Speak Dog

24/11/2024

ITS BACK...GUESS THE BREED

A possible tricky one, it's a breed I personslly really admire....can you guess it?

23/11/2024

Learning takes many forms, and yes we learn in various ways.

Dogs can learn through punishment, but at what cost?

How would we feel about learning to drive under an instructor who punished us everytime we made a mistake?

What do feel about the instructor, what do you feel about driving, do you look forward to your lessons?

Do you think this method would make you a confident driver?

Do you think you would learn faster or would you be stressed about trying to listen to instructions AND avoid making a mistake.

How much information about driving is actually being stored or is avoiding the punishment the bigger priority?

How are you when your not driving, does the stress of avoiding being punished simply stop as long as your not on a driving lesson or does the worry and anticipation cause you behave differently even when your not on a lesson.

METHODS CAN HAVE CONSEQUENCES!!

Learning should feel safe, learning should be something your dog would choose to return to.

RESULTS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AT ANY COST!

22/11/2024

It truly worries me.

I see so much false and inaccurate information out there being shared with such confidence.

I see language being used about a dogs behaviour and supposed motivations that's just so far off the mark but yet given with such conviction it's easy to see why people get duped and sucked in.

It's so sad to constantly see a narrative being given about dogs that is just incorrect, inappropriate and uneducated.

My heart breaks for dogs when we make up a narrative about an animal who in all honesty has a better moral compass than most of these ego's sharing such rubbish.

My people are those who above all else, show compassion, because whilst the dog world keeps advancing with what we know and learn, some do not, some stay stuck in an outdated, narrative.

But, if you genuinely have COMPASSION for your dog, it doesn' t matter what false knowledge you hear, if it doesn't align with your core values for how you want to treat and co exist with your dog then you're already ahead of the game.

21/11/2024

BLACK FRIDAY.....HAVE 10% OFF!

As a thank you for being a Speak Dog follower we would like to offer you 10% off anything in our shop ( excluding treats).

If you want to treat your pooch to a new harness, lead, forage mat, or activity mat for Christmas or simply just for being your buddy then please do visit the page www.speakdog.co.uk/shop

Use Cose SD10 at checkout.

20/11/2024

Do you know what to look for when observing your dogs communications?

Before we interpret behaviours we first need to know what information we should be gathering.

I want to show you conversations instead of labels

Come join us this Sunday for our LEARNING TO LISTEN Live online session

1 hour ( possibly a bit more)
Price just £17.50

Fun, friendly and interactive buy your ticket here
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

www.speakdog.co.uk/events

19/11/2024

A few of the Speak Dog 11 enjoying today's flurry of snow.

Did you get snow, if so, show us your dogs enjoying the white stuff 🤣

19/11/2024

One of the biggest challenges I face as a professional is not necessarily the dogs behaviour, but humans perceptions, beliefs and applications of suggestions.

Let me be clear, this isnt about blame, and nothing frustrates me more than hearing someone being told that not being tougher or a leader to their dogs is what caused the " issue" 🤮

But generally something IS causing the issue, whether that requires medical investigations, expectation or lifestyle changes, the fact is, if you've called in a professional, things have to change as what is happening right now isn't helping or working for you or your dog.

They say you don't know, what you don't know, and I believe this to be absolutely true.

It's OK not to know things, we all call on professionals for their expertise when we need help, however, it is important to work with your professional.

I know that sounds a bit obvious but honestly paying for a professional isn't enough, it's a brave first step but it's the start of your journey.

I'm going to speak personally, the changes and recommendations I make for my clients are based on your dogs starting point of coping.

Each part of the plan I personally design for each dogs individual needs, its designed to keep building safety, success, trust and coping skills, it's designed to investigate all the factors that could be contributing or influencing your dogs behaviour.

However, this plan is less likely to work if only parts of the plan are implemented or it's implemented sporadically, going back to it when the dog had a blip in behaviour for example.

If you pay for an electrician, plumber, etc the expectation is we have an issue, they come, they fix it, job done.

This isnt how Behaviour Support works.

We investigate, we listen, we question, we manage, liase with other professionals, we suggest changes BUT the guardian has to play the biggest part in that journey( with continued support between sessions).

Nothing is guaranteed I'm afraid, I have huge concerns in over confident promises of results as behaviour isnt a magic wand, it isnt A plus B always equals C recipe,, but it does take everybody working together to increase our chances of sucess.

Commitment,Consistency ,Compassion, Change!

17/11/2024

LOOSE LEAD WALKING

If you are trying to teach your dog to walk nicely with you on a lead there are a few things to consider.

1) Is it Training that your dog needs or is your dog struggling due to thier emotions when out and they actually require behavioural support.

2) Is the equipment or approach you are using helping or hindering your dogs education.

3) Walking on a lead is NOT a natural behaviour, our dogs often need leads for safety but being on them can be bloody frustrating.

4) Is the environment you are practicing in setting your dog up for stress or sucess?

5) If you call your dog back when they are pulling and then reward them, are you rewarding walking nicely or a recall?

6) Are you rewarding and reinforcing the lead behaviours you like?

7) Are you and everyone involved in walking your dog being consistent?

8) Most loose lead walking comes along much easier when we prioritise safety, lowering arousal and being someone cool to hang out with when outside.

17/11/2024

"My other dogs didn't behave like this"

" I've had this breed for years and all the others were fine"

I can completely understand how one dog can throw you a massive curveball, why is this one behaving like this when all my others didn't, the issue is with the dog right?

Sometimes, possibly yes.

This dog might have a medical condition your others did not.

This dog might have experienced something the other dogs didn't etc.

This dog just might be the one who speaks out more.

BUT..........

This dog, might be the one to help YOU change.

This dog might be the one that helps you question your current methods, mindset and approach.

This dog might be the one to show you how to advocate and be their voice.

This dog might help you think outside the box when it comes to supporting them.

This dog shouldn't be seen as the problem child, instead they are showing you they don't cope or process some situations well.

This dog needs support, not judgement and comparisons.

This dog can create change, you just need to be ready to receive the lessons these dogs can teach us!

14/11/2024

Switching to a positive 🥰

Do you remember Diesel, I love this boy.

I started working with him because he pulled really hard due to some anxieties about how to process things in the outside world.

He is a strong boy and understandably he was quite hypervigulent when out.

Our walks now involve so much slack lead time it's brilliant ( cats do ruin this currently lol but only briefly)

In just a couple of weeks he learned " touch" and " spin" and as you can see will engage when outside too...winning!!

He is such a superstar, in this video you can see he is relaxed and engaged, not hypervigulent and distracted.

We focused on The Three S's

SPACE
SPEED
SAFETY

No gimmicks, tricks, quick fixes, special equipment etc, just time, trust, consistency.

A huge thank you to Diesel⁩s humans for allowing me the time to walk and work with this handsome " nugget" 🥰

( Poo bag was picked back up after )

14/11/2024

Im sorry to moan!

Due to number of people asking for items to be made ( harnesses leads etc) specific to thier requirements both in size and or colours and then deciding they don't want them, I am afraid we will likely to be discounting products.

We are a small business and this is costing us too much money, as we also get charged stripe fees bith when taking a payment or to give refunds we are massively out of pocket and actually make a loss!!!

A recent order being returned because it's the wrong shade from what they imagined is the nail in the coffin I'm afraid!!

Contact details are on the website and I am always happy to assist with any product questions before customers finalise a purchase.

Small businesses have little chance of surviving when we're experiencing this.

All products are made to the customers requests not batch made in China ready to ship out and make a tidy profit on.

Sad times!

13/11/2024

There can be a fine line between Training and Micromanaging.

Good Training doesn't make a dog feel like it's your way or the highway.

Good Training doesn't focus on getting the result at all costs.

Good Training is about a dog feeling like they are making the right choices and being rewarded for those choices.

Good Training sets a dog up for success!!

All dogs are different, but a dog that has become insecure because they loose or worry about thinking for themselves, making choices, and just being a dog....that isn't training.

Good Training builds confidence, good Training is a 2 way conversation not a one way street.

12/11/2024

SMILE!!!

If I said to you, someone was smiling, our primary thought is often happiness!!

However, we smile when we are nervous, we smile when we are stressed, we smile when we are being sarcastic or frustrated.

A SMILE HAS MANY MEANINGS!

Our dogs display the same variations in thier language.

Sniffing isn't always just about sniffing, it can be used to communicate various emotions or intent.

Scratching, Licking, Tail Wags, the list goes on......its not fair to our dogs to simply interpret a behaviour and place it into one emotional box.

Context matters, it really does!

Knowing how to gather ALL the information when looking at our dogs is vital, the interpretation comes much later down the line.

If you are dedicated to learning more, why not come join one of our regular "Learning to Listen" sessions.

They are online, live with me, interactive, and a great value at just £17.50.

www.speakdog.co.uk/events.

Speak Dog offers veterinary-recommended Behaviour Consultation Support and Puppy Training Packages. We are based in Lincoln but help clients from all over the world.

07/11/2024

Success isn't just reaching an end goal.

The biggest wins are the small steps you snd your dog achieve along the way.

The steps that's often get overlooked, ignored, unrecognized even.

Succees can look like so many things, and it isn't always moving forward or progress.

Success is keeping hold of your dogs trust, success is helping your dog feel safe and heard.

Success is often so many things that we don't celebrate because we've not achieved what WE want.

Change the narrative, don't look for what you haven't achieved but look for all the positives you do, whatever they look like.

06/11/2024

Morning Everyone

Happy mid week hump!

We have our fantastic Learning to Listen Session tonight online 7pm.

If you fancy joining this interactive webinar where together we will discuss a simple no label, no jargon framework for what to look for with dog communication then come take a seat.

The session is an hour
£17.50 a ticket ( bargain)

Tickets can be purchased at www.speakdog.co.uk/events.

It's a really nice friendly, fun session that can really help you see all the little whispers our dogs show us!

I hope to see you there!

Speak Dog offers veterinary-recommended Behaviour Consultation Support and Puppy Training Packages. We are based in Lincoln but help clients from all over the world.

05/11/2024

A SAD STORY

I remember attending a Dog Law Seminar where of course microchips and the legalities came up for discussion.

The story was heartbreaking.

A family had gone on holiday, left their dog with a sitter. The dog escaped, was picked up by someone and taken to the pound, the pound called the number on the microchip but because they were away on holiday they had switched their phones off.

Sadly the story ended badly, after 7 days the dogs was put to sleep 😪

The pound said they had tried calling and left messages, which they had ( I'm not going into the pts of a healthy dog on this post ) and a family came home to these messages and a dog lost its life.

For me, if anyone had care of my dog's my phone would be on and glued to me anyway....I have separation issues when I'm away from them 🫣

But a good suggestion that was made was to add another phone number to your dogs microchip database information.

Someone who isn't likely to ever be away on holiday with you. That's way if heaven forbid your dog gets out or escapes and you can't answer calls, another number can be called and your dog can be collected.

It's a great idea worth sharing so no dog has to lose its life because someone didn't or couldnt pick up a phone.

04/11/2024

Love this by Trick Woofs 🤣

It’s that time of the year again where our dogs provide us with enrichment.