Author: Kirstin Hams

COVID-19 & CANINES

You’re well aware of the current COVID-19 global pandemic and the toll it has taken on human lives! But what kind of threat is it to pets, in particularly dogs? Does your beloved pooch need to self-isolate from their paw-pals at the park or is this crisis far worse? We’ll answer your questions and explain whether your puppy and dog is safe from the virus and are you safe from your dog?

We answer your COVID-19 Canine Questions:

What is COVID-19?

A new coronavirus strain was first detected in 2019 and was named in February this year by the World Health Organisation as COVID-19; ‘CO’ standing for corona; ‘VI’ virus; ‘D’ disease and ’19’ the year disease was first reported. SARS-CoV-2 is the pathogenic agent that causes the disease COVID-19. It is transmitted human to human through either direct contact with respiratory droplets from an infected person talking, coughing or sneezing and also through touching surfaces contaminated with respiratory droplets and then touching the face area (eyes, nose or mouth). The main symptoms include fever, sore throat, cough and shortness of breath. Symptoms can be either mild or potentially life threatening especially in the vulnerable such as elderly and people with low immunity and illness. There is currently no cure or vaccine and treatments are undergoing clinical trials.

Can dogs get COVID-19?

Yes they can, however there have only been a few reported cases globally where dogs have tested positive to the human strain COVID-19. There seemed to be a link between the infected dogs being in close contact with infected humans. Of the he dogs that did test positive most displayed no or mild symptoms. OiE (World Organisation for Animal Health) preliminary findings from experimental infection studies as well as from the natural reported cases have concluded so far that dogs have a low susceptibility to the disease, pigs have no susceptibility and cats have high susceptibility. The studies also showed no transmission of the disease from dog to dog. At the time of this blog release there have been no reported cases in Australia of dogs with COVID-19.

COVID-19 is not to be confused with other animal and canine coronaviruses that have already been around for a while. According to the CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention), “These other coronaviruses cannot infect people and are not related to the current COVID-19 outbreak.” They are also preventable with vaccines and good hygiene practices.

Can dogs transmit the COVID-19 disease to humans?

No, there is no evidence that dogs can spread the virus to humans and currently, there is limited information to prove otherwise. On ABC News, Professor Trevor Drew, director of the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness in Geelong stated, “…there is absolutely no evidence that domestic animals play a role in the transmission of COVID-19.”

Did COVID-19 initially spread from a canine?

Despite some speculation COVID-19 did not spread from a dog. According to the CDC the virus is likely to have originated from bats with the first reported human infections linked to a live animal market in Wuhan, China. The World Health Organisation concluded, “To date, there is not enough scientific evidence to identify the source of SARS-CoV-2 or to explain the original route of transmission to humans.”

Should I social distance my puppy/dog from other dogs?

Even though there is no evidence of the disease spreading from dog to dog it is recommended to distance your dog from other dogs, animals and pets outside the household. As cats have high susceptibility to COVID-19 it is best to try to keep them within the household as well.

Should I social distance my puppy/dog from other people?

Yes, it is best to distance your dog from other people outside of your household. We know this can be hard to do as puppy/dogs are very social and love to sniff and ‘say hello’ to other people, dogs and animals. We also know this can be especially challenging when you have just brought home a beautiful new puppy and want to show it off to family and friends.

Act in accordance with shire, state and federal restrictions and guidelines via your state government website. If you are required to to distance from others – then your dog should too. Read here for more information on Socially Distancing with Dogs. If some socialisation is allowed then it is ideal to ask visitors to wash their hands or wear gloves and also wear a face mask when petting your puppy, dog and or other pets.

Should I get my puppy/dog tested for COVID-19?

No, not at this stage. The CDC reiterates, “…routine testing of animals for COVID-19 is not recommended.” If your dog shows signs of any illness; whether it is COVID-19 or not; definitely contact your local Veterinary by phone.

If I have COVID-19 should I avoid contact with my pet dog?

Yes! Even though there have been only a few cases worldwide where dogs have contracted the virus from a human it is still best to avoid contact with your dog. The CDC is suggesting, “People with COVID-19 and in home isolation…to restrict interaction with household animals.”. COVID-19 is unpredictable, potentially life threatening and highly infectious among humans. We want to help limit its ability of spreading in general and even mutating into new strains that could potentially be devastating to the canine population or other animals. Treat your dog and pets as you would another human and self isolate or use personal protective equipment.

If you test positive to COVID-19 its best to leave your dog in the temporary care of someone you know whether that is a family member, friend, neighbour or even contact a local boarding kennel. If your dog has already been exposed to the disease then your puppy/dog needs to stay isolated with you. If this is the case then you must wear personal protective equipment around your puppy/dog. This includes a face mask and disposable gloves especially when feeding, grooming and playtime. Avoid kissing or sharing food with your puppy or dog as SARS-CoV-2 spreads through saliva and respiratory droplets. Wash and sanitise your hands regularly and keep your household clean and disinfected. You will also need to keep your dog outside in a secure yard if possible to keep your distance until you recover and are no longer infectious.

What happens if my dog gets sick?

Contact your local Veterinary Clinic immediately whether your dog has COVID-19 or not! Discuss a safe way to take your dog into the Vet that follows their disease control protocol.

* This is obvious but still worth mentioning – please don’t put a face mask on your dog even if they may be sick as it can restrict their breathing!

Was this information helpful?

Share with us how you are self-isolating with your puppy/dog!

Jett is 1 year old!

Our lovely cavoodle Jett is now 1 year old. She has brought us so much joy it’s unbelievable. She will respond immediately to us and our commands, and she is a pleasure to have near us and with us. She doesn’t shed and her coat is gorgeous. As long as we groom her regularly her coat stays lovely. We groom her every 6 weeks or so and just groom her back to a shorter coat. Doing this regularly means that it is much easier to keep her coat from matting up and keeps it healthy. And while she doesn’t like a bath (at all!) she will put up with one and a groom as required.

It’s been great sharing this journey with you all. If you have any questions about her just let me know!

Kirstin

NOTE: Jett is not for sale! She is our family pet 🙂

 

 

 

Jett is 10 months old!

Wow how has time flown. I can’t believe she is 10 months old now. We are simply utterly in love with her and our kids love her to bits. She is so good with any kid and she shares her love around with everyone she meets!

She does need a good groom every few weeks but we are lucky that our nursery manager Tash is a great groomer and keeps her looking Fab!

She started to push the boundaries a little bit and do some naughty things between 7-9 months old but I am happy to say that she is fabulous at listening to commands now! For example one thing I hate is when you look out a window and see your dog on your garden bed. They look at you through the window just KNOWING that there is a window between you and there isn’t much of a threat to them if they don’t listen to you. Then by the time you get out there they jump off and act perfectly and it’s super hard to tell them off then! So we went through that for about 2 months with Jett but I’m pleased to say that even if she does still jump up from time to time that she will now listen to the command even through it’s through the window!

We took Jett and our other little dog Scatter to the beach the other day. Scatter is a beagle cross pug and while he is just lovely and his temperament is amazing, his recall ability is simply atrocious (beagle owners will understand this one!). Jett could be let off the lead and would come back to hang out or check with us that we were still were she left us and we loved having her on the day with us. If she got lost she didn’t like it and would come back at our call. I know from experience that dogs in my life haven’t done this and it’s just such a great trait when you also have all of the beach stuff and a 5 and 7 year old to drag along… having a dog who wont come back is super duper annoying but having Jett by our side enhanced the day by bucketloads and she simply loved the day out too.

She will run after a ball but wont bring it back (probably our fault this one but she just wont get the hang of it!) but she simply loves the kids old soft toys. She carries one around with her all the time and at the moment it’s an Elsa toy!

I will get some new updated photos and add them when I can – she hasn’t changed much and certainly hasn’t grown much!

I hope you’re loving the updates on what to expect and some of the learning challenges (and fun and love) along the way!

Kirstin.

 

10 Months old
10 Months old

Puppy Photography

Our Top 4 Tips for taking pawsome puppy pics!

 Ever wanted to capture your puppy in the pawfect photo but frustrated by the lighting conditions or when your puppy decides it’s suddenly camera shy!? We can relate! Here at Banksia Park Puppies, we take many puppy photos per week for our website and customers, and we usually need to work with whatever Mother Nature decides on any given day and the personality of each puppy. We don’t have any professional gear or fancy setups, usually just a basic DSLR camera, the subject ie. the puppy and location ie. the park. We are sometimes asked by our Banksia Park Community for tips on how to take good photos of dark coloured puppies and puppies in general, so we thought we would help you out! We definitely aren’t professionals but our years of puppy photography experience will certainly get you started – all you need is your puppy/dog, any camera of choice, a location, and our Top 4 Tips!
Lighting
Time of Day
Position
Persuasion
Read on for our 4 Top Tips plus a BPP Top Tip & Insight to help take your puppy photography to the next level:

Tip1

Tip 1. Lighting

This is one of the most important tips for capturing a great snap of your puppy as well as for photography in general! The best lighting conditions are: light shade, overcast and sunny.

Light/open shade:

This means on the edge of a shady area just before the full-sun area. Light shade areas can either be under a tall tree, shade cloth/sail, verandah or near a building. When your puppy moves deeper into the shaded area you can risk losing its features due to low lighting and black puppies can ‘disappear’ in the dark background. Unfortunately, mosquitoes love the shade as well especially on a warm sunny day so be prepared with some insect repellant. Mozzies usually aren’t a problem for puppies with thick coats but keep an eye out for any that try to get into your puppies delicate areas.

Overcast:

Is when the sun is covered by clouds or sometimes smoke/pollution. This is one of the best weather conditions for capturing details in puppies! Overcast conditions produce soft lighting instead of the contrasting strong lighting and dark shadows on a full-sun day! Sometimes overcast days means rain which is not always great for your camera! It is fine for your puppy/dog to experience being rained-on and most of the time they will enjoy it – just be mindful that your puppy is fully dried-off on a cold/rainy day!

Sunny:

A Sunny day always make a photo look warm, bright and cheery! The light is great for not only showing up most puppy features but also capturing the glistening highlights in their fur, eyes, and whiskers! Try to avoid a full-sun aspect especially on hot Summer’s days which can cause your puppy to over-heat and become dehydrated.

These cute Cavoodle siblings have been positioned under a single large tree. As you can see in this photo the puppies are in an open-shaded position just on the edge of where the shade meets the light. This means that it isn’t too shaded/dark but also not too bright/glary from full-sun! This light-shade position means that details are captured in the puppies fur, eyes etc. without harsh dark shadows. This photoshoot was in March (at the start of Autumn) which is still fairly sunny and warm. Because of the warm/sunny weather, it was taken in the evening between 3 and 4pm which means that the sun and light were softer than in the middle of the day and of course cooler in temperature!

Tip2

Tip 2. Time of Day

Sometimes the time of day cannot be controlled especially when your pooch has pulled a super cute pose and you need to capture it asap! Whether you have been selective about the time of day or not we will help you out with the what works best during that time!

Sunrise:

This is a magical time of day when the sun slowly emerges from the horizon and produces a warm and gentle light source! Some mornings may even have the added bonus of mist which can make for an interesting/mysterious photo and your puppy will look magical!

Morning:

Photos in an open area are pawfect for this time of day! The light is still soft during the morning which will capture nice details of your puppy and you won’t need to use a shaded area.

Midday:

The middle of the day is generally too sunny and bright (unless overcast) but is a great time to use light/open shade! If you need to take photos this time of day (especially during hot Summer days) pose your puppy under trees, a verandah or shade sail. It is also a good time of day if you like photography or black and white photography with high contrast ie. strong lights/whites with strong darks/shadows.

Afternoon:

This time of day is overall a good time for puppy photos! During Summer it can sometimes still be quite hot with strong light but is a great time of day to capture the glistening highlights in your puppy’s fur, eyes and whiskers.

Evening/Sunset:

Evenings are another amazing time of day for puppy photography enthusiasts. A sky and horizon filled with warm colours and soft warm light make puppy photos look semi-pro! This is a great time of day to capture the detail of your puppy as well as have a beautiful backdrop!

Night:

Nighttime can, unfortunately, be too dark for puppy photography and result in a blurry dark photo. However this can be avoided by using the flash option on your camera/phone, a slow shutter speed to capture the most amount of light or the best and easiest option is taking your puppy inside and using home lighting as your light source and furnishings as your backdrop!

Seasons:

Puppy photography can be practiced all year round but our personal favorite seasons are Autumn and Spring! The lighting during these times is favorable as it is generally softer than Summer and lighter/brighter than Winter. Autumn has the added bonus of a backdrop of Autumnal colours/leaves and Spring has beautiful flowers and fresh green grass!

This photo of a gorgeous Cavador puppy was taken in the morning between 9-10am, early April. It was a beautiful time of day as the sun was peeping through the trees in the park. In that particular spot, it was still a bit too shady so the puppy was located where soft light was streaming through the trees. The surrounding area was shaded so the puppy became the feature and her light coloured fur and pink harness really stood-out against the darker background.

Tip3

Tip 3. Position

Your puppy’s pose and position can take your photography from paw to pawsome! It’s all very well to pick the best time of day and lighting but then forget to your pose your pooch in a flattering position or realise that your black Cavoodle magically disappeared into a dark coloured background. To avoid fluffy-butt pics or puppy-chameleons here are some tips to help you out!

Puppy Position/Pose:

A good way to position your pooch is to face it towards the light source. This will enable your puppy’s beautiful facial features to be highlighted and visible in the photo. Facing your puppy forward like a portrait is the most well known and flattering position! When you and your puppy get confident you can try different poses such as side pose, action shot, sleeping pose (easy-peasy) etc.

Background/Backdrop:

Backgrounds are often overlooked and understated but can make a big difference to the overall vibe. They can make a puppy either stand out and become the feature subject or recede and blend in with the surroundings. Here at Banksia Park Puppies, we like to use green grass, trees, and our park environment as our background/backdrop and theme. Not only are these a part of our puppies upbringing and our business brand but this backdrop enables all coat colours and puppy breeds to stand out and be the star!

Indoors:

We mainly take puppy photos outside using natural light and the natural environment but there are times and weather conditions where this is undesirable and uncomfortable for our puppies so indoor photography is required! Our indoor set up is basic but gets the job done so we are unable to recommend a professional set up but here are some basic tips for indoor puppy photography…
Try to use as much natural light as possible by posing your puppy near windows or a see-through door. If the area is windowless or if it is nighttime turn on the lights or get creative and use a lamp as the light source and play-around with puppy poses, props and backdrops!

BPP TOP TIP:

Some photographers say don’t work with children or animals for the very reason that they are unpredictable! But don’t worry, you’ll enjoy puppy photography, even more, when you switch your camera setting to ‘Action/Sports’ or adjust your camera’s manual settings to a faster shutter speed! Why’s this? Well, the quicker your camera takes a photo frame the more likely you will be able to capture your puppy playing, running, bounding and just being a puppy! When puppies are awake they are always on the move and using a general camera setting or slower shutter speed will result in missing the pawfect puppy moment and instead the photo will look like a blurry blob against a backdrop! On a camera phone go into the camera’s Settings, then Camera Modes, then Edit Modes and select (or drag and drop) Sports or Action mode (phone settings may differ per device brand and model).

The ‘Sports’ mode with the fast shutter speed helped to capture these cute Cavoodles in action! This photo was taken in the middle of the day and in a full-sun aspect but as it was at the end of Autumn the sun/light wasn’t too strong. The puppies are also facing the light, so no harsh visible shadows across the puppies’ bodies.

Tip4

Tip 4. Persuasion

You maybe be thinking woah hold on a sec – these tips are all very well but how do you encourage your puppy to pose and obey your instructions in the first place!? Don’t be disheartened, here are some handy ideas to help your puppy comply.

Doggy Toys:

Squeaky dog toys are the best tool when enticing or distracting your puppy for a photo. The noise can even cause your puppy to head-tilt or perk its ears which makes for the cutest pic!

Doggy Treats:

Most puppy/dog owners love to spoil their pooch with treats and this is a great way to entice (errr bribe) them to pose for a photo! Some puppies and dogs can even perform cool tricks with the use of treats which makes for a great action shot!

Peanut Butter:

What paw-pal doesn’t love peanut butter!? Best of all it can be smeared onto or under most objects which can not only keep your puppy occupied but entice them to pose in the pawfect position! Just remember to use the low-sugar/salt variety and use only as a treat as overconsumption of this high-fat condiment can lead to weight gain in most dog breeds.

Play-date:

Is your puppy a stage-9 clinger and you don’t fancy taking photos of your feet!? All good, a fun distraction is key and that usually involves a play-mate. If you have a relative or friend with a paw-pal bring them along for a dual photo shoot! Distraction, playtime and lasting memories all in one, minus the feet pics!

Training:

Puppy training is beneficially for your puppy regardless if it’s intended for those pawfect puppy snaps or not! We recommend Ian The Dog Trainer, but there is also puppy training information on the internet and YouTube!

Exercise:

You’re channeling a celebrity puppyrazzi, but you realise that your paw-pal is on red-cordial! This is an ideal time to burn up your puppy’s extra energy and take them for an exercise and play session! Even a walk around the park can calm your puppy enough to sit still and pose!

Assistance:

Finding it challenging juggling a puppy and a camera!? That’s where an assistant can come in handy! It’s best your puppy/dog knows the assistant so they are comfortable when being handled and will listen to their commands. Your assistant can be useful to hold your puppy and then quickly move out of the frame, yet still be close enough to keep your puppy out of potential danger. They can also interact and play with your puppy and be a part of the photoshoot.
BPP INSIGHT:

Here at Banksia Park Puppies our puppies are usually too young for rigid puppy training and to understand what a doggy treat is and we prefer our adult dogs to eat healthy well-balanced meals and not be treat-obsessed so doggy treats are only limited to special occasions and for dental health! So you may be wondering what puppy photography persuasion tricks do we use? We actually use sound! Either whistling, calling out “pup-pup”, “puppy” or dog’s name or using a squeaky dog toy to get their attention. We mainly work solo when taking our puppy photos and rarely have the luxury of an assistant to hold or distract puppies while we take pictures, so using sound is simple and it works! For our photoshoots, we like to capture our puppies acting naturally so we place them down in a section of the park and let them do their thing, which is always entertaining and makes for a spontaneous snap! If we want them to look at the camera we will call out or whistle to get their attention – pretty basic but gets the job done! For our 6 week photos, our puppies are still at that age where they are calm enough to sit still and be puppyrazzied! For the active and older puppies, they are photographed in the Puppy Playground area or in a section of the park where they can run and play but still have their photos taken!

You might be familiar with this style of photo for our 6-week puppy photos on our website and Priority List! The puppies are posed on a garden bed with faux grass underneath for comfort and so the puppies ‘pop’ against the background! The garden bed is chest height so it saves the photographer from bending down too much. The puppies at this age are pretty compliant and move around just enough to get photos from all angles! We do get the odd active pup who wants to run-off so we use a squeaky toy to distract them from the novelty of the garden bed!
Black and dark coloured puppies are commonly misunderstood when it comes to puppy photography! The key is to get so good lighting to make their coat and features stand out and show up their beautiful highlights! It’s best to position your dark coloured puppy facing towards the light source and try to avoid overcast/gloomy days or very sunny days where dark shadows can form. Inside photography is fine too as long as there is plenty of ligh coming from windows, lamps or house lighting.
This photo was taken under a verandah which created open/light shade. This means that there was still plenty of light to show up details in the puppy and surrounds and a little glisten in the eyes.
The light on a Summers evening is soft and warm which has highlighted Trinity’s face. This is a nice way to focus on a particular subject or feature or create beautiful highlights in the fur and eyes!
What’s even better than one puppy!? Four! If you are lucky enough to know friends and family with paw-pals then why not ask them around for play-group and a photo shoot at the same time!
For a different approach why not try backlit photos!? It creates a beautiful soft halo around the subject/puppy! The key is to make sure there is enough light to gently highlight the rest of the body otherwise that may look too dark especially with a black Schnoodle/puppy!
Action shots are fun to take! When we photograph our parent dogs we like to occupy them with their favourite toys or let them do their thing – run, sniff, play! Here, Gemini and her sausage toy were captured with a fast shutter speed.
This photo of a Schnoodle was taken on a Spring afternoon! The lighting was perfect as it was bright enough to show the gorgeous highlights in the fur and eyes.

How do you get your puppy or dog to pose and produce pawsome photographs!? Share with us your tips below… 

Jett the Cavoodle is 6 months old!

She has had her first groom and boy did she need it!

Her shedding stopped after the groom at 6 months and so we only had 2 months of light shedding while she moved into her adult coat. The change of colour is super interesting to watch. Our Jett actually got a little darker which was interesting – lots of puppies go lighter so its interesting to watch. You can certainly tell when they need their first groom – you can see their adult hair under the puppy hair very clearly and the puppy hair starts matting and is hard to keep under control. So if you think your puppy needs a groom it probably does – trust your gut! If you are taking your puppy to the groomer from early on they will give you advice as well.

Jett is now able to follow orders super well. We continue to use Ian’s ‘Uh-uh’ method and it works super well! She is always in my office while I work and knows she has to stay in her bed now (although she gets FOMO and wants to go outside if there is anything happening out there!). She is well behaved now and a pleasure to take places and have inside or out. She follows commands super easy. 6 months things seem to get a little easier – although she still steals a sock every time she is inside! and shoes… she loves shoes. Having a well trained dog has made having Jett a pleasure. Ian’s training (which we now give away complimentary with all puppies) is amazing and helps you just tweak your training to get a dog who follows your commands and who you just adore being with (along with good breeding of course!).

 

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Poodles

See our puppies all grown up…

 

We love watching our Poodle puppies be born, reared and grow into happy and healthy 8-week old pups. Thanks to social media and our extended families, we can watch our puppies grow up having pawsome lives! Here, families have shared with us just some of the many milestones and happy-snaps of their beloved Banksia Park Poodle!

For more information on our Poodle breed visit here.

If you’d like your Banksia Park Poodle to star on this page we’d love you to contact us via email, Instagram or Facebook.

 

Miika & Bentley! @my.boy.bentley
Miika! @my.boy.bentley
Bentley! @my.boy.bentley
Bentley! @my.boy.bentley

Schnoodles

See our puppies all grown up…

 

We love watching our Schnoodle puppies be born, reared and grow into happy and healthy 8-week old pups. Thanks to social media and our extended families, we can watch our puppies grow up having happy and pawsome lives! Here, families have shared with us just some of the many milestones and happy-snaps of their beloved Banksia Park Schnoodle!

For more information on our Schnoodle breed visit here.

 

Angie! @angie_investigates
Angie! @angie_investigates
Angie! @angie_investigates
Angie! @angie_investigates
@monty.the.schnoodle 10 weeks old!
@monty.the.schnoodle 11 weeks old!
@monty.the.schnoodle 11 weeks old!
@monty.the.schnoodle 11 weeks old!
@monty.the.schnoodle 4 months old!
@monty.the.schnoodle 6 months old!
@monty.the.schnoodle 6 months old!
Cassie!
Cassie!
Cassie!
Cassie!
Cassie!
Cassie!
Cassie!
Cassie!
Cassie!
Cassie!
Cassie!
Cassie!
Cassie!
Cassie!

Moodles

See our puppies all grown up…

 

We love watching our Moodle puppies be born, reared and grow into happy and healthy 8-week old pups. Thanks to social media and our extended families, we can watch our puppies grow up having happy and pawsome lives! Here, families have shared with us just some of the many milestones and happy-snaps of their beloved Banksia Park Moodle!

For more information on our Moodle breed visit here.

 

Coco the Moodle!
Coco the Moodle!
Kobe! @kobe_moodleicious
Kobe! @kobe_moodleicious
Kobe! @kobe_moodleicious
Kloud! @kloud_moodle
Kloud’s brother, Storm! @kloud_moodle