http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz en-us Sun, 08 Nov 2026 21:03:38 +1300 Rocketspark http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/post/172330/christmas-and-summer-preparation/ Summer and Christmas turn up together. That means hot days, a houseful of people, and routines that go out the window for a couple of weeks. A little preparation now helps your dog enjoy it as well. Keeping cool Footpaths and roads soak up the sun and can be far hotter than the air. Press the back of your hand on the surface for about five seconds. If that's uncomfortable for you, it's too hot for paws. Walk early or late, choose grass and shade, and carry water. Short-nosed breeds and older dog... Sat, 07 Nov 2026 12:33:25 +1300 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/#post172330 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/post/171338/why-fireworks-terrify-dogs-and-what-actually-helps/ If your dog turns into a different animal every time a firework goes off, you're not imagining it and you're not alone. It's one of the most common things owners bring to me this time of year. Here's why it happens, and what genuinely helps, before the night and during it. Why it happens Dogs hear a far wider range of frequencies than we do, and much more sharply. A bang that's loud to us is louder again to them, and it arrives without warning, which matters more than the volume itself. A predic... Wed, 07 Oct 2026 18:53:28 +1300 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/#post171338 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/post/170958/your-dog-is-not-a-wolf/ There's a persistent idea that if we just understood "the wolf" inside our dogs better, we'd understand our dogs. It's everywhere in outdated training advice, and it's wrong. Somewhere between 15,000 and 40,000 years ago, dogs and humans started down a shared path, and every generation since has pulled dogs further from their wild ancestors and deeper into our world. Domestication didn't just change how dogs look. It rewired how they think, how they read us, what they eat and what they need from... Sun, 27 Sep 2026 22:02:52 +1300 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/#post170958 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/post/169704/are-we-training-our-dog-or-is-our-dog-training-us/ Here is a thought that changes how a lot of people see their dog.Training isn't something that happens in a class, or during the twenty minutes you set aside to work on sit and stay. It's happening all the time. Every single interaction your dog has with the world is teaching them something. The question isn't whether your dog is being trained. It's what they're learning.How dogs actually learnDogs learn by trying things and seeing what happens. If something works — if it gets them food, atten... Fri, 04 Sep 2026 14:46:45 +1200 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/#post169704 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/post/168305/how-you-reward-your-dog-matters-as-much-as-what-you-reward/ Most people think about rewards in fairly simple terms. Dog does something good, dog gets a treat. Done. But how you reward — the value of what you're offering, how you deliver it, when it arrives, and where it lands — shapes the behaviour you're building just as much as the reward itself. Sometimes more. This is worth understanding properly, because getting these things right speeds up learning and makes training more satisfying for both of you. Getting them wrong doesn't just slow things d... Wed, 05 Aug 2026 13:08:30 +1200 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/#post168305 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/post/167821/what-i-wish-i-knew-when-i-got-my-first-dog/ What I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Got My First Dog I talk to a lot of people who are frustrated with their dog. Not because they don't love them — they clearly do — but because things aren't working the way they hoped, and nobody told them what to expect. So here's what I wish someone had told me, and what I now try to tell every person who comes through my door. Training starts the moment you bring them home Not when they're six months old. Not when they've 'settl... Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:22:37 +1200 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/#post167821 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/post/166775/importance-of-foundations-for-agility/ Wondering why your agility dog has plateaued? Discover why flatwork and handling skills matter more than equipment time, and how Foundation Skills for Agility builds the basics properly. If you have spent any time around agility, you will have seen it. A dog that flies over a single jump beautifully, then falls apart the moment two obstacles get linked together. It is not bad luck, and it is not a bad dog. It almost always comes down to one thing: the handling and flatwork underneath it all was... Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:46:33 +1200 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/#post166775 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/post/165799/over-arousal-in-high-energy-dogs-part-1/ The bucket is full and there is no more band width: Understanding and Managing Over-Arousal in Sports and High Energy Dogs Your dog isn't being naughty. They've run out of bandwidth. Here's what's actually happening — and what to do about it. You've done the training. Your dog knows the course, the obstacles, the cues. And then you get to the trial, or the ring, or even just a high-excitement training session — and a completely different animal shows up. They blast past obstacles. They bark... Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:36:49 +1200 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/#post165799 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/post/164644/puppy/ There is so much to do with puppies where do you start. Socialisation isn't just exposureMany people think socialisation means taking their puppy everywhere and letting them meet everyone. But quality matters more than quantity. What we want is for a puppy to have positive, calm experiences — not overwhelming or scary ones. A puppy who is flooded with too much too soon will become more anxious not less. So the goal is gentle, gradual exposure to as many things as possible: different people, so... Sun, 17 May 2026 16:53:30 +1200 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/#post164644 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/post/163327/the-importance-of-connecting-with-your-dog/ Most people think training is about control.But the truth is? The strongest, most well-behaved dogs aren’t controlled — they’re connected.What does connection actually meanConnection isn’t just affection or cuddles.It’s when your dog:Looks to you for guidanceFeels safe around youWants to engage with you over distractionsIt’s a two-way relationship, not just obedience.Signs you might be lacking connectionYour dog ignores you outsidePulls on the lead constantlyDoesn’t respond unless ... Sun, 12 Apr 2026 15:08:06 +1200 http://www.lifestylesolutionschb.co.nz/blog/#post163327