We're very excited to be hosting Sian Ryan in September.  Sian is new to Dog and Bone but we feel we can gain some very useful insights from her expertise on Impulsivity and Self-Control.

Many thanks to Kamal Fernandez for a very interesting and useful couple of days.

Day one was all about how to make your training classes fun and effective.One useful idea Kamal shared was the importance of attracting clients who share the same dog-training ethos and that one way to help achieve is by having the right website.It's something many of us might not have thought of.  Kamal explained how much the images and colours used can have a big impact on the impression the website gives.  He also demo-ed some fun games to play with clients and their dogs.

Day 2 was all you need to know about shaping. There were more practical demonstrations, this time, both with experienced and unexperienced dogs and even a game volunteer from the audience.  All in all, a lot of fun. 

We're offering a chance to purchase Haqihana at discount prices.  You can get the brown reflective leads and harnesses - no longer aviailable from Haqihana themselves - and a wide choice of leads with the lario style clip.

Don't miss this opportunity to make great savings

We are excited to have added pink to our range of Haqihana colours.  We have it in sizes from XXX small to x large, long harnesses from XX small to medium and in 4 different lead types: 2m, 3m x 15mm, 3m x 20mm and 5m.  A fantastic range in a gorgeious new colour at our very reasonable prices.

The colour that's been missing all this time is on it's way to Dog and Bone.  Let us know if you'd like us to e-mail you when it arrives!

Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn about how to make your dog training classes fun and effective or about shaping skills on the 7th and 8th July with Kamal Fernandez.  Tickets still available.

If was lovely to welcome Brenda Aloff back, this time to look at Canine Body Language.  I think many who were there didn't realise how much they didn't know about this essential subject until looking at dogs through Brenda's eyes.

As one reviewer put it "Brenda was a fantastic speaker" which was feedback we heard over again.  Always engaging and knowledgeable, we can't wait until next time.

We're gearing up for our next seminars.  First up, in June, is Brenda Aloff.  Brenda is always a hit with attendees, providing valuable information in a very engaging way and this will be no exception. "Canine Body Language" is an enormously useful topic for both pet owners and anyone working with dogs.

Kamal is bringing his "Making Your Dog Training Classes Fun and Effective" to a whole new audience in July as this was such a success last time with Dog and Bone, and a seminar on "Shaping" which sounds fab.

Finally, a new speaker to Dog and Bone is Craig Ogilvie sharing his ideas on "Interactive Play Skills".  Sally, from Dog and Bone, had the good fotrune to hear Craig speak at another event recently and was very impressed so we feel lucky that he'll be working with us in October.

Many thanks to Daniel Mills for a very enjoyable seminar on 24th May.  As always, the day was full of useful information as Daniel shared with us the latest research into puppy development and what implications this has for owners and trainers.  

In the words of one attendee "very worthwhile"

The below article contains links to a video website. If you would like to watch these videos and the other 500+ videos in the Naturally Happy Dogs video library, you can sign up for a month for free (no payment details are taken so there is no risk of being charged unexpectedly) at the sign up page (https://www.naturallyhappydogs.com/sign-up) using the voucher code CHEWING.

Early on, puppies learn how to discover things around them by putting it in their mouths. Similar to babies, puppies tend to put stuff in their mouth to know what it is, to figure out what it does, etc. However, unlike babies, when puppies grow older, this can turn into a habit of destructive chewing. 

What is destructive chewing? The simple answer to that is chewing on things that shouldn't be chewed. You'll know your dog has a chewing problem when he chews on anything he sinks his teeth into be it your furniture, wires, your clothes or your shoes. If dog is chewing its bed, then that's also a sign of destructive chewing.

Destructive chewing can be bothersome especially since bacteria can easily go inside your pet's body through their mouth. If they gnaw on something that is poisonous, then they can get sick or worse, die. No pet owner wants this so once you notice something that isn't natural in your dog's chewing habits, take action and stop the habit. 

Ways on How You Can Prevent Destructive Chewing

1. Remove important things out of your dog's reach - This is simple. If you don't want your dog chewing on your clothes, then keep them in your cabinet and avoid leaving them on the floor. The same goes for your shoes and bags. When it comes to electrical wires and other household items, keep them out of reach by lifting them up. For wires, you can have them covered by plastic or have them lifted up so they aren't on the floor. If you also have fragile items near their reach, it's best to stow them away or put them on a higher shelf that your pooch won't be able to reach. In short, you have to make your house more dog-friendly or dog-proof.

2. Get your dog checked - Not all excess chewing can be called destructive chewing. In some cases, destructive chewing is only a product of an illness developed by your dog. To be sure, go to a vet and have your dog checked. This will allow you to understand why your dog keeps on chewing a lot of things even if they aren't puppies anymore. Also, you can ask for professional help when it comes to correcting their gnawing habits.

3. Teach your dog what to chew and what not to - A big part of stopping your dog's destructive chewing is teaching them what they are allowed to chew and what they shouldn't. To make this easier for you, when you catch them chewing on the wrong things, scold them and put away the item. You can also reward them when they chew on the right things, say, their toys. 

4. Give the right toys - Another way to teach your dog what to chew is to give them the right toys. Check on their stuff too because they might not have anything to chew when they are bored. The right toys shouldn't look like your things. This means that you shouldn't give a sock as a toy because they wouldn't be able to differentiate your sock from their toy sock. The same goes for clothes and bags. Don't give a toy that looks like them if you don't want them biting into your things. Moreover, when you pick toys for your dogs, don't buy the ones that can disintegrate. This is because your dog might break it into smaller pieces and might swallow them. When this happens, your dog might have to see a vet and get the item out of their throats or stomachs. 

5. Spend time with your dog - One of the reasons why your dog develops destructive chewing is because they are simply bored. To avoid a lot of boring moments, what you can do is spend time with them and try to do physical activities with them. There are many things you can do aside from cuddling them - you can play catch, jog with your dog, let them socialize with other dogs, anything that helps them become more physical. In this way, when they get back to your house, they wouldn't even think of gnawing on something and might just head straight to sleep. 

6. Watch your dog as they learn what to chew - Although not everyone has the time to watch their dog all day, this is still an important part of preventing destructive chewing. When your dog is close by, you would be able to check if he's chewing on the right things. If he's not, then you can easily correct them. 

These tips are supposed to be enough to help you teach your dog to stop destructive chewing. You have to remember that this kind of habit does not get corrected overnight so you might have to put in extra effort and patience when it comes to training your dog.