At six months old, Daisy came over from Eastern Europe. She lived with a someone nearby before the lady took her in three months ago. Daisy is now one year of age – a beautiful mix of many breeds. She is polite, friendly and absolutely lovely – a real tribute to the lady who has worked hard. She can be taken anywhere. Apart from one problem. Barking in the car. She barks so much in...
Read moreI have just met another Henry – a Miniature Schnauzer age two. He is quite unusual to look at, being brown and with a poodle-like curly coat. Cute! Henry was barking behind a door when I arrived. Let out after I had sat down, he came charging up to me, barking quite fiercely. This didn’t last for long and I could see that he was scared whilst also wanting to make friends. He backed away and...
Read moreMonty is an absolutely delightful, much-loved Cockerpoo pup, six months old. His coat is unusually soft. The problem with Monty is he grabs clothes and damages them. After several months, it’s undoubtedly a well-rehearsed, learned behaviour. They react to the jumping up by telling him Get Down and No, and pushing him. At the same time he may grab the person’s top. The man’s t-shirt had holes in it. (I had been warned and came...
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Buddy’s angry behaviour has escalated in the last few weeks.
The ten-month-old French Bulldog snorts and gasps. His common Frenchie breathing problem (Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome – BOAS) must make normal life a constant struggle.
If he were an adolescent human struggling to breathe, Buddy could well have a very short fuse, ready to hit out, angry at the smallest thing. (more…)
Jack Russell Chihuahua mix Rollo is scared of hands. Until a couple of years ago he was a friendly little dog who enjoyed gentle petting from most people.
Then something happened. (more…)
I had just arrived. Without warning, Bella came through the door and attacked Poppy. Fortunately she was wearing a harness and with very fast reflexes the lady lifted her off the floor and onto the chair.
Bella
I thought I had carefully choreographed my arrival. Knowing Bella’s aggression towards older miniature Dachshund Poppy had been escalating over the past few days, I was to settle in the room with Poppy – they would have her on lead. Then, also on lead, Bella was to join us.
Unfortunately it happened too quickly and the two dogs met in the doorway and Bella exploded. (more…)
Dear little Shih Tzu Archie currently lives with five more Shih Tzus, two of which are fosters like himself. The other three are the family’s own dogs.[divider type=”white”]
Archie came from a home of domestic violence, was kicked and thrown against a wall.
It’s no wonder that when his stress levels rise, his insecurity increases.
With love and hard work the family have already transformed him over the last few months. Unsurprisingly, though, he still has some worrying behaviour, some of which is getting worse. (more…)
The young couple rescued their stray dog about six years ago. When they moved to the UK last year they had to leave him behind in Portugal with relatives. A few days ago they went to fetch him. (more…)
Their new dog intimidates their cats.
The young couple fetched the young Leonberger a week ago. Where he came from was questionable. He was a mess. Now, after baths and a session with a groomer, he is shorter-haired but stunning.
Jack’s past is a mystery to me. He’s friendly with people, he walks okay on lead and he travels well. It’s hard to believe that sometime further back in the one-year-old’s past someone’s not cherished him. (more…)
The lady has a 12-year-old black Labrador, Ginny. Her son, who doesn’t live with her, recently got himself a boisterous black Labrador puppy. Bobby is now a very large five months old.
The lady has a quiet life with elderly Ginny – that is until the son drops boisterous Bobby off! This may happen a couple of times a week.
As soon as he arrives there is bedlam. (more…)
Like many people, they have felt it kindest to allow their gorgeous one-year-old Cockerpoo Harvey free access to the garden via a permanently open dog flap. He may need to toilet. [divider type=”white”]
However, Harvey’s use of the dog flap has been to charge out looking for trouble.
Then he barks at any sound he hears.
Rusti is a tiny 13-month-old Miniature Daschund. She is wary of people. Too often an approaching person means a large hand over her head.
She looks so cute people feel compelled to touch her.[divider type=”white”]
Teaching puppy is about showing her what to do.
That sounds obvious really, but teaching puppy seems mostly about things we don‘t want her to do!
A puppy novice can soon feel bogged down by a new puppy – most particularly by her teeth.
Little Millie is a ten-week-old Cocker Spaniel puppy. Something had happened very early in her life and she had to have an eye removed.
She is the sweetest, softest little thing much of the time. At other times, like all puppies, she is like a small missile with sharp teeth at the front end.
New puppy owners often need introducing to some fairly, to them, revolutionary concepts.
Teaching puppy often involves ignoring unwanted behaviours. Can this be right? Shouldn’t teaching puppy be about correcting her?
Where possible unwanted behaviour should bring puppy nothing. Corrections and ‘no’ may get her confused and frustrated.
Over-aroused, the little sharp teeth come into action. (more…)