Kuki is like, 50% Livestock Guardian Dog, so he BARKS. Since he's been with me, we've been able to ease it through things like:
🐾 Helping him feel more settled
🐾 Changing his diet
🐾 Understanding how he's feeling and how to respond
🐾 Learning how to switch him from a reactive mindset to a thinking mindset in those moments
🐾 Teaching him a flight cue to help him feel more confident with people and dogs, after some early days advice from @dogtrainerjames
Dog Club Members can find guides to ALL of these things in the Dog Club, because I want to support you in challenges that I know were so tiresome for myself!
I found Kuki's barking really wearing and am so relieved I now understand ways to ease it. 🙏
However, remember barking is a behaviour and behaviour is an indication about how a dog is FEELING.
If your dog is expressing a feeling, it's important to find out what that feeling is, and excessive barking can be an indication of discomfort or pain.
This is why I would never ever support the use of vibration or shock collars for barking 🚫
Behaviour is communication and to suppress it is to take your dog's voice away. If this is something you are using, I will happily chat through alternatives without judgement - I have huge respect for people who ask for help 💪
#caninebehaviourist #exstreetdog #bosnianrescue #rommierescue #rommie #streetdog #dogtrainer #caninebehaviour #behaviouriscommunication #caninecommunication #talkdog
A HUGE thank you to the incredibly knowledgeable Gemma Opal Veterinary Physiotherapy for doing a Live Session with me this evening for the Dog Club! 🐾
In our Live Session, we'll be covering:
💙 Things you think are normal (but arent)
💙 How to help your dog warm up and cool down for each walk and why this is so important for their long-term health
💙 Physiological and behavioural links
💙 Why noise sensitivity could be a physical health concern
💙 ...and much much more! Excited? You should be, if you're a Dog Club Member!!!
Tues 26th Nov 7.30pm - See you there ✨️
@opalvetphysio
#caninebehaviourist #caninephysiotherapist #rescuedog #behaviouralscience #physiotherapy
Me, wondering what everyone will think of the Rescue Dog Club 🤔
Messages like this make my entire week 🫶🐾🐕
#raisingadog #raisingarescuedog #rescuedogsupport #dogbehaviourist #caninebehaviourist #dogtrainer #rescuedog #rescuedogsofinstagram #rommierescue #caninebehaviour
When Kuki arrived, communication was BASIC. He didn't know me, I didn't know him, but I did learn that he had this sort of default behaviour, which at some point must have got him what he needed.
He sat for EVERYTHING. Which meant I had no idea what he wanted, ever 🤣
This may sound a bit like not-real-dog-training-and-are-you-just-a-crazy-person idea, but I found out his needs by asking questions.
I still do this now - any time we do something significant I use the associated words;
"Let's go in the GARDEN for WEE WEES"
"Let's PLAY with your TOY"
"Here, have a LICK MAT"
"Eat your DINNER"
...and so on.
By saying those phrases every time he did the thing, he began to associate those words with the activity.
So now, his communication still isn't great (if he wants a wee he just stares at me) but I can ask him questions and the correct one makes him do a lil tippy tap and run in the right direction.
He'll look at me and I'll say "do you want to play?" (No response), "OK, do you need WEE WEES?" (No response).
"Do you just want to go OUTSIDE in the GARDEN?"
(Yay - tippy taps and runs to the door)
Success!!!
Anyone else do this? How does your dog tell you they need something?
#rescuedog #rescuedogsupport #exstreetdog #Bosnianrescue #rommie #rommierescue #rescuedogs #rescuedogsofig #caninebehaviourist #dogtrainer
Morning ☀️ Kuki used to live with about 25 other dogs when he was at the rescue shelter. When he came to me, I was really worried he would miss being around so many friends, so I read up a lot about group living and routine.
It's natural for the group to have physical contact (sometimes piling on top of each other!) to start the night and again in the morning. Kuki was nervous of me initially, but I made sure to always sit on the floor with him at bedtime and again in the morning to make sure he knew he could be with me if he wanted.
Nowadays, I've learned his style is to have less contact at bedtime but ALL the morning cuddles, so we do just that 🥰
#rescuepup #rescuedog #shelterdogs #rescueshelter #rehome #raisingmyrescue #dogtraining #doglanguage #dogcommunication #dogbehaviour #caninebehavior #raisingadog #dogcuddles #morningcuddles
One of the FIRST things I encourage creating in your dog is independence. Learning independent activities can create:
● Confidence
● Gentle separation from you
● Enrichment
● Autonomy
These are fantastic traits for your dog to have, because it sets them up for being comfortable in activities away from you and help build their personality and confidence. ❤️
If your ex-street dog arrives already very independent, that's great, we can work with that to help make sure those independent activities are safe and enriching. 🫶
I have loads of ideas for independent activities in the Rescue Dog Club ✨️
#independentdog #exstreetdog #rescuedog #raisingmyrescue #rommierescue #bosnianrescue #rommie #streetdog #adopteddogs
Threshold work is one of the most amazing, understanding and trust-building things you can do for your dog!!
In the Dog Club, I'm giving members the tools to understand what threshold work is, why it's so important and how to use it to boost confidence, trust and patience with their dogs. 🐾
This is one of the BEST things you can do for your dog...
🚫 Stop pushing their thresholds in the wrong way and start confidently preparing them in the RIGHT way ✅️
Perfect for you if:
- Your dog is reactive
- You want to be able to walk through town with them
- You want to be able to sit in a cafe/the pub/the park
- Your dog struggles with anxiety
- You want to build your bond
For just £8, you could learn about this incredible technique, just like 45 other amazing dog guardians are doing ✨️🥰
#thresholdwork #understandyourdog #understanddogs #caninebehaviour #caninebehaviourist #rescuedogclub #raisingmyrescue #affordabledogsupport
Most of the time, training alone doesn't work. That's why I don't call myself a dog trainer.
Every time I've offered training sessions (for something like loose lead walking, recall, etc) I've found it really difficult because I usually notice other issues as we go, and it almost always leads to a behavioural session.
IMO, training is SUCH a small part of living a happier life with your dog. Your dog physically CANNOT learn properly if something else is affecting them. 🚫
And trust me, in all the hundreds of dogs I've helped, there is almost always something else affecting them.
Try learning quantum physics with a migraine - this is what I'm talking about. 🤕
If training isn't working for you, this could be why:
1️⃣ Their diet - I end up recommending a diet switch to about 75% of my clients
2️⃣ They are anxious - and you might not have even noticed because their signals are SO small
3️⃣ They don't feel safe - especially if they are newly rescued
4️⃣ They are in pain or discomfort
5️⃣ Their natural needs and instincts aren't being met
6️⃣ YOU are having a hard or stressful time, and maybe we need to prioritise this
7️⃣ Family life is in turmoil right now, or recently
8️⃣ They are lacking confidence (or you are!)
9️⃣ The communication between you both needs support
As a Behaviourist, I look at your dog as a WHOLE. I don't train loose-lead walking, I work with you to create a happier, more confident dog who WANTS to be by your side. ✨️
I don't train 'not barking at other dogs', I help you build happiness, confidence, good health and met needs, to remove the stress that CAUSES the barking. 😌
If you want to know more about why training hasn't worked for you, send me a message 🐾
#raisingmyrescue #caninebehaviourist #dogtraining #dogbehaviourist
🚩 Something a trainer or behaviourist might tell you, which is inappropriate for your rescue dog 🚩
"If your dog asks for something, don't give it - wait until they've walked away, then call them back and offer it. Everything is on your terms" - my first behaviourist.
If you want genuine, effective and trustworthy back and forth communication with your dog, this is NOT the way to get it.
Remember, most professionals are amazing. But if something doesn't sit right with you, it's probably because it isn't. 👎
This is the statement that made me decide to become a behaviourist myself though, so thank you to that lady for firing the passion in me. 🔥
#rescuedogbehaviourist #caninebehaviourist #dogtrainer #badidea #communication #trust #talkdog #raisingmyrescue
