Evies Animal Therapy

20/08/2026

Dont have any regrets! Please keep them safe 🩷

17/08/2026

16/08/2026

Looking after these 3 cuties whilst their mum is away on a special family trip 🥰
They all have different requirements. Bless them 🩷

16/08/2026

14/08/2026

🐾 LOW-ENERGY GAMES FOR HOT DAYS ☀️🐶

When it’s far too hot for lots of running and playing outside, our dogs still need mental stimulation! 🧠💛

Here are some easy games you can play indoors to keep your dog entertained without getting them hot and over-excited:

🔎 Find It!
Hide a few treats around one room and let your dog use their nose to find them. Start easy and gradually make the hiding places trickier.

🥣Muffin Tin Game
Pop treats into some of the holes of a muffin tin and cover them with tennis balls or toys. Can your dog work out which ones contain the treats?

📦 Cardboard Box Search
Put some treats or their favourite toy into a cardboard box with scrunched-up paper. Let them sniff and investigate.

🖐️ Hand Targeting
Teach your dog to touch your hand with their nose. It's simple, useful training and can be done in a small space.

🧸 Toy Choice Game
Put two or three toys down and ask your dog to choose one. Reward them for investigating or picking the toy you name.

🐾 Trick Training
Use the cooler part of the day to teach something new — paw, chin rest, spin, tidy up toys or even a cute new trick!

🐕‍🦺 Snuffle Time
A snuffle mat, scatter feeding or simply hiding their dinner around a safe area can provide fantastic mental enrichment without lots of physical exertion.

💡 Remember: sniffing, searching and problem-solving can be just as tiring for our dogs as physical exercise — and they're a great way to help keep them content on hot days.

☀️ Keep sessions short, provide plenty of fresh water and make sure your dog has a cool, comfortable place to rest afterwards.
What is your dog's favourite indoor game?

💜 Evie’s Complete Paws
Dog Training • Puppy Training • 1-to-1 Training • Pet Sitting • Holistic Healing

03/07/2026

Another few days with this lovely boy. He is the sweetest.
Lickimats are a great way to enrich cats but also to help cool them when its hot. I used lickelix from the fridge this time.

Get in touch if your cat needs looking after.
Live in cat sitting. Five star Reviews.

27/06/2026

Afternoon snooze by the fan. This heat has wiped us out. Anyone else?

25/06/2026

My regular lady. Isnt she the cutest?

My priority as a dog sitter is keeping your pets safe in this heat.
Very early walks (we were out at 6am. Lovely cool breeze and shade) or very late when it is cool. If in doubt dont risk it!

Keeping fans on inside, shutting blinds or curtains to keep it cool.
Also cool mats or a wet towel placed on a cool floor is also good.
Providing enrichment such as frozen kongs or carrots can provide cool activities. And calm games can help to engage problem solving thinking.

If you are in doubt about your pets health and wellbeing contact your vet.

23/06/2026

Understanding the Predatory Sequence in Dogs 🐾🐾🐾

Really useful info for all dog owners



Every dog, from the smallest Chihuahua to the largest Greyhound, carries natural instincts inherited from their wild ancestors.

One of these is the predatory sequence – a series of behaviours designed for hunting. While our pet dogs rarely need to hunt for survival, these instincts are still present and can influence their behaviour in everyday life.

The Predatory Sequence
The sequence typically follows these stages:

👀 Orient – The dog notices movement or a potential target.
👁️ Eye – The dog focuses intensely on the object.
🐾 Stalk – The dog moves slowly and carefully towards it.
🏃 Chase – The dog runs after the moving object.
🦷 Grab Bite – The dog catches the target.
💥 Kill Bite – A forceful bite intended to stop movement.
🍽️ Dissect – Pulling apart or tearing.
🥩 Consume – Eating the prey.

Different breeds have been selectively bred to emphasise different parts of this sequence. For example:

Border Collies excel at eyeing and stalking.
Spaniels are bred to flush and chase.
Retrievers have been selected to grab and carry gently.
Sighthounds have a strong chase instinct.
Why This Matters in Training
Many behaviours that owners find frustrating are actually normal expressions of a dog's natural instincts rather than signs of stubbornness or disobedience.

Your dog may:
Chase squirrels or rabbits.
Fixate on moving bicycles or runners.
Lunge at cats or wildlife.
Become deaf to recall cues when something runs past.

Understanding that these are instinctive behaviours allows us to approach training with empathy rather than punishment.

Managing the Predatory Sequence
The goal is not to suppress natural behaviour but to teach dogs appropriate outlets and help them make better choices.

1. Prevent Rehearsal
Every successful chase strengthens the behaviour.
Use a long line in open spaces.
Keep dogs under control around livestock and wildlife.
Avoid situations where your dog is likely to practise unwanted chasing.

2. Build Engagement
Teach your dog that paying attention to you is rewarding.
Practise:
Name response
Check-ins
Hand targets
Recall games
Reinforcement for choosing you over the environment

3. Reinforce Alternative Behaviours
Reward behaviours that are incompatible with chasing.
For example:
Looking back at you
Sniffing
Walking calmly
Choosing to disengage from wildlife
The earlier you reinforce these choices, the more successful your dog will be.

4. Provide Appropriate Outlets
Dogs still need opportunities to express natural behaviours.

Healthy outlets include:
Scent work
Food searches
Flirt pole sessions (used safely and with rules)
Retrieve games
Tug with clear start and finish cues
Chase games where the dog is chasing a toy rather than wildlife

Meeting these needs can reduce frustration and improve overall wellbeing.

Timing Is Everything
Once a dog is fully engaged in the chase stage, the thinking part of the brain is often overridden by instinct and adrenaline. This is why recalls frequently fail during a chase.
Successful training happens before the dog reaches this point:

Notice the environment.
Watch your dog's body language.
Interrupt early with engagement, movement or reinforcement.
Reward heavily for choosing you.

A Welfare-Focused Approach
Punishing a dog for expressing instinctive behaviour can increase stress, anxiety and frustration without teaching them what to do instead.

Reward-based training focuses on:
Understanding the individual dog.
Managing the environment.
Building reliable alternative behaviours.
Providing suitable outlets for natural instincts.
Strengthening the relationship between dog and guardian.

When we understand the predatory sequence, we stop seeing our dogs as "naughty" and start recognising them as animals behaving exactly as nature designed them to.

Our role as trainers and guardians is to guide those instincts safely, ethically and successfully so dogs can thrive in our human world.

23/06/2026

Really great advice from a vet 💉💉💉🩺🩺🩺