CanineLife Skills

01/05/2024

YOU CANNOT TRAIN A NEED OUT OF A DOG

I am a fan of training in general – which shouldn’t surprise anyone, because after all I am a “dog trainer”. In fact, I begin some sort of training with my dogs from the time they come home as little pups and I continue right into old age.

But perhaps that is because I view training as a way of building connection and providing enrichment, rather than a way of achieving control and “obedience”. Training is an activity that my dogs love and it is an opportunity to connect and do fun things together. Stopping training as they age, would be taking away an enrichment activity that they thrive on, so we keep going, simply adjusting to what they can cope with and what they particularly enjoy.

However, I am also a behaviour practitioner. I have been educated to view animals, not just as operant machines, but as creatures with rich emotional lives. I recognise the fact that behaviour is the expression of a need and the outpouring of an emotion. I believe that having this perspective and deeper knowledge of what drives behaviour makes me a better trainer, because I am aware that there is so much more than just observable behaviour to consider when working with any animal.

Unfortunately, people often use training as a way of making things look better, without actually making them any better on a deeper level – kind of like painting over the cracks in a house when its foundations are crumbling. It might look better for a while, but the entire structure is still unstable and at some point, it is bound to collapse.

Except it is far worse than a crumbling house, because dogs are sentient beings that deserve better than having their underlying emotions ignored. Trying to cover up signs of anxiety, frustration or deprivation by teaching polite behaviours is incredibly cruel and selfish.

Too often I see posts in positive reinforcement-based training groups where people are seeking advice to address a “problem” behaviour and, despite the very obvious signs that the dog in the post is struggling because a fundamental need is not being met, the advice given always focuses purely on training away the behaviour, rather than addressing the underlying need.

I find it incredibly sad and actually quite distressing, that so many dogs are desperately trying to communicate what they need and all supposedly knowledgeable people can focus on is how to stop them expressing that need – even if it is in a “nice” way.

Let me be clear, no amount of “training” is going to stop a dog from showing some signs of extreme boredom or distress, if you leave them alone daily for 8 – 10 hours. Dogs are social animals and you cannot train this out of them. A dog getting overexcited when they interact with you, if they spend hours separated from you outdoors or stuck in a crate, is NOT a training issue – it is a welfare issue. Long periods of confinement and isolation are detrimental to dogs – they were not built for this and trying to train them to accept it is fundamentally unfair. You also cannot expect a dog that never has any freedom of movement when out and about to walk “to heel” all the time. Dogs need to move, to run and to explore and expecting them to spend every walk on a 1 metre leash at your side with no tension on that lead as a means of exercise is completely absurd.

Dogs have fundamental needs for companionship, security, freedom of movement and exploration, among other things. You cannot train these needs out of them and trying to do so is incredibly unfair. Meeting your dogs’ emotional needs is how you go about building a strong foundation for their emotional and behavioural wellbeing, as well as your relationship with them. Training should be a means of enhancing and making that well-built foundation shine – not a way of covering up its cracks.

30/04/2024

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!

30/04/2024

Too many people call our RRs stubborn, they do not understand our breeds independence or how to encourage them in a fun, positive way!

LET'S DISCUSS "STUBBORN" DOGS.

❌ This isn't a word dog trainers use (at least not qualified, well-educated ones).

🕵🏼‍♀️ Stubborn is not a reason for a behavior. There is ALWAYS a reason for behavior, we just need to find out what it is.

🤷🏼‍♀️ If you think your dog is just "stubborn" often you'll give up and stop trying to be detective to find out what the real reason is for your dog's struggles.
——

We encourage you to ask yourself first ....

1️⃣ Does my dog know what I want from him? If yes, what makes you sure?

2️⃣ Have you properly trained your dog to do or perform what you are asking of him?

3️⃣ Have you practiced the behavior consistently (several times a day) for weeks, rewarding it properly or teaching it properly?

4️⃣ Is your dog in pain, anxious or afraid?
——

🤔 You see, when most dogs don't do something when asked it is because they don't understand fully what we want. They've not been trained to the reliability that they are given credit for.

😰 Then there are times when stress or anxiety play a role and it comes off as "not listening" or "being stubborn" or "being spiteful". Dogs show anxiety in ways that can look like some or all of the above things to the untrained eye.

👉🏼 So, before you get upset and blame your dog or it's breed or whatever ... be sure you are certain of the WHY your dog is doing what it is doing (or not doing)!
——

Stacy Greer, CPDT-KA

🐕🐩🐕‍🦺🦮

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© 2024 Stacy Greer

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16/04/2024

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13/04/2024

Many people want to instinctively stop a dog from growling. While a growling dog is not a happy encounter, it is still much better to get a warning growl from the dog rather than to encounter a dog who gives no warning before defaulting to a physical bite.

So don't punish the dog for growling. Address the underlying problem for the growl but do not remove the early warning system that might keep someone from getting bitten.

The Important Communication Of A Dog Growl
By Margit Maxwell

There are multitude of reasons why a dog might issue a growl.

 Fear,
 Overwhelm,
 Stress,
 Advanced Age, illness or chronic pain,
 Anxiety,
 Annoyance,
 Anger,
 a Lack of Obedience Training and Rule Setting,
 or a Breed of Dog Who Is Vocal and Prone to Display Alerting Behaviors.

But the most likely and important reason for a dog to emit a growl is an EARLY WARNING showing that unless the current situation changes, a bite is likely to follow.

A Growl Is Like The Smoke Detector In Your Home

Smoke detectors are installed in homes to give early warning to the homeowner that a full blown house fire is imminent. These devices give a signal to the people at the very first early smoke stages of a fire so that they can act before the flames fully engulf the house making it too late for them to take appropriate action.
When a dog responds to a situation with a growl, this growl is the early warning system alerting the by standers that the dog is uncomfortable with what is going on in his immediate environment.

Encouraging your dog not to emit that warning growl is the equivalent of removing the batteries from the smoke detector in your home. You have now removed the only warning signal that alerts you to the impending imminent danger. The early warning of a potential biting situation allows you the opportunity to take evasive action thereby preventing the dog bite from happening.

Well respected Behaviourist Dr. Ian Dunbar refers to punishing the growl as "removing the ticker from the time bomb".

Don’t Punish The Growl, Understand The Reason For The Growl

Many dog owners find themselves embarrassed by their dog’s display of seemingly anti-social growling behaviour. But rather than being embarrassed, owners should seek to embrace this behaviour display as an opportunity to realize that their dog has a bigger unaddressed behaviour issue boiling beneath the surface. However, allowing the growl may help to avert a dog bite situation but it does nothing to fix the underlying problem behaviour that is causing the dog to feel uncomfortable in the first place.

The number one reason for a dogs to growl is to alert to the fact that the dog is feeling FEARFUL. When dogs do not know how to handle the stress of a situation or circumstance, the normal thing for them to do is default to being afraid. When dogs cannot predict how a situation might unfold or they fear how a situation might unfold, they default to a physiological Fight or Flight response. The growl serves first to offensively drive away the fear inducing subject and also defensively to warn the subject that if they don’t retreat, there will be a defensive act (the bite) to follow.

Other Common Root Causes For The Growl And What You Can Do To Help

Lack of Early Socialization Causing Fear or Anxiety

The purpose of early socialization is to desensitize dogs to new experiences. When a dog is missing socialization or has been insufficiently socialized to a wide enough variety of stimuli, dogs are very likely to respond to the unfamiliar stimuli (people, dogs, unfamiliar surrounds, smells, or sounds) with fear. If your dog is growling in response to fear caused by a lack of socialization, then the remedy for this problem is for the dog to be gently and gradually be exposed to new and unfamiliar stimuli without overwhelm and flooding. Using desensitization and counter conditioning to the trigger techniques, while making sure that your dog remains under the Threshold of Reactivity, can help to change your dog’s experience of the frightening experience and make it more pleasant and less scary for them.

People Or Dog Aggression

If your dog growls because he is uncomfortable with the presence or proximity of new people or other dogs, he is showing you that he does not possess the skills to be able to handle the stress of this encounter. Dogs can also be demonstrating that they have no idea how the encounter might unfold so they fear getting hurt or attacked. This situation can be averted by watching for the early communications from your dog that they are fearful (stiff body, staring at the target, flagging tail, hackles raised etc.) and not bringing your dog in so close the trigger object. By remaining further back, you help your dog stay Under the Threshold of Reactivity where you can then work on desensitization and counter conditioning to the fear inducing object.

Annoyances Coming From the Environment

Not all dogs have the same capacity for tolerance and not all dogs have the same likes or preferences. If your dog is signaling that they are uncomfortable with any kind of interaction, from human or another dog, then stop the interaction or remove your dog from the environment. Sadly, most humans, especially non dog owners, are not very well versed about accurately interpreting the signals being given by dogs that their intrusion into their personal space is not only unappreciated, it is unwanted.

If you know that your dog has a low threshold for tolerance, then be proactive and remove yourself and your dog to a more remote area. If you are in a waiting room, pick a seat well away from the entrance or the front desk to cut down on close proximity encounters. If the waiting room happens to be quite full of patients or clients that day, alert the receptionist that you wish to check in but that you will be waiting outside with your dog. The staff can either physically come to get you or they can call you on your cell phone to let you know that you that it’s time for your appointment.

Advanced Age, Illness or Chronic Pain

When dogs endure chronic pain, it can leave them cranky or short tempered. Be proactive by not taking your dog into situations where people or other dogs might physically touch or interact with your dog. Opt for individual leashed walks instead of going to the dog park. If you have guest in your home, consider placing the dog behind a safety gate, in another room, or placing him in the confines of his crate to help keep him and others safe.

If you have a senior dog who is showing signs of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Disorder (doggy dementia) then just like in humans with dementia who find themselves not recognizing things in their environment, your dog will show signs of fear even in very common situations. You will have no warning when they might become confused or aggressive and there might not even be a warning growl issued before a bite is deployed. You will have to be very proactive with these senior dogs and the best thing to do is to limit the interactions and over stimulation in their environment. These dogs will do better with calm, quiet and predictable environments.

Growling Due To A Lack of Obedience Training Or Enforced Rules

We invite dogs to live in our world but our human world is filled with human societal rules that seem not only unnatural to dogs, they don’t make a lot of sense to them either. However, with the introduction of Obedience Training (the explanation of the rules of our human society and our expectations for their response and behaviour) we can help give our dogs the understanding of the behaviours that we would like to see from them in any given social situation. But if you don’t train to give dogs the rules about their behaviour or if you don’t enforce these rules, then dogs pretty much assign their own rules for their behaviour. The problem will be that the dog’s way to handle the situation may not fit well into the rules of our human society.

If your dog aggressively growls and lunges at people or other dogs, ask yourself, have you effectively shown your dog your rules for how to behave in this situation or are just expecting your dog give the appropriate behaviour because he “should already know how to behave”? Unless you put in the time to train your dog to give you the desired behaviours, you should not be surprised why your dog is responding to new, frightening, or overwhelming behaviours by growling and being afraid.

Don’t Punish The Growl But Also Don’t Ignore The Problem Behind The Growl

DON’T correct the growl itself as it could help prevent the opportunity for a dog bite to occur but DO identify and address the issue of why the dog is showing fear, stress, anxiety, or aggression in response to a situation. Ignoring the root cause of the problem means that you will be forever relegated to only managing the fallout of your dog’s behaviour instead of actually extinguishing the problem behaviours.

04/04/2024

Ever wondered why a puppy's behavior seems erratic during adolescence, which occurs between six months and 18 months of age?

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

During canine adolescence, s*x hormones are changing which effects the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to modulate sensory processing and subsequent behavior.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control.

So what does this mean? This could mean that your dog, who used to come when called, suddenly cannot. This could mean that your dog, who didn't jump up on guests, suddenly does. Your dog that walked nicely on leash is now pulling. Or perhaps it seems like some days your dog responds to behaviors you ask of them, and some days they don't, without any rhyme or reason.

We also see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

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, frustration and impatience sometimes cause us to act unpredictably.

This adds to your puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for puppies to adjust.

By understanding this we can gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we can help create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best selves.

06/03/2024

HU***NG HOUNDS - It’s not always what it seems

Some dogs do and some dogs don’t, but if you have a dog that humps at the most inopportune times it can be downright embarrassing or annoying.

Other dogs, other people, visitors, toys, cushions, furniture, anything that can be mounted and clung to may be fair game.

As people, it’s natural to assume that this behaviour is of a s*xual nature, that our dogs must be overs*xed, s*xually frustrated or the all-too-common incorrect belief that our dogs are just trying to be “dominant” or “the alpha”.

Hu***ng, like many other dog behaviours does not always have a simple reason. It can be a complex behaviour which is usually emotionally or socially based.

Looking at what may be triggering the behaviour should always be the first step before finding ways to change a behaviour.

The solutions will depend on the cause. It may be finding ways to reduce stress or anxiety levels, increasing mental stimulation, teaching calm behaviours to prevent over arousal, ensuring your dog is getting enough sleep, using management or in some cases a veterinary check up to rule out any medical causes.

When hu***ng is annoying another dog or person or causing frustration, discomfort or harm in any way, then obviously this behaviour needs to be immediately addressed, but sometimes we may need to ask ourselves – is it really something we need to stop our dogs from doing just because we see it as socially unacceptable?

Is it a harmless way of relieving stress or anxiety after a difficult day or a way to expend pent up energy that is not causing anyone harm?

Is a little hump now and then okay if it’s not causing any harm?

If we prevent this, correct it, or at worst punish this behaviour are we removing a harmless natural outlet and risking another unwanted behaviour taking its place?

Hu***ng is one of the most misunderstood behaviours.

Very often, behaviour is not about the way it looks, but the way we perceive it from our human perspective.

22/02/2024

Polite request: if you are out walking, whether by yourself or with your dog, and you can see someone else's dog reacting towards you, please do not continue to approach them: either wait til they have gone out of sight, or turn and walk another way - especially (!) If the dog's guardian has asked you to. On that note, if you see a dog guardian hide their dog up a driveway, or turn & walk/jog their dog away the moment they see you & yours, for f's sake dont follow them at a quick pace. Just pick a different route!

Yes, your dog may be non-reactive. Yes, you have every right to walk right up to/past the reactive dog. Yes, you may think it is the guardian's problem.

Knowingly & deliberately setting a reactive dog off & not giving them space means that dog (and guardian) will be in a state of high stress for days afterwards.

Kindness really does cost nothing.

With 3 reactive dogs myself, I have experienced the worst of the worst: people trying to approach & touch my reacting dog (why?!) and trying to chat to me, horse riders cantering directly at us (more than once) when we have nowhere to go, the dirty looks, the unkind comments, the 'but I/my dog/my horse is fine'. That's great, good on you (you do know its mostly luck that means you have a non-reactive dog rather than your own doing?) but forcing your horse/dog past mine that is reacting will stress your animal out too.

With my own dogs & when out with my clients, I will always ask people to pause (very nicely) & will also be very explicit if you do something really selfish & potentially harmful (you'll get a bollocking, & loudly) around them.

We are trying to protect you & our dogs, so please let us.

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