Mind'n'Manners

05/03/2023

Now that the daffodils are starting to bloom, remember this important message and keep your pets safe.....

04/03/2023

08/02/2023

I’M HAPPY MY DOG GROWLS!

You may think that’s a strange thing to say but let me explain why.
We can all tell how a person is feeling by looking at them - is their face happy, sad, angry, bewildered? If a person is sat hunched up, mouth turned down, eyes looking at the floor, it’s a safe bet that they are feeling sad or worried. If they are sat with their shoulders back, relaxed body and face, eyes connecting, they’re probably showing you a confident person.

Let’s look at how dogs use their body language to show us how they are feeling. We’ve all seen the cute videos where the dog is being climbed on by a toddler or being hugged tight, but if you look carefully you can often see that the dog isn’t happy with the situation at all.

A first sign to look for that shows your dog is feeling uncomfortable can be a yawn, or licking their lips or nose, turning away or showing the whites of their eye – this is known as ‘whale eye’. Dogs by nature prefer to avoid conflict, so they continue to give signals that show they are uncomfortable with the situation. If these signs are ignored, they start to escalate the intensity of the body language and you may start to see the dog walk away for example. The dog might crouch and tuck its tail under or lay down, perhaps start to stiffen with a hard stare, a slow tail wag but the most important signal that a dog can give, when all else fails, is to growl. This is the point where the dog is telling you that THIS MUST STOP! To ignore the growl will mean that they will take the next step of escalation - a snap or a bite.

It is important to remember that you must NEVER PUNISH THE GROWL. This is the dog’s last attempt to stop the situation and if the dog is punished, they will just cut out this stage and move straight to the bite. Always pay attention to your dog’s body language and respect that they are trying to avoid any conflict if they can. A bite will pretty much never come out of nowhere, you just have to read the signs.

So hopefully you won’t have to hear your dog growl but if you do, be pleased that they are giving you a last warning and take the right action to make your dog feel comfortable again.

23/12/2022

CHRISTMAS WRAPPING

A fun way to teach your dog the concepts of Independence, Proximity and Novelty at Christmas 🎅

03/11/2022

FIREWORKS AND DOGS

Fireworks can cause anxiety or panic in dogs. Not knowing where the noise is coming from is especially scary and flashes and bangs can cause real distress.

If your dog is worried, try to give them a safe place to go to, perhaps a covered crate. Shutting curtains can also help a bit. If your dog comes to you for comfort, don’t ignore them but give slow calm strokes and talk in low soothing tones.

Try to feed your dog before the fireworks start as they may not eat if they are distressed. Take them out to toilet on a lead as a sudden bang may cause them to bolt. Make sure that your microchip details are up to date in case your dog does escape.

Take a look at the Kennel Club page as there are some good tips on there

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/fireworks?fbclid=IwAR2Vj1AIibAlxnFOL7Z4owyxpytCmdVcskvPNrAL_9T1EYoI10driWPLDno

18/07/2022

Keeping Bess cool.. blinds drawn to keep out the sun and a frozen Kong popsicle 😁😎

17/06/2022

With the weather warming up, it's important to keep your dog safe

What’s the most common cause of heatstroke in dogs? If you said “being in a hot car”, you’d be mistaken. 75% of cases of heatstroke are caused by exercising on a hot day.
Tomorrow is going to be a scorcher, so, as well as not leaving your dog in a hot car, it’s vital that you avoid walking your dog during the hottest parts of the day, and stick to times when it’s cooler, such as early morning or in the evening.

Find out more about heatstroke and when to walk your dog on hot days at thekennelclub.org.uk/dogsdiehotwalks.

21/05/2022

Congratulations to this little fella on completing his Puppy Life Skill course. We're all very proud of him! 😁

19/04/2022

Fun training with Easter Novelty Party and 'Egg & Spoon' game 😁

18/03/2022

A bit of Friday fun 😁

03/02/2022

What a great idea