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Dog Loneliness Crisis
Most of us would say that we brought a dog in our lives to be a companion for us. But is their role really a companion now?
Do we have enough time to spend with them and share their interests? Or our interactions with our dog are mostly made up of the basic care tasks?
Fear has many faces
Dogs who are afraid cower and try to escape. But sometimes they also bark, growl, lunge and get very close to what they are afraid of. Understanding different expressions of fear is essential when we try to help them get over it.
When Everything I Do Is Futile
Learned helplessness describes a psychological state in which an individual, including dogs, stops responding to any stimuli around them. The dog has been subjected to stressful stimuli, difficult situations, even harm, on repeated occasions, over and over. With the passage of time the dog understands that there is nothing they can do regarding the outcome of such situations, and they stop trying to influence change.
Should you trust your dog?
Dogs need to have agency in their lives, but they should not be expected to handle things they are not naturally equipped for. How can we tell when to trust our dog and when that would be unfair?
Mind the easy ones
Some dogs exhibit very obvious behaviours that show us they are having trouble, like barking, lunging, destructiveness and so on. Others do no such thing. Does that mean they are problem-free?
Why won’t my dog slow down?
Slow, relaxed walks without frantic feelings and pulling on the leash may see like a distant dream for some, but they can be achieved with a bit of detective work.
Useful Strategy for City Walks: Splitting Up
Splitting up is a management technique we can all use in difficult situations. We can use different elements in our daily walks as a useful barrier between something worrisome and your dog.
When Puppies Have a Difficult Start in Life
When dogs are puppies, infants of the canine species, we should ensure they are nurtured. That we surround them with love and safety. They will pass this period feeling safe and protected, allowing the puppy to develop without worry.
Shifting our perspective
We write about Smiling Leash walks meaning a special moment that you can share with your dog. But for most of us walks are not really special, we take our dogs out several times per day and it may feel like routine. In this article we take a different perspective on these routine walks.
Social walks are not just about dogs
When we walk with dogs where the bond is strong, they know themselves and the others well, they care for the wellbeing of every individual and the collective. Humans bond too and true friendships emerge.
The importance of meaningful relationships
What are some myths around social walks in dogs? Why forming meaningful relationships is so important to dogs? How we can help them do it even if we have a sensitive dog? Our guest writer Clara López-Brea will answer in this interesting and practical article.
You need to train yourself first
Our dog needs training to walk with a loose leash. That's a given. Or is it? We would argue that we people need the training first.
That's because the behaviour of our dog and the quality of our walk hugely depend on our own actions. In most cases of dogs pulling on the leash, no training for the dog is necessary - it's the humans who can make several important changes to help their dog. Let's take a closer look at what we can do to drastically improve the walks:
The Tricky part of Let them Choose
Allowing our dogs to choose what to do can get us into tricky situations. All of us that share our life with dogs have had our fair share of this, even the calmest dog can get excited at the sight of a squirrel!
Garden much?
Having a private garden is certainly a luxury many of us dream of. And how lucky are the dogs who can use the garden at their pleasure? But then, why do we frequently get questions like: “my dog is barking all the time / my dog is over aroused / my dog digs huge holes in the garden” ? If you feel your dog should be enjoying their time in the garden and they are not, you are not alone. And you can definitely do something about it!
Dog Breeds
Trainers and behaviour consultants, should know the type of dog they have in front and what kind of tasks the dog was originally bred for. We must have information about breeds, study them and understand their purpose.
A good walk starts at home
In these years we received many questions from you about your own dogs and some specific issues you are facing, such as: dogs unable to relax or slow down, dogs being fearful of multiple things or pulling on the leash. One piece of advice is universal for all of these cases…
Walks in urban areas
It is entirely possible to have a great Smiling Leash walk in an urban area, but there are some things worth keeping in mind …
Treats for thought
“Are treats as good as we think they are? Most importantly, do we really need them?” - these are the questions that were running through Lyubov’s mind during one of the walks she was recently taking with her dog Heidi. This evening they had run out of treats and had none to take along for the walk. To Lyubov’s surprise, her dog was calmer and able to cope with a challenging situation.
Puppies and Smiling Leash Walks
Smiling Leash walks is something that we can do with puppies. We want to share some ideas and tips to make them really enjoyable. Who doesn’t love seeing happy puppies playing and enjoying life? A Smiling Leash can help you achieve this.
Blu, the Goats and Choosing What Happens Next
Using a long smiling leash can help us is challenging situations. Blu is an Australian cattle dog and in this video he uses it to its full potential, while observing livestock.