Hi everyone, I hope you all had a great weekend!
Well, it’s been another quick and busy week, particularly now that the summer holidays are over and I’m back at work. We have spent the last two weekends making the most of the gorgeous weather in Scotland and building Luna’s confidence in the sea. This week’s blog will focus on building your dog’s confidence in the water with a wee book recommendation for new and prospective puppy owners. :)
Building confidence in the water…
Luna is only now, at 3 years old, coming round to the idea of swimming in the sea. She has gradually gained her confidence as she has got older and we have exposed her to positive experiences in and around the water.
There are lots of ways you can provide experiences in the water to build your dog’s confidence including:
· Walking/playing in the rain
· Playing in puddles
· Playing in a paddling pool or container with water
· Walking across a small burn
· Playing games near the sea
· Playing fetch/tug at the edge of the water
· Playing fetch/tug just in the water
Many dogs love to play and/or swim in water. Your dog will go at it’s own pace and with some encouragement may naturally swim by itself. It’s important to NEVER force a dog to go into water or just put them into the water!! It has to be their choice, as this is what will help your dog to build their confidence as they gradually feel safe, secure and happy to be in the water. You could also go in the water with them to give them the extra security blanket of you being there – this has certainly helped Luna. :)
If you are taking your dog near or into water please be aware of the risk of blue-green algae, especially when there has been a warm and dry spell of weather. Blue-green algae is a term used to describe a group of bacteria which can’t always be seen by the naked eye. It can produce harmful toxins which prevent your dog’s liver from functioning properly and so can be very dangerous to dogs. Please don’t allow your dog near water that may be at risk and always adhere to any warning signs!
A fabulous book for puppy owners…
‘Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy’ is a fantastic book for puppy owners!! It is filled with brilliant advice, training tips and hilarious stories and literally is a bible for puppy owners! I would highly recommend it to anyone with a puppy or anyone getting one in the future. I couldn’t put it down and read it in just a couple of days! JI’m also excited to say that after waiting for the release date, I just got the follow up book delivered today, ‘Easy Peasy Doggy Squeezy’! Woohoo! I’m sure it will be equally as fabulous!! :)


Have a great week everyone!
Cheryl x
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