Gentle Modern School of Dog Training

21/08/2024

Thought I'd go unconventional this week . . . 😉

I was alerted to the Smithsonian's vast collection of Open Access images (https://www.si.edu/openaccess) available under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license by a newsletter I subscribe to. (The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum, education, and research complex, according to their website). This pendant is listed if you search "dog".

The Artist is unidentified. The pendant is made of pearls, rubies, gold, and enamel and it's 7.5 cm high. It's dated 1575-1600.

What a magnificent piece of decorative art jewellery!

14/08/2024

To celebrate the 2024 Olympics we ran a Play+Train Olympics!
Track and Field competition was keen and there were several photo finishes.
(Play+Train is GMSDT Melbourne's group program)

07/08/2024

You've just sat down with a coffee, and one of the kids starts calling "Mum" from their bedroom.

You're in the middle of a YouTube video, and your housemate comes in and wants you to go with them to the garage . . . or somewhere or something . . . you're not really listening to them; you're watching the video.

There's some vague sound coming from somewhere . . . It might have been someone saying "Amanda." . . . but maybe not . . . probably not 🤷‍♂️

Do any of these resonate with you?

We often have high expectations of our dog's recall response, but there are many factors at play.

Interested in our one-page Recall Process and Troubleshooting tips? Email Amanda at [email protected] for a copy.

31/07/2024

Sporting grounds often provide much-needed areas for dog exercise, but the sporting users of the space naturally do not enjoy dog poo lying around. It's the major cause of friction between sporting clubs and dog walkers and can lead to Councils barring dog access to sporting grounds.

Help out all dogs, and please follow comedian and author Kitty Flanagan's rule no. 630.

24/07/2024

I'm not a person who uses incense in my home, but I know it is popular, so I was pleased to have the following article brought to my attention by Zazie Todd

'Pets and Incense: What You Need to Know' by Sarah Bowen in the Spirituality & Health magazine.

Sarah covers:
- The Problematic Impact of Incense for Dogs & Cats
- Important Considerations when Burning Incense
- Alternatives to Incense for Pet Lovers

Enjoy using incense in your spiritual routine? Consider the effects it might have on your canine or feline companions.

17/07/2024

And now for something completely different . . . 😴

10/07/2024

03/07/2024

Are you familiar with the concept of Love Languages?

It's all about how an individual naturally expresses love and how they will likely prefer to receive love. The five love languages are Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.

Gary Chapman developed the Love Language concept in his 1992 book 'The Five Love Languages'. The book has been somewhat controversial, but my intention in this post is not to get deep into it. I thought you might enjoy the fun of taking an American Kennel Club quiz to identify your dog's love language: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/dog-love-language/

Share your dog's love language in the comments if you like :-)
(Pluto's was Receiving Gifts)
Amanda

Does your pup respond best to praise or gifts? How about physical touch or a trip to the dog park? Take our quiz to find out your dog's love language!

19/06/2024

Food for Thought . . .

A quote from 'Your dog might be anxious for the same reasons you are. Our canine pals are good models for human psychiatric disorders, study argues' By Tess Joosse in Science
https://www.science.org/content/article/your-dog-might-be-anxious-same-reasons-you-are

13/06/2024

Great advice by Caryn Self-Sullivan: Stop, Watch, Wait, Reward

This quote is from Caryn's article 'Stop, Watch, Wait, Reward' at https://www.clickertraining.com/node/3911

07/06/2024

What are your dog's triggers?

"Trigger" is a pretty common term these days. A trigger is anything that causes stress, worry, fear, or upset in any living thing.

It's valuable to understand your dog's triggers; you can then avoid them when possible, develop strategies to help your dog return to calm, and work to lessen their impact on your dog.

Being able to read and interpret your dog's body language makes identifying triggers much easier. A list of canine body language resources in various formats can be found at https://gentlemodernschoolofdogtraining.com.au/Online-Resources

Check out Trigger Stacking in Dogs by Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
https://www.battersea.org.uk/pet-advice/dog-advice/trigger-stacking-dogs

Find out how to deal with trigger stacking in dogs to prevent them for experiencing stress, worry or fear.

27/05/2024

'Low-Stress Dog Grooming in the Salon and Home' webinar - utilise a low-stress handling approach and environment during grooming to increase the safety and welfare for all involved.

Pet Professional Guild Australia is hosting a 'Low-Stress Dog Grooming in the Salon and Home' webinar on Thursday, May 30, 2024 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM. The fee for Pet Owner Members / Public is $20.00.

The presenter Emma Cook is a fear free certified dog groomer and qualified dog trainer with ten years experience in the grooming industry.

The Learning Objectives of the Webinar are

- Creating a low-stress grooming environment

- Low-stress handling techniques for all dogs

- Increasing safety for both dogs and groomers in the salon

- Identifying and addressing grooming-related behavioural issues

For more info or to register, go to

22/05/2024

Have you found yourself in the kitchen struck by the thought, "Wait! Can dogs safely eat [insert name of vegetable here]?!"? Me too!

Check out 'What Vegetables Can Dogs Eat?' by Victoria Lynn Arnold, petMD

Find out the best veggies to let your dog snack on, plus a few that you should never give your dog.

15/05/2024

Love to take photos that include your dog, but the sight of the camera produces a cowering or suspicious pup - neither look conducive to a great photo!?
Niki Tudge of Dognostics has laid out a process to produce a relaxed and happy pet portrait participant. Check out how to coach your dog to enjoy being photographed at

Let's face it, who doesn't love looking at cute photos of happy dogs? Teaching your dog to happily respond to a "Say Cheese!" cue is lo ...

08/05/2024

Topic - Tails
Stanley Coren is a well-respected psychology professor, neuropsychological researcher, and writer on dogs' intelligence, mental abilities, and history.

Stanley Coren's recent article in Modern Dog Magazine, 'Why Dogs Have Tails' is a fascinating and fun read
https://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/why-dogs-have-tails/

In early evolution, the dog’s tail played a significant role in assisting balance, keeping a running dog on course when it turned, for example.

Modern dog breeds use tails more for communication. (Human intervention—breeding for some features and not others or docking tails—has impacted the ability of some breeds to communicate in this way.)

Excerpt from the article: "The tail’s position, specifically the height at which it is held, can be considered a sort of emotional meter. A middle height suggests the dog is relaxed. If the tail is held horizontally, the dog is attentive and alert. As the tail position moves farther up, it is a sign the dog is becoming more threatening . . .
As the tail position drops lower, it is a sign that the dog is becoming more submissive, is worried, or feels poorly. The extreme expression is the tail tucked under the body, which is a sign of fear . . . ."

A key point made by Stanley Coren is "All positions should be read relative to the average position where the individual dog normally holds its tail." Hounds like Beagles have a natural nearly vertical position and Greyhounds and Whippets have naturally low-slung tails, for example.

The article contains tips on how to read your dog’s tail using speed and tail sweep as indicators (I'm sure you know the happy hippy-hippy-shake wag :-)

Another key role of the tail is distributing the dog's pheromones:
". . . every time your dog moves his tail, it acts like a fan, spreading the dog’s unique scent around. These smells, called pheromones, are designed to communicate information between animals. Some important pheromones come from the a**l glands which are two sacs located under the tail; the a**l sacs’ odour is as unique among dogs as fingerprints are for people."

Did you know puppies aren't born tail wagging: "by 30 days of age about half of all puppies are tail wagging and the behaviour is usually fully established by around 49 days of age."

So much great info! - I encourage you to check out the full article.

Balance, communication, pheromone distribution… your dog’s tail does it all!

01/05/2024

Words of wisdom on Canine Adolescence from Nancy Kerns, Whole Dog Journal
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/behavior/how-to-ace-dog-adolescence/

24/04/2024

Dogs can, will and do bite

Fact: 77% of bites to humans are from a family or friend's dog

Fact: Understanding the body language of a dog is critical to keeping everyone safe [GMSDT couldn't endorse this point more.]

Fact: Behavioral problems, including aggression toward people, are one of the most common reasons for pet relinquishment to shelters

Fact: Every year more dogs are euthanised for behavioral reasons than for all medical reasons combined

Jennifer Shryock - certified dog behavior consultant and owner and founder of Family Paws, provider of programs and support for new and expecting parents with dogs - and Dr. Sheri Berger (VetVine®, online educational resource for veterinary professionals, pet care providers, allied industry, and pet guardians) discuss dog bites, the calls Jennifer has received regarding bites to children, and the impacts these can have on families at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdFo2U6GDjE (running time: 16 mins)

Family Paws https://www.familypaws.com/resources/
VetVine https://www.vetvine.com/article/372/about-us

There are many reasons why a dog may bite a person and the majority of dog bites are preventable. Dogs may bite due to fear or feeling that their comfort zon...

17/04/2024

You know what a big fan I am of American trainer Marilyn Mele :-) She's practical and wise.
Marilyn is offering a free 3-part video series on "What Can You Do For Your Sensitive Dog After You've 'Tried Everything'?"
Here's Marilyn's description:
"I just recorded a 3-part video series to give caring dog parents a better insight into why popular practices fail and what we can all start doing right away to help our sensitive dogs feel resilient, loved, and happy.
The 3 videos in the series are each about 40 minutes long and they'll be released one at a time. However, when you register you can watch the first video immediately.
The solution isn't doing MORE of what you're already doing, but instead making a fundamental shift in beliefs and practices.
The best part is you don't have to learn complicated skills or spend long hours drilling performance.
When we give our dogs what they need emotionally, behavior inevitably changes."
Marilyn's free videos aren't just sales pitches but have practical, caring and positive insights and tips.

What can you do for your sensitive dog after you've "tried everything"? When your good intentions and best efforts fail to bring relief to your emotionally sensitive dog, doesn't it feel disheartening and frustrating? But...You're not out of options!

10/04/2024

Dr Ian Dunbar is one of the gurus of positive reinforcement dog training. His new book is Barking Up the Right Tree - The Science and Practice of Positive Dog Training'.

Podcasts are a great way to get a taste of a book or get an overview of interesting topics and helpful info.

Episode 26 of the Pet Care Report podcast is an interview with Dr Dunbar and covers such topics as:
* Understanding the Basics of Lure Reward Training
* The Role of Games, the Power of Praise and the Importance of Tricks in Dog Training
* The importance of testing the reliability of your dog's training to ensure it holds up in various environments.
You can watch or listen to the podcast, and show notes indicate when within the interview particular topics are addressed.

In this episode of the Pet Care Report podcast, Melissa Viera interviews Dr. Ian Dunbar about his book Barking Up the Right Tree. Dunbar discusses lure reward...

03/04/2024

8 April is Dog Farting Awareness Day!

As with so many things, a fart is not just worthy of a chuckle (or a grimace), farts contain health warnings.

"Every dog farts, usually at a rate of 12–25 farts a day, which is about the same as humans. However, excessive flatulence or disturbingly smelly fumes could signify trouble for their digestive system."
'National Dog Farting Day 2024: What It Is & When It’s Celebrated' by Brooke Bundy https://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/national-dog-farting-day

For more info on the following five fart facts, see Brooke's article
1. Some breeds pass gas more than others.
2. Dogs who eat quickly fart more often.
3. Hydrogen sulfide is a digestive by-product that’s responsible for the stench.
4. Sometimes flatulence is no laughing matter.
5. Probiotics may help.

Yes, National Dog Farting Day is a thing! It gives us the opportunity to consider whether our dog passes gas normally, or if their body...

27/03/2024

If you would like to share our dog training newsletter please contact Ruth at [email protected] Amanda puts up some really interesting articles. Thanks Amanda.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/L5GBuvNZvN6Metg4/?mibextid=Nif5oz

Did you know that GMSDT produces a monthly email newsletter with dog training and dog-care tips? The newsletter editions are also available on the GMSDT website at https://gentlemodernschoolofdogtraining.com.au/Dog-News

If you would like to receive the newsletter directly to your email inbox, contact Ruth if you are a Bellarine Peninsula client or Amanda if you are a Melbourne client.

Here's a snippet of the January 2024 edition of GM-News

27/03/2024

Best wishes for a safe and happy Easter!
[We hope you won't need it, but info on what to do if your dog eats chocolate may be found at https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/health/what-to-do-if-your-dog-eats-chocolate/ ]

20/03/2024

This is great information to share with your friends and family when bringing home a dog for the first time or welcoming a dog into the home after a long break without a dog.

'17 Training Tips for First Time Dog Owners' by Zazie Todd PhD
https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2024/03/17-training-tips-for-first-time-dog.html

All 17 tips are helpful, concise and clear.

I've picked three tips to highlight here:

"6. If your dog does something you don’t like, think about what you’d like them to do instead, like keeping all 4 paws on the floor or sitting nicely to greet people. Then train them to do that. Sometimes it can take a while, but be consistent in training. You’ve probably heard the phrase “dogs do what works”. Your dog will learn which behaviours earn them treats.

7. Don’t begrudge the treats. The whole point of them is to motivate your dog to do the behaviours you’d like, so they have to be food rewards that are motivating. Some people make the mistake of only wanting to use kibble. That might work for a few dogs who are very highly food-motivated, but even then you’ll get better results if you use better treats. It’s okay to use people-food like chicken, cheese, and roast beef for this, especially for behaviours that are important to you. It’s also okay to use food that people aren’t so keen on but dogs love, like stinky sardines or tripe.

8. If you think your dog doesn’t like treats, ask yourself a few questions. Did they just finish a big meal? If so, they might be uninterested in treats right now, but you can try again later. Are your treats good enough or are they maybe a bit blah from your dog’s perspective? In which case, you can get better treats. Or is your dog actually stressed? Then you need to make the situation less stressful for them."

Zazie is the author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy (and Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Happy). Her blog is Companion Animal Psychology, and Zazie writes a column for Psychology Today.

What first time dog guardians need to know about dog training to get better results and build their relationship with their dog.

13/03/2024

Do you have or do you know a "shy" dog?

They might cower or make their body shrink as they approach, they might release some urine as you approach, they might growl and ask you to back off.

They might have suffered trauma, they might just be wired that way, there might be a medical reason.

To help the shy dog, don't put them under pressure:
> Never tether them outside a shop
> Let them approach people or dogs if they want to (consider a "no touching" harness/lead/collar)
> Let them hide if they need to - even better, set up a 'safe space' at home for them and make sure everyone knows the safe space always has a Do Not Disturb rule
> Use gentle training methods and offer them lots of choice
> Take them to spaces that won't be overwhelming or frightening - avoid busy times at the dog park, don't take them to your family reunion, let them skip the kids' footy games

Other tips:
- Help the shy dog build a compatible social network - dogs that have the same play style, dogs that are confident.
- Make sure socialisation/learning about the world is based on gentle exposure; short and sweet.
- Identify the games that they enjoy - e.g. Fetch might be good, or they might not like to be on open ground and/or far away from you.
- Teach simple tricks that both you and your shy dog find fun - it's confidence-building to master something

Steve Duno's Modern Dog Magazine article 'Tips & Tricks to Help Shy Dogs Come out of Their Shell" is a great reference.
https://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/tips-tricks-to-help-shy-dogs-come-out-of-their-shell/
Steve considers
~ Signs of Shyness
~ Why are Dogs Shy?
~ What not to do with a Shy Dog
~ Easing a Shy Dog’s Worries Via Confidence Building Exercises
- obedience training
- doggie mentors
- subtle socialisation
- game time
- trick and treat
- exercise
- directed walks
- desensitising
- scent work
- routine and trigger reduction

Training your dog to be less timid

27/02/2024

Dog-Friendly Cake Recipe

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home (UK) have a recipe for a great dog-friendly cake.
The 1.56 minute YouTube video details the process for baking the healthy celebration cake.
Enjoy!

Every dog deserves to be treated every now and again! That's why we're giving you our recipe for a dog-friendly cake that you can make at home; the perfect w...

20/02/2024

Do you have a dog that finds it difficult to focus? Details on a conference and a podcast below.

The US Fenzi Dog Sports Academy (FDSA) is running a conference: Hocus Pocus: Train for Magical Focus! It's a One-Day Online Conference on March 9, 2024. This would be 10 March Australian time. The first half of the program doesn't really facilitate live participation for Aussies - the start is 4AM AESDT - but the recordings will be available to registrants. The cost is $US89, so around $137 Australian.
FDSA has a particular emphasis on dog sports and competitive obedience, but the conference sessions do range more broadly.
Full information, including the conference program is at https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/36252

Alternatively, Susan Garrett's Shaped by Dog Podcast Episode 258, Training Plan For Hyper Excited Dogs: Play The Threshold Game For Calm Focus, requires an investment of 21.14 minutes 🙂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bIBG2B7p1o

Online dog training classes for obedience, rally, agility, tracking, nosework, dog behavior, freestyle, and foundation skills.

13/02/2024

Being the guardian of a reactive dog is challenging.

The research paper '“It’s Okay He’s Friendly”: Understanding the Experience of Owning and Walking a Reactive Dog Using a Qualitative Online Survey' by Carla J. Hart & Tammie King gives a real insight into the impact of being guardian of a dog who finds the world frightening, threatening, overwhelming.

The full paper is available at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08927936.2023.2287314, or you might be interested to read an overview of the paper by Zazie Todd on her blog, 'Having a Reactive Dog is Difficult and Costly, Study Shows' https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2024/02/having-reactive-dog-is-difficult-and.html

07/02/2024

February is Dental Awareness Month, so let's take a look at the perils of dental disease in our dogs (and cats!).

According to Dr. Melody R. Conklin in '9 Little-Known Facts About Dental Disease in Dogs and Cats':

"As many as 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have some form of periodontal disease by the time they’re just two years old.

Dental disease is more common in small dog breeds, like Poodles, Yorkshire Terriers, Chihuahuas, and Dachshunds, and brachycephalic (short-faced) breeds, such as Boxers, Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Shih Tzus. This is generally thought to be due to overcrowding of teeth and sometimes abnormal position of teeth in smaller/shorter jaws."

The other seven little known facts may be found at https://www.zoetispetcare.com/blog/article/facts-dental-disease-dogs-cats

'What to Expect During Your Pet’s Dental Procedure' by Dr. Joyce A. Login is a practical dental guide. https://www.zoetispetcare.com/blog/article/pet-dental-procedure

Keeping your pet’s teeth and gums clean and healthy can help prevent periodontal disease. Here’s what to expect during your pet’s dental procedure.