Francalia Retrievers

07/11/2025

Wise words about relationship with our dogs.

Another excellent read from a really good dog man:
Crushing Trust

Some behaviors dog owners do—often without realizing—can quietly erode the bond with their dogs, leaving pets anxious, confused, or even fearful. Understanding these subtle missteps is crucial for building a relationship rooted in trust and affection.

**Common Bond-Crushing Behaviors:**

- **Ignoring Your Dog’s Signals:** Dogs communicate through body language—flattened ears, lowered tails, or lip licking signal discomfort or stress. Overlooking these cues can make your dog feel unseen and unsafe, ultimately causing them to stop trying to communicate with you.

- **Punishing Instead of Training:** Yelling, hitting, or harsh corrections don’t teach your dog what to do; they teach your dog to fear you. This fear breaks trust, leading to anxiety, withdrawal, or even aggression. Positive reinforcement—rewarding good behavior with treats, praise, or play—builds confidence and strengthens your bond.

- **Over-Reliance on Treats:** Using treats as the main way to interact can create a transactional relationship, where your dog responds only for rewards, not out of genuine connection.

- **Neglecting Emotional and Mental Needs:** Dogs need daily interaction and mental stimulation. Leaving your dog alone for long periods or not engaging in play and training can make them feel isolated and lead to behavioral problems.

- **Forcing Unwanted Affection:** Many dogs dislike hugs or being petted on the head, even if you mean well. Forced contact can make them feel trapped or stressed, teaching them to avoid you instead of seeking you out.

- **Inconsistent or Overly Complex Communication:** Using long or unclear commands confuses dogs, as they rely more on body language than words. Consistency and simplicity help your dog understand and trust you.

**How to Correct These Behaviors:**

- **Pay Attention to Body Language:** Learn your dog’s signals and respect their boundaries. If your dog moves away or shows signs of discomfort, give them space.

- **Use Positive Reinforcement:** Focus on rewarding desired behaviors rather than punishing mistakes. This fosters trust and makes training enjoyable for both of you.

- **Engage in Regular Training and Play:** Short, positive training sessions—even for skills your dog already knows—keep their mind sharp and deepen your connection.

- **Respect Individual Preferences:** Not all dogs enjoy the same types of affection. Let your dog approach you for cuddles, and avoid forced hugs or head pats if they seem uncomfortable.

- **Be Consistent and Clear:** Use simple commands and reinforce them with body language. Dogs thrive on routine and clear expectations.

**Interesting Fact:**

Dogs have evolved to read human emotions and body language exceptionally well, sometimes even better than other humans can. This unique skill means your dog is constantly watching and learning from you—so every interaction shapes your bond, for better or worse.

By recognizing and correcting these subtle mistakes, you can replace confusion and stress with trust, joy, and a truly unbreakable bond with your dog. Doss, canine Encounters
Dog in photo belongs to Denise Page and comes from recent public training day here

06/06/2025

Are allergies a concern for your dog? I hear about this issue more often than any other. This is an info-packed video on how to navigate the steps to supporting your itchy dog.

Allergies are a complex issue and there is no one size fits all, but this protocol is a great starting point!➡️ More Allergy information: https://drjudymorga...

05/31/2025

A great read for those with high drive dogs. I could talk for days on this subject! A happy dog is not simply a tired dog. A happy dog is a trained dog, which requires both physical and mental exercise. “Trained” is not meant to imply perfection or strict obedience, but rather time spent on teaching a behavior resulting in mental stimulation.

“Tired Isn’t Always Trained: Why Mental Stimulation Is the Key to Calming High-Drive Dogs”

In the world of dog ownership and training, there’s a phrase that often gets thrown about: “A tired dog is a good dog.” While there’s truth in the notion that a dog with pent-up energy can quickly become a behavioural handful, we must tread carefully. Particularly with high-energy, high-drive, focused dogs, the live wires of the canine world, physical exhaustion alone is not the answer. In fact, it can sometimes make things worse.

This article explores why mental stimulation is not only as important as physical exercise? but arguably more so, when it comes to managing and training driven dogs. Whether you’re a dog owner or a professional trainer, understanding how to “work the mind to calm the body” is critical to creating balance, focus, and long-term behavioural success.

The High-Drive Dog: A Blessing and a Challenge

High-drive dogs, whether a working-line German Shepherd, a driven Malinois, a focused Border Collie, or even a working Cocker Spaniel, are genetically wired to do. They’re bred for stamina, intensity, and a singularity of purpose. In the right hands, they’re an asset. In the wrong setup, they’re a liability.

These dogs don’t switch off easily. They’re not content to curl up on the sofa after a trot around the block. Instead, they look for jobs to do, problems to solve, or trouble to make. Give them too little structure, too much stimulation, or inconsistent guidance, and they may develop behaviours such as:
• Obsessive fetching or ball chasing
• Fixation on movement (bikes, joggers, wildlife)
• Destructive chewing
• Lead reactivity
• Hypervigilance
• Chronic inability to relax

Physical Exercise: Helpful but Not the Whole Picture

There’s no question that dogs need exercise. Walks, play, and purposeful activity are essential for physical health and cardiovascular fitness. But here’s the trap many owners fall into:

They keep ramping up the physical exercise, longer walks, faster runs, more ball throwing, believing it will tire the dog into calmness.

In reality, what often happens is this: the dog gets fitter, not calmer. You’re training their body to expect more and more adrenaline-fuelled output, which only makes the “off switch” harder to find.

If you’re constantly topping up physical energy without any outlet for mental engagement or downtime, you’re fuelling a cycle of over-arousal and lack of control.

Why Mental Stimulation Matters

Mental work taps into the cognitive part of the dog’s brain. It engages their ability to problem-solve, make choices, respond to cues, and think. Unlike physical exercise, which can spike arousal, mental stimulation builds focus and emotional regulation.

When a dog has to think, they slow down.

Think of it like this: physical exercise burns calories; mental work builds resilience. It fosters better communication, develops calmness, and increases your dog’s capacity to respond to instruction, even when they’re excited or distracted.

Practical Ways to Engage the Mind

Here are effective, practical ways to mentally stimulate your high-drive dog:

1. Scent Work and Nose Games

Dogs see the world through their noses. Scent work taps into their most primal biological need: the drive to hunt, track, and search. Even five minutes of structured scent work can calm a dog more effectively than a 30-minute run.

Start with simple find-it games in the house or garden. Hide treats, toys, or even yourself and let them search.

2. Food-Based Enrichment

Instead of feeding from a bowl, hand-feed meals during training or use food-dispensing toys and puzzle feeders. This turns meal times into mental workouts.

Snuffle mats, frozen KONGs, licky mats, and scatter feeding are excellent for encouraging focus and slowing down the dog’s pace.

3. Obedience with Purpose

High-drive dogs thrive when they understand what’s expected of them. Teach a structured obedience routine, sit, down, stay, heel, recall and practise it in a calm, focused manner. Make sure to use clear marker words and reward calm, deliberate responses.

Mix up your sessions. Keep them short and engaging. Three five-minute sessions a day are often more valuable than one long, dragged-out effort.

4. Impulse Control Games

Teach your dog how to wait, leave it, stay, and settle. These exercises help the dog learn that calm behaviour earns rewards. Games like “It’s Yer Choice” or teaching a solid “Place” command are powerful tools in reducing impulsive behaviours.

5. Teach New Skills or Tricks

Dogs love to learn, and driven dogs love a challenge. Whether it’s a paw, a roll over, or something more advanced like opening a door or retrieving an item, learning new tasks builds focus and strengthens the dog/owner bond.

6. Environmental Training

Expose your dog to new sights, sounds, and surfaces, but not in a frenzied, over-excited state. Instead, work on engagement, neutrality, and loose-lead walking in new places, always aiming to lower arousal, not spike it.

Teaching the Dog to Switch Off

Just as important as working the dog’s brain is teaching them when to rest. High-drive dogs often struggle with enforced calmness because no one has ever taught them how to relax.
• Crate train or use a designated “place” mat.
• Reinforce calm behaviour in the house.
• Don’t reward attention-seeking or hyperactive demands.
• Incorporate structured enforced rest periods as part of your daily routine.

This is where your structure and boundaries as a trainer or owner really matter.

Final Thoughts

For high-drive dogs, exhaustion is not education. You can’t run the energy out of them and expect calm. What they need is balance, between movement and stillness, stimulation and rest, action and reflection.

The real magic happens when we stop asking, “How far can I walk this dog to calm him down?” and start asking, “How can I engage his brain to create calmness from within?”

Train the mind, and the body will follow. Calm isn’t found at the bottom of a 10K hike, it’s built, thoughtfully, one choice at a time.
www.k9manhuntscotland.co.uk

10/21/2024

We had another great weekend on Long Island at the LI Golden Retriever Club hunt test!

💙Mac - NEW Junior Hunter title!
💛Praise - NEW Senior Hunter title!
💚Bennie got another senior pass and
💚Graham earned his first junior pass!

Many thanks to the club members and judges who work tirelessly running these events. As always, my sincere gratitude to the owners who allow me the privilege of running their dogs. 🙏

09/24/2024

Had to share these amazing photos of my beautiful Apple 🍎 and her handsome grandson, Snowy!

Thank you Kathy Brooks for taking care of these two while the goldens and I have been out and about at hunt tests. It’s such a relief to know they’re loved, exercised and safe. 💝

As always, you take incredible photos!!😍

08/13/2024

Wise words from one of our top raw food suppliers!

Also, one of the absolute best customer service companies in any industry. 🤎

Chew on this!

Raw meaty bones can be nature's toothbrush for dogs. They clean teeth, massage gums, and provide mental stimulation. Regular dental care can add years to your dog’s life.

Did you know that by age three, a majority of dogs show signs of dental disease? That's why maintaining your pup's oral health is crucial. Here's why raw meaty bones are a game-changer:
🐾 Natural plaque removal: Chewing scrapes away tartar buildup
🐾 Gum health: The gnawing action stimulates and strengthens gums
🐾 Fresh breath: Reduces bacteria that cause bad breath
🐾 Mental enrichment: Satisfies natural chewing instincts
🐾 Nutrient boost: Provides calcium and phosphorus for strong teeth.

Important safety tips:
1. Always supervise your dog when giving raw bones.
2. Choose size-appropriate bones to prevent choking.
3. Avoid weight-bearing bones from large animals, as they can damage teeth.
4. Remove the bone after about 10-15 minutes of chewing -

Remember, raw meaty bones are just one part of a complete dental care routine. Regular brushing, dental chews, and vet check-ups are also important.

Pro tip: Frozen raw bones can be extra soothing for teething puppies or on hot days!

What's your pup's favorite type of bone? Share your dental care routines in the comments below! 👇

📸 : Francalia Retrievers

08/02/2024

Excellent perspective regarding the importance and power of foundation, fundamentals and working the dog in front of you. This truly is gold for any training endeavor.

Trainers sometimes get frustrated when they don’t see the progress in their dog they expect or desire.
They often respond by pressing harder, hyper focusing on the specific area in which their dog is not advancing….the exact opposite of what many dogs need.

They have a vision of how they want their dog to develop; a preconceived timeline of what a dog should be doing and when. If these expectations aren’t met they mistakenly convince themselves if they could improve “X”
(ie a wider outrun, squarer flank, better pace, stronger shedder etc)
all the pieces would come together.

But the key to helping dogs realize their full potential isn’t found by achieving the perceived next step,
improving a single aspect, employing a more sophisticated technique or trying a new gimmick.
Rather it’s found in the standard, understanding and totality of all the bits of training that comprise “the body of work”.
More specifically, it’s dependent upon the quality of the fundamentals, coupled with the right mindset.

Foundational skills are paramount and there is no embarrassment in going back to improve them; once mastered, they provide the springboard for future breakthroughs.
Focusing on these and staying in one place a bit longer gives your dog a mental break. Moreover, you reap the benefits found in the power of habits.
The repetition and routine inherent to core fundamentals develop confidence and cultivate mental fortitude.

It is a better and much less detrimental approach than pushing a young dog too hard to take the next step if he’s not ready.
While some dogs learn very quickly others need time to plateau, get a bit more experience, confidence and maturity before they’re ready for the next step.
Dogs that are slower to develop are very different from precocious dogs when they are young, however, if nurtured correctly, the two dogs can appear indistinguishable as trained dogs.

Instant results or training epiphanies are not common and the majority of the time, sudden improvement is actually a reflection of the cumulative body of work. The little nudge from a different approach that achieves quick and marked progress, probably wouldn’t have had a fraction of the effect without the supporting body of work.

One of the best gifts you can give your dog is letting go of the expectations of what you want him to become, and accept him for who he is—
As you help him through what he finds difficult, keep in mind
every dog learns at a different speed, requiring it to take the time it takes, for your dog to understand and enjoy a new concept.
Being patient in your training empowers learning, fosters partnership and strengthens your bond.

07/14/2024

New Obedience Title - CDX!!
Congratulations to owner/trainer Pat Scribner and P***y! 🎉💙

Francalia Anything Goes CDX, RE

https://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=1284206

07/07/2024

New Junior Hunter title for Bennie!

Congratulations to owners Kerry and Sean Sweeney and many thanks for allowing me to run this gorgeous and talented boy. 💚

Francalia’s Benelli Blue JH
https://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=1349292

07/07/2024

Senior passes this weekend for these two beauties, Boomer and Holly!

Thank you to the judges and the hard-working folks at the NSDTR Club.

Many thanks to owner Kathy Brooks for allowing me the honor to run her dogs. 🧡💜

https://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=1304481

https://www.k9data.com/pedigree.asp?ID=1207306

07/01/2024

New Junior Hunter title for Praise
and a Senior Hunter pass for Boomer!

Many thanks to the hard working folks from Southern Berkshire Golden Retriever Club.