Better in Motion - Canine Bodywork & Conditioning

05/29/2026

Okay, hands up - who can identify?!! 🤣
I simply had to share this brilliant reel from my friend, Michael from down in Oregon. We were in the same CSCC cohort, so you can imagine the shenanigans that went on!!

Also, if you're looking for conditioning classes (especially if Flyball is your sport) in the Portland area, Michael's your man. 😄
Elusive Canine Strength and Conditioning

05/07/2026

💙🐾💙

Anxiety doesn’t just affect people, many senior dogs quietly struggle with it too.

Changes in routine, pain, cognitive decline, hearing or vision loss, and past trauma can all make the world feel a little scarier as dogs age. During Dog Anxiety Awareness Week, we’re sharing simple ways to help senior dogs feel safe, supported, and understood.

At Happy’s Place, we see every day how patience, comfort, routine, reassurance, and gentle care can completely transform an anxious dog’s life. Sometimes the smallest acts - a soft bed, a calm voice, a predictable routine, or a slow sniff walk make the biggest difference.

Senior dogs deserve peace, dignity, and love in their golden years.

05/07/2026

🎉Super congratulations to Shiloh and Lil' Lady from Orchard Bay Australian Shepherds on completing the final few tricks needed for their Advanced Trick Dog title during our Sports & Life Skills 101 class!!! 🎉

Lady is such a fun pup and crazy smart! I'm eagerly watching where these two head over the next few years. 🥰🐾

🏅Congratulations Shiloh Jewkes (Canada, BC) & Lil Lady (OrchardBay LazyJFBar Beautiful Dove ATD), Australian Shepherd, on earning your "Advanced" title!

05/07/2026

🐾 I don't mean to harp, but this (& muzzle training for ALL dogs) is a message that I can't share too often. 🐾

Please secure your pets while you're traveling.

I know it's super easy to just pop them in the back when the crates are out of the vehicle, or you're just going down the road a short way (I know that I've done it 😔), but let's all try our best to keep our pups as safe as possible in our vehicles. 💛🚗

(Stepping off my soap box now 😬)

“He just likes sitting on my lap.”
“She hates being in a crate.”
“It’s only a short journey.”

In a collision, your pet does not understand what is happening. They become an unrestrained passenger — thrown forward with enormous force in a matter of milliseconds.

A dog sitting on your knees.
A cat carrier loose on the back seat.
A puppy moving freely around the footwell.

In a crash, they can become projectiles.

At just 30mph, an unrestrained pet can be hurled forward with incredible force. That impact can seriously injure:
-Your pet
-You
-Your passengers
-Other road users

And for the pet themselves? The consequences are often devastating:
-Severe trauma
-Fractured Bones
-Internal bleeding
-Escape and road traffic accidents after collisions
-Or not surviving at all

Beyond the emotional impact, loose pets can also distract drivers, interfere with pedals or steering, and increase accident risk. UK Highway Code Rule 57 states that dogs and other animals should be suitably restrained while travelling.

The reality is this:
We would never let a child travel unrestrained in a vehicle. Our pets deserve protection too.

If you travel with your pets, please consider:
✔️ Crash-tested crates
✔️ Safety-certified harnesses
✔️ Proper carriers secured to the vehicle
✔️ Preventing pets from sitting on laps or loose on seats
✔️ Don't let them hang out of open windows!
✔️ Many pet carriers have seatbelt attachment slots, use them!

One organisation working to independently evaluate pet travel safety is the Center for Pet Safety. Their certification programme assesses products against rigorous crash-testing standards and promotes evidence-based pet safety:
🔗 https://centerforpetsafety.org/cps-certified/

Importantly, not all crates and restraints perform equally in real-world crash situations, and research continues to evolve around what truly offers the best protection for pets during travel.

Sometimes the kindest thing we can do for the animals we love is prepare for the moments we hope never happen.

05/06/2026

For the full paper:
Catherall-Ostler, S.A., Catherall-Ostler, A.M., Pearson, G. & Hollis, A.R. (2026) Words matter: The prevalence and impact of negative emotive language in the equine industry. Equine Veterinary Education https://doi.org/10.1111/eve.70097

05/01/2026

💚🦖 Congratulations to Dino & Maria Carlson Belrose !🦖💚 New NTD title!

I really am so proud of these two! Proving that Dino is not just a pretty face - although he most certainly is that, too! I couldn't help but share one of his most recent Show Scene advertisements 🥰

Maria and Dino have been doing wonderfully in our freshly wrapped Rally Obedience Foundations class, right after taking Sports and Life Skills 101... and Conditioning FUNdamentals last summer! And now completing Dino's NTD with tricks to spare. So fun!! Yay Team Dino!! 🎉

Next up - Dino's Intermediate Trick Dog title!! 😀

04/24/2026

💛 Wrap up photos from our final classes for both Rally Obedience Foundations and Sports & Life Skills 101 Spring sessions. Congratulations to all the teams!💛

These were both such fun classes and the teams were super! I'm really proud of how hard everyone worked and the progress everyone made over the six weeks. 🐾🎉

Sadly missing Alina and Fern from the photos.

04/20/2026

Flyer and I getting our "Vitamin O" (outdoors). We really do live in a beautiful part of the world!

04/19/2026

💛 Sweet Dave and Vector.💛 Two of the pups from today's sessions that I remembered to take photographs during. 🥰

Lovely Dave is a senior who receives regular massage to help support him through his senior years in conjunction with acupuncture and laser from his amazing vet. His "brother" Brick also receives massage, but today's session was spent setting him up with conditioning exercises to support both his owner's sport goals for him and Brick's job as a service dog. Photos next time of Brick (he's very handsome!)

The second photo is of the delightfully ridiculous Vector - who is an entire roomful of exuberance in a whippet-sized body! 😆😍
Vector is a talented dock diver and an enthusiastic disc dog who has regular bodywork to keep him in optimal performance condition. I'm really excited to see what this dock season brings for Vector! 💦

Having owners entrust their beloved pets to me is a privilege that never grows old and that I never take lightly. 💛🐾

Seeing improvement over the sessions and knowing that I am helping these pups to feel and move better fills my heart with joy.