Donehogawa Utonagan

30/07/2025

It still makes me upset when I hear of yet another dog who is going in for their "yearly vaccines". But then I wonder - are people aware of titers? 🩸

Vaccine antibody titer tests are an AMAZING tool (a simple blood test) that your veterinarian can use to measure the level of antibodies in your dog's bloodstream for specific diseases, such as distemper, parvovirus, or rabies.

By measuring the antibodies, we are able to see if we in fact do need to re-vaccinate, and therefore reduce the risk of over-vaccinating our dogs.

PS: Studies have shown that parvo and distemper have a minimum duration of immunity of 7 years by challenge!

29/07/2025

THE EXIT STRATEGY

An exit strategy is a practiced, planned way to create sufficient distance or remove a reactive dog from a trigger or situation.

Having this plan in place is so beneficial for dogs that react to triggers in the environment.

An exit strategy could look like quickly increasing distance when a trigger appears, practicing quick U turns to change direction, or waiting behind a tree, car or similar object until the trigger is far enough away.

This strategy decreases stress levels, gives our dogs an opportunity to process information and helps them learn to respond in a different way from a space where they feel safe.

Think about how we may use exit strategies to help us cope and how they make us feel better.

Some time ago I suffered from debilitating panic attacks after a series of traumatic events. I couldn’t drive on a highway or be in an enclosed space.

My daughter was graduating from university and I could not miss this event, but what if I had a panic attack in the auditorium, couldn’t get out and embarrassed her and myself?

A therapist that I was seeing at the time helped me to develop an exit strategy. I arrived early and found a seat right next to the exit.
If I started panicking, I could just leave through the door. Just knowing that this option was there made such a difference to my state of mind and I ended up being able to make it through the entire ceremony.

The same strategy helped me cope on highways. I just had to drive to the next exit and then the next and the next if I felt up to it.

Sometimes we all need an exit strategy, our dogs included.

It’s not about running away from, or not facing a problem, but developing a plan to help our dogs cope in situations that they struggle with.

22/07/2025

A statement from the rock legend's family says he was 'surrounded by love' ❤️

22/07/2025

22/07/2025

THE RECIPE TO CHANGE BEHAVIOUR

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a recipe or instruction manual that when followed would guarantee to solve the problems of each and every dog and every situation?

There might be a general template that we can use to begin with, but there cannot be a specific recipe or a cookie cutter approach to change behaviour effectively or ethically.

Each dog and each situation have different “ingredients” that need to be assessed and considered. There are just far too many variables involved to use the same recipe.

Genetics, history, life experiences, environment, the individual dog, as well as the guardian or family situation and commitment, will all be different and have to be taken into account.

This is why ethical, suitably qualified dog professionals will often answer a question someone asks about dog behaviour by saying “it depends”, because it really does depend on all the different variables.

There are no quick answers, no quick fixes and no specific, cookie cutter recipes to bring about successful, lasting behaviour change.

Stay well away from promises or guarantees that there are.

17/07/2025

Can you help us reach just the first matching donation tonight for our equine training? I know we’ve asked for a lot lately. A lot has been asked of us here as well, and if we don’t say yes, no one will.

Saying yes, for us, means not just that we’ll try to the best of our ability. It means we will increase our abilities if that’s what’s needed to better the lives we’ve been asked to help.

We’re asking a lot. But the returns are lives, simply put. And they matter.

17/07/2025

15/07/2025

IS YOUR DOG AGGRESSIVE OR REACTIVE?

Reactivity can certainly look like aggression. Lunging, barking, snarling, growling are just some of the behaviours we might see that may make us think our dogs are aggressive.

I believe that too many dogs are labelled as aggressive. Yes, there certainly are some dogs that are truly aggressive and genetics play a big role in this, but this is not what this post is about.

This is about just labelling a dog as aggressive and not looking at what emotion lies beneath the surface that may be causing the behaviour.

Fear, anxiety, stress, frustration, over arousal, negative experiences, learning history, trigger stacking, pain etc. can all cause an overreaction or an abnormal level of arousal in response to whatever is triggering that particular dog.

Although reactivity and true aggression are inherently different, a reactive dog may become an aggressive dog if the underlying emotion isn’t recognised and the triggers aren’t addressed. The behaviour becomes an automatic response or a learnt behaviour. The dog has learnt that aggression works to make the “thing” go away.

Reactivity and what is triggering it needs to be understood and addressed through either careful counter conditioning, desensitization and sometimes just managing the environment to prevent the behaviour from being practiced.

Our words and our labels matter – they influence our state of mind and our thoughts.

Rather than saying "My dog is aggressive", try saying "I have a dog that over reacts to certain triggers or certain situations and we are working on ways to improve this"

02/07/2025

I LIKE TO LICK YOU!
Dogs just love to lick - themselves, other animals and people. Have you ever wondered why, though?

Whether you love it and it makes you smile or you hate it and it makes you run for the soap and sanitiser, licking people is a very normal, natural behaviour for dogs.

Historically, dog licks were considered to be medically beneficial to humans. Dogs were used in Ancient Egypt to heal injuries and cure diseases.
Fisherman in Fiji allowed dogs to lick their wounds, believing this practice would speed up healing.

The French have a saying: “langue de chien, langue de médecin” which translates to “a dog’s tongue, a doctor’s tongue.”

Gentle licking of some types of wounds may help to remove dirt or debris that slows down healing as the tongue catches foreign matter, which then sticks to the saliva and is removed.

Although dog saliva has some antimicrobial properties, allowing dogs to lick either their own wounds or ours can lead to serious infection from the bacteria found in their mouths.

Whether or not to allow your dog to lick you (when you don’t have wounds!) is a completely personal choice. I personally don’t mind occasional licking as long as it’s not my face and it doesn’t become excessive.

24/06/2025

DON’T GET A DOG!
Unless you can make a commitment.

In an ideal world dogs would be included as a member of our family and we would share our time and life with them in the relatively short time they have with us.

In an ideal world, we would take the time to learn about how dogs communicate through body language, be aware that there are emotions beneath behaviours – we would meet their needs and keep learning about updated, modern, force free, pain free methods to understand or modify unwanted behaviour.

In reality, dogs are often seen as just another item of property, an object, a commodity to be bred and make money from, a cheap, replaceable security system, a garden decoration, a toy to play with when the kids are bored or an accessory that looks good while out walking, running or taking selfies.

Just like us, dogs are sentient beings with the capacity to feel a wide range of emotions. They are naturally social beings that need to spend time with their humans.

A life spent confined and isolated with little or no human companionship, with nothing to do, is not a life.
Dogs need love, attention, mental stimulation and exercise. They need routine, consistency and predictable patterns. Dogs need us to meet their needs and they need to feel safe and secure in our world.

Having a dog requires commitment, understanding, patience and dedication.

It’s hard work, it’s sometimes messy, dirty and stinky, it’s often expensive and requires that we make changes to our lifestyle.

It’s a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly and without making a long-term commitment, but the rewards of forming a secure bond with another sentient being can bring so much joy and enrichment to both our lives and theirs.

03/06/2025

JUST SHAKE IT OFF

A “shake off” is one of many types of body language and is one of the easiest ones to notice.

The shake off can provide us with important insight as to how our dogs are feeling.

Besides being a very effective way to get rid of dirt, bugs or water - dogs can remove up to 70% of water in one single shake off - the shake off is often seen just after something that a dog needs a mental reset from.

It’s a way to flush out adrenaline and could be compared to us taking a deep breath to reset our nervous system and calm ourselves down.

Dogs instinctively know they feel better when they just shake it all off!

It’s their way of saying “Phew, I’m glad that’s over, now I can put it behind me and move on”.

Shaking off is a positive way to calm down, reset and cope with stress – be that negative or positive stress.

It’s a healthy way of transitioning from one emotional state to another.

It’s important to be aware that shake offs may sometimes be caused by an underlying medical issue like an ear infection, allergies, itching or pain.

If you notice a shake off, look at what has just happened beforehand. This will provide a good clue as to what it is that your dog feels they need to reset from.

27/05/2025

Instead of obsessing over exact nutrient measurements for your dog, focus on providing a variety of high-quality foods, vitamins, probiotics, and omega oils. The body is designed to take what it needs and discard the rest—just like in nature.

Let's talk about how to nourish your dog without overcomplicating it.