Okanagan Working Dog Club

09/13/2022

In the last few years, I’ve watched “dog culture” explode into a phenomenon I’d never seen as an early dog trainer. When I first started training dogs, people didn’t come to me with requests for their dogs to be able to handle things and expectations we put on them so heavily today. Nowadays, it’s amazing what we ask of our dogs because of this culture that emerged. And then we wonder why dogs are going downhill behaviorally so quickly.

1. Dog “groups” where people get together with dogs on leash and do activities and social events. Including birthday parties, Halloween parties, etc etc

2. Dog daycares where dogs are kept in large groups to play

3. Dog parks where humans AND dogs interact in groups

4. Behaviors like perfect heel on leash, sit stays on beds, ignoring environmental enticement in the name of “training”

Then there’s dog sports, dog classes, therapy dog work, service dog work, dog shows, trail walks, public outings, restaurants, breweries, and farmers markets and parades and town days and family over (with their dog) for every holiday and apartment complexes and car rides and pet stores and all these places we’ve been made to believe dogs SHOULD go and should WANT to go to and if they don’t then you need to do more and more work with them and help them like it and if you don’t then you aren’t fulfilling them or meeting their needs and your dog isn’t happy and you are failing or they just haven’t been raised right.

Please. Take a breath.

For 20,000 years dogs existed beside us doing none of that. For 9,000 years they were created for purpose and work, not for pets (with the exception of a few toy breeds) We didn’t expect ANY OF THIS during that time unless they were designed and created for it: now it’s what we want all the time. From all dogs. That’s not fair.

Our culture has changed SO much and dogs haven’t had a chance to catch up. We want all this new stuff because it’s part of OUR new culture, but we need to pause and realize it’s not a part of most of theirs. People coming over? Not really what most dogs were created to enjoy. Going new places all the time? Not what most dogs were created to handle. Hanging out in groups and put in costumes and having their pictures taken? Not normal to a dog. Riding calmly in a glass box going past all these distractions at 35mph? Not part of their DNA either.

We would NEVER expect this of any of our other animals either. Why are dogs taking the brunt of this. Because dogs are extremely adaptable and truthfully, they love us so much they will try so so hard to make us happy and do what we ask of them. But, can we for a second stop and think that maybe it’s too much sometimes? Can we please take some accountability for their stress and mental health as part of OUR unrealistic expectations that we’ve been led to believe make for a good dog vs a bad dog? I’m not talking about not working with them and helping them learn to live in todays world. That’s important. I’m talking about taking a step back and having respect for who they are and why they originally ended up with us. I do this all the time before I put any of my dogs in a situation, and that means sometimes I don’t bring them.

If the culture is changing; let’s add human education and understanding of basic canine ethology, body language and respect into it too. It’s only fair to honor the animals who have stood beside us for so so long.

Helen St. Pierre

07/26/2022

Let's Talk About... the Prong Collar. Facts, not emotions:

The prong, or pinch, collar was first patented by Herm Sprenger in the late 1800s, and the design has evolved over the decades with improved knowledge, experience, and materials. It should be noted that Herm Sprenger (*not* "Springer") are one of only a very small handful of prong collar manufacturers that reputable trainers recommend, and arguably the best.

The collar itself:

The individual prongs themselves are angled in and blunt at the ends, NEVER sharp. They are not designed to stab like a needle, or injure the dog. Due to the mechanical design, pressure is distributed evenly around the neck, and this pressure is felt far more readily than that of a choke/check chain, or flat collar. Ergo, less pressure is required to be used by the handler. This is particularly useful for handlers who have strength or mobility issues, or who have very large dogs. Also important to observe is that there is a martingale chain that connects each side of the collar, which prevents the collar from tightening excessively or dangerously, as can happen with a choke or check chain that is not used appropriately.

The mechanics of the collar, as explained by a mechanical engineer:

F = force applied by the handler.

FA, FB, FC etc = force applied on dog's neck. The tip exerts the force in opposite direction of pull. This is because of the lever effect created by the fulcrum (shown in the red circle).

Now the important part: anatomy, not physics.
A dog’s neck is sensitive at the throat and strong at the side and back. FE is force applied at neck and FB & FC are force applied on side of neck.

Now FA = F cos (angle made by FA and F); similarly, FB, FC etc. If you look at a trigonometry book, the greater the angle between F and the direction of resultant force (FA, FB etc), the lesser is the force. So you can see the force on the neck/throat is almost zero. And the force on the side of neck is almost equal to what you apply.

Please do bear in mind that this post is about the science behind the prong collar - not your *feelings*. If you don't like this particular tool, it's pretty simple: don't use it. But also bear in mind that, if you haven't ever used it, then your opinion of it is based on nothing more than emotion and/or hearsay. If you are triggered by this post, ask yourself why - based on *fact* :-)

And finally, always please remember: TOOLS DON'T TRAIN DOGS; TRAINING TRAINS DOGS! If your trainer puts one of these on your dog to "teach it to walk nicely to Heel", I would suggest firing them and finding a trainer who understands how to teach Handler Awareness, the Step Sit, and actually train the dog. If your dog will only walk to Heel when it is wearing equipment (of any kind), it's not trained :-)

Thank you for reading!

06/27/2022

Just arrived “U“ litter Kiefertal! 6 males, 1 female

04/10/2022

03/29/2022

One of the best gifts you can give your dog is letting go of the expectations of what you want him to become, and accepting him for who he is—

Your role as his teammate includes helping him through what he finds difficult.
With each dog we train we may adjust, the type and number of sheep we use as well as the duration and frequency of training sessions based on his excitability, sensitivity, amount and type of eye, natural width and so on.
Handling/working style can also play a role in your dogs mental fortitude and excitability.
We may change our working style from an on-going style, a stop and flank style or a walking style with method, not only from dog to dog, but within an individual dogs development (considering how he changes and matures).

Every dog learns at a different sp*ed, requiring it to take the time it takes, for your dog to understand and enjoy a new concept.
Accepting your dog for who he is and making adjustments in consideration of his individual characteristics empowers learning and enjoyment.
It fosters a true partnership, enhances your bond immeasurably and your dog gives you his heart. macraeway.com

03/29/2022

Every dog will teach you something new, both about training and about yourself.
One of the greatest things about training sheepdogs is you can never know it all.
Whether you're just starting or you’ve been doing it for 40 years, there is always more to learn and what worked with 10 dogs before, may not work with the one you have now.

Developing your skills and knowledge is a never ending process and the way to gain understanding is through experience and educating yourself.
Dogs are unique and there are many things you can do to set yours up for success including, training intuitively, cultivating desire before instilling discipline and taking into account your dogs individual characteristics: his amount of desire, eye, excitability, maturity, feel, width etc.—adapting your approach to best suit your dog can make all the difference.

If you and your dog aren’t improving, it can be a signal that something isn’t going right in your training program. That’s when you need the experience to know what to change, or the self awareness to ask for help.
Take the time it takes, to be certain your dog fully understands a new training concept before you set expectations.
Patience empowers your dogs confidence and the responsibility is always ours to communicate clearly, not for our dogs to interpret accurately.
Your continuous effort to learn and patience, will manifest in your dog becoming the best sheepdog he or she can be.
macraeway.com

03/26/2022

🐶 🐩 🐕 toys according to humans…

02/10/2022

WHY ARE WE SO SOFT ON OUR DOGS?

Something has happened in the last 10-15 years. There’s been a massive shift in how pet parents raise and teach their dogs. Saying no to the dog is out and saying yes is in. Rules and expectations have gone out the window and pet parents are driven by news and media to focus solely on keeping the dog happy and comfortable at all times by allowing them to do what they want, when they want with no boundaries.

They are being taught to try and solve all problems with increased amounts of love and spoiling...bargaining really. If I give you all these treats and toys, allow you to come and go as you please, get on my furniture and sleep in my bed...you will be happy and appreciative. But that’s not how dogs work.

When you go out of your way to treat your dog like a king/queen they will most often learn to treat you as a subordinate. If they are already an insecure/anxious dog, they get worse as they’ve been thrust into the leadership spot and they can’t handle the pressure.

There is a marked increase in aggression, fear aggression, resource guarding, territorial behaviours, protective behaviours, hyper activity and separation anxiety. So what we are doing clearly is not working.

One thing that clients say to me regularly is wow...my dog is so awesome and attentive/happy when they work with you but they aren’t that great when they work with us. Why?

Because I give them stability. They know where they stand with me and that is comforting. When they come for lessons I’m fun, loving and friendly but I’m also strict and have appropriate consequences for their unruly behaviour. I correct them for pulling, jumping, nipping, leash biting, trying to p*e on stuff, getting up on the counter to steal treats. They now know the rules and what’s expected of them when they come to school and then the focus shifts to fun, fun, fun with high levels of success.

If you are afraid that being strict with your dog will make them unhappy it just isn’t true. Packs of animals in the wild thrive with a clear hierarchy and an understanding of where each member of that pack fits in. So be a leader for your dog! Enforce the rules and put my 4 favourite F words into play...always Fun and Friendly and, on occasion, Firm in a non harsh way (think leash tug, sq**rt with water bottle, poke, etc) and always Fair. Never blast your dog for being bad, it’s not their fault. They need your time and effort put into teaching what you want to see.

Being a good leader for your dog will absolutely not kill your relationship with them, it will only enhance it and you will bond more deeply - guaranteed! Leadership does not mean dictatorship.

We don’t care what terms you use to refer to yourself and your dog as, as long as you’re showing up and leading, teaching, shaping the desired behaviours you want to see and living a consistent lifestyle with your dog.

I challenge you to consistently try it for one week to and report back any changes you noticed!

~ Coach Sara

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Looking for help with your dogs training? Book your free consult today: www.dukeferguson.com/consultationbooking

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www.upk9.ca
www.dukeferguson.com

01/13/2022

Great dog! This is what they should be!

Sieger Bodo vom Lierberg
1967

01/12/2022

12/25/2021

Ragnar (K litter Kiefertal) and friend, Merry Christmas all!

12/25/2021

Kathy Schrauwen’s T-Rock von Kiefertal (aka Rocket) 5 months old. Merry Christmas!

12/05/2021

This post is trending right now and I love it!

12/05/2021

Happy Saturday 🤠

12/03/2021

11/26/2021

AGREE!!! Especially true for Shelties.

11/16/2021

If your wife/dog listens to you or pays attention to you only when you have money/liver treats, that is not a good relationship. That is a gold digger!
Trust me, I don’t have any treats in my pocket, but my dog still loves/pays attention to me. I think this pic was at a regional championships a few years back. No leash. No e collar. No cookies. Just me and my dog on the trial field with Judge from Germany.

My job is make you think about why you are training like you do and challenge your preconceptions.

This is not marketing! This is FACT!!!

09/26/2021

https://awkward.com/the-vancouver-police-dog-calendar-is-here-and-it-rules/8?utm_source=DOGGO-FB&utm_medium=DOGGO-FB&utm_campaign=DOGGO-FB&utm_content=the-vancouver-police-dog-calendar-is-here-and-it-rules&fbclid=IwAR0j99nl3QZDD8O0Oaq73DM7AZxmtBdiWT0omyaAC7xHyZS_C5OrUYp_caQ

Even if you don’t live in Vancouver, Canada, you might want to consider buying one of these calendars. The Vancouver Police Dog Calendar is 1.) Awesome, and 2.) For a good cause. Proceeds go to the B.C. Cancer Foundation and B.C. Children’s Hospital Foundation. The Vancouver Police Department ha...

09/23/2021

❤❤❤

09/21/2021

Have a geat K9 Day😉

09/18/2021

Faces of the future, “T” litter Kiefertal.

09/12/2021

09/03/2021