Happy Pets

Preparing To Leave Your Dog At Home [again]

Preparing To Leave Your Dog At Home [again]

Preparing Your Pets to be Left Alone [again] It is ironic that in a period of enforced social isolation our pets have experienced anything but. During the recent lockdown many of our pets will have become accustomed to extended periods of companionship. Young pups, in particular, will be currently going through their peak socialisation/learning period, […]

Identifying Negative Emotions in your Pet

Identifying Negative Emotions in your Pet

Identifying Negative Emotions in your Pet Of the seven emotional behavioural circuits in the brain, three are negative; frustration, fear/anxiety and panic/grief. When faced with a “trigger” or stimulus that evokes a negative emotional response a pet can chose one of four behavioural responses; avoidance, repulsion, inhibition or appeasement. What an owner does in response […]

The Emotional Sink

The Emotional Sink

The Emotional Sink Dr Sarah Heath is a specialist veterinary behaviourist based in the UK and was the headline speaker at a Delta Institute conference held last week. She is a fantastic speaker who helps owners and vets better understand the emotional motivations and resultant behavioural responses of their pets and patients. The Secret Seven […]

Smitten By Kittens?

Smitten By Kittens?

Smitten by Kittens? With “kitten” season just around the corner here is an update for potential owners on how to select behaviourally resilient and cuddly kittens and to limit conflict in multi-cat households. How Cats Think Cats, unlike dogs or humans, are not socially obligate. This doesn’t mean that they cannot establish or maintain healthy […]

Behavioural Management – Avoidance

Behavioural Management – Avoidance

Bad Behaviour A pet’s behaviour is an outward expression of their underlying emotional motivations and is strongly influenced by learning. Pets with behavioural problems display inappropriate behaviours [eg barking, aggression or escape or destructive behaviour] in response to trigger stimuli eg certain events, places, people, pets, noises or objects. The stimuli are considered innocuous so […]

Dog Body Language

Dog Body Language

Doggy Body Movin Successfully interpreting what your dog is trying to communicate through their body language allows you to respond appropriately to their underlying emotional motivations. Hearing It is unusual for dogs to vocalise a lot when they interact. Their main form of communication is through body language and smells. Behaviourist think they bark, growl […]

Emotions and Behaviour

Emotions and Behaviour

Do Emotions Affect Behaviour? While it is useful in behavioural management to know the context or “the with whom, when and where” a pet displays their problem behaviour, the more important question to ask may be why? The “why” helps both vets and behavioural trainers plan long term management and allows owners to predict and […]

Doggy Dementia

Doggy Dementia

Doggy Dementia Advances in canine nutrition, disease prevention and treatment has led to an aging population of dogs that commonly live into their late teens. Now age is not a disease but it does take its toll on the circulatory, renal, hepatic, musculoskeletal and central nervous systems [CNS]. Changes in the canine CNS include beta […]

Canine Thunderstorm and Firework Sensitivity

Canine Thunderstorm and Firework Sensitivity

Noise Phobias Fireworks and thunderstorm related fears are common in the dog. Symptoms of sound related fears include whining, panting, salivation and escape or hiding behaviour. The milder symptoms prompt many owners to attempt self-management. If handled inappropriately these dogs can become complicated via learning and contextualisation then often end up with a generalised anxiety […]

Puppy Training Information

Puppy Training Information

Puppy Power There are so many cute pups about at the moment that I thought it was time for a behavioural refresher. Inside a Puppy’s Brain It is all grey and squishy with lots going on. Finding focus is not easy. Put simply they repeat behaviour that they get something out of. For example, pups […]