As our dogs age, their needs and experiences change. Just like us, they go through physical and mental transitions that can make life a bit more challenging. But with the right care, understanding, and activities, the golden years can be a time for celebration, bonding, and joy. At Dogma, we want to help you make these years the best yet for your senior pup.
Understanding the Changes in Your Senior Dog
As dogs get older, they will likely experience changes in their health and behaviour. These ...
Summer is our favourite season – with the warmer weather and the longer days come the outdoor festivals! The best part about these festivals is that many allow our dogs to join us. This enables us to spend more time with them and include them in more fun outings. There are even festivals that are all about dogs and have a wide range of activities geared towards them.
As much as we love dog-friendly festivals, we see too many unhappy, stressed, and over-heated pups. We are proud to have driven m...
The pandemic has moved the world online. Although there have been some downsides to this, we have been thrilled with what it has enabled us to do at Dogma. On top of navigating all the uncertainty, keeping the business afloat and supporting our team and clients, we have managed to move all of our programs online. This was a complete and fast restructuring – a story that is a post on its own. For now, I want to focus on virtual dog training and why this is one outcome of the pandemic that will be...
The debate on crate training (or kennel training) will probably continue to rage until the end of time. The reality is that each person needs to make the decision based on what’s right for them and their new puppy.
It is true that when it’s done properly there are advantages to kennel training your puppy, not the least of which is keeping him out of things he shouldn’t get into, like the garbage.
Crate training will also help with potty training, keep him calmer, curb destructive behaviour, an...
Good dogs are not born, they are made, so you’ve got some work to do. Training a dog is not easy and it takes commitment. You made the choice to adopt your dog and now it is your responsibility to help it become a good canine citizen and ensure it has a proper emotional and physical well-being. Below are a few items that will help you both to be successful:
- Be prepared: Collect everything your new dog will need (food, dishes, toys, grooming tools, leashes, collars, etc.). Create an environmen ...
There are many important skills that are important to being effective in your training with your dog. These include your handling skills, controlling your own body language, understanding your dog’s body language and many other essential traits/skills. However, when you are first starting training, or even if you have been training for some time, this post will cover what we consider to be essential to gaining success in training your dog.
Patience
It can be a frustrating and challenging time ...
At dogma, our approach to training is reward based. You may have heard this referred to as positive reinforcement training. The basic concept is that dogs learn primarily through association. So this means that if you reward them for a behaviour, they will perform this behaviour more. Rewards can be anything and everything that your dog perceives as a positive. This includes food, toys, walks, getting to go through a door, your attention and affection, the opportunity to play with another dog o...
One of the biggest obstacles all dog owners have in common is training their pets. It can feel like an intimidating, mentally trying battle, but it’s well worth the effort.
Training a puppy gives you a chance to mold her manners and behaviour in the best possible way to fit into our human world. However, training an adult dog is another thing altogether.
You may have adopted an adult dog, or you’ve found that your dog has fallen into some bad habits. Regardless of the situation, you face the u...
Sometimes it feels like an evil magic wand was waved over your puppy changing him or her from a loving well behaved little pup into a completely unruly dog! Welcome to the teenage stage!
Adolescence usually starts around 7 months of age and extends to about 18 months of age. This is when your dog’s brain moves into a new stage of development and hormone levels increase because they progressing into sexually maturity. During this time they’re becoming more independent and confident, as they look...
