Ruff Mutts Dog Training

28/10/2024

I do enjoy free learning opportunities!

23/10/2024

Not all tummy rubs are equal. Many smaller dogs will offer their tummy to avoid being picked up

Does he really want a belly rub or is he asking for space? Learn more in this post: https://rescuedbytraining.com/2024/10/21/appeasement-behaviors/

19/10/2024

Early start with pupoy training has life time benefits 👍

Enrolling a puppy in a puppy class before the age of 6 months reduces the likelihood of adult behavior problems such as aggression and destructive behavior.

10/10/2024

Helping the lives of their people. World Mental Health day 😊

Happy World Mental Health Day from mindDog! 🐾🌍

Today, we’re shining a light on mental health and celebrating our incredible assistance dogs who help bring calm, confidence, and courage every single day. 🐶💚 Did you know that 1 in 5 Australians experience a mental health issue each year? That’s around 4.8 million people! But the good news is, there’s support—and sometimes, it comes with wagging tails and wet noses. 🐾

These amazing mindDogs don’t just fetch sticks—they help their humans manage anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health challenges with unconditional love and support ✨

Mental health matters, and so does having the right support. Let’s break the stigma and raise a paw 🐾 for the importance of talking about mental health and the incredible impact assistance dogs have on people’s lives.

You’re never alone when you’ve got a mindDog by your side! 💖🐕‍🦺

09/10/2024

Just so true 😐

Dog industry is broken ...

It's the only industry where clients are happy to pay for BIG EGOS, but not for extensive qualifications, accredited knowledge or verified expertise. We expect so little from those who provide services to our pets... Often no checks are done on those who we entrust with our (best) furry friends....

Why is that?

You won't pay a lot of money to have a manicure done by someone who has never done it before.

You won't have your teeth fixed by someone who is not a qualified dentist.

You won't go to physio who isn't qualified.

You would not have surgery done by someone who may have watched all episodes of Grey's Anatomy, but isn't a board certified surgeon.

You wouldn't have even have a facial from an unqualified beautician ....

Then why are we happy to pay a LOT of money for people who are claiming to be dog professionals, yet who hold zero qualifications in dog training / behaviour ?

The industry is unregulated, which is a big problem. I don't know whether that will ever change, but I remain hopeful. But perhaps that would change sooner if we all started to expect more from dog professionals?

09/10/2024

These 2 beautiful souls passed their Public Access Tests today with flying colours 😊

28/09/2024

24/09/2024

❤️ mindDog

18/09/2024

The plastic bag stuck in the pocket ...🤣

10/09/2024

Young dogs need patience 👍

Adolescence occurs between six months and 18 months of age—a time when guardians typically struggle the most with their dogs. Some guardians are so overwhelmed and underprepared for this developmental stage of their dog’s life, they choose to surrender the dog to a local shelter or rescue group. In a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that the majority of the surrendered dogs (47.7 percent) ) were between 5 months and 3 years of age (M.D. Salman,John G. New, Jr.,Janet M. Scarlett,Philip H. Kass,Rebecca Ruch-Gallie &Suzanne Hetts, 2010)

The neurobiology of adolescence is fascinating, with some key events that alter both the structure and function of the brain.

During canine adolescence, changing s*x hormones effect the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to process information they are receiving from the environment including the presence of dogs, vehicles, people, or really anything around them. They behave in ways that might feel frustrating or upsetting for the dog’s person.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control. We see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

So what does this mean? This could mean that what was once no big deal to the dog now feels scary; what was once easy to do is now stressful; what once made sense is now confusing. At times, the world can feel like ‘too much’ for the adolescent dog.

As your puppy undergoes this transition into adulthood their inner world is intense, even chaotic. Many pet owners experience an increase in undesirable behavior and find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated. In turn, our own frustration and impatience can cause us to act unpredictably. This adds to our puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for our dogs to adjust.

If you have an adolescent dog, what can you do? You can give your dog the time and space to observe what is going on around them when on leash at a distance away from the activity when possible. You can give your dog long walks to sniff and explore in nature, giving their brain time to decompress. You can offer your dog a quiet space to sleep so that they can consolidate memories effectively. You can continue training various skills, breaking them down into easier steps that can be generously reinforced.

By understanding what our adolescent dog is experiencing we gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best adult selves.

30/08/2024

Say it louder for the people in the back!

https://www.positiveresponse.com.au/book-now/

23/08/2024

What a great story on MindDog on The Project last night. This is my world 👍 so good

20/08/2024

Fallout, that's why 👍

14/08/2024

One of my awesome MindDog trainees visited Parliament House this week. Champions 👏 MindDogs changing lives 👍

01/08/2024

Stress signals are often misinterpreted by people. It is so important to listen

I NEED TO FEEL SAFE!

Like all living creatures, including us, dogs just want to feel safe – it’s a basic survival need.

When we think about feeling safe it’s natural to just think about not being harmed or being in danger, but it’s not just about physical safety - feeling emotionally or psychologically safe is just as important.

While physical safety may be obvious and simpler to address, emotional safety is far more complex and not always easy to recognise or identify.

The same applies to our dogs – they are sentient beings whose behaviour is triggered and driven by emotions.

So many behaviour problems that we see in dogs stem from the brain saying– “this is not safe!”

A dog that lunges and barks or behaves aggressively with another dog or person is probably doing so because they feel unsafe. They are trying to make the scary thing go away.

A dog that is guarding resources is doing so because they are afraid that the resource will be taken away – they don’t feel safe when another animal or person approaches that resource.

A dog that is reacting to fireworks or thunderstorms or other noises is doing so because they don’t feel safe. The same can be said for separation distress – the feelings of panic when left alone – “I am not safe!”.

Some dogs may never get over a specific fear, but doing all we can to help dogs feel safe in our world is one of the most important gifts we can give them.

Our first responsibility should not be about training, obedience or trying to change behaviour, but to focus first and foremost on building trust, self-confidence, resilience, creating a safe and secure base and being the person that our dogs can rely on and trust.

In the words of Dr. Gabor Maté - "Feeling safe is the treatment and creating safety is the work".

In my words (as it pertains to dogs) – It is our responsibility to put in the work to enable our dogs to feel safe and when they feel safe, this will be part of the treatment or the solution to the problem.

15/07/2024

Relax - number one most important behaviour 👍

06/07/2024

An incredible amount of effort goes into studying behaviour, and the findings are hugely beneficial to us, particularly how best to treat our animals. Below quote by Ethologist Marc Beckoff Ph.D