Switched On Dog Training & Behaviour

04/03/2025

It’s been some time now since we had to say goodbye to our beautiful Trix. And while we will never forget her it was time to open our home and hearts to a new dog.

So I am pleased to introduce Jenavieve (Jena) who joined our family from Kirinbell Brittanys late January.

She is smart, sassy, full of energy and life and has slipped easily into our lives and hearts. I am looking forward to the many adventures we will have together.

Some of my clients have already met her and I’m sure she will help out with many more in the future.

15/02/2025

Love this guy. Always seems tonsay the things I feel bur have trouble articulating.

Dog training is not just about the training.

When most people think of dog training they think it’s the only way to modify their dog’s behaviour.

What most people don’t realise is that dog training is more about training the human how to train their dog. When owners think their dogs are a bit on the dumb side, I’d bet if the dog could talk they’d be saying the same thing about their owners as well.

Training for the dog is just one of five major things we need to get right if we want to see behaviour change long term.

The 5 things we need to get right are:

Management. If we keep allowing our dogs to do the things we want them to stop doing or change we are never going to get anywhere. The amount of people that say their dog just runs off and doesn’t come back but then keep letting them off leash to run off and not come back is mind boggling to me. We have leashes for a reason and we have long leads too to help even more.

Health. Pain and aggression go hand in hand. Pain is one of the most correlated issues when it comes to aggression. Any dog that is not feeling 100%, whether that be due to itchy skin, or bad teeth will need to have these issues looked at before training should even be considered.

Nutrition. Dog nutrition is a bit of a mine field. There are so many dog foods that have misleading branding that are just full of crap it’s unbelievable. I know if I have a day eating cookies and ice cream it might feel momentarily amazing but within a few hours I will feel headachey and miserable. Check what ingredients are in your dogs food and if you’re still not sure we even have dog nutritionists to help these days.

Enrichment/lifestyle. How good is your dog’s life? Not from your perspective but from your dog’s biological perspective. An hour walk a day might just not cut it for most dogs. What natural behaviours are they allowed to practice on a regular basis and what fills their days when you’re out working.

And finally training. Once we can tick off the 4 previous things we can then implement a training plan. If we don’t and just focus on the training then it would be like going to the gym but still eating pizza and cake every day and wondering why we can’t lose any weight.

So if you’re not happy with how the training is changing your dog’s behaviour, ask yourself if you have everything else put it place as well.

Here’s Sunny exploring her new backyard. She’s a great example with how lifestyle and management have been the main factors that have kept her alive.

www.Thinkdog.nz

18/12/2024

An amazing example of how extraordinary a dog’s nose is.

18/10/2024

Two weeks ago, the world lost this beautiful girl, Trix. She was an incredible pup, joy and enthusiasm incarnate, and she had a way of leaving her mark on everyone she met.

Trix had boundless energy and love for everything, and it was that vim and vigour that led her mum Emily down a whole new path—leaving her career as an engineer and inspiring her to become a dog trainer. Trix’s wild spirit sparked Emily’s desire to understand her more deeply, and because of that, Emily discovered her calling.

I thought of Trix as Doc’s older Twin. They were so similar, and hearing stories about how Trix was a handful when she was younger gave me hope for Doc. Seeing Trix and Emily’s bond showed me the potential for a deeper connection with Doc. They showed me that with some work and patience, Doc and I could build that kind of bond. Trix and Emily gave me hope.

Ten years was not enough. Farewell Trix, you left us all better than you found us ###

11/09/2024

Happy 10th Birthday to my beautiful girl. May you continue to be young at heart for many years to come.

23/08/2024

23/07/2024

Poor Trix will be out of action again for a while. She has torn her ACL in her other hind leg. Surgery next week and then very restricted mobility for many weeks.

I guess the good news is that after this she will have run out of ACLs to tear.

24/05/2024

Love night time snuggles with my bestie 🥰🥰🐶

26/04/2024

Some interesting information on our dogs vision.

WHAT COLOURS DO DOGS SEE?
Contrary to popular belief, dogs are not colour blind.

A dog’s visual world is certainly not as vibrantly colourful as ours, but they do see a range of yellow, grey and blue shades and have better night and peripheral vision than we do.

Colour is interpreted and discerned by nerve cells in the eyes. The retina has two main types of cells called rods, which detect light levels and motion and cones which differentiate colour.

A human’s eyes have three types of cones which can identify combinations of red, blue, and green.

Dogs have only two types of cones that are only able to discern shades of blue, yellow and grey – this perception of colour is called dichromatic vision.

An ophthalmology professor at the University of Washington discovered that dogs could see blues and yellows but not reds and greens. This information would have been confirmed by anatomical investigation of a dog’s eye.

It would make more sense if manufacturers of dog toys would take a dog’s colour spectrum into account when producing dog toys.

Toys are usually made to visually appeal to people, not dogs.

Shades of yellow, grey or blue are far more appealing to your dog than a bright shade of red or another colour.

09/04/2024

31/03/2024

A timely reminder

Chocolate toxicity: What should I do if my dog eats chocolate?

One of the most common toxicities in dogs is caused by chocolate ingestion. Dogs cannot metabolise chocolate like people can, so keeping chocolate in a secure location out of your dog’s reach is essential. The amount ingested that can cause toxicity depends on the size of the dog and the type of chocolate, with darker and more bitter chocolates being the most toxic. If your dog accidentally ingests chocolate, contact an emergency veterinarian immediately.

Find out more here: https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-information/chocolate-toxicity-what-should-i-do-if-my-dog-eats-chocolate.

11/03/2024

Finally home. 🏡 Now to rest and stay calm for the next few weeks. 💕

08/03/2024

My beautiful girl has just woken up from surgery. It will be a long couple of days without her at home but hopefully she will be back to her normal bouncy self soon. 💕💕🐾

17/02/2024

Kati makes beautiful products. Get in quick if you want to take advantage of this deal.

16/02/2024

Love my crazy dog 🥰🥰