The Good Dog Coach

08/05/2024

Dogs are wonderful creatures that will find joy in life no matter what hand they were dealt.

Whether Dozer, my deaf foster boy, is aware of being different or simply does not care, he is one happy boy and does not seem in the least bit impacted by being deaf. While he is unfazed, there are a few considerations we have to take into account when caring for a deaf dog.

Since taking on my foster boy Dozer, the deaf Miniature English Bullterrier, I have certainly had an increase in enquiries regarding training for deaf dogs. It genuinely is so important to have a trainer who is aware of and experienced in the implications of living with and training a deaf dog.
Another learning I have had from having Dozer (who is STILL with me despite being the most amazing boy) is that people will shy away from taking on a deaf dog when it really isn't as big a deal as you may think.

Whether you have a deaf dog or are thinking about giving one a home, follow this series to learn more about your deaf dog’s special needs

07/05/2024

It's the end of another series!

In my How Dogs Learn Series, we've looked at everything from overshadowing to how repetition embeds behaviour. Here's a brief recap. Thank you for joining me on this insightful journey! What was your favourite post?

06/05/2024

When training courses for dog trainers teach them to medicate a dog when cookies don't work, we have to seriously think who the taught methods benefit. It's not the dog, that's for sure.

Balanced Dog Trainer vs Force Free Dog Talker

05/05/2024

These pictures are of Menace and I at bitework, though he didn't get a bite this time. We worked solely on developing a nice, rhythmic bark. While Menace's bite is naturally good, the bark doesn't come as naturally to him.

It is fascinating to me how each facet and detail needs to be taught separately, and how we have so many areas to focus on in order to develop the behaviours that make a protection dog. And this is why it is so important to see a trainer that specialises in your chosen sport, if you do a sport.

A trainer that hasn't just "done a bit of it" (like me), but someone who really knows what they're doing in that particular area. I've done gundog work with Willow, but I don't teach it. I've done Agility with Willow and Winnie but don't teach it. I recommend trainers that are at least grade 7 competitions themselves. With Menace, I travel up to Unleashed K9 Services or Lorockmor to work with people who specialise in this area of work.

All dog trainers are not created equal.

📸:

03/05/2024

Under The Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2015, it is mandatory for every dog to be microchipped by the time they reach 8 weeks old, unless a vet provides a medical exemption. This task is typically the responsibility of the breeder, who is regarded as the first registered keeper of the puppy. If a breeder fails to microchip the puppies in their care, they are not only breaking the law but also potentially indicating a lack of overall care or compliance with other necessary welfare standards.

Once you take ownership of your dog, maintaining up-to-date microchip registration becomes your responsibility. Failing to keep these details current can lead to a fine of up to £500. It's not just about avoiding a fine, though; keeping your dog's microchip information accurate is vital for your pet’s security. If your dog ever gets lost, a current and accurate microchip is often the fastest way to reunite you with your pet. When I moved, I made sure my dogs' details were updated.

This legislation shows the importance of microchipping as a standard practice in responsible pet ownership. It's a simple procedure that can have a profound impact on your dog's safety throughout its life. As an additional reminder, similar regulations are set to be introduced for cats as well, so for cat owners, it’s wise to stay informed and prepare to comply.

02/05/2024

"I advise staying away from fools and incompetents, and the world of dog training is full of them.

▪️If a dog trainer does not know what a clicker is, or how and why they work, they are incompetent. Stay away from them, and put them on mute.

▪️If a dog trainer doesn’t own a treat bag, or know how to put on a slip collar, they are incompetent. Stay away from them, and put them on mute.

▪️If a dog trainer doesn’t own a 20-foot leash and a set of muzzles to fit any dog, they are incompetent. Stay away from them, and put them on mute.

▪️If a dog trainer doesn’t own a cot to teach place or know how to fit a pinch collar, they are incompetent. Stay away from them, and put them on mute.

▪️If a dog trainer doesn’t own a modern e-collar and know how they work (and how gentle they are), they are incompetent. Stay away from them, and put them on mute.

To be clear, no dog trainer has to use ANY tool, but they should own and know how to use ALL of them.

If a putative carpenter shows up at your house and doesn’t own a power saw or know how to change a blade, she’s not a real carpenter, no matter what set of tools she may prefer.

If a putative house painter shows up at your house and doesn’t own a paint sprayer or know how to clear the nozzle, he’s not a real house painter, no matter what set of tools he may prefer.

In the world of dog training, all the tools are cheap and any competent dog trainer should own all of them, and know how to use all of them. If you think a modern e-collar causes pain, you’ve just told me you’re incompetent, and you’ve told the world to stay away and put you on mute.

Nothing good starts with a lie."

AMEN

A TAP, NOT A ZAP

I use a two-dog minEducator collar from E-Collar Technologies. It's a great piece of kit, and the best innovation in dog training since the leash.

To be clear, this e-collar provides *much* gentler correction than a leash

This collar is made in America, has 100-gradiants of "blunt" stim, plus a vibration-tapping mode, and comes with a two-year warranty.

I have never needed to raise the stim beyond 7 or 8 (I cannot feel 10), but there is an adjustable boost level which I have set to plus 10 (a total of 18).

The "set and lock" stim feature means each dog can get its own custom stim calibration.

The collars are 100% water proof and shock-resistant, and separate dog buttons allow for instant control of both dogs simultaneously.

The collars are turned on and off with a magnetic switch, and the transmitter can also turn on a blinking light or continuous light on the collar to help see the dogs if I work them at night.

These collars are so soft I have put them on my wife, kids, AND my 85-year old mother to demonstrate their use.

“It’s a tap, not a zap.”

The British, who are not noted for common sense (see Brexit and “the Ban”) have decided to green-light very hot high-voltage electric fences and invisible fences, as well as bark collars, but are talking about banning modern e-collars.

Guess who is pushing for this? Dependency-model dog trainers who charge by the hour (and are incentivized to oppose efficiency), and the Kennel Club whose entire business model is based on breeding defective dogs and which winks at torture breeding.

02/05/2024

Funny how the narrative changes to an "electric non-harmful pulse" when the animal it is used on is not a dog...

The collars emit a "non-harmful" pulse telling the sheep when they have left their designated area.

30/04/2024

Dogs are opportunists who live to better their current situation. They do so by seeking out pleasure and avoiding discomfort. We make use of these simple facts in training, manipulating the outcomes in order to facilitate the dog’s learning.

When we reward our dog for performing a desired behaviour, we are making use of our dog’s desire to seek out pleasure. The same is true for corrections: even withholding a reward from a dog that is very driven towards it can create a level of discomfort in the dog that will motivate them to behave differently next time.

The skill is in knowing what motivates your dog to perform or stop performing a behaviour at a level where you’ll achieve the desired learning outcome. Because each dog is a sentient individual with their own ideas and motivations, the skill to read those desires in your dog and use those meaningfully is based almost solely on experience. It is a very practical skill that cannot be learned from books or academic endeavours.

This is why, as dog owners seeking out a knowledgeable trainer, it is so much more important to ask about their practical experience rather than academic accolades.

28/04/2024

I recently saw a trainer advise a puppy owner to run their high-energy puppy for a couple of hours before their next training session so the puppy would be calmer. It is really shocking, the kind of bad advice being dished out to owners. The puppy won’t be calmer, it’ll be tired. Too tired to take in new information, in fact.

Instead, we should use the dog’s energy to our advantage and play with the dog’s arousal levels during training. I like to alternate between exercises that will require higher or lower arousal levels. For example, I may do a bit of heelwork with Menace, rewarding him with a high-octane game of tug. After a few minutes of doing that, I may practice a duration sit or down with him. Obviously, this is not where we started. If you want your dog to be able to effortlessly switch from running and playing to being calm and settled, you absolutely must integrate this into your training.

Especially when working with chronically over-aroused dogs, I prioritise any work that teaches the dog to settle before slowly re-introducing higher arousal exercises over time.

Alternating between activities that require different levels of energy and focus can make your training more engaging and challenging for your dog. It teaches them to be attentive and responsive in varying scenarios and enhances their adaptability to different environments. It will help to develop better impulse control in your dog, creating a stronger “off-switch”. That, in turn, will make your dog far happier, more balanced and more enjoyable to live with.

26/04/2024

For this week’s Fact Friday, I want to talk about a really common misconception in the dog world: the idea of a "hypoallergenic" dog. Many potential dog owners are drawn to certain breeds that are touted as hypoallergenic, hoping to avoid allergic reactions. However, it’s crucial to understand that no dog breed is completely hypoallergenic.

The term "hypoallergenic" suggests that these dogs are less likely to cause allergic reactions. While it's true that some breeds, like Poodles or various "doodle" mixes such as Cockapoos, are often marketed this way, the science tells us that all dogs produce allergens. The primary source of allergens in dogs is not their fur, but rather dander, which is flakes of dead skin, as well as proteins found in their saliva and urine.

Breeds like Poodles and their crossbreeds often have tightly curled or densely packed fur, which can indeed trap dander more effectively than the looser, straighter coats of other breeds. This characteristic can reduce the amount of dander that becomes airborne and potentially decreases the exposure to allergens. However, these breeds still produce dander, and no dog can be guaranteed to not trigger allergies in sensitive individuals.

Adding to the complexity, the allure of "doodle" breeds like Cockapoos or Cavapoos comes from their reputation for being "hypoallergenic." However, with crossbreeds, there is no guarantee about the type of coat they will inherit. Some doodles may have the curls of a Poodle, while others might inherit a wiry coat that requires hand stripping, quite different from what was expected. This unpredictability in coat type, even among dogs marketed under the same hybrid name, means that each individual dog's effect on allergies can vary significantly.

Individual dogs within the same breed can produce varying amounts of dander. This variability means that living with a supposedly hypoallergenic breed does not universally guarantee a reduction in allergic symptoms.

If you suffer from allergies and are considering adding a dog to your family, spending time with the specific dog before making a commitment can help determine how your allergies cope.

Did you get your dog on the misconception that they were hypoallergenic? Tell me in the comments!

23/04/2024

This is most beautifully put.

THE ELECTRIC FENCE NEVER SLEEPS, HAS PERFECT TIMING, AND ALWAYS GETS THE RIGHT BAD ACTOR

Electric fences work because they ALWAYS deliver a jolt when touched, and the shock cannot be brushed aside. The jolt of an electric fence is memorable even to a one-ton bull.

An electric fence is not designed to torture cows; it's designed to train them.

Training here is done with perfect timing and an assured, predictable, and memorable consequence.

Bad habits are never reinforced, and they are never ignored. It only takes a few well-timed applications of a powerful negative consequence for the cow to "get it" and stay away from the fence. After that it may never get jolted again.

The point here is that aversive training is not torture; it is the opposite of torture.

Torture occurs when punishment is random, unpredictable, or incessant.

Aversive training is NOT "randomly shocking the food bowl" to create psychosis in an animal.

Aversive training is NOT long periods of permissive indifference punctuated by sudden and unexplained periods of overlording, intolerance, or pain.

Nor is aversive training always painful.

It is simply an unwanted but memorable consequence that is consistently applied to counterbalance what would otherwise be an unwanted, but self-reinforcing, behavior.

For some timid animals the counter-balancing aversive that is needed may be as simple as a loud voice, a light jerk on a leash, or a loud rattle-can tossed in their direction.

As a general rule, the younger the animal, the less ingrained the habitat, and/or the weaker the positive stimulus provided by the animal's unwanted behavior, the weaker the aversive stimulus needed to serve as a counterbalance.

23/04/2024

Dog training is really quite simple when we get down to it. All we have to do is create learning outcomes for the dog to build value in wanted behaviours and discourage unwanted behaviours. So why are so many of us struggling?

Well, the reality is that humans, by nature, are complacent beasts, often settling for ‘good enough’ and struggling to justify the extra effort to get that little bit more. After all, we are all busy, aren’t we? The problem is that for our dogs to understand what the expectation is, they need us to be consistent with it. If half the time I allowed my dogs to step off and walk around after I’ve sent them to their bed and other times I want them to remain there until I verbally release them, my dogs would have no chance to understand what I actually expect them to do in that scenario.

I will give you another example from one of my clients: They’d come to me with a highly reactive dog and while we’d seen some improvements, we’d really only taken the edge off. Week after week, I’d see them working their heart out with their dog (I lived close by and often saw them out training their dog) and yet the reactivity had only mildly improved. Very unusual, especially as their handling was good and they were being consistent in their training. It was not until I saw their dog on the balcony a few weeks in, barking at every dog and person who walked past, that the penny dropped. All of their hard work was being undone because the dog had ample opportunity to continue practising the behaviour when they were not actively training. Remember that your dog is always learning, even when you are not actively teaching.

What has your dog practised recently? Tell me in the comments below.

22/04/2024

Have you ever heard this one: "A Beagle has good recall when you call them and they return within 3 days'? Chortle.

A while ago I also heard a trainer refer to her (barely existent) expectations for a loose lead walk as "Beagle". There are some common misconceptions when it comes to different breeds and their trainability. Yes, some breeds are more biddable than others and training them to do something they are genetically predisposed to do will always be easier, but no dog is untrainable. With Beagles, it is often said that they will neither learn how to walk on a loose lead nor will they ever have a reliable recall. Neither of those statements are true and unfortunately are often used to excuse a lack of training.

A Beagle can be taught to recall reliably. It is simply harder to achieve if the only trick we have up our sleeves is food or toy rewards. Beagles are bred to hunt and it is very unlikely you will ever be able to find or condition a reward to hold a higher value than following a scent. This, dear dog people, is where an understanding of learning theory and how to utilise all four quadrants (including both reinforcement and punishment) comes into it. Teaching a reliable recall is about motivating the dog to come back. For that to happen, we need to find the one thing that will motivate your dog more than anything else. In some instances, that is the avoidance of a negative consequence. And if that sounds mean, imagine how much meaner it is to be permanently confined to a lead. Clear expectations will afford the dog, even a Beagle, more freedom to go and be a dog.

Suffice to say, most Beagles owners I see struggle with lead pulling and lack of recall. As Beagles are bred to hunt in packs, they are usually very tolerant of other dogs. However, due to the growing trend of puppy parties and no structured doggy daycares, reactivity is becoming a growing problem even in Beagles.

21/04/2024

You may remember Sputnik, the Miniature English Bullterrier that had been labelled as untrainable by 5 different trainers. The last professional, a clinical behaviourist, wanted to medicate him to control his behaviour. Wanting a better life for him than being permanently sedated, his owners sent him to me for intensive training.

When he arrived, he came with a list as long as my arm of foods to avoid. He had been diagnosed with several food allergies and intolerances and was on a vet-prescribed hypoallergenic diet. The treats were about as exciting as cardboard and the main food was even worse. Alas, I did not want to put Sputnik (or his owners) through the nightmares of chronic, explosive diarrhoea again, so I stuck to his prescribed diet. Initially…

It became apparent very quickly that this boy was hyper and very insecure, leading to high levels of stress and a chronically anxious state. Having suffered from IBS myself and knowing a thing or two about nutrition from my bodybuilding days, I picked up the phone and spoke to his pawrents. Only too keen to get him onto a more nutritious diet, we came up with a plan – once I helped him embrace a calmer state of mind, I started to gradually and methodically expose him to more foods.

Of course, by the time he went home, he was much calmer and better behaved (without the need for medication), I had also weened him on to a nutritious raw food diet and he was able to enjoy ALL of the foods on his no-food list without any stomach upsets.

High levels of arousal can affect digestion in a similar way to how high levels of stress can give us IBS. If your dog suffers from digestive issues, allergies and intolerances and is also hyper or anxious, consider how training could benefit their lives in more ways than one.

20/04/2024

While not directly first aid related I just wanted spark another thought: fit dogs at a healthy weight will move better and are likely less prone to injure themselves.

Obesity is a growing problem in pet dogs which doesn't only cause illness but can even shorten their lifespan considerably.

So- keep your dog fit and you’re helping them look forward to many more years with you!

17/04/2024

This! 👇

16/04/2024

Now that you know how to ensure your dog actually starts to associate the expected action with a command, you will have to do lots of it. Repetition embeds behaviour. Let me say that again: REPETITION EMBEDS BEHAVIOUR.

Both the quality and quantity of the repetition need to be considered here. Making the dog repeat the behaviour 150 times without building value in the behaviour is likely not going to get you the desired result. When the dog is rewarded for performing the behaviour, over time, you will build value in the behaviour itself. By building a ‘reward history’, you can instil a desire in the dog to WANT to perform the behaviour. And let’s face it, while I expect my dogs to recall no matter what, I’d much rather have them recall with enthusiasm.

Equally, if there is no consequence for NOT performing the behaviour, you will likely weaken your dog’s response to the command. Yes, we can build value in it through reward, but the reality is, whatever your reward is, it’ll never be ‘sexier than a squirrel’, will it? 🐿️ 😉

The winning formula is to build value in the expected behaviour first and limit your dog’s access to other options. Then, once you are confident your dog has fully understood the expected behaviour, introduce a correction for non-compliance.

14/04/2024

April isn’t just a month to raise awareness—it’s also a time to take action. Since it's Pet First Aid Awareness Month, I want to share what's in my pet first aid kit and why these items are essential for every dog owner.

Some things I want to point out:

🔹 My go-to is Sudocrem for areas where my dog can’t lick itself, and colloidal silver, a versatile remedy great for cuts and grazes. These items are crucial for minor injuries and skin care.

🔹 After my dog Willow cut her paw twice, I realised the importance of having a well-stocked bandaging box. It includes everything from standard bandages to a silicone sock—perfect for keeping bandages clean, especially when it’s wet outside.

🔹 Saline Solution- This is a must! I use it to flush out wounds and for regular cleaning of their eyes and ears. It’s gentle yet effective.

🔹 Different sized muzzles and tick tweezers are essentials in my kit. You never know when you’ll need to ensure safety during an injury or remove pesky parasites.

🔹 My main first aid bag is always in my car, while a smaller kit comes along on hikes. I also have a repurposed toiletry bag with extra bandaging material just in case.

🔹 I never skimp on rewards when administering first aid. Sprats (dog treats) are fantastic for rewarding my dogs for their patience and compliance during first aid care.

Having these items on hand has been a game-changer for me, and I encourage all pet owners to consider assembling their own. Trust me, it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it!

12/04/2024

While teaching a dog to “give paw” is often seen as a cute and simple trick, it's essential to consider the unintended consequences this behaviour might have when interacting with babies and small children.

The seemingly innocent action of a dog giving its paw can become problematic, particularly in households with young children.

Here’s why: babies and small children often carry a faint sweet scent, usually from milk or the remnants of snacks. This can attract the dog, who associates the scent with food. In the dog's mind, offering a paw is a learned behaviour that typically results in receiving a treat. When a dog extends its paw towards a child expecting a reward, it might accidentally scratch or hurt the child, especially if the expected treat doesn't materialise. This can lead to frustration on the dog's part, potentially causing them to become more insistent or forceful with their pawing.

Moreover, young children may not understand how to respond appropriately to a dog's paw gesture. They might react fearfully or even roughly, which could escalate into more dangerous interactions. Teaching your dog that pawing at humans leads to rewards might inadvertently encourage them to seek out hands whenever they desire something, not understanding the difference between adults and children.

10/04/2024

Today is National Hug Your Dog Day.

“Nooo, don’t hug your dog”, I hear them screaming.
“Dogs don’t like being hugged” they say.
“It will encourage your dog to jump up on you and others which can become a problem” they say.

And there is some truth to all of these statements.
Yes, some dogs don’t like being hugged. Most dogs don’t like being hugged by just anyone. Many dogs will love being hugged by the person they have that trusting, loving bond with that makes them seek affection.

And yes, it may encourage your dog to jump up on you or others if that is what you tolerate, because dogs do what we let them get away with. However, just because hugging our dog is a loving act does not mean we can’t put a modicum of rules around how that is allowed to happen.

All of my dogs jump up on me. They are allowed to, by invitation.

So yes, if your dog does not like being hugged or you are not willing to put in the training to establish boundaries and clarity when hugging or jumping up is permitted and when it is not appropriate, then you should maybe not hug your dog. Otherwise, go on, enjoy National Hug Your Dog Day! 🥰

09/04/2024

So, is your dog stubborn or have you not proofed the command in the particular context in which your dog is not listening? Proofing means we are teaching the dog that the command means the same thing despite different contexts. To proof your commands, you want to consider the 3 Ds of dog training:

1. Duration - increasing the duration of the sit from the bum kissing the floor to the dog remaining seated until verbally released, you’ll need to increase the duration gradually by just a few seconds at a time.
2. Distraction - pairing the command with the behaviour in different environments, you want to introduce distraction gradually – from inside the house, to the garden, the pavement, a quiet spot in the park and working your way up to busier places.
3. Distance - it is both fun and useful to teach your dog to perform the behaviour at a distance, too. Ask your dog to sit at just one step away, then two steps, then three and build it up from there.
Always start on duration before adding distraction and distance but only increase one D at a time. If your dog can sit for 5 minutes at home and you are increasing the level of distraction, take the duration back down to just a few seconds and build it back up. Remember your dog is only just learning the behaviour in that context.

By going slowly and increasing duration, distractions and distance gradually, you will build your dog’s confidence and trust. Skip ahead too quickly and you’ll be setting your dog up to fail.

06/04/2024

It is Pet First Aid Awareness Month and I want to take this opportunity to urge anyone owning pets to take a first aid course. While I have had pets for most of my life, I used to be more blasé about it until I needed a first aid certificate for professional reasons.

Now, I can't believe I've ever had pets without the vital knowledge of a pet first aid course. A variety of courses are on the market at different price points and the PDSA even runs courses for donations (so you pick the price you can afford to pay). From more general pet first aid courses to cat or dog-specific ones, throughout this month I will share with you a couple of examples of why I would never want to own pets without first aid trained again. Follow for more info!

05/04/2024

TW: lots of swearing (of course, it's Unleashed - Danny Wells Dog Training 😉)

The dog training industry is full of charlatans, dog owners who train their own dog and now declare themselves to be a trainer. The problem is when they take on cases that are beyond their skillset. What suffers is your wallet and, worse still, your dog.

Dear dog owners, you are allowed to ask to meet your trainer's dogs and speak to previous clients. Make sure they can actually produce the results they claim they can.

05/04/2024

For this week's Fact Friday, I am digging into a widely held belief that might need some revisiting: the notion that "all bark and no bite" applies universally to dogs. It's a saying many of us have heard, often used to describe someone who makes threats but doesn't follow through. However, when it comes to our dogs, this phrase can be misleading and, in some cases, dangerously inaccurate.

Contrary to popular belief, dogs that bark aren't always harmless. While barking can indeed be a form of vocal communication expressing excitement, fear, or alertness, it can also precede aggressive behaviour. This doesn't mean that every dog that barks will bite, but dismissing a barking dog as "all bark and no bite" overlooks important cues that the dog might be feeling threatened, scared, or protective.

Understanding dog behaviour is crucial for both owners and those encountering dogs in public spaces. Barking is one of the many ways dogs communicate with us and each other. It's essential to pay attention to the context of the barking—what is happening around the dog, the dog's body language, and other vocalisations—to gauge its intentions or needs properly.

Ignoring or misinterpreting a dog's signals can have serious consequences. In moments of fear or when feeling cornered, a dog may resort to biting as a defense mechanism. This behaviour underscores the importance of respecting a dog's space, learning to read its communication cues, and teaching children to do the same.

04/04/2024

After last week’s post which explained why your dog may be looking for physical cues instead of responding to your verbal command, I hope that your dog is now more responsive to your spoken cues. At least in some contexts.

“Why only some contexts?” I hear you ask. “Once my dog understands the cue, surely she should perform it all the time!” I am afraid, that’s rarely the case. The reason for that is that dogs see the world differently to us. Humans are conceptual learners, meaning we can understand key ideas in a cohesive manner. Dogs, on the other hand, are contextual learners. They are masters at understanding patterns of behaviour but do not generalise well.

If you taught your dog to put their bum on the floor tiles in your kitchen when you say “sit” means you have taught only that. Asking your dog to sit when you are in the park, your dog is not being stubborn if they don’t put their bum on the grass. Your dog may genuinely not understand. The way I like to think of it is that dogs see the world in a series of pictures. Each picture, to them, is unique. They are not connected, they are individual pictures. It is up to us to give our dogs all of the relevant pictures, meaning we need to teach our dogs the same thing over and over again, in different contexts. This process is often referred to as “proofing” a command amongst dog trainers. More on proofing commands in next week’s post.

Next time your dog is being “stubborn”, ask yourself “Have I taught my dog what I expect of them IN THIS CONTEXT?”