Puzzled Pets

25/06/2025

This came up the other day so I thought I would share a good summary

One of the worst things I have to tell people is their dog is not enjoying or inviting a belly rub when the guardians/owners think they are.....Many people think their dog rolling on their back when they appear is an invitation to rub their belly.....and to make things even trickier sometimes they could be.

So I made this graphic to help others that may be unsure.

Generally speaking.....tongues licking noses or poking out, ears flat and back or tight against head, stiff posture with paws tucked in tight can all be signs your dog may not enjoying that rub on the belly.

08/06/2025

A landmark study that directly addresses this question is:

Cooper, J. J., Cracknell, N., Hardiman, J., Wright, H., & Mills, D. S. (2014). The welfare consequences and efficacy of training pet dogs with remote electronic training collars in comparison to reward based training. PLOS ONE, 9(9), e102722. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0102722
Summary of Key Findings:

Study design: This was a controlled, scientific field study conducted by researchers at the University of Lincoln. It compared three groups:

Dogs trained using e-collars (shock collars) by experienced industry trainers

Dogs trained by the same trainers but without shock

Dogs trained by independent force-free trainers using positive reinforcement only

Trainers were certified and professional, with Group A and B trainers belonging to the Electronic Collar Manufacturers Association (ECMA) and having extensive experience using the devices.

Key results:

There was no significant difference in training efficacy between the groups using shock and those not using it.

Dogs trained with positive reinforcement exhibited fewer signs of stress and anxiety.

The study concluded that the use of shock collars was unnecessary and posed welfare risks without added training benefits.

Salivary cortisol levels, behavioral stress indicators (e.g., yawning, lip licking), and vocalizations were higher in the shock collar group.

Conclusion:

The researchers explicitly stated that the use of e-collars "has negative welfare consequences for some dogs" and "no clear advantage over reward-based training"—thus the use of shock collars is not justified.

So, even if the person operating the collar is a manufacturer-trained professional, this study showed the results were no better than training without shock, and the use of electronic collars resulted in unnecessary stress.

Cindy Ludwig, MA, BS, RN, KPA-CTP, CPDT-KA
Owner, Canine Connection LLC
Voted Best Springfield, Missouri Dog Trainer

22/05/2025

Millie the jack-a-poo who loves being nearby. She’s not so sure about the noises in the car so we will be re-learning all about it as well as working to reduce the value of all the signals we give when we are packing up to go away.

22/05/2025

Dinky the daxy who likes to keep everyone updated with what’s happening nearby: vans, deliveries, birds, squirrels, it all keeps her very busy. We’re checking whether Dinky is getting enough good quality sleep in the day and how we can encourage this as well as teaching other activities that are going to be more rewarding.

22/05/2025

Max here has struggled somewhat with the passing of his buddy in January. We are looking at providing lots of scent work activities to use his busy brain and a calm departure on walks. Also using the settle to start to teach him how to switch off, definitely not easy for a spaniel!!

22/05/2025

Cassie the corgi helpfully lying across floor tiles so we could assess whether to implement a crate for calmer travel in the car. We’ve had to factor in whether she can turn around comfortably or if we are better off blocking out the stimulus in other ways. Some progress already but definitely a little way to go. 👍

22/05/2025

What a handsome chap Tetley is! We are working on being calm at home and reliable recall even with distractions.

21/05/2025

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, just out of the habit I suppose.

Here’s Luna showing how the settle training is going, she is keen to lie on anything!

14/05/2025

**𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁**
An MSc Animal Welfare, Policy and Legislation student at Hartpury University invites you to participate in a current research project, investigating the use of dog trainers/behaviourists and dog behaviour modification practices in the UK.

If you currently own, or have previously owned a dog, please could you spare a few minutes to fill out this survey to help contribute to the student’s dissertation research project entitled “The Impact of an Unregulated Industry - Exploring the Use of Animal Behaviourists in the UK”.

Your participation in the study would be most valued and appreciated. Thank you.

To participate in the survey, please follow this link:
https://forms.office.com/e/TaYjAr9X4s

[Alt text: cartoon style images of three dogs with the text reading UK dog owner participation wanted]

25/03/2025

BALANCED DOG TRAINING ~ GOOD THING OR NOT?

Balanced training sounds like a good thing, right? I mean, when you hear the word, "balanced," things like a balanced diet, work-life balanced, balanced tires come to mind, right?

Well, balanced training is not a good thing. Balanced training is a disguise for training that uses force and aversive tools and methods as well as some form of positive reinforcement.

"Balanced" dog training is a type of training that has been well established to cause stress, anxiety, and even aggression. Let me be clear, there is no such thing as "purely positive" (training), a term coined by opponents of force-free positive reinforcement training to describe the way those of us who are opposed to compulsion and aversives train.

Trainers who ascribe to fear-free, force-free training methods DO use "punishment," but it is a form of punishment that most people do not understand as punishment. In behavioral terms, a consequence that stops behavior from reoccurring is called punishment in behavior science.

For example, if a dog jumps on me or a puppy bites me and I withdraw my attention, my withdrawal of attention is called negative punishment. In behavioral terms, negative punishment refers to removing something the dog wants, e.g., attention, to stop a behavior.

We rarely, if ever, use what is called positive punishment, the application of something aversive to stop a behavior. That's because it's rarely, if ever, needed or appropriate. This kind of punishment is often ineffective with negative consequences, and most, if not all of the time, there are better ways to train and modify behavior.

Force-free, or positive reinforcement trainers understand the Humane Hierarchy, LIMA (least intrusive, minimally aversive), LIFE (least inhibitive, functionally effective) and as of March 19, the new FREE (functional, reinforcing, enriching, and effective) models of training and behavior modification.

They understand the scientific principles of applied behavior analysis, and what to use when. They don't have a one size fits all mentality. They have a large tool bag, are generally eager learners, willing to try something new, and care as much about the process of training as they do the end result.

Beware and be wise!

Cindy Ludwig, M.A., B.S., R.N., KPA-CTP, CPDT-KA
Owner, Canine Connection LLC
Voted Best Springfield, Missouri Dog Trainer

21/03/2025

Let me say this louder for the people stuck in behavior advice from the 90's 📢

YOU CANNOT REINFORCE FEAR.

Fear isn’t a behavior—it’s an automatic, emotional response, like a fire alarm going off inside the brain.

Offering comfort and safety when a dog is afraid doesn’t ‘reward’ the alarm—it helps relieve the panic.

The outdated belief that reassurance strengthens fear is simply false.

It's not my opinion.

This is simply neurobiology.

Many individuals—particularly those who claim authority as dog trainers or professionals but lack formal education in animal behavior—often advise ignoring a dog’s fearful behavior.

This advice stems from outdated, dominance-based models.

These models incorrectly attribute fear-driven behaviors to a lack of leadership, control, or “alpha” status. Because they misunderstand fear responses as challenges to authority or as behaviors to be suppressed.

Sadly, they fail to recognize fear as an emotional state requiring support and co-regulation.

Instead, they focus on extinguishing behaviors.

When we offer comfort to a dog experiencing fear, it’s common to see the dog seeking even more reassurance.

To an uneducated eye, this may look like the behavior is worsening.

However, what’s actually happening is that the dog is beginning to trust the human as a source of safety and regulation.

This is a positive indicator of relationship-building and emotional resilience, laying the groundwork for longer-term behavioral stability.

🚨 PLEASE SHARE THIS to help others understand it's okay to comfort a scared dog!

And follow .plus.dogs for more truthful dog behavior advice

19/11/2024

Love all that Trick Woofs does

Sometimes when we choose a way to train our dogs that feels comfortable for us. It can be hard to talk about the struggles we continue to have.

We know others may choose a different way to train and that often makes us feel like our dog’s behaviour will cause us to be judged, not understood.

But I’m here to tell you, caring for another is hard, being responsible for another is hard, loving someone with their own pain and emotions is hard.

Because it’s hard, it doesn’t mean you’re wrong.