Happy Dogs Adventure Walks & Training

10/12/2021

Awwwwwwwwww

Credit : Whyatt

02/12/2021

If we can train a dog to help with this 🐶, why can’t we ourselves do so much better?! 😢

17/11/2021

😹😹😹😹😹😹😹😹😹😹

12/11/2021

Give dogs space - unless they are nagging for attention, don't assume they want pats

11/11/2021

Fixed mindset VS Open mindset.
•
Thinking of a Dog as behaving badly disposes one to use punishment.
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Thinking of a Dog as struggling to handle something difficult encourages one to help them through their distress.

10/11/2021

🤣🐶

07/11/2021

Listen to The Growl

Has your dog growled recently? Growling isn't a bad thing- in fact it's vital! This is your dog's way of telling you there is something up. Always listen to them and never punish for it. Listen to what they are saying. With special thanks to The Dog Guy on this one.

07/11/2021

30/10/2021

Current situation:

Charlie and I went for a decompression walk about 40 minutes ago. It's a super nice day but very windy. He smelled all the smells that were on the ground and in the air. He watched some ducks swimming in the lake. I followed him, and he followed his nose.

Now, we're almost home and he decided to stop and lay down in the grass. I know many people think that means he's being stubborn or defiant and would force him to stand up and keep walking.

I'm not doing that because that's simply not true. Charlie is 7 years old. He is technically considered a senior dog. His joints aren't as young as they used to be. Walking alone can be exhausting. Add in walking against heavy wind and mental stimulation from all the stimuli around him, he's tired and maybe a little sore.

I can't blame him for wanting take a break. So what am I doing? Sitting down with him and massaging his joints. When he's ready, we'll keep walking. Do I want to sit here and wait and would I rather be home? Absolutely. But what I want doesn't matter against what Charlie needs.

27/10/2021

Some good advice folks 🐍

🐍Pet owners need to be alert, and prepared, as we move into our warmer months, which means snake season. 🐍

Pets need to present at the vet immediately even if you’re not sure they have been bitten, time is crucial. Sadly, dogs and cats that have been bitten can deteriorate very rapidly. Animals can die within 25 minutes of a lethal bite. Some can die on the car ride to the vets or soon after arrival at the clinic.

We want to try and help you reduce the risks, recognise the signs, know what to do next and to call your closest vet so that they can be prepared for when you arrive.

🚫Today we are going to cover WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO 🚫

It can be a very stressful time if your pet has been bitten by a snake. The best things for your pet is to keep calm and to call your nearest vet, no matter what.

Leave the snake bite alone, try not to cover, wrap, or touch the bite. The vet and nurses will assess as soon as you reach the clinic.

If you would like any extra information, you are always welcome to call us, and we will be able to assist. 💙

22/10/2021

This is frightening to watch when you know the signals 😰☹️

20/10/2021

Just need to get something off my chest....

I love dogs, I do, and I'm lucky enough to have made a career out of working with dogs. The recent increase in dog numbers means there are more people than ever enjoying the company of dogs, but also more dogs than ever are out and about in public places. Some of the behaviour I am witnessing by some dog owners is driving me more than a little crazy.

PLEASE PUT YOUR DOG ON A LEAD. Why has this become so difficult?
This includes cafes, walking on the footpath and at parks that are not designated off-leash. It is for your dog's safety, as well as the safety of other dogs and people. It has become impossible for me to walk around my local area without meeting at least 3 off-leash dogs each time, and cafes seem to attract off-leash dogs.
I don't understand it - your dog may be friendly, but how do you know how the dog they run up to will react? And why is it OK for your dog to be annoying to others? I've witnessed some dangerous things with fights, knocked-down tables, terrified kids and boiling coffee going all directions.

YOUR DOG DOESN'T HAVE TO “SAY HELLO" What if the other dog (or owner) doesn't want to "say hello" back?
"My dog just wants to say hello" is usually the excuse people give when their dog has no recall, but why would you let your dog jump in the face of a dog on a lead that you don't know? It can go pear-shaped VERY quickly, and I have witnessed some dreadful dog fights as a result of this. Please work on your recall or don't let them off the lead. I just want to walk Chilli in peace.

Finally, about the current POODEMIC - yes, dog poo is unpleasant, but you need to pick it up!
If your dog does a poo on a footpath at night, it might be a shock to learn that you still need to pick it up, even if there were no witnesses! I know it's hard to get your head around, but I'm getting sick of giant piles of poo on the footpath waiting in the morning!

Rant over, thanks for listening….. and of course, I know that most people do the right thing! xx

17/10/2021

😂🐶🤣

14/10/2021

A great graphic to help us humans understand

I can bet many of us are feeling this right now so spare a thought for how your dogs are doing- keep in mind they are going to 'feed' off of your emotions and reactions!

14/10/2021

13/10/2021

Interesting to think about! Anyone else’s thoughts on this topic?

Sit.

Today, I went somewhere new to me. It was busy, with a lot for me to get my head around. I'm not a city girl but the guy I was with insisted that I sit down whilst he looked at his phone. I tried my best to get out of there but I couldn't move, and kept being asked to sit down. I don't feel safe. I don't want to sit down. Why are you making me sit here?

Later we went somewhere quieter, thank goodness. I was happier, until somebody really scary came towards me. They were really intense and I just felt so vulnerable. I wanted to run away, but instead, I was made to sit again. I was held there and I couldn't do anything. Whenever I got up, I was asked to sit down. The guy I walk with didn't like it when I didn't sit. He didn't seem to understand the things I said to him, or maybe he didn't care.

The walk home. We have to cross roads to get home. I don't really like traffic so don't like to be around it much, I'd rather hurry up home. But there was that word again, at every crossing..."sit". Doesn't he know my joints aren't what they used to be? All this sitting makes me sore. My legs hurt. I remember it hurting when I was younger, too. I got growing pains and did too much running. I can't seem to get home if I don't do it, and I really want to be away from this traffic. I stand and wait, I don't move in to the road, I just don't want to sit here. I'm not allowed to move unless I sit. My expression should say it all. Please don't raise your voice. Please don't press my bum down and force me to do things.

Back home. I just want my dinner and then to go to bed. I can smell it being made so go out to my bowl. My legs hurt from our walk but I don't get given my food if I don't sit first.

I am a dog. I don't always want to, or feel comfortable, sitting down. Sometimes it's not a comfortable position for me. Sometimes I would rather not be in the environment that I am in, or around certain things. I am not being stubborn. I hear that word sometimes, and I don't really know what it means. But this "sit"...it's the first thing I'm taught and the thing I'm asked to do most, even though I try to tell you that I don't want to sometimes. I know we are best friends and that maybe you just have trouble understanding me. Can we do less of "sit"?

13/10/2021

NEW WORD WEDNESDAY: DISPLACEMENT - Behavior that seems irrelevant to the context in which it occurs.

So, you're attending a dinner party at your boss's house along with 12 other people. Halfway through the vichyssoise, the hostess throws down her napkin and tells the room she can't go on pretending that everything is normal when your boss has been having an affair with his secretary (also present).

Do you:

A. Tell your boss you refuse to work for an adulterer and submit your immediate resignation,
B. Accuse the secretary of being a home wrecker and unfriend her on Facebook,
C. Discuss the high divorce rate in your profession with the rest of the table, or
D. Keep your head down and silently focus on straightening the place setting in front of you?

If you chose D, you are exhibiting displacement behavior.

Arranging a place setting is not an abnormal behavior, it's just not relevant to the present situation. It neither resolves the conflict in the room nor contributes to it. It is something you can do when escape and aggression are neither necessary nor beneficial options.

When talking about stress in dogs, we often tend to focus on the body language like the position of the ears and tail to tell us when stress levels are rising.

But displacement behaviors don't look like stress. They look like normal behaviors that just seem unusual in that moment.

For example, you take your new dog to meet a friend's dog for the first time. Instead of seeing your friend's dog and showing signs of excitement and wanting to play, your dog instead becomes VERY interested in sniffing the grass, seemingly unaware of the other dog's presence.

Or you enter your dog in a Best Trick contest at a local dog event and plan to show off his best trick that he does with 100% reliability at home. You walk on-stage and give him the cue. But, instead of doing the trick, he sits back and scratches his neck as if he's infested with fleas.

These are displacement behaviors. Subtle signs that your dog is uncomfortable.

It's the dog's way of saying, "Don't mind me. I'm very very busy doing normal dog stuff. No need to involve me in whatever is going on."

If we miss these signs and keep our dog in that situation, force them to engage or, worse, punish them for being stubborn or "blowing off" our commands, we only add stress to an already stressful situation. The dog is now more likely to escalate their behavior to avoid or escape the situation, including the use of aggression.

Depending on the dog and the situation that triggers the stress, how you help your dog feel more comfortable is going to vary, but a good general rule is to never force your dog into a situation or activity they aren't obviously enthusiastic about.

So, does it mean your dog is stressed every time he sniffs or scratches? No. Sometimes, it really is just sniffing or scratching. But if it seems out-of-context, you want to pay close attention for other signs of stress.

Recognizing displacement behavior as a sign of increasing stress instead of stubbornness or disobedience means you can intervene earlier and keep stress levels low.

________________
©2017 Lisa Mullinax. All rights reserved. Feel free to share using the Share link, but downloading and redistribution in any form is a violation of copyright. Thanks!

30/09/2021

If you have a curious pup, this may be a good course for you. ‘See snake &Run.’

Positive reinforcement dog training services

29/09/2021

Sometimes people will say that positive reinforcement doesn’t work – well, by definition it does! The problem is that a lot of the time, what is being done is not positive reinforcement.

To use positive reinforcement, you have to have something to reinforce! If your dog has no opportunity to do the behaviour you want, then you have no opportunity to reinforce them for that behaviour and no learning can take place. That is why we are always going on about setting dogs up for SUCCESS and why we use techniques such as environmental management, shaping and even luring to help our dogs “find” the behaviour we want easily, so we can start reinforcing quickly to get them in the game!

To use positive reinforcement, you have to have rewards that are actually reinforcing for YOUR dog! Many people would do a task in return for a bottle of wine – I would say "no thanks" and would prefer a nice box of chocolates (or even a plant)! Remember that dogs are individuals and they have their own likes and dislikes. Don’t try to dictate to your dog what food, toys or activities they should enjoy – give them lots of options and let them choose!

To use positive reinforcement, you do actually need to reinforce the behaviour you want – not just once, but over and over again and, actually, forever! If you stop reinforcing or do not reinforce enough, the behaviour will no longer be worth it (unless it is something the dog has learned to enjoy in and of itself) and the dog will stop offering it. DON’T be stingy - Imagine if your boss kept cutting your pay the longer you worked!

For positive reinforcement to be successful, your dog needs to be in a good place physically and emotionally. If your dog’s needs are not being met and they are stressed, frustrated, anxious or uncomfortable, they will struggle to learn through positive reinforcement, because their brain and body is focused on removing the source of discomfort or fear, not on gaining pleasure. This is one reason why punishment and intimidation have no place in training and inhibit learning. Your dog’s needs should always come FIRST – training goals are secondary.

29/09/2021

DON’T GET A DOG - UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED TO TREAT THEM AS PART OF THE FAMILY
The popular quote from Disney’s Lilo and Stitch – “Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten” – our dogs should be “Ohana” too!
In an ideal world dogs would be treated as part of our family and I’m sure many of us do treat them this way, but sadly, many people view dogs as a piece of property, a commodity to be bred and make money from, a cheap, replaceable security system with a built-in barking alarm, garden decorations, toys to play with when the kids are bored or a fashion accessory that looks good when we’re out walking, running or taking selfies with.
Dogs are not objects, just like us they are sentient beings with the capacity to feel a range of emotions. A life spent confined to a backyard or fenced in with little or no human companionship is not a life. Dogs are naturally social beings and need to spend time with their human family. They need, love and attention, exercise and stimulation. They need routine and consistency to feel secure in our world.
Getting a dog requires commitment, patience and dedication. It’s hard work, it’s sometimes messy, dirty and stinky, it costs money and often requires changes to our lifestyle. It’s a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly, but the rewards of forming a family bond with another sentient being can bring so much joy and enrichment to our lives.

28/09/2021

A lovely piece of writing about sharing public spaces.

AWARENESS CALL OUT - RESPECT TO BE RESPECTED

Today I'm going to discuss a topic that is probably the most common worry of all within the people (and dogs) I work with.

Hopefully, this will bring some awareness to all.

The topic is "Unwanted interactions between dogs" (Some will label this problem as "off lead dogs", although this is not the problem, and I will expand this later on in this article)

So yes, unwanted interactions between dogs...

This week I experienced two different situations when unwanted interactions between dogs happened, which to be honest could have been avoided IF every person would be more attentive and aware.

Let me first share with you both situations and then expand on each one of them.

Earlier this week I took my dog for a walk, and unfortunately in that day he was not feeling great (we have been fighthing against Arthritis for some months now). For that reason the plan was to keep the walk short and easy, no off lead time, and no play time with other dogs - to avoid more discomfort and pain later on.

But on the way back to the car, I see two ladies at a distance interacting with their dogs. So I slow down and make sure they see me well before we cross paths, and notice that my dog is on the lead.
Their 4 dogs were not on the lead, and as soon as they saw me, they came charging all together at a fast speed. This started at about 30m distance from me and my dog, and there was plenty of time for the ladies to recall their dogs (or at least try). But they did not. They kept chatting with each other as if that whole situation was just fine.

In the end my dog and their dogs had an unwanted interaction, for the reasons mentioned above, and as usual, my dog started jumping around in a happy manner playing with these dogs, which was not ideal in that day. (If you are not aware of Arthritis in Dogs, you can easily find info on a google search)

I tried to keep the interactions as short as possible and kept walking once I had the chance, my dog followed me shortly after, but then there was this one dog in the group that kept following us and this was disturbing me even more, as again, my dog was trying to play with that dog again. We finally made our way to the car by the end and the ladies and their 4 dogs continued their walk.

Later this week I met a client and his dog who was showing reactive responses towards some humans and dogs, and by the end of our session, I see a woman walking her dog off the lead, at about 50m or more, and I moved to the side to give them enough space to walk by without any complications.

Just a few seconds after this dog came charging at us, and my client's dog started lunging, barking and snarling at that dog (for obvious reasons). I held on the lead and did my part, while this woman whistled 2 times with no response from her dog.
At this point I make eye contact with her showing my unpleased face.

Her dog kept running around myself and my client's dog, and eventually started barking at us, for several minutes before she could finally catch her dog. It was a sad comedy (seeing this woman calling, shouting, running, and falling while trying to catch her dog). That luckily did not end up badly for anyone, but it would, if it was my client holding the lead of his dog, and not me.

In this situation, the person in question did not admit their fault as well and I end up turning my back and leave.
..

So, is the problem in fact due to dogs being off the lead?

No, not at all.

I see many dogs off the lead daily, and many of them do not cause any problems.

So what is really the problem?

The problem is when a dog owner does not work on basic social skills with their dogs and does not have the proper understanding regarding sharing public places with others.

The problem is NOT thinking about the next person and dog, and how your dog may cause problems IF certain skills/habits/behaviours are not in place.

So how can we improve this problems between dogs and people?

Well, first of all, think that not everyone is in the same position as you, and that your behaviour, and your dog's behaviour, may cause problems to someone else. Obviously, there is some common sense involved here. No one should stop their life because of others, but...

For instance, if you see a dog on the lead, think that your dog should not approach that dog without permission from the other owner.

Think that if a dog is on the lead, you should keep your dog under control, physically or verbally, until you fully understand the position of the other dog and owner.

Think that a public place will have different people, and different dogs, and it is fair for everyone to use it safely.

I think it does not take much attention and awareness to make things work for everyone, as long as you care.

Luckily, I've seen this many times, and experienced it as well, where other dog owners show their compassion and care about the next owner and dog, even when they do not know them.

So think about it, put yourself in someone else's shoes, and do what's right.

Thank you for reading.

27/09/2021

🐶Dog parks are great when they work well, and provide a great source of exercise and interactions with other dogs. Being aware of some tips can help make your dog park adventures less stressful and more enjoyable for both you and your dog.

🐾When entering or exiting the park please allow space for all dogs. Don’t let your dog crowd new dogs entering the park. The entrance to a park is where a lot of problems occur as you have excitable dogs entering and tired dogs leaving. Try not to linger in this area and keep moving to your destination.

🤔Not all dogs like the dog park. Yes, as crazy as this sounds it’s true. As humans we assume a dog park is a great place for all dogs, however, this is not always the case. Some dogs do not like the dog park as they find it overwhelming with all the other dogs. Some dog combinations just don’t work, just like not all people get along. Some dogs may not like other dogs' play style or ‘vibe’. Do not force interactions and allow other dogs space if they do not seem interested in meeting your dog.

🐕Learn about body language and communication to recognize wheat appropriate and inappropriate dog play and interactions are. Appropriate play is mutual between dogs where they are BOTH taking turns in the game with short rests in between. Games that become too rough for too long or high-speed chase games can escalate into a fight. Monitor the way your dog is playing with another dog. Randomly call your dog and praise to interrupt and de-escalate the game to give them a break then let them play again.

👀Be observant of bullying and mobbing behaviour. When one dog is constantly jumping on another dog, pins him down, or constantly chases him – this is not play. This is inappropriate and the dog is being a bully. Not because he is a bad dog, but because he has not been taught how to interact appropriately. Pushy dogs can trigger aggressive responses from other dogs. If you find your dog is bullying another dog it’s time for you to leave the park. If you feel your dog may be too boisterous, please seek a force-free training professional to help you help your dog.

⚾️Don’t let your dog steal other dogs’ toys. This can cause a serious fight between dogs who want to play with the toy. Rather just give space to a person who is playing with their dog.

🤚Be aware of size differences. Respect smaller dogs and don’t allow a big dog to rush up to small dogs or chase them. Not only can this traumatize the small dog, but it can trigger predatory behaviour from the bigger dog which is very dangerous and can end badly.

⛔️Please do not take a female in heat to the park. As I am sure you can imagine this can cause a lot of problems.

👍Teach your dog a great recall. Practice calling your dog randomly, not just when it’s time to leave.

😊Most conflicts can be avoided if you are actively supervising your dog and have consideration of others.

23/09/2021

Letting them choose who they greet is a basic welfare right....
(If only those random dog walkers knew that, right? 😂)

21/09/2021

**You have agency…your dog does not**

Choice and control or even the perception of, are primary reinforcers, meaning they are of intrinsic value to all animals, human and other. The removal of choice and control over ones life/environment can have seriously detrimental effects.

By bringing dogs into a captive environment (pet home) we remove most, or all, of their agency. Sadly, I see the results of this a lot. Not because people are malicious, they just haven’t thought about it.

Here are some intrinsic canine behaviours, list those over which your dog has some agency, meaning they get to choose where/when/how/what:
1. Scavenging
2. Eating
3. Toileting
4. Sleeping and where
5. Drinking
6. Playing
7. Using their body (some form of what we label “exercise”. This is a man made concept not a natural dog behaviour)
8. (Roaming) I’ve added this as an invitation to comment on when your dog gets to choose which direction they get to walk in
9. Reproduction of gene pool
10. Select a safe environment

How might you give your dog more opportunity for agency in life?

20/09/2021

We know better, so we do better.

(This can be a polarizing topic and we welcome kind debate on this page. Name calling, derogatory, and sarcastic statements will be deleted.)

17/09/2021

🐶🥰

Lots of goodbois here

16/09/2021

🤣🐶😂

Dogs hear around 4 times better than us. So yep, they heard, but probably don’t understand the cue! They don’t understand what you want! You have a training problem … start again! 😊🐾❤️

12/09/2021

12/09/2021

It’s good to rethink things some times 🐶

10/09/2021

Dog sociability is a spectrum! Each dog has different preferences on which dogs they like (or don’t), and that’s normal!!

After putting out the original post on this topic, we’ve gotten a lot of requests for a poster. So we reached out to the increeeedible Doggie Drawings by Lili Chin to make this for us.

Want a copy for your shelter, training facility, house, etc? Download it for free at link in bio or at:

everydogaustin.org/post/spectrum

Where is YOUR dog on the sociability spectrum?

07/09/2021

One of many good videos about the Engage - Disengage Game for lead reactivity and 'triggers'

The Engage-Disengage Game is a very powerful tool for dogs displaying leash reactivity. It teaches the dog to self-interrupt before becoming over-aroused in ...

04/09/2021

When my yellow Lab died last spring, I was flattened by an overwhelming sadness that’s with me still. And that’s normal, experts say, because losing a pet is often one of the hardest yet least acknowledged traumas we’ll ever face.

30/08/2021

Beautiful 🐶

28/08/2021

So true, but to many I’m sure this would be seen as controversial 🧐. What do you think?

28/08/2021

Great info graphic but remember ‘distance is your friend’ so start at a distance your dog is comfortable with (where they do not feel the need to react)

🙂REWARD THE NOTHING

👍This exercise is to help teach your dog stay calm and feel safe around new things that he could potentially find scary. It is exactly as it sounds, reward your dog for doing nothing. Not barking, not pulling around, not being reactive, and not lunging out.

👀Be observant of your dog and the environment. Let your dog notice a potential trigger on his own, and as your dog makes eye contact with a potential trigger coming at a distance, immediately use your maker word 'YES'/ Click (to capture the moment of your dog not being reactive) and treat - Again, it is important to remember to do this BEFORE a response happens so your timing needs to be perfect so the positive association can be made.

💜Make sure you always start at a far distance that your dog is comfortable with.

💡The general idea here is to capture the exact moment (like a picture) of your dog looking at a stimulus and reinforce BEFORE your dog shows any response.

🐶Make sure you keep an eye on your dog's comfort level - this is called his critical distance. So if your dog is reacting or appears scared - you are too close to the trigger and you need to immediately increase the distance away from the thing your dog may be fearful of.

Each dog is an individual, so this exercise can take weeks or months. Patience and consistency is key to any counter conditioning training ❤️

25/08/2021

What great advice! Make sure you look at the graphics closely as well - there's alot of brain taken up with distractions in this instance :)