BK9 - Dog Training

05/02/2024

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC NEWS…

13/01/2024

An XL Bully Week.
Good progress was seen.

25/12/2023

This really is true…✅

19/12/2023

A calm mind will ensure you make calm decisions.
A relaxed ‘you’ will be calm.
Your state of mind affects your dogs behaviour.


Calm dogs make good decisions.

30/11/2023

Due to the coming legislation changes for XL Bully ‘Type’ dogs, I will be offering a discounted session to every XL Bully ‘Type’ dog owner.
I will help owners and dogs get ready for December.
We will work on muzzles, general obedience, heel work, overall calmness, and much more.
This will help you and your dog feel more relaxed and leave you ready for this transition.
I’m aware owners feel very anxious about this whole debacle, therefore I will help you all as much as possible.

10/11/2023

Keira is our beautiful, strong 13 year old who up until Feb this year, was a perfectly happy and… Skye Balaam needs your support for Get Keira her life back!

27/10/2023

Due to the coming legislation changes for XL Bully ‘Type’ dogs, I will be offering a discounted session to every XL Bully ‘Type’ dog owner.
I will help owners and dogs get ready for December.
We will work on muzzles, general obedience, heel work, overall calmness, and much more.
This will help you and your dog feel more relaxed and leave you ready for this transition.
I’m aware owners feel very anxious about this whole debacle, therefore I will help you all as much as possible.

11/09/2023

I SAW THE FOLLOWING ON MY ‘NEWS’ FEED TODAY:
I could not agree more.

The sentence,
“People won’t train their dogs”, Is the stand out point here.
Responsible dog ownership is not only picking up their poo, but a MASSIVE life long commitment to understanding, loving, caring for, growing with and training your dog. All of which are LIFE LONG !!

THE ARTICLE:
I don’t care if your dog is ‘friendly’ – keep it away from my kids
Perhaps we need licensing for all dog owners
September 11, 2023 6:00 am (Updated September 11, 2023 6:01 am)
I was walking on the beach in the last week of the summer holidays with my children, when a dog came bounding up to us. Dogs aren’t allowed on this beach, but a dog came bounding up nevertheless. It jumped up at my five-year-old, putting its paws on her arms and yapping excitedly into her face. She shrieked, I pushed it away, and she hid behind me, shaking with fear.
From 30 feet away a man, strolling nonchalantly towards us, called, “It’s ok, he’s friendly.” The dog was bouncing around us, sniffing my two-year-old who kept trying to back away from it while I tried to fend it off. The man called the dog. It ignored him. He called it again. The third time, the dog ran to him and they carried on their way. My daughter was sobbing.
This happens weekly. On the beach, in parks, in woods, dogs jump at the kids. The owners, from far away, call, “It’s ok, (s)he’s friendly.”
But, it’s not ok.
My daughter now has a phobia of dogs. If a dog comes remotely near, she screams and hides behind me. She won’t move until the dog is gone. She refuses to visit friends or family who have dogs. I try to be constantly vigilant to get between her and any approaching dogs, but sometimes, as on the beach, they take me by surprise.
“They’re just being friendly,” I’m always told by the owner if I protest. But when you’re less than four feet tall, most dogs on their hind legs are bigger than you. A jumping dog can easily knock you down. Its barking mouth, full of big teeth, is in your face. It’s terrifying.
Dog owners seem deeply resistant to the idea that they should prevent this. When I ask people to stop their dogs jumping at my children, they get angry with me.
One woman told me I shouldn’t take my daughter to the park if she doesn’t like dogs. I asked if she genuinely believed a small child shouldn’t be allowed to visit the playground inside her local park because people won’t train their dogs properly, and she walked away.
I don’t think people would appreciate my children running up and jumping all over them. It’s my responsibility to teach my children to behave respectfully towards other people. If you have a dog, it’s your responsibility to teach them the same. And to clean up after them.
Dog ownership surged in lockdown, and many people admit they didn’t understand what they were getting into. Animal shelters are now full to capacity with dogs needing new homes. One dog was rescued recently after the owner tried to have him euthanised because he occasionally barked. No effort had been made to train him.
As a society, we need to take animal ownership more seriously. Animals are not accessories. They are living beings, deserving proper care. Untrained dogs can also be dangerous. In 2022, 10 people in the UK were killed by dogs. Before we get our hands on anything else potentially dangerous, like a car, we need training and a licence. Perhaps we need licensing for all dog owners.
Before you are permitted to acquire a dog, you must pass a course on caring for and training one. It would stop impulse purchases of dogs destined for rescue centres, and give owners the skills needed to live harmoniously with a dog. If you genuinely love your pet, why wouldn’t you want to be the best owner you can be?
Caring for dogs is not unlike raising children. They’re hard work, they keep you up at night, they need firm boundaries alongside abundant love, and you need to clean up a lot of poo. Dog owners and parents alike would benefit from more practical guidance and support in the early years.
So I’ll stop my kids from licking your face, if you’ll stop your dog from licking theirs.

02/09/2023

20/08/2023

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=621144906666958&id=100063143624546

Those who kill their problem dogs will not dictate to me how I should care for mine.

PLEASE …

Click this link and send the letter … Simple x

https://joinardo.com/mp-letter-to-bva-final-push/

13/06/2023

DOGS DON’T DIE FROM MISSING A WALK.
Heat… Think About It ❗️❗️❗️

12/06/2023

Important for local dog owners/walkers.

https://www.rother.gov.uk/consultations/dog-control-in-2023/?fbclid=IwAR3cf4g9WbUb1VliccpDTHScxBs_EOIzeKZre5zjsoKd0RHx9x1ZfrjK-Ng_aem_th_AcV8y3EoVQgu-7XON_6jt2QTeTvL1wtx_M6ZQfbFuwRi3Dhrv6rIKAkDI6stkbWEfuc

We are consulting on potential changes to where dogs are allowed to go in public open spaces. There are proposals for Bexhill, Camber, Pett, Rye and…

31/05/2023

Think about this.
Leaving a dog in your car, even for just one minute is NOT okay.

17/05/2023

Why on earth is there a proposal, a very real threat to ban this amazing tool.
Should this become law in February 2024 then the amount of damage done to live stock and dogs will be catastrophic.
This is people who ‘think’ an ecollar is something it isn’t.
Far more dogs will end up being euthanised as a result, shelters will become even more over subscribed and those dogs that require to be trained using one will remain at risk of being destroyed.

Haha… if this is someone’s idea of animal welfare, then god help us all.

I’m absolutely disgusted.

14/05/2023

I know other trainers follow this page so this is largely for them but all are welcome to chime in, discuss, educate or be educated as they wish.

I'm trying so hard to remain unpolitical on here regarding the impending remote collar ban but I'm hearing some frankly horrifying things from people who literally feel that a dog is better off dead than being taught that it can't do something anymore and that its problematic behaviour will no longer be accepted.

"The only way all of the wrong answers can survive this long, it's because the people who espouse them have enough power to silence anyone telling the truth." - Susan Bowers, a fellow professional dog trainer and apparently very sensible human being.

And here is that truth in a nutshell:
Condemning a dog to death because you aren't prepared to put down your ego for long enough to admit that your chosen methodology has limitations in this instance is grossly, wildly unethical.
How huge does that ego have to be for you to *demand* that people avoid trainers who have proven highly successful with the thing your clients dog continues to struggle with simply because the new trainer doesn't adhere to your own restrictive (and failing!) techniques?
How huge does it have to be for you to decide that a country-wide ban on a perfectly safe tool needs to be implemented despite that you have absolutely no experience with using them?
How ridiculous is that ego for you to be deciding that a dog dies simply because YOU have not been able to fix it?

We all need to get better at staying in our lanes I think.

Now, behavioural euthanasia is not the devil and has its place.
But killing a dog over a problem behaviour when no one has ever shown it clear boundaries or taught it "no" effectively is beyond the pail and I cannot support that way of thinking.

I'm so, so fed up with hearing the phrase "death before discomfort".
Why are we putting the ability to loudly virtue-signal and shout about how very "force" free we are above *actually* helping people with really difficult dogs?

What do the extreme R+ only trainers think will happen to their cast-off dogs if good, welfare-driven so-called "balanced" training becomes unavailable to them? Where do you think those clients go when you can no longer help them?

Please, please consider those dogs. Because surely helping dogs is the very reason we all do this irrespective of what side of the fence you walk on.

12/05/2023

⚠️⚠️⚠️ STOP THIS BEFORE IT BECOMES LAW⚠️⚠️

The Banning of eCollars from February 2024 in the uk…
What an absolute joke.

Partially driven by the RSPCA, which (correct me if I’m wrong) is supposed to protect ALL animals.

But if this actually becomes a thing and the law doesn’t get blocked, it will harm more animals, not just dogs, than it helps.

In Wales the banning of this wonderful tool is already in place. Since the ban the number of livestock/sheep that have been attacked or killed by dogs has risen exponentially; which in turn means the dog was also destroyed.

It’s obvious that when these tools are used correctly and humanely, they help keep dogs alive, out of rescue centres and living happy lives in their homes.

Please remember, when in an external environment and a dogs ‘primal instinct’ kicks in. When in a state of high arousal/stimulation and the dogs focus needs to be broken is when these tools come into their own. Many ECollars have a half mile range.
The only issue with the Ecollar is when incorrectly used… I mean, kitchen knives haven’t been banned because some sc**te stabbed someone with one.

Correct levels, settings, conditioning and timing is key. Every dog is different, with differing thresholds.

If the Tory government let this law pass, then they are just pandering to a whimsical, idealistic view of the world, and the hypocrisy of these people is unbelievable as the Tory minister, an MP, Therese Coffey of Defra, one of those leading this ban was videoed actually using an eCollar on her own dog(s)!!!

Criminalising dog owners for being responsible and giving their dogs the best life possible is in itself criminal.

Please take time to read the following:

The Evidence For E-Collars 1. The views of vets 16 October 2018 Threatened Ban On E-Collars Sir, As rural vets we note that Michael Gove has decided not to ban the e-collars used to keep pets safe in gardens. However, he still plans to prohibit remote-controlled e-collars. About 300,000…

11/05/2023

Please sign this ✍️

Hold the Met Police criminally accountable for the barbaric killing of two leashed dogs

29/04/2023

I just read an article about a dog in the UK that attacked its owner’s arm and wouldn’t let go until 20 minutes later when the police arrived and had to force the dog off her.

Here’s the catch:

The dog was a shelter dog who was adopted out to this woman.

But the shelter failed to disclose to her that the dog had previously attacked two other women.

I’m all for rescuing dogs.

But I’ve also worked with a lot of behavioral cases who were rescued dogs whose shelter/rescue didn’t disclose the dogs’ issues prior to their adoption.

And I have a big issue with that.

There needs to be accountability.

If a dog has a bite history, then any rescue or shelter taking on that dog needs to pay for it to go through training.

Period.
Because most people can’t afford $6K + in training. And if the rescue’s going to take on the dog, they’re accepting that it comes at a cost. Just like they accept medical cases and pay for surgeries, vetting etc.

Just like shelters and rescues disclose a dog’s medical history, they need to disclose the dog’s behavioral history as well.

The women who got attacked by this bulldog had no idea the dog had a bite history.

The shelter knew though.

It doesn’t matter how big or small the behavior issue is, any potential adopter deserves to know about it.

It saddens (and infuriates) me to read bios on rescue dogs.

Positive
Positive
Positive

No dog is perfect. It’s only fair to be open and honest!

I recently reached out to a rescue about a dog on their website. They described the dog as “great with dogs” and “turn key ready” among other things.

Come to find out, they hadn’t tested the dog around dogs themselves yet. They used the last shelter’s description.

The dog wasn’t turn key ready either. He had separation anxiety and couldn’t be contained in a crate.

Two big problems.

Much less, how’s the dog with kids? Cats? Male dogs? Female dogs? Puppies? New environments? How is the dog’s obedience? Energy level? Drives?

If you want to know what I think should be a part of every dog’s assessment, it’s agility.

One simple obstacle.

(It’s my litmus test for rehab dogs.)

I walk the dog up to the dog walk and ask the dog to go up it, across it, and back down the other side.

The nice dogs, though they might be a little nervous, do it.

(That tells me a lot about them. Trusting. Lacking confidence. But willing to trust the handler.)

The dogs with attitude throw a hissy fit. They balk and scream and flail around on the ground.

And 20, 30, 40 minutes later, panting and exhausted they finally do it a few times without fighting me.

Tells me a lot about them. They’re usually spoiled dogs who’ve never been asked to do anything. What I’m looking for is, did the dog try to bite? Yes or no.

Because the third type of dog is the dog who says “No and if you make me do it, I’ll bite you.” And they’re dead serious.

(If you’re wondering, they get muzzled and I treat them just like any other dog with an attitude.)

And they do as they’re told.

And 40, 50, 60 minutes later, they do it.

Dog 1, the nice dog, can go to anyone and just needs basic obedience and confidence building.

Dog 2 should be put through training to work through his attitude problem first before being adopted out.

And Dog 3, well, that’s a different story. That dog probably shouldn’t be adopted out, or if it is then it HAS to be to the perfect person to fit that dog’s temperament. Those dogs can be nice dogs. And training will help a ton.

It will help with the dog’s mindset.
And get the dog in a better head space.
But it’s not a dog that’s going to do well with kids, or soft handlers, or weak minded individuals.

I fear this American bulldog from the UK story was a #3 dog. And the woman adopting him was just trying to save a dog from being euthanized.

She was paired with the wrong dog.

And she lost her arm. It was completely amputated from the injuries she sustained from being attacked for 20+ minutes. She lost so much blood.

The dog was put down immediately.

And the woman is suing the shelter for 200,000 pounds.

Her life is forever changed.

I don’t blame her one bit for suing.

It’s an eye-opening case.

That shelter was completely in the wrong for not disclosing the two other attacks they knew about.

It was their duty and responsibility.

Photo of Havok
Credit to: John Fisher Photography (WI)

28/04/2023

This is the worst possible outcome of this scenario.
If there’s a problem with eCollars, it is the ignorance of their use and the user.
This is like banning kitchen knives because some teenage scaly stabbed someone with one.
It’s the user, not the tool.
The people driving this ban will be responsible for more harm than good 😡

In a historic moment for animal welfare, we’re welcoming news today that the Government is completely banning the use of remote controlled electric shock collars in England, as of 1 February 2024, following our ten year campaign. To find out more, visit thekennelclub.org.uk/shockcollarsbanned

25/04/2023

On what planet is it acceptable to do this.
This parent needs to give their own head a wobble.
I mean, picking a camera up to record it 🤷🏻‍♂️😱
This situation has got ‘tragedy’ written all over it.

26/03/2023

This short video shows exactly why dog introductions/meetings MUST be managed correctly.

Can you name anything else in the video that isn’t noted?

The more you understand the ‘WHYS’, the more you can help having a balanced dog.

26/03/2023

28/01/2023

Impulse control:
Focus and praise.

20/01/2023

I spend half of my life saying this…
👌🏻

❌ MYTH

One of the most commonly stated reasons to neuter a dog is to reduce aggression. In practice, I have seen it go both ways. I have seen dogs "calm down" after neuter. I have also seen dogs become more reactive and aggressive after neuter.

A study surveyed over 13,000 dog parents with dogs neutered at various ages vs. intact dogs using the Canine Behavioral Assessment Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ). The goal of the study was to determine if neutering affected aggression towards familiar people, strangers, or other dogs.

➖ There was no association between neutering and aggression towards familiar people.
➖ There was a low, but significant, increase in the risk of aggression towards strangers for neutered dogs compared to intact dogs. This data was driven, though, by dogs neutered at 7-12 months of age. That age group showed they were 26% more likely to show aggression with strangers.

Full study link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5834763/

Testosterone is sometimes nicknamed the confidence hormone. It helps with feelings of confidence, ambition, and strength. It also drives mating related behavior like mounting and roaming. These are all considerations when deciding whether a neuter or vasectomy (leaves hormones intact) is the right choice for you.

18/01/2023

Dogs are always super willing to learn and please their clear, confident leader.
Learning at an early stage in life is a game changer.
Put the work in !!!

17/01/2023

Be The Focus…
Surrounded by sheep, still I was the important thing.
Work, Work, work.