Bondi Behaviourist

Corrections, punishment and other quick fixes with a focus on stopping the behaviour often results in immediate gratification but ultimately lead to having to deal with that problem (and likely many more) for longer. Being proactive and focussing on the dogs needs, wellbeing and your relationship and communication with your dog results in immediate gratification coming from understanding and feeling empowered about the situation plus a long term solution. Potentially more work in the short term but with endless benefits in the long run. Learn how to react appropriately to your dog’s behaviour but more importantly learn how to proactively prevent it happening.

What do I do when my dog does ‘X’? That’s the most common question I probably get. But answering it only provides a small fraction of the solution. If you’re only learning how to react when your dog does a behaviour then you’re still going to be experiencing that behaviour.You’re going to continue to find it annoying/stressful/negative in some way and so you’re still not going to be enjoying your dog as well as you could be. Your dog is also potentially going to continue to feel stressed/anxious/frustrated/negative in some way because they’re still experiencing the same emotional state that causes the behaviour in the first place. Taking the steps of learning why the behaviour is happening and then making changes in your and your dogs life proactively is how to prevent the behaviour happening in the first place. It’s the solution to actually enjoying your dog again and to them living happier and healthier lives.

Has your dog ever been ‘kicked out’ or removed from a class/walk/day care? They were doing it FOR you and your dog not TO you and your dog! If I can see that a dog in my class cannot normalise the situation or is getting worse then this is exactly what I’ll do… I’ll recommend they don’t come. A dog that is overwhelmed, over stimulated and over reacting is a dog that is learning and practicing the opposite to what you actually want them to learn. The environment isn’t right for the dog at this point in their life and development and continuing to expose them to it will compound issues for you and them. Their behaviour isn’t something to punish, correct or suppress… it’s them expressing how they feel about being there. I’m not saying remove your dog immediately either. If I see a dog struggling then I note it. It’s important to take that snapshot of how they’re doing and then teach handling and coping skills. If the dog starts making progress, even if they’re not perfect yet then great. We can think about continuing with the classes because the dog is starting put things in place in their mind, their emotional regulation is improving and we’re moving in the right direction. But if after a couple of classes we see it plateau, little to no improvement or it get worse then we re-evaluate. For you and your dogs sake.

Chow Chows and their independence We have to respect the fact that some breeds were bred to work with us and others, well, weren’t.When leash walking Yuki, getting her on board with where WE wanted to go was a little challenging Especially because everything she had learned and practiced for the first few months of her life didn’t involve doing things that others wanted But each dog finds SOMETHING rewarding and for Yuki Bear it was simply gaining access to things, people, dogs and places. So we used it and we started rewarding her with access when she listened. Not just on walks but in day to day life as well.She’s still young, she’s still learning and her family are too. But things are improving and as she becomes more responsive, her world is getting bigger and bigger too. #chowchow #dogtraining #dogbehaviour #doglover #sydneydogs

Structure, boundaries & being disciplined does not have to equal using punishment.

The more consistent we are, the more we communicate our boundaries, the general rules and are disciplined in doing so, the less we will resort to punishment. They’re essential parts of raising and caring for any individual in life. Supporting, rewarding, allowing life rewards to happen and praising our dogs as they live in the framework and environment we have exposed them to.

Your dog wants…

Remember this!! When your dog sees someone, another dog or is going into a situation they want one thing before and above anything else. Information. The underlying motivation is to determine whether or not they are safe. How they behave and what they want after this information is received is dependant on the information they receive. Their expectations, prior learning, mood, well being, state of arousal, environment and of course the individual they are receiving information from (and more) are all affecting how effectively our dogs can receive and process any information at any given time.

Remember this!! When your dog sees someone, another dog or is going into a situation they want one thing before and above anything else. Information. The underlying motivation is to determine whether or not they are safe. How they behave and what they want after this information is received is dependant on the information they receive. Their expectations, prior learning, mood, well being, state of arousal, environment and of course the individual they are receiving information from (and more) are all affecting how effectively our dogs can receive and process any information at any given time.

Protecting your dog’s exit route - letting them know that they can leave is essential for socialising your dog. Your dog will trust you more. Your dog will learn to remove themselves and walk away instead of learning to get defensive and potentially aggressive. Walking away from dick heads is a great social skill to teach if you want your dog to avoid conflicts

Are you training for obedience when you should be training for a calm and positive emotional state? Train for the emotional state and positive behaviour comes to the surface #doglover #dogtraining #dogbehaviour

Would you prefer immediate gratification only to realise that it prolongs the issue or a steady start without huge emotional wins at the start but long term success and less work in the long run? We all do it… we all love the easy route. But there is a pay off in every action we take and a downside to every action too. We just have to be aware of where that payoff lies and where the downside is too #dogtraining #doglover

The two most important things I think will help you with your dog outside of the house are… 1. Spacial awareness 2. Leash handling Knowing what is going on in your environment, looking at it through your dogs lens, what is coming towards you, who, how much environmental pressure there is and where your dog is and how they’re feeling about all of this is the most important fundamental skill you can learn to help them. Then you’ve got your leash handling skills to essentially keep them from finding themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time while ideally not over restricting and restraining them. There’s an art to good leash handling, it’s more important than what you say and whether you use treats or not. A dog who has a human that can relieve environmental pressure and help guide them through this crazy busy world is going to stand a better chance of living a good life than the dogs who don’t

Which would you pick?

Would you rather have…a) A super obedient dog that is really “well trained” Or B) A dog that is really comfortable in their own skin, feels safe and is really “well behaved” as a result of this They’re not necessarily mutually exclusive, but if you had to pick one..: what would you pick?