Speak! Our Pet Blog
Stopping Fizz from Biting – Karen Phillips
My new border collie, Fizz, is now four months of age and very much the adolescent. All my training focus at the moment is on developing a well-adjusted adult. This period in her life is quite critical and the decisions I make now in how to deal with the behavioural challenges that she throws at […]
Fizz’s New Puppy Pen – Karen Phillips
Having an eight week old puppy in the house has taken me back to all the good and not so good times of first bringing home a new puppy. Puppies are quite an adventure but there are things that can be done that will certainly make things much easier and help to create a well-adjusted […]
Separation Anxiety is Tough for Everyone – Karen Phillips
A common question that arises during my live sessions on Better Pets and Gardens Facebook site is how to resolve issues with dogs that suffer from separation anxiety. Research into this topic has provided some interesting findings with approximately 20% of dogs identified by their owners as suffering from signs of separation anxiety. This demonstrates […]
Socialising Dogs to be Good Friends – Karen Phillips
Recently Better Pets and Gardens ran a competition to win a dog training session with me. Many of the entries that were submitted came from people who are experiencing problems when taking their dog’s out on lead for walks. A typical behaviour described was excessive barking and lunging at unfamiliar dogs. Extensive research has shown […]
February 2012 – Karen Phillips
There is still an opportunity to garden in the hottest month of the year. There is always a cool spot under a tree, around a pond or in the evening that benefits from some extra attention. Enjoy this time of the year. A little work now will result in a productive and great garden throughout […]
Teaching dogs to love a ‘pet-icure’ – Karen Phillips
A popular question on the Better Pets and Gardens Facebook page last month was how to deal with dogs that don’t like having their nails trimmed. This is a perfect example of dogs forming a negative association with something after having an unpleasant experience. How you deal with things that your dog doesn’t like can […]
Training Games for Cassie – Karen Phillips
As cute as my new puppy Cassie is and as much as I want to spoil her rotten, it’s important that I’m not complacent by allowing undesirable behaviours to develop. Behaviours that may seem fine in a puppy can become real problems in an adult. Now is the perfect time to be working on some […]
Meet Cassie the Papillon – Karen Phillips
November saw the arrival of a new furry addition to my family. Not a border collie this time but a papillon puppy called Cassie. I’ve wanted to train a small breed of dog in agility for many years so when little Cassie became available I knew she was meant for me. Bringing a new puppy […]
It’s Still Yer Choice – Karen Phillips
Last month I introduced you to a great game called “ItsYerChoice” developed by Susan Garrett*. This month we are going to move on to the next stage of the game. Hopefully by now your dog has gotten the idea that by showing self-control when the treats are in your hand that he earns reinforcement from […]
It’s Your Choice – Karen Phillips
One of my favourite dog training games is called “ItsYerChoice”. This game was created by my favourite dog trainer, a lady by the name of Susan Garrett*. ItsYerChoice is essentially a game about creating self-control in your dog. When you see people out with their dogs, whether down the park or at dog training classes, […]
