Canine Behaviour Solutions

19/05/2024

Fear in dogs is indeed a complex emotion that can be more closely associated with anticipation rather than anxiety. When a dog experiences fear, it often stems from a sense of anticipation of a threat or danger. This anticipation triggers a physiological response, preparing the dog to react in order to stay safe.

Unlike anxiety, which is more generalised and persistent, fear in dogs is often linked to specific stimuli or situations that are perceived as threatening. For example, loud noises, unfamiliar environments, or certain gestures from humans can trigger fear responses in dogs due to the anticipation of negative outcomes.

Dog behaviour experts will show that fear in dogs can be managed and even overcome through training techniques that focus on changing the dog's associations and expectations related to the perceived threats. By gradually exposing the dog to fearful stimuli in a controlled manner, dogs can learn to reframe their anticipation and reactions, leading to decreased fear responses over time.

Understanding fear in dogs as more about anticipation than anxiety can help dog owners and trainers develop effective strategies to support their pets in overcoming their fears and leading happier, more fulfilling lives.

29/04/2024

WALK AND TRAIN

The Walk and Train session is beneficial for people who have a just got a rescue dog, or puppy, or maybe require help, and want to make sure they do things right. We will visit your local walking areas where you usually walk your dog or places you will exercise them and help you read your dog’s body language or just to plan ahead to be ready for any eventuality (squirrels, deer, noisy children running towards you, joggers, cyclists etc). We show you how to manage your dogs behaviour and help your dog not react or want to engage in play or chase, we show how to get the dog to keep watch on you.
Example:
Over stimulated or over exited
Lead pulling
Barks at or lunges at other dogs/ people
Reactive to vehicles passing by
Becomes anxious when ‘new people’ approach
Does not have good recall

WALK and TRAIN is ideal for people who lack time for training on their walks with their dogs.
The session runs for an hour and costs £50.
We will give you lots of help on what to practise after the session.

Please call/msg 07379292843

23/04/2024

RESIDENTIAL TRAINING AVAILABILITY THIS SUMMER

Live in family home - no kennels, woodland walks straight from my garden.
Lots of play times along with lots of short training sessions
Visits to woodland, beaches, parks, forests, town centres all for training opportunities.
Learn all the basics or advanced obedience
Control minor behaviour issues (no reactive of aggressive dogs please).
Let your dog have a working holiday here in Hampshire

As a reactive dog specialist I prefer to work with the owner so they can see the whole process of changing thejr dog’s mindset, and learn to be confident around other dogs.My own stooge dogs to help the process.

Taking bookings for May onwards.
Great prices
7 day week @£700 per week - min 2 weeks stay
5 day week @£550 per week with home at weekend option, min 2 weeks.
4 weeks for the price of 3 weeks offer until September
Collect and delivery option
No bi***es in season
Crate trained unless young puppy who needs crate training.

Call for more info 07379292843

Working with Dog reactivity, Behaviour Modification & Canine Psychology, Rehabilitation

22/01/2024

Copied from a friend who copied from someone else. Great info!

NEW PUPPY OWNER .......
On the way of puppies to their new homes, I wanted to address a common problem breeders face with new owners.
Realistic Expectations
You see the pictures and videos of the breeder and the puppies are all social. They are quiet in the enclosure. The breeder shows you videos of them completely relaxed, happy and playful. Everything looks wonderful and you take your puppy home.
Then the reality hits. On the first few nights, the puppy may cry in the crate, leaving you tired and restless. Happy, cuddly puppy refuses to greet the half-dozen overly-excited friends you invited to see your new puppy. Or the over excited, playful children you have at home. The puppy is refusing to walk on the leash. Many wonder how my perfect puppy turned into a nightmare.
So let’s talk about realistic expectations when a puppy comes home. At first, the puppy was at the breeder's house from birth. He had his mother and often litter siblings. They had their routine, were introduced to expectations and were comfortable in their surroundings.
Now they are suddenly brought to a completely new environment. Imagine being exposed to an unknown country, often in a different part of the world. They only know a few words of the native language. Other trees, animals, smells, temperatures and people. In the meantime, we change your routine, decide to party with people you don't know, and ask you to take on tasks you have no idea about. This is overwhelming, to say the least.
This is what every puppy goes through when they get to their new home. Stress comes in many forms. He doesn't eat, doesn't want to play and doesn't greet people. They're anxious when they have to go to the vet or when strangers attack them. Diarrhea, vomiting and depression can also occur.
So what can you do as a new owner to help your little one settle in?
- Most puppies take 3-4 weeks to adjust to their new homes. I repeat: THREE to FOUR WEEKS, sometimes even longer! Not just 1-2 days. I cannot stress enough how much time it takes for a dog or puppy to feel comfortable in their new home!
- Limit attendance within the first week. We understand you're excited to show off your new baby, but it will take time to adjust. Plan 1-2 weeks before inviting guests.
- Ask the guests to sit on the floor and let the puppies come to you. No squeaking and grabbing for the pup
- Establish a good routine
- confine puppy to a small area of house. Not only does this prevent it from being crowded, it also allows you to observe it.
- Don’t expect an 8-13 week old puppy to walk on a leash. Work at home instead with a leash he feels comfortable on. Let him pull on the leash and encourage him with treats to go with you.
- If your puppy refuses to leave, give him time. On my first trips to town with pups, a walk around a small block took 1 1/2 hours. We only move when they initiate the movement because they need time to take in the new environment.
- Understand that your puppy needs time to see you as family. It’s unrealistic to expect instant attachment.
- train your puppy. This will not only help you build a bond, but also help the pup to orient and orientate towards you.
-Children are also a big stress factor for small, fragile puppies. Please keep your pup in check at all times when children are around.
- And finally, you should be patient. Don't explain, "something is wrong with this dog". Nothing happens overnight. Excursions should be planned at puppy pace. Even if you're imagining a nice walk around the lake, it's possible that your pup can only run a short distance that day.
Most outings take a very long time for me, as I often just stand there while the puppy carefully explores the new environment. Patience is the A and O!
Remember this: If the puppy was wonderful at the breeder but is struggling now, as the owner you need to help the puppy adjust, which takes time, patience and training. Have realistic expectations and give positive experiences to the pup. Every puppy is an individual. Don't compare your current puppy to past pets and don't judge their behavior based on how another dog did. Lastly, try to see things from the puppy's perspective and adjust situations accordingly.
Copied and shared... 🐾

18/01/2024

11/12/2023

—Bring home a newborn baby to a dog with a bite history—

I have never seen smelling the baby’s blanket or clothes do anything to make a reactive/aggressive dog like a baby when they actually meet.

I guess may be it’s the same reasoning to some people as giving the dog the owner’s T-shirt to help with separation anxiety, which again, is not something l have seen work (but l have read that some dogs ingested the t-shirt while alone and needed to be rushed to the vet due to impaction).

Training is what will transform the dog’s decision making process, outlook on this world, and relationship with his/her human, which is how we can help an once reactive/aggressive dog to accept a baby.

The key is to teach the dog to accept the baby as a non threatening being that he/she needs to respect. Sniffing the baby’s blanket will not do anything to achieve that.

As a matter of fact, allowing the dog to keep sniffing the baby’s belongings could make the dog believe that whatever belong to the baby also belong to the dog, which is the opposite of what we want.

We want the dog to know that many baby items are off limit, so the dog will grow to accept that there is a clear boundary around the baby. We cannot ask the baby to walk or train the dog, we cannot expect the dog to view the tiny baby as a “pack leader” — but by establishing a clear boundary around the baby and his/her belongings, the dog will learn to become mindful and respectful around the baby so even when the baby does something the dog is not comfortable with, the dog will not think he/she is entitled to correct the baby. It’s like we are setting a perimeter that is cordoned off with a yellow tape around the baby, so the dog knows he/she needs explicit permission before entering this baby’s personal space.

There are many myths regarding letting the dog smell something in order to accept someone but they are not really true. Those are not things l do, and many of these myths could end up with big problems (eg someone pushes one’s hand to a dog’s face for a sniff and the dog bites the person).

A lot of baby problems are rooted in the dog’s tendency to guard. If the dog guards the mom, and sees the mom spending a lot of intimate time with the new baby, the dog could guard the mom and hurt the baby. Sniffing the baby’s blanket will not magically make the dog think the baby is a “friend”, it does not work like that.

Some dogs could end up guarding the baby from the dad, guarding the parents from the baby's bed, and so on, when no clear boundary is established.

Also, for a dog who is obsessed with guarding a human, even if the dog does not attack the baby, we need to be very careful how we accurately interpret the dog’s behavior from a canine perspective, not from a Hollywood movie perspective.

For example, when a dog with a guarding issue tries to put a blanket over a sleeping baby’s body, it’s not because the dog wants to keep the baby from getting cold. It does not work like that with dogs. Trying to cover up something like that could be a resource guarding behavior (i.e. the dog wants to bury a prey for later consumption).

If you need help, please hire a professional trainer and do not just listen to a lot of these common myths which are often not true.

Thank you.

05/11/2023

This originally appeared a few years ago. I thought I would post it again-

"People think of aggression in terms of a disease, and not of a symptom. They regard the problem as one of the dog, and not of influences *to* the dog.

Although aggression can be pathological, it is rare. The vast majority of dogs that behave aggressively do so because they have been compelled to believe they are in danger.

Defensive aggression is an enormous problem in domestic dogs and one that defies quick resolution. Not because aggression cannot be mitigated, but because there are so many tiny nuances that influence it. Having the skill to recognize triggers takes effort and time, and many owners fail to perceive their dogs intentions before it's too late.

The misnomer that dogs act 'without provocation' is inherently false. There are very few dogs that act without purpose. Instinct drives mechanics, and a dog that is menacing another dog or even a human is doing so for a very good reason.

The dog may be the only one that knows what provoked him, but I assure you, he or she has created justification in their mind for the act.

TRAINING does not cause aggression, however poor timing and inappropriate reinforcement of incompatible behaviors certainly does.

The owner that relies on compulsion to 'train' aggression out of a dog is going to end up with more orifices than he started with, and the trainer that thinks the use of food is going to reform Hannibal Lechter is... inadequately prepared.

Dog aggression is a manifestation of a physical or perceived physical threat to the animal itself, some thing, place or some one it values.

It doesn't take much to trigger defensive aggression, and I believe it's time we start thinking in terms of what drives the behavior and address that first, before labeling dogs as inherently defective for engaging in behaviors they are instinctively predisposed to.

Dogs are not *food* aggressive, *dog* aggressive or *human* aggressive. They are either defensively aggressive (protecting self or property) or offensively aggressive (instigating and advancing).

It is the rare domestic dog that will offensively run towards another dog or human and arbitrarily initiate an attack. It is far more often that the dog is responding to something or someone in it's immediate environment that it perceives as a threat.

Know the difference. The vast majority of aggressive acts can be eliminated simply by knowing what causes them and by creating confidence in the dog.

Training can do that."

28/09/2023

Just what is dog psychology?

Understanding canine language and behaviour.

Explaining why your dog is doing things do do not like or understand.

Teaching you how to improve things step by step.