Rocky's Retreat - Pet Services

19/05/2024

So cute! Saw this challenge and thought it was cute 😂😍❤️

10/05/2024

This, this and only this!

A Simple guide to choosing the right professional for your dog.

If you have a dog and want to either train them, or find solutions for challenging behaviours, it must be getting really confusing about what methods to use and who to employ to help. With so much information (and Misinformation) out there and with much of it being so contradictory, it must be hard to know where to turn for support. I know you love your dog and want the best for them, so to make it easier don’t worry about what others say about the best approaches – just have a think about how you would like to learn and be treated, or ideed how you would like your human children to learn and be treated.

To aid this further here are a few simple questions.

If you (or your children) were to be taught something new would you :

A. Want to be taught with patience and kindness, with praise when you got it right, support if you struggled to understand and the ability to feel safe to get it wrong and try again?
B. Get praised when you got it right, but punished when you got it wrong?
C. To be made to do it through physical force and intimidation?

If you (or your children) were in pain or feeling uncomfortable would you :

A. Want to feel you could communicate what you were feeling, be listened to and get relief for that pain or discomfort, especially from those you rely on?
B. Be ignored, dismissed and corrected for that communication, but praised when you stop communicating?
C. Get punished for trying to communicate, and for that to continue until you stop trying to communicate?

If you (or your children) felt emotionally or socially unsafe or uncomfortable would you :

A. Want to feel your attempts to communicate were being listened to and felt those around you would be there to help?
B. Be ignored, dismissed or corrected for what you were trying to communicate, but if you stopped you might get praise?
C. Be deliberately put into a situation that you felt emotionally or socially unsafe, tried to communicate that and then got punished for that communication?

If you answered A to all three, this shows you really care about your own experience, and that of your loved ones, so choosing a science led, positive trainer/behaviourist is the natural choice for you as why wouldn’t we offer the same to our beloved dogs? Ignore all the rhetoric and false narratives being put out by those who don’t know better, and do the best for you, your dog, and your relationship with them. Even if you have started out trialling other ways, it is never too late to get it right for your dog – we are all learning and growing 😊

If you didn’t answer A to these –I am sorry if your own life experience has meant you have not been afforded the kindness and support of those around you to realise that A really is the only answer. However, if looking at it this way inspires you to do things differently (for yourself, your children or your dog !), it is never too late to recognise that :

1. Learning happens best when the student feels safe and are focussed, positively motivated and engaged.
2. Challenging behaviour is often the communication of underlying need: Identify and support that need and things really do start to improve, especially your relationship with your dog.

When we know more, feel more and grow more - we can do better. Not just for our dogs, but for ourselves and those around us 🙂

The best news is, despite what others may try to tell you, it is NOT a matter of opinion, it is about choice ! The science and the evidence is out there - and there is a lot of it. And as our dog's don't get to choose how they are treated, it is even more important we make the right choice for them 🙂

For reference : A = A positive approach B = A 'balanced approach' C = A punishment/aversive only approach

For more check out my Dog Centred Care FB group : https://www.facebook.com/groups/dogcc

21/03/2024

Anyone else eat popcorn and train their dog? 🤣😍 Training doesn't haven't to be hard or exhausting!! And she loves plain popcorn 😍❤️

03/01/2024

Trying to work on Shadows foot target 😂😍 she's like I give you paw!! Too cute. We will get there!

22/07/2023

Disengagement pattern!! Great for learning to disengage and come away

22/07/2023

Real life dog training!! There was a time Shadow would definitely not disengage from this cat!! He also gets far too close for comfort! Found him on our deck one night which is not only illegal but dangerous. I don't want anyone getting hurt! She spotted it before us and went to sniff but recalled straight back to the top deck. DMT and disengagement pattern for the win. No barking or whining like she used to do! Some days you forget how far they've come!!

20/05/2023

Great analogy

03/05/2023

🤣 bit of lite humour aversives are aversives. You pet may find many things aversive even though it's not the typical pain causer

29/04/2023

Yess we are getting there!!! Now to get these and prong collars banned throughout the world!!!!

10/04/2023

Shadows enrichment sorted. Pumpkin, carrots, some kibble, some joint biscuits a little liver and a chicken foot (or strong hand as they are called in our house🤣). Although judging by this face i'm the worst person in the world as they all went in the freezer 🤣🤦

04/04/2023

Shadows walking is getting so good!! Loosh leash the whole way. It's only starting to get cool enough to walk in the mornings (without it being dark) she did so well. She saw the dog that barks at her over the road. Disengaged multiple times, still too worried to take food when there's outdoor distractions but that's ok. Saw a metal cut out of a cat, she was a bit confused but disengaged. We walked down a different street so she was more alert but a dog stuck it's nose through the fence and was barking but again she disengaged!! She was a bit worried but she was such a good girl 😍♥️ it's a slow process but so worth it to build her confidence and help her feel safe in life!!

01/04/2023

Chin is far too difficult with the biscuit hand as it tastes too good 😂😍

01/04/2023

😍 she loves a good scatter feed.

01/04/2023

Don't play with your food doesn't exist in this house! Shadow used to be terrified to go under us but as you can see she has no issues anymore! Still not got our middle game on point 😂

01/04/2023

I realise I don't record much because I'm always in my PJs 😂 so ignore the dressing gown it's a brisk 23 and I'm chilly 😜 learning a new game 1,2,3 to work on more proximity and lose lead walking. First getting them used to feed on 3

08/02/2023

The thing I love the most about not having a routine with Shadow (other than the fact it helps keep her calm and not predict things) we got up at 2am and it was perfectly normal to have a scatter feed and go to the bathroom 😍 now the dog that was too anxious to eat when we left and would bury big chews (burning her nose 😪) has been licking a frozen kong happily for 15 minutes since we left. Hope she has a nice time with the dog sitter ♥️

03/02/2023

We decided to get up super early and take the pup to see the sand for probably the first time ever. She did so well. Tail up and floppy ears. Didn't see any dogs and the actual beach probably wouldn't have been the best spot for her but this was perfect ♥️😍 happy dog. Good to start opening up her world and if she wasn't feeling it then at least she got a car ride 🙂

31/01/2023

😂😅♥️

26/01/2023

Sometimes positive trainers feel like they are fighting a never ending battle, but if we don't speak up for animals without a voice who will? This week a vet nurse of all people said one of the reasons they used a prong collar was because you need to train them from a puppy. 🤦 This is what we think to that 🤣♥️

26/01/2023

So right ABC dogs

24/01/2023

Funny post for the day. Ignore the fact she's doing her business 🤣 but hubby just sent this picture of our high chase drive pup oblivious. Can you spot it? 😂

24/01/2023

And a bit of giving into leash pressure. Again to work on loose leash walking and to get her comfortable with the lead. Making sure pressure on the lead doesn't mean there's something to worry about ♥️

24/01/2023

It's always important to remember to go back to the easy steps and easy wins in dog training. No one wants tests and pressure all the time! Also important to note 7 months ago Shadow was unable to have any pressure applied to the lead otherwise she'd stick to the floor and not budge.
It's raining today so she went for a non event car ride (again used to bark at everyone and everything outside the car) now she loves car rides!
We played a little bit of orientation game, magic hand (she wasn't able to catch when we got her, now she's a pro and loves catching) of course sometimes she still misses 🤣
Practiced A to B (awesome to get your dog out of a sticky situation or away from distractions)
These are all positive reinforcement, short 3 minute games to help with loose leash walking and proximity (she may not go off leash for her safety but time will tell) All games are Absolute Dog games and Shadow highly recommends ♥️

22/01/2023

Literally every day 🤣 then I proceed to tell her she's got a hard life and I have to work to pay for her 🤣

22/01/2023

Training does not need to be hard or expensive. When we started off with one box, a year ago she was scared now she dives in with her tail up. This does wonders for her optimism ♥️

15/01/2023

Enrichment does not need to be expensive. Shadow still needs to build her grit and tolerance of frustration. I.e. she gets annoyed and gives up if it's too hard! We still can't freeze Kong's, but she's made progress and loves a stuffed Kong now! Note never leave your dogs alone with these. Shadow has a thing for eating cardboard so it goes straight in the bin once done 😍 What's something you have around your house you could use?

14/01/2023

Every dog really is different. We tried every which way to get shadow to use the scratch board. Finally onto a winner. Which is great as it means less stress whilst still working on cooperative care. Eventually we will hopefully be able to clip or grind her nails and keep them short, but for now we will keep using the scratch board so they don't keep growing and hurting her!

14/01/2023

Too funny not to share 😂

10/01/2023

Great advice!
https://www.facebook.com/100063518584230/posts/624391973021417/?mibextid=Nif5oz

05/01/2023

https://www.facebook.com/100057683131617/posts/599808231951943/?mibextid=Nif5oz