SWP Training

12/21/2018

Tips for your furry friends around the holidays :-) a lot of pups don't understand the sudden change in routine every year, so help give them a break and benefit of the doubt!

Christmas time is often a time of stress - we all have so many things to worry about and sometimes forget to take the time to set up ourselves to succeed.

It’s also the time that we tend to visit family or friends (or they visit us) and many times the dogs are expected to be there and adapt to the extra people, the noise - yelling, laughter, squeals, new toys etc, the smells of delicious food, fireworks.

But how do they feel about it all?
Excited, scared, aroused?

The same situation occurs when we introduce new pets to our families.
What an overwhelming experience it must be for them.

So questions to ask yourself.
Are you going to have a get together?
Will there be dogs and kids mixing?
Are you getting a dog?

Take the time to set all up for success and have a Merry Christmas instead of a stressful one.

What does this mean?
☝️ 100% active (focused on child and dog) adult supervision. Within arms reach at all times for kids under 10.

☝️ Separation for both. Quiet times where they can relax and calm down (both kids and dogs).
Crates/Ex pens are great for dogs. These should be off limits to the kids.

☝️ Food time. Dogs go away when humans are eating, and when they are being fed themselves.
This prevents any snatches at food the child maybe holding, or accidental feeding of inappropriate foods to the dog etc. And this allows the dog to eat in comfort, at his/her own pace - prevents resource guarding should an interested child get too close.

☝️ Dog toys are for the dogs, kids toys are for the kids. Teach both to leave the others toys alone.

If playing fetch - adult supervision/intervention required.

☝️ Teach all to pat the pets appropriately - one hand only (no inappropriate cuddles or squishes). Slow pats, collar to tail.
Avoid head pats - especially important in unknown dogs - many dogs find it uncomfortable.
Children under 7 - pat with backs of hand (difficult to inadvertently grab at the coat etc).

☝️ Keep pats to 5 seconds and stop. Wait for the dog to engage for more or allow him/her to move away.

☝️ Have young children sit in an adults lap. The adult can guide their hands in pats and maintain control of the situation.

☝️ Teach children to be a “tree” when dogs around are running or jumping.
Anchor their roots (feet), fold their branches (arms), look up at the sky. Don’t squeal or flap.

With time and plans in place - Christmas can be a great experience for all involved.

11/17/2018

Ok. Let’s talk about something that is often overlooked or not talked about.

Male dogs can often show stress with p***s crowning. This isn’t the er****on they get when they are excited and show bulbourethral glands (swelling at base of p***s) but a more subtle signal where the p***s itself is not swollen, but the tip is outside of the prepuce (the skin sheath that protects the p***s) when it is not normally. And yes, neutered male dogs can still get er****ons, and for that matter, female dogs hump others just as much as males.

In this picture Poco, Lucy, Humphrey and I were out for a walk. Those that know Poco well know that he is an anxious boy (he sticks close and is often hyper vigilant when walking in new areas). He had been doing well on the walk, and then in this pic, spotted an off lead border collie at a distance. He also displays a tight mouth and worried brow.

Is it the end of the world that he displayed this? No. We just moved on and got him some space, and played some find it and look at that games to help him relax. But it is something I monitor and aim to reduce its presence in future by building his confidence and listening to these more subtle signals.

09/27/2018

I’ve seen a number of Sep Distress/anxiety cases recently.

Treating separation distress is so much more than just using food or food toys etc as a distraction as you leave.

The first part of the program should be teaching your dog that it can be comfortable by itself when you are home. Most separation distress dogs will be on your heels and follow you room to room. We want to stop that at home by teaching them calm behaviours - such as mat/bed/crate - are reinforcing in themselves and that you can move away come back etc.

Once this is mastered you can start adding controlled further training - walking to the front door, rewarding for calm, picking up keys, rewarding for calm.

What is important is that it is done at a pace the dog can manage.

Food toys are great too, however it’s important that they are used when you are both at home and leaving (otherwise they will become a predictor of separation and increase distress).

I like calm toys/chews - licking and chewing release endorphins and help relax, rather than active toys that increase arousal, potential frustration etc.

There are also a number of over the counter products that may help such as Adaptil, Zylkene or rescue remedy and it is worthwhile consulting with behaviour vets regarding medications etc that will make the trainings process less stressful for both you and your dog.

Separation distress is not a quick fix, but is certainly something that can be managed.

If you have been given a diagnosis of separation anxiety and the use of enrichment toys alone solved your problem - it is likely your dog was just bored.

09/05/2018

So true!

06/08/2018

So very true.

05/12/2018

Injection training!

02/27/2018

01/24/2018

Yes! Cats can be trained too!

12/28/2017

Some good tips for trying to work with a very common behavior problem!!

Jumping is one of the most common behaviors dog guardians want to overcome. But decreasing…

10/13/2017

Puppy enrichment!

08/30/2017

Some comical info on why the "alpha wolf" theory isn't quite a thing...

Turns out alpha wolves are just...devoted parents. SUBSCRIBE to get the latest truTV content: http://bit.ly/truTVSubscribe Check Adam’s Sources: http://bit.l...