On Kew Dog Training & Behaviour - with Nada Chebib

❓Is your dog mostly 💖 Beauty or 👹 Beast? A client told me they couldn't believe that Steffi could be 'a naughty dog' because she always looks so well-behaved on Insta (🤣). 😅 Now I have to admit, while she is MOSTLY an angel, she can also be a big beast and a pain in the butt sometimes ❤️‍🩹 She might look so well-behaved on socials because most of my social media posts are dedications of my love for her 🤯 There are going to be times when you're feeling like you're STRUGGLING to balance your needs, your dog's needs, and other priorities (family, work) and I think this is from where the FRUSTRATION comesLet me assure you ❌ No dog is perfect (especially not Steffi) ❌ No human is perfect (especially not me) 🆘 Your dog is not trying to make life difficult for you (they more likely struggling to cope with the situation) 🆘 You don't always have to 'train' to fix the situation - sometimes management is the 'fix' (e.g., putting a gate up between your dog and cat to give them a break from each other, closing the back door so your dog can't run outside to bark) 🆘 You're not a failure if you ask for help with caring for your dog (e.g., getting a pet sitter or dog walker to give you a break)❤️‍🩹 So give yourself a break and then remind yourself of all the good you are doing for your dog

🌶️ When you’ve got a reactive dog, it seems impossible to imagine enjoying off-lead walks together 🙌 Bella and her human deserve a lot of credit for the work they put in together to get to this place ✅ Keeping Bella on a long-line until recall skills were proofed during the adolescent phase ✅ Working around ‘triggers’ in a positive way to help Bella get used to them and feel better around her triggers ✅ Keeping a positive relationship at the centre of all their training together 💖 Great work by Team Bella! 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Transform your dog’s behaviour with our services 🔗 Say Goodbye to Stressful Walks! ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #AussieDoodle #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #Glimmers #PositiveReinforcement #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips #UKDogTrainer #DogTrainerUK

😅 Isn’t it a relief to know that you don’t need to use pain, fear or intimidation to train your dog or change their behaviour? ‼️ Many years ago, when I was looking for behavioural help for Steffi, the only resources I could find focused on using harsh corrections to ‘fix’ her behaviour 😨 Because of her size (35kgs) and breed mix, I was told she needed more aversive approaches 😔 But that never sat right with me 😔 I didn’t want to hurt Steffi nor did I want to damage our relationship 🤗 I was so relieved when I found there were kinder more effective ways to get the support we needed 😣 Especially as we discovered later on that osteoarthritis pain was the source of her reactive aggression towards other dogs ☹️ Had I used harsher methods, I would’ve been adding to her physical and emotional pain 💖 Instead we’ve had several years of building a strong relationship, adapting to her changes in physical health and enjoying our life together 💖 Knowing you CAN choose CONNECTION over corrections, would you choose anything else? 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Transform your dog’s behaviour with our services ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #BullBreed #Staffy #StaffyLove #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #PositiveReinforcement #IAmNot #CanineArthritis #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

⁉️ I get this QUESTION A LOT from clients: “Would another dog help them with their reactivity / separation anxiety / lack of socialisation?” 😩 It could possibly help, but it’s more likely you could end up with TWO dogs with PROBLEM BEHAVIOURS 🐕 🐕 When you bring a new dog (learner) into your home, they’ll be picking up cues from their environment about what’s good and what’s not so good *️⃣ That includes (1) observing your dog’s reaction to everyday life events, (2) learning by your dog’s responses whether these events are positive or negative and (3) learning to model that behaviour in response ↪️ this is an example of SOCIAL LEARNING *️⃣ It’s possible that your new dog and your current dog could learn positive behaviours from each other BUT our brains (including your dog’s) have a BIAS to remember NEGATIVE events and adapt our behaviours accordingly ↪️ this NEGATIVE BIAS shapes our response to similar events 🙏 IF you are thinking about adding another dog to your home, don’t let it be for the sole reason of FIXING your dog’s behaviours 💖 Do it because you’re ready to care for a new dog and can look after each of their individual needs 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Transform your dog’s behaviour with our services ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #ResourceGuarding #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

‼️ Your REACTIVE DOG’s behaviour plan should include everyday HACKS for providing ENRICHMENT + releasing STRESSORS ☺️ When your dog FEELS BETTER in themselves and can find times of CALM in their day, they will make more progress in their behaviour plan 🙌 Providing CHEWING opportunities is one of the easiest ways to provide this for your dog Here are some TIPS for making CHEWING an integral part of your dog’s EVERYDAY CARE ⤵️ ✅ Provide chews that can be consumed in one sitting like pigs’ or rabbit ears, Earth Animal No-Hide Chews, frozen whole carrots, bully sticks, etc. ❌ Avoid rawhide chews as these are made with chemical processes and can cause tummy upset ⚠️ Minimise choke hazards by carefully supervising the first time you give your dog a type of chew — chewing in small bits and not attempting to bite off more than they can chew ⚠️ If there are multiple dogs in the house or other animals, take care to feed in separate spaces to prevent competition and conflict or resource guarding 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Transform your dog’s behaviour with our services ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #BullBreed #Staffy #StaffyLove #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #CanineEnrichment #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #ResourceGuarding #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

🛑 When our REACTIVE dogs are growling, lunging, barking and snapping... we just want it to STOP 😩 It can feel STRESSFUL, FRUSTRATING and EMBARRASSING when your dog is reacting to triggers 🤔 But there’s another way to look at it... expressing their emotions through behaviour and expressing their natural behaviours are two WAYS YOUR DOG FINDS RELIEF FROM STRESSORS 🙌 Our role is to help guide our dogs and help them cope better with life 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Transform your dog’s behaviour with our services ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #BullBreed #Staffy #StaffyLove #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #ResourceGuarding #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

💗 There are special MOMENTS in a REACTIVE dog’s life that will stick with you for a long time 🙌 After lots of PREPARATION by Lakota and his human, we paid a visit to a new groomer to start building his trust and comfort in a grooming environment 😢 Being a Maltipoo, he has a lifetime of grooming ahead of him, but he always struggled with his grooming sessions 🥹 Watching Lakota today choose to lie down and relax on his noodle mat was a BIG moment 💖 Great work by Team Lakota and big thanks to Louise the groomer in helping make this visit a happy one 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Transform your dog’s behaviour with our services ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #BullBreed #Staffy #StaffyLove #Maltipoo #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #Glimmers #DogBodyLanguage #LowStressHandling #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #ResourceGuarding #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

🙄 I get so BORED of the argument that ‘harnesses cause your dog to pull on the lead’ 😨 I’ve seen dogs pull on flat collars, head collars, prong collars and yes, harnesses ⚠️ It might be MORE COMFORTABLE for your dog to pull on a lead than other equipment, but harnesses are NOT THE CAUSE 🆘 It’s important to get to the REAL underlying reason WHY your dog pulls ✅ LACK OF TRAINING? Solved by starting with high value treats in a low distraction setting and building slowly towards higher distractions ✅ High AROUSAL? Help your dog access CALMING activities throughout their day and on their walks (sniffing, watching the world) ✅ FRUSTRATION? Help your dog access enrichment and reinforcers throughout their day and weekly routine, not just on walks ✅ PAIN and DISCOMFORT? A dog who is in pain or discomfort on lead walks is often pulling to RELIEVE the pain and discomfort 👉 To rule out pain, see a vet or qualified physiotherapist for a pain assessment ✅ FEAR on walks? If your dog is fearful, avoid walks where they meet their triggers, give them distance if you do encounter triggers, and seek help from a qualified behaviour professional to help them cope better 🚨 We need to STOP BLAMING the equipment 🚨 And even more importantly, STOP BLAMING the dog 🙌 You can help your dog with any of these reasons with the right support 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Transform your dog’s behaviour with our services 🔗 Say Goodbye to Stressful Walks! ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #BullBreed #Staffy #StaffyLove #RescueDog #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #PositiveReinforcement #LooseLeadWalking #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #ResourceGuarding #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

👻 SORRY (but not sorry) this is a TRICK QUESTION ‼️ All 3 dogs are ‘REACTIVE’ dogs... so why don’t we see any big displays of REACTIVITY or AGGRESSION? 🙌 Because behaviour modification should look just like this... your reactive dog SIMPLY ENJOYING their walk: ✅ Loose lead walking ✅ Soft loose body language - ears, tails, movement ✅ Sniffing ✅ Engagement with their humans HOW do we get here? 💫 With carefully PLANNED, SLOW INTRODUCTIONS in an ENVIRONMENT where they can RELAX And 💫 HELPING your dog FEEL SAFE if we see SIGNS OF STRESS 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Say Goodbye to Stressful Walks! ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #AussieDoodle #Maltipoo #RescueDog #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #Glimmers #DogBodyLanguage #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

😰 If you’re like me, leaving your REACTIVE DOG at home when going away on holiday can be STRESSFUL and takes EXTRA PLANNING ⁉️ So, HOW do you FIND THE RIGHT DOG SITTER for your special needs dog? 💡Here are some tips 1️⃣ Check for Suitability ✅ Ask if you can ACCOMPANY THEM ON A DOG WALK – so you can see how they will look after your dog and cover your dog’s special needs for walks ✅ They should be KIND, COURTEOUS and PROFESSIONAL WITH YOU as the human clients ✅ SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES should show photos / video of activities the dogs participate in ✅ Ask for REFERENCES 2️⃣ Questions to Ask ❓What training do the carers have in caring for dogs? ✅ Pet First Aid as a minimum ✅ Canine Body Language is preferred ❓ What happens if my dog falls ill or gets injured? ✅ First Aid as a minimum ✅ Contact you as the guardian of your dog ✅ Provide details for your vet and emergency vet ❓ What happens if my dog ‘behaves badly’? ❌ AVOID any that use punishment or aversive techniques (pet corrector, bark collars, loose coins in a tin, etc) - these methods will set back your dog’s progress ✅ INSTEAD they should put management in place to PREVENT problems from taking place, REMOVE the dog from the problematic situation, and CONTACT you should a problem arise 🙌 We are fortunate to have the AMAZING @johanna_holisticpaw in our lives. Johanna has been helping us look after Steffi for many years. Thanks to Johanna, we can leave Steffi at home with peace of mind 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Transform your dog’s behaviour with our services ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #BullBreed #Staffy #StaffyLove #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #ResourceGuarding #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

💔 Repairing BROKEN relationships is HARD WORK 8 years later and REBUILDING the TRUST between 🐶 Steffi and 🐱 Ginger has been SLOW 🙌 But credit to them both for trusting me to help them get there 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Transform your dog’s behaviour with our services 🔗 Say Goodbye to Stressful Walks! ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #BullBreed #Staffy #StaffyLove #CatsAndDogs #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #Glimmers #DogBodyLanguage #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #ResourceGuarding #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

🆘 It can be a TRICKY BALANCE of knowing when THE RESPONSIBLE ADULT (Yes, that’s YOU) needs to STEP IN and when to LET THEM WORK IT OUT ‼️ Whether it’s 2 DOGS or a CAT and DOG, here are some thoughts: ⚠️ If one or both of them is PERSISTENT and WON’T DE-ESCALATE ❌ By letting FRUSTRATION build with either individual, you could see the behaviour tip from simply being annoying to AGGRESSION ⚠️ When there’s a SIZE DIFFERENCE and the larger individual could harm with their size (Although beware, a cat scratch to the eye can cause serious injury to your dog!) ⚠️ When there’s been a HISTORY OF CONFLICT 🚫 YOU as the RESPONSIBLE ADULT needs to take measures to prevent the situation from happening in the first place BUT if it does happen, use a POSITIVE INTERRUPTER to intervene ⚠️ When one of them CONSISTENTLY INSTIGATES conflicts or competes for resources ❌ The instigator learns that they can use bullying behaviour to get what they want - the ‘bully’ gets reinforced every time they acquire a resource and the ‘victim’ learns to distrust or dislike any approach by the ‘bully’ p.s. Steffi (the dog) is trying to move Jackson (the cat) off the sunny spot so she can have it but as you can see Jackson is not moving 🌞 More often than not, I watch to see whether they’ll work it out for themselves 🙌 These 2 have a very amicable relationship and I don’t want this ruined by an escalating situation 🫶 I also know that Steffi likes to ‘bully’ her way into situations 😳 So I intervened here by asking Steffi to move away from Jackson and then rewarded her for going to another sleeping spot 🕊️ 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Transform your dog’s behaviour with our services ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #BullBreed #Staffy #StaffyLove #CatsAndDogs #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #ResourceGuarding #AggressiveDog #D

‼️ The MOST UNDER-RATED TRAINING TOOL is MANAGEMENT 🚫 aka PREVENTING the BEHAVIOUR YOU DON’T WANT ✅ so that you can REINFORCE the BEHAVIOURS YOU DO WANT 😏 Had we done this early on in Steffi and Ginger’s relationship... ✅ Preventing chasing ✅ Reinforcing lots of calm behaviour around each other 😭 THEN we wouldn’t be here 8 years later TRYING TO FIX UNWANTED BEHAVIOUR 🙌 Prevention is ALWAYS better than the cure 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Transform your dog’s behaviour with our services ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #BullBreed #Staffy #StaffyLove #CatsAndDogs #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #PositiveReinforcement #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

😔 Life with a REACTIVE DOG isn't easy 😭 And many reactive dogs come with MEDICAL CHALLENGES as part of the package 🌱 But then I REMEMBER that those very DIFFICULTIES have helped us GROW and BECOME WHO WE ARE today 💖 We wouldn't change a thing about our life with Steffi [😎 These photos are of Steffi's first trip to the beach. 6 weeks before we discovered she had hip dysplasia. What wonderful memories those were!] 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Transform your dog’s behaviour with our services ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #BullBreed #Staffy #StaffyLove#Maltipoo #AussieDoodle#SurreyDogs #SussexDogs#Glimmers #PositiveReinforcement #DogBodyLanguage#AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog#AggressiveDog #DogAggression#DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

⚠️ A BIG WORRY is how your dog will REACT to their triggers in new situations 🙌 When you CONSISTENTLY and PREDICTABLY help your dog feel SECURE in NEW SITUATIONS 🌱 Their TRUST IN YOU builds and their CONFIDENCE GROWS 💖 BIG THANKS to Lakota and Bella for starring in today’s video 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Transform your dog’s behaviour with our services ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #Maltipoo #AussieDoodle #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #Glimmers #PositiveReinforcement #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

😱 You SURPRISED us with the POLL RESULTS from yesterday’s post 🤨 When asked if you could ONLY have ONE, which would it be? A. Perfect LOOSE LEAD WALKING? Or B. Perfect RECALL? 😮 We expected a 50/50 split but…. 73% voted for PERFECT RECALL! 💪 Steffi’s lead walking has been ‘practically perfect’ for years - in part because we PRACTICED SO MUCH and because LIVING IN LONDON meant good lead walking skills were essential 😅 Her recall on the other hand... not so ‘perfect’ (reliable) so we use a long-line often 🙌 Many dogs are better at one than the other simply because one skill was practiced more (My ‘recall’ is terrible too 😂 I say 77% in the video instead of the correct 73%) 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Say Goodbye to Stressful Walks! ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #BullBreed #Staffy #StaffyLove #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

‼️ Don’t let FRUSTRATION rob you of enjoying your dog ‼️ Frustration is a negative emotion rooted in disappointment ⤵️ 😩 So you may feel frustrated when you’re TRYING to enjoy life with your dog, but your dog’s reactive behaviour responses feel like OBSTACLES 🙌 Frustration is a completely NORMAL emotional response telling us when our wants or needs are not being met 🤗 One way to RESOLVE your FRUSTRATION with your dog’s behaviours is meeting your dog where they are Once I ACCEPTED Steffi for who she was, we could then FIND NEW WAYS to ENJOY life together 💖 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Let us help you find JOY again with your dog ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #BullBreed #Staffy #StaffyLove #RescueDog #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #Glimmers #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

⛔️ Even BEFORE Steffi started showing REACTIVE behaviours (barking and lunging towards other dogs), people would AVOID us or make comments about WHY I had a dog LIKE her😔 This EVEN DESPITE being a happy and easygoing dog on walks and around other people😔 But as her reactive behaviours started to show (which we now know was DUE TO PAIN), I started to AVOID SITUATIONS where I might see too many people and dogs🤔 What part of living with your reactive dog is the MOST DIFFICULT for you?❓Feeling JUDGED and ASHAMED❓Feeling FRUSTRATED with your dog's behaviours❓Feeling like you FAILED your dog❓Feeling ISOLATED❓Not being able to live the life you'd HOPED with your dog Ps. I've since learned with Steffi that we were NOT ALONE and that we could ENJOY life together again 💖 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips🔗 Transform your dog’s behaviour with our services! ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #BullBreed #Staffy #StaffyLove#RescueDog#SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #Glimmers #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips

🐿️🦌 Your dog’s PREDATORY behaviours (scenting, chasing) around wildlife really strengthen in adolescence - Steffi was PROOF of this This made walks extremely CHALLENGING and STRESSFUL 🙏 I’m so THANKFUL for the time in Steffi’s life when I listened to Jane Ardern (@waggawuffins_canine_college) speak about predatory behaviours on a podcast 👉 she was HONEST about the challenges of a dog who loves to chase but she was also REASSURING about the normality of these behaviours 😭 My dog wasn’t a MONSTER after all 🙏 I’m also very THANKFUL for finding Simone Mueller’s (@predation_substitute_training) work on - for providing R+ and force-free methodology around ‘hunting with your dog’ and teaching the calm behaviours we needed P.s. This video was taken 3 years ago today - when Steffi’s joints didn’t hurt her so much and we could enjoy long walks in Richmond Park 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Say Goodbye to Stressful Walks! ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #BullBreed #Staffy #StaffyLove #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #PositiveReinforcement #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips #PredationSubstitutionTraining

💡 REACTIVE DOG TIP: By providing your dog with opportunities to SNIFF and PROCESS THE ENVIRONMENT around them, you’re helping your dog to: 1️⃣ feel more SECURE and 2️⃣ learn to use their COGNITIVE SKILLS around potential triggers ✅ When they feel secure, they feel LESS NEED to REACT to triggers ✅ By learning to use their cognitive skills, they’re MORE ABLE to RESPOND to your cues and MAKE BETTER behaviour CHOICES 💖 Most importantly, they learn to TRUST you as their guardian to help them feel SAFE 💌 SAVE this post and FOLLOW us for more dog behaviour tips 🔗 Say Goodbye to Stressful Walks! ➡️ click on the link in my bio for a free Consult #AussieDoodle #SurreyDogs #SussexDogs #AnxiousDog #ReactiveDog #CalmDog #AggressiveDog #DogAggression #DogTraining #DogBehaviour #DogTrainingTips