Training & Behaviour

Teaching leave it as part of your dog obedience training is really important. It could even save your dog’s life. Begin the training at home first under low distraction, and ensure they are reliably responding to the command, before heading out to higher distraction areas. There are a few different ways to do this when teaching leave it to your dog, so I’m going to...

Thereʼs a few things to consider when introducing a puppy to multiple pet households when you first bring them home. Keep it calm Ensure the pup has a quiet, settled experience when entering the home to give them time to sniff around and check out the surroundings. Children will be understandably excited but should be encouraged to sit down and just allow the puppy to...

Getting a new puppy is an exciting time for everyone.  Hopefully you are reading this before you have picked up your new bundle of fluff so that you are well prepared for their arrival and know how to puppy proof your home. To help, make sure you have read our article on Preparing for a Puppy article as well to help ensure you have everything...

This week’s breed in focus is the Great Dane. Also known as the German Mastiff the breed originated in Germany from hunting dogs and not surprisingly holds the record for the tallest dog in the world. Temperament Despite their size, Great Danes are friendly and loving, the gentle giants of the dog world! They’re great around children and other pets as they don’t tend to...

There’s nothing better than being able to take your dog along when you head out for a coffee or bite to eat, but it's important to teach a dog manners for these social environments to help keep it relaxing for both you and other diners. Whether you have a puppy or are training an older dog, I have a few techniques to help teach a...

The Australian Shepherd breed actually originated in the United States and were bred as herding dogs - a role many still perform today. Temperament They make wonderful family companions, but are highly intelligent and have loads of energy, which needs an outlet, so are best kept active and love nothing more than a job to do. Much like their close relation, the Border Collie. They...

Every year thousands of Greyhounds are euthanised when they are no longer needed for racing, so adopting a Greyhound has become very popular as they are generally very friendly, calm, affectionate and social dogs. While Greyhounds make for a great family pet, there are some things that potential owners need to be aware of before adopting a Greyhound to help keep them and other pets...

Dogs are highly social animals who enjoy companionship, so it's important that we help them to feel safe, confident, and entertained when spending time by themselves.  To help, PETstock’s State Trainer, Mandi Wright has compiled some safety and other helpful tips for dogs left home alone. DOGTV When dogs are left to their own devices, they may experience boredom, anxiety or stress, which can ultimately...

With so many puppies missing out on that critical early socialisation they need due to Covid-19 restrictions, and many rescue dogs being re-homed,  there are now many nervous dogs that can be reactive when meeting new people, particularly those coming into their home. If you have a nervous dog or one that reacts to people inappropriately, it is important you don’t introduce them to too...

Dogs that bark and lunge at other dogs, people and a wide range of other environmental triggers around them are often viewed as being aggressive.  In most cases however, a reactive dog is 'acting out' due to fear and is using this dog behaviour to make the thing it fears go away. Having a reactive dog is a common dog behaviour issue A reactive dog...