Well done Lucho! ❤️🐾🐶
#dogtraining #dogwalking #Cheltenham #dachshund #kindness
Success story with Pimpa...
Visiting the local dog café and walking confidently through Cheltenham town!
#dogtraining #dogbehaviour #dogbehaviourist #Cheltenham
Good girl Willow, so much more confident on her walks!
#dogwalking #dogtraining #Cheltenham
It was an absolute pleasure to help get some of the rescue dogs out of their kennels at Simba Rescue Centre in Cyprus...
Many don't get walked for days, some weeks. But most are very human friendly and food motivated.
They rely heavily on volunteers ❤️
Plus we did a 'sniffari' before something that dogs love (like us checking our their daily social media).
It was so nice walking along the dusty paths, investigating some follieage and taking in a bit of sunshine too! 🌞
Helping my friend Gail with Bramble and Willow today 🥰
We had a nice walk around Pittville Park then popped in the Dog Friendly café.
The staff loved them both! 🐾
Hopefully this will make you smile - a wild tortoise in Greece! 🐢
Just plodding around the hotel grounds as I rested and prepared for the Athens marathon.
My heart ♡
Now we've met some domestic free roaming dogs (we think as so affectionate).
Just want to take them home. Kept chasing the cars and lying by the roundabout :(
Clap to support the NHS but what about fireworks and pots and pans?
/// Fireworks scare pets and can kill wildlife, horses and farm animals ///
Live - keeping your pets entertained and stress free during lockdown
// How did Otto become calm and happy around the alpacas??? ///
Here's a secret it's not just training a sit or a down.
HOW IS YOUR DOG FEELING TODAY...
This short video shows how we have built up a positive, calm emotion and response to the alpacas.
Many owners become stressed when their dog barks or lunges on walks - it can be embarrassing and make walks unpleasant.
Instead of trying to teach our dog a sit or down let's really think what's going on behind the behaviour.
What is the motivation?
How is your dog feeling?
What happens before the behaviour?
Can you describe the behaviour?
Is your dog really enjoying the walk?
They are not being naughty - but often as stressed as you, if not more.
We need to take into account the underlying emotions, the thoughts and feelings, rather than simply training.
If you were feeling stressed or anxious everytime a spider creeped into the room - making you sit on a chair in the corner could make you feel trapped or confined.
But say if I gave you a job to do, maybe a quiz or an exercise and I gave you something nice each time the spider entered the room - your mind would not only have an outlet but also this helps create a nice association.
So what about Otto???
With Otto we paired the sight of the alpacas with good stuff - food at a distance and also incorporated some nice sniffs in a relaxing environment.
We kept him moving, not forcing him to 'face his fear' in a confined area. Always giving him an outlet and a job to do.
There was no pressure - starting from a distance and if it became too much we simply stopped.
Things to consider:
- Distance
- Movement
- Weather
- Other animals
- Other people
- Time of day
- What happened prior to the walk
- Duration of session
- Handler's mood
- Otto's general mood
Always take the dog's emotions into account It's not simply about training.
Thanks for reading,
Helen
Pet Behaviourist and Founder of Social Paws, BSc (Hons)
Why did my anxious dog bark today?
Don't be too hard on yourself if your walk or training didn't go as planned.
Helen Motteram BSc (Hons) behaviourist & Tristan Motteram accredited dog trainer. Behavioural support specialising in anxious, nervous dogs.
