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Out Woof Hours

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Chippenham
Out Woof Hours

Out Woof Hours provides overnight boarding, ad-hoc daycare and out of hours care services. Licence # LN/000022609

As amazing a service as day cares provide, they are just that: day care. As day care ends, home life begins, but a dog suffering from separation anxiety can scupper evening and weekend plans before they even take off. Out Woof Hours can provide companionship for dogs during evening hours, enabling you to go to dinner, to that party, to the cinema! without worrying about what destruction, toilet ac

cidents, and noise complaints you will be returning home to. As well as evenings, Out Woof Hours operates over weekends too! As Out Woof Hours comes to you, it can not only benefit dogs with separation anxiety, but all of the other dogs for whom finding care can be difficult: bi***es in season, in-tact males, puppies yet to finish their vaccinations and those that do not mix so well with other dogs. Out Woof Hours cares for your dog in your own home, keeping them in their familiar environment with all of their familiar things.

25/10/2024

4. Being Proactive About Space

The Scenario: Walking my dogs on a path through a field, we saw up ahead a walker with a Golden Retriever on-lead. They saw us, wrapped the dog’s lead around their hand, assumed a stance and braced for our approach! I deviated from the path with my dogs, giving them a wide berth.

The Problem: The fact that they braced and hung on tight showed that they were completely aware that the Golden would do something toward my dogs – whether it was aggressive or overly friendly and just boisterous is irrelevant. Not everybody has experience with reactive dogs so not everybody will think to do what I did and create the space that dog clearly needed.
Somebody without that knowledge might not have thought twice about continuing toward that dog, because it was right on the footpath and logically SURELY nobody would be that passive about impending doom!

When walking a dog that does need space from other dogs (or people, or bicycles, or anything), it is 100% the handler’s responsibility to accommodate that.

The Solution: The handler of the Golden could very simply have moved off the footpath to put some distance between their dog and the approaching dogs. However, given what they did instead, I suspect it might not have been their dog and/or they were substantially lacking in confidence in handling a large dog. The importance of understanding dogs as individuals to know how they might react to any given situation, learning about basic body language, and practicing handling skills cannot be underestimated when dealing with dogs.

24/10/2024

3. Overtaking Dogs on Narrow Paths

The Scenario: I was walking on a narrow footpath with my dogs off-lead ahead of me. Another walker approached from behind without alerting me, overtook me and walked straight through the middle of my dogs with theirs. My adolescent male was instantly on high alert about the incoming dog, was a little over-enthusiastic in checking it out, which prompted that dog to snap hard at him and then bolt, and my dog chased it.

The Problem: Dogs having complete neutrality among the dogs within their group is absolutely no guarantee that they will remain neutral around any other dogs. There is a small chance that nothing would happen, but there is a big chance that something would. That this particular dog snapped and then bolted showed it was not at all confident and was in a hurry to get out of dodge!
It was very unfair of the owner to put their dog (and mine) in that situation.

The Solution: Pick another route and avoid the group altogether. If the route cannot be deviated from then slow the pace so as not to advance upon the group until open space is reached and there is opportunity to give a wide berth. If there is no flexibility to choose an alternative route or slow down a bit, then call out to the walker ahead and ask if it is ok to get by. Had I been alerted and asked, I would have requested just a minute to recall the adolescent male, pop him back on-lead and then make sure we were out of the way before they passed. It's a small courtesy that goes both ways.

23/10/2024

2. Approaching Dogs Lying Down

The Scenario: My dog is off-lead. He spots another dog approaching and lies down. The handler of the other dog continues to march their dog (on-lead) directly toward my dog. My dog panics because he has history with this particular dog not being very nice to him, has a little bark at them, then recalls to me.

The Problem: Dogs that lie down when they see another dog may do so for any of many reasons. Unless you know that dog extremely well or are well versed in canine body language, it can be difficult to know which of those reasons it is! As such, what happens next if you continue to approach that dog can be really difficult to predict.

So why would a dog lie down when it sees another dog?
• A collie or herding breed might be stalking and anticipating a chase
• A worried dog might be panicking and trying to make itself smaller
• An unsure dog might be buying time to observe the approaching dog and decide how to respond based on the other dog’s energy
• A dog lying down in sphinx position might be prepping for launch!
• A launching dog might be keen to play
• A launching dog might be keen to attack
• A launching dog might be keen to make a swift exit

Problem is, you won’t know which until it happens!

The Solution: If whilst on a walk you encounter a dog in your path lying down, on- or off-lead, stop. Do not continue to approach that dog, especially if it happens in a bottleneck like a field gateway or a road junction. Either move sideways around it or, although inconvenient, turn around and backtrack. The dog lying down possibly has conflicted feelings, or even bad intentions, so it is much kinder to your own dog to just avoid it.

22/10/2024

1: Causing Reactivity Through Training

The worst culprit for this is Look At That (LAT) training.

The Scenario: I am walking my dogs on a public footpath, another dog is approaching, the owner of that dog puts them into a sit to begin the LAT training, the dog watches my dogs closely as we pass, my dog kicks off...

The Problem: Waiting too long for the dog to look back to the handler during LAT training conditions that dog to stare down other dogs. While the dog being trained might be sat quietly and not moving, leading the handler to believe the training is a big success, allowing and encouraging (through mistimed reward) the dog to engage in a hard stare directed at passing dogs is a BIG FAIL. A hard stare is very confrontational and is likely to elicit a response, or, a reaction, from the passing dog – in this case, MY dog! A lack of awareness or care from the handler doing the training put me in a difficult position and created a problem for me.

The owner of the LAT training dog might soon begin to wonder why there are so many reactive dogs passing them on their walk and not understand that their own dog is the cause of it. Eventually, the LAT dog’s experience of other dogs is going to tip into a majority negative because every dog it sees reacts at it (because it is staring at them), so the trained behaviour fosters anticipation of being lunged or barked at which in turn creates reactivity.

The Solution: There is NO need to make a dog sit and look at other dogs pass. If anything, that cements in the dog’s mind that other dogs are a really big deal and must be watched when in reality we want them to think the very opposite! Either the dog should be placed in the sit facing the handler, or just keep moving and act like the other dog does not exist.

To use LAT training in a much better context, take the dog to the edge or the outside of a dog park and use dogs that are engaged in other activities so will not be focussed on the looking dog, rather than using single dogs encountered in a rigid, linear approach.
If the dog being used as a stooge is reacting, a bit of consideration goes a long way.

21/10/2024

We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know

Having recently completed my diploma in Canine Behaviour, I reflected on how much I have learnt about dogs in the last couple of years through studying the theory, fostering some tricky dogs, training and having my own dogs with behavioural issues. It really brought home that, knowing what I know now, I know how much I didn’t know then!

Over the past few months there have been a few scenarios encountered on walks that definitely could have been handled better just by applying common sense. But unless other owners have had the same experiences or gone out of their way to learn about these things, it isn’t necessarily common sense to them – if they don’t know, they don’t know.

So I thought this week I would write a mini series about these scenarios (starting tomorrow, because I only have four!): what happened, what the problem was, and how it could be better resolved should an owner find themselves in that position again. The first installment will be exploring how LAT training can cause reactivity. Interesting, huh. See you tomorrow!

26/09/2024

Can your dog do nothing?

Doing nothing is a really important skill for a dog to have but one that is not an obvious inclusion in a training plan.
There is an enormous market for food enrichment toys (Kongs, Lickimats, Toppls) and whilst they definitely have their place and are great in many respects, they can actually be problematic and contribute to behavioural problems. Dogs can get hooked on DOING things, and these enrichment toys can represent just another task for the dog to do. Do not mistake occupation for genuine relaxation!

If your dog is hyperactive or has difficulty settling, instead of throwing them a Kong, start working on teaching a settle (the "sit on the dog" method is a good one to get started (and does not involve actually sitting on any dogs!)).

If you think your dog could benefit from this but do not have the time, get in touch!

20/09/2024

Hands up if you’re using thunder as a training opportunity! 🙋

In the last several weeks there have been maybe four or five thunderstorms here. As tempting as it is to watch the lightning and drama from the warm, dry comfort of a window… Don’t! Get out in it.

Dogs will not eat if they are scared and they will not play if they are scared. If you have a dog that is fearful of random loud booming noises coming from the sky (hello Bonfire Night!), at that first flash of lightning, get outside and play with them! Throw the best treats all over the ground, throw their favourite ball, have a round of tuggy, or just run in circles and be really silly with them. The best time to start training for fireworks is yesterday. The second best time is now 🎆

03/08/2024

The theory of rigid hierarchical pack structure - Alpha, Beta, Omega - in dog packs has long been debunked (by the very man who proposed it) and a few different theories have arisen in its place. One of those is the system of functional characters, of which there are nine.

This video shows Atlas, who would be classed as a Defender, a second in command (2IC), watching two youngsters playing. He is clearly getting agitated watching! This is not aggression and it is not jealousy or FOMO. One job afforded to the 2IC is to maintain order in the pack which includes the role of fun police, so these unruly, rowdy kids are really bothering him. If the gates were not in place, he would be barging in and enforcing a Time Out.

One of these youngsters is saluki whippet Isaac who has come to stay for the weekend. As he is only here for a short time, I have decided not to let Atlas fulfil his role as enforcer but have instead supported his needs by stepping in and bringing the energy level down myself. Peace restored. Everybody happy.

Isaac is no ordinary boarder; he is actually available for adoption! Check out his info here: https://dogsfriends.me.uk/df-dogs/isaac/

26/07/2024

Thought of the day: Don’t punish your dog for not doing something immediately; praise them for doing something eventually.

The story: I had my adolescent boy in the park doing a bit of training (we never go to the dog park for socialising, only ever training) when an off-lead dog abruptly approached mine who was on-lead. The other dog is one I have seen around and about - I *think* it is a rescue and I think the man with it has done a lot of work on this dog. Anyway, dog ambushes mine. The man recognised that mine was on-lead and that the interaction was looking very tense and awkward (posturing, tails up). He asked the dog once to move away. The dog did not. Man approached the dogs, I must say, in quite a dominant, almost menacing kind of manner. The other dog moved away pretty quickly then, which was great for my dog, but I continued to watch the interaction. The man’s demeanour was still quite domineering, and the dog cowered from him. The man scolded the dog and put him on lead. I felt for that dog so badly, so much that I shouted over to him “it’s ok, no harm done!”

The dog was punished for not leaving mine the first time he was asked. I do not know the dog’s background, but for a dog that was potentially under-socialised, under-exposed, I do not know its age, potentially adolescent, that was a very difficult situation for it to actually turn its back on and leave. So when it did, that should have been rewarded with SO much praise! Praise, movement, play, the whole shebang.

Whatever it is that is being trained, if the dog does not do it immediately, there’s a reason: they are distracted, they didn’t understand the instruction, they didn’t hear it properly, they really don’t care about you... If it is because of distraction or that something else was more tempting at the time, when they eventually do it = JACKPOT REWARD! Especially recall, which is where so many people go wrong. I LOVE training recall. There are so many ways to improve it, and it’s not simply “be the shiniest, most fun thing to your dog” because let’s face it, we really can’t compete with fox p**p.

04/07/2024

Anyone relate? 😅🐾🐾

19/06/2024

Young rescue GSP Murphy came to stay with OutWoofHours last week.

Murphy has stayed here a couple of times before and has got along absolutely fine with the resident dogs. They are all gundogs (so not particularly guard-y) and are all dog sociable when out and about. However, that does not mean it is okay to just throw them back in together and expect everything to be fine. Murphy’s owners and I re-introduced the dogs on a walk where they did eventually settle into walking nicely together, but there was enough in the behaviour to make me initiate Plan B!

The boys were kept separated in the house and garden at all times, but they were able to interact through the gates and panels set up. The following photographs show some of their evolving body language, notably Atlas’ tail which is thankfully very easy to read. For the first couple of days, the boys stood head-on at the gates, there was a bit of hard-staring going on, and Atlas’ tail was often stiff and high. Mixing the boys in this state would very likely have resulted in a scrap very quickly.

After a couple of days, Atlas’ tail came down but for a short time there was clear preference to wag to the left, which is thought to signify that a dog is not feeling very comfortable or confident. On Day 4 we finally saw a lower and more gentle tail wag, no more fixation and staring through the gate, playing with the other dogs, and the boys even managed to snooze about 1m apart. At this point the chances of a successful mix were much more in our favour so on Day 5, mix they did.

After a couple of little grumbles, they did amazingly well. The success transferred to the garden and eventually to the house, finishing the 8-day board on a high with all dogs sharing the space nicely over the whole weekend, and the boys even initiating play together. Although it was a slight inconvenience to manage them separately for five days, rushing the integration and having to deal with the aftermath of a dog fight would have been far worse than that!

For boarding, daycare and out of hours care enquiries, get in touch at [email protected]

03/05/2024

🎉I am excited to announce, to all 15 followers of this page, that Out Woof Hours is now fully licenced by Wiltshire Council to home board dogs!🎉

In addition to overnight boarding, I can also offer ad-hoc day care and of course, Out (Wo)of Hours care: by the hour, evenings, weekends, bank holidays etc. Various packages are available depending on specific needs, including for those with separation anxiety. I do unfortunately have a few exclusions for safety reasons (namely very small dogs), but otherwise, please get in touch with your requirements! Intros/on-boarding will begin from mid-May.

This has been a long time coming. I had originally planned to pursue a licence last year, however my situation took a turn for the absolute worst and I lost my young dog very suddenly and unexpectedly. Prince, the little Jack Russell foster my last post was about, was adopted very soon after, so my household rapidly reduced from three dogs to one. The quiet was unbearable! In the last year I have had several more fosters in and out, and have welcomed two more permanent dogs in, so things are back to lively and just the way I like them 🐾🐾

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Videos

The theory of rigid hierarchical pack structure - Alpha, Beta, Omega - in dog packs has long been debunked (by the very man who proposed it) and a few different theories have arisen in its place. One of those is the system of functional characters, of which there are nine. This video shows Atlas, who would be classed as a Defender, a second in command (2IC), watching two youngsters playing. He is clearly getting agitated watching! This is not aggression and it is not jealousy or FOMO. One job afforded to the 2IC is to maintain order in the pack which includes the role of fun police, so these unruly, rowdy kids are really bothering him. If the gates were not in place, he would be barging in and enforcing a Time Out. One of these youngsters is saluki whippet Isaac who has come to stay for the weekend. As he is only here for a short time, I have decided not to let Atlas fulfil his role as enforcer but have instead supported his needs by stepping in and bringing the energy level down myself. Peace restored. Everybody happy. Isaac is no ordinary boarder; he is actually available for adoption! Check out his info here: https://dogsfriends.me.uk/df-dogs/isaac/