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The Herby Hound

Helping dog owners feel more confident with natural first aid 🌿

Home of the Natural Dog First Aid Academy
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15/10/2026

The little things are worth noticing 🐾

There are so many funny little things our dogs do that we think we'll remember forever.

The peculiar way they ask for dinner, the place they always choose to sleep, or the look of utter disbelief when you open the fridge and don't offer them anything.

And then there are those ridiculous routines they've invented that make perfect sense to them, even if the rest of us haven't got a clue what's going on. 😂

Perhaps your dog has a toy they've ignored for six months but suddenly can't live without. Or they've decided that breakfast should be served at precisely 7.03 am, and anything later is a serious failure on your part.

It's funny how these little things become such a normal part of everyday life that we barely notice them after a while.

But I've been thinking about this quite a lot recently, particularly while working on 𝗔 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗴. There are things about Storm that I remember so clearly, and others that I wish I'd thought to write down at the time.

It's surprising how the little details can become hazy over the years, even when you think you'll never forget them.

So here's something I'd love you to try this week. Find a scrap of paper, open the notes on your phone or grab a notebook and write down just one funny little thing your dog does.

It could be the peculiar noise they make when they're impatient, their favourite sleeping position or the elaborate performance they go through before agreeing to go for a walk.

Or perhaps it's something they've trained YOU to do, without you ever realising you were being trained in the first place. Dogs are remarkably good at that. 😂

It only needs to be a sentence or two, but I think you'll be rather glad you wrote it down one day.

What's one little thing your dog does that is so completely them?

14/10/2026

The herbal tea your dog doesn't have to drink!

When I mention making herbal tea for dogs, I suspect quite a few people imagine presenting their dog with a lovely cup of chamomile and waiting for them to appreciate the effort.

Good luck with that!

But herbal infusions can be useful for all sorts of things, and your dog doesn't necessarily have to drink them.

Take calendula, for example.

Those lovely orange and yellow flowers are traditionally used in herbal skin care, and a simple calendula infusion can make a gentle rinse for healthy skin that needs a bit of freshening up.

All you need is a teaspoon of dried calendula flowers and about 250 ml of freshly boiled water.

Pop the flowers into a heatproof jug, pour over the water, cover and leave for around 10 - 15 minutes. Strain thoroughly and allow it to cool completely.

You can then use a clean cloth dipped in the infusion to gently wipe a small area of intact skin, keeping it well away from the eyes.

Make it fresh, use it promptly and throw away any leftovers. And if your dog has broken skin, persistent redness, swelling or obvious discomfort, it's time to find out what's causing it rather than simply reaching for a herb.

It's such a simple preparation, but I think that's one of the nicest things about learning to use herbs. You begin to realise how much you can do with just a few ingredients and a little know-how.

And there's no need to persuade your dog to sit politely with a teacup. Which, frankly, is a relief!

Have you ever made a herbal rinse for your dog?

14/10/2026

Fancy a little peek inside 𝗔 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗴? 🐾🌿

I've been telling you about the book I'm working on, so I thought it was about time I showed you a couple of the actual pages!

On the left is 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗨𝗽 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝗵, a simple rosemary preparation from the Spring section for those occasions when your dog could do with a freshen-up, but neither of you fancies the whole bath business!

On the right is 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗺𝗻?, where we explore some of the plants and berries appearing in the hedgerows. And we don't just admire them! We'll also be making a couple of useful seasonal recipes with some of what we find.

These are just two little examples of what's going into the book. There are also pages for recording your dog's funny habits, favourite things, routines, health observations and all those little details you think you'll remember forever.

I'm bringing together practical seasonal dog care, useful herbs and somewhere lovely to keep a record of life with your dog.

There's still plenty to do, but I'm getting rather excited about seeing it all come together!

What do you think of this little sneak peek? 🐾

13/10/2026

Does your dog have a favourite person for different jobs?

I've come to the conclusion that Emmylou has a very definite system for deciding which of us she prefers, and it changes throughout the day!

First thing in the morning, she's a Mummy's girl. I'm clearly the most important person in her world, and everything is as it should be.

Then Kris and I start getting dressed, and suddenly I've been demoted.

She becomes a complete Daddy's girl, trying to sit on Kris and demanding a tummy rub. Apparently, getting dressed is a perfectly reasonable time to have a greyhound draped across you.

During the day, she's fairly democratic. We're both acceptable, depending on who's doing something interesting, who's available for attention and, I suspect, who's closest to the food.

But when bedtime comes around, she's back to being a Mummy's girl because she sleeps with me.

So, as far as I can work out, Kris is in charge of the morning tummy-rub department, I'm responsible for mornings and overnight accommodation, and we share general duties during office hours!

And it got me wondering whether other dogs do this.

Do yours have different favourite people for different things?

Perhaps one person is responsible for walks, another for cuddles, and somebody else is only worth approaching when there's food involved.

I'd love to know how the jobs are divided up in your house. And, more importantly, did you get any say in the matter? 😂🐾

13/10/2026

𝗜'𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗜'𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺. 🐾

It's called 𝗔 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗴, and I can't tell you how excited I am about this one!

I've been working away on it for a while now, and the more I put together, the more I think about how much I would have loved something like this when Storm was younger.

It's a book you can keep beside you throughout the year, with space to record all those little things about your dog that make them who they are.

And I don't just mean the sensible stuff, although there's plenty of that too!

I'm talking about their funny habits, favourite places, peculiar little routines and the foods they absolutely adored until the day they suddenly decided they wouldn't touch them again!!

There'll be practical care information, seasonal things to look out for, useful herbs and simple preparations, along with plenty of space for photographs, notes and all those little observations you make along the way.

One of the things I've realised since losing Storm is how much I wish I'd written down.

I remember so many things about him, of course, but there are little details I'd love to revisit now. When did he start doing that funny thing? What was his favourite place to sleep that summer? When did I first notice a particular change?

At the time, you think you'll remember it all. And then the years go by, and some of those little details become a bit hazy.

That's really where the idea for 𝗔 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗴 came from.

I'm creating an undated, seasonal book that combines useful everyday dog care with somewhere to record the ordinary, funny, occasionally ridiculous bits of life with your dog.

Something you can dip into whenever you fancy, add to as the seasons change and enjoy looking back through in years to come.

I've still got plenty of work to do before it's finished, but I'm enjoying creating it so much that I thought it was about time I told you what I've been up to!

I'll share a few little peeks as I go along. And I really hope you'll love it as much as I'm loving putting it together!

12/10/2026

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻'𝘁.

Have you ever walked into a room and found your dog staring at something?

Not barking. Not growling. Just staring.

Naturally, you look too.

And there's absolutely nothing there.

So you look again, because your dog is clearly convinced that something deserves their full attention.

Still nothing.

At this point, you're beginning to wonder whether you need an electrician, an exterminator or a priest!

But dogs are remarkably good at noticing tiny changes in their surroundings.

A faint sound from outside, a smell drifting through an open window, a mouse moving behind a wall or even an object that's been moved from its usual place can catch their attention.

Their hearing and sense of smell give them information that we simply don't have.

And although it's tempting to dismiss some of their strange little behaviours, I think they're worth paying attention to.

Not because every stare means something important, but because noticing what's normal for your dog makes it easier to recognise when something genuinely changes.

Does your dog suddenly avoid a particular room? Are they unusually interested in one corner of the garden? Have they started reacting to a sound you've never noticed?

Sometimes there's a perfectly ordinary explanation.

Sometimes you'll never find out.

And sometimes you'll discover that the dog has been listening to a mouse having a party behind the kitchen cupboards while you've been happily watching television!! True story!

Has your dog ever alerted you to something you hadn't noticed?

I'd love to hear what they discovered!

12/10/2026

Your Dog Doesn't Know It's An Emergency. 🐾

Imagine your dog has just hurt themselves.

You've spotted something wrong, you're trying to work out what's happened, and suddenly there are about fourteen different thoughts running through your head.

Should I touch it? Should I clean it? Do I need to do something straight away? Is this serious? Where's the first-aid kit? And why, of all the possible moments, has the dog decided that now would be a good time to wander off?!

Meanwhile, your dog has absolutely no idea that you're trying to make an important decision.

They might be frightened, uncomfortable, wriggling about or simply wondering why you're behaving so strangely.

And that's something I think we sometimes forget when we talk about dog first aid.

We're usually concentrating on the injury or the problem itself. But there's another part to it, and that's how we manage the situation while we're working out what needs to happen next.

Can you get your dog somewhere safe? Can you keep them reasonably still without making things worse? Can you have a proper look without forcing them to tolerate something painful? And do you know when it's better to stop investigating and get veterinary help?

None of those things requires a cupboard full of herbs.

But they're all part of being prepared.

It's also one of the reasons I created the 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆. Yes, we learn about herbs and useful preparations, but I want people to understand the practical side of first aid too.

Because knowing how to make a lovely calendula compress is one thing.

Trying to apply it to a dog who's decided they're having absolutely none of your nonsense is quite another!

First aid isn't just about what you use. It's also about what you do.

And sometimes those first few decisions are the most important ones.

If you'd like to learn more about the 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝘆, the link is in my bio.

11/10/2026

Why does your dog suddenly stop and sniff the air?

Have you ever been walking along when your dog suddenly stops, lifts their head, and sticks their nose into the air?

Not sniffing the ground.
Not investigating a tree.
Just standing there, nose twitching, apparently smelling something that doesn’t exist.

Meanwhile, you’re wondering whether they plan to move again before Christmas!

Dogs don’t just follow scents along the ground. They also pick up smells carried on the air, sometimes from surprisingly far away.

Wind direction, temperature, and moisture can all affect how scent travels, so while you’re looking at a perfectly ordinary bit of park, your dog may be picking up another animal, food cooking nearby, or something interesting happening well beyond where you can see.

Next time they do it, have a quick look at the breeze.

Are they facing into it?
Do they turn their head slightly from side to side?

They may be working out where that interesting smell is coming from.

You probably won’t ever know exactly what they’ve detected, which is slightly annoying when you’ve been standing there for three minutes while they read the invisible news.

But I do think it’s fascinating how much information dogs can gather from a place that looks completely unremarkable to us.

So next time your dog stops and sticks their nose in the air, give them a moment.

They’re probably finding out something you haven’t got a clue about!!

10/10/2026

Some of the most interesting ones grow where nobody planted them. There's always something wonderful growing if you take the time to look.

10/10/2026

The Three-Cup Challenge 🐾

Here's a little game to try with your dog this weekend. You don't need any fancy enrichment toys, and you probably have everything you need sitting in your kitchen cupboard.

All you need are three sturdy cups or small bowls and a few of your dog's favourite treats.

Put the cups upside down on the floor, with a treat hidden under just one of them. Let your dog watch you hide it, then encourage them to find the right cup.

At first, make it ridiculously easy. You can even leave the treat partly visible so they understand what they're supposed to be doing.

When your dog noses or paws at the correct cup, lift it up and let them have their prize.

Once they've got the hang of that, try hiding the treat while they're looking away, or moving the cups a little further apart.

The interesting thing is that your dog isn't just using their nose. They're also working out how the game works, remembering where they've seen you put things and learning that their actions can make something happen.

Some dogs will carefully sniff every cup.

Others will enthusiastically knock all three over and consider the problem solved. 😂

Either approach is likely to tell you something about your dog's preferred method of investigation!

Keep the sessions short, use cups your dog can't swallow or break, and supervise the game. If your dog gets frustrated, make it easier rather than turning it into an exam.

And if you've got a particularly enthusiastic dog, you might want to use something heavier than plastic cups. Otherwise, you could be playing three-cup bowling instead.

Give it a go this weekend and see how your dog tackles it. I'd love to know whether you've got a careful detective or a complete hooligan. 😂🐾

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