Box 🌿 Tiny Toxins: Paws Off Plants 🐾 (A little series combining my love of plants and pets 🌿🐶) Today’s tiny check: Box — also called boxwood or Buxus. This small-leaved evergreen is often clipped into neat hedges, borders and topiary. Very smart-looking. Ideal salad? Not so much 😅 Box contains naturally occurring alkaloids. If a dog eats part of the plant, it may cause vomiting, diarrhoea and tummy discomfort. Before anyone panics — many dogs live happily alongside box h

🌿 Tiny Toxins: Paws Off Plants 🐾 (A little series combining my love of plants and pets 🌿🐶) Today’s tiny check: Rhododendron — including azaleas. Those spectacular clusters of colourful flowers can brighten up a garden beautifully. But every part of the plant contains toxins called grayanotoxins, including the leaves, flowers and stems. If eaten, rhododendron may cause drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness, wobbliness, depression or changes affecting the heart and circul

🌿 Tiny Toxins: Paws Off Plants 🐾 (A little series combining my love of plants and pets 🌿🐶) Today’s tiny check: Cherry laurel. This glossy evergreen shrub is an incredibly common choice for garden hedges. Those thick green leaves may look harmless—but cherry laurel contains cyanogenic glycosides. When the plant is chewed, crushed, wilted or digested, these compounds can release hydrogen cyanide. Thankfully, severe cyanide poisoning is uncommon in dogs. Most reported plant

It’s okay if training takes a break.” Not every day needs to be productive. On particularly hot days, learning may simply not be the priority. Sometimes today’s training looks like: ✔ Rest ✔ Sniffing ✔ Hydration ✔ Feeling safe That still counts. Heat without shame. #dogs #heatwithoutshame #dogsafety #dogwelfare #dogtraining

Heat can make big feelings feel bigger. When the body is working hard to stay cool, there’s often less capacity left for coping with the world. Your dog may seem: 🐾 more reactive 🐾 more frustrated 🐾 less focused 🐾 quicker to become overwhelmed It isn’t stubbornness. Sometimes it’s simply a hot brain and body trying to cope. Heat without shame. #dogs #heatwithoutshame #dogsafety #dogwelfare #dogtraining

Morning Isn’t Always Safe ☀️ Heat Without Shame “Walk early” isn’t always enough. If the overnight temperature stayed high, your dog may already be starting the day warm. Look at: ☀️ Temperature ☀️ Humidity ☀️ Your individual dog Not just the clock. Some dogs struggle far more than others. Older dogs. Brachycephalic dogs. Giant breeds. Double-coated breeds. Dogs with medical conditions. The safest walk time for one dog may not be safe for another. #dogs #heatwithoutshame #dog

🌱 Tiny Toxins: Paws Off Plants The ZZ Plant is loved because it thrives on neglect. Unfortunately, it can still cause problems if chewed by dogs due to the calcium oxalate crystals contained within the plant. Knowledge doesn’t need to create fear—it simply helps us make informed choices. #dogs #dogsafety #tinytoxins #plants #dogtraining

Shade Doesn’t Mean Cool Shade helps. But shade is not air conditioning. If it’s 28°C outside, it may still be 28°C in the shade. Watch your dog. Not just the weather app. We often hear: “But we stayed in the shade.” Shade can reduce direct sun exposure, but it doesn’t remove heat and humidity. Watch for: 🐾 Excessive panting 🐾 Slowing down 🐾 Seeking water 🐾 Lying down frequently 🐾 Refusing to continue Your dog may be telling you they’re too hot long before heatstroke occu

🌿 Tiny Toxins: Paws Off Plants Snake Plants are one of the most common houseplants in the UK. While they are generally considered only mildly toxic, they can still cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and drooling if eaten. Sometimes keeping our dogs safe is simply about knowing what’s in our homes. #dogs #dogsafety #tinytoxins #plants #dogtraining

☀️ Heat Without Shame A missed walk is not neglect. Dogs need: 🐾 Sleep 🐾 Recovery 🐾 Enrichment 🐾 Food 🐾 Water 🐾 Safety One hot day indoors won’t undo your training. Many guardians worry that skipping a walk means they’re failing their dog. You’re not. A day of scent games, enrichment, scatter feeding, chew items, training games, and naps can be exactly what your dog needs. Safety isn’t laziness. It’s care. #dogs #heatwithoutshame #dogsafety #dogwelfare #dogtraining

Aloe Vera 🌵 Tiny Toxins: Paws Off Plants Aloe Vera is often associated with healing, but it’s worth remembering that not everything safe for humans is safe for dogs. The yellow latex layer beneath the leaf skin can cause digestive upset if consumed. Many dogs never show any interest in plants, but for puppies, adolescents, and curious explorers, prevention is always easier than treatment. #dogs #dogsafety #tinytoxins #plants #dogtraining

The pavement test is often shared with good intentions, but it isn’t a perfect measure of safety. Surface temperatures can vary dramatically depending on material, colour, shade, and time of day. Your hand doesn’t sweat. Your hand isn’t attached to a dog’s body. Different surfaces heat differently. 🐾 Tarmac 🐾 Artificial grass 🐾 Decking 🐾 Sand 🐾 Paving slabs can all become significantly hotter than the air temperature. Sometimes the safest choice isn’t finding a cooler ro

🌿 Devil’s Ivy (Pothos) {one of my personal favourites} Looks innocent. Can cause problems. ⚠ Contains insoluble calcium oxalate crystals. If chewed, dogs may experience: • Mouth irritation • Drooling • Pawing at the mouth • Difficulty eating • Vomiting 🐾 Best kept out of reach of curious noses. #tinytoxins #dogs #plants #dogsafety #dogtraining