The Mutty Professor

16/01/2025

Mohawk demonstrates what having a little devil on your shoulder telling you to “do it!” looks like. 😈
In this instance, the devil is likely a working cocker spaniel! 😂

His enthusiasm for send aways and searching is awesome, he cannot disembark quickly enough! BUT, we are working on steadiness…

Don’t worry- Amigo gets to go too! Meanwhile…..Kanita is like “go find it yourself!” 😂

14/01/2025

It’s time to come clean…. Ralph’s cute and hopeful little face made me pretend to like the ‘present’ he gave me yesterday!

“Oh my gosh…..an unidentifiable animal with a torn off nose……it’s what I’ve ALWAYS wanted! Thanks little buddy!!”

It’s the thought that counts!

13/01/2025

Are you confident in handling your reactive dog when another dog rushes up to them?

🤔 Do you find yourself trying to wrestle and pull your dog away?

🤔 Do you string / pull / lift your dog upwards by the lead?

🤔 Do you try and stand in the middle to block?

Based on my observations, wrestling /pulling your dog away escalates reactive behaviour- because they're being put at a disadvantage by being pulled off balance. Forcing them away can also increase feelings of frustration.

Pulling /lifting your dog upwards can make them more stressed, because they are not only at a physical disadvantage, but it they are now also less able to see what's going on and it can also hurt them! Especially if on a slip, grot, prong or even on a collar.

If you stand in the middle of your dog and the incoming dog, you could be pulled off balance- should your dog lunge past you. This can put a huge and sudden twist in your body, leading to back or shoulder injuries.

You are also at risk of your dog redirecting onto you for getting in the way, and you are also potentially less able to see what the other dog is up to.

My clients are taught the following:

1️⃣ Walk up the lead.
The shorter the lead, the more control. Get as close to your dog as possible.
For big and strong dogs, take hold of them by their harness unless there’s a risk of redirection onto handler.

2️⃣ Stay on the opposite side of your dog to the other and brace your feet.
You can now see everything that's going on, you are less likely to be pulled over, you are less likely to be bitten.

Your dog is also able to watch and signal at the other dog, which can help keep the other dog at a safe distance but also gives your dog enough control that their anxiety doesn't rocket so high.

3️⃣ Stay calm, only cue your dog if they can respond.
This helps reduce the intensity of such situations, all of my clients observe that their dogs recover much more quickly post reaction for us not getting so stressed.

In some instances, what could be a disaster can even turn into a positive. Sometimes the other dog slows down and stands a short distance away- and if calm enough, our dog can respond positively to that!

Of course, in a true emergency we would likely have to pull away. But any dogs who are a bite risk would be muzzled, so the risk is lowered this way and leaves us to consider the risk of the other dog escalating.

Team Nova have come a long, long way from where she was! They have worked really hard with her training! 💕
We have more work to do, but she has even now got herself a handsome, male dog buddy who she goes off lead with. I'll post a more extensive video of Nova's journey another time.

But for now, let's just appreciate Tony's ninja handling skills. 🥷 🤘💪

Nova has had investigations into her gait prior to my assessment as well as physio. Now she is so much more calm, we can see she is still unstable in her back end and we have recently decided to re-open exploring this.

Please refrain from anti harness and pro aversive tools (slip, grot, prong etc) comments. Nova has already been tried on a grot, advised by a previous professional. It made her worse. The harness is the client's choice.

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Note: the video says he repeatedly gives her cues but it should say he DOESN’T! Brain malfunction due to lack of coffee!!

12/01/2025

The end of a long week can only mean one thing……. falling fast asleep while trying to watch a TV series and using your big dog as a pillow!

As you can see, Amigo is more than happy with any kind of attention. He was out for the count and didn’t move a muscle for the 1.5 hours I was asleep 😆😴

Luckily I woke up just in time for the action packed ending 📺 😂

11/01/2025

🤩 Look at that loose lead! 🤩

Team Frank shows us how it’s done on a session with one of our trainers- Julia!

Look at how relaxed his body language is. Pricked ears, open mouth, relaxed tail, soft eyes and frequently engaging with their handler…..all signs that a dog is enjoying their training! 🥰

When teaching your dog to walk nicely on a lead, consistency is key. Be clear as to what pulling is, and what it is not.

In theory, you should be able to hold the lead with your little finger. The lead should be so loose it has a clear dip in it and your dog’s equipment should sit loosely on their body, as there will be no pressure on the lead.

If you see the metal ring, where the lead clips to, lift upwards and you feel yourself increasing your grip on the lead, these are cues that there is now tension on the lead. If there's tension on the lead then we should stop moving forward and/or recall our dog back into position, as forward movement reinforces pulling on the lead!

🗣️ “They’re not really pulling that much” is too ambiguous for our dogs to understand and succeed at what is a really challenging behaviour for many of them to learn!

It can also be a very tedious behaviour for owners to teach, as most of us want to just get to the where we can let our dog off lead as soon as possible!

However, pulling on the lead can not only cause physical issues in dogs, such as neck injuries, shoulder tension and hind quarter weakness- it can promote undesired behaviours including over reactive behaviour due to contributing to feelings of frustration alongside elevating arousal. If pulling on the lead is uncomfortable or painful for your dog, this may also contribute to behaviour problems.

Long term (or sudden and intense) pulling can also cause many injuries in handlers, such as shoulder and lower back pain. It can also force your pelvis out of line!

If you want your dog to walk nicely on the lead you have to be really clear and consistent in your training.

Employ the help of a qualified positive reinforcement focused professional if you get stuck! The ABTC register has a list of assessed and accredited professionals in the UK.

09/01/2025

Snoot 1 and Snoot 2 of the fox red flavour are Hank and Dexter!

Hank is working through his behaviour and training package with Roz for his reactions towards dogs! He’s a real squealer 😆

On session one, we took Hank out on his own. However, it’s important owners are given coaching on how to implement the training when walking both dogs, as well as ensuring a thorough assessment is undertaken - observing how dogs behave with and without their canine family in tow!

In some instances, dogs have to be walked separately for a while - as it’s not always possible to effectively manage and train a reactive dog along with another in tow, especially at the times they’re both on lead!

In Hank and Dexter’s instance, they showed me they can be safely managed together on walks! Although, it’s important that they both continue to get some 1-2-1 time also.

Hank has aced his sessions so far….his family have really put the work in and whilst progress isn’t linear - it’s certainly heading in the right direction!

Well done team Hank (and Dexter!) 💕

07/01/2025

Waking up to some unexpected snow gave me little choice but to take the gang to our favourite walk in the mendips

💕❄️ 🐺 🦡 💨 🐕 ❄️ 💕

06/01/2025

Frustration is one of the biggest risks of fall out when training dogs using positive reinforcement.

Whilst some feelings of frustration are inevitable - especially when we push criteria (make things a little harder)- too high levels of frustration can be counter productive. They can lead to frustration related outbursts such as barking, jumping, leash ragging, mouthing etc. In some instances, dogs will leave the training session - and who can blame them?

Frequent feelings of frustration while training can taint the training context, causing anticipatory negative stress (anxiety) in the presence of training related cues. High levels of frustration are unpleasant and we should work hard to avoid causing them when training our dogs.

My Spanish rescue dog, Amigo, was a stray dog in Malaga, before spending over a year in the pound. Food is a BIG deal for him! He’s highly motivated to obtain it, and subsequently can get easily frustrated when there are perceived delays in acquiring food rewards.

He’s quite an impulsive individual! Whilst his high levels of motivation for food and toys are great in some aspects, they make him more vulnerable to feeling frustrated.

Overt signs of frustration were once a frequent occurrence on our training sessions. He’s come a long way, teaching me a heck of a lot in the process!

A few things I do to help mitigate risk of frustration are:

✅ A high rate of reward (faster paced training when risk of frustration is high, multiple rewards for one behaviour)

✅ Being careful of not raising criteria (difficulty rating) too quickly.

✅ Being careful with how I move or hold food! Especially in between reps! Amigo overshadows very easily (gets fixated on food and then struggles to process other information). In this video you’ll see how the food is kept close to my body and very still in between reps. Any excess movement of hands holding food (or thought to be holding food) can be a big trigger of frustration for him!

Subsequently, luring with food is tricky for him. It’s something we are still fine tuning.

✅ Not talking too much.
You’ll see how little I say and how calm my voice is. The more animated I am, the more his arousal can increase, which can then interfere with him processing information, making more ‘errors’ and that can then cause him to become more frustrated.

✅ Creating predictable patterns. Finding a rhythm with my movement, cue, marker and reward delivery allows for lots of success which keeps frustration at bay and helps optimise Amigo's learning!

✅ Spotting the body language of stress and arousal (dopamine!) increasing- some of which feature in this video! When dopamine levels elevate as anticipation increases, any dopamine crash (frustration) is more likely going to be greater. (The bigger the rise, the greater the fall).

When I see more movement, a change in his respiration, sneezing, treat snatching etc then I know I need to refine my actions and fast, to help keep the session enjoyable for him.

✅ Not training when they are too hungry! I never withold my dog's meals for training anyway, but for easily frustrated dogs training when hungry is asking for escalation!

✅ Kick starting sessions with super easy behaviours that they are rewarded lots for supports some satiation (which reduces risk of frustration). Amigo always goes second or third out of my dogs on our sessions, which means he's had loads of treats for settling/stationing and subsequently isn't so desperate when it comes to being asked to problem solve that little bit more on a more challenging task.

✅ For some dogs, the food value makes a difference. Generally, I use lower value treats in low distraction situations and high value (meaty treats) in more distracting contexts, such as on walks.

The above should apply to any dog you’re training, but some dogs are more forgiving of our errors than others. Dogs who are more prone to frustration often provide us with a fantastic opportunity to develop more body awareness and refine our training mechanics!

05/01/2025

🤣🤣🤣🤣

"Tell Mum & Dad I'm a good boy"

03/01/2025

03/01/2025

We had a lovely beach walk yesterday with team member Hayley and Otto, as well as catching up with Emily whose back from her travels! 💕

Lucked out with the sunshine after a rainy New Year’s Day! ☀️

02/01/2025

🐿️ SPOTTING THE SIGNS OF PREDATORY BEHAVIOUR IN DOGS 🦌

Here's a video of me managing my three dogs after recalling them off three running deer!

I put Mohawk on lead, because he gets VERY excited by deer scent, and he is very good at tracking scent at speed! I didn't want him to rehearse this, even if I could recall him off it each time.

I was fortunate enough to capture lots of body language that is often a precursor to predatory chasing in dogs in this video.

WHEN TO INTERVENE

As with anything that may escalate towards undesired behaviour, we are always measuring the INTENSITY and DURATION of behaviours and making quick decisions as to whether we should interrupt the behaviour(s) with a cue for an alternative behaviour, such as a recall.
For example, my dogs are often tracking scent on their walks. Low intensity, short duration tracking of scent is fine and very healthy. It's unlikely to lead to the undesired behaviour of chasing wildlife, so I can monitor them closely without recalling.
However, if I see them tracking a scent for too long, or if the tracking is of high intensity (such as in this video) then I need to interrupt that behaviour before the scent trail leads them to something they can chase.

What helps me manage my three dogs in wildlife rich areas are:

🌳 A knowledge of the environment- where are we more likely going to see wildlife or where the environment may cue my dogs to look for wildlife (such as a high vantage point across open spaces).

💨 A knowledge of how scent dispersal is influenced by the environment- including wind direction, trees, bushes, or open spaces and the gradient of terrain.

🐕 Knowledge of body language associated with the different stages of predatory sequence. This includes visual scanning, tracking, air scenting, listening and also signs a dog has reached a decision making point- in this instance, to pursue or not.

🗣️ For the times where there is no prior warning and prey is suddenly detected, leading to a reflexive-like chase (such as in this video), then an emergency recall cue works well. I use a whistle.

AIR SCENTING

The nose is angled upwards and often a subtle 'bopping' type action is observed- where the dog is adjusting the position of the nose to try and catch the scent particles in the air. Air scenting is often a precursor to tracking a scent trail on the ground and for this reason, if I see my dogs spending too long air scenting in one direction (usually standing still or in a slow trot) I will recall them to me.

This is especially relevant when walking up hill and/or downwind (into the wind). The scent from over the brow hill will be carried higher above the ground- so watching my dogs closely helps me know whether any wildlife potentially is uphill and out of my sight.

In my experience, a recall is far more likely going to work when a dog is stationary and air scenting that trotting and air scenting (because they are usually trotting towards the higher intensity of scent).

TRACKING

This is where the nose is to the ground, following a specific scent trail. When the scent is more dispersed, a wide zig-zag / S movement can be observed- which is where the dog moves left-right, establishing where the scent gets weaker (on the edges). The dog then moves in the other direction towards where the scent is stronger, eventually honing in on a specific trail.

The tighter and faster the zig-zagging, the more likely the dog is finding the trail- and once they find it- they can start tracking at speed. Tail carriage varies from dog to dog when tracking, but it's commonly held at half mast and held somewhat loosely (minimal tension).

A recall is far more likely going to work when the dog is not laser-beam focused on the strongest part of the scent trail/track.

In some instances, they hit the centre of the trail quickly. You can often see this where dogs do a sudden change of direction, with their nose close to the ground you will see high intensity (fast and/or focused) movement in one direction. They will then commonly stop suddenly and look- as the scent is likely so strong, they revert to visual searching in case the prey is close by.

VISUAL SCANNING & LISTENING

Often observed with the dog in an upright stance, commonly approaching or entering the opening of space or from a good vantage point (up high). In some instances, done in a fast-trot! The head is carried high, head turns are generally quite sudden and the ears are pricked forward, listening!

Often, while stood still and watching, the tail may slowly lower- something I refer to as 'thinking tail'. It shows they are making a decision and you need to get your recall in quick!

If I see my dog(s) go from relaxed/neutral to grinding to a halt, exhibiting the above before fixating/focusing on one specific point, I will promptly recall them to me before they see something!

THE ENVIRONMENT

A knowledge of the environment and taking the direction of wind into consideration helps me quickly make a decision when observing the body language of my dogs.

Air scenting INTO the wind - recall!
Standing still suddenly and fixating on a point downhill- recall!
Higher intensity tracking where vegetation appears parted/flattened- recall!

ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES

As demonstrated in this video, I sometimes wait for as long as needed for the scent of wildlife to disperse a little, but also for the arousal of my dogs to come down and for their expectations to be shifted away from wildlife and back in my direction.

Utilising a lead when needed is nothing to be ashamed of, but be cautious of following/moving with your dog when they are pulling intensely and are unable to respond to you.

Whether it's in the direction of where a cat or wildlife was spotted, approaching an area with livestock or even if your dog react at other dogs- you can apply the same. Slowing down, giving your dog some time to regulate themselves without nagging them and only proceeding forwards when there is some level of responsiveness from your dog can help prevent them from going completely over threshold.

In some instances, we get a bit stuck - such as in this video. Going a different direction would have extended the walk by a very long way, so I was trapped approaching the scent of the deer.
But slowing down makes the process far more manageable and it makes it less likely Mohawk will remember the opposite of what I want him to!

Once I see that Mohawk is 'back in the room' - I can let him off lead again.

Naturally, the above is only possible if your dog is within your sight on a walk and that you actively pay attention to your dog’s behaviour.

If your dog ranges far on walks, especially for longer durations, then you may be at risk of your dog predating on wildlife (or livestock) without your knowledge.

This passive approach to managing dogs on walks is at risk of jeopardising the current privilege of dogs being allowed off lead in public spaces here in the UK.

31/12/2024

It's a quiet NYE for us. Nick is down with flu and I'm feeling increasingly grotty!

Never one to shy away from hard graft, Mohawk qualified as a Professor of Poorly Family Members overnight, releasing his paper titled 'The Efficacy of Border Collies Treating Man Flu' this morning.

He promptly diagnosed Nick with 'Daddy's Poorly', administering the ground breaking treatment of repeatedly offering his paw to be held and requiring reassurance every time Nick coughs. 😆

It's been a corker of a year, which was certainly due following the barrage of health challenges 2023 and early 2024 presented.

I am so grateful to Nick, my ever-growing team, the vet pros we work alongside, our clients, my colleagues and peers and all of our supporters on here. I get so many messages expressing gratitude and support for my work- which is really appreciated and motivating.

Here's to continuing to be as kind, respectful and humble as possible. To feeling comfortable with imperfections, being empowered by vulnerability, learning lots and laughing more!

Happy New Year you lovely lot! 🥰

30/12/2024

🗣️ Positive reinforcement /force free trainers recommend euthanasia or rehoming all the time!

🗣️ They don’t work with dangerous dogs!

🗣️ They constantly drug dogs!

🗣️ They fail dogs constantly with their advice!

Or do they? 🤔

All is revealed in our end of year anonymised case summary!

💥 19/56 of my cases were bite cases

👨 22/56 of my cases had worked with one or more professionals before

🤒 52/56 of my cases had a medical history of potential relevance to the behaviour problem.

👩‍⚕️ 21/56 of my cases improved to some extent after a health related intervention. The majority were referred back to the vets resulting in diagnosis and/or pain relief or treatment. A minority involved the clients opting to change the diet based on me flagging the dog’s relationship with food as a potential issue.

12/56 additional cases are awaiting tests/examination to investigate concerns (a couple had not seen the vet despite being referred back).

All of these cases still had training/behaviour modification interventions to action regardless of health related concerns.

💊 15/56 are on long lasting, slow acting psychoactive medication. Some of which were on the medication before I assessed them.

🏡 0/56 were rehomed.

😢 1/56 was euthanised, this was initiated by the client but supported by myself.

Stats for the whole team (including my case data) are below - note this is for behaviour cases assessed this year, NOT training 1-2-1s.

172 behaviour cases assessed

4 euthanised- 3 of which had a diagnosed medical condition with a guarded prognosis.

3 rehomed

The number of my team member’s cases with potentially relevant medical issues mirrors the percentage of my own.

Multiple bite cases have been seen by my team too.

The unfortunate reality is that health and behaviour problems are more often than not linked and those who fail to include the dog’s physical wellbeing in their assessment process and modification plan are at risk of failing dogs.

It’s impossible to do this job thoroughly and support clients adequately when annual case numbers are in the hundreds or thousands per professional.

Stopping a behaviour problem doesn’t automatically equate to improved welfare.

If you stigmatise rehoming and behavioural euthanasia - are you a professional your clients will likely approach for support when they are considering these options?

This is undoubtedly an emotive topic for some. Before offering an opposing opinion, please watch the whole video or at the very least watch the last 5 minutes!

I appreciate it’s long, but we can never evolve if we limit our attention to one minute long reels!

29/12/2024

A quick session with the gang working on Kanita’s favourite exercise!

She likes it so much she has random outbursts when it’s the boys’ go! 😂

29/12/2024

This squidgy chocolate delight is Franco, the 10 month old Pocket Bully rescue whose new family sensibly kick started their journey together with a training package, with team member Julia!

Franco enjoyed working on settle, recall and loose lead walking and supported on being calm around other people and dogs!

Isn’t he gorgeous? 💕