DeltaDogz

22/08/2024

21/08/2024

13/08/2024

🙉 Behaviour is communication 🙊

Juno stops on a walk and turns her head indicating she would like to take a right, not a left.

Juno grunts and leaps up when I move my feet beneath the covers, expressing her displeasure about a rude awakening.

Juno squints her eyes, purses her mouth, and rocks ever so slightly onto her haunches when a child runs up asking to pet her. "No thanks, kid. Not today."

Every movement and sound a dog makes—from the subtle wag of their tail to a sharp bark or low growl—serves as a vital expression of their inner world, conveying their needs, emotions, and intentions. The same way we use our voice, the symbolism of words and their meaning (and, yes, our body language, too), a dog exhibits particular behaviours to communicate something deeply significant, whether it be feelings of anxiety, excitement, fear, pain, discomfort, or a specific need or desire. Rather than dismissing unwanted behaviours as simply "disobedience" or "rudeness," it is imperative to interpret them as meaningful signals that require our attention and understanding.

By attuning ourselves to these communicative behaviours, we can engage in a more profound dialogue with our canine companions. This approach not only enhances the efficacy of learning/teaching but also deepens the relationship and trust between a dog and their caregiver, fostering a relationship grounded in empathy and mutual reciprocity.

13/08/2024

06/08/2024

“Intelligent Disobedience” — Our blog village talks this week about dogs who don’t do what we say, and why we’re grateful for it!

I’ll bet you have your own examples! Read on: https://bit.ly/3WD8eAm

30/07/2024

What is a "Sniffari"?🐶

Sniffaris are dog-led walks! They're a fantastic enrichment activity that can be done in just about any low-traffic area. Not only will this help burn energy, but allowing our dogs to make decisions and think independently can help them build confidence in different situations. It also gives us a chance to stop and take a breath along with them AND allows our pups to do a natural, essential behavior for their mental and physical well-being.💙

13/07/2024

Did you know, something as simple as sniffing a pile of leaves can have a calming effect on your dog? 🍂

Engaging a primary scent or carrying out repetitive actions such as licking or chewing (providing there’s no threat in the environment) are considered meditative processes. Why? Because they support appropriate gating of sensory integration.

This damping down of activity between neurons means there’s less traffic between the different brain areas, making communication much more ordered and rhythmical.

16/06/2024

As a pet guardian or professional, it can be difficult to measure improvement once the pet starts medication.

Medications, both daily and fast acting, can help improve behaviors. Here’s what you should watch for:

08/06/2024

A dogs neck is a very delicate part of their body!

The neck and cervical spine contain the spinal cord, this is where the nerves of the front legs originate. Excessive paw licking is quite often misdiagnosed as allergies when it is in fact pain.

Putting stress on the neck can cause painful disc damage and shoulder problems

A dog has the same number of vertebrae as a giraffe (think about that before choking a dog)

One of the most important structures of the nervous system "The Vagus Nerve" originates at neck level and this controls life essential organs like lung, heart, stomach, and intestinal tract.

The Thyroid gland is located in the neck. If this gets inflamed the immune system trys to remove the inflamed cells.
The destruction of the Thyroid gland cells can lead to hypothyroidism

Increased pressure put on the Jugular vein can cause seizures
Ear and Eye issues are significantly increased

Being je**ed on a lead causes whiplash and bruising.

The epidermis of a dog is only 3-5 cells thick
A humans is 10-15 cells thick

So WHY would anyone want to use a noose ....sorry I mean a slip lead?

A well fitted Y shaped harness is the safest and kindest peice of equipment to use.

28/05/2024

Tips to help your dog put nail trimming fear behind him, and lessen the trauma for you both!

25/05/2024

Encouraging dogs to sniff on walks is not only natural and instinctual for them but also has many benefits for their physical and mental well-being.

Sniffing provides mental stimulation for dogs, which is important for their overall mental health.

A good sniff also helps them to learn about their environment, identify scents, and understand the world around them. Through sniffing they can also release pent-up energy, which can help to reduce behavioural problems.

Additionally, sniffing can help to alleviate stress and anxiety in dogs, making them feel more relaxed and comfortable on walks.

24/05/2024

In this video, we'll explain the meaning of each dog's tail signs.The position of a dog's tail can reveal a lot about what that dog is thinking and feeling. ...

24/05/2024

Dogs should be active, willing participants when we ask them to do things they may not enjoy. When we respect what they want to do, they're more likely to comply.

23/05/2024

Theory Thursday - Say YES more often!

Saying 'no' or 'ahah' to your dog's 'bad' behavior won't work. It is also unpleasant for both parties.
Instead, acknowledge good behaviour with a 'yes', folllowed by a treat, praise, or play (whatever your dog finds reinforcing) and your dog will repeat it, allowing you to say 'yes' more often and create good habits.

13/05/2024

05/05/2024

I'm not sure when growling became so vilified.

When did we decide that dogs weren't allowed to have an opinion unless it aligned with our own?

That they weren't allowed to express their displeasure, their fear, or their anger? That they just always had to agree with what we were asking of them?

When did our expectations become "put on a happy face?" And "grin and bear it, dog?"

Let me tell you this, IT IS FINE IF A DOG GROWLS. Growling is just a form of communication. Communication is ALWAYS a good thing. It's when communication stops that we are all in trouble. (And if we know they are feeling a particular way, we are better positioned to help them).

IT IS OKAY TO VALIDATE YOUR DOG'S FEELINGS. Any feelings. Their happy ones, sad ones, and yes, their angry ones, fearful ones, anxious ones, or worried ones. And growling can happen in all of those situations, too.

If your dog growls, THEY ARE TELLING YOU SOMETHING: "That thing is scary," "I don't want to be touched right now," "I need space," "I hurt," "I am worried," "That startled me."

And while you might say, "my old dog never growled at me," know that some dogs use growling to communicate more than others. They are not bad dogs, they are good communicators!

04/05/2024

Bonus Day 8 of 7 Days of Switch

Reflecting on the journey, dog training, and relationships.

Our journey with our dogs is never about training. It is about building a relationship step by step, behaviour by behaviour. While training with a dog does certainly affect our relationship, I believe, done properly, the relationship building IS the training.

Kim and Switchy’s relationship was a great example of that. Reaching goals by creating learning and boundaries with engaging games but never attaining those goals at the expense of the relationship.

That is the journey with a When we travel such a journey together, that's what makes the pain of loss at the end, all the more unbearable.

There are no stubborn, spiteful, stupid, or bad dogs.

There is just behaviour we can observe to give us feedback about our dog's needs, ourselves, our responses, and the choices we should make on this journey, and the next one we take with a
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Rest well, sweet Switchy, thank you for the lessons, you will be missed by many.

30/04/2024

25/04/2024

Frustrated by always trying to get your dog's attention? Read this!

Dogs are individuals.

With individual personalities, interests, wants, and needs.

And guess what?! We actually ARE NOT always the center of their universe.

I hate the trend of focusing solely on rewarding dogs for paying attention to us. I think this is unrealistic and is neglecting the needs of our dogs.

Let your dog sniff.
Let your dog play with other dogs.
Let your dog say hi to people if they want to.
Let your dog dig.
Let your dog explore.

Let your dog have their needs and interests met by things other than JUST YOU!

I absolutely support teaching a strong recall and reinforcing our dogs for checking in with us, especially when out and about and in training contexts, but I'm here to say that society is taking this concept too far!

So the next time you're out with your dog, let them sniff, wander, have the play session with their friend etc BEFORE trying to get their attention.

And in fact, when you take this approach, your dog will be more likely to actually pay attention to you because you won't be constantly nagging them. They will get to indulge in the environmental distractions that they want to, so you and your training will actually become MORE enticing!!

Follow for more tips!