Zen Dogs

25/04/2025

Well needed for the area!

22/04/2025

🤭

22/04/2025

Hi all 👋🏼
I will be catching up with messages at some point today
Apologies for any delay

22/04/2025

A polite conversation between approaching dogs often starts before we even notice.

Running head on towards every dog is about as inappropriate as someone running round trying to hug everyone. We need to ask first and respect the response.

Sometimes our dogs need a little help with interactions and what might be socially acceptable. That way we set our dogs up for success as well as practicing respectful dog guardianship.

18/04/2025

2 SPACES LEFT

Puppy Classes at Broad Haven Village Hall
WEDNESDAY evenings with Zen Dogs

Please note; this set SKIPS 28th MAY due to the hall being booked out over the school break for another event, but will resume the following week being 4th June. Please check dates before booking!

Contact via ⁨07843 217443⁩ for more information or to book
Thank you 🐾

Please note: Messages are generally answered Mon-Fri between 0900 & 1800 - you may not get a response the same day but I will reply as soon as I am able to. Thank you 🐾

16/04/2025

Scientifically DesignedThe shape of the Roolo® is based on the unique Reuleaux tetrahedron – a shape of constant width that allows for erratic and self-prope...

16/04/2025

⚠️WARNING – Parking Scam Fake QR Codes⚠️

Across the UK fraudsters have been placing QR codes on car parking signage and payment machines.

Pembrokeshire County Council does NOT use QR codes for payment at car parks. The Council uses PayByPhone as an alternative to cash payments. Please ensure you download the genuine app, do not use a QR code but search your app store.

The Council and its enforcement partner does NOT request or issue parking fines via text message.

15/04/2025

The last session of my 6 week puppy class was last week... I'm always sad when my group classes come to an end 😞 but to see everyone's progress made throughout the six weeks is such a pleasure
I'd like to say well done to all participants ⭐🐶 and a BIG "Thank you!" For choosing to work with me 💕

11/04/2025

Dogs behave the way they do for many reasons. They don’t act out of stubbornness or a desire to be ‘naughty,’ nor do they try to take control to be the 'pack leader.' Old myths and outdated training approaches harm their well-being and strain the bond between dogs and their caregivers.

🧬 A dog’s breed and genetics shape certain behavioural traits. Genetic predispositions and breed-specific tendencies play a role. Some breeds lean toward behaviours like herding, hunting, or guarding.

The neonatal period and the environment a dog grows up in can impact and influence their emotional responses. Early socialisation period—appropriately exposing puppies using reward-based methods to diverse people, animals, and settings during their key developmental window—builds confidence and shapes emotional regulation, adaptive behaviours, social skills, and reduces fear or aggression later on.

Overstimulation triggers unwanted behaviours by overwhelming a dogs senses. Not enough sleep, loud noises, crowds, or constant busy activity can lead to hyperactivity or erratic/impulsive responses. For example, a dog might jump, bark, or pull on the leash when flooded with too much daily input.

Past experiences and learned consequences shape behaviour. Trauma, especially, can spark fear, anxiety, or aggression.

How caregivers interact and guide their dogs shape their emotional responses and behaviours. Empathy, prevention (environmental management), consistency, and positive reinforcement methods build a more stable and confident dog. Punitive correction-based and intimidation methods can create unpredictability, confusion, and fear, which may lead to aggressive defensive responses.

A dogs health—physical and mental—affects their behaviour. Pain, illness, or discomfort can shift how they act.

Emotions that cause distress, like fear, anxiety, or excessive excitement, drive behaviour or a ‘lack thereof.’ Responses are instinctive and depend on how the dog perceives a threat. They might react defensively (fight), flee to hide (flight), freeze in place, or fawn by showing submissive, appeasing behaviours to de-escalate conflict—like excessive licking or cowering. Some may shut down entirely into learned helplessness after prolonged stress, while others display excessive, out-of-context behaviours (fidgeting), like random ge***al checks, eating grass, scratching, or ‘shaking off.

Unmet mental or physical needs lead to frustration and destruction. A dog with pent-up energy or boredom might chew furniture, dig up the yard, or bark nonstop to release stress.

Diet influences behaviour, too. High-quality nutrition supports steady energy, good mood, and well-being. Poor food choices can cause irritability, hyperactivity, or gut issues.

As dogs age, canine cognitive decline can set in as well as the loss of hearing or eyesight. These changes can lead to increased confusion, disorientation, and altered social interactions in older dogs.

Every dog is unique, and behaviour varies within context, experiences, breeds, and life stages. Dogs express needs, emotions, and intentions through body language, vocalizations, and other signals. Reading these cues gives you insight into their behaviour and how they are feeling, which can help you prevent unwanted situations from happening or help you adjust your approach to challenges.

I’m not humanising dogs—they are sentient beings with emotions (Cambridge Declaration, 2012). Their feelings and needs may not be as layered as ours, but they’re real!

Thanks for reading and learning more about them🐾💜

09/04/2025

2️⃣ spaces left 📢

Puppy Classes at Broad Haven Village Hall
WEDNESDAY evenings with Zen Dogs

Please note; this set SKIPS 28th MAY due to the hall being booked out over the school break for another event, but will resume the following week being 4th June. Please check dates before booking!

Contact via ⁨07843 217443⁩ for more information or to book
Thank you 🐾

Please note: Messages are generally answered Mon-Fri between 0900 & 1800 - you may not get a response the same day but I will reply as soon as I am able to. Thank you 🐾

09/04/2025

🐍 Adders love to sunbath and usually start to appear around April
Their favourite spots are likely to be where our dogs love exploring❗
❗If they bite they inject venom which can cause serious symptoms.

If your dog is bitten:
📱Phone the vet to check they have the antivenom - if you see the snake, take a picture if you are not sure what it is to send to your vet.
🐕Carry your dog back to the car if you can - this will reduce or slow down the spread of the venom
💦Bathe the wound with cold water if you have some to reduce swelling

⚠❗BUT ❗⚠
THE PRIORITY IS TO GET YOUR DOG TO THE VET

07/04/2025

Puppy Classes at Broad Haven Village Hall
WEDNESDAY evenings with Zen Dogs

Please note; this set SKIPS 28th MAY due to the hall being booked out over the school break for another event, but will resume the following week being 4th June. Please check dates before booking!

Contact via ⁨07843 217443⁩ for more information or to book
Thank you 🐾

Please note: Messages are generally answered Mon-Fri between 0900 & 1800 - you may not get a response the same day but I will reply as soon as I am able to. Thank you 🐾

05/04/2025

04/04/2025

April promotions are here!

03/04/2025

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘇𝘆𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?

For 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀, digestive enzyme supplements are generally 𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 when transitioning to a new diet. The key to a smooth transition is 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, allowing the digestive system time to adjust naturally.

Dogs produce their own digestive enzymes via the pancreas, which are essential for breaking down nutrients:
• 𝗟𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘀𝗲 – Breaks down fats
• 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 – Breaks down proteins
• 𝗔𝗺𝘆𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗲 – Breaks down carbohydrates

𝗗𝗼 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝘇𝘆𝗺𝗲𝘀?

It’s true that cooking destroys naturally occurring enzymes in food. However, this is 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻 for most dogs because they rely primarily on the enzymes their bodies produce—not those found in raw food. A 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 should provide all the enzymes necessary for digestion.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘇𝘆𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗳𝘂𝗹?

Supplementing with enzymes may be beneficial in certain cases:
✔️ 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀 or those with 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀
✔️ 𝗗𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, particularly older dogs
✔️ 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲, 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆, 𝗼𝗿 “𝗰𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝘆” 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀, which may indicate enzyme insufficiency (𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁)

𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘇𝘆𝗺𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

⚠️ 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘇𝘆𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗸, which may not be suitable for dogs with pork intolerances.
⚠️ 𝗗𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗕𝗗 (𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗕𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲) often struggle with weight gain and have concurrent food sensitivities.
✔️ 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝘇𝘆𝗺𝗲𝘀 may be a gentler alternative for dogs with unknown sensitivities, though they tend to be less potent.

💡 𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗽: For better absorption, mix digestive enzymes into your dog’s food and let it sit for 𝟭𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 before serving.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 “𝗔𝗹𝗹-𝗶𝗻-𝗢𝗻𝗲” 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

Combination products that include 𝗲𝗻𝘇𝘆𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 might seem convenient, but they often:
🚫 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗱𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, making it harder to tailor supplementation to your dog’s needs
🚫 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 that could worsen digestive issues

If your dog needs 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁, it’s best to choose 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 rather than one-size-fits-all blends.

#𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗡𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁 #𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 #𝗗𝗼𝗴𝗘𝗻𝘇𝘆𝗺𝗲𝘀 #𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗗𝗼𝗴𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 #𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗜𝗻𝗗𝗼𝗴𝘀

02/04/2025

🩺💉💊Kickstart Your Veterinary Nursing Career! (Training Provided)🩺💉💊

➡️ Join our friendly team of 6 at Fishguard Vets and embark on a rewarding career as a Registered Veterinary Nurse! We're looking for passionate individuals eager to learn and grow.

➡️ Don't have your RVN qualification yet? No problem! We offer comprehensive on-the-job training and support to help you achieve your goals.

➡️ In this role, you'll be an essential part of our team, providing exceptional care to our furry patients. Your responsibilities will include assisting with consultations, animal handling, sample collection, anaesthetic monitoring, lab work, and much more.

More info and how to apply read here: https://www.fishguardvets.co.uk/2025/04/01/kickstart-your-veterinary-nursing-career-training-provided/