Advice & Tips

Puppy Socialisation
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Puppy socialisation is about exposing your puppy to new and novel environments, smells, sights and sounds in a controlled and safe way that your puppy is comfortable with.
It isn’t always about letting them meet every dog and person they pass.
This can sometimes lead to them being nervous of people and other dogs if you do not notice the body language signals they are giving off that they are uncomfortable and you do not remove them from that situation.
Or your puppy learns that every single person and dog is fair game to go over to and if they are off lead and they don’t have a solid recall, they could potentially get attacked by a dog that is uncomfortable with other dogs and your puppy could develop reactivity towards dogs themselves.
You can also get over excitement and frustration, when they’re not allowed to approach another dog or person if they have always been allowed to do so from a young age.
I am not saying do not let your puppy ever meet people and other dogs.
For example, if you pass 10 people and/or dogs, let them greet 2 or 3, but make sure your dog is having a enjoyable experience, if they are not, then move on.
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Going to a park and sitting on the outskirts on a bench and letting them watch from a safe distance people walking passed with pushchairs, children kicking balls around, dogs walking and running, people holding umbrellas etc.
You can feed them small treats while watching, so they form a positive association with what they are seeing.
If you want to introduce your puppy to new people, wait to see if your puppy chooses to approach that person before they reach in to stroke your puppy.
If they don’t want to engage and your puppy crouches down or their tail goes down or ears back/ down, or they look away from that person, hides behind your legs etc, then advocate for your dog and suggest no stroking and walk on.
Your dog will tell you if they are comfortable or not.
Same with another dog coming over to greet them. If your puppy is showing signs that they are uncomfortable then move on.
Another opportunity is taking your puppy to a dog friendly garden centre and allowing them to watch other people, children, dogs walking around.
Again, be ready to give treats if they seem a little unsure and maintain a safe distance so they feel comfortable watching.
You want your puppy to be calm and neutral, not overexcited and pulling to get over to them and not scared and wanting to run away.
Before your puppy has had their vaccinations and are allowed to meet other dogs, take them to public places for them to have experiences.
You can carry your puppy or have them in a travel bag etc. These first weeks are vital for their socialisation.

Hot weather - Tips for keeping your dog cool
Hot weather can really affect our dogs, whether it is just lethargy, off their food to heat stroke, which is an emergency and requires vet treatment urgently.
In extreme heat, walk early in the morning. Avoid walking in the middle of the day. Pavements and road surfaces will burn paws
Cool mats are a good investment and can be found cheaply in places like B&M & Aldi
A wet towel will also do the job, remember to re-wet it in cold water and wring out occasionally.
Have fans on in the room for the dog
Cooling coats - these are great for keeping your dog cool. Make sure to re-wet them regularly.
Make doggy ice cubes. Greek yoghurt is good (with no sweeteners in which are toxic to dogs) or blend up some fruit with some water and freeze.
Paddling pools are great too. Kiddies hard shell sand/ ball pits are ideal as their claws won't burst the lining.
If your dog doesn't like going in water, scatter some chopped up carrots, cucumber or apple in the water to encourage drinking and make it a fun game.

Training The Three D’s – Distance, Duration, Distraction
Distraction
The Environment (Distraction): Wait! What’s happening over there?
We’ve all been there, calling our distracted dog as their attention is on another dog, and they head off into the sunset! When first training a behaviour, we need to choose an environment that is low in distractions.
You should choose somewhere with as few distractions (other people/dogs, sounds, movements, smells etc) as possible. Like your living room or kitchen, this sets up our dogs for success by helping them focus on the training at that moment in time.
Reflex to Name and Eye Contact are good go-to behaviours to train to build attention from an easily distracted dog.
Distance
Once you have the behaviour established, like ‘Sit’ for example, you can start building some distance.
Start slowly and take one step back and if your dog stays in a sit, say ‘good!’ or ‘Yes!’ and give them a treat. Practice this a few times, then increase the distance to two steps away.
If the dog remains in a sit without coming towards you 6 times, then you can move on to more distance.
Duration
Similar to distance, you want your dog to be established in the basic behaviour first before moving on to building duration.
For example, ‘sit’. Once your dog is established at sitting on command, wait 2 seconds before saying ‘good!’ or ‘yes! Then give them the treat. Repeat.
Increase to 5 seconds before marking and rewarding, repeat, then 10 seconds. If they break from position then go back one step and start again. Repeat repeat repeat!

Keeping our dogs safe and happy during the festive season.
The run-up to Christmas is a time of year for most when the household dynamics change. From our dog’s point of view, humans are moving around a lot more with higher levels of stress and enthusiasm.
The number of visitors entering the house is likely to increase as well as the added novelty items arriving in the house.
Christmas trees, decorations, lights and more can all start to stack up stress, even in the most laid-back companions.
Be sure that your dog has a safe and quiet area in the house. Somewhere they can withdraw themselves or by your invitation. Nice and quiet away from the hustle and bustle, allowing them to wind down and relax.
Remember, your visitors may not be Dog Wise. Visitors could leave plates of food or drinks lying on the floor, so keep an eye out for these mishaps
Christmas food not for dogs!
Chocolate, Currents, Raisins, Grapes, Sultanas, Mince Pies, Fruit Cake, Macadamia and other nuts, Blue Cheese, Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Shallots, and Chives all contain substances that are poisonous to our dogs.
Giving your dog a festive treat in rich, fatty foods can lead to a bout of vomiting and diarrhoea.
Cooked bones are brittle and can shatter. Always make sure you dispose of any bones and carcasses into the outside bins and out of reach of temptation.
Christmas Decorations and Presents
Although most Christmas trees themselves are low toxicity to dogs. The needles can contain oils that are irritating and can lead to excessive salivation, vomiting and diarrhoea if chewed or swallowed.
Tinsel, lights and baubles can look like great toys to our dogs but can quickly cause serious injury, so are best kept out of reach.
Dogs who are sound-sensitive can have real stress caused by party poppers and crackers. So be aware of your dog’s needs and reactions during the festive period.