Happy Dog Javea

21/10/2026

18/10/2026

🌧️🐾 RAINY DAYS DON’T HAVE TO BE BORING FOR YOUR DOG! 🐾🌧️

The rain is here, and if your dog isn’t a fan of wet paws, muddy walks or soggy adventures, don’t worry! 🐶🤎

Your dog doesn’t need a long walk every single day to be happy. Sometimes, a little mental stimulation, enrichment and quality time with you can make all the difference.

Here are some easy ideas to keep those tails wagging on rainy days! ☔️

🐾 👃 Sniffing games
Hide treats around the house and let your dog use their amazing nose to sniff them out. Sniffing is a fantastic way to engage their brain!

🐾 🧩 Puzzle feeders
Swap the usual food bowl for a puzzle feeder, snuffle mat or treat-dispensing toy to make mealtimes more interesting.

🐾 📦 DIY enrichment
Use cardboard boxes, scrunched-up paper and a few hidden treats to create a simple searching game. Always supervise, and remove anything your dog might swallow.

🐾 🎓 Teach something new
Practise a fun trick, introduce a new cue or work on simple confidence building games. Keep sessions short, positive and rewarding.

🐾 👃 Follow the scent
Create a little scent trail using a few tasty treats and encourage your dog to follow it. Let them take their time and work things out.

🐾 🦴 Lick and chew time
Offer a suitable stuffed food toy, lick mat or safe chew. Licking and chewing can provide a satisfying, calming activity for many dogs.

🐾 💚 Quality time together
A little gentle play, grooming if your dog enjoys it, or simply relaxing together can be just as valuable as an activity.

🐾 🌧️ And what about walks?
If it’s safe, your dog is comfortable and the weather allows, a short sniffy walk can still be wonderful! Choose suitable routes, avoid flooded areas and thunderstorms, and dry those paws and bellies afterwards. If the weather is severe, stay indoors.

✨ Remember: enrichment isn’t about exhausting your dog. It’s about giving them opportunities to sniff, explore, problem solve and enjoy being a dog!

Every dog is different. Some love splashing in puddles, while others would rather curl up on the sofa. Follow your dog’s comfort levels and let them choose. 🐶🤎

💬 Tell us below: Is your dog a rain loving adventurer or a “not a paw outside!” kind of dog? 😂👇

📍 Costa Blanca
🐾 Patas & Paws — caring for your pets, whatever the weather!

15/10/2026

Yep 👍
Unfortunately there’s lots of trainers who use grot/slip leads for quick results and of course the dog now walks nicely next to them/ you ……it hasn’t got a choice!! 😤😠

Flexible in our methods and approaches to training, unwavering in our ethics.

We will never use a shock collar, slip lead, grot collars, or prong collar on your dog or any dog we work with.

10/10/2026

Yep, it sure does !!

07/10/2026

Thanks to Dogs Disclosed for a brilliant post 👍😊

EXIT STRATEGIES

An exit strategy is a practised, planned way to create sufficient distance or remove a dog that’s about to react to a trigger or situation.

An exit strategy could look like quickly increasing distance when a trigger appears, practicing quick U turns to change direction, or waiting behind a tree, car or similar object until the trigger is far enough away.

The important thing is that the strategy is not something we suddenly invent in the middle of a difficult situation. We need to keep practising it when things are calm so it becomes a normal event.

This strategy decreases stress levels, gives our dogs an opportunity to process information and helps them learn to respond in a different way from a space where they feel safe.

Think about how we may use exit strategies to help us cope and how they make us feel better.

I know from personal experience how beneficial an exit strategy can be.

Some time ago I suffered from debilitating panic attacks after a series of traumatic events. I couldn’t drive on a highway or be in an enclosed space.

My daughter was graduating from university and I could not miss this event, but what if I had a panic attack in the auditorium, couldn’t get out and embarrassed her and myself?

A therapist that I was seeing at the time helped me to develop an exit strategy.

I arrived early and found a seat right next to the exit. If I started panicking, I could just leave through the door. Just knowing that this option was there made such a difference to my state of mind and I ended up being able to make it through the entire ceremony.

The same strategy helped me cope on highways. I just had to drive from one exit to the next and if I was coping - the next and the next.

Having an escape route helped me to feel safe and I was gradually able to cope with more and more exposure.

The same is true of dogs. It’s about creating conditions that make coping and learning possible.

It’s not about running away, avoiding or not facing a problem, but developing a plan to help our dogs cope and feel safe in situations they struggle with.

06/10/2026

Definitely agree with Debbie 👍🐕 😊

27/09/2026

Thinking About a German Shepherd After 'Heart of the Beast'? Read This First
https://www.gooddoghappyowner.com/blog/breeds-21/thinking-about-a-german-shepherd-after-heart-of-the-beast-read-this-first-117
Shepherd ownership
of the Beast dog
a German Shepherd right for me
Shepherd rescue
dog breed trends

26/09/2026

https://www.instagram.com/p/DdrYo8DDocf/?img_index=1&stkn=NzV4Y2pjdDhhcWo3

26/08/2026

Happy International Dog Day from our Cloe who’s 11.5 years old and has an inoperable tumour on her spine but still loves a run on the beach 🐶🥰