Pippin Pets

For our #dogseparationanxietyday on 30th September, we are covering some of the most common questions asked in relation to Separation Anxiety.

Learning that your dog has separation anxiety is tough enough, then you get told that it is a slow journey, REALLY slow, as you have to go at your dog's pace.

For many, the hardest part is to keep going. 

It's easy to get deflated when you have to keep turning down invitations out, or unable to get more milk for your tea, and giving up feels easy.

But you want to make sure your dog does not suffer.

Training is hard so the best way to make sure you stay on track is to make it into a habit - just like brushing your teeth before bedtime.

Whatever your routine, lifestyle, work or home commitments, build in a new habit of some training.  Even just a few front door touches whilst you cook dinner, or a short duration with warm ups whilst you have a break from your laptop. 

Consistency is key for training to work, so make sessions (even little ones) achievable in your daily/weekend routine and be consistent for your dog.

Join in on our awareness day by using the # on all your social media posts that day - let's spread the word and get all owners checking on their dogs when home alone.

Sign  up your email for a free guide on how to check your dog - on our  website now  https://www.pippinpetsdogtraining.co.uk/dog-separation-anxiety-awareness-day/

#dogseparationanxietyday is on 30th September!

To  celebrate our new Awareness day on 30th September -  #dogseparationanxietyday - the most common question I get asked is 'Will my dog get better?'

In most cases, yes they can.  We are not looking for a dog that will happily watch a film and then curl up for a super long sleep, but we aim to get the dog to feel safer when home alone.  We want them to cope.

This leads to the next big question - 'How long will it take?'

There is no quick fix, and avoid anyone offering such.  To really treat a phobia (as this is what it is for your dog), then it takes time, consistency, and a village of helpers.

An average time to be able to leave your dog happily for an hour or so can be up to a year of training.  Some dogs respond quicker, some slower, some need medication to help (and help speed up the training).  It also depends on your commitment and reliability for training too.

But it can be done.

Join in on our awareness day by using the # on all your social media posts that day - let's spread the word and get all owners checking on their dogs when home alone.

Sign  up your email for a free guide on how to check your dog - on our  website now  https://www.pippinpetsdogtraining.co.uk/dog-separation-anxiety-awareness-day/

#dogseparationanxietyday is on 30th September!

Nothing beats dogs with fantastic jobs, and here Jan Kiley, Operations Manager for the charity Dogs For Autism chats to me about how the charity works, how each dog helps an individual or family in very specific ways, and how you can also get involved too.

She is looking for puppy parents, so if you feel you can help raise a puppy (with support and guidance), and then hand the puppy over to the charity to be placed to help a family in need, then get in touch with them.

Their website is https://dogsforautism.org.uk

I really enjoyed this interview (well, chat really!), as I love learning about how dogs really help people in need, not only by just being there as a comfort, but also great everyday tasks such as taking off socks or helping with the laundry.

Dogs For Autism do amazing work, and being a fairly new charity, need all the support and exposure they can.

So do share this episode so that many more families can be helped as the awareness of this great work is spread far and wide.

To celebrate our new Awareness day on 30th September - #dogseparationanxietyday - I talk about coming home to the dog bed being ripped to shreds.  Was it spite?  Was it a dislike to the (expensive) bed?

No!  It was probably boredom or separation anxiety - a fear of being home alone.

Join in on our awareness day by using the # on all your social media posts that day - let's spread the word and get all owners checking on their dogs when home alone. 

Sign up your email for a free guide on how to check your dog - on our website now https://www.pippinpetsdogtraining.co.uk/dog-separation-anxiety-awareness-day/

#dogseparationanxietyday is on 30th September!

You may have heard of trainers talk about 'high value' rewards but what are they?  Do you need to go to your nearest shop and seek out the most expensive bags of treats, or rush around the supermarket for organic steak and chicken?

No, it's all about what your dog prefers.  And this can change depending on what they are doing, and where they are. 

Note - I talk about food options in this episode, but the same can be said for toys.  Some toys are great fun in some situations, and boring the next time.  And for some dogs, toys may trump food when it comes to running around recall (who can run on a full stomach??), but at other times, food is better than tug.  No toy or food is equal, and this order changes all the time too.  Nothing simple!!!!

Have you ever had the problem of your dog sitting down part way during a walk?  Most of us have!

Firstly, is your dog a senior so they are having mobility issues?  We need to change our walks to accommodate their aging bodies.

Or do you have a puppy that doesn't go far?  They are not being naughty, or stubborn, but instead we need to think logically as to WHY they don't want to move.  Are they tired, overwhelmed, or have an injury?  

Or is your dog having so much fun that they don't want to leave!  This is where having your rewards handy help, and think about other ways of motivating them - or reduce the amount of craziness they are having and instead make some of the walk time quality bonding moments with you instead.

In order to get the best from training your dog, have a plan!  Know what you want to achieve, work out the best setting, set a timer or count a set number of treats, and plan your games.

Be prepared for things to not go right - can you make the exercise easier? Or was the environment wrong? Is your dog feeling ok?

Having a plan means that you can go back to where you were, look at what went well, what needs changing, or what fun can you do between the exercises?

This is also why we use the app for the training plans for Separation Anxiety - so you can't go too wrong!

I'm joined again by my fellow trainer Nada Chebib from On Kew Dogs and we start chatting about teenage dogs, and the difficult period of adolescence.  I say start, as there are so many facets to this topic that we could go on for hours!

In this episode we discuss what happens to our gorgeous puppies when they hit this life stage, what is happening inside their heads and start to make sense of why your dog has suddenly become really challenging.  

Have an area we want to discuss on your behalf, then contact me at [email protected]

When your end goal seems unachievable, the way to get there is to set very easy goals, so you cannot fail as they are unfailable!  It could be to do x number of reps of door training a day, or x training sessions a week.  Maybe it's about getting out of the front door with your dog relaxed, or even go to the toilet without that little hairy visitor sat on your feet!  Here I talk about making habits and setting really easy goals.

Dogs may have to be walked on lead for many reasons, but they can have even more fun with you.  It's not all about running riot.  My special guest is Nada Chebib from On Kew Dog Training and Behaviour (www.onkewdog.co.uk) and we talk about ways to walk your dog on lead safely, knowing what they were bred to do, and how to adapt the walks so they still get all the stimulation and enrichment without running.  We discuss harnesses, long leads (biothane vs lunge lines), sniffing, watching, Simone Mueller and that Fenton moment....!