Wild-In-Kind Pet Care

11/11/2025

COPYCAT DOGS

It really does matter who we hang out with or spend time with because our social circle or who we live with, influences our behaviour, emotional state and habits. This can have either a positive or negative influence.

The same can be said for all social animals, our dogs included.

When behaviour is contagious and copied by social animals, the scientific word for this is “Allelomimetic” and although it’s a bit of a tongue-twister to pronounce it simply means copying what others are doing.

In the wild, animals depend on allelomimetic behaviour for survival. An example is if a member of a group spots a threat and starts running, the group will immediately follow, without too much conscious thought – it’s an automatic response, making it harder to be attacked.

This innate behaviour in dogs can present in both positive and negative ways.

Bringing a new dog into a home where the resident dog has unwanted behaviours, is never a good idea. There’s a risk of ending up with 2 dogs with issues instead of 1.

It’s always best to address unwanted behaviour before adding another dog, but calmness, contentment, regulation, self-confidence and other wanted behaviours are also contagious.

It’s far easier said than done and every situation is different, but if our dogs are going to copy behaviours, we need to be mindful in exposing them to what we want them to copy.

08/11/2025

08/11/2025

Not everyone can pull off a daisy crown.........yet here we are!🌼👑🐾🐶😍

Boof 💚

08/11/2025

Sharing is caring 🫶
www.blangolden.com

08/11/2025

Loves a good puddle! 🤷🏽‍♀️🐳🐾🐶😆🥰

Shaq 💚

queenstown

23/10/2025

ABILITY TO COPE MORE IMPORTANT THAN OBEDIENCE.

🟡In today’s fast-paced world, there’s often too much emphasis on ensuring dogs are obedient, while their ability to cope with an increasingly chaotic environment is overlooked. While being well trained is important, it should be secondary to helping our dogs develop resilience and emotional stability. The modern world presents dogs with constant noise, busy streets, and frequent changes to their environment, which can lead to anxiety or stress if they aren’t prepared to cope with these challenges.

🔴Research supports the idea that emotionally balanced dogs are more adaptable and capable of learning. A 2019 study from the University of Helsinki found that training that focuses on a dog’s emotional state, rather than just their behaviour, leads to a stronger overall ability to handle stress and unfamiliar situations. Dogs that are trained solely for obedience without addressing their mental resilience can often struggle in unpredictable environments, which increases the risk of behavioural issues.

🟢When dogs are allowed to learn to cope first, their ability to navigate a busy world with confidence vastly improves. And more confident dogs respond better to training cues, not out of fear or command alone, but because they trust us and understand how to manage their environment. Building that foundation makes all other training a natural extension, rather than the primary focus.

🟣If we want our dogs to be truly well-adjusted, we must prioritise their emotional well-being and coping abilities. By shifting the focus, we are ensuring that dogs not only follow commands but also feel calm and capable in an ever-busier world.

22/10/2025

DON’T FORCE ME TO BE SOCIAL!

It may be really disappointing or frustrating when our dogs are not the social beings we expected them to be.

Many people assume dogs should just naturally get along with other dogs, after all they’re the same species.

Some believe the “unsociable” dog has a behaviour problem that needs to be “fixed”.

Early, appropriately timed and proper socialisation is really important, but sometimes despite all of this, some dogs are just not that sociable or socially selective to varying degrees.

Sometimes this can be improved, especially if the cause is from a negative experience, but genetics, breed tendencies, individual personalities, health and age all contribute to tolerance and sociability, which also change throughout a dog’s lifetime.

If we, as a human species, don’t get along with everyone we meet, how can we expect our dogs to?

Do we label or try to fix every person that has an argument; doesn’t make friends with everyone they meet, dislikes some people, or just prefers not to be social as having a problem that needs to be fixed?

Why is it so easy to accept that every individual person is different than to accept that every individual dog is different?

When we have done what we can to improve our dogs’ social skills, we need to accept and acknowledge our dogs for the individuals they are, allow and respect their choice of whether to be sociable or not and never force interactions that dogs are not comfortable with.

14/10/2025

BRAIN UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The challenges of the teenage dog.

There’s a saying that most parents of teenagers can relate to - "Parents of teenagers understand why some animals eat their young!"

The changes that happen in the brain of a teenage dog are not that different to a human teenager.

The brain undergoes a period of "pruning" and "re-wiring". This process can cause some parts not to work, work sporadically or work too much.

To describe it in the simplest of terms -the prefrontal cortex of a teenage brain is at the “back of the queue” in this process. It’s still “under construction” and still developing. This area of the brain is responsible for making “logical” decisions, controlling impulses, learning, remembering, problem solving and social interaction.

Because the prefrontal cortex is being reconstructed, the brain relies more on a part called the amygdala to make choices and react.
The amygdala is involved in the “big feelings” we may see - emotional responses like fight or flight, anxiety, excitement, reactivity, impulse control and instinctive behaviour.

Being aware of the physical changes the teenage brain is going through in the process of maturing, helps us to be more understanding and accepting.

Statistics show that many dogs are surrendered or re homed during the teenage stage as their owners no longer “like” the way their dog behaves, can’t handle them or just give up on them.

Please don’t give up on your teenage dog. We need to manage our expectations and frustrations during this phase.

Understand and acknowledge what is happening in their brain. Help them through this stage with patience, consistency, love and acceptance.

14/10/2025

Wet paws, wagging tails, and wild spring days! 🐶🐳! Spring is here, and adventures are calling with Wild-in-Kind.🌱🐾🌸😎

09/10/2025