Blog
Click on the category to see related posts below:
Observing is Learning
When we give our dogs time to observe and notice things that are happening around them, they make sense of the environment, they process all the information that the senses provide, and they are able to learn from the experience.
Treat Searches
This is a simple, but wonderful nose game for any dog. It’s fun, calming and easy to prepare. All you need is a heaped handful of small, tasty treats.
Muddy Walks Are Important
Read about how many senses are being stimulated in a muddy walk and why is this so important?
Layka is enjoying this walk a lot. A walk full of sensory information that it is not only fun but a very important part of the dogs' sensory life..
How to introduce a harness
We sometimes hear: "My dog absolutely hates the harness / my dog is so uncomfortable in the harness". Does it mean the collar is a better option for such dogs? We argue it is not, find out more in this article.
How to prevent an escape during the holidays
Fireworks cause a profound state of panic in many dogs and lead to an increased number of dogs running away and getting lost during the holidays. What can we do to prevent this from happening?
Practicing Mindfulness
This article will be less about dogs and more about the mental health of us, humans and dog guardians. We would like to share our personal thoughts about how we can practice mindfulness during smiling leash walks, and therefore, improve our mental health.
Finding Interesting Things
Letting our dogs explore new findings like objects, animals, and new places, is a great way to offer mental stimulation. Many things that we don’t see as interesting are a source of new odours and capture our dogs attention.
Dogs come in All Sizes
Have you given it some though to the size of your walk and the size of her friends? Sometimes it is nice for small dogs to have the company of similarly sized friends.
Pleasant introductions
For many dogs guests visits can be challenging, so, it's crucial that the relationship between the dog and new people start off on a pleasant note. How can Smiling Leash walks help? Find out in this article.
Really Seeing Your Dog
It is not necessary to give a name and an explanation for every dog behaviour. Trying to maintain a positive relationship with our dogs comes from not translating our own feelings and understanding their motivation and the meaning for those behaviours.
Why a Smiling Leash should only be attached to an H-harness
We love the fact that people are using long leashes! But it is extremely important that they are always paired with good H-type harnesses. Find out why.
Freedom and Choice
Day after day we decide almost everything about the life of our dogs. However, letting our dogs make safe choices holds a lot of benefits. What they are? Discover in this article.
Observe and learn
Dogs have different ways of learning , and observing is one of them. Allowing our dog the time to observe helps them understand the world around them.
Recovering from a stressful event
Stressful situations for our dogs happen from time to time. Stress is a part of life - but too much stress is bad news. It's important to help your dog to calm down after a stressful event. In this article we suggest some activities you can use to help your dog to recover.
Remote Control
Watch the video and think carefully about the handlers approach to this situation. You do not see it to start with but there is a loose dog running downhill towards Ainhoa and Xena. And what does Ainhoa, the leash handler, do?
How do you know if your dog enjoyed the walk?
Dogs can tell us a lot without actually talking. If we just pay a little more attention to their behaviour, dogs can often tell us if a walk was good for them or not. Discover how in this article.
Feel No Pain
In this article we discuss some of the signs of pain and recent experiences amongst the Smiling Leash Team members that can help with identifying pain and discomfort.
Your dog is watching you
Dogs are really good at communicating with their body language and at observing and understanding body language of others, including us, humans. Yet we often have no clue of what we are communicating to our dogs.
Tailored Walks
Do you know if your dog has special needs when it comes to walks? Read more to find out what to look for when planning your walk.
It’s OK to skip a walk
Walks are an important part of a dog's life but it is not necessary to take a walk every single day. Many of us may feel like we are failing our dogs if we skip a daily walk, but it may be just the opposite. Find out more.