Jackie Pritchard Dog Training

26/08/2024

Today's Dog Training Myth of the Day: "Only tell them once!"

What if you ask a dog (whatever age, breed, s*x, background, training level) to do something, but there is no response?

Set aside the myth of "only tell them once." Good rule of thumb: if it were a toddler, what would you do? Probably wait a few beats, be sure you had the kid's attention, then ask again.

Just like us, dogs may not be tuned in 100% because they are busy having their own experience of life which may or may not include you at any moment.

If you *do* have the pup's attention, and they did hear you, next step is to consider that they do not understand and/or don't see the point!

I've often asked clients to stand on a chair and sing happy birthday. I've done it while they were trying to take notes. Result: no compliance, and they say usually say, "Sorry - I was focused on taking notes. What did you say?"

If they are paying attention to me but look at me as if I'm crazy, I ask, "Did you understand what I asked? You did? So why aren't you doing it?" Inevitably the answer is, "I don't want to" or "Why would I do that?" It helped them understand how their dogs might be responding.

So give your dogs the courtesy of clear communication, engage attention first, be sure there is understanding, and make it worthwhile for the dog to work with you. Respect, courtesy and taking responsibility for what we are communicating and how we are communicating -- those are all supportive of healthy dog/human relationships.

This does not mean repeating, Sit-sit-sit-sit-sit-sit which is not good communication no matter who you're talking to! 😊

If you want and need response to just one request (and this has great value!), you first have to teach understanding, understand that connection and attention must come first always, then develop the skill, tighten the criteria and make it worthwhile. Then practice!!!

24/08/2024

❤️🐾❤️

I was a professional dog trainer for years, but it never sat right with me. I was in it for the dogs, you see, and when you train dogs for roles, you have to think just as much about the position they will fill as you do the dog. And I just wanted to think about the dog. That’s why I was there. Th...

20/08/2024

14/08/2024

DON’T TOUCH MY STUFF!
Resource guarding – also called possessive aggression

We all guard our resources, it’s a natural reaction to a threat of something we value being taken away.

It’s essential for survival and dogs or other animals would not survive in the wild if they didn’t guard their resources.

We also don’t get to decide what’s valuable and what’s not – different things have different value to different dogs and at different times.

Food is usually the most common, but toys, furniture, different items, places, or even a certain person are all things that may be seen as a valuable resource.

A dog turning their head away, freezing, a hard stare, whale eye, moving away, growling or snapping may quickly escalate into a serious bite in an attempt to protect that valuable possession.

Punishing or forcing a dog to give something up is probably one of the worst things to do.

Resource guarding is rooted in the emotion of fear – the fear of that resource being taken away.

Punishment and force further increase that fear, which only increases and reinforces the need to protect that resource.

When a dog is guarding food or an object, we can change the negative emotion of that fear into a positive one by swopping or trading something that has a similar or higher value than what the dog has.

This is one of the most effective ways to address resource guarding of objects as it works at the root cause of the behaviour by changing the emotional response.

A dog resource guarding a person is more complicated to address. A full history of the individual dog, family dynamics, attachment styles, situation and environment all have to be assessed before planning and working on a solution.

Resource guarding can usually be prevented, managed and addressed and by starting early, understanding why dogs feel the need to resort to this behaviour and doing what we can to prevent it from happening in the first place.

06/08/2024

Trainer Tip Tuesday (answer is: Flooding)

05/08/2024

The pet professionals in your life should always be advocating for your animals. ❤️

05/08/2024

Fear is the easiest things to condition in dogs and the hardest to resolve. Fear can come from many places, many of which we don't control. This infographic is my most downloaded and shared resource. In fact, many vets and Veterinary Behaviorists use this handout with their own clients! Link in first comment to grab your own copy.

31/07/2024

Thank you Shay Kelly! Great post!

30/07/2024

WHAT THE F?

Recognising stress responses in dogs.

Fight or flight are well known reactions to fear or stress, but these other “F” words are also important to understand and be aware of as they may not always be so obvious.

Freeze, Fawn, Fidget or Fool around are also responses to stress or fear and are also commonly seen in people.

Some dogs may have a genetic predisposition to one type of response while some react based on previous experience - what has worked for them before or what hasn’t. Some dogs have different reactions depending on the specific context.

Recognising and taking note of situations or circumstances where these responses are seen is important in understanding how our dogs are feeling.

When we recognise a fear or a stress response, we are able to intervene and advocate for our dogs.

29/07/2024

❤️🐾❤️

28/07/2024

Reward the behaviours you want and they WILL be repeated.

Mantra time..."What is rewarded is repeated"✅
This is a simple and powerful message. 🏋️‍♀️
A few things to remember with this though and your timing needs to be clear too.
If you can be more precise when you reward behaviour you want to be repeated, you are making things SO much easier for your dog to understand.
Sometimes people see something they really like from their dog and they stand up, go to the cupboard to get their favourite reward, open the cupboard, get the packet out and the time to reward has long gone.
Have a few rewards on you at all times.✅
It isn't hard to do.
Pop them in a pocket (yes you will curse me on laundry day🙂), but you can make a real difference in your dogs behaviour just by rewarding exactly what you like when they show you.
I am not talking about a sit or a down but all the other times you notice your dog has done well.
They didn't bark at the cat as it ran over the grass YES! Rewardable✅
They chose just to relax on their bed or mat YES! Rewardable✅
They kept all four paws on the ground when your guest arrived YES! Rewardable✅

If you haven't tried rewarding exactly what you want....take up the challenge and try it for 2 weeks.
I promise you, you will see results...but you will probably still curse me on laundry day🙂

Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media🙂, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited.
Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Screen shots are a violation of the copyright.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.

23/07/2024

Trainer Tip Tuesday:

20/07/2024

Bad behaviour… really?

10/07/2024

Such a great infographic from The Sophisticated Dog.

Our canine companions are constantly showing us how they feel in so many ways, and it’s our job to listen.

If their whispers don’t work, then of course they have to ‘speak’ louder. Wouldn’t you if you weren’t comfortable in a situation?

Learn to listen to your dog

09/07/2024

CULTIVATING CALMNESS

We teach our dogs all sorts of things, but maybe don’t realise that teaching “calm” is also an important behaviour that has so many positive applications for both us and our dogs.

“Calm” can be defined as the absence of agitation or excitement; a feeling of tranquility; serenity and peace. These feelings are so often lacking in both our lives and that of our dogs.

Besides teaching dogs to settle on a mat or in another place or capturing and rewarding calm behaviour, here are some other ways to promote calmness.

Scenting or sniffing is a really effective and simple way to promote relaxation. It lowers the pulse rate and creates feelings of wellbeing.

Chewing is another powerful relaxation tool. Dogs use the chewing to relieve stress, frustration or anxiety. Chewing has a calming effect on the adrenal-pituitary axis in the brain which triggers the release of endorphins. It’s like self-medication for stress or anxiety.

Relaxing music that is specifically made for dogs can also work well, especially with dogs that get over excited in a car or have storm or firework fear.

When playing an exciting, high-energy game with your dog, take frequent breaks before starting up again to help your dog wind down and become calmer.

Aromatherapy, ear or other types of massage are other ways to help create calmness.

Cortisol holidays are also really important after a stressful event to prevent trigger stacking and allow cortisol levels to return to normal.

Conventional wisdom says that the ability to remain calm is a character trait that most of us lack, but Neuroscience teaches us that remaining calm under pressure is not an inborn trait, but a skill that needs to be learnt, practiced and managed and this applies to our dogs as well.

09/07/2024

"Listen" to your patients. "Listen" to your pets.

Meme created by RotNDog Training & Behavior Consulting

07/07/2024

Socialisation. Yes, there really is such a thing as "over socialised".
Play is NOT socialisation.❌
Play is a separate and important skill.✅....but it isn't socialisation.
What is socialisation ?..... Calmness and acceptance of the world.
What it isn't......over excited, scared, hyper, wary behaviour or PLAY.
I know that seems like a big statement to make for some people but society has some strange ideas of what socialisation is.

That doesn't mean dogs and puppies shouldn't play, it simply means one of the FIRST things they need to learn in life is not go to that place of extreme overarousal at the sight of a puppy. Puppies need to learn how to be accepting of dogs in general....then play can be added as a separate skill.

Calmness and acceptance IS socialisation.
Play is play.
Two completely separate things.

Dogs and puppies are a very small part of having a socialised dog. An important small part... but a very small part in a much bigger picture.
The word socialisation seems to be associated with play and that is a big issue with new puppy guardians/owners.

How you let other dogs meet yours and how your dog meets other dogs forms patterns of behaviour.
The more these dogs have over excited, over aroused and hyper behaviour around other dogs...........the more they understand this IS exactly how to meet dogs....and that is really problematic for many dogs.

True socialisation is acceptance and calmness in ALL the world has to offer.
Everything you encounter in everyday life...is exactly what you need to expose your dogs to.

Little and often
Positively and calmly......and you are well on your way to a well socialised puppy or dog.

They don't need to go to that hyper excited behaviour when other dogs are near.

They can be calm, assess the situation and choose to play and interact if they wish.....

That is true socialisation.

Please respect that these graphics take time and effort to make. Everyone is free to share on social media🙂, however off social media use of these marked graphics is prohibited.
Unmarked graphics are available for $ 1.20 USD or $ 2 NZD each (approx), these are then able to be used off Facebook for client handouts, posters or for personal use.
Screen shots are a violation of the copyright.
Please visit ABC Dogs Patreon Shop for unmarked graphics. All graphics belong to ABC Dogs NZ and are under copyright.