DogCentric offers dog behaviour consultations to address problem behaviours and build trust between owners and their dogs I do promote positive reinforcement.
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My focus is on improving the relationship and trust between you and your dog/s through modern, science based methods. I don’t advocate physical punishment or the use of prong collars or choke chains. Any dog can develop behavioural problems be they a rescue dog or one you adopted as a puppy, as behaviour is the result of genetics and environment. All dogs are capable of learning and the techniques
I recommend are based on scientific evidence of how dogs learn. I have a Dog Behaviour Practitioner Diploma through the British College of Canine Studies. I ensure my knowledge is up to date and that I am promoting the most effective behaviour modification strategies. You and your dog are unique so I don’t recommend a ‘one size fits all approach’. Each behaviour modification plan is tailored to the outcomes for your dog that you are personally seeking. Initially we will have a chat and then I will send you a questionnaire to complete. We will then meet for around an hour for the assessment where I will observe you and your dog, answer your questions, identify strategies that you can work with and follow up with a written behaviour modification plan. If your dog is reactive with other dogs I'll bring one of my own dogs to assist. Services include:
- One-on-one canine behavioural consultations in your home and/ or agreed location with a customised written behavioural modification plan and relevant handouts.
- Telephone behavioural consultation sessions for clients in rural areas with a customised written behavioural modification plan and relevant handouts. Videos can also be assessed.
- New dog owner briefing sessions – setting up people who have not lived with a dog before for success. Covers instincts/ breed influence/ basic needs/ how dogs learn/ socialisation.
- Find My Friend - following a phone interview a shortlist of suitable rescue dogs is sent to you. You don't need to look at all those cute faces and risk being swayed by your heart into choosing a dog not suited for you and your family! I am passionate about animal rescue and offer discounts to dog rescues on a negotiated basis. I don’t guarantee that your dog’s problem behaviours can be cured as in most cases you will always need to manage their behaviour to some extent. Your commitment and dedication to following the plans and making sure your dog’s needs are being met is the most important aspect of changing their behaviour. I do guarantee the quality of my advice to you. Remember:
Your Dog = instincts + breed + socialisation + training + kindness + leadership
Contact me to discuss my services and prices. cheers Nicky
So here I'm reflecting... so to change a dog's behaviour we can pair rewards at the sight of the scary thing. We can then get closer to the scary thing. However when a dog might be very food driven, they can end up in a situation where their food drive, overrides their fear. This is when distance, and small steps become vital.
My learning this week... So our lovely Spike just loves kids, he goes up to them and wags his tail, makes a beeline to prams.
Yesterday he met a toddler who has a similar looking dog who knows him well. This boy was a hugger. He gave Spike a pat then repeatedly grabbed him around the back and bottom. Spike swung around to look at him, his body language was appeasing, then he started to lick his lips - a clear sign of stress.
So I intervened.
So I learnt that Spike loves kids that don't grab and hold him. A good reminder to always monitor your dogs and if they are stressed change the situation!
Keep your dogs safe xx
Excellent article with links to more great information!
We expect dogs to live serenely & effortlessly in a world of human’s making without showing any signs of being dogs. We are surprised when they act like dogs.
So smart!
Girls rule and boys drool comes to mind! 😂🤣
Excerpt from The Daily Telegraph
Training Tuesday - My dog is 'stupid'!
I often get clients telling me that their dog is 'stupid'. When I ask why they are saying this the answer is: He knows exactly how to sit at home in the kitchen but now in class, it seems he has never heard that word before!
Your dog is not 'stupid', we humans have just forgotten about the 3 Ds in training:
- Distance
- Duration
- Distraction
This simply means if you are in a new environment (more distractions), stay a bit closer (distance) and only ask for a short sit (duration). If necessary go back to a lure and then phase the lure.
I promise your dog tries their very best with limited information in a challenging environment!
Here’s a corrected infographic to help fix the popular but incorrect meme that has been circulating on social media this last month.
Please DON’T post “But I’ve heard X food is toxic” in the comments, rather, post the research studies (not links to outdated dog websites or blogs that haven’t bothered to clarify their poorly written material) about foods that have been declared “toxic” if consumed by pets with no science to back up the claim.
When you spend time searching the literature for toxicology studies on the feeding of fresh fruits and veggies to pets you come up shockingly empty-handed. AAFCO/FEDIAF state we should not feed these foods to pets: onions, grapes/raisins, macadamia nuts and chocolate. Those studies exist, but that’s it. 4 foods.
Compare that to never ending TOXIC/DON’T FEED lists found all over social media and it’s so confusing; even worse, people share these posts without doing any research.
There’s a big difference between feeding a giant pit in a fruit (or a wad of bark or leaves) and feeding normal amounts the actual edible fruit or veggie; same goes for your two-legged kids. Toddlers and pets need to have the rinds, cores, seeds, leaves, stems and pits of fruits removed prior to eating, and all fruits and veggies need to be chopped into tiny, bite-sized pieces. Common sense, right?
I believe pet parents also have some common sense and won’t offer rinds, pits or cores to their pets as treats; AKC and ASPCA, please update or clarify your out-of-date website info 🙏🏼.
Suggestion for pet websites discussing feeding real foods: put a * by foods that have a rind, pit, core or stem. Remind folks training treats should less than 10% of an animal’s daily calories, and if your pet has never had the new food before, always feed them slowly, giving the GI tract time to adjust. Chop them into tiny pieces and offer in moderation.
It’s time to declare common sense for the win; pet parents aren’t idiots, so it’s time we stop perpetuating fear-based myths and denying animals the fresh food treats they deserve. 🫐🍎🍒🍑🥭🥑🥝🥦🥬🥕🍌🥚🥒🍆🥥🍉🐾
I used to be a dog has to sit at each corner person - a long time ago. So many dogs are given few choices - runners are the worse...
Giving dogs choice and control in their lives is so important for their well-being.
When you think about it, we control so much of what happens in our dog’s lives - what and when they eat, where and for how long they walk, when they’re allowed to sniff, where they sleep and which dogs they interact or play with etc.
Providing your dog with opportunities to make their own choices, using some of the ideas below, has so many benefits! ☺️❤️🐶
I’ve posted a couple of articles recently about reactivity. It’s an all too often misunderstood behaviour. Here’s a great infographic explaining what it means and what it doesn’t mean when a dog is displaying reactive behaviour:
Often tricky to work out...
THE GIFT OF THE GROWL
Why growling should never be punished and also never be ignored
Not all growls are negative. Some growls are play growls, attention seeking growls, pleasure seeking growls or frustration growls. They may all sound a little different and may be unique to the particular dog. This post is not about different types of growls, but about warning or aggressive growls.
When a dog growls, maybe even at us, the natural human response is to feel offended and maybe even angry. Surely dogs need to learn not to growl, growling is bad, growling is unacceptable, growling is a problem and needs to be punished so a dog learns it’s wrong, disrespectful and not to do it again, right?
NO, this couldn’t be further from the truth! A dog that growls has just provided us with a very valuable communication signal. In their way, they have just communicated to us how they feel without resorting to a bite. Dogs use growling in an attempt to avoid having to resort to biting, not to initiate it. They could just as easily have not even bothered to growl and gone straight to a bite.
Growling is a dog's way of saying "please stop," "stay away from me," "go away," “I’m not comfortable with this and I’m feeling threatened”. A dog that growls is trying hard to communicate and punishment suppresses this ability to communicate. Punishment doesn’t change the level of the dog's discomfort; it creates more stress and the dog will feel more threatened.
Growling is not the problem. Growling is the result of and the symptom of a problem. A dog that bites without the warning of a growl is a far more serious problem than a dog that growls but doesn’t bite.
Look for any other early warning signals that may precede a growl. Recognize and take note of what makes your dog feel threatened and create distance between your dog and whatever is triggering them.
Be grateful for the gift of a growl - it provides us with an opportunity to address the cause & prevent the bite.
So sad
We know that there is a correlation between stress and unmet needs. When our dogs are stressed, their needs are more acute and when those needs go unmet, they experience more stress.
But there is another layer in this equation: How our human responses and behaviors come into play.
When our dogs' needs aren't met, they experience stress and find outlets for meeting them. This, in turn, stresses us as their guardians because the outlets that are available to them usually aren't aligned with our wants. Ironically, this can result in less of our dogs' needs being met because we disconnect and fail to recognize the root cause. And the cycle continues.
To prevent this, try to be as proactive as possible in meeting your dog's physical, emotional, social and cognitive needs.
For every walk that is about you (running etc) give your dog a good walk too
All too often, we expect our dogs to behave a certain way. We train them and mould them to fit into our lives as much as possible. However, if they had a choice, would they always choose the same path for themselves, as we do for them?
Your dog would likely love to get in a muddy puddle or sniff that lamppost for longer. Most dogs would choose to roll in fox poo, and it’s natural for them to eat grass.
As often as possible, we should not only let our dogs practice their natural behaviour but actively facilitate it! Not only is this amazing for their well-being, but it helps to strengthen the bond we share with them if they trust you to let down their guard and be their authentic selves, then what a gift that is for us.
Letting your dog behave as a dog should is perhaps the best thing for them. No pressure, no expectations, no rules.
Just dogs being allowed to be dogs.
Sometimes tricky
Some reactive dogs want to fight/avoid other dogs, but a lot of them actually want to play, but they lack social skills and are maybe a little anxious. Of course, just because your dog wants to play doesn't mean you should let them, especially with unknown dogs. However, if your dog desperately wants to play with other dogs, you should think about setting up some controlled playdates with other, well-socialized dogs.
Don't rush it. Take your time, sprinkle in a little basic training, and you'll probably see your dog's confidence and social savvy blossom...
DOES FRESH FOOD FEEDING CAUSE GROWTH ISSUES?
Vets not supportive of feeding a dog a healthy fresh food diet can be known to tell their patients that they shouldn't feed a fresh food diet to their puppies because it will cause growth issues.
Did you know growth issues occur in kibble fed dogs too....even the most expensive or breed-specific kibble?
No matter what the feeding method, challenges can occur. Dr I. Billinghurst believes that the imbalance/inappropriate amount of nutrients in kibbles are problematic and fewer growth challenges are seen with natural diets...makes sense especially given they're largely synthetic nutrients.
As a community, we need to stop the scaremongering about fresh food feeding. Given kibble has only been around for 70 odd years yet dogs have survived for tens of thousands of years without it shows us that the scaremongering can be misplaced.
Your Vet also may only see the negative side of natural feeding where a pet parent without any research just feeds their dog 100% mince or some rice and meat without any balance of nutrients.
Let's stop the scaremongering and increase education about how to feed a fresh food diet well....
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rawandfresh/
---
PHOTO: Great Dane puppy fed a respected Giant Breed puppy kibble with appropriate calc:phos, protein & fat levels.
Puppies should not be left unsupervised with older dogs, they can make an old dog's life miserable. Some dogs just don't put pups in their place and suffer in silence, some older dogs may reprimand a puppy and do it safely while others will do damage to the pup.
You are the guardian it's your responsibility to supervise and keep both the pup and the older dog happy, confident and safe.
So true - and dog lovers are usually the worse...
Consent and Choice are not something that can be imposed upon another.  Every individual has there own preferences for proximity, and to learn those takes time. Ask first, listen more, and respect the information being provided. Touching anyone with permission is up to the individual. Trust takes as much time as is needed for the individual to feel comfortable and safe, which is extremely important. Be considerate, be respectful, be reliable.
Dogs are sentient beings and let us know when they are interested in what we are eating. Why not share?
Today I want to share one of my all time favorite blog posts with you. It’s short and sweet and very likely relatable for anyone who lives with a dog. When I grew up, “begging” was a major no-no for the dogs in our house. It never made much sense to me but I carried it into my relationship with my first dog. I regret it every day. With Drake, I cherish these moments. I photograph them. I challenge you to think about what “begging” means and if it upsets you, why does it upset you? It’s simply a label. Does it mean your dog is looking at you? Why is this so awful?
Check out ’s blog post: https://medium.com//dogs-like-pleasure-too-d9f9e680add
Great advice
GREAT TESTIMONIAL TO THE POWER OF REAL FOOD FROM TURID RUGAAS, THE QUEEN OF CANINE BODY LANGUAGE AND BEHAVIOUR...
Turid Rugaas has always been a bit of a hero of mine. We studied her lessons in depth in Guide Dogs. Fabulous insight, revolutionary at the time. I was lucky enough to have been invited to her symposium some years ago to talk nutrition and we have been friends since. She just sent me this wonderful testimony for the powers of real food in a recent case (I edited it a touch for brevity/clarity):
"I had a client with a dog who was biting everybody. They came to my house so I could see and control what was happening.
The first session was just getting used to my home and me. He was stiff as a pole, alert, worried, stole things and was restless.
He received only kibble which he ate a bit of now and then. He never felt full at all, so after our first meeting, I decided to put emphasis on feeding. .
When he came to me the next day I gave him breakfast and then he fell asleep.
That afternoon I instructed the owner to begin feeding him with proper food.
He went home yesterday, walking towards the car with proper strides, soft muscles in the back and legs, walking normally for the first time instead of stiffly trotting, looking around, enjoying the traffic, people, a helicopter passing - and all with a sweet, curious face.
It was a complete transformation, I have never seen anything like that in such a short time. He was not hungry for the first time in his whole life.
I usually have a calming effect on dogs but this was different. His whole body changed."
As a trainer myself, with a background studying the effects of food on behaviour, I can very much testify to seeing (and now hearing of) the same effect in a great number of dogs. Many trainers have told me the same.
I would add a note to the above that there are two types of starving, and both drive unwanted behaviour in your pet. The first is giving a meat-eater a handful of rapidly digested crackers for breakfast, inducing an actual hunger in the dog soon after, and hungry dogs are significantly more likely to exhibit unwanted behaviours because of it.
But there is also "nutritional" hunger (this is the overfed, undernourished of the world) whereby if you continue to feed a product where studies show 62% of the "complete" kibbles off the shelf in the UK cannot even manage to meet the minimum nutritional standards set out by the kibble manufacturers themselves, you will get a similar effect - an animal not only deficient in certain mind-calming nutrients and bioactive compounds, but one driven to get them.
And hunger is really only one part of it - why is it kids go crazy at birthdays after we give them all the crap food? Is it the rapidly digested carbs? The artificial colours? Dry food has all these en masse but also poor quality protein, stale fats, erratic vitamin content (notoriously deficient in b complex, for example), chemical preservatives that decimates the gut flora (central to good behaviour), on and on.
There is surely no one solution to problem behaviour in your pet, and nothing replaces the advice of a good trainer, but if you're feeding them ultra-processed kibble folks, you sure as hell aren't helping matters. The foundations must be solid before the lessons can percolate in.
Has anyone else experienced this positive change in behaviour in their pet?
***
Catch up with Turids' work here
http://en.turid-rugaas.no/
She also makes available a huge amount of great info for free on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj7BWxC6iVs
About time!
A coalition of UK animal welfare and veterinary groups has welcomed a report by Middlesex University casting doubt on the Dangerous Dogs Act.
And sometimes we just don't know why and have to do our best in the moment
So sad...
So true. And even dog savvy people are rarely objective regarding their own or foster dogs. That is my job, just not with my own (lovely, social dogs who are also free spirits)!
Home >> Positively Contributors >> Everyone is an Expert These Days! Everyone is an Expert These Days! By: Debby McMullen Tweet Photo by Emma Judson| www.foulmouthedfido.com With the availability of the internet, everyone suddenly becomes an expert in something. The staggering amount of information....
Good article
Here are ten common misconceptions about what dogs need and how they communicate with us. Plus, a gallery of reader and staff dog pictures!
I agree!
Have you heard it said that when your car needs fixing you send it to a qualified mechanic and therefore when your dog has problems it makes sense to send him/her away too… The problem with this analogy is that a dog is not as simple as a car. A canine is a biological organism and an emotional one...
a common problem for new foster doggies
🐾 Edited to add: This is just a photo from the internet, we do NOT have this dog in Rescue 🐾
PLEASE READ!! (repost from Red Dog Rescue)
Those in rescue know the importance of decompression. We do our best to stress this concept to adopters and fosters.
Many people wanting to return their foster dogs or adopted dogs express behaviour concerns within the first 72 hours and are ready to give up.
By the time you take a new dog into your home as a foster or an adopter, it has gone through a world of change. Some of these dogs are owner surrenders to shelters. They were living a lovely life in a home, they went for a car ride with their family and suddenly they are trapped in a tiny cold kennel at a shelter. Others may have lived alone on a chain in a yard their whole life. Now they are surrounded by strange people, strange sounds, and strange smells.
Some of these dogs are strays that got lost and couldn’t find their way home. Some of the dogs are street dogs, who have never had a home and have no idea they want one.
At some shelters these strange people are suddenly sticking them with needles and putting them through strange temperament tests. They are absolutely petrified. Then a rescue or foster comes in to save them, but the dog doesn’t know that. They are loaded up in vans and cars and are driven across town to somewhere they can stay for the time being.
If this was a person they would be broken down and seeking help. The dogs on the other hand are expected to know when and where to potty, what they can and can’t chew on, to sleep quiet in a new kennel, and to be so excited to meet new friends. For some dogs, they make the transition okay. Others make so many doggy mistakes and are given up on because they take longer to adjust and need more guidance.
Unfortunately for the dogs people forget that they can’t talk. They bark, they cry, they howl, the growl; they try to express their concerns in doggy language. They don’t know what we want, they have to be taught what we want. They aren’t perfect dogs. Many are broken, some are just bruised, but they all need you.
Fostering and adopting isn’t always pretty, it isn’t always clean, but it is always worth it. It’s our job to love them and train them. If you are not willing to commit to these animals, who have already been through so much, don't adopt one until you are.
Give them the decompression time that they deserve so they can do what they do best, love you.
Huntsbury
North Perth, WA
8022
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