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So far petsense has created 38 blog entries.

Strange Divides

It is becoming increasingly more apparent that there are strange divides within the community of force-free dog trainers and behaviourists. There are those who swear by (and stick to) certain tools in their toolbox, and those who are vehemently anti- the same tools. These methods, protocols or equipment are not ones designed to cause fear or pain. As trainers & behaviourists, we work with a multitude of problems and a vast array of owners. Every pet and owner is a unique partnership. Each has its own story. Owners all have their own attitudes and beliefs, as well as mental and […]

By |2020-05-01T12:57:10+01:00September 26th, 2015|Cats, Dogs, Pet News|0 Comments

Is your dog ready for your baby and toddler?

As a pet behaviourist and mother of two, I know that juggling kids and dogs is no easy feat. Yet with a little help you can make life easier – and safer – for your children and your pets. Becoming parents is a momentous time in our lives, but it can also be stressful. New babies change everything – our routines, our homes, our sleep… Then just as you’re adjusting to parenthood, your little one begins to crawl and before you know it you have a willful toddler on your hands with a volcanic temper. It’s stressful for us – so […]

By |2020-05-01T12:58:03+01:00June 21st, 2015|Dogs, Pet News|0 Comments

Accreditations and Qualifications – what do they mean?

Currently there’s no regulation within the pet behaviour and dog training industry, so anyone can call themselves a dog trainer or pet behaviourist – and they do – without any appropriate experience or qualifications. I’m really proud of the qualifications and accreditations I’ve achieved. However, it’s difficult for the pet-owning public and co-professionals to know what to look for in a ‘pet behaviourist’. Membership of specific Associations rarely means anything, as there are Associations out there whose ethos are out-dated and potentially damaging to pets and owners.  Dog owners only have to look online for assistance and they are flooded with […]

By |2020-05-01T12:59:05+01:00July 15th, 2014|Cats, Dogs, Pet News, Rabbits|0 Comments

Introducing dogs to cats, or cats to dogs!

When you first bring your new dog home and attempt to introduce it to the resident cat, or visa versa, things can quickly go horribly wrong if the cat decides to run away (or react by hissing, swiping or growling), and the dog chases, starts barking or getting aroused in anyway – the cat becomes understandably fearful of the predator living in its house and the dog’s prey mode has been activated. Even dogs who have previously lived happily with a different cat can react very differently to a new cat, and the same can be said for cats who […]

By |2020-08-24T11:38:28+01:00May 13th, 2014|Cats, Dogs, Pet News|0 Comments

The problem with punishment…

As a society, we focus quite a lot on punishing unwanted behaviours. Whether it’s the use of a Naughty Step, a speeding fine, or even prison – the intention is to decrease the probability of a behaviour recurring in the future. Humans are complex creatures. We have the ability to learn right from wrong. We are able to be educated in why our actions may be unfavourable. We have morals. However, animals are completely unable to think like us. Their brains have a largely reduced cerebral cortex – the part of our brain that is responsible for higher levels of […]

By |2020-05-01T13:00:45+01:00April 10th, 2014|Dogs, Pet News|0 Comments

Children and Small Pets

There are numerous proven benefits to keeping pets in terms of child development – pets facilitate a sense of responsibility and help build self-confidence. A child’s social, emotional and cognitive development can all be encouraged by interaction with a pet. However, bringing even a small pet into the family is not a decision that should be made lightly. It first must be a commitment by the parent, not the child, as they will ultimately be responsible for the pet’s welfare.   Unfortunately, rabbits are typically regarded as a good childhood pet. However, keeping rabbits in a way that does not […]

By |2020-05-01T13:01:45+01:00March 24th, 2014|Pet News, Rabbits|0 Comments

Why do dogs hump?

Male or female, intact or neutered, dogs hump. They hump each other. They hump our legs. They hump cushions. Sometimes they even self-pleasure. For us, it’s embarrassing. We get awkward in social situations when our dogs decide to ‘get going’. Why do they always seem to choose these social settings to show us up? Normally, humping is simply a sign of arousal. Dogs get wound up during play and they start humping. They get anxious about children who have turned up at the house running round screaming and start humping their legs. They get stressed about the building work going […]

By |2014-01-22T15:29:55+00:00January 22nd, 2014|Dogs, Pet News|0 Comments

Why do dogs pull on the lead… And what can I do to stop it?!

As with any problem behaviour your dog is displaying, the first step to changing the lead pulling is determining what is causing it. Is it a training problem, whereby your dog learnt as a puppy that if it pulled in a certain direction, the person on the other end of the lead followed? Is it excited about getting to an off-lead destination and therefore pulls on the way a lot more than on the way back? Is it aroused by stimuli on walks such as squirrels or cats and is constantly focused on these, whether they are present or not? […]

By |2020-05-01T13:03:01+01:00January 8th, 2014|Dogs, Pet News|0 Comments

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