Training Tombles (Lola).

Everyone who has a dog thinks theirs is beautiful and each dog is, in its own way. As any proud parents would, we think Tombles (Lola) is gorgeous. She's also really quite clever and very quick to learn new things, so we've decided to try her out in the world of doggy modelling. Before we can sign up with an agency though we need to get her trained up and be confident in her skills. While we're on the training path, we thought we'd share some of our sessions with you!

We actually started training her to 'sit' yesterday, so she's pretty good at that already;

However mid session Daddy (Jonny) decided to throw her a curve ball and try her with 'down'. We caught her first attempt(s) and her third attempt on film! (Her second attempt was used on a 'practise go' ready for the next video).

First ever attempt - working out what exactly 'down' is;

I love how enthusiastic she is hurling herself into the 'down' position in this next video, she seems so pleased with herself! Obviously over time once her confidence grows and she gets used to the commands we'll polish up her method of going into the lie down pose, but for now we'd rather she enjoyed our short sessions and keep it fun and happy for her :)

Third try - pretty darn good!;

Of course it's early days, so Tombles still makes mistakes, here's a little blooper video - she does a half sit, a real sit and then she drops her biscuit - please excuse my giggling, we were dying laughing!

We'll post updates on her training every so often, when she learns a new trick or really perfects one we've already started working on :)

Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe, Lily and Lola.
xo

Note; We don't use what's known as the 'Alpha method' (used by certain TV dog trainers/whisperers, ahem) and physically push them into a sit or a lie down, or scold them if they do it 'wrong', we exclusively use what's become known as the 'Victoria Stilwell method' (plus positive reinforcement) and wait patiently while the puppy/dog actually figures out what it is we want her to do. If she doesn't do it we don't make her feel like she's failed, we just try again and when she does do it, we give her a treat and praise her, so she learns doing the command = something really good. Personally we find it feels kinder and seems more effective than other methods, it's better for them to use their brains, right?

Keep cool this Summer! (Tips)

So, we mentioned in our last post that the weather here is starting to heat up, which means our girls need some ways to cool down! As promised, here's a list of the things we do, to keep our girls feeling fresh!

Food;
Keep their food light and where possible give them chilled/frozen foods, i.e 'pupsicles'.
You can make a pupsicle out of almost anything, mashed banana, a drop of honey and plain yoghurt for something sweet, or chicken pieces, salt free stock and carrot for savoury.
Turn your summer treat into a boredom buster by freezing foods within a toy, i.e a Kong :)

Doggy safe freezable foods include; Peanut butter, low fat yoghurt, low salt stocks, cream cheese, canned dog food, soaked kibble, chicken/meat pieces, various veggies, i.e carrots, sweet potato, peas etc and other commercial products, such as the Kong pastes or Fish4Dogs salmon mousse.

Always test your pooch with a tiny amount of peanut butter and/or honey before making the full treat, some dogs can have very mild allergies to these, however it is extremely unlikely, all 4 of ours are fine with them :)

Water;
Now more than ever your dog will need access to clean, cool water, but on those days where the tongues come out and panting is heavy, a couple of ice cubes in their water dish will do the trick. Make sure you rinse them first though, we don't want any tongues getting stuck!

Rest;
On hot days your dog(s) will probably rest a fair bit, so make sure they have plenty of 'cool spots'.
Make sure they always have access to shady areas, if necessary provide them a small child's tent to rest in.
If your dog is a sunbather, like Rafferty, dampen an old towel for them to lie on, make sure to keep the towel damp throughout the day, a spray bottle is ideal for this.

Fun;
Nothing beats playing with your dog on a sunny day, so feel free to incorporate some 'keep cool methods' into your fun! Sprinklers and shallow paddling pools make for great (supervised) fun!
There's a host of water friendly toys out there, from brand name retriever toys to the good old tennis ball :)
(Never pour ice water on your dog, or squirt them in the face, they'd like it about as much as you would!)

Other;
Hairless breeds and some white haired dogs may need a little sun cream on the tips of their ears etc.
Easy to overlook, but sunburn can be as bad for your pooch as it is for you :(
When the fun is over and it's time to relax, a small electric fan is great.
Just make sure your dog is dry and that the fan is kept of reach of inquisitive noses and paws!

Hope these tips we've picked up along the way help you have some fun in the sun, whilst staying cool!

Love & licks,
Rio, Jonny, Buffy, Rafferty, Monroe & Lily.
xo

P.S Don't forget; Never ever leave your dog in the car. Thieves aside, your pup would be at very high risk of sunstroke at this time of year. Sunstroke can be extremely dangerous and have serious consequences. If you suspect your dog has sunstroke, please call/visit your vet immediately.
Summer also brings more insects, including bees and wasps, which can give your dog a severe allergic reaction if they sting your poor pup. Again, please contact your vet asap if you think your pup has been stung/bitten.
Now is a great time to give your pup their summer wormer and flea prevention treatment!
And last but not least, remember to watch for poisonous plants in the garden/home and have a safe Summer!

Evie The Pomeranian!

Sometimes in life you're wandering along (or nosing round forums) when you come across something just a little bit special!
We had to do a blog post of this rising star, give it up for the insanely cute and enviably talented;

Evie!

For more info visit her site;

DogFilmStar

All credits and rights reserved by Melissa Phillips and the wonderful Evie :)