Calming Canines

03/02/2024

Social support.

Today I took Ash to a new place. He struggles with new places. We went there last week and he managed less than 5 minutes before wanting to go back to the van where he feels safe. Today he had an hour and a half walking, sniffing and investigating.

What magic did I perform in order to cause such a massive improvement? He was with my other dogs. That's it. Last week I met a friend with her dog and Ash wouldn't have coped with a new place as well as a new dog so he popped out for a wee walk on his own before I walked the others. This week we were alone so he came with his family.

Don't underestimate the value of social support. When we're out walking, Ash rarely interacts with other dogs, including those he knows well and those he lives with. This doesn't mean that those dogs aren't a necessary part of his life and an important factor for his emotional well-being.

I've spent a long time slowly building a small circle of friends for him and even though he hardly acknowledges their existence now he's comfortable with them, he will gravitate towards them for the confidence and sense of safety they provide for him.

04/01/2024

Here we go again 😔

A new series of the dreaded tv show featuring Graeme Hall has just started, so it's time to update my Iist of articles which explain exactly what is so wrong with the methods used (I can't bring myself to call it training) and why they are so harmful.

Canine professionals are appalled that this man receives endorsements and that dog guardians are led to believe that, just because he's on the telly, he is bona fide and qualified (he is not!).

Not only does he appear on the telly, he also takes his "show" into theatres, including my local theatre. On his recent tour, many venues cancelled (at last count it was 24) due to pressure from canine professionals and dog guardians who are absolutely mortified that someone, in this day and age, is allowed to promote outdated, physically and psychologically damaging handling and training methods on tv and in theatres in this way.

Yet, he is still out there, causing harm to dogs.This is a classic example of why we so desperately need regulation in the industry. Anyone can label themselves a trainer or behaviourist, with no fear of legal repercussions, (until someone gets badly hurt), and it stinks.

If anyone is considering buying a ticket to see his “show”, maybe thinking about buying his book, or you perhaps watch him on tv, please read the post below. Be warned, the short video clip is upsetting.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=383448190451133&id=100063578648415&sfnsn=scwspmo

Link to a longer clip, if you can stomach it:
https://fb.watch/c87rGn9_Wf/

If you aren’t yet convinced that this man is a menace to dogs everywhere, please also read the following:

https://www.thecanineconsultants.co.uk/post/tv-dog-trainers-aren-t-magicians?fbclid=IwAR0cPPSp-q2Q1YY9aJaoJsEvZE6HX0csqFg7xkffc6IZHBKsE1p5XdOoy7U

https://www.facebook.com/1659340574339198/posts/3087540054852569/

https://www.facebook.com/118727936181612/posts/756331382421261/

https://www.goodguardianship.com/post/naughty-dog-or-a-dog-in-pain

https://www.canineprinciples.com/blog/dogs-behaving-badly

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=568559395269487&id=100063462942142

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=519019713569357&id=100063839988392

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1868531703337013&id=550766838446846

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1566463597055004&id=406334209734621

https://www.politepawsdogtraining.co.uk/2023/03/01/review-of-graeme-hall-dogs-behaving-very-badly-jax-a-malinois-with-separation-anxiety-season-5-episode-8/?fbclid=IwAR0mXnZPu4sLpH3a32xRttpD-33CRVPntOWIKU0Tnwtu7A7AE25GeX9wFPI

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=588863950065064&id=100068243926722

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=293030710260340&id=100086602389434

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/6vj6yHKZNqzgBk96/

I will continue to update my list of articles - there is no doubt that there will be more as a result of the new series.

Link to one of several ongoing petitions: https://www.change.org/p/channel-5-get-dogs-behaving-very-badly-taken-off-air?fbclid=IwAR2M5JT0M3K2gmPgt1YCPieBn8AoS_iZjHDq0bq-1kQE0GgKB5vvHkNA_OM_aem_AYj5pYXAGcnGSqi9PR4_hVi2gndBDvrRBG_RXCPLCXvG0Yzru44wg5PyWe3CxOs6ywk

PLEASE SIGN!

Trailie Paws For Thought
www.trailiepawsforthought.com

EDIT: Sadly, I have had to remove the images because of possible copyright infringement issues, but there is evidence in abundance if you take a look at the links provided. Instead, here is a rather apt typo for your amusement, from one of very many show cancellations. What a shame. I do hope it was deliberate.

07/11/2023

Following on from yesterday's post, I thought I'd expand on how the recent fireworks may still be affecting your dog.
Take Ash as an example. Ash takes both Pexion and Diazepam to help him with the fireworks, but even with this help he still gets somewhat anxious (nothing like the terrified, shaking, panicked dog he'd be without them though).

It's now been 2 full nights since the majority of the fireworks occurred and he's still opting out of all grooming, is much quicker to go over threshold, still doesn't want to go outside after dark (until at least 2am), is much more sensitive to sudden noises outdoors and quicker to startle than he was before the fireworks.

His nervous system is still on high alert and until it calms and tells his brain that it's safe to relax a bit, he is going to need extra support.

The behaviours he is showing are the only way for him to tell me that he is struggling still. He's not being "naughty" or stubborn". These are the whispers that we all need to learn to hear so that we can support our dogs when they need it.

07/11/2023

By Ashleigh Warner

06/11/2023

Bonfire night may be over but we still have several religious festivals and New Year to endure before the firework season is over.

If you live with a dog who is afraid of fireworks, please give them a few days at a minimum to recover a little. After the fear they have experienced, their nervous system will be telling their bodies to be aware of danger much more frequently right now. They will be more likely to startle at sudden noises and may also begin to generalise their fear to noises similar to fireworks, such as car doors banging.

Some dogs will be too afraid to go outdoors in the dark right now, so if you can, please don't make them. Right now, they need to feel safe and need to know you're keeping them safe.

Some dogs will be less tolerant of things they may have tolerated prior to the fireworks, such as grooming or other dogs. Don't expect too much of your dog in situations that you aren't sure they will be able to handle, just give them safe activities that you know they'll enjoy. Things such as chews, snuffle mats or other calming activities can help soothe their nervous system.

DO comfort your dog if they are afraid, don't let anyone tell you this is wrong and that it'll make things worse - it won't.

DO speak to your vet about medication for the upcoming nights when fireworks are likely - there are lots of safe and effective medications which help thousands of dogs cope every year.

DO NOT rely on them "getting used to them". The most common outcome of letting a dog get on with it in the hope they get used to them is that they actually get worse. Dogs don't understand what is happening, and the fear overrides any logical thought that "I didn't get hurt, therefore I won't worry about them next time".

14/10/2023

There are very, very few people I would trust to walk my dogs, particularly my boys because of their issues. One of the people I would trust is Kinetic K9's for all the reasons outlined below!

When you hire a dog walker, it is so much more than an hour of their time...

Being an ethical dog walker, with the best interests of the dogs at heart, is a SKILLED PROFESSION 💓

Yesterday, we were shocked to hear somebody say that 'dog walking is an unskilled profession' and they should be paid 'minimum wage' 😔

In fact, it's sad to sometimes hear that dog walkers are the 'unsung heroes' of the dog world; this has got to change! We are on a mission to educate all members of the public about the INCREDIBLE job that you do 🦸

Professional, ethical dog walkers are highly skilled; they provide dog owners with an unrivalled service to support them and their best friend ✔️

They have worked relentlessly to become experienced, skilled and have a unique understanding of dogs 🐕💡🧑‍🎓

It's more than just a job, or simply making money; it's more than an hour of their time and we expect dog walkers to be paid their worth. They are working with living breathing creatures, who have thoughts, feelings and desires. There is a responsibility to ensure that they have all of their mental, physical and emotional needs met 🐶💖

It's their passion and their life, as much as it is their profession. They are dedicated and they provide a high quality service 🫡

To trust someone with your dog is an honour. I know I, Helen Motteram, wouldn't trust just anybody with my furry and feathery friends. I want to be sure that they will treat them with the same love and respect that I would, and I expect that to come at a price befitting the sevice 💸

Dog walkers do much more than simply walk dogs and, as above, it's not just an hour of their time. So we please ask dog owners to consider this when hiring a professional.😉👍

Pet Professional Network

'Together we are stronger'

13/10/2023

I haven't posted as much as I'd hoped recently as I'm still learning to manage my condition and have somewhat failed recently. All of my (now very limited) energy has gone into work and my own dogs with any spare being given to studying so that once I'm well enough to work with dogs again I have more knowledge and am more able to help.
That may be further away than I initially thought, which leaves me feeling quite sad.

However, having a chronic illness with no outward signs has given me an insight into how easily we can see a dog who doesn't limp and assume they have no arthritic pain. If other humans can look at me, knowing I have a long term condition and still think I'm as physically capable as I used to be, how many times do we do the same to our dogs?
Since I lost Myrtle a few months ago, Rae is now my oldest dog. She will be 11 in January. I would be very surprised if she hasn't got any arthritic changes but she shows no outward signs of this and many people are surprised when I tell them her age.

The same can be said for dogs who struggle with the world in one way or another. When my dogs are walking with their friends they know well, they look like your typical "dog park dog". People see a group of dogs walking or playing together and assume that their dog, unknown to the others, will be able to run over an join in, after all, the dogs are all getting on well so must be a sociable bunch!

If I don't immediately spot the interloper, usually running at full speed directly at the dogs, it would be met by a flurry of barking, which usually triggers the owner to remark how "nasty" those dogs are!

My two girls are very quick to admonish rude approaches such as this, one of my boys is afraid of dogs he hasn't built a relationship with and my other boy, depending on the dog, may be either terrified by it or over-excited by it. From the outside, they just looked like a mixed group of dogs who could make good playmates for this person's dog.

The point of this slightly rambling post is that we can't make assumptions on how a dog feels, thinks or may react simply by looking at them. We can't assume that a dog that doesn't limp isn't in pain or that a dog who is being sociable with other dogs will be immediate best mates with your dog!

The photo is of Ash with his best mates, two of whom are spaniels which used to be his biggest trigger but with careful, slow introductions, he can be his social self with them :)

25/09/2023

Sadly many owners still believe that if their dog isn't being vocal about their pain, they must not be feeling it.

We know how far this is from the truth

18/09/2023

“ITS OK HE’S FRIENDLY”

When an owner shouts “it’s ok he’s friendly” as their dog is advancing at break neck speed towards your, under control on lead dog, what he’s actually saying is “my dog is totally out of my control and has absolutely no recall because I’m too lazy to train him”.

The “it’s ok he’s friendly” dog owner believes it’s his right to have his friendly dog off lead harassing others no matter where he is and we can safely assume therefore he has no manners himself either!

The “it’s ok he’s friendly” dog owner has no idea about dogs and is too lazy to learn. He doesn’t therefore understand that your dog may be recovering from an operation, may be nervous or anxious, or that you may actually be training your dog! He doesn’t really even care!

The “it’s ok he’s friendly” dog owner is generally looking for your dog or another person’s dog to entertain or wear his dog out so that he doesn’t have to do it himself!

The “it’s ok he’s friendly” dog owner often thinks that you, the owner who is being responsible and keeping their dog on a lead and under control, is actually the problem and that you shouldn’t be walking where his “friendly dog” with no training or recall has the right to run free!

The reality is that the “it’s ok he’s friendly” dog owner is a selfish and ignorant dog owner!

Don’t be an “it’s ok he’s friendly” dog owner.

Take responsibility & Train your dog and be aware of etiquette and other’s needs and rights too.

15/09/2023

Yesterday I had to take my 2 most fearful dogs to the vet. No big illness, just a dodgy toe and a niggling lump. It went pretty well considering neither dog enjoys being touched by strangers, and Ash's lump is in the one place he *really* hates being touched - the inside of his back leg.
Kite went on the table first, rested his head on my shoulder and, whilst very tense, allowed manipulation of his toe. He had numerous bites of garlic sausage whilst this happened and Ash happily licked up all the dropped crumbs.
Then they swapped places and Ash nibbled the sausage whilst Kite ate the dropped crumbs. Ash rested his head on my shoulder whilst the lump was aspirated (not a cyst or abscess, just one to keep an eye on).
Whilst neither of them particularly enjoyed the experience, and part of their apparent cooperative behaviour was due to stress, and the fact that in those kinds of situations, neither dog ever opts for "fight" or "flight" but rather "freeze", they both recovered quickly. 2 years ago it would have taken much longer to recover from.
I've never taught any specific cooperative care behaviours around vet visits, though I do keep meaning to, I've built up enough trust and a solid relationship based on kindness, security and safety, that they know they are safe with me for these minor procedures. Neither dog has ever had to rely on "fight" when afraid as "flight" has always been kept as an option for them and I've helped them make that choice when they were feeling threatened. I've worked hard on making sure the option to leave is always available, whether it's been grooming or an approaching dog, In this instance, "flight" wasn't available as an option but instead of choosing to "fight" (they were muzzled just in case) they opted to "freeze".
It also wasn't a coincidence that both boys were in the appointment. Having the social support of their own species can have a big effect on how a dog feels. Ash is one of those dogs who benefits from that social support and on the (thankfully rare so far) occasions he has to see a vet, he always gets to bring a friend. This has the added bonus that the accompanying dog (usually) gets to experience the vet without having anything done.
The implications of the type of relationship you develop with your dog are far reaching and possibly the most important part of dog guardianship. Had our relationship been based on intimidation, punishment and fear, this vet visit may well have gone very differently.
This is what I base all my work on, teaching people that dogs don't need a "firm hand" or to be punished for getting something wrong. Dogs need to know they are safe. They need to learn that you, as their guardian, will keep them safe, provide comfort when they are afraid and when (as it inevitably does) something happens over which you have no control and they do get scared or hurt, you are there to help them through it and rebuild that small dent made in your relationship.
Rebuilding that dent is my job now following the visit to the vet.

14/09/2023

Little dogs often get a pretty raw deal in comparison to their larger brethren. Often seen as "yappy" or said to have "little dog syndrome", more often than not they're simply picked up and removed from the situation, dragged away, laughed at with comments like "aw, he thinks he's a Rottweiler" or told off/punished. Yet none of this deals with the biggest issue - how the dog feels.
Whilst not always the case, small dogs who bark at every dog and person they see are often doing so because they are afraid. Fewer people seem to seek help with small dogs than they do with larger dogs. Perhaps this is because they're easier to handle or because they can't do as much damage as a large dog? Perhaps if they realised that their dog is afraid, they would be more inclined to ask for help? Perhaps if they knew that they really could change how their dog feels and can help them to lose their fears they'd ask for help?
So, I'm posing the question to everyone out there; why don't guardians of little dogs seek help when their dog is struggling? What would encourage you to seek help with your chihuahua, shih-tzu or other toy breed?

31/08/2023

Thus far, I have hoped that my posts and the posts I share speak for me with regards to my ethics, but it's increasingly clear that one person's idea of ethical training is another's idea of aversive training.

When I work with any dog, including my own dogs, the two most important things I take into consideration are how they feel and how our relationship (or the relationship between dog and guardian) may be affected. This is because having happy, confident dogs who feel safe, and who see me (or their guardian) as a trusted person who will keep them safe, confident and happy is far more important than any behaviour modification or trained behaviour.

👉I will not use pain, fear of consequences, intimidation, relief from added discomfort, startling the dog, or corrections (physical or verbal).👈

There is no place for any of this when working with a sentient being capable of many of the same emotions we humans feel. After all, if a tiger can be trained to willingly hold out a paw for a hypodermic needle to be inserted, why would dogs, who have been bred to be our partners and companions, need such abusive tools?

There are grey areas though, as there are with everything. These grey areas include things such as head collars, martingale collars and slip leads. In the past my sighthound wore a martingale, which I believed was fitted correctly. That was, until we walked past a particular attractive treat stand at an agility show and she pulled so hard to get to it that she became dizzy as the collar restricted her airway. Since then, all my dogs have worn harnesses when walking. None of my own dogs have worn either head collars or walked on a slip lead, even with a restrictor in place.

These grey areas are grey mainly because, in some circumstances such as emergency capture of loose dogs in imminent danger, or in rescue work, things such as slip leads ~can~ be important safety back up equipment. However, as an aid to training, none of these should be used. If used as a method to train a dog to walk to heel or on a loose lead, this equipment moves 100% into the aversive area for me.

30/08/2023

24/08/2023

I wish this was handed out to every new puppy guardian!

22/08/2023

I've had my boy, Ash, since he was 5 1/2 months old. He is now 5 years old and today he was happy to have his whole body groomed in one go for the first time. Yes, it's taken 4 1/2 years for him to reach this point.

There were times when his beautiful coat looked terrible as bits were trimmed in order for him to remain comfortable. He has a long coat which knots very easily and a very thick undercoat which mats quickly so instead of making him endure the combing, I just trimmed away the bits that tangled. He couldn't care less what his coat looks like, just so long as it's comfortable.

He can opt out at any point and today he chose to stay, only asking me to move away from an area twice, which I did. Because it's always his choice to stay or leave.

Helping a dog to change how they feel about something that once terrified them may not necessarily take this long, but it will always take as long as it takes. That might be 6 months or it might be 4 years.

08/07/2023

There's much to be said for allowing dogs to be themselves and not expecting them to be perfect. After all, no human is perfect, either.

17/06/2023

Brilliant video showing how a dog wagging its tail doesn't necessarily mean it is happy.

17/06/2023

For those who want to read the full post but can't be bothered going round the houses to do it, here is the link (and to Hell with algorithms!).

In the UK, we’re having a warm spell right now, with the temperatures hitting 26-27 Celsius most afternoons. This has sparked the usual surge of well-meaning advice for keeping dogs safe in hot weather with many of the posts being shares of older posts without checking the facts are still up to da...

16/06/2023

In the UK, we’re having a warm spell right now, with the temperatures hitting 26-27 Celsius most afternoons. This has sparked the usual surge of well-meaning advice for keeping dogs safe in hot weather with many of the posts being shares of older posts without checking the facts are still up to date.

The piece of misinformation I find the most worrying is the advice to NOT cool the dog down rapidly with immersion in cool water or hosing them with water. This is usually followed with the (now refuted) claim that it sends the body into shock. The most up to date research on humans, horses and dogs has found that rapid cooling is the most effective way to bring body temperature down and active cooling via cold water immersion (1-3°C) is now the standard human treatment.

🥵For dogs, hosing or pouring bottled/tap water (0-15°C) or immersion in a pool or bath or river or pond (whilst supporting head) at 10-15°C is recommended. 🥵

Last year (2022) I recall seeing several “shaming” posts on social media regarding people taking their dogs out when the weather was hot. You know the type; a photo of someone the poster doesn’t know with their dog and the angry caption “I can’t believe someone is out with their dog in xx-degree heat”. Without going into the rights or wrongs of “naming and shaming” people on SM, a stranger seeing a dog from a distance cannot make the call that this is a welfare issue for that particular dog. Each dog is different when it comes to heat tolerance, or lack of, and only a person who knows the dog, its medical history, specific needs and mitigations already in place for that dog can assess whether it is safe or not. There are myriad factors which have a bearing on whether it’s safe for a dog to be walked or not and the actual temperature is not the most important! Have I been walking my dogs? Yes. Yes I have. However, my elderly dog has only gone out at 7.30am as her risk factor is high and ability to cope with heat low. My 7 yr old sheltie has a far lower tolerance of heat than her 10 year old mother does and her son can deal well with it, too. My 5 yr old can also manage well. I do still take precautions, though. I'm lucky to be able to walk from my back gate and be under a stand of mature trees casting dense shade about 50 feet away and there is no hot tarmac to traverse. I don't allow them to run around like loonies and we mostly just sit and chill in the shade. I also bring water and offer it frequently.

This is an excerpt from my latest blog post, but as FB algorithms no longer like external links, you can access the full post along with links and references via my website, the link to that is on my page😃

31/05/2023

The video below shows something I dreamed of with Myrtle for years; walking nicely off lead. I used to see dogs like this and wonder what I was getting wrong and why other people could do it, but I could still barely get Myrtle to recall. I'd compare myself to those other people and think I must be somehow lacking , after all, I'd done everything I could (or so I thought at the time!) to teach her recall but she still stuck the proverbial 2 fingers up at me as she shot off into the distance!
Now look at her! Walking perfectly next to me, checking in, ignoring squirrels, bikes joggers and other dogs! How did I do this? I'd like to say it's because I'm amazing at training dogs, but truth be told, it's simply because she's old. At 15 3/4 years old, she can no longer really see the squirrels, bikes or joggers and even if she could, she's too arthritic to bother chasing them. She can still smell a cat from a great distance, though!
So, if it's got nothing to do with training, what's the point of the post? Well, I spent years looking at other dogs walking nicely off lead, being impeccably behaved, whilst Myrtle was a wild child. I would think "why can't I achieve this?". I imagine others may think the same when they see Myrtle walking off lead whilst their dog is still struggling with big feelings or general exuberance about everything they see.
We're all just at different stages in our training and our lives, so comparing yourself to someone else is pointless as they are not you and you are not them. Enjoy the exuberance and the wildness, warts and all, as one day you might get what you dreamed of. With it comes the distant knell to remind you that time is running out and you wish you'd spent more time doing the things she loved and less time comparing your journey to others.

28/05/2023

In my previous post, I alluded to there being reasons behind sharing how I've been working with Wren. Today I'm going to share that reason, and in it lies a life lesson for us all.
When I'm working with Wren and the squirrels, unless you have a sound understanding of learning theory it doesn't look like much. In fact, to many people it looks like dog is barking at squirrels and woman feeds it. This could be interpreted as rewarding the dog for chasing the squirrels if a person didn't know any better.
I am doing this in a public park where there are many folk who aren't interested in learning theory and just want to walk their dogs. That's fine, not everyone needs to or wants to know why certain things work! When it becomes a problem is when someone sees this training and, without asking for any further information, decides that I don't know what I'm doing.
This would also not be much of an issue (after all, he's not a client and likely never will be) if he kept this opinion to himself. Sadly, he has taken it upon himself to tell anyone who will listen that I don't know what I'm doing. In short, he is attempting to destroy my business and reputation on the basis of a judgement he made without knowing all the facts.
We all make judgements about people every day based on the information we have available, it's just part of being human. 99% of the time, there's no issue with it, but just occasionally there is a situation such as this, where somebody's incorrect judgement of a situation can cause big issues for the person involved.
So, lovely people, today's life lesson is don't make judgements until you have all the relevant information, particularly if you're going to be spreading that judgement around!

13/05/2023

This is Wren. Wren is a 6-year-old sheltie. She looks a bit like a cute lapdog, but don’t be fooled; she has all the same instincts as any other dog. Particularly hunting. From a tiny puppy, she gravitated towards my lurcher on walks and not her mother (who can never put a paw wrong!). That was fine in our previous home as there were few small, furry things where we walked. Then we moved to a house which backs on to a lovely park. The only problem is that this park has more squirrels per square foot than anywhere I’ve ever known. They are everywhere and they aren’t afraid of anything!

On our first few walks Wren was in her element as she raced around chasing the squirrels in the canopy of the trees. When they were on the ground, the squirrels knew just how long to leave it when a dog was running towards them before they had to run up a tree, effectively teasing the dogs! It didn’t take long for Wren to develop a full-blown obsession with the squirrels and before long she was at the point where she was unable to respond to me at all on a walk. If she saw a squirrel, I ceased to exist.

I could have just kept her on lead, but that would have been incredibly frustrating for her (as frustrating as her obsession was for me!). Being able to express normal behaviour is one of Brambell’s 5 freedoms, the basis for all animal welfare, so allowing her to express the natural hunting behaviour, in a way which is safe for both her and the squirrels, became my training focus for her. I employed several strategies, all with the aim to build engagement and focus away from the squirrels, but one strategy I used I am sharing here for reasons which will become clear later!

I started with something called “click the trigger”. This is a very simple exercise where, with a dog who already has an awareness of a clicker or marker word, you mark and reward every time they see the “trigger”, in our case a squirrel. This works very well for things which dogs find exciting. It doesn't take long before the dog begins to look to you automatically upon seeing the exciting thing. For quite a while, Wren couldn’t take her eyes away from the squirrels, so I marked and rewarded whilst she was still looking. This isn’t an issue as the association is still being built between seeing the squirrel and getting a treat. Before long she was looking away from the squirrel to get her treat. I didn’t stop her chasing at this point as that would have built up further frustration and made the squirrels even more exciting. Slowly, she began to spend less time searching the trees and I began to leave a longer distance between us when marking and rewarding, meaning she had to move towards me to get the treat. This was the start of recalling her from the squirrels.

The next phase was calming down her chasing. Initially, she would tear after a squirrel on the ground at first sight, but by slowly reinforcing a different part of the predatory sequence, the stalk, she can now be called away from a squirrel in a tree (mostly!), enjoys slowly stalking as opposed to running full pelt across the park (mostly!) and can enjoy a walk as well as fulfilling her need to hunt, instead of spending the entire time sitting under a tree hoping a squirrel will fall out.