and scruff of neck with a syringe. This would be good for the mouth & eyes also. Always making it a good deal & in her control. Lots of pressure releases too & her choice if she re-engages or not. With Blu being used to this we played for longer. It is about the dog wanting to stay engaged & remain in a positive emotional state. To start with it really would be for a much shorter time to keep it positive and fun. Duration comes later and always going back to early, easier steps & quick, easy wins. Games teach important life skills. Games are indeed life.

27/04/2026

I had the pleasure of meeting Lola for the first time just the other day. She is adorable. Lola is learning to be more confident and optimistic as the big wide world can be a very scary place for this sweet girl. She did very well at her first session.

05/04/2026

04/04/2026

Birthday cake for Blu! Made from mince, pumpkin, sardines, peas, blueberries & egg! Yummo, well at least she thinks so! 😆🐾🐶🎊

04/04/2026

Wow ..... how can it be a year already! It feels like we only just brought her home!! Happy Birthday Blu Blu! Happy Birthday to her sister Evie too.

01/04/2026

SO important! Chocolate IS toxic to dogs ❌ - be mindful of chocolate/sweet wrappers too! Hot cross buns are a huge NO NO 🚫 as well.

Give your dog its own Easter treat using some tasty dog treats, meat or vegetables - anything your dog loves and that is safe for dogs. Better still, let them sniff and search - so much more rewarding and heaps of fun.

Happy Easter!

🍫 Chocolate & Pets Don’t Mix! 🐶🐱

With Easter treats around, it’s important to remember — chocolate is toxic to pets.

⚠️ It contains theobromine, which can cause:
• Vomiting & diarrhoea
• Restlessness or tremors
• Seizures in severe cases

🚫 Dark chocolate = highest risk
Even small amounts can be dangerous!

👉 If your pet eats chocolate, contact us ASAP.

✔️ Keep Easter eggs out of reach (important if the Easter Bunny is doing an egg hunt at your house)
✔️ Remind kids not to share treats

28/03/2026

Look who I met for the first time last week? Isn't he such a handsome boy. Ford is going to be so good at his games. He is a 6 month German Shepherd who is learning to regulate his levels of excitement and choose a more appropriate behaviour than jumping up. Jumping is absolutely a normal dog behaviour. We just need to guide them to do something different instead. There is more value in not jumping. There are many reasons a dog may choose to jump; to gather information about the person especially facial expressions, in excitement especially if it means attention, being unsure what to do so jumping becomes the choice behaviour & coping strategy, to control our movement, to action prompt. Then off course if rehearsed often enough, and especially if it makes the dog feel good, it can become a habit behaviour that happens automatically. Ford did very well at his first session. Just look at those ears - yes Ford, you are going to learn to listen to mum and dad more with those ears!

24/03/2026

First game of the day with Blu - a slightly different confidence circuit set up!