Can Doggy Day Care or ‘Pack Walks’ Do more harm than good?

WThere has been a massive increase in the business of Dog Day Care and ‘Pack Walks’ over the last few years, but is this the right thing for your dog?

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How teaching your dog to help around the house can benefit you both

We have all looked on in awe and admiration at assistance dogs who happily help their owners in day-to-day life. But have you ever thought about how your dog could help you? Teaching your dog a few jobs around the house is not as difficult as you may think Ð and is hugely beneficial to both you and your dog. While you might not need a fully trained assistance dog, you might struggle bending down to pick up something dropped on the floor or need a helping hand emptying the washing machine, or you might just be a busy mum with piles of laundry and need a help stacking the washing machine to save time!

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7 things you (probably) don't know about your dog trainer

Any dog trainer will tell you that the most common comment we get when we tell people what we do for a living is: ÒFabulous!! You get to play with puppies all day!Ó. While itÕs true that puppies are a BIG perk in this line of work, thereÕs a lot more to our day than that! Although if you know someone who is hiring a puppy cuddler, please tell me where to send my application, IÕm willing to moonlight.

Here are some things you might not know about your dog trainer:

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How To Fill A KONG

Smear some meat or fish paste, Marmite¨, peanut butter or spreading cheese around the cavity, place some shaped biscuits or broken bone biscuits to help fill the cavity and fill the spaces with tasty treats such as cheese, hotdogs, sausage or chicken, finish off by topping with more paste or spread.

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Ode to an Old Time Dog Trainer

With every breed of dog I see
Sights of what they need to be
Obedient and trustworthy
That is why theyÕre brought to me
For ham and cheese is pointless
It makes them fat and useless
But you can do your own thing if you please!

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Puppy Socialisation - Why is it going wrong?

For the last twenty years or so, trainers have been drumming it into owners they must socialise their puppy with people and other dogs. In many puppy socialisation classes all the puppies are let off lead together so they can play. This sounds great in theory but in reality; some pups learn to be bullies and others learn to be victims. As your mother used to say; ÒIt will all end in tearsÓ. Along with this, access to the internet has mushroomed so people have much more information at their fingertips; some of this is good and some is not.

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