In just over a week, June 24th sees 'Bring Your Dog To Work' Day return. Hooray!
#BringYourDogToWorkDay is an annual nationwide event that raises money for charities dedicated to making a difference to the welfare of dogs.
Last year, businesses from across the UK (including vet surgeries, pet product manufacturers, investment firms, national energy companies, estate agents, private jet charters and...
Read moreMachine is not a coffee shop (well that’s a good start), It's a coffee shop and a bike shop. Now, I agree this is not a new concept (Look Mum No Hands opened in 2010 and a few others since), but this coffee/bike-repair/anything-bike-related shop is one of my favourite spots to grab a coffee on-the-go or to stay...
Read moreSarah Whitehead is probably one of the most qualified Dog (and cat) Behaviourists in Europe; and the UK’s most respected Behaviourist. Sarah wrote a few books, however my favourite one is Clever Dog. Clever Dog is the compilation of some of the Behavioural Cases Sarah’s dealt with over her 25 years of experience.
There are a few things I like about this book; firstly, it’s very accessible to everyone (very little Dog Training and Behavioural jargon). Secondly...
Read moreSometimes it feels like london isn't such a dog friendly city, especially when it comes to doing everyday things such as shopping, but here are a few shops that welcome our best friends as long as they are on their best behaviour, and why wouldn't they be?! Over time I'll let you know about other dog friendly places but here are 5 to start us off...
Read moreUs humans, don't always see the world the ways dogs do. A big part of my job is to translate dogs' behaviour to their humans, as well as clarifying how dogs perceive our (sometimes strange) own behaviours. Here are three examples of common human/dog miscommunication....
Read moreHave you ever wondered how your dog recognises you?
Can he recognise you because of the way you sound, the way you smell, the way you look; or maybe of all the above? Then read on...
We too often assume that dogs can think and feel as we do, but they don’t. Dogs don’t think Right vs. Wrong, they think Safe vs. Dangerous, and so if something feels unsafe to them (scary), they will defend themselves, try to get that scary thing to move away, or at least move away from the situation......
Read moreWe care for them, play with them, feed them the best food we can afford, train them, hug them, make them feel safe, take them to the vet when they are poorly. We have dog-sitters, dog-walkers, dog trainers; the list goes on......
Read moreI know it’s still only September, but now is a good time to start thinking about how you can help your dog if he is scared of fireworks.
The Do’s:
Allow your dog to find a safe space around your home, if your dog is happy in his crate, that’s a good place to start. If it’s under the sofa, so be it. Dogs like small spaces. Make sure...
Uggie from the wonderful 2011 Black & White, silent movie The Artist died early August. This was very sad news indeed, but it made me want to have another look at some old pictures of Hollywood stars and their dogs from as early as 1916 to the 20s, 30s and up to the 60’s. I have, on one of my shelves at home, a wonderful book called Hollywood Dogs; here are a few...
Read moreIf your dog becomes anxious when traveling by car, he might show signs of stress such as panting, drooling or even vomiting. This is not fun for you, but even less fun for your dog. Very often the first experience a puppy has of a car journey is the day he leaves his mum and littermates; and the second, his first trip to the vet. So is it any wonder he finds stepping into this large noisy thing stressful?...
Read moreBelieve it or not, dog mess is also damaging to local wildlife and the environment. I asked my friend Henry Glynn, Government Ecologist/Environmental Warden why and how. He says: “The high levels of nitrogen in dog mess can physically damage and kill plants causing “nitrogen burn” and ...
Read moreFood guarding is a type of resource guarding,, and it can appear in any dogs, at any time in their life. It is important to react quickly if it happens with your dog. As always I think prevention is key, and some simple positive reinforcement exercises can be done to prevent this kind of problem from happening.
Some clients ask, how do I know if my dog is guarding his food?...
Read moreSo a heat wave is about to hit London with some incredible highs of 30° to 33°. Most of us humans love the heat, but if you have a dog, you will want to take extra care him or her. Because dogs are smaller then us, the risk of heatstroke for them is very high. You must remember that if you feel hot, and in need to go in the shade and drink something refreshing, your dog feels....
Read morehttp://www.olijustedogtrainer.co.uk/blogindex/2015/6/25/kukur-tihar-a-good-day-for-dogs
Read moreToday marks the beginning of summer and you might be looking for a book to read in the park or on the beach. Here is a little review of one of my favourite “Dog Training” books; and I put Dog Training in inverted comas, because this book will not only help its readers train their dogs, but also other pets they may have (from ferret to dolphin, pony to golden goose), their kids, or even themselves.
Don’t Shoot The Dog introduces the readers to Positive Reinforcement, and clarifies.......
Read moreClients often ask how they can prevent their dogs from jumping up, barking, weeing inside the house, etc. Some trainers still advise to use old fashioned, aversive training methods, such as shouting: “NO”, jerking the lead, or even sometimes kicking the dog or pinning him down. Not only are some of these methods very cruel, it has now been proven that they are....
Read moreSocialising your puppy is vital, and the only place you can really do that effectively is the Dog Park. One hour a week during puppy class is not enough, you have to get out there. I am still coming across cases where the dogs amount of socialisation and exercise is a key factor in moving forward with any behavioural problems they may have.
Ideally, the park would be...
Read moreThere is one thing that all my clients, and myself have in common: we all want our dogs to be happy. However, sometimes life simply takes over, and we need to stop and remind ourselves the promises we've made to our dogs the day we let them into our lives.
We owe it to our dogs to help them:
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