JV Dog Behaviour

25/06/2024

You might have bought your pet Labrador, Golden Retriever, Spaniel, or Vizsla with the expectation that they will simply fit into your everyday life like any other breed of dog.

Before they arrived, you might have imagined them sleeping next to you while you work from home, having a leisurely stroll on your daily dog walk, or inviting them to accompany you on trips to the local dog-friendly pub and days out to the beach.

What you’ve got instead is a ball of chaos and energy that struggles to settle anywhere, let alone somewhere exciting like a busy pub.

A hunting machine that pulls you from scent to scent on what has now become known as the daily drag.

A dog you don’t trust off-lead in the local park or countryside because you’re never sure if they will come back when you call them.

Indeed, owners who are uninitiated to a gundog’s way of thinking and naive to their hunting prowess do struggle to teach reliable recall and loose lead walking or heelwork in the presence of distractions such as wildlife and scent.

We all remember the desperate cries of Fenton’s owner as his Labrador failed to recall, choosing to chase deer through Richmond Park instead.

But on top of that, with no outlet for their innate desires to hunt, chase, and retrieve, pet gundogs are more susceptible to developing lasting and damaging behavioural problems.

Sadly, I have seen it all: resource guarding, constant frustration barking, obsessive shadow or tail chasing, destructive chewing, and general over-arousal and over-excitement.

To find out why it is so important for non-working, pet gundog-breeds to do some gundog training head to
https://clickergundog.co.uk/blogs/news/what-is-the-point-of-doing-gundog-training-with-my-pet-dog-if-i-don-t-want-to-take-them-on-a-shoot

If you know someone who has a pet dog that would benefit from participating in gundog training, even if they will never go on a shoot, please consider sharing this post or blog link with them.

📸 Alice Loder Photography

13/06/2024

TOP TIP: get a dog that fits your needs. Sound simple but in reality many prospective dog owners might not realise what that entails. Breed traits, size, exercise needs and cost of care are all factors to consider. A giant breed dog might not suit a retired couple. A German shepherd is likely not a great choice for a first time owner living in a flat. A border collie will be much harder work and prone to more issues to someone living in a city.

Even if you get a puppy they are NOT blank skates, far from it!

31/05/2024

Lovely evening walk with my boys. Nothing out of the ordinary to most people but for us it’s pretty special. Spud coped with exciting country smells, a group of young teens (terrifying!), didn’t lose his mind with excitement in the river and even managed a decent ‘leave’ with some tasty horse p**p!

19/05/2024

It might sound strange, but to most behaviourists s a growl is a good thing! If a dog does not feel safe they need to be able to tell us and usually will do so without biting IF we listen to what they are saying through their body language and vocalisations.

Dogs that bite are either so stressed or afraid that they are not able to react with reason OR have learnt that no other form of communications is effective to keep themselves safe.

- manage the environment to help your dog feel safe
- be proactive if you see signs of stress
- remove them from situations if they are not coping (create distance from triggers!)

16/05/2024

This pair of troublemakers enjoyed another trip to a rather busy Harlaw reservoir. Spud the sprocker can find it very hard to stay calm when beside water and due to his fearful nature he’s on lead around dogs and people which makes walks tricky! We managed well though and even got our first podium pic 🏆

26/03/2024

Behaviour meds can be life changing and sometimes necessary to be able to start on behaviour modification (emotion training).

26/02/2024

All walks are sniffari walks for us 🐶🐶

Shake it…shake it off…

A recent study by two researchers in France looked at sniffing, pulse rate, and leash length on walks. Sixty-one dogs were taken on three separate walks, five minutes each walk, once with a 1.5m leash, once with a 5m leash, and once without a leash at all (walk order was randomized for each dog). Off-leash dogs sniffed the most, more than 3x as long as the dogs on short leashes. Dogs on long leashes spent nearly as much time as unleashed dogs sniffing, almost 3x as long as dogs on short leashes.

This study also found that sniffing resulted in lowered pulse rates, and the more intensely they sniffed, the more their pulse rates lowered. Pulse rate was also lowered when dogs “shook off” during walks on all leash lengths. The “shake off” behavior was often seen when the dog’s pulse rate was particularly high.

Read more about it below!

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HX77kp2HBDiTxmq/?mibextid=Le6z7H

https://www.tuftsyourdog.com/everydaydogcare/giving-your-dog-time-to-sniff-on-walks-will-literally-soothe-his-heart/

What else can we learn about dogs from their walking behavior? Take your best friend on a Sniffari and see what you observe!

25/02/2024

This really is such a common issue. One of my own dogs had chronic ear issues for years before I adopted him and he still hates getting his harness on simply because it goes near his ears.

He knows he gets a little yummy treat now to help him have a nicer association with it going on. Plus it’s also a distraction too. Win win for both of us.

Ear infections are a common struggle for pet dogs.

Signs may include a slightly dirty ear, head shaking, holding one ear lower than the other, head tilting, scratching, and wincing.

In many behaviour cases where dogs become sensitive to touch, putting on equipment like harnesses, or showing reactivity towards other dogs, past ear problems have been identified.

It's difficult to gauge the level of discomfort for each dog as it varies. Even during veterinary exams, many dogs may be tense or overwhelmed with fear and mask their discomfort well, especially working breeds or bull breeds bred for endurance and resilience, which may not show typical signs of discomfort.

Dogs can start associating pain with specific triggers, such as being approached and patted on the head, wearing a harness that goes over the head, or encountering a particular dog in the park.

If you've experienced the frustration, discomfort, or pain of an ear infection and other common symptoms like nausea and dizziness, it’s worth being more mindful with your dog.

Avoid head rubbing and opt for under-chin or chest strokes, but watch the body language as this can be too much, as the skin is all connected. Keep interactions to one-hand soft, gentle strokes, ensuring the dog has the choice to move away. Make visitors aware to avoid touching the dog’s head and ideally take a hands-off approach altogether.

Choose a neck clip harness instead of one that goes over the head, particularly for breeds or dogs that constantly have problems. Be cautious during interactions with other dogs; they do not need to interact all the time, observing from afar is absolutely fine.

For dogs having constant problems, it’s worth looking at gut health and their diet. Imbalances in gut bacteria can lead to systemic inflammation and a weakened immune system.

03/11/2023

Dogs behave the way they do for many reasons. They do NOT do things deliberately to be stubborn or ‘naughty’, nor do they aim to assert control. Outdated mythologies and training methods have detrimental effects on well-being and strain the relationship between a dog and their caregiver.

🧬A dog's breed and genetic makeup can play a significant role in determining certain behavioural traits. Dogs have genetic predispositions and breed-specific tendencies that contribute to their behaviour.
Some breeds are predisposed to specific behaviours, such as herding, hunting, or guarding.

The environment in which a dog is raised and lives can profoundly impact their behaviour. Early socialisation, which involves exposing a puppy to a wide range of people, animals, and environments during their critical developmental period, is crucial for building confidence and shaping a dog's social behaviour to reduce fear or aggression.

Overstimulation can cause all kinds of unwanted behaviours as it overwhelms their senses and can lead to hyperactivity or erratic responses. For example, if a dog is exposed to loud noises, multiple people, and various stimuli all at once, or on a daily basis, they might exhibit excessive excitable behaviour, poor impulse control, become agitated and exhibit behaviours like jumping, barking, or pulling on the leash, as their senses are overwhelmed by the excessive input.

Previous experiences and learning consequences can influence a dog's behaviour. Traumatic experiences, in particular, can lead to fear, anxiety, or aggression.

How a dog is trained and educated by their caregiver or handler can significantly affect their behaviour. Consistent, positive reinforcement-based training can lead to desired behaviours, while harsh or inconsistent methods can result in confusion or fear.

A dog's health, including their physical and mental well-being, can influence their behaviour. Illness, pain, or discomfort can lead to changes in behaviour.

A dog's emotional state, including fear, anxiety, and excitement, can affect their behaviour. For example, a fearful dog may display unpredictable defensive reactive behaviours or might avoid any encounters and run away trying to hide. While a confident dog may exhibit playfulness and a relaxed demeanour.

A dog can become frustrated and destructive if their mental and physical needs are not met. This dog, full of pent-up energy and boredom, may become frustrated and exhibit poor impulse control. In their frustration, they might resort to destructive behaviours, such as chewing furniture, digging up the garden, or incessant barking. This destructive behaviour is often an expression of their frustration and an attempt to alleviate their built-up energy and mental stress.

The type of diet a dog receives can significantly influence their behaviour, with high-quality nutrition promoting better energy levels, mood, and overall well-being, while poor diet choices can lead to issues like irritability, hyperactivity, or digestive problems.

As dogs age, they may experience canine cognitive decline, which can manifest as changes in memory, learning, and behaviour. This condition can lead to increased confusion, disorientation, and altered social interactions in older dogs.

It is really important to understand that each dog is unique, and their behaviour can vary widely, even within the same breed. Dogs use body language, vocalizations, and other forms of communication to express their needs, emotions, and intentions. Understanding a dog's communication cues is essential for interpreting their behaviour.

02/11/2023

This might not look like much but it’s actually big progress! I’ve been working on calm behavior in the kitchen at home and Dobby the working cocker finds it very hard to settle here but yesterday he managed it with no prompting.

Long term changes take time and usually the training looks very dull…. But it works 💪🏻

23/10/2023

I spent last Saturday with one of my favourite people in the dog training industry, the amazing Grisha Stewart. She came all the way from the US for a lead skills workshop to help reactive dogs, excited dogs and strong dogs. Love learning a new way to help dogs but this one is also great for us owners with sore arms/knees/legs from strong dogs!

18/10/2023

Distracting your reactive dog DOES NOT always work. Redirection is NOT the solution. It's part of it but much more is needed to stop your dog from barking, growling, and lunging…

Here’s why:

You do not want to have to lure your dog away with treats every single time you pass another dog or person, am I right?

Training that relies on distraction methods alone is prone to fail one day - because real life does not work like that and we as owners are not perfect and will not always see the trigger before our dog does.

So what works?

Positive reinforcement? Yes and no.

Definitely NOT punishment, aversives like shock collars or thin slip leads, balanced methods, or alpha dog training.

What you want to use is a CER: conditioned emotional response. Just like you have a response to certain triggers (for example if I say 'spider' to someone with a fear of spiders they will likely do something like screw their face up, step away or even jump. This is all involuntary as they have a negative conditioned response to spiders.

When your dog reacts to a trigger, it’s too late. That negative response has already happened and they are in fight or flight mode or what we call over threshold. We need to change that negative CER to a positive one but this can only happen BEFORE your dog goes over-threshold and into that stressed reactive zone.

If you set up your dog training smartly, you CAN train your dog to NOT react to his trigger in the first place.

Start with some basic management of the environment (which does include some very useful distraction methods) and then step-by-step (we recommend 10 -20 minutes a day), we work on creating a positive CER and you’ll eventually get to a point where your dog doesn’t react to his triggers anymore!

Helping reactive dogs is my FAVOURITE part of being a behaviourist. You can make incredible changes in not that much time as long as you follow the plan and put just a little bit of effort in.

My reactive dog package is amazing value for money and includes over 5 hours of 1-2-1 time with me to ensure you become a pro at helping your own dog.

www.edinburghcaninecoaching.co.uk

18/10/2023

Does your dog bark a lot? If so, you are not alone! Cocker spaniels, Dachshunds, German shepherds and many terriers are some of the more vocal breeds out there and I deal with excessive barking a LOT in my day job at Dogs Trust on the behaviour helpline. It's one of those things that can be really frustrating for us as quite often the usual advice simply has no effect at all.

There are various reasons dogs bark. It can be fear, excitement, attention seeking, loneliness, frustration or territorial barking. Most of the time it's a perfectly normal part of being a dog but sometimes gets a bit excessive. If it is part of an underlying issue based in fear or anxiety then we really want to work on resolving that.

Barking Facts:

- Barking is self rewarding - simply the act of repeatedly making noise creates adrenalin and dogs can be adrenalin junkies just as much as us humans! So it may seem as though your dog has no reason to keep barking but it becomes a habit that is rewarded internally and addictive.

- The more a dog barks the more likely they are to be triggered into barking at other times. They stay in an over-stimulated state almost 24/7 due to adrenalin and the cycle persists.

- Teaching a quiet/speak rarely ever works - in fact it often makes things worse.

- Don't tell your dog off for barking. You may already have done but does it ever work? Do you have to keep getting angrier or louder for them to pay attention? This method simply ends up with you being grumpy and no closer to a long term solution. Some dogs will respond well to a general shoosh but for very vocal dogs this is rare. Plus sometimes if we 'join in' with the noise it makes them worse!

So what can you do?

- Work out why they are barking and if related to fear or a separation anxiety type issue then seek help for that instead, the barking is only a symptom.

- Attention seeking barking: do not reward the barking by looking at your dog, speaking to them (even negatively) or touching them. The more you disengage from them the more they will learn that barking gets them nada. However, many cockers get very frustrated by this and will keep barking as it is also self rewarding as mentioned before. So absolutely disengage from them but consider what else you can do. Are they bored? In which case you can redirect them and give them a toy/chew/run in the garden/walk. Are they over-tired? Then help them settle by popping a chew in a cosy bed or in their crate and gently enforce some down time.

- Barking out the window - this is a super common one and the easiest solution is to simply cover the area they are seeing out of. Closing your blinds or curtains may be an option but long term isn't feasible 24/7. Window film is really affordable and often only needs put on the lower part of a window to block the view. it stops the habit continuing as it stops the bark - excitement - adrenalin - person/thing goes away cycle. Especially if they are left home alone a lot then you aren't there to interrupt them so you need some other way to prevent them being triggered into barking.

- Barking in the garden - if your dog barks a LOT in your garden the first thing you need to do is prevent it being continued. Always go outside with them, potentially on a long lead and as soon as they bark for more than a few seconds take them straight back inside. No need to say anything, you are simply removing the reinforcement they are getting from barking. Dogs can bark in the garden at things they see, hear and smell so there isn't always something obvious causing the barking. One of my barks furiously if he smells where a wild rabbit has been sitting on our grass! My other cocker will literally bolt out of the door at night-time as quite often this is when the bunnies are out there and he loves to chase them. So for bedtime weewees he is popped on lead to prevent the high adrenalin barky chase episodes that would happen every single night and cause general over-arousal in the garden during the day too.

You might be able to use a really reliable recall for garden barking and ensure it is well rewarded every single time. This works for one of mine but for previous cockers they are simply too engrossed in the object of their barkathon to listen to anything else so I would go out and fetch them and next time use a long line for a few days/weeks to get things back under control if it was becoming an issue again.

- Doorbell barking - if your dog barks like mad when they hear the doorbell or the letterbox then there's a really easy game you can play. You practice simply ringing the bell or clattering the letterbox and as soon as your dog hears it you drop some super yummy treats down. Practice this 20-30 times in one session and do it 1-2 times a day. Within a few minutes or a few days your dog will no longer associate the sound with a need to bark but they will be awaiting the food to appear. We call this desensitisation and counter-conditioning and it is a method used to work on any type of heightened emotional response to a trigger.

TOP TIPS:

- prevention is best - block their view/don't let them outside on their own/don't give attention for barking.
- always reward quiet calm behaviour with praise/food/toys/touch or whatever your particular dog prefers.
- consider other underlying needs - are they bored, stressed, over-tired?
- be consistent - if you start a new approach then stick with it and make sure everyone is following the same tactic.

Sometimes we do just have to accept we have a noisy dog and not expect too much from them. Some can simply be more vocal than others so managing our own expectations is helpful too.

If you are having big problems with barking then get in touch for a wee chat to see what I might be able to offer to help.

16/10/2023

They really are very trusting of us and all the things we do to them.

Its so hard when you cant explain it to them!

04/10/2023

I wrote this short blog post for a dog group I'm in so thought why not share to my own page! I deal with resource guarding on a daily basis as a behaviourist and would really love to be able to prevent the problem happening in many of our dogs....

Crazy cocker lady here! I'm also a dog behaviourist and between running my own behaviour practice in Edinburgh and working as a Behaviour Support Officer for Dogs Trust one of the main issues I come across on a daily basis, especially with cocker spaniels is resource guarding. I wanted to write a little post to give new owners an overview on how to avoid this becoming an issue.

My own cocker Lily in the pic below was the reason I got into dog behaviour over 15 years ago. She is at rainbow bridge now but to date she is still the most severe guarder I have come across and it took a lot of time and patience to understand her and for her to learn to trust human hands again. She had 5 homes in her first 12 months and was at risk of euthanasia because of her guarding. Her story is not uncommon.

Resource guarding:

- It is the most common behaviour issue in cocker spaniels
- It is one of the top reasons cocker spaniels are rehomed
- It is one of the top reasons cocker spaniels are euthanised for non-medical reasons
- Cocker spaniels and cockerpoos are highly predisposed to guarding behaviours. It is thought this comes from their gundog background mixed with other reasons. We also see it a lot in springers.
- It is easily preventable!!!!

What does it look like?

- growling if someone approaches when they have something
- biting if someone physically tries to take something away or physically move them when they have something they value
- lying down or crouching over an object with very stiff tense body posture
- hard stare with the white of the eye showing
- keeping their head low over an object they have
- being hypervigilant by watching everyone around them in case of a thief approaching (human or dog)

All dogs can guard stuff, it is a totally normal and natural behaviour. Humans guard stuff too! I'm sure you would react if someone stole your handbag or threatened to help themselves to your dinner. If it happened a lot you would probably get a bit annoyed and start to use your voice or your body as soon as you sensed a threat in order to protect your valued resources. Am I right?

Our dogs do exactly the same. They have a variety of precious resources in their lives including food, toys, beds, stolen treasures, favourite people etc. What one dog sees as valuable might be less so to another. Usually food and stolen items are top of the list for guarding behaviours and with obvious reason. Food is yummy, it is a vital resource for survival and it exciting!

Stolen items can range from socks, shoes, leaves, remote controls and tea towels. The reason these become guarded is because we make them into prized possessions through our reactions. They tend to be novel items so can be more exciting and the fact we are generally very adamant we want them back NOW before they get damaged is why they become an issue for guarding.

The over-riding reason dogs guard is because they get worried. It can often be a part of a wider anxiety or insecurity issue so we might also see dogs who are reactive to people and other dogs, who tend to try to control situations or who have medical issues that cause them to feel more unsettled.

So how do we prevent guarding? This applies to young puppies especially but it also completely true for any age of dog.

- Never ever grab something off your puppy that they shouldn't have.
- If they have stolen something but it is not a danger to them or of monetary value then let them have it. Ripping up leaves or twigs, playing with a food stained tea towel or carrying your stinky socks around is really not a big deal.
- Instead, do a swap for something of equal or higher value (generally food works best so head to the fridge!) Show them what you have and offer it to them. If they drop what they have and go to take the food you can gently take back what they have. If you think they will go to grab their dropped item back then show them a second piece of food and toss it a short distance away to give yourself more time.
- Do not reprimand your dog for stealing something or repeatedly ask them to drop or leave in a commanding voice. That creates confrontation and pressure and even if you 'win' you have just increased the chance of your dog guarding again in the future.
- Do not physically scold them for stealing something. Fear creates a high chance of long term aggression.
- Never take a food item off them such as their food bowl, Kong or treatball. Would you take your partner or child's plate away from them before they were finished?
- Show them that having you near their food bowl is a good thing by sometimes dropping an extra yummy titbit in e.g. chicken, cheese, hotdog.
- Handfeed them their entire meal sometimes to show them that you are the bringer of Good Things.
- If you have multiple dogs ensure the other dogs are not able to try and steal from them if they finish first. Feed in separate areas if so. It's no fun to have to eat fast so your food isn't pinched by your sibling and it increases the chance of guarding.
- If you ever see any sign of guarding get professional advice ASAP from a force free qualified professional!
- Never ignore or punish a growl, it is a good thing if your dog warns you that they are worried!- If you already have a dog that guards then the above advice may not be suitable. Once a dog already guards we often need to take a different stance to take the pressure off the dog and rebuild trust. We do this through a slow and gentle process of desensitisation. If there have already been bites this needs an in-depth assessment.

If anyone has any questions on the above do feel free to ask! It can be a confusing topic sometimes especially when a dog guards people or spaces rather than the normal stuff like food and toys.

I find one of the most important parts of learning to understand guarding is learning above body language. Most of us miss the subtle signs and don't realise a dog is guarding until they growl or bite. I can guarantee there have been plenty signs before that but may have been historically ignored which causes the dog to escalate their behaviour or we may simply have not understood what they were trying to say.

26/09/2023

Take this free online course, your dog will thank you!

In humans, pain is communicated verbally. In dogs, it is communicated visually - through a change in posture, an uncharacteristic behavioural response, a different coat pattern.

There are a huge number of ways in which pain can be expressed in our four-legged friends.

Hone your observational skills and learn how to identify signs of pain with our free course, a collaboration with world-renowned canine behaviour practitioner, Gemma Hodson.

Learn more and sign up here: www.cameducation.co.uk/course/is-my-dog-in-pain .

24/09/2023

Free in person and online workshops for families with dogs. Really useful for anyone who has a dog that will be around children.

Book an online family workshop

12/09/2023

10/09/2023

This is such a powerful reminder to set your dog up for success and to know his limitations. 🙌

21/07/2023

The wonderful power of the dog’s nose 💪🏻 Well done PD Milo!

and helped officers yesterday when a vulnerable 15-year-old girl went missing in West Lothian. The pair tracked through woods and found her hiding under a fallen tree and then took her back to safety. Great work!

06/06/2023

04/06/2023

Amen to this!

16/05/2023

Sharing this fantastic video about common guarding and handling issues with cockers/cockerpoos (as well as all breeds) for a client of mine but it’s a great video for lots of owners to watch.