Tiny Paws Outdoors

09/09/2025

I NEED TO BE NOSY!

There are so many benefits in creating activities that allow dogs to use their strongest sense – the sense of scent or smell.

Although dogs have an incredible ability to scent, so many dogs are never given the opportunity to use this sense in a way that’s meaningful to them.

We often expect our dogs to conform to our very visual and verbal human world, neglecting the fact that they largely perceive the world through scent.

The picture in this post is my eldest Schnauzer, Sophie. At 12-years-old, one of her favourite things to do is to find hidden treasures in empty boxes stuffed with balls of paper containing tiny treats. She will then proceed to shred the box into pieces, just in case she missed anything!

Yes, it makes a mess and has to be cleaned up, but being able to watch her sense of enjoyment, purpose, achievement and the calmness and relaxation she feels afterwards, is priceless.

I believe that scenting activities for dogs should be considered an essential need. It really doesn’t have to be difficult, time consuming or expensive.

Scent work is especially beneficial to dogs that may be nervous, fearful, lack confidence, are reactive, have big feelings or are high energy. It gives them a “job” to do in a world where they often have no outlets to fulfil this very natural, biological need.

Provide opportunities for your dog to be “nosy”, it really will make a difference to their wellbeing.

08/09/2025

03/09/2025

I NEED TO FEEL SAFE!

Like all living creatures, ourselves included, dogs need to feel safe – it’s a basic need for survival.

It’s hard wired into our brains to keep asking and checking – “Am I safe?” or “Is this safe?”

When we think about feeling safe it’s natural to just think about not being harmed or being in danger, but it’s not just about physical safety - feeling emotionally or psychologically safe is just as important.

While physical safety may be obvious and simpler to address, emotional safety is far more complex and not always easy to recognise or identify.

The same applies to our dogs – they are sentient beings whose behaviour is triggered and driven by emotions.

So many behaviour problems that we see in dogs stem from the brain saying– “I don’t feel safe!”

A dog that lunges and barks or behaves aggressively with another dog or person is very likely doing so because they feel unsafe. They are trying to make the scary thing go away.

A dog that is guarding resources is doing so because they are afraid that the resource will be taken away – they don’t feel safe when another animal or person approaches that resource.

A dog that is reacting to fireworks or thunderstorms or other noises is doing so because they don’t feel safe.

The same can be said for separation distress – the feeling of intense panic when left alone – “I am not safe!”

Some dogs may never get over a specific fear, but doing all we can to help dogs feel safe in our world is one of the most important gifts we can give them.

Our first responsibility should not be about training, obedience or trying to change behaviour, but to focus first and foremost on building trust, self-confidence, resilience, creating a safe and secure base and being the person that our dogs can rely on and trust.

In the words of Dr. Gabor Maté - "Feeling safe is the treatment and creating safety is the work".

In my words (as it pertains to dogs) – It is our responsibility to put in the work to enable our dogs to feel safe and when they feel safe, this will be part of the treatment or the solution to the problem.

22/08/2025

Well done to Elaine and Wispa on earning their novice trick dog title today 🐾

09/08/2025

08/08/2025

These keyring tick removers have always been a popular extra here at South Country Leads however I am terrible at photographing them!

£4.50 each in about 10 colours perfect addition to your keys for the summer 🌞

07/08/2025

THE PLAY BOW

Dogs are constantly communicating through their body language and the play bow is one that is very easy to see, but despite its name, it doesn’t always mean “I want to play with you!”

Yes, in general, it means – I’m friendly and I have no aggressive intent, although context and the individual dog always need to be taken into account.

Some time ago, one of my little dogs was attacked by a bigger dog while we were out waking. She has never completely recovered from the trauma and ever since then, immediately play bows if a bigger dog comes anywhere near her.

I believe what she is communicating is – a calming signal to show the other dog she is not a threat, a position in which she can quickly escape if need be and the most likely explanation is to pre-empt any conflict and reduce any potential tension.

She has absolutely no desire or intention of playing or interacting with the other dog, but is trying to communicate her non-threatening intent. This may be a more unusual use of the play bow, but the purpose of this story is that context and the individual dog really does matter.

Some dogs also use play bows to reset an interaction that is getting too much or perhaps to say “I’m sorry!”, in an attempt to reduce social tension or initiate conflict resolution after being too rough.

A prayer bow, which looks very similar to a play bow may indicate discomfort. A prayer bow is a more lengthened stretch, where a dog extends the front paws really far forward and the chest area is very close to or on the ground.

This could indicate abdominal pain, gastrointestinal discomfort, bloating, gas, or it’s simply an effective stretch to loosen up stiff muscles or joints and get ready for movement.

01/08/2025

01/08/2025

As always great fun in today’s trick classes and Dexter taking handstand to a new level 👏