Schooling 4 Dogs

23/02/2026

Dear valued clients and friends,

On Friday 13th I unfortunately sustained a serious injury to my right (dominant) hand in an accident at home (not dog-related). I have since undergone specialist surgery to repair the damage and am currently in a full-time splint and sling.

On medical advice, I am unfit to drive for at least six weeks and am unable to carry out hands-on sessions for the time-being. Protecting the surgical repairs and regaining as much function in my dominant hand as possible is essential to ensure I can return to work safely and sustainably.

During this period, I will be offering online or telephone consultations, written reviews, and follow-up support via phone or email where appropriate. If you have an existing in-person booking, I will contact you individually to discuss the most suitable options.

Apologies for any inconvenience, and thank you very much for your patience and understanding. I look forward to returning to in-person work as soon as I am advised it is safe to do so.

Best wishes,

Hannah

29/01/2026

The dog was located on the undercliff on Wednesday afternoon (28 January).

27/01/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E2jyDzRB2/

14/01/2026

Congratulations Hannah Walker on completing full CCAB certification!

"I’m thrilled to have achieved full CCAB certification and sincerely appreciate the support I received along the way. This accreditation represents an important step in my professional journey, and I’m very much looking forward to continuing to support dogs and their caregivers with evidence-based, ethical practice."

09/11/2025

Please sign this petition if your dog is affected by private fireworks displays.

Ban the sale of fireworks to the general public to minimise the harm caused to vulnerable people and animals. Defenceless animals can die from the distress caused by fireworks. I believe that permitting unregulated use of fireworks is an act of wide-scale cruelty to animals.

25/08/2025

Be careful if walking your dogs in Vale Park

22/08/2025

- 🐉MONDAY MYTH BUSTER #3

🐾💦 SEA SWIMS ≠ CANINE HYDROTHERAPY 💦🐾

👀We are looking at common misconceptions about hydrotherapy and dogs 🤔

So far we have looked at dogs who are afraid of water, and the belief that hydrotherapy is only for dogs after injury or surgery - neither have held water 🤣

Now let’s set the record straight about DIY hydrotherapy — swimming in the sea, your local river, or a backyard pool is NOT the same as professional canine hydrotherapy.

✅ Hydrotherapy is controlled, warm water exercise in a safe environment, guided by trained professionals. It’s designed to target specific joints, muscles, or rehab goals, with careful monitoring of movement, resistance, and heart rate.

🌊 Sea, river, or home swims? Great fun and enrichment — but they come with unpredictable currents, uneven temperatures, unknown depths, and no tailored support for your dog’s injury, arthritis, or post-op recovery.

💭 Think of it like this:
🏋️‍♂️ A physiotherapist-led gym session vs. running through a field.
Both have value — but they’re not interchangeable when it comes to recovery and joint health.

💙 If your dog needs rehab, choose the safe, science-backed route. Hydrotherapy heals. 🌟

Want to know more? Contact us:

☎ 01444 676020
📩 [email protected]
🕸 www.woozelbears.com/branches/burgess-hill

18/08/2025

Myth-busting Monday: "Dogs cannot sweat".

Although it is true that dogs do not sweat to the extent that humans do - dogs can and do sweat.

Dogs have sweat glands over their entire body but generally only the glands on the paws and nose are used for thermal regulation. This is because, in furry animals like dogs, sweat from the body is less effective as the fur tends to trap moisture and prevent it from evaporating. Therefore, sweat used for cooling is emitted from the dog's smooth, bald surfaces such as paw pads and nose.

The other sweat glands over the rest of their body are thought to function as communication, by giving off particular odours, rich in chemosignals and pheromones. Dogs also sweat more when they are stressed or fearful, so you may notice your dog leaves wet footprints behind when they are particularly scared, for instance during a vet visit. The release of adrenaline associated with the fight-or-flight (or flirt or fiddle!) response causes dogs to secrete sweat and hormones through their glands, just like humans do.

Because dog sweat is only effective at cooling from the paws and nose, they have also developed a panting response to heat that allows for much faster evaporation and cooling than they can achieve through sweat alone. However, dogs are more prone to overheating than humans and heat stroke can be deadly, so we cannot rely on panting alone to cool our dogs and must protect them from excessive heat.

More reading:
'The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behavior and Interactions with People' - Serpell
'Apocrine sweat glands in the circumanal glands of the dog' - Atoji et al.
'General sweating on the hairy skin of the dog and its mechanisms' - Iwabuchi

15/07/2025

At EquiCanis we provide expert veterinary physiotherapy tailored to the unique needs of your pet. Whether your animal is recovering from surgery, managing a chronic condition, or simply needs support to stay mobile and pain-free, our goal is to improve quality of life through compassionate, evidence-based care.
​
We support animals dealing with a wide range of conditions, including:
Orthopaedic injuries (e.g. cruciate ligament rupture, fractures)
Neurological disorders (e.g. intervertebral disc disease, nerve injuries)
Age-related mobility issues (arthritis, muscle loss)
Post-surgical rehabilitation
Performance enhancement for working and sporting animals
Soft tissue injuries (sprains, strains, tendon issues)

Our Services
Initial Assessment & Treatment Plan - Every journey begins with a thorough assessment. We’ll take time to understand your pet’s medical history, perform a detailed physical exam, and assess movement, posture, and pain. From there, we develop a personalised treatment plan with clear goals.

Manual Therapy - Hands-on techniques such as joint mobilisations, massage, and stretching help reduce pain, improve range of motion, and promote healing.

Therapeutic Exercise - We design targeted exercise programs to build strength, improve coordination, and restore mobility—tailored to each pet’s specific needs and ability.

Electrotherapy - Modalities such as laser, H-wave, and pulsed electromagnetic therapy can help manage pain, reduce inflammation, and stimulate healing in soft tissues.

Owner Education & Home Program - We’ll guide you through home-based exercises and daily care strategies to support your pet’s progress between sessions.

Who We Work With
We treat a wide range of animals, with a primary focus on:
Dogs
Horses
Cats
Other small animals (by referral or on request)
Whether it’s post-surgical recovery, managing arthritis, or addressing a performance-related issue, we tailor our services to suit the specific needs of each animal.

Veterinary Referrals & Collaboration
We work closely with vets, surgeons, and other animal health professionals to ensure cohesive, coordinated care. Veterinary referral is required for all new clients, unless for assessment and maintenance treatments (no medical conditions) only.

Contact us for a chat about your animals needs: 07879 632715

14/07/2025

The silent suffering that many dogs (ANY breed, but higher risk in some types) experience as a result of how we’ve designed them is a sad reality that is hard to think about because we love our companion dogs for how they look. They are to us, more than how they look. https://doggiedrawings.net/pages/dogs-of-the-world-book

Worth reading: What Should Dogs Look Like? By Dr. Jessica Perry Hekman.
https://open.substack.com/pub/companiondogproject/p/what-should-dogs-look-like?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Dr Alison Skipper: https://www.vethumanitiesuk.org/alison-skipper

https://functionalbreeding.podbean.com/e/dr-alison-skipper-the-health-and-history-of-brachycephalic-dogs/

Also check out this free download: https://doggiedrawings.net/products/buying-a-dog-ethically

If you are not a breeder and are interested in learning more deeply about breed traits, check out the Puppy Seekers Project