Speak Dog

25/08/2024

I am excited to be working in partnership with K9 Confidential Training and Behaviour on this exciting new venture.

We want to do the most we can to get this service right for your dog and for you!

If you could spare a few minutes to fill this out and give us some feedback that would be appreciated 😊

We are excited to announce that we are developing a new series of online courses aimed at empowering dog owners to become their dogs' behaviourists and advocates. We would love to hear your thoughts on a few key aspects to ensure we create the best possible experience for you. We have a few question...

24/08/2024

Giving a dog the confidence to make choices and approach things with optimism is a powerful tool both in learning, processing and relationships.

24/08/2024

Thank you to everyone who joined me for the Learning to Listen Session yesterday evening.

Everyone did so well, and it was a fun and relaxed session with everyone getting involved in the interactive parts and some great answers given and questions at the end.

Hope to see everyone again at some point.

23/08/2024

ITS OBVIOUS!!

I wrote a post recently about avoidance, and a lovely page member commented avoidance was pointed out by a professional and it was embarrassingly obvious.

The last few days one of my dogs hasn't really been eating as enthusiastically as normal.

Now, I'm not saying I'm an over thinker....but I TOTALLY AM...and I started to worry when it came to breakfast time this morning that if they wasn't that keen, something must be quite wrong.

I was serving the food, they have a lot of variety in their bowls, meat, chicken wings or lamb ribs, cottage cheese, blueberries etc when suddenly the penny dropped.

I've been adding a new supplement into their meals, what a plonker, why didn't I think if this before, it was so flipping obvious.

So made this dogs food, minus the supplement and low and behold....they ate the food as normal, think heavenly music and rainbows playing in my head 😅

The obvious isn't always obvious, sometimes it is staring you right in the face but our minds just need a little time or help to see it 🥰

22/08/2024

Sound on.......Funny how I love hearing dogs chow down but human chewing I find quite irritating 😅

Cronchy, yummy moon bones for the dogs.

Chewing has so many benefits, one study showed it lowered dogs pulse rate.

Types of chew matters, hardness, duration, texture etc.

Good for mental wellness, teeth, plus offering variety of food can have benefits for the gut microbiome amongst other things.

Treat boxes are available on our shop page

www.speakdog.co.uk/shop.

21/08/2024

So, firstly aplogies for the crap video footage, but I wanted to show the scenario.

I am working with these two beautiful Rottie x Lab girls.

One of them is a little unsure when out and about and can bark and pull at people.

I was walking down a quiet familiar (to them) location when unusually a lady and a small child was heading towards us.

With nowhere to go, I turned back and headed for this little side path and walked slowly down it allowing them to sniff and mooch about.

The lady and child passed and nothing eventful happened.

You see avoidance may not change the behaviour but can avoid making the association stronger or habit.

Why would I want to carry on in that direction knowing the dog would struggle and react?

Why would I want to put them in a situation where they might worry a little girl and adult?

Why would I want to have to hold on to them as they pull hard.

You see after they had passed we went back to where we were and went on our walk.

I fully understand there are some situations that you just get trapped but that should be a rarety if we're picking the right locations and making the right choices.

A simple brief change in my plan made all the difference to the dog, the people passing ( unbeknownst to them) and to me.

When humans change their behaviours, patterns, thought processes, and expectations, it can have a HUGELY positive impact for our dogs.

Changes aren't just the dogs responsibility 🙂

21/08/2024

My dog is " fine" is one of the common phrases we hear.

They might be, but do you know how to observe and REALLY have the skills to listen and see your dog?

No labels, jargon, or interpretations, this foundation session will open your eyes to our dogs silent communications.

Sessions are minimum an hour, live with me and it's an interactive online session.

We will review images and footage and discuss a simple framework on how to gather information.

Tickets are currently reduced to a bargain price of £17.50!!

Next session date is this Friday ( other session dates are available).

Can you spare an hour of your time to help open up the lines of communication?

To come join us on any of our Learning to Listen Session please visit
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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.

19/08/2024

Would you like to join our small community of ethical dog professionals?

Behaviourists, Nutritionist, Holistic Consent based Groomer, Vet Nurse, highly qualifed Puppy Trainer and more?

Get access to our Insider Group and join our live chats.

This week's talk with Fiona Firth a respected Nutritionist within the dog industry talked about grain free foods, I found it utterly fascinating.

You can watch live and ask question or watch the recordings of these amazing talks with various experts.

The best part is access is just £60 for life at the moment.

Yes, just £60 for life....that's value for money!

The link to join our amazing little community is below!

https://succeedtogether.online/register/speak-dog/

18/08/2024

A quick read about Leads ;)

For many dogs a part their life will need to be spent on a lead, but how much thought do we put into this piece of equipment?I have a breed that has unreliable recall, so they only go off lead in secure areas ( I ensure this happens numerous times a week)The variety of leads we have on offer today i...

17/08/2024

The dog industry is full of people who work in various ways.

There are some where the dogs wellbeing is the focus, there are some where the humans needs are the focus and everything in between.

I want to focus on the professionals today who ethics might align but the service is different.

This video by Woody's Holistic Grooming is a great visual of why just choosing a good groomer isn't the end of the line.

Daniella is a cooperative care groomer, meaning no tables, no straps, no full groom if the dogs struggles, it's consent based and offers dogs choices.

If I am working with a dog who struggles in some way whether that be emotionally or physically then this type of set up has MASSIVE benefits for dogs who have coats that require regular maintenance.

Now, I want to be clear I know many lovely groomers who work in a more traditional grooming set up, who are just as kind and compassionate but it just might not be the right set up for a certain dog.

It's no black mark against what they do or how they work, but sometimes it's just not the right match.

The same goes when your considering any professional.

Yes, kindness and compassion ( and of course a good understanding of their trade) should be at the top of the list, but the journey shouldn't end there.

Is the service the best one for your dog, or has convenience, cost, habit, influence,etc played a part in your decision making?

Finding a reputable, ethical and compassionate professional is the priority BUT then also seeing if the way they work is right for what your DOG needs should be just as important.

You dog has no choice about where you take them, its big responsibility we have, when deciding on the right service for our dogs.

09/08/2024

POLITE NOTICE
We are closed from 1pm today RETURNING 9am Tuesday morning 🥰

08/08/2024

Sharing our lives with a different species of animal is always going to require effort.

Living with someone from the same species ( another human) requires effort so it should be of no surprise that we are starting on a even bigger learning journey when we welcome a dog into our home.

They are not creatures who should just be expected to fit in with our lives, that's very one-sided.

With a HUGE percentage of dog guardians having never attended any kind of educational session or self educated themselves on understanding how dogs communicate, we have to ask ourselves are we being fair in our expectations?

Dogs have adapted their learning skills, they have learnt that humans showing teeth ( smiling) is different from their own species showing teeth.

Studied have shown that when dogs were showed photos of people depicting various emotions, happy, sad, angry, frustrated etc they all responded in the same way, suggesting they could understand various facial expressions.

Dogs work so hard at trying to coexist with humans without us even recognizing this half them time, yet our efforts when it comes to dogs can often be focused on what we want from the relationship.

Learning to simply observe how dogs communicate should be the absolute priority, the first building block, to a solid foundation.

This skill gives us the compassion to learn and consider our dogs feelings in other situations.

Are they OK in they grooming Environment, are they happy playing with that dog, are they feeling nervous, anxious or frustrated with confinement or even learning!

Dogs are communicating with us all the time, we just need to know how to listen.

It's the least we can do and the foundation to any successful relationship....being listened to and heard!

I run regular online group sessions where everyone is welcome.

No labels, no interpretations, no jargon just a simple framework on how to gather your dogs conversations!

It's an hour of your time, AN HOUR, but that hour could make a HUGE difference.

Minimal investment, maximum impact.

Visit www.speakdog.co.uk/events to book your space on a session.

05/08/2024

Are you looking to understand your dogs behaviour?

Do you feel ready to commit to making positive changes?

If you're looking for reputable and compassionate support then we might be the right professional for you.

Veterinary referred behaviour services!

Based in Lincolnshire, supporting people all over the globe!

04/08/2024

DISPLACEMENT SNIFFING!

Did you know sniffing can have different meanings depending on the context?

Yes, some dogs genuinly sniff to get information but sometimes it has a different function.

Sniffing can be a displacement behaviour.
This means a nornal behaviour performed out of context to deal with an emotion.

A dog approaching they don't wish to engage with, when you call them back to put their lead on at the end of a walk or to get in the car. When play gets a little rough or the environment is a little overwhelming.

The behaviur is designed to show disengagment from the situation, for some dogs that could be just stepping outside into the world.

Of course breed plays a big part, scenthounds for example could be much BIGGER sniffers over certain breeds.

If a female dog is in season then scent maybe even more desirable for some dogs at this point in time.

There are many behaviours dog may use out of context as ways of communicating and coping but do you know how to spot them, how to observe?

Come join us this Tuesday 7pm for our LEARNING TO LISTEN SESSION.

It's the first step to opening up the lines of communication between you and the canine world.

No labels, no jargon, just a fun, friendly, interactive session to start you on your communication journey.

Buy your ticket here

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www.speakdog.co.uk/events

03/08/2024

I GENUINLY am that person!

However, what I spend it on matters!

We can be drawn into clever marketing and buying things that are pleasing to the human side of guardianship

Diamante collars, fashion harnesses, dog cologne etc but seem to battle more with notion of paying/investing in a service that doesn't give you anything tangable to hold or look at.

Spending £500 on helping your dogs emotional needs is likely to do more good ( if using a reputable professional) then £500 on asthecially pleasing items or quick fix gadgets.

Im.haopy to continue arguing with myself over buying myself a £12 tshirt, because I try to make sure the priority for the pennies I spend on my dogs are ACTUALLY for the benefit of my dogs.

31/07/2024

Meet Tia

We are just starting our journey together but I wanted to share this.

This is Tia working the Speak Dog activity mat and sniffy mat set.

She works calmly and methodically which has a HUGE amount of benefits for Tia.

Tia's human said they were worth the wait and such great quality.

Handmade here in the UK

Please visit our shop to place your orders at www.speakdog.co.uk

30/07/2024

They only bark initially

This is a statement I hear a lot of the time when in the context of a dog responding to a perceived threat or worry.

Dogs bark in various contexts and for various reasons, but on this post I'm talking about when a dog is feeling concerned.

Example: My dog feels nervous around people they bark and lunge at them but when they approach and come close they stop barking.

This is often viewed as an achievement, success even!!

But in this context, knowing the dog worries, should we believe the dog becoming quite is a sign of coping?

Let's look at this a little more.

Your dog is worried by people when there is some distance between them, why is the scary thing being closer going to make them feel better, would it make you feel better if something you were scared of got closer?

Could the reason be the dog is feeling under so much pressure they go quiet ?

Have you ever been shellshocked where you just didn't know what to say or do, you were gobsmacked as we say!!

Could the pressure of being so close build and end in a bite?

Are we putting the stranger or unfamiliar person in danger and what are the possible reprocussions if the dog does bite for all parties?

It's also common in these situations for dogs to repeat the barking process everytime.
The dog continues to always bark initially when spotting the person or being put in that situation, so what is this achieving in the long term what benefits are being gained?

It's really important to recognise that a quiet dog does not suddenly give us the illusion the dog is coping.

There can be many reasons a dog goes quite in those situations and I would say there are far more LESS desirable reasons than desirable.

Quiet doesn't mean coping, and repeated exposure with such intensity is likely to ingrain the behaviour further and deeper making it much harder to improve in the long run.

Another aspect we need to consider is how our dogs feel about us when we are the ones who keep allowing our dogs to be put in that situation?

Are we showing our dogs we offer safety and they can trust us, or are we the person holding the lead that keeps allowing it to happen?

Your dog will be communicating but that communication maybe silent, through visual communication such as body language and scent ( which we can't see or smell)

It's important that we don't just focus on the shouting and we really understand what quieter whispers could be telling us!

(Note Picture of Rodney and Derek playing bite face)

30/07/2024

Freemove Walking Harnesses

Our Y shaped harnesses are adjustable in 3 places to try and ensure the best for for your dog.

The harnesses does not sit behind your dogs forlimbs which could alter their natural gait and movement.

They don't sit across your dogs chest preventing proper extension of the front legs which in time could lead to compensatory issues.

The back piece can be a colour of your choice.

Harnesses should offer function before fashion, they should fit like a comfy pair of shoes or trainers!

All individually handmade here in the U.K

Visit our shop or drop me a message with any questions you may have 😊

www.speakdog.co.uk

Send a message to learn more

27/07/2024

RELATIONSHIPS!

It's not uncommon for clients to share information with me and feel a bit uncomfortable, embarrassed and sometimes even guilty about how their dog behaves, what might have got the dog to that point, and even how they have responded.

None of us are perfect, none of us get everything right 100% of the time, we're human ( we should remember to grant the same indiscretion to dogs)

Social media plays a huge part in the rose tinted glasses perspectives, and some people get drawn into that.

My personal beliefs and business ethos when it comes to dog guardianship is we should always seek to learn more, to change and adapt if needed, to understand and try to be the best version of a dog guardian we can be.

We may not get it right all the time, but that's the role that be should agree too when we decide to welcome a dog into our lives.

How we view what a healthy relationship between humans and canines is a BIG ONE for me.

This impacts almost EVERTHING, from the dog guardian relationship, to animal husbandry, to what type of professional you work with, environmental factors, gosh the list really does go on and on.

My personal belief and business ethos is that my primary goal is to listen, investigate, and let dogs know they have a voice by ensuring they have agency, they are safe and can build trust, and to ensure they are having all thier needs met, both physically and emotionally.

I often ask myself if you can teach compassion or if some level of it has to be there already.

When harsher methods are used because the end goal is wanted as quickly as possible or that's what's perceived as acceptable!

When what it looks like on social media is what matters the most.

When we have the information but choose not to implement it fully or at all because it requires effort and change on our part.

Healthy relationships are built on being listened too and heard, both giving and taking a little and we can inadvertently take a HUGE amount from our dogs without even realising it.

What's your relationship goals and are they considerate to the needs of both species?

26/07/2024

I've been lucky enough to attend this conference each year and it's well worth the pennies.

I know the market is quite flooded with conferences, so choosing which ones to attend can be tough but Trauma is always a subject on my learning list 😊

Hope to see you there!!

Can't Attend Trauma Conference Live In July? Enjoy 4-Year Recording Access!

We are thrilled to invite your entire team to a groundbreaking online conference dedicated to enhancing our understanding and management of trauma in dogs. Unleashing Insights: Different Ways to Approach Trauma Cases in Dogs offers an unparalleled opportunity for you to gain expert knowledge from leading professionals in the field on how to approach behaviour trauma informed care.

Speakers and Topics:

Daniel Shaw — Exploring the Experience of Trauma from a Dogs Perspective

Dr Holly Tett — Gain a deeper understanding of puppyhood trauma through the lens of the trauma-informed triangle. Learn practical strategies to recognise and address early signs of distress in puppies, setting them on a path to a healthier, happier life.

Clare Grierson — Delve into the poignant story of a Greek Shepherd's emotional journey from Greece to England. Claire's talk will address crucial questions about behavioural assessment and intervention. Discover what it takes to provide these dogs with a sense of understanding, emotional comfort, and fulfilment.

Katie Sipple — When multi dog households devolve into intrahousehold dog aggression (IDA) it can be a terrifying experience for humans and dogs alike. Often just underneath the surface is a deeper history of trauma than the fights themselves. Join me to learn how to apply the principles of Trauma Informed Care to your IDA cases in order to give your clients and their dogs their best chance at healing as a unit.

Sowjanya Vijayanagar - Luna's Journey with Trauma

Shandy Sharma will also be sharing a unique perspectives and case examples of trauma informed care

Secure your live spot today and prepare to be inspired! But you also get access to the recordings for four years!

Secure your ticket to the Online conference for 27th and 28th July 2024 as well as access to the recordings for 4 years if you cannot attend live. All talks are subtitled. https://conference.controlthemeerkat.com/product/unleashing-insights/

PPG – 10 CEUs
CCPDT – 2 Training Knowledge CEUs and 8 Behaviour CEUs
IAABC – 10 Lecture Hours CEUs

24/07/2024

Thank you the Perfect Puppy Company for this. It's sad how normalised it's become and accepted to treat dogs in similar ways!

24/07/2024

Scatter Gun Approach

When our dogs engage in a behaviour that's undesirable to the person it can be upsetting worrying and frustrating.

The end goal varies from person to.person. Some want it " fixed and quick" ,some people want to understand the behaviour so they can make changes themselves, and some people focus is the dogs emotions and their primary focus is helping the dog feel better, sometimes people are caught between all of those scenarios.

We have a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips now, someone told me recently " it's easy you can just Youtube videos 😅)

You can, and with the new added addition of AI coming into the mix, it's understandable that in these times where money isn't rife for most people I can understand people seeing if they can do it themselves cheaper!

However, and you knew there was going to be a however......😊

With some things you can't cut corners, you need to know what your doing is right and safe!

Having a good understanding of what is at the root cause of the behaviour is vital, yes your dog might be barking and lunging at other dogs but why, is it fear and if it is, is there an underlying issue causing that fear such as pain , is it frustration, there are so many variables!

How do you find that out what professionals might you need, Vet, dietician, Myotherapist etc?

Your starting point is vital, environment, choices, stressors etc.The emotion bucket, needs to he at it lowest before you even consider making changes.

Understanding of implementation, when, how, how long, with who, without, timing etc.

Quantifying, what are you basing success on, is it simply if the behaviour stops?

Should you be kinder, should you be tougher?

Sometimes the behaviour just stopping is not a good thing. How are you monitoring it, what information are you gathering, are you missing communication from your dog that suggests this is a good or bad idea for them.

Adaption when something isn't working how do adapt it, how do you know when to stop and when to change tactics completely. How does you dog feel about possible constant changes, is this causing more confusion even?

I always discuss with my clients the process, its not flashy, its actually probably going to be nothing like what they expect, it's slow, methodical and takes time, chucking everything social media has to say at a situation is likely to cause confusion at minumin for the dog, frustration or even anxiety and the same feelings can be applied to the other end of the lead too.

The scatter gun approach of chucking everything that social media or family and friends have to say on the matter is unlikely to help in many situations and can create potentially bigger problems short and long tern.

A reputable, ethical professionals is an investment of both your time and money, but I hope this little insight helps to see the value of a good professional 🥰

Watch this space over the next few weeks for an insider freebie coming your way!

23/07/2024

Floors!

So I have 11 dogs here, they all live inside and yes I like things to be clean and tidy.

The floors are tiled ( this was from the previous owner of the house 2 years ago) which is great for cleaning those muddy paw prints off especially during winter when the floors have little paw prints on just from going in the garden.

My dogs are mix of ages here from 4 to 13 years old.

Now I like my house to look nice, but above anything else I want my dogs to move around without skidding, slipping or using thier nails slightly to try and get grip and traction.

Many people think about mats and rugs as dogs get older and struggle more with their mobility but what about the youngsters.

The fact they might be little whirlwind now with no obvious signs of mobility issues means we should protect that as much as possible, not wait for it to visibly deteriorate.

Walking on slippy floors is also very likely to cause at minumin some muscle tightening which in turn could lead to pain and behavioural changes.

Personally I am keen on not just managing the environment for the oldies but tryng to prevent possible issues for the youngsters.

It's really common to think about these things when they are needed but not think about them as prevention.

Slippy floors means dogs often are contracting muscles, I guess similar to how we would stepping onto an ice rink ( happy to hear advise on this as I'm not qualified in this area)

We all age and we are all likely to need support in our older years but little changes now can have a big impact later on.

Simple changes like mats, rugs and runners, and teaching dogs how to use a ramp now rather than when they desperately need it can make a BIG difference to your dogs living environment 🥰

Yes it might not be as visually pleasing for me but personally my dogs welfare is WAY more important.

Think about the future as well as the now 😊

(Picture is my Kitchen)

22/07/2024

THE TIMES I LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT BALANCE !!

If your toddler pooped in the toilet would you get annoyed?

If a child played with toys would you stop them?

No....why not?

Because they are " normal human behaviours" right, and those human behaviours serve a function, whether that be physically or emotionally, we respect they need human outlets and to practice lifeskills ready for the human world.

So what about dogs?

Dogs can often be restricted so much in just being a dog and even more so, that breed of dog.

It is really common for dogs to be expected to just slot into our lives, sometimes with minimal consideration for what they truely need and want.

It can be easy when we like the aesthetics of a dog to overlook other factors such a breed traits.

Our Dachshunds barking won't be a problem, it can't be that bad, as long as we train her and love her it will be fine!

Our Collie won't bark and lung at cars passing by, we will walk him loads.

The issue is we are already at a disadvantage (or advantage depending on how you look at it), when we have been selectively breeding dogs to heighten specific drives and talents for a long long time!!

Yes the strength of that trait can vary between each individual dog, but should we be shocked and sometimes even disappointed and frustrated when these dogs display those characteristic traits we knew or should know could be a possibility?

This is also relevant to crossbreed dogs although tougher to navigate as you now have to guess what mix of traits you might get from the two breeds.

Let's take the Cockerpoo. Honestly, how many people consider the traits of say a working cocker and poodle(as this is a common scenario)

What happens if you get the less desirable traits from both, emotionally and physically?

Do you even know the traits, many people are shocked to find out the Poodle is a highly intelligent working dog and overlook the energy level of the working cocker because the look was the most desirable aspect.

Now what I will also say is that I have worked with many dogs where the dogs breed has been brought into question when dealing with a behaviour 'issue' and there was another reason.

The working dog that wouldn't settle was not because of breed but pain for example!

Dogs need to be dogs, if they have a strong drive for something they need a healthy outlet, BUT that must be BALANCED with calmer dog like actives and behaviours too, we need to know how to meet our dogs need appropriately.

A dog constantly corkscrewed up is likely to struggle and make your lives together just as challenging ITS ABOUT BALANCE!

If we want a chance to coexist happily with dogs we have to meet in the middle and not expect the dog to just stop being a dog!

I chose my breed with my eyes wide open and still I crave to learn more and be a better human for them.

Its my responsibility to meet thier working needs as sled dogs (who have a strong desire to work) and provide them with thier domestic dog needs at other times.

Dogs need to be dogs, just like children need to be children.

Be educated, be prepared, be invested and be prepared for change!

21/07/2024

Have you seen the cool stuff in our shop?

BIG activity mats, forage mats, FreeMove Harnesses, Longlines, Treat Box's and more items being added soon!

All our products are manufactured and handmade here in the UK!

Please support smaller business products!

www.speakdog.co.uk/shop