Battle Dog Training

07/07/2024

06/05/2024

1 SPACE HAS BECOME AVAILABLE ON THE PUPPY COURSE

17/01/2024

****NOW FULL****

02/10/2023

*** NOW FULL ***

30/08/2023

*** NOW FULL**

03/08/2023

*** 1 SPACE UNEXPECTEDLY AVAILABLE! ***

03/07/2023

**NOW FULL**

25/05/2023

Spaces still available on 6 week basic obedience course starting Thursday 15th June at 10.30 for dogs over 5 months

30/04/2023

It's finally going to happen at last!

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

15/04/2023

Still a couple of spaces available on the puppy course at 9.30 (basic course at 10.30 is full)

13/03/2023

1 space available on a basic training course for dogs over 5 month starting Thursday 23/3 at 10.30. 07790465184

21/02/2023

*NOW FULL*

03/01/2023

NEW YEAR - NEW KNEE!!
NEXT 6 WEEK PUPPY COURSE STARTS THURSDAY 9th FEBRUARY AT 9.30 a.m.

For more information call

Marianne van Gils
APDT 792, ABTC, KCAI (cd, gcds, ob)

07790465184

Also booking from February 4 week 1-1 puppy/new dog courses
& 1-1 recall, loose lead, lifestyle etc. workshops.

27/09/2022

All classes are now booked until November when I will be closing until February as I'm having a knee replacement. I have some availability in October/November for 1-1 & will be booking for February classes & 1-1 from January. Happy Christmas!!

30/06/2022

** NOW FULL** 6 week basic obedience course starts Thursday 14th July at 10.30 a.m. for dogs over 20 weeks. 01424 774089 **NOW FULL**

09/05/2022

**NOW FULL**2 spaces unexpectedly available on 6 week courses starting Thursday 26th May. Puppy course at 9.30 & basic obedience (over 5 months) at 10.30. 01424 774089.**NOW FULL**

29/04/2022

Next 6 week puppy course starts Thursday 26th May at 9.30 a.m. for pups under 5 months. Couple of spaces left. 01424 774089.

21/04/2022

BRAIN UNDER CONSTRUCTION – DEALING WITH TEENAGE DOGS
Those cute, adorable puppies don’t stay that way for long and soon grow up to be adult dogs. It’s often the stage in between this period that owners find the most frustrating and wonder what on earth has happened to their pup’s lovely personality. Just like people, the stage between childhood and adulthood - those often-dreaded teenage years, can be exasperating. There’s a saying that I’m sure will resonate with many parents who have gone through the teenage years with their off spring - “Parents with teenagers understand why some animals eat their young!” Many dog owners are unaware that dogs also go through a teenage stage and are frustrated and unprepared for the changes this may bring. It’s a sad reality that this is the age that many dogs are surrendered to shelters as their owners no longer “like” the way their dogs behave.
The adolescent dog has to cope with surging hormones and a brain that is reorganizing itself. The most pronounced behavioural changes are usually seen between 6 to 12 months old. Although hormones play a huge part in the change in behaviour, the brain is also going through big changes as it develops and rewires itself. All of these changes may cause dogs to be easily distracted, finding it more difficult to learn and retain information and they may seem to have forgotten everything they’ve been trained to do. They may also begin to develop a need to be more independent and engage in more risk taking or excitement seeking behaviour.
Although this stage may be challenging, remembering that it’s just a phase and “this too shall pass”, makes it easier to cope with. Understanding, awareness, patience and consistency will help you both get through it.

16/02/2022

1 space now available on a 6 week basic training course starting Thursday 3rd March at 10.30 for dogs over 5 months old. 01424 774089 for more details.**NOW FULL**

12/01/2022

I have 1 space suddenly available on a 6 week course starting next Thursday 20th at 10.30 a.m. for dogs over 5 months. Call me 01424 774089 if you're interested. * NOW FULL*

22/12/2021

Punishment reduces behaviour. By definition. No-one who knows anything about behaviour would argue that fact. So why don't I use it when I'm teaching dogs? This is why...

PUNISHMENT LEAVES A VACUUM

Punishment reduces behaviour, it doesn’t build it. And when one behaviour ceases that leaves a vacuum which has to be filled by something else.

All behaviour happens for a reason. However a punishment based approach often doesn’t address that underlying reason which means your dog may seek to meet that need in another, potentially equally unwanted, way. So the dog who is punished for jumping up to get attention may now bark for attention. Or the puppy who is punished for toileting in the house just learns to wait until you are not in sight to toilet.

So while punishment may quickly eradicate one behaviour it doesn’t teach the dog what we’d prefer him TO do instead and we may find ourselves facing another, different, behavioural issue. When one behaviour ceases another aberrant behaviour may pop up, like a game of behavioural Whac-A-Mole.

WHEN PUNISHMENT STOPS, BEHAVIOUR RESURGES

When the threat of punishment recedes the unwanted behaviour may reappear*, especially if the underlying reason for the behaviour hasn’t been addressed. Initial behaviour change may be quick but in order to sustain that change the punishment, or at least the threat of it, must continue.

Think about the times you’ve sworn never to overindulge again when you’re suffering from a raging hangover. How quickly does your resolution fade once you feel better? Or consider why the appearance of a police car in your rear view mirror causes you to slow down but, as soon as it’s gone, you speed up again.

Not only does the punishment need to continue to remain effective, it often also has to escalate too. Your dog can become habituated to the punishment and so, over time, it becomes less effective. What worked last week no longer has the same effect. Which means in order to remain effective the punishment has to increase in intensity and so it goes on…

(* it is possible that a single instance of punishment is enough to suppress a behaviour long term. However, for that one time learning to happen the punishment generally has to be severe )

PUNISHMENT HAS FALLOUT

Punishment doesn’t happen in isolation and if it’s being used to change behaviour it’s important to consider what else might be coming along for the ride.

Punishment runs the risk of damaging your relationship with your dog. Would you trust someone who habitually punishes you? Is that the relationship you want with your dog?
Punishment creates fear and uncertainty. Learners can become hesitant and reluctant to engage with the punisher.
Punishment can become very reinforcing for the punisher. When we punish a dog and it works it becomes very tempting to jump straight to using punishment the next time.
Punishment can generalise to other things. A punished dog may come to associate the pain or discomfort of punishment with other things in the environment. A dog who is corrected each time he barks at the doorbell may come to associate visitors with pain or fear and begin to react accordingly.
Are you prepared to take these risks?

A QUESTION OF ETHICS

Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. And just because something aversive works doesn’t make it ok if there are other, less invasive, options. And when it comes to behaviour change there are almost always other options. In my experience the use of punishment is almost always for the human’s convenience. And, it's my belief, that our convenience should never come at the expense of our dog’s experience.

We all have to decide for ourselves what our ethical position is in relation to punishment but, whatever decision you reach, it should come after conscious thought and consideration of scientific fact, not just acceptance of cultural norms or dogma. Because there are other ways.

© Aileen Stevenson, 2021

References:

1. SG Friedman, What's Wrong With This Picture? Effectiveness is Not Enough, APDT Journal March/April 2010
2. M Sidman, Coercion and Its Fallout (rev ed), 2000
3. G Ziv, The effects of using aversive training methods in dogs - a review, Journal of Veterinary Behavior 19 (2017) 50-60
4. A Catarina Vieira de Castro, D Fuchs, G Munhoz Morello, Stefania Pastur, L de Sousa, AS Olsson, Does training method matter? Evidence for the negative impact of aversive-based methods on companion dog welfare. PLOS ONE, 2020; 15 (12)

21/12/2021

16/12/2021

21/05/2021

We've just posted a new webinar on our website where it will be available for free for the next few days. It's all about rewards and punishments and the common mistakes people make when they try to use them in dog training.

The new webinar gave us LOTS of fodder for some good dog training memes!

Check it out: https://www.dunbaracademy.com/pages/reward-training-webinar-may-2021