Freya V. Locke - Dog Behaviourist | Author | Blogger. Issue 41 2024
Freya V. Locke - Dog Behaviourist | Author | Blogger. Issue 41 2024
Holidays and health. A round up of the week just passed.
Hi Gang
You may have noticed that I have been slacking this week with my
newsletter and my Wednesday night live both being binned off for the week.Well, even self employed dog-based writers need a break sometimes, and there are times when we need unfettered time with our families. In order to be creative, we need to keep ourselves in tip-top shape. In order to cope with the many struggles of the dogs in our books, we need to be mentally fit and rested.
So, I have been away this week in Hemsby with Twyla and the family. Hemsby is a super dog-friendly seaside town in Norfolk, near Gt. Yarmouth, and a firm favourite place of ours.
It was our first holiday with Peter, my partner, as a family of four plus pets, and was a really special and fun week. A fab bonding opportunity, over the 2p slot machines in the arcades and sandy fish and chip suppers.
We generally stay at Richardson’s Holiday Park. (No affiliate link, we just really like it there!)
We’ve been a few times, as my pair of oiks both have SEN and appreciate the familiarity of places they have been to before.
Out of school holiday time the prices are very reasonable, and the shops mostly allow Scrumperdingers and Floofers in, as long as they promise to be good boys and girls and not eat the produce, or wee on the displays.
Which of course, Twyla NEVER would … She would NEVER eat something that wasn’t hers … Perish the thought … 🤣
Where is your favourite place to take your dog away on holiday, if you do?
Fun Not Fear® Journal
Twyla, Peter and I will be taking on the “Samaritans Walk 50 Miles With Your Dog in November” challenge later this year. We have both known what it is like to struggle with mental health, and I personally know a few people who have sadly not had the help that we did, and did not make it.
If we are going to be walking the dog anyway, we may as well raise some much needed funds while we are at it, to help someone out there who needs it.
A plan has formed in our heads of all the wonderful places we could walk Twyla and document her adventures.
We would be extremely grateful if you could sponsor us - and if that is out of your budget, then a share for our fundraising page will be greatly helpful and kind of you instead!
Feeling Ruff? (Yes I know … bad pun)
It is cold and flu season again, and I suppose COVID season too these days. Everyone gets stuck indoors, and spreads germs around in the air, while closing all the windows to keep the heat in.
We are all sniffling away in our house too. In fact, we are all convinced we are at death’s door.
How do we cope with our dogs while we are feeling under the weather? Some of us are lucky enough to have people in the home or in our lives who can help us out. But not everyone is, and so here are a few tips to help you out:
Keep a stock of paracetamol and tummy medicines, loo roll, plus some spare tins of/frozen food for you and your dog in the cupboards, and a bit of extra electric and gas in the meters. Then, if a nasty bug suddenly strikes you, you are already prepared to hibernate for a few days.
Read Canine Enrichment: The Book Your Dog Needs You To Read, by Shay Kelly* and learn all about how you can provide plenty of stimulation for your dog at home, should you be unable to get out of the house.
Remember, home deliveries from supermarkets can be game changing when you feel poorly. They can keep you well stocked up in everything you need at a reasonable delivery fee.
Keep the GP number, and an emergency contact number, on you (See below). Also, keep a card in your wallet or on your phone screen to let people know you have an animal at home who requires care. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR ADDRESS FOR A STRANGER TO FIND. Not everyone is honest or wants to help, and putting your dog in a position where a potential thief can steal them, while they are home alone and vulnerable is not the best idea.
Instead, save the name "ICE" with a number in your phone for emergency services. “ICE” means “In Case of Emergency” and is understood by all the emergency services. Do make sure your ICE contact knows that they are your ICE contact and how they can get to your dog.
Your ICE contact should be a responsible and trustworthy person who is able to either drive, or lives near enough to walk to your home, so that they can easily get to your pet, and they should know where to access a key, or have their own key to your home.
Want to know more about helping your anxious dog the Fun Not Fear® way?
We have a book! Available in all formats from Amazon.
Grab your copy, and get helping the dog in your life to overcome their struggles.
Spotted and sharing.
In the dog training and behaviour world, we are forever having to argue that dogs do not need aversive methods in order to learn things.
Here is a really good article by
on the latest load of nonsense to hit the dog world, about shock collars.As a side note, I’m glad that all of my clients are in agreement with me, that there is no excuse for shocking dogs to bend them to our will, when we can simply teach them what we need from them using things they enjoy as rewards for getting it right instead!
Handy links.
Well, that is it for me this week, I’m off to do the week’s washing and unpacking and all the other stuff that we have to do once we get home from holidays.
Luckily, Peter is on hand to feed me coffees and painkillers. He’s a good one. I think I might keep him.
Warm 'N’ Fuzzies,
Freya xx
*affiliate link
 | A guest post by
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Aww thanks for sharing. I have no idea why but I was not a subscriber so it reminded me to subscribe as well!