Hoof & Hound - Jersey, C.I.

18/05/2025

Mylo sadly is back with us. He struggled in his new home.

He’s 2 years old and about 6-7kgs.

Before coming to JRD, we believe Mylo led a very sheltered life and has missed out on key socialisation which means everything outside the home (other than the car) can be crazy exciting and he can become a very loud dude and / or topple into overwhelm. Since being with us, some parts are now a little less exciting and more manageable, such as walks (don’t get us wrong, there is still work to do!!) but we can now walk a walk over bunny hopping almost all the way!

He would love to be with someone most of the day so either someone who works from home, works in a role where he can go out in the car / van with you or who is retired / doesn’t work is ideal.

What we would love is somewhere which can emulate his foster home as he has done really well there. They say he is super easy 23 out of 24 hours a day! (It’s just that walk which can make things more of a challenge - but no one is perfect!)

The set up is:
- A quiet, chilled household (there are 2 adults in the home and he loves both of them fairly equally)
- Limited people coming and going, probably no kids and not too many different visitors for now (regular visitors is fine and with new people slow intros or having space away from them). The current foster home has new people a couple of times a week as offer dog care but Mylo is behind a stair gate and once calm, says hello.
- Doesn’t need to go to social gatherings or outside events for now. He’s visited the foster home’s family and friends but set ups are also quite similar.
- An outside space or garden so if he’s had a big day, he can stay home over a walk (at least initially)
- Someone who likes enrichment activities - think food balls, puzzles and / or training to get his mind working and build that bond (you don’t have to be an expert, just someone interested in dog brain games - we can give you tips and link you to resources as needed)
- ⁠Slow intros to the wider world and to do it at his speed - this could be months, maybe years. Equally, if he doesn’t get 100% there that it’s ok and the home will manage around him (mainly barking at dogs and some people so social gatherings and walks are his struggles, but he’s happy to stay home)
- ⁠Conscious of overwhelm / trigger stacking, so if he has a ‘busy’ day, he has some down time.

The things which make Mylo great:
- happy, friendly little dude
- great with dogs in the house (he’s met a few through the dog care and has got on well with a range of different dogs)
- could live with another dog(s)
- is clean in the house
- sleeps downstairs and right through the night happily
- ⁠travels well in the car (does squeak initially)
- ⁠can be left 3-4 hours
- ⁠loves his cuddles
- ⁠loves to play with his toys
- ⁠happy to be carried / held
- ⁠hair is super long and soft but doesn’t seem to matt
- ⁠desperately wants to please
- loves to learn things
- ⁠has the cutest little face!

16/05/2025

Hubert Dingus 3 months (Huwie)

24/04/2025

10/04/2025

Dogs behave the way they do for many reasons. They don’t act out of stubbornness or a desire to be ‘naughty,’ nor do they try to take control to be the 'pack leader.' Old myths and outdated training approaches harm their well-being and strain the bond between dogs and their caregivers.

🧬 A dog’s breed and genetics shape certain behavioural traits. Genetic predispositions and breed-specific tendencies play a role. Some breeds lean toward behaviours like herding, hunting, or guarding.

The neonatal period and the environment a dog grows up in can impact and influence their emotional responses. Early socialisation period—appropriately exposing puppies using reward-based methods to diverse people, animals, and settings during their key developmental window—builds confidence and shapes emotional regulation, adaptive behaviours, social skills, and reduces fear or aggression later on.

Overstimulation triggers unwanted behaviours by overwhelming a dogs senses. Not enough sleep, loud noises, crowds, or constant busy activity can lead to hyperactivity or erratic/impulsive responses. For example, a dog might jump, bark, or pull on the leash when flooded with too much daily input.

Past experiences and learned consequences shape behaviour. Trauma, especially, can spark fear, anxiety, or aggression.

How caregivers interact and guide their dogs shape their emotional responses and behaviours. Empathy, prevention (environmental management), consistency, and positive reinforcement methods build a more stable and confident dog. Punitive correction-based and intimidation methods can create unpredictability, confusion, and fear, which may lead to aggressive defensive responses.

A dogs health—physical and mental—affects their behaviour. Pain, illness, or discomfort can shift how they act.

Emotions that cause distress, like fear, anxiety, or excessive excitement, drive behaviour or a ‘lack thereof.’ Responses are instinctive and depend on how the dog perceives a threat. They might react defensively (fight), flee to hide (flight), freeze in place, or fawn by showing submissive, appeasing behaviours to de-escalate conflict—like excessive licking or cowering. Some may shut down entirely into learned helplessness after prolonged stress, while others display excessive, out-of-context behaviours (fidgeting), like random ge***al checks, eating grass, scratching, or ‘shaking off.

Unmet mental or physical needs lead to frustration and destruction. A dog with pent-up energy or boredom might chew furniture, dig up the yard, or bark nonstop to release stress.

Diet influences behaviour, too. High-quality nutrition supports steady energy, good mood, and well-being. Poor food choices can cause irritability, hyperactivity, or gut issues.

As dogs age, canine cognitive decline can set in as well as the loss of hearing or eyesight. These changes can lead to increased confusion, disorientation, and altered social interactions in older dogs.

Every dog is unique, and behaviour varies within context, experiences, breeds, and life stages. Dogs express needs, emotions, and intentions through body language, vocalizations, and other signals. Reading these cues gives you insight into their behaviour and how they are feeling, which can help you prevent unwanted situations from happening or help you adjust your approach to challenges.

I’m not humanising dogs—they are sentient beings with emotions (Cambridge Declaration, 2012). Their feelings and needs may not be as layered as ours, but they’re real!

Thanks for reading and learning more about them🐾💜

27/03/2025

06/03/2025

I'm Mylo and I'm a 2 year old scruffy dude who needs a new pad to call home!

I'm a bit over 6.5kg atm so am pretty dinky but I've been told to put a little on as I am a bit skinny under all that fur so perhaps I will hit 7kg.

I've got the most amazing underbite and I seem to have some mini canines behind my top ones! It doesn't stop me enjoying a good chew or eating but I do dribble a little water when I drink.

I'm currently in foster at Toby's house 🐶 who's an older gent and I've been amazing at giving him his space and sharing his mummy and daddy.

My foster mummy hasn't been that well since I've arrived but I've been helping her recover and she's on the mend - I like to think because of me! 🥰

I love to play and did also have a foster sister but she's moved to her forever home and would love it if I had a doggy sibling (or frequent visiting friend) who also wanted to play with me.

I'm great in the house.

I sleep downstairs happily and can be left up to 4 hours.

I am mostly clean - my foster home are still getting used to my toileting routine. Where I do need to go and they haven't realised, I will toilet inside but always by the door to outside as do want to be clean if I can. I think once they get to know me better, the door will be open at the right times for me.

I love cuddles and playing with my toys.

I do bark when new people come to the house but I quickly calm or can hang out in a separate room.

I'm happy in the car but will whine with excitement at times. Maybe I could find someone who drives for a job and I can hang out with you on your travels!

Grooming wise, I do need regular brushing and depending on the home may need grooming visits up to every 6 weeks. My foster home brush me most days atm and although sometimes I try to play with the brush I am happy to have a little tidy up.

Outside, I'm a bit...well...more! My foster mum says I probably will need to learn to be a bit more chilled but I'm just so excited! Everything seems new and I just want to get to it as quickly as possible so I do pull on the lead. If I see anything (a leaf, bird, car, person) I will get even more excited and might whine a little or start walking on just my hind legs. And if I see another dog, well that's just too much to bear and I MUST bark and squeal with the biggest tail wags going.

I've been told I haven't quite got my social queues down when out and about and apparently other dogs don't always want to play rough and tumble straight away. And their humans don't always appreciate the noise I make!

I'm going to need my new humans who are patient and able to give me some support with my outside excitement - My foster home is working on this and step one is keeping to the same walk and I am getting a little bit more chilled as the time goes on. My current walk is very quiet and I don't see many dogs on it.

I'm probably going to do best in either a home in a more rural parish or if in a busier area, to go for walks at quiet times or taken in the car to a quiet area.

If you would like to know more, please send me a pm or you can fill in an application form for me at www.jerseyrescuedogs.co.uk

24/01/2025

A big issue for many walking their dogs on leads (for any one of a number of reasons) can be uncontrolled loose dogs running up to their dogs. Three of the most common reasons are shown in the image - an older dog who may be hurt in an over-enthusiastic and excitable greeting, a dog recovering from illness/injury/surgery, and a dog who is scared - perhaps the victim of a previous dog attack.

There is a misconception that 'good' dogs will love all other dogs and, if in a public area, should be prepared to play and interact with any other dog in the area. The truth is that, just as we are, most dogs are at least a little selective in who they want to interact with. They will show this in their body language which - subtle as it may be to humans - a socially competent dog will be able to read and respect.

The problem is that these 'good' and 'friendly' dogs as their humans perceive them are generally not actually all that socially competent, and don't respect those subtle signals asking for space and to be left alone. They can keep pushing and pushing until the on lead dog (who is not able to avoid them because they are on lead and can't get away) feels they have no choice but to defend themselves. And then it's often the poor on-lead dog who is labelled as 'bad' when they were just trying to get out of the scary situation.

An off lead dog should not be allowed to approach unknown on-lead dogs. If you see your dog approaching an on-lead dog, call your dog back and keep them close by, either by calling them to heel or putting them on the lead. For the sake of everyone's enjoyment of the space you are in, keep your dog under control for the few minutes it takes to give the on-lead dog space, and then carry on.

If your dog cannot be called back from approaching an on-lead dog, they are not ready to be off-lead in a public place. Use a longline while working on strengthening their recall around distractions - for their own safety, as well as that of the other dogs around.

06/01/2025

It’s been a busy couple of weeks taking care of this lovely menagerie of pets 💜🩷💜 if you need a drop-in service or solo dog walk contact me at: [email protected]
Or send me a direct message at Hoof & Hound - Jersey, C.I.

19/11/2024

Not letting the weather get us down 🌧️🐾💖

16/11/2024

Had a lovely few days walking Odie ♥️ If you need cover whilst your dog walker is on holiday or a regular walker for your dog/puppy please get in touch with me:

[email protected] or send me a Private Message at Hoof & Hound - Jersey, C.I.