Tag: behaviour

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What Is Your Puppy Trying to Tell You?

Just because your puppy can’t speak English, doesn’t mean he or she can’t communicate! There are plenty of ways dogs “talk” to us, from their expressions to their behavior. If you’re a new pet owner, it may be a while before you can accurately read your pup’s body language. But before too long, as your relationship grows, so will your understanding.

It’s important to understand what your dog is trying to “say” for many reasons. After all, your dog might be trying to tell you something critical, like the fact that they’re feeling anxious or scared or sick. Also, strengthening the bond between you and your pup also makes it easier to train out undesired behaviors and teach them new tricks.

Body Language in Dogs: A Breakdown

Some aspects of your puppy’s body language might be obvious, like a frisky play bow or nervous growl. But other signs are a little more subtle.

Here is a head-to-tail breakdown of what your dog’s body language is trying to tell you.

The Ears

Your dog’s ears are for more than hearing! Looking at a dog’s ears is a great way to figure out how they’re feeling. If your dog’s ears are perky, that means they’re alert. This could mean they’re in an extra playful mood, or maybe they’ve recently noticed an unfamiliar neighbor walking in front of your house.

When dogs feel nervous or threatened, their ears will flatten against their head. The flatter the ears, the more scared your dog is feeling. Even though the shape and look of a puppy’s ears differ from breed to breed, pinning their ears back is usually a sign of anxiety, nerves, or anger.

And then there’s the “in-between” stage. If your puppy’s ears are relaxed and flopping around, you can assume your dog is feeling very comfortable.

Image source: Conger Design on Pixabay

The Eyes

We all know it’s hard not to get lost in those puppy dog eyes! But what exactly can you learn from studying your puppy’s eyes? When dogs feel alert or even aggressive, their eyes will grow wider and the pupils might even dilate. If your dog’s eyes are looking squinty, on the other hand, they’re probably feeling happy.

Sometimes, your puppy might even show the whites of their eyes—picture a “side eye” glance. If this happens, your dog is probably feeling very distressed.

In addition to looking at the shape of your puppy’s eyes, you should think about how you approach eye contact too. Just like with most humans, regular eye contact helps build trust. Looking into someone’s eyes when they’re speaking can signify respect and show the speaker you are listening. Don’t overdo it with your dog, though. Your puppy will appreciate some eye contact, but keep in mind that for some dogs, extended eye contact—especially if you’re not drinking—can come off as threatening. This might make your dog feel uneasy or even aggressive.

The Mouth

The most obvious way to learn what your dog is thinking is to listen to their voice. Growling typically signifies aggression or fear. If your dog starts whining, he or she probably wants something—either treats, attention, or a potty break.

And then there’s barking! Determining what your dog’s bark means usually isn’t difficult. Low and loud barks, which usually sound mean, mean your dog is feeling aggressive or threatened. Short, high-pitched barks can be a sign of a frisky or playful mood.

In addition to listening to the noises your puppy makes with their mouth, you can also look at how many teeth are showing. If your dog is casually showing off a few teeth (think of a puppy smile!), they’re probably feeling happy and relaxed. If your dog is baring ALL of their teeth, however, they might be feeling quite threatened.

Image source: angel1238812 on Pixabay

The Back

Have you ever heard someone say that a dog’s hackles are raised? This phrase means the fur on a dog’s back is standing up. This happens when a canine feels particularly scared, stressed, or angry. It’s more noticeable on short-haired dogs, but most dogs show this behavior when they feel uneasy. 

Pay attention if you see your puppy’s hackles raised. That telltale line of fur down their back might be telling you that a stranger is approaching, or that your dog saw an unfamiliar animal in the yard.

The Tail

It’s easy to assume that a wagging tail signifies a happy dog. But did you know this isn’t always the case? Your puppy might also wag their tail if they’re feeling uncomfortable or scared. 

To figure out if what you’re seeing is a nervous or happy wag, look at the speed and direction of your puppy’s tail. If your dog’s tail is moving slowly or pointing toward the ground, your pup probably feels scared. If the tail is perky, moving quickly, and pointing toward the ceiling, that’s usually a sign of a happy or playful mood.

Look at the Whole Picture

Of course, you can’t just look at one individual body part and assume you know exactly what your puppy is thinking. To really understand what kind of mood they’re in, put all of the individual cues together and consider the environment your dog is in. Are they at home or somewhere new? Are there new people or animals around?

By taking into consideration your dog’s body language and all of the surrounding context clues, it will be easy to determine when your dog needs something from you.

What could be causing your dog to feel uneasy? In social situations, such as walking in a public park, your dog might feel put off by the behavior of other people or animals. Your puppy might also try to tell you when they’re feeling sick or uncomfortable. Common ailments in puppies, from flea bites to heartworm disease, usually result in unusual behaviors or side effects that pet owners may pick up on.

The more you pay attention, the better equipped you’ll be to help your puppy stay safe, happy, and healthy.

Image source: Jarmoluk on Pixabay

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5 signs your dog is a happy pup!

Image Credits: https://www.thedailytail.com/signs-your-dog-is-happy/

Keeping your furbaby happy and healthy is every pawrent’s biggest responsibility when it comes to pet ownership, and there’s no better feeling than knowing that your pet is in the pink of health!

With that, here are some signs for you to take note in case you want to know whether they’re jumping for joy! 

Sign 1: They roll on their backs

To garner love and affection from you, happy dogs will roll on their back and expose their belly to you. Not only does this mean that they absolutely adore you, it also means that they trust you enough to make themselves vulnerable in front of you!

Sign 2: They will initiate physical contact

When dogs are happy, they will initiate more physical contact such as coming to you for rubs and pets or pawing at you. This is their way of expressing their happiness and their desire to be with you! 

Sometimes, your dog might not want to be touched. This could be due to a multitude of reasons so be sure to do your research if that ever happens!

Sign 3: Zoomies!

Zoomies are short bursts of energy that dogs just can’t control! If you’re dog is in the pink of health or are extremely happy, you can often see them doing zoomies up and down your hallway, or at the parks when you bring them.

Over time though, your dog will grow out of zoomies, so make sure to capture the moments they do so you can treasure them next time!

Sign 4: LOTS and lots of sleep!

On average, a happy and healthy dog sleeps for around 16 hours a DAY! So if you notice your dog sleeping a lot, don’t worry it’s perfectly normal. If your dog is older or is a senior dog, they could require even more sleep too!

However, if you notice that your dogs sleeping pattern is distorted, or if they’re lethargic or unable to eat after their sleep time, then it might be time to start paying more attention to it. While it might not be severe, taking note of your pups sleep routine helps to make sure you nip any possible problems in the bud.

Sign 5: Soft eyes 

Their eyes will tell! When a dog has eyes that are soft and relaxed, and a body that isn’t tense, it means that they’re in a state of calmness and happiness. They also tend to blink often!

Look out for “whale eyes”, which is when the whites of a dog’s eyes can be seen, or if their body seems tense or on edge. If they show signs of whale eyes or are tense, it means that they could possibly be worried or stressed.

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Separation Anxiety Dog Training – Training Them to be Alone

Article originally published on SitStay. Refer to the original article here. Article written by Jessica Mabie.

What is Separation Anxiety?

Dogs with separation anxiety experience stress, confusion, and tension. Separation anxiety manifests when a dog is insecure when left alone and is separated from their human.

There are varying separation anxiety levels that dogs can experience, from mild whining to extreme behaviors like destroying their surroundings. Symptoms associated with separation anxiety include:

  • Drooling and panting: When dogs experience extreme anxiety, they may pant and or drool excessively.
  • Crying, barking, or whining: Dogs will display persistent crying, barking, or howling when separated from their family.
  • Urinating or defecating: Dog with separation anxiety will have absence when left alone, even though they are housebroken.
  • Destructive behavior: Dogs with severe separation anxiety will dig or chew on furniture or exit points such as doors, window sills, or other accessible objects. This behavior is not only destructive but can also be dangerous and cause injury to your dog.
  • Escaping: Some dogs will attempt to flee their home, yard, or crate to find their humans.
  • Pacing: Pacing often at the door their human used to leave is a common habit seen in dogs with separation anxiety.
  • Stress colitis: Dogs who experience prolonged stress from separation anxiety may even begin to suffer from colitis. Colitis is inflammation in the large bowel resulting in diarrhea.

Separation Anxiety – The Difference Between Dogs and Humans

Dogs and humans are very different when it comes to what feels natural when separated. Humans grow up to be independent to leave their parent’s home.

It feels natural for humans to leave to go to the store, out to dinner, work, and even on vacation. It feels unnatural and uncomfortable for most humans to stay home all the time, as seen in today’s world of social distancing and quarantine.

On the flip side, dogs are pack animals. Pack animals do almost everything together, from hunting, sleeping, eating, and even rearing their young. Though there are a few times that the pack may separate, they often do so in groups, rarely leaving any of them completely alone.

Pack animals find a sense of security together, it is easier to hunt together, and there is safety in numbers. And though our dogs no longer need that same security to survive, it is an ingrained behavior.

Separation Anxiety Dog Training

Whenever anyone gets a new dog, they focus on housetraining, recall, sit, and down, but often overlooked is training your dog to be okay when left alone. Proactive training to avoid separation anxiety is always the best choice when possible.

However, every situation is different, and dogs may develop separation anxiety for various reasons. One of the common reasons dogs suffer from separation anxiety is if they were previously abandoned. These dogs are more likely to suffer from separation anxiety in their new home until they become more confident.

Below are some different ways to help your dog get over separation anxiety.

What is Dog Training for Dogs with Separation Anxiety?

Dog training dogs with separation anxiety is about changing how a dog feels about being left alone. Training helps dogs associate feelings of calm and confidence instead of anxiety and fear when the owners leave.

Training aids your dog in understanding that when you leave, you will also come back. Training also helps dogs acclimate to being alone and shows your dog it’s safe for them to be on their own.

Separation anxiety training is about building trust between canine and human and teaching a dog how to live in a human world. Additionally, separation anxiety training helps build on the amount of time your dog can be left alone.

How to Train a Dog with Separation Anxiety

First and foremost, your dog must receive proper exercise before you leave the house. Dogs who are full of energy will not be content being left alone for hours on end. So, the first step in training is to drain that energy before you even step foot out of your house.

The second most important factor is your behavior and energy. Do you feel bad about leaving your dog? Nervous or anxious? Dogs pick up on our feelings and energy. If we are putting off nervous or tense vibes, your dog feels that, but they do not know why; instead, they just know something is wrong.

So be sure when you leave your dog that you are calm and confident. Do not become excited or go through a big goodbye routine. Instead, grab your wallet or purse and leave the house. When coming home, do not enter your home with exciting energy; instead, be calm, the same as you were when you left. You want to teach your dog that leaving and returning is not a big deal.

Next, it is all about baby steps. Start with teaching your dog to comfortable staying behind when you leave a room. To do this, you will want to find a focal point for them to wait on. It can be anything like a bed, mat, or training table. Put your dog on their focal point and take a step away, then come back and reward. Be sure you are rewarding calmly; this is a low energy exercise.

Never call your dog off the focal mat; instead, use a release command. With time build on this exercise with greater distance and duration.

Note this is not where your dog will stay in your absence; you are teaching your dog to be calm and confident being away from you. Your dog does not need to sit or lie down; your dog only needs to be relaxed.

Another thing to work on when training a dog is desensitizing them to their trigger points. Suppose your dog starts to show signs of anxiety when you put on your jacket, shoes, or touch the doorknob to leave. You will want to desensitize this action, meaning you need to remove any value that this action has to your dog.

Key Takeaways to Your Dogs Separation Anxiety

All too often, humans unintentionally trigger separation anxiety in their dogs, either by not teaching them to be alone in the beginning, creating too much nervous energy when leaving or by not providing enough exercise before leaving the house.

The great news is that many dogs can overcome separation anxiety with training.

However, in severe cases of separation anxiety, it is best if you seek the professional help of a dog behaviorist or veterinarian to aid you and your dog.

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How to Stop Chewing in Puppies

Article originally published on The Spruce Pets. Written by Amy Bender. Refer to the original article here.

For puppies, the entire world is a chew toy. Puppies, like babies, explore the world with their mouths. Unfortunately, their explorations are not limited to their own toys. Your shoes, furniture, children’s toys, and anything else lying around your house are fair game for a teething puppy.

Unfortunately, your puppy may chew things that can harm it. You can put a stop to your puppy’s destructive behavior, but It takes time and consistent training.https://959980d490ba4ceaa2688c409992c87e.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html

Why Do Puppies Chew?

Most of the time, chewing is normal behavior for puppies and dogs, and it serves many purposes, such as strengthening their jaws and relieving anxiety.

Like babies, puppies experience discomfort while teething, and gnawing or chewing on things provides some relief. Boredom is another reason that puppies chew. Dogs are social animals and need stimulation for their mental health. If you’re not exercising your pup enough or giving it sufficient one-on-one time, it may seek attention by chewing inappropriate objects.

puppy teething
  NatalieShuttleworth / Getty Images

How to Stop Destructive Chewing

There aren’t many medical conditions other than teething that cause a puppy to chew on things, but it’s worth a trip to the vet just to be sure. If the vet gives your puppy a clean bill of health, there are several ways to prevent your puppy from wrecking your abode.

Puppy-Proof Your Home

Puppies should not have the full run of your home until they are completely trained. Many people choose to use the kitchen since it’s easier to clean up accidents on an uncarpeted floor.

Once you’ve decided on the areas where your puppy will be allowed to play, take a good look around and begin puppy-proofing. Pick up or move any objects that your puppy might decide to chew. Get down at the dog’s level to see what might appeal to it. Remove or cover any electrical wires, houseplants, garbage pails, children’s toys, and anything else you don’t want your puppy to chew or knock over.

Crate Train Your Puppy

While crate training is usually talked about in terms of house training, it is also a good tool for curbing destructive puppies. When you’re not able to supervise your puppy, crating can keep it and your home safe. If you don’t have a crate, you can confine the dog to a small, puppy-proof room such as a bathroom or kitchen.

Provide Your Puppy with Toys

Chewing allows puppies to ease teething pain, and it alleviates boredom. To prevent your puppy from getting in the habit of inappropriate chewing, make sure you provide it with lots of appropriate things to chew on.

Toys that work well for puppies are rubber toys with a hollow center, stuffed animals with squeakers inside, and nylon bones. Avoid animal bones, hooves, and antlers.

Don’t give your puppy old shoes or socks as playthings; you’re likely to cause confusion between which shoes are OK for chewing and which ones are off-limits.

There is some controversy over the safety of items like rawhides, pig’s ears, and other edible chews. Be sure to talk to your veterinarian before giving any of these items to your puppy.

Puppy chewing a toy
 Mint Images – Norah Levine / Getty Images

Rotate Your Puppy’s Toys

Since puppies chew to alleviate boredom, it’s a good idea to rotate your puppy’s toys every few days. A puppy will be looking for something new and interesting to sink its teeth into. By changing its toys around periodically, you’ll be keeping it interested in the things you want it to chew, and it will be less likely to start gnawing on the kitchen cabinets.

Offer a Swap

Try giving your puppy a treat in exchange for whatever inappropriate object it has in its mouth. This is a good way to train your dog to learn the command “give” if you repeat it before giving the treat. Over time, your puppy should learn that “give” means “give me that thing in your mouth!”

Just take care not to lavish your puppy with praise when it swaps the inappropriate object for a treat. You don’t want to turn it into a game where your puppy expects a reward for chewing on the wrong things.

Redirect Your Puppy

When you see your puppy begin to chew on something inappropriate, don’t scold it. Instead, move the puppy away from the object and redirect it to something you want it to chew. Make your puppy’s toy more interesting by squeezing a squeaky toy or shaking a bone while talking to it in a happy tone of voice. Give the pup lots of praise for chewing its toys.

If you think your puppy is teething, you can give it a doggy version of a teething ring: Dampen a washcloth; then place it in the freezer for about an hour. Give it to your puppy to tug and chew on, allowing the cold to soothe its sore gums.

Give Your Puppy Plenty of Exercise

A tired puppy is a happy puppy. Be sure to give your puppy enough playtime and cuddle time. If it’s had all of its ​puppy vaccinations, make walks part of your dog’s daily routine. If left to its own devices, your puppy is going to start looking for ways to burn off energy. This leads to destructive behavior. A puppy who gets regular exercise is much more likely to be well behaved.

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Why Is My Cat Eating Litter?

Article originally published on The Spruce Pets. Written by Sally Bahner. Refer to the original article here.

Cats may eat litter—and other undesirable materials—for a variety of reasons. This behavior is referred to as pica, the eating of non-food items.

Pica has a variety of causes and may stem from a mom abandoning her kittens, which can manifest itself in nursing behavior. Cats with pica can target all types of materials: plastic, fabric, string, paper, dirt, and even litter.

Some forms of pica may be relatively harmless or annoying—such as licking plastic bags—but eating non-food substances can cause intestinal blockages. Also, it can be a sign of an illness.

Why Do Cats Eat Litter?

If your cat or kitten is eating litter, it could be either a health or behavior issue. If you suspect it’s a health issue, you should bring your cat to the veterinarian right away, especially if the behavior appears suddenly.

Some kittens may eat litter purely out of curiosity and will grow out of the behavior with close monitoring.

Anemia

Eating litter could be a sign that your cat is sick, and in particular, anemia is a condition where an affected cat could be exhibiting this sign. Anemia occurs when there is a lack of red blood cells and hemoglobin. Cat owners should check for gums that are pale, white, or bluish. Anemia can indicate a deficiency in iron, trace minerals, vitamins, or essential fatty acids.

Additionally, if your cat is eating litter, this could also be a sign of leukemia (which causes anemia in itself) or kidney disease.

Your veterinarian will perform a standard exam, including a complete blood count (CBC) and urinalysis. The blood count will determine if the cat indeed has anemia and the urinalysis will reveal the concentration level of the urine; urine that is too dilute is an indication of kidney disease. If your cat shows symptom of a blockage, your veterinarian will do radiographs or an MRI.

Nutritional Deficiencies

Your cat could be eating litter if it’s not getting sufficient nutrition from its food. Deficiencies in Vitamin A, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), L-Carnitine, Magnesium, Pyruvate Kinase, Sodium, and/or Taurine may also trigger litter eating in cats. Clay-based litters contain minerals, which may compensate for the deficiency. Your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist can recommend dietary changes or supplements.

Curious Kittens

Kittens may eat litter out of curiosity, so it’s recommended not to use clumping litter until they are older. Ingesting clumping litter may cause an intestinal blockage. Be sure to use a non-toxic litter and monitor use. Remove your kitten from the litter box if you see it’s eating the litter—just be sure your kitten has finished its business first.

Adult cats may also snack on litter if the type of litter has been changed recently, for instance, to a wheat- or corn-based litter.

How to Stop Your Cat From Eating Litter

Once your cat has received a clean bill of health, you can concentrate on redirecting his behavior from eating the litter. Of course, there are many types of litter: clay, clumping (scented and unscented), corn-, wheat-, or paper-based. If your cat is eating one kind, try another.

  • Your cat may be bored. If you see it eating litter, redirect the behavior with play. Toss a crinkle ball or toy mouse, or dangle a fishing pole toy and lure him away from the box.
  • Reevaluate your cat’s diet. Upgrade the food you’re feeding, especially if it’s a supermarket-grade dry food. Many high-quality food options are more nutritionally complete.
  • Enhance your cat’s natural prey behavior. In addition to ramping up playtime, look into food puzzle toys, which encourage natural foraging behavior. There are many ways to make your own using common household items, as well as different models available in pet stores. Puzzle toys are fun ways for your cat to work to get its food, thus distracting it from undesirable behavior.
  • Try offering a pot of cat grass. Again, this is a distraction from the litter and gives your cat something else to chew on. And don’t forget that happy cat standby—catnip. You can grow your own and offer it fresh, sprinkle it on scratchers, or buy catnip-filled toys.
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How having a dog changed my life.

Processed with VSCO with p5 preset

It’s…. officially 9 months 5 days since I had my first dog, and it’s been a helluva ride for me. Well, do not mistake me when I say that. This helluva ride kinda changed my lifestyle, my habits for the better, though twenty percent of the time, I had my eyeballs rolled after every mess my dearest pup made:)


TIME AND COMMITMENT

My fiancé and I decided to get a dog as we were living in the same house and working in the same company. COMMITMENT, I would say is the distinguishing factor whether or not, you should, or SHOULD NOT have a dog. Living with a puppy is honestly underrated and definitely incomparable, to taking care of a baby as many would say.
We were really blessed to have flexible working hours to deal with the puppy period as the first few weeks of your life with them, is gonna be disastrous.

You cant get mad at this puppy face isnt it.
  • Meals

Prepping their meal isn’t as simple as what many thought it would be and to further clarify this misconception, it definitely isn’t just scooping a cup of kibbles and expecting them to feed on it for all of their meals, their entire life. Every individual puppy is different and do keep in mind that their body changes and reacts to different types of food as they grow.

We did have had quite an experience with my sheltie’s meal since he was a puppy.
From raw to kibbles, to freeze-dried, to raw again and then to home-cooked.
Was indeed a stressful process I would admit. HEH!

They could be receptive to raw at first but allergies could kick in after.
They could be receptive to kibbles at first but decided to be picky after.

The list continues and to sum it up, every type of food, be it commercial food, home-cooked, raw … etc, they each have their own benefits but it boils down ultimately to how your puppy reacts to each type of food and the commitment of every dog owner to formulate the meals of their pups accordingly so they can eventually live a long and healthy life.

  • Daily walks / Dog runs / Cafes

Oh.. daily walks. Some people lament the need to walk their dogs daily and soon after, they no longer walk their dogs anymore.

This is when commitment kicks in as walks are what your pups look forward to every day where they can run wild, play at dog runs, or even just a 45mins walk outside wherever. Pretty similar to the kind of break we look forward to after staying at home the entire day.

Walking them daily exposes them to different environments instead of being a country bumpkin. Some puppies react very much as they were not exposed to cars, people jogging, the sounds of the birds chirping …etc when they are young and become fearful as they age and these certainly are not fears that could be eliminated overnight. This is only just an example of my experience having a sheltie, however, there could be other problems owner faces depending on the breed of their dog.

Commitment to walk them daily eliminates bad behaviour and is a good form of exercise to correct them of their bad habits and to develop a healthier relationship between you and your pups:)

Let them have their fair share of playtime too. Cafes are really heaven for them.

  • Trainings

Obedience training, focus training, toilet training, or whatsoever training you have enrolled yourself and your pups into, please do not give up halfway as these are the essentials and know-hows which will definitely be useful to you and your pups. All in all, don’t get one if you cant commit and don’t resent them if they were to pee on your couch or your bed or your favourite cushion in the future. #JUSTSAYING

  • Showers

Be sure to shower them weekly / twice a week to keep them clean. You don’t want bugs or fleas up their fur. As my sheltie has dry skin issues, he has to be showered weekly with medicated shampoo. The process is really tiresome but you get a puffy, pleasant smelling, and happy puff at the end of the day.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND SACRIFICES

Waking up at several intervals during the night to clear his poop was a test for us. Both me and my fiancé struggled so much as we were logs before we had him. Puppies poop like there’s no tomorrow, and just so you know, they eat their own poop like it’s the best dessert they ever had. And yes, this is gonna be repetitive for the first few weeks. Ingesting too much poop is definitely not healthy for them in the long run and it could become a habit which would be hard to correct in the future.

It was madness for us at night and we were soulless in the day when we headed for work. But seeing how much he has grown and learned when and where not to poop, we know the sacrifices were not wasted.

As it’s only just me, my fiancé, and my pups living together, we could barely head out for a long period of time. Well, not until hapsie is an adult. heheh.
Staycations were also a no for us, temporarily. Covid’s here anyway.

HOW IT EVENTUALLY CHANGED MY LIFESTYLE

Having our own personal time has became a bonus for us.
Without a dog, you can travel whenever you want to, enjoying impromptu plans with friends and families, spending some time chilling while watching Netflix, popping chips into your mouth.

But when you have one….. you have to feed him on time, spend time walking him, playing with him, teaching and training him. Your energy will be drained by the time the sunsets. Zero time for dating or even just mere chilling. Times where we left him at the groom for about an hour or so, was the only personal time we had to have a cup of coffee, to lay back and chill for a bit. We even had to drop him off at our parent’s place occasionally to attend meetings/appointments and only fetch him when our day ends.

Waking up early has become a habit as we had to feed him. We use to be logs who only wakes up in noon. Now our body clock has changed.
Weekends have also been busier than before as we’ll bring him out to cafes, dog runs to meet his siblings and friends as weekdays were only walks and journey to the office together. Chilling and lazing on a weekend has become a once in a while event. It did change my lifestyle to a healthier one and I’m thankful for this change. 9 months into having a dog and I’m enjoying every second of it. Looking forward to having him celebrate the different milestones I’ll be achieving in the future and I’m really grateful for the change he has brought upon us.

—

Ah, not forgetting the twenty percent of the mess I mentioned earlier, its nothing more than having holes in your favourite shirt, clean socks which are soaking wet, strings in your pants shredded, and tissue paper pieces all over your floor 🙂 But don’t worry, after all the mess that’s been made, you’ll be sure to see their most innocent, brightest smile which you can never get mad at 🙂

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My first experience with an Animal Communicator

Have you ever wondered what your pet is thinking?

As an owner of 2 dogs – Lilo, a 12-year-old Maltese, and Cookie, a 2-year-old Pomsky mix Shetland, I have always thought “what if I can understand why she’s doing this or that, etc etc.” Hence, I decided to share more about my journey in engaging an Animal Communicator (AC)!

Cookie & Lilo (henlo everypawdy!)

As Lilo got older, I was making a conscious effort 1 year ago to search for a good AC in hopes of understanding more about Lilo so that I can make her remaining years the best ever possible, but my main motive was to know her bucket list! I also got the AC to check in with Lilo about her health conditions and some behavioral issues. As for Cookie, I wanted to understand more about her; her character likes and dislikes. 

While I was researching on which AC to engage, most AC allows up to 10 questions per animal, which I feel that it is enough to know everything important about the animal. For 10-15 questions, ACs usually charge between 80~180 SGD. Most ACs are able to communicate with any kind of animals, be it dogs, cats, reptiles, birds, etc.

I chanced upon Nicole, from @pawsandcrystals on Instagram as she was launching a “pay as you wish” initiative to kick off her animal communication journey. Nicole is currently doing this full-time and her current rates are as below which is super affordable! I felt this instant draw towards her and decided to drop her a dm. We clicked off and immediately set an appointment date for her to do her sharing via a video call. FYI, Nicole usually discusses with her clients over WhatsApp messages or IG DMs, and this special arrangement to do a video call was made as I wanted to share more about some questions you guys might have while contemplating to engage one.

Nicole’s very affordable rates! (Supporting small biz owners as much as possible)

But first, some funny stories that Nicole shared with me! An owner wanted to know why his pug kept getting shocked by his own fart sounds, and the pug told Nicole that he did not know that the sound was coming from himself LOL! Nicole communicated with the pug that not all sounds are scary and the sound came from him. The owner then updated Nicole that the pug smiled at him when he farted the next time! How cheeky is that!!

Nicole also shared that when she first started her AC journey, she chanced upon a chicken near her residential block that looked lost. To practice her AC skills, she proceeded to take a picture of it, went back home, and tried to communicate with it but there wasn’t any response. She thought that her AC skills were not working and then proceeded to bring her dog, Bubbles out for a walk. The moment she opened the door, the chicken was right at her doorstep! HOW IN THE WORLD?! 

Nicole’s very cute dog – Bubbles and said Chicken that appeared at her doorstep

According to Nicole, there are different ways that an AC communicates with animals. Some of them do it through visuals, taste, smell, etc.. For Nicole, it was visual while her friend was through taste. Example: to ask a dog what it likes to eat, Nicole will show different visuals of various foods and get the dog to show her the visual of their favorite food, while her friend will get a taste of the food in her mouth. Cool right?! 

So… What do you need to prepare when engaging an AC? 

In order for Nicole to communicate with our dogs, we sent her an individual photograph of the dogs that we took recently. Do make sure that their eyes can be seen clearly! We also sent her images of us (the dogs’s main caretakers) so that Nicole would know who the dogs are referring to when she gets the visual replies from them. You should prepare a list of questions which Nicole will communicate with the dog and share her findings with you via IG Dm or voice memos.

When Nicole starts her communication with the animals, she’d say hello, introduce herself to the animal as their papa/mama’s friend and give them a heads-up that she’ll be asking them some questions. For our dogs, Nicole shared that Lilo was more aloof like “Who are you? I’ve never seen you before, what do you want?”, while Cookie was really excited like “HELLO! OK! ASK ASK!!” reaction!

Now some of you might wonder ‘What questions should I ask an AC’? There is really no fixed set of questions to ask. You can really ask anything you want, really! 

Here are some of the questions you may consider:

  • What do you like/dislike 
  • Any pain in your body or discomfort
  • What is your bucket list 
  • What activity do you enjoy the most 
  • Do you have anything to say to us 
  • Who do you love the most 
  • Why do you do this (behavioral issue)
  • What type of food you prefer 
  • What do you enjoy most that we are doing for you now 
  • How can we improve your quality of life

Whilst Nicole was sharing with me her visuals that she got from my dogs, I basically went “omg ya omg ya omg yaaaa!!” the whole time because she was quite spot on! For example, she asked Lilo what she likes and Lilo showed her a visual of the milk balls that humans eat. This treat choice is pretty uncommon among dogs and I did not share any videos of Lilo eating the milk balls on any platforms, ever! 

Lilo’s favourite sweet potato milk balls for dogs that looks just like human’s!

We also asked about her behavior of lunging at other dogs first when we are outside. Lilo told her that she is territorial and now that she’s older, she wants respect from other dogs. What a diva! Lilo also told Nicole that she doesn’t like grass and does not understand dogs who chomp/eat grass on their walks LOL! You may want to ask about bucket list because Lilo expressed that she wanted to eat a plate of sausages but she has never tried sausages! So Nicole explained that sometimes, animals want the food that they see or smell when the humans eat. 

For Cookie, she communicated that she really loves zoomies, running in dog runs without leash. She also loves to come to me for sayang, and to play rough with hoodad. Quite spot on as this is what she does daily! This girl even complained that she hates the hairdryer because it’s noisy… which explains why she keeps trying to run away after a shower hah! Cookie also expressed her preference for meaty and dry food. Just for fun, we got Nicole to ask Cookie who she loves more, mama or papa? Interestingly, Nicole said that she saw Cookie jumping between us and told her that she can’t choose, she loves both of us a lot! 

Supawdawg! Cookie doing her zoomies as usual!

At the end of the session, I felt that I knew more about my dogs and how to improve their quality of life. I would suggest for all pawrents to try out AC as it does help to understand your pets better. Afterall, we all want our pets to live the best life possible, right? If you ever feel that there is a sudden change in your dog, you may want to consider speaking to an AC or feel free to reach out to Nicole. She’s super friendly! We are all learning how to be better pawrents for our furkids, so hang in there because you are doing great now!

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Community Stories

5 Effective Tips to Train your Dog

@mydogsadventuressg

We know that training your fur kid on your own can sometimes be frustrating and difficult… As such, we want to change that for you and help you through the process. Recently, we have collaborated with a professional dog trainer, Darren Yew (@MyDogsAdventuressg) to share some dog training tips with our pawrents. He was aspired to become a dog trainer since young and finally got to pursue his dream career as a dog trainer!

The top five areas of concern that our pawjourr pawrents face with their fur kids are: Potty training, giving healthy praises and scoldings, conducting basic commands, dealing with aggressive behaviour and separation anxiety. Read on to find out what tips Darren has been using to tackle these issues.

  1. Tips on potty training: For a start, pawrents can begin toilet training their dog by ‘crating’ him or her up during their puppy stage. Gradually, expand the ‘crating’ area as their dog grows up. Once their dog becomes an adult, they may choose to forgo the crate as they have already mastered potty training.
  2. Tips on giving healthy praises and scoldings to pets: Pawrents should give praises only when their dog is obedient or calm. As for scoldings, simple ones like “Hey!” and “No!” will do. Forbid slamming things or shouting at them.
  3. Tips on how to conduct basic command trainings: Pawrents can give treats to their dog like kibbles or small size snacks. An advice that I would give is to start conducting basic command training at home instead of holding it outdoors – safety comes first nonetheless! This is to avoid distractions that will more likely occur outdoors from things like birds and cars etc. Of course, pawrents can transition to training their dog outdoors but only when their dog is more advanced.
  4. Tips to deal with aggressive behaviour: When pawrents think that their dog is aggressive, they are not. Rather, they may just exhibit emotions like fear, uncertainty and defensiveness. When pawrents are faced with such situations, they should observe their dog’s body language. If their dog expresses fear, then pawrents should refrain from approaching them until their dog is more comfortable like if their dog starts sniffing or displaying curious behaviour.
  5. Tips to help with pet’s separation anxiety: Pawrents with anxious dogs should start to build a comfort place for their dog to rest like a mat. Their dog should not be following them around the house but learning to stay put in their comfort place. If their dog keeps following their pawrents around the house, this means that the hooman has become their comfort place instead, which would lead to separation anxiety.

We hope that you have found what Darren shared to be useful. To Darren, dog training is a constant learning process because each dog is unique in terms of their temperament. What matters most is for pawrents to be patient and never give up.

These tips are based on my own experience. There is no right or wrong training method because there are many ways a dog can be trained. These tips that I am sharing happen to work for me, and I truly hope that they would work for you too!

– Darren