A common complaint from owners who are training their dogs in the real world is they don’t get the same results they see when training at home or in a class.

Why should you?

When we’re stepping out into the real world we’re making focusing, problem solving and listening MUCH harder for our dogs – whether they’re young or old.

Be sure to take 5 or 10 minutes out of a walk to stop in a quiet area to practise the exercises you’re working on. When training in a class, or at home there’s a good chance the distractions you’re working with are consistent and not changing very much or at all. This is key to teaching your dogs the foundations and basics to the exercise you want to work on them with.
Whether that’s Lead Work, Recall, Sit-Stays and much more. You need to have invested heavily in each exercise before it can begin to work reliably when you’re on the move.

Being on the move means that your dog is being constantly refreshed with new distractions. Smells, sights & sounds! This is big, Dog’s are inquisitive creatures that notice EVERYTHING.

This means when we’re throwing lots of information their way,, offering them problems to solve, behaviours to perform it’s easy for that to fall on the wayside in favour of novelty or something that might be perceived as a threat.

It’s why we Trainers waffle on about the importance of training regularly at home to begin with. You’re investing in a behaviour so when you absolutely need it to work your dog isn’t thinking “What does he want me to do again?”

We want our Dog to think “I’ve done that! I know that! I LOVE that!”

Once you’ve invested time at home training a behaviour, find a quiet place on your walks to stop and take time to train there. It could be a Carpark, a quiet part of the park or a tennis court (which you conveniently ignore the “No Dogs” sign on). Taking these important steps can be integral to you and your dog succeeding and will allow you to start putting things on the move gradually.

The post Stop & Train appeared first on Dogs Behaving Gladly.

Let’s face it, we as humans are pretty switched off at times. We’ve created a whole heap of noise, smells, big, small and fast moving things in this world – Something which many of us have become completely desensitized to over our many years on this planet. Furthermore, we get a full explanation and understanding of why things are so smelly, fast or noisy meaning we often find it easier to cope, tolerate and accept life the way it is.

• We can walk down a busy road and be blissfully unaware of numerous cars zipping past, including huge buses and lorries chucking out fumes we barely smell and all we think about is the inconvenience of crossing the road.
• Enter a busy park with lots of other excitable dogs, crazy-nutter children, speeding bikes and stinky picnics and all we think to ourselves is “Blimey, I hope we can find a space to set up our own Picnic blanket!”
• Embark on a walk with high winds, heavy rainfall or even just at night and our biggest worry is keeping our glasses dry so we don’t walk face first into a lamp-post (it only happened once!)

The point being, there’s a lot in this world that we’re completely switched off from. Now…

Take a young animal that hasn’t been in this world for a very long time, some of them might have fantastic hearing due to their fantastically fantastic ears. Or maybe a super sniffy nose which has been bred for hundreds of years to be able to find the faintest of smells. Better yet, incredibly keen eyesight that picks up every movement, capable of catching little rodents or anticipating the movement of livestock.

These little individuals are your dog!

The poor blighters have been thrust into a human world with zero explanation for any of it and many of whom have heightened senses beyond our imagine. Enter a state of overstimulation…

If you’ve ever been on a walk with your pup and been at the mercy and frustration of them

– Barking at you

– Barking at others

– Zooming in circles whilst you hold on for dear life

– Excessive jumping up/Pulling

– Lead/ Ankle/Sleeve biting

– Erratic and completely unfocused

– Sitting/lying and refusing to move

– Suddenly refusing food

– Crunching, chewing sticks or anything they can get their teeth on

The list goes on…

Our pups are looking to cope, and often behaviours that are described as bad behaviour can easily be signs that our pups are struggling in a situation. I LOVE teaching my clients about constructing their walks to reduce overstimulation and to keep pups at a point where they can learn and process the world at their own pace.

Many of our working breeds can find this particularly difficult but it’s our job to steer them through this world so they make it to adulthood as happily as possible. Happy Dog = Happy Owner.

Stopping overstimulation entirely is an unreasonable expectation to make of yourselves, but helping Pups to cope, picking up on early signs are an absolute game changer. When walking try these handy tips to avoid overstimulation.

• Cling to the edges of an environment where bushes, long grass and trees can help to get your dog sniffing and not watching outwards too much.
• Use a longer lead or longline to allow your dog to move and sniff in a more relaxed way.
• If approaching busy areas try to provide yourself with space so as not to over-expose
• If you see your dog starting to struggle and you can’t remove them from the situation take a handful of tasty treats and scatter them around your dog to search for. (It’s a good idea to practice this outside of these situations so it works when you need it. “Find it!”)
• Mix up your walk and take note of your dogs behaviour in different environments/surfaces etc. (Not all pups are the same!)
• Practise settling and sitting down in areas so you and your dog can take stock of surroundings and take a little time out. You might even want to take a tasty chew with you for this time.
• Take a break for a while from areas you may have stress in at the moment and just focus on enjoying your walks. There’s no rush!

Puppies and adolescent dogs (Bloody Teenagers!) often suffer the most at the hands of Overstimulation – simply because they’ve yet to mature and have little experience. Guide them through life and you’ll have a dog who in adulthood can cope with the life we humans have created. It’s important that we keep our own stress and frustration levels down so we can help our dogs out instead of lose patience and temper with them. Remember, your dog is a product of his/her environment and that includes you too!

If this feels like your pup and you’d like help achieving calmer walks, don’t be afraid to get in touch!

The post It’s All Very Stimulating appeared first on Dogs Behaving Gladly.

Grooming can be a huge part of a dog’s life. If you hadn’t noticed (I hope to god you have noticed) but our pups are covered in quite a lot of fur!

For our longer or curlier coated pups this can mean grooming visits as regular as every 4 weeks can be necessary for some dogs. Regardless of how often your Pup might need to visit the groomer, the reality is, if they WILL be, two things are important.

1. Your dog likes the Groomer!

The Groomer you choose needs to have a great relationship with your dog. They’re going to be doing some noisy, invasive things to your pup and will be spending quite some time in their personal space. It’s far better that they know and trust this human being, rather than it be someone they’ve never met before.

2. Your Dog is comfortable with the process.

Grooming for a dog that hasn’t had time to get used to and tolerate it can be extremely stressful. This isn’t pleasant for your dog, and it isn’t pleasant for the Groomer either – Let’s be honest, we only really care about the dog though, right? (I hope my Wife doesn’t read this)

Finding the right Groomer for you and your dog is key. As an unregulated industry there is a completely mixed bunch, many of whom don’t recommend Pups go in for grooms until the dog is 6 months +.

This of course is absolutely bonkers!

Pups need multiple mini-sessions during which they can form a positive relationship with the Groomer, The Salon, The Bath, Dryer, Clippers, Scissors and other equipment.

If the Groomer you’re looking at doesn’t offer these sessions, find another that does. One that will take it slow and steady at the pace your pup needs. Have a good chat with your new Groomer as it’s likely you and your dog will be seeing this person for the rest of your dog’s life.

Be sure your Groomer will teach you how to maintain your dog’s coat at home and will give you constructive feedback on it too – Where your dog needs more brushing, or if your technique needs work.

If you’re after local recommendations for your area, get in touch. If you can make the trip to Castle Vale to get your dog groomed with Sammy (My Wife), you absolutely should do. She’s fantastic, patient and kind and will support you and your pup through what is a lifetime of grooming for many of your dogs.

The post The Importance of Puppy Grooms appeared first on Dogs Behaving Gladly.

If you’re unsure of what chews to pick for your pup, just get in touch to discuss.

Surviving Christmas Day

( If you’d like to skip, learning about WHY your dog is so bonkers around guests and would like rough guide to making life easier scroll down. But if you want the best out of your dog, read it all!)

Christmas day without a dog can be a fairly stressful day for some, what with preparing unholy amounts of food, ensuring the kids presents are stacked under the tree and playing host to numerous amounts of family members. When you add a dog into this equation it’s easy for things to be just a tad more stressful.

This guide will help you to understand, plan and manage your pooch whether you’re going to be hosting Christmas this year or visiting others with your pup. Whether you’ve had difficult Christmas days with your dog before or this is their first – it’s likely to be a big change of routine for your pup. They may be nervous around guests or just absolutely over the moon that people are arriving. For your dog there might be a lot of jumping up to be done, pinching of food off the side or running off with the kids new toys. Either way your pup is likely to be up against it and naturally as with any situation that involves us getting behaviour of our dogs that WE want –the responsibility falls to us.

If you’ve not heard me say it before, then clearly you’ve not ready many of my other articles, (what are you waiting for!?)

Set Your Dog Up For Success!

What does that mean exactly?

It means if you put them in a situation they were likely to fail in, likely to get told off for, likely to embarrass you in, there’s only one person to blame – your other half!

Setting our dogs up for success is the not-so-secret way to getting all of your training achievements. By managing and adjusting their environment we make them far more likely to succeed. So what does that mean for Christmas?

Whenever I’m going into a household with a dog that gets hyped by a guests entrance, I first look at the predictors, the events leading up to jumping all over that guest. Here’s some common ones for you to peruse below.

1. The Dreaded Doorbell/Knocker

This is usually the first thing your dog hears before the chaos ensues. That lovely little chime that you selected for the family to let you know visitors calling so you could break out the best china and posh biscuits is now a noise that terrifies you and fills you with dread. “SOMEONE GET THE DOG!”

It’s at this point that your dog goes from relaxed and chilling on the sofa to DEFCON Banana-Crazy. It’s the first indicator that a new best friend will soon be setting foot in the house, it’s enough to wag your tail off.

2. Human Behaviour Changes

Shouting for the dog to be put somewhere, heading for the door. Nobody knows your body language better than the dog and like most humans you’re as predictable as a Spaniel in a Pigeon Park. You’ll say the same things, walk and open the door in much the same way EVERYTIME.

All further information to your dog that someone very soon is going to be setting foot in the house!

3. The Chorus of “Hiya’s, Hey’s, Hello’s & How Are Ya’s!”

Predictability strikes again! This is music to your dogs ears, they’ve heard the door handle and they can hear those voices too. They’ll be in any moment!

4. The Dreaded Hallway

It’s here that your dog may get access to the guests coming in. They may be excited to see your dog or a little overwhelmed by the 30kg + Labrador/Springy Cockapoo (Other breeds are available and certainly just as excitable). Their response to push your dog away or rile them up with a high pitch greeting only serves to make this choke point in your house all the more difficult for your dog to control any part of their body.

At this point, your dog’s a mess. They’re goo, the brain has turned to mush and the impulses and routine takes over. Cue 30+ minutes of diving on the guests trying to get their attention whilst you apologise profusely as your dog just completely embarrasses you and couldn’t give a monkey’s about your attempts to get control of them. Each predicting event which may have been learnt over time fills your dog with more anticipation, more arousal.

Now that’s just a normal day when guests are coming over – pair that with Christmas day when the number of guests can double/triple, the house is completely different to usual and there’s been a morning of exciting and novel experiences like presents being opened etc.

Christmas day is hard… hard for you, hard for your dog and hard for you guests.

So what can we do short term to give everyone a better, calmer experience?

How do we set our dogs up for success at Christmas?

Management

Control and Management is key with any behaviour. If our dog has access to the behaviours we don’t like and their motivated to do them, that behaviour will likely be reinforced. That means it’ll happen again!

By controlling and managing our dog we can put a stop to this. Gates, Pens, crates and popping your dog on a lead for sometimes just the first 30 – 60 minutes can mean your dog isn’t being fuelled by having access to your guests and getting excited or frustrated by jumping at them and not getting them rolling on the floor like they used to when they were a pup. It may be necessary throughout the visit to use management on and off if you can see excitement is rearing its head again.

Managing Frustration Levels

Using physical barriers and restrictions can cause large amounts of frustration, which aren’t going to always help us in these situations. Providing your pup with scatter fed food in the garden, Kongs, Lickimats and long lasting chews can help to take the focus off the guest. Again you might want to use this intermittently across the day as activities change. (Present opening, mealtimes and family games etc.)

Position Your Guests Well

My eyes often light up when I see bar stools in a person’s kitchen, and it’s not because it’s great for their Feng Shui. Sitting up higher can often separate your guests away from pups a little more providing them with less opportunity to land themselves directly in the visitors lap or giving them access to ears to stick a tongue in. If you don’t have taller seating like this, sitting at a dining table or asking guests to stand is often a better place for them to be than sat on the sofa where your dog has free access to ALL of the guest. Once things have calmed down, you’ll be able to move around more, but remember that first 30 minutes are when the guest is most novel and exciting to your dog.

Sleep & Rest

Ensuring your pup has had enough sleep the day/night before and gets as much as they would normally do throughout Christmas day is important. Much like us, our dogs are better at processing and making good choices with the right amount of rest.

Start With A Walk?

If your schedule allows it, going for a walk with the guests can be a great way for your dog to get comfortable and relaxed with visitors by providing them with the distraction of the park. This removes all those exciting predictors around the front door too. We’re not trying to exhaust your dog, simply remove focus from guests and expel any extra energy your dog might have.

Take A Deep Breath

Your dog will likely be aware that your behaviour changes round guests, it’s often a contributor to how our dogs are around guests. If we’re getting cross, shouting and punishing our dogs when guests are about it can add fuel to a fire. If your pup is struggling to control his or herself, look at your management and try to understand how difficult it is for them!

There’s a lot to get right and it may go wrong a little bit. Every household I visit to help with behaviour around guests needs a slightly different approach based on number of people, size of the dog, layout of the house and the ability of the owner.

Below I’ve provided a rough guide that can help to make life around getting guests or at another’s house easier for this Christmas. You may only want to use some of it or try all of it.

Step 1.

Disable your doorbell, or tape the knocker shut. Remember what this does to your dog and in the short term it’s  not doing you any favours. Let all your guests know that they need to message/ring in advance that they’re nearby.

Step 2.

Upon their arrival, ensure the dog is blissfully unaware and give them a task they might enjoy elsewhere. My go to is often to scatter some dinner/treats in the garden for them to search for.

Step 3.

Ask guests to come in quietly and calmly and run them through the next steps. If your guests are likely to excite your dog and ignore the instructions you give them it may be necessary to lie. Tell them your dog is training to be a therapy dog and therefore MUST learn to be calm around people. It can be the motivation they need to get on board! (If they ask in a few years why your dog never made it as a therapy dog, just change the subject quickly).

Step 4.

Pop guests in high up chairs, at dining tables before bringing your dog through. Ideally, your dog will have been occupied outside or away for at least 10 – 15 minutes.

Step 5.

If gates/pens aren’t being used, pop your pup on lead before coming in the house so they can’t immediately go up to them. It’s at this point I’m going to give my dog their second job to do. A long lasting chew or Kong that’ll last 20-30 minutes at least will help to take the focus off the visitors whilst your dog gets used to their presence.

Step 6.

If your dog is showing signs of calm and relaxation you may be ready to provide them with more freedom and access to your guests. Know your dog! If you think they’re capable of making mistakes, don’t give them opportunity. It can be a good idea to leave a line/lead on your dog for interim management.

Remember, this is a rough guide to helping your dog behave differently around guests on a short term basis. I often adjust and change it for the individual and nobody knows your dog better than you. If visiting another house with your dog, you may want to take a travel crate with you, or now and again pop your dog on lead. Be sure to ask your host if they’re comfortable with you providing chews or food in the garden. Be especially careful if your host has a dog too and avoiding any competition around food/high value chews and treats.

Similar management and help for your dog can be effective and necessary around other parts of the big day. If there’s food on the side and the dog has access, don’t be surprised if they swipe a sausage or too. Dogs generally in busy kitchens aren’t the best idea, especially when the chef is under THAT much pressure.

If you’re lacking long lasting chews, or enrichment toys like Kongs and Westpaws the news is good. By using the code SANTAPAWS (available until 22/12/21) you’ll get free Local Delivery on any orders AND some free Roast Venison for your pup. So what are you waiting for, they’ll be delivered just in time for Christmas!

If you’re unsure of what chews to pick for your pup, just get in touch to discuss.

If you’ve found this advice useful and would like to work on an on going, long term way to help your pup to be calmer around guests get in touch to talk about training in the New Year.

The post Surviving Christmas Day appeared first on Dogs Behaving Gladly.

Working Dogs, maybe you have one? Maybe you’re not sure or you don’t even know the difference. This article will give you an insight into what is meant by the term “working line” and why it’s worth have a gist of what this means for you and your dog.

At some point in history as we humans domesticated and bred dogs for our needs, most dogs would have fit a purpose or job required by their owners. Whether that was herding, hunting, pulling or guarding. Dogs started their lives with us  by being useful and we, like the opportunistic creatures that we are capitalized and built upon that. By selectively breeding from the dogs that showed the traits that best suited the job required of them we created breeds which could do much of this job without training. Think of the Collie which herds and assembles all its tennis balls in one spot, The Pointer which stops dead in its tracks and lifts a paw towards a duck or even The Labrador that carries a toy or stick around just for the sheer joy of it.

Dogs spent a long time being useful to their owners, providing a service if you will – and they were VERY good at it. Behaviours and traits which were and are wired into their very DNA meaning they could fulfil the role needed easily and with less training required. As we humans began to breed our dogs for aesthetics, appearance as a hobby many of these traits would begin to fade away as they weren’t selected for. However breeding for appearance doesn’t selectively decide which behaviour we get as a result meaning those working traits can still exist in many dogs. But we certainly have a better chance with our “Show-Line” dog that we’re getting a dog who may be easier to shape into “Pet Life”.

But we’re here to talk about Working Dogs, particularly Working Dogs fitting into a “Pet Life”.

Is it possible?

Absolutely!

Is it difficult?

Absolutely!

Dogs are wonderfully flexible creatures, it’s how they became the way they are, but we must remember how they got to where they are and what we as humans have created.

Your Working Dog is hardwired to do a very specific job.

They’re designed to think fast

Always respond to an opportunity/stimulation (They literally can’t say no, we made them that way!)

To keep going, regardless of fatigue (The last thin you want is your Working Dog kipping on the job)

To be alert (Notice everything, EVERYTHING)

To respond to sound/movement/scent (Depending on breed)

That could be The Collie that chases cars/bikes/joggers, the Spaniel which can’t stop sniffing or the Vizsla which bolts after a Squirrel.

I’ve witnessed numerous owners and dogs in these situations say much the same thing. When these situations occur, their dog loses interest in anything but that distraction. In that moment often our dogs are experiencing an desire and urge created by some very powerful Biochemistry. Think Alex The Lion in the film Madagascar. He can’t help but chase Marty The Zebra. Now that might be dumbing it down a little (a lot actually) but you’re not here for the science! You’re here to get an understanding, and maybe some answers if you’re lucky. Alex the Lion is relatable.

The reality is we’re trying to interrupt and interfere in an incredibly natural, powerful and designed behaviour which our dogs are rewarded heavily for internally. That thrill, that anticipation outweighs just about any treat you’ve got in your pockets – even the stinky fish ones which you had to keep yourself from gagging as you prepared them that day.

This is just a snippet of some of the struggles owners have with their Working Line Dogs – Many of these Pups find it difficult to switch off at home and can be biting, zoomeying, chewing and causing all kinds of terror for the whole day. Crate training isn’t essential for a working dog, but my goodness can it be exactly what they need. Creating a dark space where they can switch off from the world and all its stimulation is an absolute must. Your working-line pup will likely need more exercise and stimulation than the average Puppy (Be careful to do more low-impact sniffy walks) but they too need plenty of sleep too!

You may need to adjust your walks for your Working Pup to make sure they’re on the calmer, sniffy side. That could mean avoiding roads, busy parts of the park or small parks.

Many of the working dog group members (And there are some big groups out there) will tell you to be “firmer” with your working dog otherwise they’ll get the better of you. “Firmness” is a very vague word that gets interpreted differently by everyone. Needless to say, it doesn’t help you, nor does it help your dog.

Puppies have a hell of a journey to go through to get to adulthood and it can be even harder for our Pups who show working traits have even more to deal with. It’s our job to guide them and help them and them through this development by managing their environments carefully, keeping things positive and by exercising as much patience and confidence as we can.

If this feels familiar to you and you’d like support with your Puppy, don’t hesitate to get in touch and have a chat about how I can help you. You don’t need to be alone in your struggle!

The post Are Workers Wired Weirdly? appeared first on Dogs Behaving Gladly.

Well, I don’t know how much a nickel is worth so I’ve really no idea!

Needless to say, it’s regular occurrence.

Distractions are a huge element of teaching a dog to do anything, something which we need to give thought about. Whether that’s identifying them in the first place or learning how to work with and around them rather than be at their mercy constantly.

In training we talk about the 3 D’s of Dog Training which make any exercise more difficult for our dogs.

Distraction

Distance

Duration

This post will focus on Distraction, but it’s worth knowing in the back of your head and for the future that the other 2 will feature in your progression if you’re looking to train your dog to a decent standard. I don’t want to DISTRACT you with too many things at once though!

IF you’ve read a decent training book anytime recently you may recall that when we increase the any one of those D’s in the exercise, it’s important that we to the best of our ability decrease the other 2 D’s. This means we’re not changing the goalposts on our dog too drastically. The problem with Distractions though is we’re not always in control of the distractions around us and that can cause a few hiccups.

Distractions for your dog can come in different shapes and forms

Visual – Fast Moving Things (Cars, Bikes & Joggers), Dogs, People, Animals, Unusual Coloured/Shaped Objects

Working dogs and chasing breeds can find these incredibly difficult to work with.

Audible – Dogs Barking, High Pitched Sounds (Including human voices!), Loud Noises, Novel/Unusual Noises

Often sounds can worry and stress our dogs if they can’t see them

Weather – Too Hot, Too Cold, Rain, Snow

Whippets and Staffies are allergic to adverse weather and should under no circumstances be allowed outside during these times without at least 4 coats on

Smell – Wind, Long Grass, Dog Populated Areas, Bitches in  Heat, Livestock, Small Animal Scent, Aversive Smells – Traffic Fumes etc.

This isn’t exclusive to our Spaniels, Beagles and Scent Hounds – All dogs LOVE to sniff and quite frankly an Adolescent Male Labrador that catches the scent of a bitch in season might as well be a bull in a china shop

Internal – Growing Pains, Tired, Teething, Hormonal Changes through Development, Illness, Injury

Internal distractions are missed regularly. I see these most in Pups and Teenager dogs, they are after all going through changes. (Cue that awful song by Ozzy & Kelly Osbourne)

You’ve probably gathered by now that there’s plenty of distractions out there, and our dogs are inquisitive creatures by nature. Add on to this, that they never get an explanation as to why all these things in the world do what they do! With this in mind, how do we help our pups out and create a dog who can block out all that nonsense?

• Giving your dog more space from these distractions can often help your Puppy choose you over said distraction
• Ensure you’re using treats for training that your dog loves, you’re competing here!
• The next step after learning in class/at home isn’t Sutton Park, it’s a quiet space out the front of the house or in the park where there’s not a lot going on – build those distractions up gently
• Ask family members to distract your pup carefully during home training by moving around or interacting with something in the house
• Give your pup time to settle/relax into a new environment before asking them to work with you
• If a distraction is too intense, ask for the easiest exercises you’ve ever done with your dog. Eye contact, hand touch, Find It etc.
• Warm them up with some freebies! Much like humans, a free sample can go a long way

You may be reading this with a particular distraction or set of distractions in mind in a certain place. It’s important to remember that you train FOR that situation before you start training IN that situation. Soldiers don’t train on the battlefield, they train and learn their skills way before they’re needed under the stress of combat. Fortunately nobody’s shooting at you and your dog.

You are in control of distractions at home. As you step out of your home, you may not be in control of those distractions but you do control where you go. If you want to teach your dog it’s important that you set them up for success and take them to the appropriate places to achieve. Sometimes this can be inconvenient, but this is necessary with your objective in mind.

The post Working With Distractions – Why Your Dog Might Not Be Listening appeared first on Dogs Behaving Gladly.

I spend many a day as a trainer talking to clients about managing their expectations (Don’t feel too bad for me though, I’m rolling around the floor with Puppies on a daily basis).

People’s expectations of their dogs has changed over the years and continues to do so as our understanding of dogs increases but also as a broader dynamic of the population invites dogs into their homes (The Lockdown Puppy Boom Was VERY real).  Many owners go to the internet for their guidance and advice, or friends and “experts” in the park will be happy to throw advice at you whether you’ve asked for it or not. What results are very differing expectations of what a dog can, should or will do.

These differences of ‘opinion’ mean that often Dogs are being pushed and pulled around in a society which increasingly demands more of them – behaviours which are completely normal and natural are considered problematic, unacceptable and should be trained out of the dog. Curiously these behaviours wouldn’t be a problem if we humans weren’t in the picture – mind you I’d be out of a job then so I’m not complaining. I always preach understanding, patience and consistency to my owners – these will make your life with your Pup so much easier. Whether the problem is reactivity out on walks, stealing things around the house, puppy biting or jumping on furniture. All of these behaviours are just behaviours, behaviours which a dog chooses not through dominance, not through naughtiness, lack of respect or spite, but because of that dogs learning history, personality and everything else that makes that dog… a dog! 

“Lewis, you’re waffling on a bit here mate, just get to the point and what’s this got to do with cats!?” – I hear you say…

If you’re lucky or unlucky enough to have a cat you know that those little furry fellas do exactly what the hell they want, when they want. Whether that’s climbing up your curtains, sleeping on your face, meowing as loudly as possible at 3am in the morning or accidentally-on-purpose curling one out next to the litter tray instead of in it. And what do we do in response? We clean up after them, maybe curse a little and get on with our lives, accepting that we’ve brought this creature into our world. What we don’t do is Google our local Cat Trainer in desperation (As far as I’m aware these people don’t exist except in the form of behaviourists). The point being, we accept Cats far more for what they are than we do our dogs we’re constantly trying to  change our dogs into something they might not be. 

In some cases this is a good thing – training our dogs and building that relationship is a wonderful thing when that training is done positively with the dog in mind.

Stress and misunderstanding though often lead to us punishing, scaring or even hurting our pups all in the name of training.

The dog is no different to the cat in that all its behaviours are a complete product of what it is. Puppies will chew, nip, bite, poo, wee, steal, cry, shed hair, get muddy, traipse it all around the house and bark. Adult dogs will do much of those too (hopefully not as much as the Puppies) but there’s always a reason behind that behaviour and understanding it first is key to helping our dogs. So if your Puppy or dog is exhibiting a behaviour you don’t like and would like to work on, let’s work together to understand it, let’s take the stress out of it for you and your pup. It makes a huge difference to your approach and guarantees much more success and a better relationship with your dog. 

I firmly believe that Dogs were put on this planet to embarrass their owners – even those whose owners are Dog Trainers. With my help we can reduce that embarrassment, but sometimes you’ve just got to laugh it off too!

P.S. Cats Behaving Gladly WILL never be a thing!

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There isn’t a puppy owner in my whole client base who hasn’t at least asked about this subject. It’s most definitely the biggest pain point out there, mostly due to the actual pain it causes!

Puppy’s bite, they chew, they nip, grab and often cause bruises, and bleeding via those teeth which if you asked me could be repurposed for cutting diamonds! Whether you’re a first time owner that had no idea this is what having a Puppy was all about or you’re on your umpteenth Pup – it still can cause stress and even affect your relationship with your Pup. For me understanding is always key, if we know why, we can reduce our own conflict with the behaviour, come to terms with it and do our best to manage and change it over time. Don’t get me wrong, it hurts JUST as much when you understand it, but at least you can attempt to laugh it off through gritted teeth afterwards.

It may come as some reassurance that biting is normal, every owner is going to get a measure of it – some more than others but rest assured there’s always someone out there worse than you with a few more holes in their clothes.

Because it is normal, because this is classic Puppy behaviour I always hasten to tell my clients that I won’t stop your Puppy’s biting but I will help you to reduce it. Why? Because the biting is part of the process, part of the gauntlet that is having something THAT cute, there’s got to be downside.

Although your pup may be running around like a complete nutter and having the jumping height to get your nose or ears when you sit down, it’s important to remember that they are in fact still infants. Infants who like humans don’t yet have the life skills and the resilience to cope with the world and the emotions they are experiencing. Compared to human babies, they’re a hell of a lot more physically capable! Because Pups are so capable at such young ages we can often rush to train, teach and change them – when much of their biting is occurring through frustration, overtiredness, stress or through being overwhelmed and over stimulated.

When babies are in stress, discomfort or we see them struggling, we jump to make their life better, we drop everything to ensure they spend as little time in that state as possible (Often to have a quieter life, but mostly because as parents – that’s our job!). For myself, I take the same responsibility for my pups, they’ve been thrown into a world completely alien, without explanation for anything and that’s got to be tough. Often their biting is a product of how they’re feeling, tiredness, teething or just the world being a scary or strange place. Gnawing and biting can often help them to cope and feel better in a situation. Surely then it’s our job to help them in these situations and make that “adult” decision and find that relief for them.

Lack of Sleep?

Let’s build on routine, relaxing environments where they can switch off. Pups need around 18 hours sleep a day!

Teething?

42 Razor Sharp Teeth (And you guys are well aware of how sharp they are) pushing through their gums in a very short amount of time. Providing our pups with long lasting chews is a great output for their chewing needs.

Frustration?

Remember, our dogs never get an explanation for why the world does it what it does – this means it can be a very stressful place for our Pups. We often see sudden outbursts of biting when a Pup experiences the following;

Strong Scent

Fast Moving Objects

Loud Noises

Sudden Occurrences or Appearances

Moving Into a Wide Open Space

Strong Wind

Large Numbers of People or Dogs

Having Things Taken From Them

Large amounts of tension in the lead

Many owners after listening to my take on chewing and biting will feel a little guilty that they may have been punishing their pup during these episodes and moments. Don’t.

Goodness knows there’s a whole whirlwind of information out there for owners that conflicts with each other. Puppyhood is about helping, shaping and developing our Pups to become the happiest dog they can be in your lives. You’ll both get it wrong plenty of times but that’s what makes it so rewarding.

Have the best time with your pups and laugh off the painful, smelly and stressful stuff – because that Pup has a whole lot of love to give you in between all the biting and remember it’s just a phase that will fade providing we reduce it as much as possible.

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It’s no secret that during lockdown a lot of people took advantage of being at home and saw the opportunity in their lives to introduce a small-fluffy slug-like bag of wrinkles to the family. Do you remember that? When they slept much of the day, they couldn’t out-run you and they’d do just about anything for a little piece of chicken.

Those were the days!

Several months on, the wrinkles are gone, the training’s gone out of the window, the little nipping can be the equivalent of fighting off a small crocodile and their favourite treats only seem to work on THEIR terms!

Pups can hit adolescence as early as 6 months and for larger breeds this can continue up to 18 months.

Many of you reading this will feel like this article has been written about you and your dog – but let me reassure you, I’ve seen dozens of owners with adolescent dogs these past few months and all of them are wondering what’s happened to their dog!

For our dogs adolescence is a particularly difficult time in their development – for many this is their most difficult time for both dog and owner. Your pup is experiencing a real surge of hormones at the moment causing big changes in emotional states from day to day. Often our pups are becoming more independent, “wilful” and easily frustrated. (Is this all sounding a little familiar? It should do, whether it is/was your own children or maybe you were a terrible teen yourself!)

The key thing to remember with your pup at this stage is, they are not choosing to be difficult – this is all part of their development and as a Puppy owner this is all part of the Gauntlet that is getting your pup to adulthood!

During this time, lower your expectations do the things both you and your dog find enjoyable, relaxing. Pick the quiet, moochy walk where you see less people over the busy, frustrating road walk or the packed park where Pup might get over-aroused and over-stimulated easily.

This is not a time to push your dog, train difficult behaviours or to try to socialize them heavily. You may find your recall has all but disappeared, your loose-lead walking is anything but loose and your dogs focus is anywhere but on you. Reactivity can rear its noisy-head as your pup may begin barking and lunging at other dogs, people or just random objects on walks (Yes, we’ve all been that embarrassed owner whose dog is barking at a log, sign or a balloon). Your pup may hit the other end of the spectrum and want to spend all their time running over to other dogs and people whilst forgetting you even brought them to the park!

But do not dismay, this is a period your Pup must go through as must you. Unfortunately statistics show pups are more likely to be rehomed during this period. This is a good time to stock up on large amounts of alcohol or comfort food just to take the edge off (for human consumption only!).

For me and my owners I try to stress a key objective over these difficult Months.

Get through adolescence by avoiding coming into conflict with your pup as much as possible, pushing them into frustrating situations or setting them up for failure. That means sacrificing for a time what you had before or we’re expecting from having a dog. The real risk we run by pushing our Adolescence dogs too much is these new behaviours which our dog is showing may become learnt and stronger meaning they may remain after our dog has hit adulthood. Better to batten down the hatches now, make the right decisions for our struggling pups and come out the other end of that tunnel with as little to train out of our dogs as possible.

If you’re struggling with your dog during this difficult time and need advice or would like to seek training help, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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Escape and Avoidance – it sounds pretty serious stuff, and to your dog it very well can be. Just about every dog owner in existence has probably accidentally or unknowingly pushed their dog into a situation they’re not comfortable with, many times without incident. The key thing to remember when we put our dogs into situations is a really important, simple fact…

“Our Dog has no idea why we’re doing any of this.”

What I mean by this is, we can’t give our dogs a heads up, a warning or an understanding of why they’re in the situation they’re in. They are at the complete mercy of where we take them and what we purposefully or accidentally expose them to.

It’s no secret that the internet, books and misinformed “trainers” have pushed and encouraged socialization to a point that now we’ve got an issue with too much in some cases. Puppies and even older dogs are being chucked into situations they’re not equipped to deal with all in the name of “socialization”. They’re not given the option to move away, leave or get much in the way of relief of a social event that could’ve gone a lot more positively with a bit more consideration to giving our dogs time to settle, learn and approach at a distance. It’s likely that this big push for socialization has had an influence on the growing number of ‘reactive dogs’ that we see more and more talk of.

So what is Escape and Avoidance?

At its very base level it’s choice. We are empowering our dogs and allowing them the choice to leave if/when they begin to feel stressed or uncomfortable with a situation. That might just be a matter of creating distance so our Pup can watch from a difference or it could be completely getting out of there so we can go and rethink how to approach the issue. If our dogs believe they can move away, believe they can get relief from a stressful event by avoiding it or walking away – they may never feel the need to bark, lunge, growl, bite or any other behaviours that they may learn to use in stressful situations.

It’s very easy create these events where our dogs feel trapped, unable to escape and helpless. It’s called a lead! When we pop a lead on our dogs we immediately remove a number of choices from them and in the case we take away the option to create space. Ask the person in your family who’s scared of spiders (It might be you!)…
How would your behaviour change if you went from being in a room with a spider where the doors were unlocked and you could readily leave to a room where you’re locked in with the spider.

In the first instance, most people would just leave the room – maybe scream (I find it’s often the biggest blokes that scream the loudest)

In the second instance you might throw things at the spider, scream some more, stamp on it or even just assume the foetal position in the corner of the room.

Remove the option of escape/avoidance and behaviour will begin to change. Most animals in this world will as a default avoid conflict, avoid fearful situations where possible, even the biggest, scariest predators. Fighting is costly, and even if you win you’ll probably end up with a few battle-wounds.

So next time you’re in the park with your pup, give him/her the option of a way out always. Let them know you’ve got their back and they’ll begin to trust you to deal with situations rather than take them into their own hands. So ignore the “Expert Pillock” in the park that tells you never to pick your dog up or to “Let them sort it out”. In this situation, smile smugly, thank them for their advice and move away – you need your own escape and avoidance too!

If you’re unsure of how your dog feels at times and would like to learn about their body language so you can understand it and know when to get out of there, check out these videos below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bg_gGguwzg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4N2XvnY7Mo&list=UUUXvRAsL5Q41h-KkhbNY3_w

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