Treat Me Calm Dog Training

30/08/2024

A nice explanation of behaviour modification and training

04/05/2023

THEORY THURSDAY
The pet services industry (including dog training, grooming, walking & pet sitting) in Australia is unregulated, meaning there are no rules or laws governing a minimum level of qualification, or code of ethics around professional behaviour.
To keep you & your pets safe, here are some tips when looking for a dog walker or sitter.
https://www.ppgaustralia.net.au/

13/02/2023

Imagine travelling to a new country, with a different culture, and not being able to understand a single word of the language. Now imagine you had a tour guide who could show you around, explain essentials like how the toilets work, and who was patient and kind when you mixed up your pronunciation or forgot the correct protocol for greetings.

Be that tour guide for your puppy.

Puppies don’t speak our language. They don’t know which soft and absorbent surface is best as a toilet and which is designated as a carpet. They don’t understand that if you need to chew something there are only 5 of the 100 objects in the room that are appropriate. They don’t know that children don’t play by pouncing and nipping. But they can learn! Explain to them gently how their new world works. Remind them gently when they forget. Set them up to make it as easy as possible. And if they get it wrong, teach them gently again tomorrow.

08/02/2023

TRAINING TUESDAY - time

Sharing your life with a pet dog takes time.
Time for the basics: food, health care, grooming & exercise.
Time for training.
Time for socialisation.
Time for problem solving.
And, perhaps most importantly, time to co-exist.

Younger animals typically have higher energy requirements & are still 'learning the ropes', so can take much more time. However of course dogs through all life stages deserve time.

Highlights on social media of a fabulously fun & well-behaved dog is only the tip of the iceberg. There's tpically been lots of dedication behind the scenes to ensure we meet the needs of our pet dogs, and as a result, very happily cohabit.

Of course a pet dog is worth it. But don't discount the importance of time if you're considering a pet.

30/11/2022

I’m super excited to let everyone know that I’m running puppy prep classes at Monty and Minx on Compton Road Vets.

Week 1 started last night- please meet Windsor - Corgi and Riley - CKCS. They were such champions last night with their lickimats and puzzles. They did so well learning so many things.

For joining class these puppies are lucky to have included in the price, an ADAPTIL junior collar, a lickimat plus so many more incredible puppy things!

We covered
🚽 toilet training
🐾 socialisation
🐶 positive interrupters
🐾 marker training
➕ so much more

07/11/2022

I can’t love this enough, something we all need to think about.

07/11/2022

So excited to have an exotic vet that I get to work with daily. Dr Luci will be definitely getting to see my 2 ratbag macaws for their checks.

Meet Dr. Luciana and her pet turtle 🐢 , Erlich.

Erlich is a species known by several names at the moment - Jardine river turtle is the common name but the scientific name is now Emydura Subglobosa Angkibaanya. He is classified as a critically endangered species and was thought to be extinct in Australia in 1989, but was found again in the wild in 2014. They are found in northern QLD and south PNG and after a very long search, Dr. Luciana has found him a girlfriend and hopes to help regrow this beautiful species' population levels.

We are so excited to have Dr. Luciana on board with us and are very excited to learn more about many exotic species. 😍

If you know anyone with exotic pets, let them know to come in and visit! 🦜🐁🐔🐢🐍🦎🐠

06/11/2022

My first Nose Work students took place in there first ORT on Saturday as well. I am super excited to say that Carter was a super athlete and passed Birch with his amazing mum. So excited for them and the journey they have had. CONGRATULATIONS 🥳

05/11/2022

Yesterday Tonka and I participated in our second ORT (odour recognition test) our first was in July for birch - passed ✅, yesterday was Anise - passed ✅.
I’m so incredibly proud of Tonka. The things we have done together and we will continue to do. Considering he came into my work as a 4 week old puppy to be euthanised. Our journey has been so much fun 🤩

12/10/2022

The more you reward for what you like the more your dog will do it.
I was walking Zippa recently and I had a lady say to me that I was bribing her for what I wanted, I replied with absolutely NOT I’m reinforcing her for what I want her to do. Which in this instance was to not engage with the lady but look at her and keep moving forward.
Never stop reinforcing for behaviours you like !

DON’T STOP REWARDING
WHY DOGS SHOULD ALWAYS BE REWARDED FOR A JOB WELL DONE
Many people are initially willing to use rewards when teaching a particular behaviour, but often seem to be overly concerned about when they can stop doing this. There seems to be a focus on “the sooner I can stop doing this the better”. Surely my dog should just listen to me because I’m in charge, because they need to be obedient and should just do what I say because I say so! or “If my dog always gets rewarded it’s a bad reflection of my “authority” over them – It’s a weakness and I’m bribing or spoiling them”.
A common analogy used to explain this is a person starting a new job. You are offered a good salary and are excited to learn new skills. You are enthusiastic, motivated and learn quickly. Your employer is really happy with your progress and you are rewarded at the end of that month with your salary. At the end of your second month, you are told that you will no longer be earning a salary. You are told that because you now know the job and really perform well, it's become no longer necessary to pay you to do it. How would that affect your motivation, excitement and willingness to continue performing or even showing up for work?
The same applies to our dogs. To maintain a behaviour, motivation, satisfaction, a sense of achievement and to keep communicating in a way our dogs understand, we need to continually reward the behaviour we are looking for. Yes, there are different ways of rewarding or reinforcing our dogs if we are going to get technical - differential rates of reinforcement, fading, distance, duration or distraction or building behaviour chains etc. but the principle of rewarding a dog for a job well done, remains unchanged.

07/10/2022

Puppy classes are incredibly important to help you and your puppy start out with the correct information.

Yesterday I was doing some training with Zippa near a dog park. Teaching her to be calm and relaxed around other dogs. What I witnessed at the dog park was a young border collie puppy absolutely terrified by the other dogs in the park. Unfortunately for this puppy no human or dog noticed his signals that he was worried.

In my puppy classes we talk about the affects dog parks have on puppies and what the better options are.

Going to puppy class has benefits for later dog behaviour, study shows.

28/09/2022

This is so important, I inform clients of this all the time in my puppy class. Not everyone believes me and not everyone does it but I practice what I preach. When I got Zippa we visited lots of different places, and I had her experiencing loads of different things to ensure she had loads of great socialisation experiences to become a well rounded puppy.

MYTHS - VACCINATIONS AND PUPPY SOCIALISATION

Recently with all the new puppies, the myths, and dangerous, outdated advice vets are giving to new owners that puppies can’t go outside until all their vaccines are complete, has started again.

Vets, rescues and some breeders who are clinging to the outdated belief that dogs should be prevented from socialisation until fully vaccinated are not keeping up with the current research, literature and recommendations from behaviour professionals.

Behavioural issues, not infectious diseases, are the number one cause of death for dogs under three years of age. We need to shift the focus away from fear mongering that puppies will get sick or die if they go outside and instead focus on natural immunity and socialisation as prevention for later behavioural issues, which is a much greater risk of dogs being surrendered or euthanised.

This doesn’t mean you should take your unvaccinated puppy to the vets waiting room (worst place) and let it say hello to all the other dogs, a doggy park or a pet store where there have been hundreds of unknown, potentially unhealthy dogs traipsing through.

But you can make responsible choices, use your common sense, allow your puppy to interact with healthy, known dogs, if you have other dogs at home and presuming you do not live in a sterile bubble, those dogs go out, your family go out and come back in.

Neighbourhood walks. Avoid where others dogs p*e a lot,at the corner, the post box, and p**py piles of diarrhoea .Or you can always carry your puppy if you really don’t want feet on the ground or use a sling or a dog buggy. Or get them used to travel and pop them in the car and take them to a out of the way place(avoid piles of wet leaves and woodland at this time of year)

If you wait until your puppy is full vaccinated, you’ve missed their critical socialisation period. Opting to keep your puppy locked in your home, not being socialised during this critical window is the worst decision you can make for your puppy’s future behavioural health.

Credit - Good Dog Ownership School (Private Group)

24/09/2022

Sunday funday 🤣😂

17/09/2022

Sunday funday 😂🤣

16/09/2022

Do you have unrealistic expectations of your dog?

IT IS NOT NORMAL FOR DOGS TO “VISIT” DOGS IN OTHER HOMES

A frequent “complaint” I get from owners in why they want to seek out training is because their dog displays aggression when another dog visits their home or when they take their dog to visit in someone else’s home.

Guys, this is not normal for dogs.

Can we give up the idea of dogs visiting “dog friends” at other houses as a necessity? You’re taking an animal - a predator - and bringing it to another predator’s territory. Dogs are not human. Wild canids don’t visit other territories for an evening of appetizers and cocktails. That’s a human thing.

Yes, there are dogs who truly enjoy the company of others and are sociable and non territorial. Those dogs can accept visiting dogs or go to other dogs’ homes without issue. If your dog truly enjoys these activities, then by all means continue to enrich their lives! But know that this is the minority, and not “normal” behavior that should be expected of all dogs.

It tends to be a problem when the dog hits social maturity, when a honeymoon phase ends after rehoming, or when the owner expects the new dog to be ok with this because their last dog “loved it.”

If your dog doesn’t accept visiting dogs inside your home or doesn’t like going to other people’s houses, this is not a problem on your dog’s end. Your dog is normal. It’s a problem on your end in your realistic vs unrealistic expectations.

11/09/2022

I have been feeling unwell over the last 3 days, so my dogs have had very little attention. With a 5 month old cattle dog puppy how do you think this goes?
Some of you might be surprised to know that it actually goes well. I teach my dogs very early that rest, relaxing and being calm is super important for times like this when I don’t have the physical or mental capacity to full fill their needs.

10/09/2022

Sunday funday, enjoy your Sunday !

06/09/2022

On Sunday 22nd May I picked up my new four legged family member.

Please meet Zippa 💕, as you can see in these photos Zippa looks very concerned about what is happening.

What did I do to make the transition as easy as possible for Zippa - I put an Adaptil collar on her as soon as I picked her up. I had sprayed the crate & bed with Adaptil prior to picking her up. Don’t underestimate the stress puppies go through when leaving their breeder.

Stay tuned for our first few months together!

03/09/2022

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there today. In real dad style here are some dad jokes

🐾 why did the scarecrow get an award? He was outstanding in his field.

🐾how many apples grow on a tree….all of them

🐾 how many tickles does it take for an octopus to laugh? Ten tickles

Have a great Sunday

31/08/2022

Spring is here and I’m very excited! I have been hibernating over winter, so I am looking forward to the longer days and more warmth.

A lot has been happening at Treat Me Calm Dog Training over the last few months. I will be revealing little bits over the next couple of weeks.

Stay tuned !

25/08/2022

Scatter feeding- simple, effective, enriching, your dog will thank you!

SCATTER FEEDING - DID YOU KNOW?

What is scatter feeding? It's the scattering of food an any surface - grass, floors, decks, patios, stones, snuffle mats, in boxes, etc. - so that your dog or cat can search, forage or hunt for their food.

Did you know that MOST dogs love love love scatter feeding as it's internally rewarding to them? It switches on their 'hunting' genes and makes the whole process of foraging for food more exciting...

Did you know the food bowls are a popular thing because of GUARDIAN preferences and convenience? Also, lots of money to be made from different types and colours of food bowls...

Did you know that the best slow feeder you can find is the one outside your door? Also very inexpensive...

Did you know that scatter feeding can improve a lot of emotional and hence behaviour issues.

Did you know that scatter feeding and the subsequent foraging for food fills your dog's brain with positive neurochemicals which help with any stress, frustration, anxiety, boredom, food guarding, fear or low confidence.?

Did you know that most pet dogs never get to engage in a natural activity like scatter feeding while living in captivity because the guardians do not like it, as THEY think that scatter feeding is a weird idea irrespective of what the dog likes?

Did you know that the pros outweigh the cons? A dog's life in captivity is filled with risk everyday irrespective of how they eat. This method does not 'teach' them to sniff for or look for risky things like bird or fox p**p. Eating from a bowl does not teach them to be any less of a dog. Newsflash - irrespective of any eating method, they will sniff, lick and chew things that displease their guardians. After all they are dogs doing what comes naturally. You certainly cannot manage or stalk their every move 24/7...

When a behaviourist suggests scatter feeding, it's because it's based on years of studying the brain and understanding how to create positive emotions by the manipulation of key neurochemical and neurophysiological processes, so that there is a gradual change to more positive behaviours...

Emotions inform behaviour.
Change or improve the emotions and you will notice a change in behaviours.

Scatter feeding is not about throwing food on the floor. It did not take me and others like me years to learn to throw food on the floor. So trust that maybe sometimes, just sometimes, we may know what we are talking about😉

Don't like the idea? Use a Snuffle Mat. Use boxes to hide their food around the house. Use food dispensers. Try something. Shake up the status quo. Enrich their mundane lives somehow!

Try it. What do you have to lose? Some outdated views and beliefs maybe with respect to what makes your dog happy...?

22/06/2022

When you steal a chew that isn’t for you, you go faraway so someone doesn’t try and take it from you.
Can you spot Tonka ?

21/06/2022

As one of only 3 Behaviour Specialist in Australia, I was super excited to be able to meet Dr Kersti Seksel yesterday and ask her some behaviour questions and just listen to her speak.

It was our honour to host Veterinary Behaviouralist Dr Kersti Seksel BVSc (Hons) MRCVS MA (Hons) FANZCVS DACVB DECAWBM - Registered Veterinary Specialist, Behavioural Medicine, at MRVH yesterday.
Pictured with our Dr Kersti is Dr Karen Kam BVSc (Hons) MANZCVS (Veterinary Behaviour), and Certified Behavioural Dog Trainer & Veterinary Nurse Zoe Bobbermein. (Dr Kersti is Dr Karens mentor.)
Both Dr Norman and Dr Kersti have been President of the Australian Veterinary Association and their list of accomplishments in the field of Veterinary Science and Behaviour is astounding.
When there is this amount of Veterinary Behavioural knowledge in one room, we cannot help but be reminded that:- “HUMAN BEING BIGGEST WEALTH IS KNOWLEDGE BECAUSE IT CANNOT BE ROBBED AND ALWAYS INCREASES BY SHARING.”
Thanks for stopping by Dr's Kersti and Norman it was a complete pleasure. 👍

24/05/2022

FREE Puppy Playgroup - come along and enjoy a safe and fun playgroup for puppies under 16 weeks. Not only will puppies get to meet new friends and play, they will get introduced to new novel items and noises.
https://treatmecalmdogtraining.as.me/freeplaygroup

11/03/2022

2 places have just become available for an Introduction to Nose Work class starting tomorrow morning at 9:00am. So if you want to start learning about a fun game that your dog will love - follow this link https://treatmecalmdogtraining.as.me/

Schedule your appointment online Treat Me Calm Dog Training

15/02/2022

NEW Introduction to K9 Nose Work ® class starting soon. Want something fun to do with your best mate. Nose work classes are fun and are great for dogs. K9 Nose Work ® classes are about building confidence, independence and problem solving skills. You will love watching and interacting with your dog as they sniff out some great smells.

Follow the link to enrol or contact me for more details
https://treatmecalmdogtraining.as.me/

03/02/2022

23/11/2021

This is great, slowly we can get the message out there

A dog behaviour expert who raised concerns over a Christmas advert showing a young child...

14/11/2021

Well that’s a wrap what a great day. A huge thank you to for your support. Thank you to my 2 amazing demonstration dogs Hannah & Harvey for coming and doing a sniffing job .

13/11/2021

Dog Fest today, comedown and see some great entertainment, stalls and all things dogs.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/dogfest-tickets-172474875997?fbclid=IwAR38ryYZLh5vD7ivrM0oypnPtYF2NAyvsdmnarZ86LwR8EQoRnFHjjwZrxQ

Welcome back to DogFest, Redland’s original dog festival. Join us for a fun filled Sunday with the whole family, dogs included!