We Love Pets News

It’s safe to say that separation anxiety is something all dog owners are familiar with. And recently, the frequency of anxious behaviours has become more notable in dogs - especially as many of us have been working from home this past year. While we begin to return to a “normal” way of life, our dogs may not be equipped to stay home on their own. It’s best for both you and your pup to kick negative reinforcement habits to the kerb, so you can introduce training for positive behaviours and responses.

Anyone with a puppy knows that they are full of energy! And as fun as it is to engage them in play, it's important to define boundaries and avoid overexcitement. Practising good habits early on will help your pup mature into a well-behaved dog.

Puppy proofin’

I’m sure you’ve heard of puppy proofing your home - and you probably start to think of things in your home that might be dangerous to your puppy, like wires lying on the floor or sharp table edges that need covering, for example. However, you might not know that environmental management goes much further than that! Managing your puppy’s environment requires small changes on a daily basis so they have the opportunity to practise appropriate behaviours and make great choices when interacting with their surroundings.

If you’re one of the 3.2 million households that has added a furry member to your family, you may be working on some training techniques! Our We Love Pets Reading West’s director, Amy Pearson, is an experienced dog trainer, and has several tips for getting your dog to take treats gently.

Many cat owners know that lilies are poisonous to their furry family member, right? If the stamen of the lily is inhaled or digested, it can cause severe kidney damage. But it's not just lilies you should keep away from your pet.

If you're a new puppy owner, it's important to teach your puppy the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviours in and around the house, and the earlier you start, the better! We Love Pets Reading West's director, Amy Pearson, suggests using house lines to train your pup, here's how they can help:

The cue 'Leave' is another one of the important fundamental skills we teach our puppies. It is basically teaching your puppy that if you come away from whatever you are doing, you will be rewarded. The Leave cue is for situations like dropping medicine on the floor, accidentally leaving chocolate in sniffing range, passing something smelly but delectable to your dog, and passing livestock or other animals.

The Give cue is another essential cue that puppies need to learn early on. We need to teach puppies to give up items that they would rather keep, for example; socks, shoes, and tea towels! This may sound like an impossible task but if done right it's quite easy. The key to this is showing your puppy that giving something up is actually worthwhile.

If your puppy knows how to stand on command, he will not be as stressed in certain situations as he would be if you had to hold him in position, or were asking him to do something he is not familiar with. Much like with us, situations are a lot less stressful when you know what to do. You can teach your puppy to stand by following these easy steps.