The DogSmith of Estepona

07/07/2024

Does Your Dog Do Any of These 10 Perplexing Things?

She does some of them just because her genes tell her to - including this strange magnetic alignment when they relieve themselves. Many can have you shaking your head. But, one can be a sign of boredom and another can indicate a serious medical problem.

Analysis by Dr. Karen Shaw Becker

https://www.barkandwhiskers.com/2015-10-05-nl-10-mysterious-dog-behaviors/

She does some of them just because her genes tell her to - including this strange magnetic alignment when they relieve themselves. Many can have you shaking your head. But, one can be a sign of boredom and another can indicate a serious medical problem.

28/06/2024

'How to Perfect Key Training Skills for Maximum Success'.
Presented by: Louise Stapleton-Frappell and Niki Tudge
⏰⏰June 28, 2024, 9:00 am - 10:30 am (ET)⏰⏰ (3:00 pm CET)
HURRY! Register today: https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/.../how-to-perfect.../
📩Can’t make it to the live webinar? No worries! Once you register, your confirmation email will contain the link to access the live event and the recording after the event.

21/03/2024

17 Training Tips, from Zazie Todd, for First Time Dog Owners!

https://www.companionanimalpsychology.com/2024/03/17-training-tips-for-first-time-dog.

What first time dog guardians need to know about dog training to get better results and build their relationship with their dog.

08/01/2024

Sound Masking to Help Dogs with a Noise Phobia or Sound Sensitivity
- Eileen Anderson

Dogs who are scared of thunder and noise can benefit from masking, "canceling," with fans, noise machines, or certain types of music.

31/12/2023

24/12/2023

Wishing you all a pawsome festive season!

25/11/2023

This gorgeous girl and her family did brilliantly in her training classes. From loose leash walking, to coming when called, to settling on a ‘magic’ mat, and much more!

13/11/2023

"No" isn't a Behaviour.

Have a think about all the situations where you may be saying “No” to your dog and develop a list of the behaviours that you would like your dog to do instead! Then you can work through the list, helping your dog develop the much-needed skills to happily coexist in your home.

Unsure how to teach those skills? Contact your local DogSmith.

https://dogsmith.com/no-isnt-a-behavior/

31/10/2023

Always a pleasure to train with Oscar, a.k.a. ‘Stitch’!

24/10/2023

Such a cutie!

This gorgeous little girl enjoyed lots of fun and learning in her Puppy Solutions Private Training Class. We worked on:

✅ Socialisation activities
✅ Name response
✅ Magic mat
✅ Wait

She was a star pupil!

18/10/2023

This gorgeous young lady sometimes reacts negatively to strangers and unknown dogs

She and her human family did brilliantly in their Behaviour Consultation learning new skills and how to ‘condition’ more positive associations, using the DogSmith MTR Method.

✅ Management
✅ Training Skills
✅ Relationship Building Games

She had lots of fun playing the training ‘games’ and learning new, more appropriate, ways to cope in what can sometimes feel like a scary world. It will take time, commitment and patience, but they have all made a fabulous start.

17/10/2023

Upcoming PPG Webinar:
'Empowering Dogs to Embrace Muzzles with Love'
Presented by: Louise Stapleton-Frappell of The DogSmith of Estepona and DogNostics Education
⏰Tuesday, November 21, 2023 9:00 AM ET
Register today: https://petprofessionalguild.com/event-5453145
📩Can’t make it to the live webinar? No worries! All webinar recordings are sent via email 48 to 72 hours after the live sessions.
✅Don't miss this exciting journey of love, trust, and positive reinforcement. Bid farewell to muzzle-related anxiety forever. Register now to unlock the potential for a harmonious and safe partnership with your four-legged companion or your canine clients!

Upcoming PPG Webinar:
'Empowering Dogs to Embrace Muzzles with Love'
Presented by: Louise Stapleton-Frappell of DogNostics Education
⏰Tuesday, November 21, 2023 9:00 AM ET
Register today: https://petprofessionalguild.com/event-5453145
📩Can’t make it to the live webinar? No worries! All webinar recordings are sent via email 48 to 72 hours after the live sessions.
✅Don't miss this exciting journey of love, trust, and positive reinforcement. Bid farewell to muzzle-related anxiety forever. Register now to unlock the potential for a harmonious and safe partnership with your four-legged companion or your canine clients!

14/10/2023

A Dog’s View.

30/09/2023

How to Interact with a Dog – Respecting Personal Space

"Unfortunately, many people are unaware of how a dog expresses consent or believe that a dog does not have the right to give (or withhold) that consent." - Don Hanson, co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop

Read the post here: https://petsandtheirpeople.education/how-to-interact-with-a-dog-respecting-personal-space/

The higher a dog's level of arousal, the more space they may require. Please show empathy in this situation. You may not see something as a threat, but if your dog does, that fear is genuine to them.

29/09/2023

New Animal Welfare Law comes into force in Spain.

Six months after its final approval, the pioneering Animal Welfare Law comes into force throughout Spain today, September 29, and will impact everyone from pet owners, pet professionals, and veterinarians to animal breeders and pet shops.

The new law is by no means perfect and some of the regulations still need further amplification before they will come in to force.

However, the advent of this new law means that certain tools will become obsolete and even discredited and prohibited!

🚫 We are very happy to say that the use of choke, spiked/prong and impulse/electric shock collars, is now BANNED in Spain!

This article gives a short overview of the new legislation

Animal Welfare Law Comes Into Force In Spain: Everything You Need To Know About The New Regulations Keep up with the Latest News In English Murcia Costa Calida Spain

25/09/2023

Unlock the Secret to Happy Muzzle Training!

Welcome to DogNostics Transformative Course “Empowering Dogs to Embrace Muzzles with Love!”

Are you a devoted pet parent or a passionate dog trainer seeking to ensure your furry companion’s comfort and safety? Join us on an exciting journey where we demystify the process of training dogs to not only accept but genuinely adore wearing muzzles!

In this comprehensive short course, we’ll empower you with cutting-edge, force-free techniques to build a positive association between your dog and their muzzle. Whether it’s for veterinary visits, grooming, or any other situation, our proven methods will make muzzle time a stress-free and even enjoyable experience for your four-legged friend.

Join us in this exciting journey of love, trust, and positive reinforcement, and say goodbye to muzzle-related anxiety forever. Enroll today and become the advocate your dog deserves!

https://dognosticseducation.com/courses/muzzles-with-love-the-ten-step-program/

13/09/2023

Why Day Care may not be the best option for your dog. Please read!

Please don’t use Day - Care to socialise your dog!

We get a lot of inquiries for help with dogs with social problems ranging from reactivity on lead, becoming over-excited and unable to disengage from other dogs off lead and getting into “unpredictable” squabbles with other dogs on walks, where somewhere in the exchange of information comes this: “he goes to day-care 3 times a week for socialisation – he is fine at day-care”.

I am going to try and highlight the problems with this briefly:
1. Is he actually fine? How do you know? Most day-cares do not allow owners to observe what happens while their dogs are at day-care. The dogs are dropped off and left with other people. Most day-care owners have ZERO qualifications in dog behaviour or training and do not understand stress signals or inappropriate social behaviour. Those that might pick up problems usually have absolutely no clue how to address them humanely – some still use pet correctors, verbal reprimands and shake cans to deal with issues. I have seen videos of dogs reported to be “fine” at day-care: dogs that are shut down and trying to avoid other dogs, dogs that are being bullied by other dogs, but have no way out, and dogs that are bullying other dogs and having a glorious time doing so. Many bullied dogs learn to switch off and “tolerate” what is happening around them, but put them in another environment, like a walk, where they are less shut down and they may use aggression to try and avoid other dogs.

2. If your dog is going to day-care to socialise, one would assume that the time there is spent in the company of other dogs. The question is how many other dogs and for how long? Dogs should NOT be playing for hours with other dogs. Yes, many young dogs and puppies will seem happy to keep playing, but without any interruption and down-time they WILL become overstimulated and emotionally exhausted. This is NOT healthy. The typical “happy” day-care dog is the one who then tries to go for a walk with the owner or join a group class for training and ends up screaming his head off whenever he does not have access to the other dogs. Why? Because when a dog is taught that being around other dogs equals continuous play, they cannot cope with being denied this when seeing dogs in other situations and become frustrated to the point of anger (reactivity).

I realise that people want “sociable” dogs, but a well-socialised dog is a dog that knows when it is appropriate to play with friends and when it is appropriate to LEAVE OTHER DOGS ALONE. A well-socialised dog is one that has had the opportunity to learn that they can quietly leave a situation they are not happy with, not one that is forced into shut down by hours of unpleasant experiences. I know the intentions of sending dogs to day-care for socialisation are generally good, but please don’t do it. Don’t leave it to someone else to socialise your dog and remove yourself from the equation – unless you want a dog that has no interest in you and whose behaviour you have little real experience of because you actually are not seeing what is going on when you are not there.

11/09/2023

September is National Pet Insurance Month in the USA and very relevant here in Spain too as The New Animal Welfare Law (in Spain) will come into force on September 29th, 2023.

PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE UP-TO-DATE CIVIL LIABILITY INSURANCE.

Article 30. Ownership of dogs.
3. In the case of dog ownership and throughout the life of the animal, the owner must take out and keep in force civil liability insurance for damages to third parties, which includes in its coverage the persons responsible for the animal, for an amount of sufficient amount to cover the possible derived expenses, which will be established by regulation

PLEASE NOTE:
✅ The mandatory insurance for dogs from 29/9/2023 is only for third-party liability and not for pet full health insurance which is not required by law.

✅ Many of the Articles/Points have not been fully developed yet, but we advise you not to delay contracting third-party insurance for your pets.

✅ Before reaching out to a provider, check your house insurance, as your pets may already be included.

Learn more about the New Law on Animal Welfare here.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.es/new-law-on-animal-welfare/

10/09/2023

A fun nose work game!

TIPS:
✅ For beginners, hide in plain sight! You can also leave the egg carton open so that more odour escapes and it is easier to find.

✅ If your dog is likely to swallow the pieces of egg carton, you can open the carton for them as soon as they find it, and tip the treats out; or simply hide loose treats.

02/09/2023

The New Animal Welfare Law in Spain will come into force on September 29th, but with more than twenty points that will be impossible to implement as they have not yet been developed through royal decrees.

"El Gobierno sigue en funciones y la Ley animal está a la espera de que los nuevos políticos la desarrollen. El 29 de septiembre entrará en vigor, ya no hay tiempo de derogarla, pero con muchos artículos paralizados que solo han hecho ruido. Seguimos sin Gobierno y la Ley de Protección de los Animales entrará en vigor el día 29 con más de una veintena de puntos que será imposible poner en marcha al no estar desarrollados a través de reales decretos" - Ladridos Revista

Seguimos sin Gobierno y la Ley de Protección de los Animales entrará en vigor el día 29 con más de una veintena de puntos que será imposible poner en marcha al no estar desarrollados a través de reales decretos

26/08/2023

Playful Marley loves to say hello to everyone, other canines and humans alike.

Definitely not the worst of ‘problems’, unless you were holding the other end of the lead and being pulled along the ground as he launched forward; or, indeed, the recipient of his excited greeting!

Thanks to The DogSmith MTR Method, walks are now much more enjoyable, and safer for all!

✅ Management - A change of equipment to a front fastening Perfect Fit harness and a multi-position lead.
✅ Training Skills - Such as how to walk nicely on a loose lead, name response, wait, and how to keep four paws on the floor while greeting.
✅ Relationship Building Games - Lots of ‘focus’ building exercises, using rewards he loves, from minced beef to chicken; tug toys to the toss of a toy; life rewards, such as the opportunity to zoom around, to ‘go sniff’, and to ‘say hello’!

A very big well done to Marley and his ‘Mum’!

25/08/2023

Learn How to Teach “Take it” & “Drop”

Whether it be something accidentally left on the floor that the dog has picked up or perhaps an item carelessly discarded by someone in the street, being able to ask a dog to drop something they are now holding in their mouth, and for them to happily oblige, is an essential skill!

Join Louise Stapleton-Frappell for this skills and knowledge-based presentation in which she will share a fun 7-step training ‘recipe’ that includes all the ‘ingredients’ that are needed to teach a puppy, or even an older dog, to, happily, quickly, and willingly, drop something that they are holding in their mouth, in response to either a visual or a verbal cue.

This is an on demand webinar and is available to watch as soon as you register:

https://petprofessionalguild.com/event-5395487

19/08/2023

DogSmith Behaviour Consultations can help you and your dog learn new skills and set you on the right path to ‘conditioning’ more positive associations, using the DogSmith MTR Method.

✅ Management
✅ Training Skills
✅ Relationship Building Games

DogSmith programmes help you minimise your stress and your dog’s stress. Learn more here: https://dogsmith.com/behavior-consultations/

17/08/2023

The new animal welfare law in Spain.

25/07/2023

Bruno moves into the 'Close' position (next to the handler's left side), and is rewarded with a yummy treat!

Did you know that the more that you 'reward' a behaviour, the stronger the behaviour will become? If you positively reinforce the behaviours that you would like your dog to do more, they will be repeated!

When you see your dog do something that you like, quickly say "yes" and then feed a tasty treat and praise them for a job well done!

19/07/2023

How to Play “Go Round”.

14/07/2023

Be Your Dog’s Advocate!

Here are some ways to say no for your dog:
- "We are training right now”.
- "She needs space."
- "We are working on ignoring people."
- "Not today."

🗣 This quote is one I say to a lot of my clients, but especially the ones who have dogs with stranger danger, anxiety around certain people, or with dogs who don’t like petting from unfamiliar people or petting in general.

🌎 As a society, I think we tend to “feel bad” telling people our dogs need space or that they can’t be pet or touched. Also, people sometimes tend to feel there’s something “wrong” with dogs who won’t just willingly allow complete strangers to come waltzing over to immediately talk to them, touch them, hug them, and gaze at them.

🐕 So if you have a dog who needs some space, I am here to tell you that there is nothing “wrong” with your dog! They just have feelings and boundaries that we need to respect, and help manage and train properly to improve their reactions over time.

🐾 We of course want to help them feel better in these situations that make them uncomfortable, and training can certainly assist with that. But some reactive dogs or dogs who don’t want to be handled by strangers, won’t all of a sudden become social butterflies, if ever. As pet parents, our job is to respect our dog’s boundaries and work with them to make better choices.

🐶 Dogs, like people, are allowed to say no, to not want to stop and hug a stranger, to not want to be gazed at by unfamiliar people or be touched by any random person on the street.

👍🏽 It’s totally ok for your dog to say no, although it should be our goal as their humans to not make them feel like they have to. Tell people no for them - be their advocate!

Here are some ways to say no for your dog:
- “We are training right now. ”
- “She needs space.”
- “We are working on ignoring people.”
- “Not today.”

🚨 Bottom line: speak up for your dog. Don’t be afraid to tell strangers no on behalf of your dog. Remember, your dog is your family and you’ll probably never see Bob from the hardware store ever again. So don’t appease a stranger at the cost of your family member’s feelings or well-being. 💕

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13/07/2023

The Proper Use of Food In Dog Training!

If my dog will not work for food, then how can a positive reinforcement trainer help me train my dog?

Positive reinforcement training isn't about food, it's about whatever your dog likes well enough to want to work to earn it. The reason we use food most often is because,
- most dogs love to eat, and
- food is easy to work with.
But there are many dogs who work for a tossed ball or a tug on a rope.

Read more here:
https://dogsmith.com/the-proper-use-of-food-in-dog-training/

03/07/2023

This gorgeous young boy has a fear of strangers.

He and his human family did brilliantly in their Behaviour Consultation learning new skills and how to ‘condition’ more positive associations, using the DogSmith MTR Method.

✅ Management
✅ Training Skills
✅ Relationship Building Games

It will take time, commitment, love and patience, but they have all made a great start!