Club Meg Dog Training, LLC

24/04/2025

"Nothing works❗"
We can ALL make mistakes.

➡️Enrichment
It needs variety!
It needs targeted.
That same puzzle toy they can solve in 5 seconds isn't challenging them anymore.
Many dogs do well with sniff walks, others will cower in areas they are not familiar with. You need to look at where carefully and a sniff walk can be just in your front yard or even your street.
Throwing a ball, is it enrichment (it can be for some) or a repetitive high energy activity that needs limited for others.
The same chew toy they are chewing all day, everyday... may not be enriching at all.

✅Challenge them when they are ready with enrichment.

➡️Rest and sleep
It doesn't come naturally to many dogs.
High energy or highly anxious dogs need us to set some rest times....and that isn't a "cat nap" in the lounge when the children are playing in there.
It isn't necessarily putting them outside for a sleep in the sun, esp if they are aware of every little sound.
Are they TRULY sleeping or just laying down, there is a very big difference.
Have we used enrichment to help tire them out in a completely different way?
Are we pairing sleep or rest with a rewarding and soothing item to help make a positive association?

✅Create a comfortable and quiet area for sleep and encourage them to use it multiple times a day.

➡️Low intensity Trigger Training

Are we "pushing" because we are frustrated and want faster results?
Have we a good understanding of what low intensity actually is?
Do we recognise non verbal signs they are uncomfortable or anxious?
Are we starting at a closer distance than we should because we desperately want them to make a connection sooner?

✅It cannot be rushed. Our dogs WILL show us when they are ready to decrease that distance.

"I can't do it !!!"
Take a deep breath...you can. You REALLY can.
Yes... these 3 areas are key, but we are human and struggle to adapt or change our habits.
Our bad habits and impatience can creep in.

If you are struggling, there are videos in the comments to help you to perhaps look at reactivity a different way.

This dog training graphic is available through abcdogsnz.com (just click the dog training graphics tab).

23/04/2025

HU***NG HOUNDS
It’s not always about what it looks like.

Some dogs do and some dogs don’t, but if you have a dog that humps at the most inopportune times it can be particularly embarrassing or annoying.

Other dogs, other people, visitors, toys, cushions, furniture, anything that can be mounted and clung to may be fair game.

As people, it’s natural to assume that this behaviour is of a sexual nature, that our dogs must be oversexed, sexually frustrated or the all-too-common incorrect belief that our dogs are just trying to be “dominant” or “the alpha”.

Hu***ng, like many other dog behaviours does not always have a simple reason. It can be a complex behaviour which is usually emotionally or socially based.

When hu***ng is annoying another dog or person or causing frustration, discomfort or harm in any way, then obviously this behaviour needs to be addressed, but sometimes we need to consider if it’s really something we need to stop because as people, we see it as socially unacceptable?

Is it just a harmless way of relieving stress or anxiety or a way to release excess energy. Is a little hump now and then okay if it’s not causing any harm?

One of my boys (I’m referring to my dog - just to prevent any misunderstanding!) humps one of my other dogs every Saturday morning without fail.

This happens when we get back from a long walk in nature. I allow him to do this because I understand it’s his way of releasing excitement and calming himself down.

As long as the other dogs don’t mind, I don’t believe it’s causing any harm as it’s a healthy way of self-regulating.

If we prevent this, correct it, or at worst punish this behaviour are we removing a harmless natural outlet and risking another unwanted behaviour taking its place?

Hu***ng is one of the most misunderstood behaviours.

Very often, behaviour is not about the way it looks, but the way we perceive it from our human perspective.

23/04/2025

Big News from Club Meg!

After years of working with so many amazing dogs (and their humans!), I’m taking a little step back to enjoy a slower pace this summer. I’ll be taking the summer off—so no new bookings until fall. If you’re already on my calendar, we’re good to go!

Starting September 1st, Club Meg will be shifting to private, in-home training sessions only. That means no more board and train—just personalized, one-on-one support right in your home where your pup is most comfortable.

Thank you all for your continued trust and support. This next chapter brings more balance and more tail wags, and I’m excited to continue helping your dogs thrive—just in a new way!

– Meg
Club Meg Dog Training

22/04/2025

Just as tricky but not talked about enough❗
Over excited and reactive?
Reactivity is a (......insert your favourite curse word here😑) beast!
It is nuanced, individual and can stem from many differing and even conflicting emotions.
Can an over excited dog redirect and bite?
Absolutely.
Many won't but some certainly can.
What makes this exponentially worse, we can do things (with the very best of intentions) that make reactivity worse....not better.
We can bark up the wrong tree, entirely.

Videos in comments if anyone would like to see the common ways we make things worse.

This dog dog training graphic is available through https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-nz-dogs-and-over-excited-thresholds?srsltid=AfmBOorFE0rSKO_aWhb638TdI_7pgIxnENIg137m2nzPtrFYWNPuPmNh

22/04/2025

It’s a good thing she’s cute. She got a nail trim today.

20/04/2025

Baby Riley hanging out at The Night Owl.

20/04/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/168oQ83hSY/?mibextid=wwXIfr.

20/04/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/18xZX6GWZu/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The World's Best Dog Harness. It makes walking any dog more pleasurable. No Pull, No Choke, More Love

15/04/2025

04/04/2025

If your dog barks or lunges at strangers, you might try really hard to get them to stop and some people may use really extreme measures like shocking, pronging or yelling. While these methods may startle or scare the dog in the moment to stop barking, aversive training has fallout effects that can make fear and aggression worse.

Instead of helping your dog feel safe when he's scared, using shock (or any aversive method) to punish a dog for communicating creates fear and confirms to the dog that scary thing is actually bad news because now it also predicts pain.

Training should never involve fear or pain. Not even for aggression issues. There are more humane, effective ways.

Read more: https://rescuedbytraining.com/2025/03/31/stranger-danger/

04/04/2025

Stick your hand out🤔
Don't stick your hand out❓
Last week there was a post (elsewhere) about why we should stick our hands out when we greet a dog.
I am not into social media "wars" and I don't like mocking others that disagree or have a different opinion.
There were also reasons given regarding the Jacobson's organ and how it plays a vital role....which it does....but I still wouldn't and don't put my outstretched hand towards a dog to sniff when I first meet them.
Quite seriously....I probably wouldn't have a hand left.
I take the pressure right off.
Generally speaking, I don't interact at all for several minutes (or much longer) and nor do I make sustained eye contact.
Meeting a dog (especially in this profession) is very nuanced and I guess because I work with a lot of anxious and reactive dogs...I am privy to hearing about how dogs bit when people put their hands towards them "to sniff".
Does that mean I don't allow a dog to come up to me to get a good whiff of my pheromones and to read that "up close and personal information" they need.....of course I allow it, when the time is right.
I allow them to approach.
I don't approach.
Works well for me, you may think differently and that is all good.
Everyone is free to respectfully disagree.

This dog training graphic is available https://www.abcdogsnz.com/product-page/abc-dogs-how-to-greet-a-dog?srsltid=AfmBOoqJRrqZLBYSdKC33O8GJAxKBBcX_dqHh9AlSzX8q2Xnyus8Blrb

03/04/2025

The Scottish Animal Welfare Committee (SAWC) has just published their report 'Dog Training - use of devices' which is a report on the use of devices other than handheld remote-controlled electronic devices (e-collars/shock collars) in the training of dogs.

In their Conclusions and Recommendations they say 'Given the acknowledged potential for welfare harm through misuse or abuse of certain training devices, it is concerning that professional dog trainers and behaviourists are unregulated and are not legally required to understand, or have training in, animal welfare, learning theory or the harm/benefit analysis of aversive devices.

SAWC recommends that the Scottish ministers introduce legislation that require dog trainers/behaviourists to follow a regulatory framework.'

The full report can be found here https://www.gov.scot/publications/report-use-devices-handheld-remote-controlled-electronic-devices-e-collars-shock-collars-training-dogs/

26/03/2025

This lil’ cutie is here for board and train. Mud Pies Australian Cobberdogs

24/03/2025

24/03/2025

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

23/03/2025

“Click the action, not the termination.”
Sounds simple, right? But this little gem from Alexandra Kurland is one of those deceptively obvious tips that separates clarity from confusion for the learner.

Behaviour isn’t just a thing—it’s an action—a continuous stream made up of many smaller behaviours. A wiggle, a pause, a bounce, a stretch, a shift in weight, a spark of enthusiasm. When we click, we’re delivering a discriminative stimulus for reinforcement—so the timing of that marker really matters.

Miss the moment? You might be reinforcing a different behavior than you intended. Maybe the stop, the shift, or the glance away—rather than the action you’re trying to build.