Plum Tuckered Pooch - Dog Training

24/02/2024

One spot left in Nose Games and manners class!

Contact for details

https://plumtuckered.ca/contact

15/02/2024

Recall for me living in the country is very important. We practice every time we are out and make it a fun and rewarding game.

Patch stays close, closer now that he’s older, Syd at 16 still has a mind of his own and the littles love to run and explore. All LOVE TO come back!

All recall has been trained without a shock collar. 3 different breeds, different drives but all recall taught without fear or punishment

24/01/2024

Due to a rental overbook classes will be pushed to a February 25th start. I’m soo sorry for the inconvenience

13/01/2024

Group classes will be starting again on Sunday’s in February!
Puppy
Manners
Nose games!

All details are on the website 🙂

https://plumtuckered.ca/contact

01/01/2024

Best wishes for a fantastic 2024!

05/11/2023

PSA: We adopted our dog, Rowdy, from the shelter 5 years ago. He was already an adult dog, so we estimate he is about 11 or 12 years old at this point. I love this dog. He is the sweetest soul and my BFF. For the past week or so he hasn’t been acting like himself. He licked a raw spot on his foot. He was panting constantly. He was pacing. Sunday morning, the pacing and panting got so bad, and I was REALLY nervous that there was something seriously wrong with him. For 45 minutes, he panted like crazy and constantly paced back and forth. He was keeping his tail tucked down all the time. His ears were pinned back. He would not settle down and he wouldn’t eat. We tried everything. I ended up giving him a trazadone that he takes sometimes when he goes to the groomer. It seemed to take a little bit of the edge off, but not much. He still wouldn’t eat and still wouldn’t settle. I took off work on Monday so I could take him to the vet. We did bloodwork and x-rays. Knowing he is a senior dog, I was trying to prepare myself for the worst case scenario. I was glad to see his bloodwork was great except for some elevated liver enzymes. The x-rays showed he was a little backed up but no major issues. He got an anti-nausea injection and some Gabapentin to help with some tenderness in his back and to hopefully help keep him calm. When we got home, he was ok for a little bit, but eventually started pacing and panting again. We walked around the neighborhood for a long time and he used the bathroom a lot. He seemed pretty happy about that and was in good spirits until we got home and he refused to come back in the house. Every time I took him out that evening, he would hunker down like he didn’t want to come back in the house. When my vet called and I gave her the update, she suggested there may be some new electronic device in the house that was emitting a high frequency noise that is hurting his ears. We had just put new smart outlets in the house about a week ago. His pacing and panting were worse when the lamps were on, so I unplugged all the smart outlets. He stopped panting, stopped pacing, and ate his food. His tail was even up and wagging again. When I plugged the smart outlets all back in and asked Alexa to turn on the lamps, he immediately started panting and pacing again. My husband used an app to test the frequency of the smart outlets. It was off the charts. We've left the outlets unplugged for two days and have confirmed that it is definitely the smart outlets that are causing his stress and discomfort. He's back to being a totally normal dog now. I really thought this was the end for Rowdy based on the way he was acting. I am so thankful for Dr. Newell at BoonesCreek AnimalHospital for figuring out this simple solution. If your pets are exhibiting similar symptoms, you may want to consider checking your electronics first. I cannot express how relieved I am that he is ok now. 😭♥️🐶

07/08/2023

04/08/2023

A must visit!

16/07/2023

16/07/2023

Putting Ethics & Welfare First!
https://petprofessionalguild.com/

18/03/2023

Manners is full

Puppy class 4 spots available
Puppies must be 10-15 weeks to start

Evening classes start in April!

Puppy 6 pm
Manners 7 pm
Wednesday evenings at the Delacour community hall

18/03/2023

Our Specious Enemy: Friendly Fire in the Trenches of Dog Training by Kristi Benson   Caveat: I usually work to avoid military metaphors in my writing, but in writing this piece I found them simply too useful, especially considering my somewhat depleted state. Please click away if these will be dist...

08/03/2023

Must-know Monday: the 3-3-3 rule! Important for rescue dogs and cats!!
Give them time to settle in.
Don’t have a load of people in and out when they first arrive.
Let them get to know you and your family’s routine.
Don’t go and take them on a bunch of outings. For the first 3 days-1 week (for some dogs longer) stick close to home, and always have a leash and properly fitted collar on (dogs) or for cats keep them indoors and confined to one room in the home.
Take it slow! You will set the tone for the next weeks and months!
Ask for help if you need it, an ethical rescue will provide you with advice/information to make the transition easier, or have contacts for trainers who can help you.

04/03/2023

A reward-based approach is the best way to deal with behaviour issues in dogs. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends the use of reward-based methods for behaviour issues as well as for basic manners. In their position statement on humane dog training, they review the evidence and explain why reward-based methods are best. They say, "Reward-based learning offers the most advantages and least harm to the learner's welfare. Research supports the efficacy of reward-based training to address unwanted and challenging behaviours. There is no evidence that aversive training is necessary for dog training or behavior modification." You can download their full statement on their website:https://avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AVSAB-Humane-Dog-Training-Position-Statement-2021.pdf

02/03/2023

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10160961172359664&id=701464663&mibextid=ncKXMA

26/02/2023

Evening classes start in April!

Puppy 6 pm
Manners 7 pm
Wednesday evenings at the Delacour community hall

22/02/2023

Same today as 2015!

THROWBACK THURSDAY: When dog owners would get caught between the advice of different trainers, not knowing who to follow.

PRESENT DAY: SCIENCE!

It's not unusual for someone attending one of my seminars to raise their hand and ask something like, "But [insert celebrity trainer du jour] says...."

And it's not surprising. For the average person, their only exposure to training and behavior is what they've been told or have seen on television. The concepts of skilled use of reinforcement to change problem behaviors is a completely novel concept that contradicts everything they've ever heard about dog behavior.

However, these ideas have been around for over a century.

Classical conditioning, called the "conditioned reflex" by Ivan Pavlov, was first introduced in 1901.

Edward Thorndike brought us the law of effect in 1905, which was further explored by BF Skinner, who published The Behavior of Organisms in 1938 and gave us the definitions of operant conditioning.

John B. Watson published his findings on the "Little Albert Experiments" in 1920, showing the effects of counterconditioning, and Joseph Wolpe developed the concept of systematic desensitization in 1950.

Applied Behavior Analysis can be traced back a group of researchers at the University of Washington in the 1960's.

These fundamental concepts have since been tested and retested in humans, dogs, rats, primates, and other species, and are the basis of modern training methods.

So, while conventional wisdom is far more common, it doesn't make much sense when compared to the science.

Rather than get frustrated with the contradictory advice you find online and between different trainers, read for yourself about how dogs learn.

You don't have to be a scientist to understand these concepts (I'm certainly not), sort through 115 years of scientific studies, or even amass a library of books like I have. You can start with one book - Culture Clash, by Jean Donaldson:
http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTB464&AffiliateID=45612&Method=3

If you find you want to read more about these concepts, move ahead to Don't Shoot the Dog, by Karen Pryor:
http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DTB116&AffiliateID=45612&Method=3

Do you really like to geek out on learning? I highly recommend The Science of Consequences, by Susan M. Schneider:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Science-Consequences-Affect-Change/dp/1616146621

Now, the next time someone tells you that positive reinforcement doesn't work on X breed or X behavior, or if you find yourself questioning the validity of reducing problem behavior without the use of aversives, look to what science says.

For more, click the link below to read Dr. Susan Friedman's excellent article, "He Said, She Said, Science Says."
http://www.behaviorworks.org/files/articles/He%20Said,%20She%20Said,%20Science%20Says.pdf

20/02/2023

One for the reactive dogs.
Many people may struggle to understand fear reactive dogs and you may be struggling to understand too.

This shows exactly why this behaviour takes time to change.....and the more they "practice" this behaviour the longer it can take to change.
Every single reaction is "rewarding" as that reaction worked...it made the scary trigger disappear, either you left, or the trigger left....it doesnt matter which way round....your fear reactive dog KNOWS this reaction "worked".

The scary thing disappeared.....they "did that" by barking.
...and the cycle begins again.

So I made this graphic ( a while ago now)...not as slick as some others but it shows the loop clearly and why it is so important to stop.
You can also see why every single reaction can keep fear reactive dogs in a continual cycle of reacting and being "rewarded".

If you are struggling with this, reach out to a behaviour modification trainer and help to stop this.
Self rewarding behaviour can be tricky to navigate.

It is work.
It is complicated and very individual.
BUT.....you CAN make a big difference with this, with the right support and guidance from a great trainer.

Above all else, your dog is doing this from a place of fear.
Fear cannot be removed from the equation, you need to work with the fear to make a positive difference....

Maybe put yourself in their position and imagine being confronted with something which yourself may be terrified of every time you leave the safety of your home.

18/02/2023

Wise words from the dog that taught me more about understanding and compassion

💕

10/02/2023

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=217097577474486&id=100418592475719&mibextid=qC1gEa

10/02/2023

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michellemartiya/they-re-doing-what-they-think-best?fbclid=IwAR2Q5dT67Wk6LLNiZtHE06C1ndc1nhAKx8jHBWSRM-n78VQNpa2B33Hr3Os&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

Recently there’s been a lot of talk in the dog world about the divide between positive reinforcement animal trainers and trainers who ...