D.R. Dog Care Grooming and Training

17/04/2025

I’m on Instagram as . Install the app to follow my photos and videos. https://www.instagram.com/kids_and_clicks_workshop?igsh=MXNocnF3ZjNmMTV2bQ==&utm_source=ig_contact_invite

17/04/2025

16/04/2025

Any Irish speakers off to the South East Clare show in July and would like to be on the telly???📺🐾🐶🐾Email the lovely researcher below!!! 👇🐾👍

14/04/2025

🐾𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 🐾

In rescues across Ireland, 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲. Most arrive as adolescents or adults, already showing behavioural issues - not due to who they are, but due to human failure to meet their needs.

📊 Currently, 49 German Shepherds are listed for sale on Dogs.ie (13 ads out of 352 total listings).
But across Ireland, we can safely say, more than triple that number are waiting in rescues for their forever home.

That means 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗱 - 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱.

💔 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘂𝗽?
The top reasons include:

1️⃣𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 rooted in fear or overstimulation

2️⃣𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘀 misunderstood or mishandled

3️⃣𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 - families losing homes, unable to keep large dogs

4️⃣𝗜𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 with no plan for long-term care, possible medical treatment or training

German Shepherds are 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀 - but they’re also a protective breed, not bred to be carefree social butterflies. In the modern world, people often expect perfection. They want a dog they can take everywhere - cafés, parks, family gatherings - and imagine them happily mingling with strangers and other dogs. But the reality is, 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲.

They were developed to be alert, watchful, and cautious - traits that made them exceptional working dogs, but can be 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝘀 "𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀" 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆'𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲.

When some German Shepherds are repeatedly exposed to unfamiliar people, chaotic environments, or pressured to behave like extroverted pets, it can bring them over their threshold and many shut down, react, or become defensive.
Not because they're bad dogs - but because they're being asked to go against their very nature.

We can’t demand perfection from dogs bred to be discerning. What they need is structure, understanding, and homes that respect their boundaries.

⚠️ 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻, 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱
Many families believe, “We’d only trust a German Shepherd if we raised it from a puppy.”

But how many of the dogs now in pounds and shelters started as someone’s "perfect" puppy?

These dogs were brought into homes with high hopes, but the expectation of a “perfect” dog was based on an incomplete understanding - without considering their true nature and needs.

🧬 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺: 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 & 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱
Many German Shepherds are being bred by people who:

🐾Don’t health-test (hips, elbows, spine, etc.)

🐾Don’t assess temperament or suitability for family life

🐾Breed from dogs that are extremely protective or nervous, reactive parents

🐾Sell litters based on looks, not long-term welfare

🔁 These puppies are placed into unprepared homes. When their strong instincts emerge, families are caught off guard. The dog is labelled “aggressive,” when in reality, they were never bred or matched responsibly in the first place.

⛓️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴

1️⃣Puppy is bought from an irresponsible breeder
2️⃣Behavioural or health issues arise
3️⃣Owner struggles to cope
4️⃣Dog is surrendered
5️⃣Dog could spends months in shelter - stressed, their physical and mental health starts declining
6️⃣May be rehomed… or euthanised if the dog is unable to cope in the kennel environment and as a result their mental and physical health is severely affected or they are deemed dangerous and un-rehomable

Many rescues can admit that German Shepherds, as a breed, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. Their high intelligence and emotional depth make them prone to anxiety and barrier frustration. This makes them 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲, further compounding their odds.

💡 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗗𝗼?
✅ 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘆𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 - if the parents aren’t health and temperament tested, walk away.
✅ 𝗔𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁 - 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗴𝘀. With the right support, many Shepherds in rescue thrive.
✅ 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 - not just on the breed, but the bloodline and purpose behind the breeding.
✅ 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 that advocate for responsible pet ownership.

𝗕𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱.

10/04/2025

I’m cracking down on accepting appointments for dogs with reoccurring/untreated medical conditions. It’s not fair on the dogs or the groomer 😔 Ear issues are tricky and if your struggling to solve your dogs sore ears I highly recommend this🐾🐶🐶

08/04/2025

More foster puppies in need of newspapers if anyone free to donate!!! 😍🐶☺️😜🙈

07/04/2025

27/03/2025

on Live 95 at 11am today to discuss my new primary school workshop “Kids and Clicks” 🐾👍👆

21/03/2025

❤️❤️🐾🐶

20/03/2025

Great chat with Andrea and Dean McDonald -lecturer on cyber psychology. He loved my course idea(luckily!!😛🫣).
You can listen back here!!

Podcast Episode · Lunchtime Live Highlights · 20/03/2025 · 9m

20/03/2025

I’ll be chatting with Andrea today at 1.20 about ‘Kids and Clicks-empowering our children to ditch the device by learning about the links to dog training’. It’s an in person interactive workshop aimed at 5th and 6th class. It will help them understand the lure of the online world better and how to break the cycle! Tube in to find out more!!

20/03/2025

I’ll be chatting with Andrea today at 1.20pm today about ‘Kids and Clicks-empowering our children to ditch the device by learning about the links to dog training’. It’s an in person interactive workshop aimed at 5th and 6th class. It will help them understand the lure of the online world better and how to break the cycle! Tune in to find out more!!

19/03/2025

Omg💔💔

18/03/2025

New workshop!!! 📝Gotta get our kids to listen to the message all parents are getting about how addictive and dangerous our screens can be.😖If we can grab their attention through dogs(who dosn’t love dogs!?😉🐾❤️), maybe we can empower them to recognise when they are being manipulated by the Tech Industry 🫶👍

15/03/2025

Learning some photography skills from an online course!!!
🌅Golden hour(sunset)👍
☁️Clear background
⬇️Getting low to shoot
Tilly’s shoot was about 12 minutes before the rest and is less ‘golden’- but I think I prefer this light 🧐

11/03/2025

❤️❤️🐾

Update: fostered to be rehomed

For Rehoming

Charlie is a beautiful 4 month old collie. Charlie comes from a working breed and would suit a farm life. He is a friendly outgoing young pup great with people kids and other dogs. Charlie has never been on a lead so will need training.

If interested in Charlie, please call in to meet him.

28/02/2025

Education is power- I had a conversation with the owner of an 11 month old Cockapoo who was already talking about putting him to sleep if she couldn’t solve his guarding issues. Misunderstanding the dog in front of you and not both fulfilling their genetic needs while providing a safe environment for them through humane boundaries and training is a recipe for disaster. And it’s a battle the dog rarely wins 🥹🥹

🐾 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 🐾

In recent months, we’ve seen an alarming number of surrender requests for Cockapoos and Cockapoo puppies, many with 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀. These dogs, bred from a Poodle and Cocker Spaniel, have surged in popularity, but the rise in demand is causing serious, often overlooked consequences.

🛑 Currently, 4.9% of all ads - 23 out of 467 - on Dogs.ie are for litters of Cockapoos, making them the most advertised "breed" on the platform. These puppies are sold with a high price tag, around €500 each, drawing in buyers with their cute appearance and trendy "designer" label. But what happens when the new owners realize the reality of owning one?

💔 Breeders, especially those producing puppies purely for profit, are unlikely to take them back when the owners struggle. That responsibility falls on rescues and pounds who are left to pick up the pieces.

🐶 𝗖𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗼𝘀: 𝗔 𝗡𝗼𝗻-𝗣𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀

Despite their high price, Cockapoos are not a pedigree breed. There are significant drawbacks to choosing a non-pedigree dog, like Cockapoos. With mixed breeds, it’s often difficult or impossible to determine exactly what breed traits will dominate, making it hard to predict their behaviour and size as adults.

🧬 While the disposition of the parents can offer clues to a puppy’s temperament, in many cases, Cockapoo parentage is undocumented or unknown. This contrasts with pedigree dogs, whose medical and behavioral histories are well-recorded. With Cockapoos, health issues can be much more unpredictable.

⚠️ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱?

Cockapoos are often bought as family pets because of their adorable looks, but their 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁𝘀 can lead to significant 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 that many families aren’t prepared to handle. Cockapoos are a mix of two highly intelligent working breeds - Poodles and Cocker Spaniels. This leads to a unique set of challenges:

🐾 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: With strong hunting instincts from both sides, Cockapoos can become reactive and may chase small animals if not properly trained.
💔 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆: These dogs thrive on companionship and can develop severe anxiety when left alone for long periods, often leading to destructive behavior.
😟 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝗿-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀: Without proper early socialisation, Cockapoos can become fearful and reactive to unfamiliar situations, people, or other dogs.
🔒 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀: Cockapoos often exhibit 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, a behavior linked to their hunting breed background. Both Cocker Spaniels and Poodles have instincts to protect valuable resources like food or toys. Without training and clear boundaries, these traits can escalate into possessive behaviors and even aggression.
⚠️ These behaviors, especially resource guarding, 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀. This is why many Cockapoos, despite their cute appearance, find themselves surrendered to shelters.

💡 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲: 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀

Cockapoos are rarely, if ever, ethically bred. 𝗡𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗱. Reputable breeders are dedicated to improving the health, temperament, and overall quality of their specific breed. They carefully select mates for their dogs to maintain or enhance these traits - not to crossbreed for profit.

Breeders who are committed to improving their breed follow strict guidelines, health tests, and pair their dogs based on genetics, temperament, and health. In contrast, many Cockapoos are bred without these considerations. The primary focus for these breeders is demand and profit, not the welfare of the animals or the long-term health of the breed. The results are dogs that often suffer from poor genetics or behavioral issues that could have been avoided with responsible breeding.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗕𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗲?

If people stopped purchasing from bad breeders, they would no longer profit from this cruel cycle. When people buy Cockapoos from irresponsible breeders without doing proper research, they’re unknowingly supporting an industry that cares more about money than the welfare of the animals.

✅ 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀.

Before committing to any dog, especially a "designer" breed like a Cockapoo, it’s crucial to understand their unique needs.

𝗕𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗼𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.