The Doggie Diplomat

07/09/2024

This is such a lovely video and story :)

06/09/2024

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.

05/09/2024

Clem is a quick learner and is making great progress.

04/09/2024

03/09/2024

30/08/2024

It has been a fabulous August. I have met lots of dogs and helped them build a better relationship with their families. Achieving the early stages of training goals.

I’m happy to announce I will be extending the sale, for a limited time.

If you want to live a better life with your dog, book your training session now 😊

Your first training session on special for $70
Phone: 0434 189 452
www.thedoggiediplomt.com

29/08/2024

It has been a fabulous August. I have met lots of dogs and helped them build a better relationship with their families. Achieving the early stages of training goals. The support from our local communities has touched my heart. I’m happy to announce I will be extending the sale, for a limited time.

If you want to live a better life with your dog, book your training session now 😊
Phone: 0434 189 452
www.thedoggiediplomt.com

29/08/2024

Adopting a dog is an exciting time, it can also be stressful. Many adopted dogs have behavioural issues, this can be a contributing factor in why the dog is up for adoption. Sometimes dogs have been abused, which can cause behavioural issues. I’m passionate about supporting adopted dogs and their families.
I am offering 5 free training sessions a month. To dogs adopted through an adoption agency in the last 6 months.

24/08/2024

Reinforcement builds behaviour. Watch this video and learn more about how you reinforce your dog's behaviour and how to have more options of reinforcement.

Want to know how you can create the best bond with your dog? The secret to a happy, well-trained dog who values you above all else comes from using reinforce...

22/08/2024

This is a lovely example of getting your puppy use to something super interesting. Letting your puppy notice and then reengaging your puppy to you.

21/08/2024

Giving your dog breaks during grooming, will help your dog to cope. Even if they don't mind grooming, holding still for a long period of time is difficult.

It’s much easier to get through difficult procedures if we feel we have some kind of control.

Sometimes we need to go ahead with things our dogs find uncomfortable because it’s a case of welfare. And we shouldn’t feel guilty about that. Dogs are amazingly forgiving and if we put enough good stuff in, the bad stuff has less of an impact.

But providing more choice and control for our dogs in as many areas we can. Can make getting things done much less traumatic for both of us.

A few of you asked to know more about consent handling and start/stop buttons after I shared it in my story. If you would like to watch my free video explanation, comment CONSENT and I’ll DM you the link.

20/08/2024

There are normally many warning signs before a bite. By respecting our dogs and looking for early warning signs, we can prevent bites. Children should always be supervised with dogs.

19/08/2024

This is the beautiful Hugo, the baby of our family. He is now almost two and a half years old. Hugo is still playful and puppy like, which I adore. Life is pretty fun with a French Bulldog :)

15/08/2024

August Is The Month Of The Dog
I’m celebrating with over 50% off your training consultation.
Now $70 for a 2 hour training session.

Sale is on now, reserve your training session:
Phone: 0434 189 452
www.thedoggiediplomt.com

14/08/2024

Often the start of learning a new skill can be slow. As you start to build on your new skill, the speed of your progress will speed up. In training try to see any obstacle as a training opportunity and ask your self, how can I use this to my advantage?

"Success isn't overnight.
It's when everyday you get a little better than the day before.
It all adds up."
- Dwayne Johnson

13/08/2024

Building a good relationship with your baby is important. Check out these free resources for help :)

Did you know we have a plethora of resources to download? And, they’re free?
We have Dog and Baby Safety Tips, Dog and Toddler Safety Tips, Coloring Sheets (fun for kids!) and SO much more.

Visit us at: https://www.familypaws.com/resources/.

11/08/2024

Keeping a close relationship with your veterinarian and remembering to mention changes in your dog's behaviour, can help to diagnose health conditions early.

11/08/2024

So cute:)

07/08/2024

Coaching is a process and one that needs following carefully to ensure that the dog fully understands what we are asking of them.

This means remembering to generalise or 'proof' our cues. Start coaching at home and when the dog has the cue reliably there, start going to different areas gradually, increasing distraction levels slowly as the dog is getting the hang of the cue in different places.

Make sure the cue is as established for the dog as it can be before you might need to use it out in the world. The last time you want to be trying your new recall cue out in the world is when your dog is charging away in excitement to explore the environment around them.

Remember also not to always call the dog away from something interesting. One of the fastest ways to have a dog not want to respond to recall is to call them when they have just found a really good sniff spot!

If you are in an environment where you cannot be sure your dog will respond and there is potential for them to get into trouble either by disappearing or bothering others in the area who don't want to interact, use a long line as a safety backup.

05/08/2024

Who didn't love playing hide and seek growing up :) This is a cool game to play with your dog. It looks like this family has become pros at playing hide and seek. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HIDE IN SAFE PLACES, WHEN PLAYING AT HOME.

31/07/2024

What's the best way to meet a new dog? Download my handout here: https://rescuedbytraining.com/meeting-dog-first-time-dos-donts/