Billyswagtails Dog Trainer - Positive Rewards for Positive Outcomes

23/03/2025

23/03/2025

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23/03/2025

WHY I DON'T ENCOURAGE ANXIOUS/FEARFUL DOGS/PUPPIES WITH TREATS, TOYS, MY VOICE, PRAISE ETC .

When a dog / puppy is scared of something, I do not actively encourage them forward, whether that be with food or praise or my movement. This can escalate feelings of anxiety by creating motivational conflict and decrease the value in what you are using to encourage.

What I do is find the point in which the dog / puppy can observe the scary thing calmly and to support them in moving forward when they are ready to investigate under their own agency.

Allowing escape is crucial. If something has scared a dog/puppy to the point where they are in flight mode, then I move with them until they feel safe enough to slow down. If they are unable to do this around the trigger stimulus, then I do not force them to be around that stimulus.

Examples;

🐕 DOGS

If a puppy/dog is scared of another dog/puppy, I do not actively encourage their approach- even if the other dog/puppy is behaving perfectly. I give the dog/puppy time to assess the situation.
If the puppy/dog looks more relaxed and curious at the distance they are at I will invite them to move forward by taking one small step. If they aren't ready then I rejoin their side to support them.
If they indicate they want to move away (by looking and moving away) I support that by taking a step in that direction.

If the other dog is approaching your puppy/dog in the situation - so they cannot stand and observe from a place of safety - I would calmly block and gently encourage the other dog away if they were too close.

If a dog/puppy is scared of a dog, I don't go and interact with that dog to show them that the dog is friendly. I stay with the scared dog/puppy and support them and I remain their place of safety.

🧍‍♂️ PEOPLE

If a dog is scared of me, I do not try to make them my friend by offering them food, nor by crouching down and talking to them. I never use food to make a dog my friend, nor do I generically recommend my clients get people to offer their nervous (of people) dog treats.

I stand at a distance so they can be reassured I am not a threat, without putting them under pressure to interact. If they sniff me, I remain quiet and stand still so as to allow information gathering without startling them. As the dog becomes more relaxed around me, I start to gradually add in more behaviour from me (movement, brief glances at the dog, brief talking etc).

📦 OBJECTS

If a dog is scared of an object I don't go and put food on the object nor do I leave the dog where they are to interact with the object and show that the object is safe. I stay with the dog and support them and I trust that over time, due to the object being quite predictable, that the dog/puppy will start to get use to it (unless it is a really scary object).

📈 FREQUENCY OF EXPOSURE

Seeing as time, distance and choice (to approach/avoid) are the key things a dog needs to build resilience and confidence- we should be mindful of how often our dog is encountering trigger stimuli on their walks. Too frequent exposure will likely reduce tolerance and lead to handler responses becoming inconsistent due to variables within the situation or time allocated to the dog's walk.

📝 BEING THOROUGH

With all of the above, these responses in the moment will be supported by a multi-pronged approach to increasing a dog/puppy's confidence. This will include a vet check to ensure pain or health problems aren't motivating the anxious or fearful behaviour.

WHEN MIGHT I WAVER THE ABOVE....

In some situations, when I can see the motivation to approach an object is there but that they are too nervous to close the final distance and be the first to get closer- THEN I may utilise social learning by being the first one of the social group to investigate (be the guinea pig).

When a dog/puppy is appearing more confident around dogs but is struggling to interact, relying on random encounters makes the interaction quality less predictable. I would then do a session with helper dogs who are quite happy to largely ignore the fearful dog/puppy and who will overall behave in a predictable way (not rushing around etc).

In some nuanced situations, I may use food to motivate movement and exploration, however, it is NEVER exclusively placed on or around the scary thing and I do what I can to help the dog feel as minimally conflicted as possible- so as not to poison the food.

In some very nuanced and incredibly rare situations, there may be little option available other than to consider extinction and flooding.

For example, a dog is scared by gunshot/crow scarer sounds beyond the halfway point of a walk and the direction they wish to flee is too far/likely to stress them more than the direction you are trying to encourage.


There are always exceptions to "the norm", but the norm for me is to not coerce dogs with food or my voice to push them out of their comfort zone.

19/03/2025

DID YOU KNOW...
Dogs almost always give us several signals before they snap or bite.

Learning what these signals are can greatly reduce the chance of you, your child or a visitor being bitten. Which avoids a very distressing situation for both you and your dog.

Karen from Billy’s Wag Tails invites you and your dog to join us in person at our ‘Listen To Your Dog - Body Language Session’ and discover the hidden messages your dog is sending every.

What are the details?

Our next session is:
📅 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: Sunday 30th March at 11am - 1pm

📍 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: Billy’s Wag Tails. Pearcedale Victoria. (address supplied at time of booking)

🐶 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗜𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱: All dogs and their people!
(Session limited to 7 dogs)

💲𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁: Only $50/ dog.

🧒 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱: Of Course! We encourage you to bring children 8yrs and over along to learn this valuable skill. For safety's sake, all children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Don't wait until it's too late!
Sign up today and empower yourself with the knowledge to keep your dog and your family safe and happy. 🐶❤️

PM to register your interest or ask any questions.

18/03/2025

What does “arousal” have to do with aggressive behaviors in dogs? In some cases, arousal can be the catalyst for an intense, aggressive response, and can be directed at something a dog may not even be focused on. We may also see cases where a dog in a highly aroused state “spills over” into ...

17/03/2025

PUPPY SCHOOL - Cranbourne South
Commencing Wednesday 19th March 6:00pm
Small classes
Qualified Positive Trainer
Book now - Only 1 spot available
Call Karen 0411 822 756
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TEEN SCHOOL - Cranbourne South
Commencing Wednesday 19th March 7:00pm
Small classes
Qualified Positive Trainer
Book now - Only 1 spot available
Call Karen 0411 822 756

14/03/2025

TEEN SCHOOL - Cranbourne South
Commencing Wednesday 19th March 7:00pm
Small classes
Qualified Positive Trainer
Book now - Only 2 spots available
Call Karen 0411 822 756

14/03/2025

PUPPY SCHOOL - Cranbourne South
Commencing Wednesday 19th March 6:00pm
Small classes
Qualified Positive Trainer
Book now - Only 2 spots available
Call Karen 0411 822 756

12/03/2025

TEEN SCHOOL - Cranbourne South
Commencing Wednesday 19th March 7:00pm
Small classes
Qualified Positive Trainer
Book now - Only 3 spots available
Call Karen 0411 822 756

12/03/2025

PUPPY SCHOOL - Cranbourne South
Commencing Wednesday 19th March 6:00pm
Small classes
Qualified Positive Trainer
Book now - Only 3 spots available
Call Karen 0411 822 756

12/03/2025

12/03/2025

WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN HOW TO BETTER UNDERSTAND YOUR DOG'S BODY LANGUAGE?

Billy’s Wag Tails invites you and your dog to join us in person at our ‘Listen To Your Dog - Body Language Session’ and discover the hidden messages your dog is sending every day!

Understanding your dog's body language is essential for:

⭐𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: Many dog bites and fights can be avoided when we recognise signs of discomfort or anxiety in our pets.

⭐𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁: By learning to interpret your dog's signals, you can respond appropriately, fostering a stronger bond and a more harmonious relationship.

⭐𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: The better you understand your dog, the more effectively you can meet their needs, making for a happier, healthier pet.

What are the details?

📅 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻: Sunday 30th March at 11am - 1pm

📍 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: Billy’s Wag Tails. Pearcedale Victoria. (address supplied at time of booking)

🐶 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗜𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱: All dogs and their people!
(Session limited to 7 dogs)

💲𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁: Only $50/ dog.

🧒 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱: Of Course! We encourage you to bring children 8yrs and over along to learn this valuable skill. For safety's sake, all children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Don't wait until it's too late!
Sign up today and empower yourself with the knowledge to keep your dog and your family safe and happy. 🐶❤️

PM to register your interest or ask any questions.

07/03/2025

06/03/2025

Upcoming dog training!
Contact Karen 0411 822 756