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🌟 TINY TOXINS: SEASONAL EDITION 🌟 Glow sticks may look like colourful toys, but they are best kept away from curious paws. The liquid inside is usually of low toxicity, but it has an intensely unpleasant taste and can irritate the mouth, skin and eyes. A dog or cat who bites into one may suddenly: • Drool heavily • Foam or froth at the mouth • Paw at their face • Become distressed or agitated • Vomit The dramatic reaction is often caused by the bitter, irritating liquid rat

Recovery is progress. Your dog may still notice the difficult thing, but recover more quickly afterwards. They may shake off, seek support, move away, begin sniffing again or settle once they are home. Progress doesn’t always mean that a reaction disappears. It can mean your dog feels safer and finds their way back to calm with a little more ease. Notice the recovery as well as the reaction. #dogs #dogbehaviour #cookiepushersunited #gentlereminder #themischiefmethod

Dogs can need recovery time after enjoyable experiences too. Visitors, play, training, trips and exciting walks can all involve a great deal of physical, emotional and sensory activity. A dog may have enjoyed themselves and still feel tired, unsettled or less able to cope with the next part of the day. Needing rest afterwards doesn’t mean the experience went badly. Enjoyment and tiredness can exist together. #dogs #funnotformality #themischiefmethod #dogbehaviour #buildingcon

Choose a familiar, quieter walking route today. Every walk doesn’t need to introduce somewhere new or provide a grand adventure. Familiar surroundings can offer predictability and allow dogs to sniff, explore and move without processing quite so much new information. A shorter, familiar walk can still be a valuable walk. #dogs #mischiefmethod #funnotformality #dogbehaviour #onesmallthingtuesday #buildingconnectionsthroughpawstoplay

WORTH KNOWING Looking calmer and feeling recovered are not always the same thing. A dog may stop barking, settle down or move away from a difficult experience while their body and brain are still processing what happened. During that recovery period, they may: • Startle more easily • Find ordinary sounds harder • Have less patience or flexibility • Need more distance • Sleep more • Struggle with another demand later This is why a quieter period after something difficult can m

2am Dog Questions – refusing the usual route. Dogs are always sharing information with us and every so often this can look like suddenly refusing something that has been done regularly, such as a particular route for the walk. It's definitely worth looking at what might have changed. It could be a new smell, a sound, or a feeling. All behaviour is information. Look within. Look around. Look between. Stay curious: what don't we know yet? 🩵🐾

I just wanted to share a huge thank you with you all, for those who voted for me in the Pet Industry Awards 🫶 I'm so grateful that you took the time to support me and Mutts and Mischief. Thank you for being a part of this journey! 🩵🐾 #dogs #cookiepushersunited #doglearning #funnotformality #themischiefmethod #dogbehaviour

🎆 TINY TOXINS: SEASONAL EDITION 🎆 Fireworks and sparklers can attract curious noses before and after Bonfire Night. Fireworks contain different combinations of chemicals and metals. Many domestic firework or sparkler ingestions cause only stomach upset, but the exact ingredients are often unknown and more serious poisoning is possible. There is also a physical risk: recently used fireworks and sparklers can remain hot enough to cause painful burns. A tiny seasonal check: •

🩵 A GENTLE REMINDER ABOUT PROGRESS Shorter and easier walks still count. Turning back, choosing the quiet route, spending time sniffing close to home or replacing a walk with garden time can all be thoughtful decisions. The value of a walk isn’t measured only in distance or duration. A walk that meets your dog’s needs is worthwhile, however small it may look from the outside. #dogs #dogbehaviour #cookiepushersunited #gentlereminder #themischiefmethod

After a difficult night, last night, supporting Koda through the fireworks, I'm thinking of all the families with pets who had a hard night too—from horses and dogs, to rabbits and guinea pigs. If you are thinking of going to a fireworks display or buying fireworks, please consider using your money instead for a film night and a takeaway instead. It may be a small choice, but it can make a big difference to pet guardians. #dogsafety #muttsnmischief #keepingpawssafe #themisch

The same familiar walk can feel completely different to a dog when the weather, light or surroundings change. Wind moves scents and objects. Darkness changes visibility. Rain alters sounds and smells. Seasonal decorations, roadworks or busy pavements can transform a familiar route. If your dog appears more watchful, hesitant or easily startled, they may be responding to a changed environment. Familiar to us doesn’t always mean familiar to them. #dogs #funnotformality #themisc

🐾Give your dog the option to move away from greetings. Before visitors arrive, check that your dog has a clear route to somewhere quieter. Let visitors know that your dog can approach in their own time and doesn’t need to say hello. Moving away is communication. Respecting that choice can help greetings feel safer and remove unnecessary social pressure. One small option can make a big difference. #dogs #mischiefmethod #funnotformality #dogbehaviour #onesmallthingtuesday...

Learning doesn’t automatically travel. A dog who can respond beautifully in the kitchen may appear to “forget” everything in the garden, at the park or when visitors arrive. Dogs notice details we may barely register: • Where you are standing • The surface beneath their paws • Background sounds and movement • How close distractions are • Whether you are sitting or standing • The emotional weight of the situation Each new setting changes the learning picture. Your dog hasn’t n

Behaviour Makes Sense When... Before calling a dog uncooperative, let’s look at the task from their perspective. Is it physically comfortable? Is the surface secure? Could we make it easier? Sometimes changing the setup tells us a lot. 🧠🐾🩵 #cookiepushersunited #neuroplasticity #nervoussystem #behaviourscience #dogbehaviour #behaviourmakessense

🍎 TINY TOXINS: SEASONAL EDITION 🍎 Toffee apples involve a few different things to check before curious paws take a bite. The apple flesh itself isn’t toxic to dogs, but: 🍬 Sugar-free or homemade coatings may contain xylitol, also called birch sugar. Xylitol can cause dangerously low blood glucose and, in severe cases, liver damage in dogs. 🍏 Apple seeds contain cyanogenic compounds. A couple of seeds are unlikely to cause poisoning, but cores and seeds should still be rem

Choosing distance can be progress. Moving away from something difficult may show that your dog is recognising what they need and communicating before becoming overwhelmed. Creating distance isn’t giving up. It can provide the safety needed for observation, recovery and future learning. Sometimes progress begins with having permission to step away. #dogs #dogbehaviour #cookiepushersunited #gentlereminder #themischiefmethod

2am Dog Questions: Why does my dog take their treat elsewhere to eat it? Sometimes dogs feel more comfortable in a quieter or low traffic area. Let them have that agency and choice 🩵🐾 #dogs #themischiefmethod #dogbehaviour #mischiefmethod #cookiepushersunited

🐾 THIS IS MORE COMMON THAN YOU THINK Dogs sometimes need space from people and animals they know and love. Social tolerance can change with tiredness, discomfort, excitement, unfamiliar activity or the general weight of the day. Walking away, choosing another room or declining interaction isn’t a rejection of the relationship. Sometimes it simply means, “I need a little space right now.” #dogs #funnotformality #themischiefmethod #dogbehaviour #buildingconnectionsthroughpawst

🎆 KEEPING PAWS SAFE THIS BONFIRE NIGHT 🐾 Bonfire Night safety isn’t only about the noise. Fireworks, sparklers, glow sticks and discarded debris can also present physical or ingestion hazards for curious dogs. Swipe through for some simple precautions: 🎆 Store fireworks, sparklers and glow sticks securely 🐾 Don’t allow dogs to investigate or chew used fireworks 🧹 Check the garden and clear away debris before letting dogs outside 🏡 Prepare a comfortable, safe and secure

Notice where your dog naturally chooses to rest, then make that space a little easier to use. You might: • Move their bed away from household traffic • Lower the lighting • Reduce interruptions • Place water nearby • Ask family members to leave them undisturbed It doesn’t need to be an elaborate den. Sometimes one small environmental change can give a dog more opportunity to rest. #dogs #mischiefmethod #funnotformality #dogbehaviour #onesmallthingtuesday #buildingconnectionst