Mid Wales Dog Training

29/08/2026

🥕 Why Carrots Are a Smart Snack for Your Pet — The Science 🐾:

That crunchy orange treat is actually a little pharmacy of plant compounds. Here’s what the research says:

🌈 Color = Different Superpowers
Carrot color isn’t just pretty — it signals different nutrients:
• Orange = alpha- & beta-carotene
• Purple/black = anthocyanins + the highest polyphenol/antioxidant load
• Red = lycopene
• Yellow = lutein (an eye-supporting nutrient)

🛡️ A Real Immune Boost (Proven in Dogs)
In controlled studies, dogs fed beta-carotene had stronger immune responses ; higher helper-immune cells and more antibodies. Dogs genuinely absorb beta-carotene into their blood and immune cells.

🔥 Nature’s Anti-Inflammatories
Carrots contain unusual compounds called falcarinol and falcarindiol. In lab studies these calmed inflammatory signals in cells (lowering IL-6, TNF-alpha, and nitric oxide).

🦠 Happy Gut Bacteria
Carrots’ soluble fiber (pectin) is food for the good bugs in your pet’s gut. Pets need fiber for a healthy microbiome. Bacteria ferment it into short-chain fatty acids that support the gut barrier, calm inflammation, and help regulate metabolism.

🍬 Low in Sugar — and No, They Don’t “Feed Yeast”
Carrots taste a little sweet, but the actual sugar per serving is small. A carrot has a low “glycemic load,” meaning a normal treat-sized portion does not spike blood sugar. The yeast overgrowth people worry about is driven by refined/free glucose in the gut, not by the modest natural sugars in a whole, fiber-rich vegetable — in lab models it’s concentrated glucose that fuels yeast growth. Bonus: carrots’ fiber actually feeds the good bacteria instead.

👀 Eye Support
Lutein and beta-carotene are antioxidants that help protect the eye from oxidative stress.

✅ Pet-Parent Tips
Offer carrots raw for a satisfying crunch (great for teething puppies, too!) or lightly cooked, depending on your dog (and what kitties prefer). Steamed, mashed carrots (mixed with bone broth) work great on a lick mat, and slicing mini carrots into thin rings makes great low-calorie training treats for dieting dogs 🥕
➡️ 1 inch of carrot for every 3 pounds of body weight per day.

26/08/2026

⚠️ We have had a lovely dog brought in today with parvovirus.
The owner has stated that they only walk around Castle Meadows, Abergavenny. Be aware that this does not mean it will only be in this specific area.

So please ensure you keep an eye out for signs of parvovirus in your pooches, and ensure they are up to date with the vaccinations.

Signs to look out for:

- Severe diarrhoea (foul smelling, watery and bloody)
- Vomiting
- Severely low energy
- A very high, or very low temperature
- Pale gums
- Abdominal pain
- Reduced appetite

Please get in contact with your local veterinary practice if you suspect your dog has the parvovirus ⚠️

25/08/2026

22/08/2026

Get real help with your dog's barking.

19/08/2026

Before we got dogs I'm sure lots of you (myself included) imagined a lovely long walk with the dog stopping off at a nice dog friendly pub for a nice lunch afterwards.

The truth is that this isn't a reality for lots of dogs as many cannot cope with this environment.

And that's absolutely ok.

It took me a long time to get over the guilt of leaving my dogs at home, but the truth is they are happier with that arrangement.

However I now have two more confident dogs and our world is opening up for more adventures.

Whilst I don't take them to these places often I do want to future proof our training so that eventually we can do such things when we want.

So, how do I go about setting my dogs up for success?

🐾 I practice my settle on a mat in lots of environments first.

🐾 I make sure their needs are met before I expect them to settle in a busy environment. Exercised, toileted etc. It's not fair to expect calm if these aren't met.

🐾 I think about where I sit. Not on a thoroughfare, or by the door where people will constantly pass by.

🐾 I always take my own water for the dogs. Staff in dog friendly places are great at offering but I never want my dogs to associate people carrying bowls as goodies for them. If they never learn that expectation I'm much less likely to have a dog accidentally take out a waitress in search of a snack.

🐾 At first I go with a friend who understands that I might need to leave suddenly. I aim to leave BEFORE my dog becomes unsettled not afterwards.

As a rule I don't take my dogs with me during adolescence. Dogs are extra sensitive at this age and I believe sometimes less is more.

However Stitch and I were having a great day Sunday so we decided to risk it. My husband was home and could easily come and collect him for me if it was too much.

Thanks to having a back up plan and all the points above we had a very successful visit. ♥️

But if he'd of been unhappy I'd of had no qualms about sending him home instead. As long as my dogs are happy so am I.

17/08/2026

‼️ PLEASE READ ‼️

I wish this was a one off, but it isn’t!

The frustrating thing is that it’s completely avoidable.

This week I’ve been rehoming another puppy for someone who bought the wrong dog from a breeder. Why ?

Because the owner wasn’t aware of the differences between a working line dog and a show line dog. The breeder hadn’t explained the difference either.

Bringing home your German Shepherd puppy and as it’s grows wondering why you are struggling so much, why your life is slowly being ruined by this dog that doesn’t seem to have an off switch, its biting your kids and behaving like some supercharged boisterous and destructive wild animal.

This can’t be normal, it must have ADHD? Hyper vigilance? Or something else wrong with it? After all you’ve had dogs before and never struggled like this !?

A German Shepherd is a German Shepherd right ? WRONG!

You’ve just made a huge mistake and it could have easily been avoided. Research and asking the right questions is all it took.

There are two main categories that these dogs come under and they are absolutely worlds apart! To the point where you can barely call them the same breed, the differences are so vast !

The showline and the Working Line.

There are exceptions to the rule as with anything of course but these are the general differences between the two.

The Showline German Shepherd

🐾 Calmer temperament, laid back and social.

🐾 Family companion, suitable for average households

🐾 Moderate energy and lower drive means easier for your average person to manage and train.

🐾 Bred to conform, prioritising looks and structure.

The Working line German Shepherd

🐾 High to extreme drive
High prey drive, high work drive, always ‘on’

🐾 Built to work.
They love to work! Police, military, search and rescue and dogsport. Their job is never done…

🐾 Endless energy
Needs hours of physical and mental work every day. Failure to do this results in destructive and unwanted behaviour. Find it difficult to switch off.

🐾 Not for the average owner
Demanding, intense and challenging,
requires skill, consistency and experience.

🐾 Bred for function
Breeding prioritises function, nerve, health and working ability.

So if you are looking for a GSD, ask yourself honestly, what is best suited to your lifestyle and skill set?

Choose a breeder that discusses your lifestyle and what you intend to do with the dog. Any reputable breeder will take a dog back if it doesn’t work out for you.

Feel free to speak to me for advice on choosing a German Shepherd.

Don’t make the mistake of bringing a working line dog into your home when you can only give it a showline life. You will regret it I promise you that!

Be fair to the dog, choose a dog that suits your lifestyle.