Happy Dogs

31/05/2026

29/05/2026

On TOMORROW 8am - 1pm. The Furry Friends Dog Festival is Coming to Bangalow Showgrounds!
Happy Dogs will be putting on a SCENT GAMES demonstration at 8am were you can bring your dog in to have a go, find some yummy treats & play beginner scent indication games.
Happy Dogs will also have a stall with a fun interactive opportunity to learn about DOG BODY LANGUAGE and win some yummy treats!
see you there!

Get ready for a tail-wagging good time!

28/05/2026

The Furry Friends Festival is on this Saturday 8am -1pm!

Come check out what SCENT GAMES is all about 8am - 8:40am with Michelle at Happy Dogs.

📆The countdown is on...only one more week until Council's Furry Friends Festival!

The much-loved Furry Friends Festival is back on Saturday 30 May from 8am–1pm at the Bangalow Showgrounds.

This is a FREE community event.

Bring your doggos (on lead, please!) to the Doggy Arena, packed with trainer demos, fun games and friendly competitions.

Wander through the Paws and Claws Market, boasting 40 pet‑loving stalls filled with giveaways, treats and expert tips.

Enjoy live tunes, tasty food stalls, free kids’ face painting and a playful photo booth for pooch snaps of you and your pets.

As part of the fun, we’re championing responsible pet ownership – from keeping your pet safe and under control, to making sure they’re microchipped, registered and well-socialised.

💻For more information visit Council's website: https://www.byron.nsw.gov.au/Recreation-Culture/Events-Venues/Whats-On/Furry-Friends-Festival-2026

20/05/2026

🐾 Not every dog wants to be touched — and that's okay.

Dogs are not public property, and we should never assume that an unfamiliar (or even familiar) dog is inviting interaction just by being present.

The golden rule: don't approach unknown dogs. Give them space, stay relaxed, look slightly away, and let them come to you.

And even when a dog does approach you, sniffing, standing nearby, or coming close is NOT necessarily an invitation to pat them. Wait for clearer signals — loose, relaxed body language, leaning into your leg, gentle eye contact, a nudge, a paw, or a play bow. Those are consent.

Once you have those signals, you can ask their guardian if it's okay to interact. Keep it brief, and pause to check if they want to continue.

🚫 Avoid: patting on the head, pushing your hand in their face, hugging, or overwhelming them with too many people or too much intensity.

⚠️ Signs a dog is uncomfortable: lip licking, yawning, looking away, moving away, ears pinned back, tail tucked, whale eye (whites of the eyes showing) — and of course snapping or growling, which is an immediate request for more space.

This applies to children too — teaching kids that unknown dogs are not to be approached is one of the most important lessons we can pass on.

I've put together an infographic breaking all of this down — save it and share it! 👆

And if you want to go deeper, I've also made a video exploring whether people should even have the expectation to pat an unknown dog — and why "asking first" doesn't always make it okay 👇
📺 https://youtu.be/K2D8cOGUhs4

19/05/2026

Great dog behaviour breakdown!

16/05/2026

🐾 Does your dog react to other dogs, people, or distractions? The Engage / Disengage game might be exactly what you need! 🐶💙

This is one of our favourite protocols for helping reactive or easily distracted dogs learn to notice a trigger — and then calmly choose to check back in with YOU instead of reacting.

Here's how it works 👇

✅ STEP 1 — ENGAGE
Your dog spots the trigger at a distance. The moment they look at it, you mark with a "YES!" — and they turn back to you for a treat. You're building a positive association between the trigger and good things happening with you.

✅ STEP 2 — DISENGAGE
Now we wait for your dog to offer the check-in themselves. They look at the trigger… then choose to look back at you. Mark it, reward it, and repeat. That calm, voluntary check-in is exactly what we're building towards.

🔑 The key to all of this? Keeping your dog UNDER THRESHOLD — far enough away from the trigger that they can still think, take treats, and learn. If they're barking, lunging, stiff, or refusing food, you're too close. Increase the distance and set them up to succeed.

📄 We've put together a step-by-step visual guide covering both stages, threshold management, over-threshold signs, and troubleshooting tips for common sticking points. Check it out in the image below!

🎥 Want a more in-depth walkthrough? Watch our full video explanation here:
👉 https://youtu.be/4-IujdJyyI4

💙 Want to support our work AND get a high quality version of this infographic to print or save?
👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/trainmeplease/e/538085

Every calm choice gets stronger with practice. You've got this! 🐕💙

The game was created by Alice Tong (KPA CTP) of Choose Positive Dog Training, originally published on the Karen Pryor Clicker Training website back in 2014. It's become a staple of force-free reactivity training ever since! 🙌

16/05/2026

What’s your dog’s “thing”?
Because it might not be the $70 enrichment toy sitting untouched in the corner.

Enrichment has become a massive buzz word lately.
Every second product promises mental stimulation, calmness and fulfilment.

But real enrichment?
It’s much simpler .

Some dogs would choose shredding cardboard over a puzzle toy every single time.
Some want to sniff every blade of grass.
Some thrive on running, jumping and movement.
Some love chewing and licking.
Some enjoy solving problems.
Some just want to quietly watch the world go by.

That’s the bit we can miss.

We start choosing enrichment based on trends, marketing or what other dogs enjoy instead of observing our own dogs and what brings them joy.

A dog walking away from a puzzle toy is not “failing enrichment”.
They may simply be telling you
“This isn’t my thing.”

So what is?💭

12/05/2026

My ethics are non negotiable
I train dogs, I don't break them
We all know putting a cord/rope, slip lead, prong collar or e collar around a dogs neck works because it hurts (that's what they are designed to do, so none of the "if used correctly" crap)
So why the hell would you let someone do that to your dog?