GM News - May 2026

We hope life with your dog/s is going well and that you enjoy GM-News edition 78!

Amanda, David, & Ruth
Gentle Modern School of Dog Training

Top Tip One

A bouquet of flowers is a lovely gift for Mum on Mother's Day.
Common orchids are one of the safest houseplants and cut flowers for pets.
To protect Mum's pets, aim to steer clear of :

Chrysanthemums - vomiting, diarrhea if eaten, and skin irritation if touched by dogs
Peonies - vomiting and diarrhea
Lilies - gastrointestinal upset in dogs (toxic to cats)

Check out Petzyo's Dog-Safe Flower Giving Guide for Mother’s Day

Top Tip Two

Tom Candy reviews the importance of sleep - the impact of poor sleep on behaviour, and good sleep's vital role in canine wellbeing - in Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

". . . insufficient or fragmented sleep is associated with lower frustration tolerance, heightened reactivity and anxiety, reduced reward sensitivity, and slower progress in behaviour change."
"Unlike humans, dogs are polyphasic sleepers . . . they sleep on and off during the day rather than experiencing one large period of sleep overnight. . . . The average amount of sleep . . . between 26-31% of the daytime and 60-70% of the night."
"Caregivers may also need to set up areas to encourage good rest, thinking about things like various bedding options, allowing the dog to choose between curling up and lying completely stretched out, different heights of bedding, and beds in a quiet area, particularly if the household is busy." (Check out Harriet Alexander's review of dog bed styles)

Top Tip Three

If you live alone, consider making a card that you can put in your wallet or purse to alert emergency services to your pet/s if you are incapacitated.
(Image source - Pinterest)

Body Language - The dry shake off

We've seen our dogs shake off water after a bath or a swim, but what about when they perform the same action when they're completely dry? This shake typically marks a transition in emotional state. You might see your dog do the shake after an intense bout of play, or a tense greeting, or zoomies.

Krisztina Harasztosi dives deep on the shake off in Reinforcement of Shake-off Behaviour in Dogs to Support Emotional Regulation

Your reward for reading to the end . . .

An anonymous developer celebrates their dog Viggo via the medium of small, charming pixel art animations: "A collection of tiny moments about everything my dog loves"