Hounds Hooves Paws

15/08/2025

Hounds Hooves Paws is back on Monday, 18th August 2025 and will deal with any enquiries then. 🐾🐾

12/08/2025

Hot weather might mean a change of plans 🔥

If your dog’s walk, daycare, or grooming appointment is cancelled because of the heat, please know it’s done with care.

It's really hard for dogs in hot weather especially flat-faced breeds, older dogs, or those with health conditions.

These changes are made to help keep your dog comfortable and well.

Thanks so much for understanding 🐾☀️

08/08/2025

Hounds Hooves Paws is taking a wee break!
Services resume on Monday, 11th August 2025.

05/08/2025

This is why I do intial meet & greet visits for new clients and a month’s trial period…

Last-Minute Pet Care Requests

I see a lot of posts in groups asking if anyone can groom a dog urgently or look after a dog at short notice. I want to share something, not as a judgment, but as a gentle reality check from someone who cares deeply about dogs and the professionals who look after them.

I completely understand that sometimes people book someones services in advance and get let down. Emergencies happen. Schedules fall apart. Life throws curveballs.

This post isn't about those situations.

What I’m referring to is when there’s been no attempt to plan ahead, and someone posts last-minute hoping someone,anyone, can take the dog or fit them in for a groom etc

We shouldn't seeks convenience over commitment to proper care.

Here's why that worries me:

🔹 Quality vs. Availability
When we choose professionals for our dogs based on who’s simply available right now, we risk compromising on suitability.
Not every groomer or sitter is the right fit for every dog. Rushing can mean your dog ends up with someone who's servcies is unable to meet your dogs needs.

🔹 Trust Takes Time
Building trust between your dog and a new professional takes time. Dropping them off with a stranger on short notice can cause anxiety, especially for dogs with past trauma, reactivity, or special needs.

🔹 Good Professionals Are Often Booked
The best groomers, boarders, walkers, they're often fully booked well in advance because people trust them. Expecting them to shift their schedules or squeeze in your dog on demand isn’t always realistic or fair.

🔹 Emergency-Only Relationships
Relying on professionals only when you're in a pinch doesn’t allow you to build a working relationship with someone who gets to know your dog. That relationship matters, especially in times of real emergency.

Planning ahead isn’t just about being organised, it’s a way of showing respect to the professionals we trust and, most importantly, to our dogs who rely on us to make thoughtful choices on their behalf.

Thanks for reading, and I hope this lands in the spirit it’s intended: with care.

23/07/2025

"Don't be ridiculous, they're dogs....of course they'll get on!"
Yeah.....It doesn't quite work like that.
Those that have truly social dogs can grapple with the fact that other dogs may not be social with other dogs....at all.
And that's ok!
In fact it's normal.
Maybe it will change, maybe it won't.
That breed recognition is strong in some dogs, that's what they are familiar with.

Maybe you have a dog that prefers older dogs that have a quieter energy?

Perhaps you have one that struggles to read dogs that have a different body structure, pugs for example with prominent eyes and curled tails.....some dogs struggle to read them.
Others will have no issues whatsoever.

Sociability can change.
Just like ours.

Your dog is allowed preferences.

23/07/2025

Loose lead isnt natural. It’s a skill that has to be learnt. Biomechanically, dogs are built to move faster than us. Dogs choose to shift to a natural trot and on average walk at 2.5 - 4 mph (Hildebrand, 1966) where us naked monkeys on the otherhand average 2-3 mph walking (Kirtley, 2006). Do you know what 2.5 feels like? You should!

Because the mismatch alone creates tension — physically with the lead and emotionally in the relationship. Infact Dogs Trust found 30% of owners considered it a reason to rehome.

Now add in breed differences with research by Fischer & Lilje (2011) suggesting that Different breeds have different locomotive profiles based on original function. Malinois and Vizslas who are bred to move, track, cover ground; hearding breed like kelpies and collies who are bred to arc out infront; scent hounds like Beagles and Bloodhounds - designed to follow their noses with purpose, drive and speed; and of course breeds like Huskies who are literally bred and built to pull - it’s in the actual job description.

Its not a suprise that Rooney & Cowan (2011) found Lead tension and restricted gait was specifically a negative welfare marker for working breeds.

So when we expect all dogs to plod beside us through a park at human pace, ignoring smells, distractions, and natural instinct…we’re arent asking for a behaviour: We’re asking for the dog to restrain their pace, suppress their instincts, and constantly self-regulate.

In my opinion loose lead is one of the three essential skills I believe every dog pro needs to understand in depth - gait, drive, motivation, mechanics, assessment, different technique and exercise, consequence gradients and all.

Because when you understand what you’re really asking for,
you stop calling it stubbornness
and start training it like the advanced skill it actually is. And this leads to way better pet dogs with way happier relationships. ###

18/07/2025

That’s why I’m not using ball slingers and keep ball throwing to a brief minimum, mixed with other activities…

🐾 We all love seeing our dogs joyfully chase a ball but did you know that repetitive ball throwing poses a significant risk to your dog’s health?

🎾 Handy ball throwers make throwing easy and allow owners to believe they can give their dog more beneficial exercise than would have otherwise been possible.

As a Canine Physiotherapist, I actually recommend against repetitive ball throwing. Here’s why it isn’t always the best for your dog's long-term health:

❌ Injury Risk:
High-speed ball chases often lead to sudden accelerations, decelerations, stops, sharp turns, and stretches.
This puts immense strain on your dog's joints, ligaments, and muscles (shoulders, elbows, hips, wrists, and toes), increasing the risk of injuries like cruciate tears, sprains, and early arthritis.
Repeated ball chasing will lead to repetitive strain injuries producing microtraumas within joints, leading to a greater risk of developing Osteoarthritis.

❌ Over-Exercising:
During a repetitive game of fetch with a ball, it's common for dogs to get much more intense exercise than they're truly conditioned for.
Dogs will often keep chasing a ball when physically tired, increasing the risk of injury.
Increased adrenaline levels from the excitement of chasing a ball can also mask the onset of pain, which can exacerbate injuries.
In periods of hot weather, there is also the added possibility of developing life‑threatening hyperthermia.

❌ Developing Obsessive‑Compulsive Type Behaviours:
For some dogs, this constant high‑adrenaline play can become an unhealthy obsession, contributing to over‑arousal and behavioural issues.

💡 What to do for a ball‑loving dog?

• Vary the game: Mix in games of hide‑and‑seek with the ball, let your dog carry the ball on a walk, do scent work exercises which stimulate both body and mind, or a game of tug to offer more balanced exercise.
• Allow your dog time to warm and cool down: Warm‑up and cool‑down periods are essential to prepare your dog’s body for the demands of exercise and aid in recovery, respectively, by gradually increasing or decreasing physiological arousal and blood flow.
• Keep it short: If you must play fetch with a ball, keep the sessions brief and integrated with other activities. It should not be the principal form of exercise for your dog.

💚 Ultimately, as a physiotherapist, I want your dog to have a long, healthy, and pain‑free life.
Opting for safer, more varied play will keep your dog happy, fit, and in top shape!