From lazy days in the private pool, sunbathing along the riverbank or setting off on an adventure with one of the hiking trails they offer, you can enjoy them all!

 Burkei is located about an hour to two hours outside of Pretoria/Johannesburg. They offer five self-catering cottages that sleeps 4-8 people depending on the cottage you book. Each unit has it’s own private pool, braai area and more.

The hike is one of the easier ones however not suited for newbie hikers still building their fitness or young dogs still growing. The walk is in the sun with no shade unless you’re walking through the cave itself. For this reason, make sure to pack enough water for you and your dogs especially in the warmer months.

The trail is 9 – 13km, depending on which guide is leading you. There is a dam about 3km before the finish where you can have a braai and relax a little. The water is a good end to a sunny hike for water loving dogs.

There are many reasons a dog might behave aggressively. Most commonly, it is a result of fear. A dog behaving aggressively likely wants to increase distance between itself and whatever the scary thing is. More distance means that the dog feels safer, and safety is a basic need we all have.

Aggression is rarely down to just one reason and as such, not only the dog, but also its history and environment need to be taken into consideration to change or reduce aggressive behaviour.

Dogs may need crate rest or room rest to recover from surgery and/or injury. The main aim of this is to limit any over-exciting activity which could be detrimental to recovery.

This can be a stressful time for dogs and owners alike. Such situations may be especially challenging for puppies or very young, high-energy dogs. One way to make the recovery period less frustrating and stressful is to include enrichment in your dog’s daily routine. Including it at the same times every day can also increase effectiveness.

How we view our dogs is so important and it can have a great impact on the relationship and life we have with our dogs. If we can retrain our own brains, it will not only benefit us but also our dogs. We can and should become proactive about our dog’s behaviour. Noticing the good behaviours will likely prevent a lot of bad behaviours from developing.

A few advantages of SMART x50 are that it is perfect for dogs with shorter attention spans. It is also suitable for dogs that have received training before AND also dogs that have not learned any cues. It avoids frustration that might happen during training and allows our dogs to make good choices on their own.