Dogs Furever

22/09/2022

08/07/2022

I spend so much time working with people and their reactive or aggressive dogs, learning how to help them and work with them, but I also try to show people with NON reactive dogs learn how they can help them too. I truly believe if we work together as a collaborative society of dog lovers we can help every dog live their best life. Here are some things I try to teach every human and dog team, and I’ve actually found these are good preventative tools too.

1. Stop letting your dog have on leash greetings with other dogs. Even if they are friendly. Teach your dog when they are on leash you are the best thing they can focus on! This will minimize their conditioned excitement every time they see another dog and help them not pull, lunge or move towards a reactive dog who doesn’t want an interaction. Also, the more you do let your dog meet dogs on leash, the more frustrated and aroused your dog can get when they see them and then reactivity can develop. NO leash greetings all around is a much healthier way to teach your dog(s) that the world out there is great but you’re even better to focus on!

2. Silence your dogs tags. I started doing this a few years ago when we started camping. I realized that the jingling of my dogs tags walking was a huge trigger for many of the dogs in their campsite, and as a result, they would bark and scream profanity at my dogs walking. This made their walk stressful too. By minimizing the noise, I’ve greatly improved my dogs walks and I know I’ve also helped a lot of reactive dogs not get triggered for the umpteenth time that day.

3. Work on a bombproof recall. And then work on it some more. And then some more.

4. Only let your dog off leash in places that are allowed. Even if you think no one is there. Even if it’s just for a second. Just. Don’t. Do it. It’s not fair and it sets so many dogs and humans up to fail. Want a place to let your dog run? Look at Sniffspot.com

5. Respect muzzles, give me space vests, and people saying “no” It is super hard to take a reactive dog out in public and have confidence. The more we give space and respect the better these teams will do! Don’t make judgements or stare or insist on saying hello because you hope to be the exception. Just tell them they are doing a great job and keep going.

6. Don’t let your dog stare. This is a BIG one we work on in all our classes. We teach humans how to position their dogs so they don’t stare at other dogs. I work hard on teaching my dogs to not stare at other dogs on leash and you can too. This is more subtle than not leash greeting but it can be just as helpful. Teach your dog to acknowledge there’s a dog there, but then move on, or turn around and not face them. For many reactive dogs there is nothing more triggering than a goofy adolescent dog staring at them across the road. I swear they scream back “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!”

7. Confine and safely manage your dog in the car. Dogs hanging out of windows, barking and lunging in the backseat, or moving back and forth in the car are problematic because 1. It’s not safe and 2. It’s teaching THEM terrible behavior and 3. It’s very stressful for reactive dogs trying to walk down the road. My dogs are crated in the car; or tethered or use a calming cap to reduce their own stress and the stress of dogs that may walk past.

8. Offer to help. Ask the person what you can do to make it easier or help them? More space? Or moving back and forth? Or just continuing on your way. Some people struggle to find others with NON reactive dogs to practice with, so having help makes a big difference. Speak up if you see someone putting them down. Warn someone with an off leash dog that there’s a dog there that needs space. Help them the same at YOU would like it if it was you and your dog.

Reactive dogs are not broken: and they aren’t abnormal either. Reactivity honestly is now becoming more normal than NON reactive dogs, so we have to all work through this together. And it boils down to respect, understanding, courtesy and lots of reward based training.

We can do it gang.

-Helen St. Pierre

27/03/2021

It's OK, my dogs are friendly!

The old adage 'oh it's ok, my dog(s) is/are friendly' is the bane of the life of a behaviourist working with over-reactive dogs. If I have heard this once I've heard this a thousand times!

Let's look at this - you are trotting along with your over-reactive dog, on a lead, front and back clip on, harness you have checked and all good, dog is calm, you and dog are chilled as you have been working with your behaviourist to reduce the 'reactions/explosions' on seeing, passing another dog or dogs. You and your dog have been doing your homework!

Yep, you have this, you had it last week and progress with Fidorina is going so well. Those tiny wins have built up into today's success! Get in!

Then along comes a person with either a dog or group of dogs and there is either no attention to the dogs being off lead - on phone, chatting, daydreaming - or they have failed recallers as dogs. (I know someone that can help with that!).

These dogs see you and Fidorina coming along the path, you are restricted on where to go, however, there would be sufficient room keeping Fidorina's threshold low if they were on lead and walked past (as you have done this for three weeks now and know your metrics). Their ears prick up they start running over and you can feel Fidorina seeing this and starting to do her check-ins 'What do we do Mom/Dad?'. You shout to the wo/man to get their dogs back and on leads as yours can be a bit funny around dogs. Very clear communication I'd say!

Before you have had chance to change direction, the dogs are around your dog, with the wo/man shouting 'IT'S OK MY DOGS ARE FRIENDLY'.

Meanwhile, back in Dog City - Fidorina is getting stressed, you can see that she is not coping well and then one of the dogs that is supposedly friendly, obviously senses the rising anxiety in Fidorina decides to have a pop at her. DefCon 6 ensues with the other owner screaming at you to control YOUR dog. Fidorina can be this wayed' over to the side and is still on the lead. Fidorina retaliated due to the number of dogs and decided to nip back at the dog, coming out with a mouthful of fur (no blood thankfully).

The owner then proceeds to get their dogs on their leads finally, you manage to prevent yourself from balling your eyes out. However, the owner isn't done! You are subjected to a barrage about getting YOUR DOG Fidorina under control. At this point, I think all that training is now burnt! and to prevent a 'monk moment by Jason Latham' I do some deep breathing.

In the past in these situations I used to walk off, now I just give them the facts - well-rehearsed and I wonder why?

*Fact 1 - I inform them of the law - causing harassment and distress or a nuisance is now covered under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
*Fact 2. Your dogs are NOT under control Sir/Madam and therefore are liable if any damage was to occur to my dog but also to your own dogs through your failure to comply with a simple request.
*Fact 3. Your dogs being friendly of which they are not, is not my issue, the issue is MY dog who was on a lead and under control is not good around dogs that are not under control and now I have wasted 4 weeks of work for your failure to comply with a simple request
*Fact 4 - your dogs being friendly is GREAT, truly it is, but does not give you the right to impose your dogs on every dog that they meet.

So, folks, IT'S OK MY DOGS ARE FRIENDLY - is NOT OK....when they approach either a dog that is on a lead. All it takes is MANNERS and COURTESY and RESPECT! Ask the question, have a conversation, perhaps stand a distance and have a chat - help that dog, or it might be that the dog loves to run off, so is on a lead, it may have a health problem so is on a lead - again - all it takes is a chat!

As an owner of an 'over-reactive' dog - please get your dogs on leads when asked - just until I get past!

As a behaviourist when working with a dog that is reactive - please get your dogs on leads when asked - just until I get past!

As a behaviourist when working with clients that are working with their over-reactive dog - what do you need to do....yep you guessed it - please get your dogs on leads when asked until we all get past.

Please don't undo sometimes weeks and even months of training with the excuse that 'IT'S OK, MY DOGS ARE FRIENDLY' as in this situation, I become a professional that is very unfriendly due to the general lack of respect/courtesy and manners of other dog owners.

C'mon people it's hard with these over-reactive dogs - let's help them out with positive experiences, not by subjecting them to over threshold moments through your lack of attention or lack of training input into your own dogs.

The collective fur family can help each other!



©Catherine Phoenix Hallam 27.03.2021
If you need support with your over-reactive dog then please get in touch via WhatsApp on 07813621947 giving a brief outline of your dog and their behaviour and I'll schedule you in for a free 15 minute Discovery Call to make sure I'm the right person for you and you are right for me too :-) and see if my programmes can support you and your dog going forward.

Photo not mine so here's the link :-)
https://i1.wp.com/3lostdogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Canva-Photo-Of-Dog-With-Leash-1.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1

17/03/2021

We need to rethink what pups priorities are to exist in a the modern world.

Your pups people socialisation should ALWAYS be number one.
The obsession to meet hundreds of dogs is just a bizarre concept.
They were born one “a dog” so are pretty damn skilled at it, plus that 8 weeks with their mother and litter mates.......thats learning time folks!
Who usually teaches you the most in life at a tender young age???
MUM!!
We really should be working on our knowledge/understanding of their
personality/breed before chucking them into the puppy pit and attempting to “socialise” them. Not all pups enjoy a bundle, some
Actually really dislike it but

“they will get used to it”
“Let them sort it out”

tends to be the incorrect advice often given.
Also, good luck attempting recall at 20 weeks old when all you’ve done is let them play with other dogs for the last 8 weeks 🥺

Don’t get me wrong, I want my dog to have mates and be able to tolerate others but I kinda want MY dog to enjoy hanging out with ME!!!
I want my dog to be human happy before anything else.
If my dog didn’t like other dogs, yes it’s awkward and can be difficult but it’s nothing compared to the risk of a dog not liking people and possibly biting them coz sadly that might be the time where s**t really hits the fan!!

YES socialise/get them used to dogs but don’t let it be the only thing you think you have to do.

Don’t forget the people, people!!!!

Lee
First Class Dog Training

04/03/2021

Let channel 5 know they are getting it right!

01/02/2021

Next week our podcast will be back for another season!