Very often, a dog has heard the word ‘no’ so many times that it becomes white noise and is totally ignored and this is why I prefer the use of a word that is not used in our daily conversation such as ‘uhuh’, poofy etc. It does not matter what word you use as long as it is not part of your daily conversation.

Additionally, it is very difficult to tell our dogs to do nothing! You may be able to say to your children ‘please don’t walk on the tiles, I just washed them’,  but your dog would not understand a word of this. When you start using the NRM system, you tell your dog ‘uhuh’, I don’t like that behaviour, followed immediately with ‘good boy/girl’ the second the pup/dog stops the behaviour. You are now opening up excellent lines of communication and your dog knows exactly what is acceptable and what is not.

IThe beauty of having a cue such as ‘uhuh’ is that you can control the volume of same and the manner in which you say it with your voice. It is always better to talk to a dog in a soft voice, and use the loud voice for when the dog has really misbehaved.

What is very important, is to bring in the use of the NRM while the dog the dog is engaged in the inappropriate behaviour, even a few seconds after the event is too late and the dog will not relate the NRM to the past behaviour. Remember to always praise (quietly) when the dog stops. 

(brought to you by FOD)

We are able to strip off our warmer clothes and put on shorts and a T-shirt, BUT our dogs just don't have this luxury, so it is up to us to look for ways to help them cope with the summer heat which can really be extreme. Here are a few tips for you to try:-

• Make sure there is plenty of shaded areas in your garden. The deeper the shade the cooler it will be.

• If possible, supply a digging pit in a shaded area and from time to time dampen this down so that the earth is nice and cool.
  

• Keep all drinking water in the shade 
  

• Take your daily walks with your dogs either early morning, late afternoon or in the evening.
  
• If you do go out for a walk when it is hot, make sure that the surface you are walking on is not to hot for paws. 
  
• If car travel is necessary, do at the times above. 
  
• Keep water with you on walks and in the car and make yourself aware of the signs of dehydration. 
  
• So many dogs, especially the water breed dogs such as Labs just love to splash and play in water – get hold of a kiddies plastic sand or water pools and fill this with water for your dog. If this is kept in the shade will be even cooler. 
  
• If you dont have a kiddie pool, take some old towels, we them, wring them out and place in the shade for the dog to lies on. Dogs cool from feet and tummy, so lying on a damp towel will help to cool them down.  If your dog likes being sprayed, use can use some cool water in a spray water to help cool it or even spray with the hose pipe.
  
• Make a Kongsicle! Instead of just stuffing an Everlasting Chew Toy or Kong with food and treats, make it up as usual and leave in the freezer overnight. Not only will this help to keep your dog cool, it will supply lots of entertainment. Have a look at the link to 50 Ways with Kongs for some ideas.
  
• There are some great elevated dog beds made from mesh available nowadays. These allow ventilation and will help to keep your dog cool