HELEN'S HOUNDS DOG TRAINING NOVEMBER/DECEMBER NEWS LETTER, RAFFLE INFORMATION AND BLOG ...... CHRISTMAS, IT'S NOT ALL FUN AND GAMES FOR OUR DOGS

Another busy couple of months at Helen's Hounds Dog Training, but first things first. THE CHRISTMAS RAFFLE is now up and running on Facebook. Head over to my page and find the post. The lucky winner will get a Pooch and Mutt Luxury Christmas Box and the number will be draw on 20th December.

My big news is that after heading up to Berkshire for a few days I am now qualified as UK Sniffer Dogs Gold Instructor (as well as Bronze and Silver) and I cannot wait to start bringing in the new excercises, human searches, under water searches, concealed searches etc.

Gold UK Sniffer Dogs Instructor Certificate (and of course Sparks)

LATEST AWARDS - Congratulations one and All

IMDT Partnership Grades

Level 1 - Ellie and Wilf

Level 3 - Millie

Level 4 - Roxy

UK Sniffer Dogs Bronze

Level 1 - Tess

Level 2 - Amber

Level 3 - Bailey, Layla, Rolo and Radish

Level 4 - Radish and Layla

Level 6 - Rolo, Artie, Busby and Beans

Artie and Busby also received their Bronze Harness patches for completing every part of the UK Sniffer Dogs Bronze Levels.

BUSBY

ARTIE

UK Sniffer Dogs Silver

Level 2 - Ziggy, Muesli and Bruce

Level 3 - Reggie and Bruce

We welcomed a whole bunch of new puppies who are now on week 4 of puppy group. Then Ellie, Paris, Tilly, Wilf and Zuko up into our Continuation classes and they have settled in well either from puppy group, one to ones and in Tilly's case meeting her in my recall workshop.

I would also like to congratulate the graduates from Octobers Puppy and Beginners scentwork groups

UPCOMING

New Puppy Groups will be starting either Thursday 8th or Friday 9th January for puppies under 9 months old. NEW Continuation scentwork group 11th January (open to people who have done Beginners Course) Have a go Scentwork Sunday 14th December. If you would like to join any of these please whatsapp on 07969048663 or email helenshoundsdt@outlook.com.

CHRISTMAS WITH OUR DOGS!

LET'S ENJOY CHRISTMAS!

Many might be surprised to learn that the busiest time for trainers, behaviorists, and vets telephones is during Christmas. This is because dogs often behave unpredictably around family, exhibit changes in behavior, or consume things they shouldn't. Here are some helpful tips to make life a bit easier for us and our dogs.

I often receive calls over Christmas due to incidents like a dog suddenly nipping someone, jumping and knocking over a family member carrying something, jumping up at the table to grab something, going into hiding, and more. This isn't our dogs misbehaving; it's them trying to cope with an unusual situation.

Consider this: how often do we have 16 people over for dinner, extra guests sleeping over, children running around, new dogs arriving, and a constant stream of people coming through the front door? Each arrival can be increasingly exciting or overwhelming for our dogs. We are placing them in an unfamiliar situation, which can be overly stimulating or, unfortunately, quite frightening for some.

So, what can we do in these situations? While this won't cover every scenario, as that would take hours to read, let's establish some basics.

First, consider your dog's usual character throughout the year. Are they generally relaxed around everyone, excited to greet, or a bit wary of men, small children, or other dogs? Based on this, what can we do?

If you're visiting relatives and staying over at a place your dog hasn't been before, consider visiting prior to Christmas to give them time to acclimate to the new environment before the busy day. If you need guidance on how to do this, please ask.

Are you planning to introduce dogs that haven't met before? This can be challenging, and I strongly recommend doing so on several occasions prior to the day. Even if they are friends, it's wise to have a cool-off area for both dogs and be prepared to leave if they struggle to get along.

For excited greeters, avoid letting this happen at the front door. Keep the dog in a separate room until the guest has entered, put down their presents, and removed their coat. Then, provide instructions on how to greet your dog. Working on your dog's jumping behavior for all visitors, Christmas or not, is very important.

Do the dogs need to accompany you if you travel? Could they be boarded, kenneled, or cared for by a sitter? Would this be less stressful for everyone? If you choose this option, ensure they have the appropriate paperwork, insurance, and, if boarding, a council license. If you are staying local but visiting relatives can you dog stay in their own home and somebody pop back to give them comfort breaks and a bit of company

Remember, dogs don't know it's Christmas. They will sense extra excitement, more people, including possibly strangers in their homes, different daily routines, and increased noise. Dogs that nip, growl, or display different behaviors aren't being naughty; they're struggling. They don't need to be chastised—they need help to manage the changes.

Now let's get onto vets getting calls, oh boy, dogs and puppies will eat anything that appears edible and in their reach. People when relaxed may leave a buffet plate in easy reach, or a drink at low level and as we know things like mince pies, christmas cake, macadamia nuts, foods containing onion and garlic, chocolate etc etc are dangerous for our dogs. Making people aware, close monitoring or even restricting access to certain areas for your dog could be considered.

Also calls they are get are for the tinsel eaters, kids toys and those little batteries that drop to the floor and the dog goes to investigate. Accidents happen and yes dogs do get taking to the vets over the Christmas period but some can be prevented with a little vigilance.

Last but not least the plants we bring in for Christmas, Holly, Ivy, Mistletoe, Ponsettias etc all need to be kept out of the way of our dogs.

A number you might find useful is the animal poisions hotline, it is a line that is charged but if your dog has eaten/drunk something they shouldn't have, you can ring this number to find out whether you need to go to the vets or not, unless it is something really obvious and you need to make a dash. The number is 01202 50 9000.

However, having said all this, please all have an absolutely amazing time over the holiday period, the family dog walks, the presents we buy for our furry friends and the extra cuddles on the colder days. Also good luck if you have entered the Christmas Raffle.

If you would like any further information please message me through my website

www.helenshounds_dogtraining.com