Harry’s Happy Hounds NZ

25/10/2025

At 3340 meters (11,286 feet) Namche Bazaar is home to the highest dog shelter in the world. The Namche Dog Shelter is a community-driven initiative dedicated to the welfare of stray and abandoned dogs in the Khumbu region.

The dog population has exploded in Namche made worse when Covid 19 hit the trekking and tourism industry in Nepal. The lack of left-over food drove dogs from the upper valleys and surrounding areas to Namche, the largest settlement in the region. Despite the best efforts of the locals to provide the dogs with food the concentration of starving dogs in Namche during the winter of 2021 led to rapid breeding.

All dogs both domesticated and stray are opportunistic predators and the dogs did what they needed to do in order to survive. They formed packs, driven by hunger they become aggressive attacking and killing yaks ,goats and calves and were a threat to humans. Without any kind of management their behaviour became a serious issue.

Founded by the Namche Youth Group, the shelter provides food, medical care and a safe spot for the dogs. A vaccination and sterilisation programme was implemented to control the population and prevent the spread of disease along with education amongst the locals and trekkers.

Just like the shelter in Kathmandu these dogs have learnt how to coexist with the minimum amount of conflict.

23/10/2025

Say Gidday to Addie 🐾

I don’t post about every dog and owner that I work with. I try to share stories that I think may just help or inspire someone else who may be struggling with their dog

I recently received this video update from Addie's owner. It's just a dog out walking on a long line having fun but, this owner has been on an incredible journey with her dog . I can honestly say that Addies Mum has demonstrated grit, determination, patience, love and bloody hard work on another level. Her never give up attitude is an inspiration without which Addie's life would have been greatly restricted.

Seeing Addie out just being a dog with mum laughIng and having fun together is just the best thing ever !

Her owner is very modest but Im going to let her tell her story in the comments below 👇

I had become the dog owner who walked her dog at ridiculous early hours of the morning or late at night. Addie was reactive and her redirection onto the lead was something I struggled to control and put us in some dangerous situations. I figured at these hours I could avoid many of her triggers. Bikes, Dogs, Scooters, Fast Cars to name a few. And I could avoid mine. People. I was so sick of being judged by others when walking her, even though I was simply out there trying my best. My confidence was shattered. I was at the point I didn't even want to go out with her anymore.

Reaching out to Harry was hard. I was embarrassed and felt I was failing Addie. However, I knew I needed help so I, in turn could help Addie. It was the best decision I could have made!

It's been almost two years of very hard work, dedication and lots and lots patience. There have been tears and it often felt it was one step forward and two backwards. I refused to give up as Addie living her best life was far too important to me. Harry was our biggest cheerleader even when I felt there was nothing to cheer about. But now there is 🙂

Slowly but surely, we saw results. Addie has improved so much as have I. My confidence is back and I am not afraid to advocate for the both of us when out and about. I look forward to walks now. She barely looks at the triggers that would once cause her to react or for me to panic. Her engagement is fantastic and she has even had a couple of long stays at a boarding kennel so we could holiday for the first time since having her.

It still isn't always perfect and may never be. Both Addie and I still have our missteps but they are few and far in between. We still have so much more to work on but for now we are simply enjoying the benefits of all our hard work over the past couple of years and just having fun!

21/10/2025

Im still blown away by the lack of reactitvy and vocalisation among the dogs here at the Community Dog Welfare Centre even when the dogs are in close proximity of each other.

The vast majority of the dogs here are street dogs and they have had to learn to rely on non verbal communication, and an ability to de-escalate threats quickly via body language. Their very survival depends on reading and responding quickly to other dogs signals and intent.

This is in contrast to pet dogs whose natural ability to communicate appropriately is often suppressed by poor socialisation especially during the first 16 weeks of their lives. Leads, harnesses and over management by humans can also prevent dogs from communicating effectively and their ability to read canine communication is greatly reduced.

The dogs, here at center have through constant exposure and practice learnt to be street wise. As a result they are not trigged by many of the stimuli that the average pet dog tends to react to.

There are 170 plus dogs here but check out how relatively few you can hear barking

20/10/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1JKD4aP8xq/?mibextid=wwXIfr

19/10/2025

What a day !

Kate & Doug carry out the most incredible work not only caring for the 170 plus dogs but equally important is their commitment to developing community awareness and responsibility for dog welfare in Gokarneshwor, Kathmandu.

A nonprofit, family run organization.

Thank you to the whole team for making me so welcome and for your unbelievable work and dedication to dogs

I laughed and I cried……..

17/10/2025

Street dogs

The amount of street dogs here in Kathmandu is truly shocking compared to previous visits.

The figures are varied but it is estimated there are around 20,000 dogs roaming the streets of Kathmandu alone.

There is a big drive to sterilise over 10,000 street dogs within the next year to help efforts to control the growing population and prevent the risk of dog bites and rabies, Rabies is a deadly but preventable disease that kills people throughout Nepal every year.

The lack of microchipping and abandoned pets adds to the problem, as 350 to 400 people are bitten by dogs in the Kathmandu Valley every day !

From what I have seen there is a lack of education especially amongst children who fall victim to a good number of these bites. It would appear that dog bites are not always taken seriously or in some cases reported or even treated.

From a behavioural point of view, it is astonishing to see this number of dogs living within such close proximity, where food is scarce and ill health rife and yet so far I have not witnessed any aggression amongst the population.

It's pretty confronting to see but later today I am off to visit one of the organisations trying to make a difference.

15/10/2025

Heading overseas...

To all my current clients, you can still reach me via messenger although wifi is going to be a little sketchy so there is likely to be a lengthy delay, sorry. To all those new clients who are waiting on a consult I should be back up and running early December 🐾

Thanks
Harry

11/10/2025

Thresholds

Teaching your dog to not rush through doors, gates, cars etc is not only good manners, an opportunity to work impulse control but most importantly it can prevent an emergency or even save their lives.

Young Watson here is good around thresholds at home so I thought I would test him further and work him around some pretty challenging distractions.

Just like in the early videos I posted he shows a clear understanding of the markers his owners have installed since we met.

You can clearly see him listening to both the correction and the reinforcement. Yep, Watson you really do make it look elementary !

10/10/2025

Keep your eyes open for this pair 👀 and remember they will look older now. They are out there somewhere so let’s get them home !
Please read the message below 👇

We are getting closer guys!!

In the last post I mentioned how we feel that space has opened up around the dogs, as a result of your collective love and positive energy. Well, in the last couple of weeks we've had new information. Sightings that sound very much like Dice and Wee Dog with an older couple, who are travelling around in a campervan/ motor home.

These sightings are a few months old, but exciting nonetheless. They weren't reported at the time because the sighters weren't certain it was Dice and Wee Dog. They thought the dogs looked bigger, but were poodle and a foxy/jack russell types. They were worried they might upset us by getting our hopes up if it wasn't our dogs.

We understand this, we've heard the same from many people, many times. Please don't worry about upsetting us, you won't. We've been at this almost 6 years now, and we are conditioned to the process. You can tell us anything. Sightings, gut feelings, visions, the lot. We are open to it all, and we will follow absolutely everything up, and to be honest, we are extremely grateful for everything you share with us. It's coming from your hearts, and we know it's with the best intentions. So share it all please.

For a couple of years now we have thought the dogs were with an older couple, the picture has been slowly building from information gathered since their disappearance. After these recent sightings I think we can confidently say, we are looking for the dogs, with a couple in their 50's but more likely 60's who travel around at their leisure, living in a campervan or motorhome.

Now for the dogs. It appears the dogs are overweight, and this would make them look bigger. Dice is not clipped as short as he looks in all of our photos. His coat is longer and fluffy. Remember, they are nearly 6 years older, Dice's coat will most likely look more of a charcoal colour, than jet black. He will have a lot of grey hairs through his coat. He will be quite grey around the mouth, and Wee Dog could possibly be the same now. Both dogs, although perhaps a bit fat, are still below the average sized person's knee height.

Being an older couple will have worked in their favour I think. Naturally, we are less likely to be suspicious of older people having dogs that might not be theirs. That said, other than looking for this couple, we don't want there to be too much focus on what has taken place, because we think it brings the wrong kind of energy to our search. We wish then no harm, please be discreet.

In case the couple who have our dogs ever check in on this page, I want to say this to you.

We don't care who you are, or why you picked up our dogs and kept them. We have forgiven you. We thank you for caring for them, and no doubt coming to love them as we do. But you picked the wrong people's dogs to keep. We have not given up the search to find them, and never will. NEVER. We will find you, and you will need to return Dice and Wee Dog to us. There has not been a single day since October 17, 2019, where they have not been in my heart and mind. I am 100 percent committed to them, and I know my love will prevail in the end.

The easiest thing for you to do is take Dice and Wee Dog into any vet clinic and turn them over. You can simply say you found them walking along the road. We are not interested in anything other than having our dogs back with us.

It's time for you to let them come home.

To our Dice and Wee Dog family. We need your hearts and eye's now, more than ever. Since the very beginning of this journey, I've always felt that it will be one of you who makes the breakthrough discovery, and I still believe it. As you go about your daily lives please look for these people and the dogs. If you see anything, and it's possible, please record details. Time, place, number plates, pictures and any other descriptive details. An army of eye's looking everywhere is what we most need, and for you to continue to send your love and positive energy to Dice and Wee Dog. Ask them to show themselves, and I believe they will. This is an exciting time, and we wholeheartedly feel that collectively, we will override the low vibrational energy of the people who wish to conceal them from us.

With all our love, we believe it's going to happen ❤️

10/10/2025

“Elementary, my dear Watson"

🐾 Say Gidday to Watson 🐾

Watson's owners have put in a lot of work to help address this young man's enthusiasm, he is such a character. So I set about strengthening his Recall. Like most dogs he was a little rusty especially when distracted.

Thanks to the team at Timaru Pet Resort who allowed me to use their facilities and take advantage of a myriad of distractions 🐕 🐕 🐕

Watson blew me away with how quickly he picked things up, aided again by his owners who had worked on providing clear and consistent communication to their boy