Pets Natural Health Store

11/09/2026

So true, my Evie does can be smelling something on the ground for ages, yet I can't see, smell anything 🐕

It sounds ridiculous.
But smelling a dog doesn't mean they're "smelling" a dog.

There's a whole dog standing there, right in front of them.
Surely that's what they're doing?

Well, yes.

But potentially, there's a whole lot more to it.

Another dog doesn't arrive as some sort of blank canvas that only holds their scent and nothing else.

They bring their day with them.

The other dog they live with.
The cat they slept beside them that nudged and rubbed their face.
That person who was rubbing their ears half an hour ago.
Some of the garden they rolled around in before they left home.
The grass they walked through to get here.
The blanket they slept on that is a "sponge" of scent.

Potentially, yup, even some particularly revolting thing they found irresistible along the way.

Some of those smells may mean nothing much to another dog.

One of them though? That might be absolute gold.

And suddenly our dog has their nose glued to one tiny patch of another dog's coat.

Which makes me wonder how often we're completely wrong about what has actually caught their attention.

We see the obvious thing when they smell.

A dog.
A tree.
A lamppost.
A patch of grass.

And we assume that's what they're interested in.

Meanwhile their nose may have found something that isn't even there anymore.

It may be as strong as anything, or just a mere hint of something that smells vaguely familiar.

We see the place where the smell is.
And where that nose is glued to.

They may be far more interested in how it got there.

So next time you're standing at the end of the lead wondering how there can POSSIBLY be anything left to smell.

There probably is.
There always is.

We just can't smell it.

11/09/2026

🐾 Why "Socializing" at the Dog Park Might Be Doing More Harm Than Good 🐾

It’s a common belief that taking your dog to the dog park is the ultimate way to fulfill their social needs and burn off energy. However, professional trainers and veterinary behaviorists frequently caution against public off-leash dog parks as a primary method for socialization.

Here is what science and canine behavioral principles tell us about the hidden risks:

Over-Arousal & Stress: Dog parks create an unpredictable environment with high dog density, which often triggers excessive excitement or stress. This over-arousal impairs learning and can lead to heightened emotional reactivity on and off leash.

Practice of Bad Habits: Unstructured play frequently reinforces undesirable behaviors, such as ignoring recall commands, bullying, or invading another dog’s personal space—because owner control and oversight are severely reduced.

Fear & Defensive Aggression: Negative encounters (like being rushed, overwhelmed, or attacked by an unfamiliar dog) create lasting negative associations. This can lead to fear-based aggression or leash reactivity as a defensive dynamic.

Health & Safety Risks: High-traffic areas naturally carry higher risks for parasite transmission, contagious illnesses, and physical injury from unpredictable scuffles.

💡 Better Alternatives for True Socialization & Fulfillment

Socialization isn't about letting your dog play with every dog they see - it's about teaching them to remain calm, neutral, and focused on you in the presence of distractions.

Focus on Neutrality: Walk near busy areas at a comfortable distance where your dog can observe other dogs without feeling forced to interact.

Structured Playdates: Set up one-on-one play sessions with known, compatible dog friends in a controlled environment.

Biological Outlets: Replace dog park visits with sniffing walks (decompression walks), puzzle toys, agility work, or obedience training to tire them out mentally and physically.

What are your favorite ways to provide structured enrichment for your dog? Share your routines below! 👇

Donna Williams,
Emerald Park Border Collies.
www.emeraldparkbc.com

11/09/2026

🐾PUPPY PRESCHOOL CLASSES - BRIDGETOWN🐾

4 week course helping you build your partnership together while giving you the tools to develop a confident, happy, well-mannered puppy.🐾

📍Playful PAWZ Adventure Park
📅Starts Saturday 12th September
⏰9.00am
🐶4 Week Course

Limited spaces. Book online using the link below or call on 0480 766 793 or email at [email protected]

https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=37714425&appointmentType=97354189

11/09/2026

WHAT IS SOCIALISATION?
It’s not about having a dog that is “sociable”.

It’s not surprising that socialisation in dogs is so often misunderstood.

The human understanding of socialisation is about actively seeking out interaction, being friendly, outgoing, communicating with, and forming relationships with other people or groups.

It’s natural for people to assume that socialising a dog means creating a dog that wants to meet and play with every other dog and say hello to everyone.

Socialisation in dog terms is not the same as being social.

Socialisation is not about the quantity of exposure. Simply experiencing something or being exposed to it, doesn't mean that dogs learn to feel comfortable with it.

A well socialised dog isn’t the one that seeks out social interaction — it’s the one that doesn’t feel the need to.

The quality of the experience, the emotional response, is what matters.

It’s about carefully building emotional safety, with all the things that dogs may encounter throughout their lives – other animals, different types of people, children, bicycles, skateboards, cars, trucks etc, different sounds, places, surfaces, environments, vet visits, grooming, handling etc.

It’s about dogs learning how to cope with the strange, the unfamiliar, the unknown or the unexpected - at the appropriate developmental stage.

Timing is so important in socialisation. Puppies have a limited developmental window where they are particularly open to new experiences, forming positive associations and learning what is safe.

Here is a link to a useful puppy socialization checklist from The Pet Professional Guild –
https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/resource/puppy-socialization-checklist

07/09/2026

🐕🐕

Why Doing "Nothing" is Everything for your Dog's Behavior 🐾🧠

Ever feel guilty for just sitting on a park bench while your dog watches the world go by? Don’t. You're actually engaged in one of the most powerful, science-backed behavioral exercises possible: Passive Socialisation.

The Science of "Sit & Observe"

Unlike active training where we ask for specific behaviors (Sit, Stay, Heel), passive observation allows your dog’s brain to do the heavy lifting of processing the environment without pressure. Here’s the science of why this works:

Counter-Conditioning & Habituation: When a dog is just watching, their sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight) can remain calm. Over time, things that previously caused excitement or fear (bikes, other dogs, loud kids) become "background noise" because no negative association was formed.

Emotional Regulation: This exercise teaches your dog the emotional state required in public. They learn that they can be in a stimulating environment without needing to react to every single stimuli.

Processing at Their Own Pace: we must let them process. Flooding (active exposure they can’t escape) causes stress. Observation from a safe distance builds confidence organically.

Next time you go out, try a "no commands, no pressure" session. Find a comfortable spot, keep a loose leash, and just let them watch and take it all in.

05/09/2026

They look. Then they pull.
They really, really want to get over there.
So we shorten the lead, walk them over and say hello.

Except not one of those things tells us that a meeting is going to be welcomed.
In fact, sometimes the frantic "I must get over there right now!" is the very reason I wouldn't let it happen.

We really like dogs meeting dogs.
We want the sniff.
The play.
The little greeting.
The excitement we see when they spot each other.
The possibility that they'll like each other.

It makes us feel good.

Sometimes we're so focused on getting there, we don't stop to ask whether they actually need to.

Two dogs can notice each other.
Look.
Sniff from a distance.
And keep walking.
Absolutely nothing has been missed.

In fact, for some dogs, that, exactly that, was a great interaction.

They saw another dog.
They gathered some information.
And they carried on with their day.
No greeting needed.
No play required.
No “Go on, say hi!”

And that's the bit we humans struggle with.
Sometimes we want the meeting more than they need it.

So should we insist that our dogs “just be dogs” and say hi?
Or could giving them the freedom not to meet be just as much a part of letting dogs be dogs?

04/09/2026

People know this. But it doesn't "apply".
Not to their dog.

I'm more and more convinced this is an "I don't care" problem, rather than a lack of knowledge
Because surely, by now, people know.

There's information everywhere about dogs rushing up to other dogs.

About recall.
Giving dog's space
About what can happen when one dog simply won’t leave another alone.

So maybe lack of information isn’t always the problem.

They know that allowing their dog to charge up to a dog on lead isn’t fair.
They know that repeatedly calling a dog who is completely ignoring them, while reassuring everyone around that “they’re friendly!”, isn’t fair.
They know that when another dog is trying to move away and theirs keeps following, chasing or pushing back into their space, the interaction isn’t friendly.

Maybe I've become more hardened in my view on this.
Because I'm really over it.

So why does it keep happening?

Maybe that’s the question we should be asking.

Is it just complacency?

Is it because calling their dog away would interrupt what their dog is enjoying?
Maybe because nothing bad has happened before, so they assume nothing ever will?
Is it because dealing with it in the moment feels inconvenient?

Or is there still a good old dose of:
“My dog is fine. It’s your dog that has the problem.”

I’m becoming less and less convinced this is a knowledge gap.

What do you think is really behind the “they’re friendly” problem?

23/08/2026

The first time shouldn’t be when you HAVE to do it.

There’s something stuck in between their toes.
An ear that suddenly droops and they’re shaking their head.
There’s a sore patch buried under all that fur that you need to get a proper look at.
Maybe that eye needs a bit of an inspection.

But right now?
The vet needs you to keep their head still for just a moment.

That’s a pretty difficult time to discover your dog really doesn’t like having their head kept still.
Or their ears lifted.
Or somebody looking closely at their eyes.

Maybe they’ve never really had any handling?

Because now it matters.
And perhaps it hurts too.

We practice so many things with our dogs that they'll use throughout their lives.

Sit.
Wait.
Come.

But there are other crucial skills that might sit in our minds that we don’t act on, but know we should.

Handling is one of those “I really should start” skills to have.

It can literally be seconds.
Lift an ear. Reward. Finished.
Hold a paw. Reward. Finished.
Part the fur and have a quick look at the skin. Reward. Finished.
Briefly hold the muzzle. Reward. Finished.

Then, once those things are easy, we can gradually make them a little more realistic.

Hold for slightly longer.
Look between the toes.
Bring a warm damp cloth near an ear maybe even make contact.
Reward.
Finished again.

All these wee rehearsals for things that may one day matter.

And there's another important bit.

Your dog doesn't need to prove they can tolerate it.
If they're becoming uncomfortable, stop.

Go back.
Make the next attempt much easier.

Because the goal here isn't to see how much handling they'll put up with all at once.
It's to make the handling itself increasingly familiar, predictable and normal.

Because if the day comes when you really do need to help them?
Or they need to see the vet?

It won't be the first time.
It’s just “another” time.

Every dog seems to have their own “absolutely not” bit, sometimes for reasons we’d never have guessed.