Hozho is a term that refers to a concept found in Navajo Native American culture that refers to an interconnectedness between beauty, harmony and goodness in all things physical and spiritual that results in health and well-being for all things and beings.

Many mainstream and traditional approaches to caring for the dogs that live with us, do not consider the whole dog when treating ailments or health conditions. They simply treat, or in most cases, mask the symptoms rather than dealing with the root cause.

Sadly, dog guardians are generally only forced to explore nutrition, diet and wellbeing when health issues arise, however it is so hard to know what to do for the best as there is so much conflicting advice out there! From our vets, Google searches, Facebook groups or your friendly neighbour who fixed that issue with their dog using x, y or z, it can feel like a minefield!

Many dog guardians are also becoming concerned about the overuse of vaccines, pharmaceuticals and medications and the potential impact they are having on their dog, their own health and the environment.

Please remember, I am not a vet and I will never advise you to stop using any treatments. My role is to simply facilitate and support your own journey of discovery by presenting another side to the story, so you can make decisions based on what aligns with your values and beliefs. 

Learning to become an advocate for your dog and their unique needs is one of the greatest gifts you can give them and by working together we can suppawt your dog to have more life in their years!

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” 
~ Abraham Lincoln

Every dog, guardian and their circumstances will be different so there is no 'one size fits all' solution to nutrition and wellbeing, however, if you choose to work with me, I can create a tailored nutrition and wellbeing plan specifically for your dog. 

Working with your dog’s individual energetics and looking at them as a whole through a lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine, my approach is based upon the following:

- Hippocrates once said "All disease begins in the gut" and this is true for our dogs too. The plans I create all focus on healing the delicate gut lining and supporting a diverse and healthy balance within the gut microbiome

- Feeding a fresh, whole food diet (either raw or lightly cooked). Not only is this species appropriate, it will also support a healthy microbiome. Lightly cooked recipes are created using the Animal Diet Formulator software and are balanced to FEDIAF guidelines

- Using whole food or carefully selected, dog safe supplements and herbs to support  health & wellbeing

- Understanding that there are no 'quick fixes' when it comes to healing long term conditions such as skin or GI issues, time and patience are key

- Limiting exposure to toxins within the home and wider environment

- Using natural and holistic alternatives for flea/tick and worming

- Titre testing before annual ‘booster’ vaccinations

- When necessary, recommending additional testing either through your vet, or via those that you can do at home (a yeast test for example) to gain a better understanding of what is going on for your dog to better create their individual plan

- To work alongside your vet and when necessary, build a 'team' of other professionals to work with your dog, depending on their specific individual needs for example; a canine osteopath, a behaviourist or holistic vet

A note on training methods
I appreciate that this is an emotive topic for many within the dog training world, but my belief is that aversive training methods (including prong & e-collars) are harmful 
and my plans are not suited to those that may be using them, for the following reasons:

- They create stress within our dog's bodies and as such, it will impact their gut microbiome, which can lead to further dysbiosis (imbalance). There is now mounting evidence that the gut microbiome plays a critical role in behaviour

- The effect the stress can have upon the vagus nerve which is responsible for maintaining and regulating many bodily systems and processes including heart rate, digestive system, immune response and mood

- 80% of behaviour changes are as a result of pain and the impact of these tools upon dogs who may already experiencing pain should not be ignored. This is especially relevant to the role that fascia plays within our dog's body. Fascia is the connective tissue that holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fibre and muscle in place and when stressed it tightens up, which can be detrimental to other systems within the body

- The impact of aversive approaches on the dog/guardian relationship should not be overlooked either