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!
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…
We receive lots of questions about our puppy prices and how we set them. Prices for puppies around the world seem to be in hot debate with some people wondering at what owners are willing to pay for the joy a puppy brings to their family, while others understanding that the care that is put into breeding a dog that is healthy, happy, and perfect for their lifestyle is important.
We understand that it can be daunting for some future puppy owners to justify paying a high price for a puppy or a dog especially when general life expenses can make finances tight. You may notice that Banksia Park puppy prices increase over time and you may be curious as to why.
Here we will explain in detail our reasoning for our puppy prices and why we are conscious of trying to make our gorgeous puppies affordable for the average family as well as covering our costs. In turn, you will also gain insight into the level of care and attention that goes into raising our puppies and parent dogs as well as running our family business!
Inflation:
It is common for our puppy pricing to slightly increase each year to keep in line with the rising costs of inflation. Inflation is the general and gradual increase in goods and services. It can be inconvenient to pay more for the same product or service, but it keeps our economy healthy. You might be wondering how does this affect our puppies? Well, products such as dog food, hay, medicine etc. and also services such as labour hire, veterinary costs and energy bills gradually increase with inflation and in turn, we adjust our puppy prices to keep in line with that. We have placed the last 7 years of inflation up in graphs below.
The New Commercial Breeders licence:
We are very pleased to be one of a select few who have been approved by the Victorian Minister for Agriculture as a breeder.
This Licence is a great undertaking but has meant that we need to undertake lots more documentation recording and lots more auditing. Whilst this is great for getting rid of puppy farms, it is alot more documentation both computer and on paper to ensure that the auditing process runs smoothly. This auditing process is extremely extensive with documentation and we have therefore put on an entire FTE who only does this.
Victorian puppy market prices have increased but we are and were very mindful of not increasing our prices in line with competitors particularly over covid – but instead offering fair pricing for outstanding puppies based on meeting our costs with the services we provide.
Vet:
Veterinary care is often understated, but what it achieves for our puppies, parents and animals in general, is amazing! We have great relationships with our local Vet in Sale, Victoria and Boronia Veterinary Clinic in Melbourne. All our puppies are Vet checked at 6 weeks of age. The Vet microchips each puppy and checks that they are healthy and developmentally ready for sale at 8 weeks of age. Having regular and professional medical care ensures that our puppies and parents are kept healthy and that any potential ailments are prevented or treated ASAP! This professional medical care does come at a price and we feel it is absolutely worth it. The Veterinarians come out to our property once a week, and sometimes we even drive to Melbourne to get an expert opinion. We need to pay all these costs which include 6-week checks, rechecks, microchipping, vaccinations on puppies and parents, pre-mating checks, post whelping checks, 12-month checks, fitness to breed checks, X-rays, ultrasounds, professional reading of these images, any medical checks in the meantime, questions on everyday happenings, rehoming checks and desexing checks. As you can understand this is one of our biggest investments at Banksia Park Puppies. While we are very happy to invest so much in Veterinary care, this along with our wages are the biggest ongoing costs we have every week.
DNA Testing:
At Banksia Park Puppies we test all our parent dogs by an independent genetic analysis service. This service screens the blood samples of our dogs for every DNA disease currently detectable in their breed type. The potential for genetic disease varies for different breeds and cross-breeds, so different and appropriate screening tests are used per dog. You may ask why we go to these lengths to have all our dogs tested in this way? DNA test results help us determine which parent dogs should be used to breed our puppies. Healthy puppies are important especially in the long term when we want them to have long and healthy lives with their new families. Testing is a speciality service and comes at a price but we feel it is well worth it. Not many puppy-breeding providers indulge in this service, but we intend to set a great example in our industry.
It is important to note that a lot of the potential genetic diseases are rare and are not known in Australia but being proactive is the best way of keeping Australian dog’s safe. For more information and a list of potential genetic diseases in dogs visit our blog DNA Testing.
Health Guarantee:
To ensure our customers’ peace of mind we offer the highest health guarantee for our puppies and dogs! At Banksia Park Puppies our aim “…is to breed the healthiest, most vibrant puppies possible, with a placid temperament, lovely nature and the instinctive ability to become loyal and faithful companions. These puppies will grow to be the perfect addition for families, especially those with children.”
We keep this in mind when we sell each and every one of our puppies and dogs but we understand that unforeseeable health ailments can arise! Our Puppy Consultants are on hand to assist with helpful before, during and after service and know the right services and Vets for referrals. Health Guarantees are invaluable especially during a potentially stressful and sad period if your paw-pal happens to require extra care! We don’t know of any puppy-breeding businesses that offer the level of service and financial assistance that we offer and we pride ourselves on this. Read here to see what your Banksia Park Puppy is covered for under the Health Guarantee.
Lifetime Guarantee:
Here at Banksia Park Puppies we understand that life can throw curveballs! We empathise with our Banksia Park families especially when tricky life circumstances mean that you may no longer be able to care for your puppy or dog. It is a huge and difficult dilemma for a family to face, but we believe a Banksia Park puppy is a part of our extended family for life. We prefer to know where our puppies and dogs are homed and so offer this lifetime guarantee. The guarantee means that if you have carefully decided that you are no longer able to care for your Banksia Park puppy or dog that we will rehome it for you! That can be a huge weight lifted off your shoulders especially during a stressful life-event! So, how does a lifetime rehoming guarantee affect puppy prices? It only marginally affects the cost of a puppy with the potential cost to re-advertise and sell the puppy/dog to an owner or family that will be personally vetted by us to ensure they are a pawfect match!
Team Members:
A major and invaluable part of breeding and raising our puppies is our Team. Their hands-on round the clock care and love ensures that our puppies and parents are happy and healthy. Our team knows each one of our dogs personally, from their lovable quirks to their moody-moments! This attention to detail not only makes for a happy dog but also is also handy in the event of picking up on potential illness early. Puppy and dog documentation and archives are also very important and ensure thorough record keeping and future referencing. We have high standards for our team which we include in our Induction Manual, “Every worker or volunteer at Banksia Park Puppies, no matter your ‘title’ or the particular work you do has a very important role; to make our dogs the happiest and healthiest that they can be. We want you to see your role as an employee at a 5-star hotel.”
We understand that without our team we would not have such a smooth-running business. Some of our team members are trained in Animal Husbandry and grooming and many have learnt on the job with hands-on learning and further education, which we highly encourage. Here at Banksia Park Puppies in Stradbroke, we employ 30 team members from our local area, some of which have mild disabilities. At our Information Centre in Chirnside Park, Melbourne, we employ a further 10 team members who deliver impeccable sales service and puppy advice. We ensure all our staff members are paid fairly and properly. Superannuation, leave time, Public holidays etc are all underestimated when you consider the pricing of puppies.
We also hire local tradesman and handyman to maintain and improve our facilities. Team member and labour costs are a big part of the price of our puppies but we personally feel that it is well justified. The round-the-clock care, hard work and passion for animals can’t be skimped on!
Enrichment:
Our team extends to our Socialisation Staff, who ensure our parent dogs and puppies receive a great start to life with continual learning and development. Socialisation involves physical exercise that is provided with play and running; mental stimulation with interactive toys and new experiences; and emotional stability provided with the regular love and care from our team with pats, cuddles, conversation and support! Enrichment is very important for puppies especially during the 7-12 week developmental phase known as the Human Socialisation Period. If puppies are nurtured correctly during this period and beyond, they will grow into happy and confident adult dogs. Positive experiences and human interaction early in life lead to a well-rounded dog and therefore a happy family!
Marketing:
To maintain a professional and successful business and to ensure that our families receive photos and the best information wherever they are across Australia, our photography and marketing team is required! With many social media platforms these days we want our families to be able to interact with each other and us wherever they are most comfortable. Photography and videography are an important part of this and our 6-week puppy photos posted on our website are usually the first image of what a future owner will see of their potential puppy! Videos also show customers their puppy’s temperament and/or that they are happy and healthy especially before travelling interstate. We also have a Banksia Park Puppies Family Group on Facebook so we and our extended Banksia family can stay in touch and watch our puppies grow!
We love to see and interact with the families into the future, and we think it’s appropriate for us to interact and be available to answer questions on platforms other than email or phone. Things such as blogs and newsletters help our families learn about the best ways to look after their puppies, about their development, and to stay updated with the things happening at Banksia Park Puppies such as details on mums rehomed or our renovations. Our marketing Team maintains our professional level of service to our families and provides our customers with ongoing and extensive puppy knowledge!
Food, Shelter and more:
It’s a given to provide puppies and dogs with the basic level of care such as food, water, shelter and a comfortable environment and temperature… but we like to go beyond and provide an extra level of nutrition and comfort like they’re living in a swanky hotel! We achieve this with a nutritionally balanced dog and puppy food appropriate for their level of development; regularly freshened hay as bedding; underfloor heating and wood fires in the sheds in the colder months; fans and air-conditioning in the warmer months; and immaculate hygiene and upkeep with regular cleaning and disinfecting! Although this might seem pretty straightforward, it is labour intensive and costs can add up quick!
We also look to renovate our nurseries and facilities regularly and always provide the best level of care, cleanliness, and facilities possible; all of which require ongoing investment. We cannot stop investing in our property and for this reason we require more than just our daily costs met – to invest in the best facilities requires updates to things like new gates, new concrete floors, new air conditioners and heaters when required. Investments such as swimming pools for the parents to swim in and to enrich their lives we see as ‘necessities’ but which do require high ongoing investment.
Taxes:
Last of all there is the obvious taxes! We of course are registered and audited, and pay taxes like all other legal businesses. Taxes are a part of life, but when people look at our prices they are often forgotten!
In Summary…
We hope we have shed light on the processes involved in breeding and raising our puppies and dogs as well as background information for our puppy prices.
Owning a puppy is a life-long commitment and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Puppy ownership costs continue beyond the initial purchase price of a puppy and include regular food, grooming, vet checks and accessories just to name a few. We urge future hopeful puppy owners to only commit to a puppy if they have given it much thought and know that they can financially and emotionally provide for their paw-pal well into the future!
We look forward to being of service to you and your puppy throughout its life! 🙂
Have you ever come home after a work trip or holiday and found your paw-pal stressed and your yard a mess? As much as we love our paw-pals, we just can’t take them everywhere with us. Even though dogs are our special companions they can also be content during time away from us! With set boundaries and consistent reinforcement in the short term, your puppy and dog will develop into a healthy and independent dog in the long term.
Separation Anxiety Behaviours:
Excessive barking, howling, urination, whining, pacing, digging, chewing and damaging objects, jumping, excessive clinginess, obsessive/repetitive behaviour, withdrawn and reduced activity and appetite.
Situations where Separation Anxiety might develop:
A change in a family’s schedule causing an increase in or change to times where your dog/puppy might be left alone.
A change in residence and or an unfamiliar environment.
Traumatic events such as the sudden death of an owner/family member or separation/divorce of owners.
Change of guardian or owner.
Puppy/dog is being spoilt with too much of owners’ time and resources.
5 sure-fire ways to make your dog happy while you’re away!
For your puppy:
Create a safe place for your puppy such as a doggy bed, mat, box, or blanket area. Make the area special by using your puppy’s favourite toy or blanket. If you have a safe and secure outside area you can keep a kennel where you can leave your puppy outside when you are not home from an early age so they learn to be independent.
Wherever you choose to sleep your puppy, do you your best to ignore your puppy’s crying. We know it’s hard but we promise it will go away and then they learn there are no rewards for barking and whining.
Chew toys are fantastic for when your puppy is alone as they are a good stress reliever. They are also great for jaw strengthening and dental health and best of all reduce the chance that your furry friend will destroy your favourite shoes!
Invite your friends and family over so they can play with your beautiful puppy (not that they will need an invite!). It helps your puppy meet new people and not get too attached to just you. You will also score yourself some willing puppy minders when you’re away!
Slowly increase the time spent away from your puppy so it is not stressed with a sudden and long separation. Your puppy will learn that alone time can be fun and that you do come back to them.
For your dog:
Doggy play dates not only can be fun but can teach your dog how to play with other paw-pals. So when you are at work or away they learn to play with other dogs or animals in a positive way and are not alone or bored. Before you schedule a play date make sure the dogs have met each other and know the backyard/home environment. Bring your dog’s favourite toy or blanket so they feel comfortable and that they have a special area to relax in when they want quiet time.
Create a fun scavenger hunt that can entertain your dog for hours by hiding some treats in toys or bones in crevices within your backyard. Make sure your four-legged friend isn’t too overwhelmed by a lot of toys and instead have a few interesting toys rotated every couple of days.
It will be hard but make departures and returns to your companion uneventful and calm. This will help keep your dog relaxed instead of feeling sudden spikes of excitement and stress.
Regular exercise is an essential part of a healthy active dog’s life. It is also great for releasing doggy endorphins and serotonin (feel-good and calming hormones). Exercising your dog in the morning helps them to use up extra energy so they tire out and are calm during the day.
Not only is obedience and lead training awesome for your dog’s general behaviour it is also great for their brains! It reduces their chance of feeling bored and destroying your favourite pot plant or sofa. It is also a great way to bond with your paw-pal and improves everyone’s mood!
By using these helpful tips, you and your family will be at ease during times of separation from your beloved canine companion and know that they will be happy and healthy.
If you are concerned about your puppy/dog’s behaviour and don’t feel that your strategy is working don’t hesitate to seek assistance from a professional dog trainer (we recommend Ian the Dog Trainer), dog behavioural specialist or Veterinarian.
This Cavoodle is keeping toasty-warm with one of our workers!
Our young future parents having fun in our Puppy Playground!
Our future parents chillaxing after a big socialisation session!
Our Mum and Dad dogs enjoying the obstacle course in the Agility Park!
Lead training in different environments!
Surface Training fun!
Excursion to the beach!
Adelaide keepin occupied in the Puppy Playground!
Honey-bear going for a walk!
Remi receiving some quality time with Deesy!
Here at Banksia Park Puppies we keep our dogs stimulated with regular visits to the Agility Park for extra physical activity and provide socialisation with incursions and excursions. We supply our dogs with some toys and chew ropes and regularly rotate dogs into different yards so they have new neighbours and paw-pals to interact with. We employ an average of 8 Socialisation staff who focus primarily on developing our puppies and dogs’ physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. They undertake walks and lead training, giving and receiving extra affection and cuddles, as well as encouraging surface training with interactive baby toys, mirrors and objects that stimulate a puppy’s senses. With this combination of love, attention and strategies, our puppies and parents are able to adapt to most environments and interact positively with a broad range of people and furiends with minimal to no stress and anxiety!
How do you keep your puppy/dog happy and healthy during time apart? We’d love to hear your feedback!
We treated some of our future parents with a dinky-di Australia Day down at our local beach! They had a blast playing with the children, lead training, running through the sand and finding interesting morsels. They were also very confident in the water, even though it was their first time at the beach!
Providing our older puppies with socialisation outings is great for their development. Not only do they learn new and interesting experiences but they grow into happy and confident adult dogs! Positive experiences and human interaction early in their life leads to a well-rounded dog and therefore a happy family!
The featured beach pups in the photos are Kyle and Lettie and we also travelled with Kobie and Lenni.
Have a bonzer time and share with us how you and your paw-pal spent our National Day! 🙂
What a wonderful day again with the Gumnuts school holiday program. It is so fantastic having the children out and they absolutely love it with the last comments being ‘this is the best day ever!’.
This is the second time the school holiday program has attended and it is an amazing experience for both the children and the dogs and puppies. The children have a fantastic day looking at all our facilities and learning about the development of the dogs and puppies and why socialisation is really important. They spend time in the Early Socialisation Pen, the surface training area, the youth agility park, and also through our nurseries. They see the live in yards as well as the playgrounds. The puppies absolutely love the day and it is great for their development to see so many children over a 2 hour period. They are picked up and held and a few we saw even having massages! The dogs thrived in the attention and it is great to give them different experiences like this as it broadens their brains from a young age making them more confident dogs for their entire lives.
The Gumnuts kids we must say always behave INCREDIBLY well and are a credit to their carers and parents for how they listen to instructions, information, and are keen to learn. They always treat the dogs and puppies with respect and care, and it’s a great thing to see in children.
Our dogs and puppies were presented with a big box of 301 doggie biscuits cooked specially by some of the older girls including things like peanut butter and bacon which we all know are loved by the dogs. The dogs all gobbled up the biccies within a couple of days and we loved the presentation by the older girls.
Here are some lovely photos of the day!
Cuddles and kisses
Surface training area fun
Learning about the puppies and why early socialisation is important
Did you know that your puppy goes through ‘wonder weeks’ or learning cycles just like a baby does (read more on this here).
One such stage is the Human Socialisation Period. This is when a puppy is 7-12 weeks old, and is a really important time in it’s life. We take this time in a puppy’s life very seriously. This stage of a puppy’s life sets the puppy up for its future, it is the time where puppy forms bonds with humans and develops the capability to like and love humans. It also is the time where a puppy is very sensitive, so if it is not shown how to deal with experiences in this stage of life, then it may not develop this in the future which will restrict it’s ability to lead a long and happy life with a family.
Our mums are rehomed generally at around 4-5 years old. At time of writing this post, we have close to 80 people on our waiting list for our rehoming dogs. This means that we have plenty of homes who are looking for one of our gorgeous mums or dads to add to their family.
Why is our rehoming program relevant to a post about our 7-12 week old puppies? If our mums and dads are not socialised and confident dogs, they will not be able to enter new homes and will have a hard time adjusting to their new environments. What we aim to do in this time of their lives as a puppy is to build confident, happy, balanced puppies who grow into dogs who can bond with other animals easily but also who can bond with humans and understand the human-dog relationship.
Puppies need to experience as many things as they can in this young, short time to understand how to react to shock (from seeing themselves in a mirror – ‘who is that dog!’), nerves (‘these steps feel strange under my feet’) and anxiety (‘why does this toy make a noise when I use it?!’), and then be shown with our guidance, that these experiences are ok. This results in confident Banksia Park Dogs who are proud, capable, and able to transition into new homes later in life.
Some of the things we introduce our puppies to at this stage of life include:
Mirrors
See through plastic
Different floor coverings (tarp, carpet, grass, rugs etc)
Toys that make sounds when you touch or move them (baby toys work fantastic!)
Stairs and different ground levels
Plastic cups hanging to allow jumping and toys which crinkle
Different types of balls – i.e. ball pits, see through ones and ones which light up or make noises
Tunnels
Sit and Lead training
Our Banksia Park Dogs can then transition into new homes which are usually in suburban Melbourne. They will be able to adjust to new things they have never encounted before such as Trams, Trains, Mobile Phones, Door Bells, Emergency Sirens (Ambulance, Fire Engine etc). These things are normal to a puppy who has lived in these situations for it’s entire life, but our puppies live in the Country, and just like little country kids who need to be shown how to drive in the city, our puppies need to learn how to adjust to things they may encounter in the future.
Have a look at some of our gorgeous puppies below having a play in our surface training area.
We are also happy to receive any baby/toddler/kids toys which are at the end of their journey and are being thrown away. We would love to reuse them for our puppies so Contact Us if you have any pre-loved toys that you would like to give a new home!
This looks interesting…
Who is this puppy staring back at me?!
Tunnels are for jumping onto apparently
Jumping off stairs and varying levels of ground
These stairs help the puppies gain confidence in their surroundings
These stairs help the puppies gain confidence in their surroundings
These stairs help the puppies gain confidence in their surroundings
Going into and out of tunnels and spaces is important for their development
Going into and out of tunnels and spaces is important for their development
Peekaboo!
Hide and seek
Biting different textures and learning how to use paws and teeth and discovery
Biting different textures and learning how to use paws and teeth and discovery
Biting different textures and learning how to use paws and teeth and discovery
Baby toys are so useful as it helps to teach the puppies cause and effect
Baby toys are so useful as it helps to teach the puppies cause and effect
Baby toys are so useful as it helps to teach the puppies cause and effect
Music from touch
Differing textures such as tarps, stairs, carpet and rugs help the puppies be confident in all areas of grounding
toys that move and play noises are surprising at first but they learn quickly
These 5 little cavoodles will give you a reason to smile this Friday! See these gorgeous black and gold cavoodles from June’s litter in our live video, and hear all about our property and socialisation activities.
We recent went live with these gorgeous puppies on Facebook, watch the gorgeous puppies and hear all about our property and socialisation activities. See under the video for some happy snaps with the puppies (and when they’re tired after playtime!
